After the pandemic be sure to start hugging again! Why? Because hugging is practically perfect.· It helps the body’s immune system.· It cures depression.· It reduces stress.· It’s rejuvenating.· It has no unpleasant side effects.· It is all natural—contains no chemicals, artificial ingredients, pesticides, nor preservatives!· There are no parts to break down, no monthly payments, non-taxable, non-polluting, and best of all it’s fully returnable!

In case you need a refresher course on how to give and receive hugs, take a look at the pictures below.

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( Originally published at 1990 Institute, reprinted with permission of the author.)

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Women’s History Month started with a bang as Chloe Zhao won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director of a Motion Picture and Best Picture Drama for Nomadland. She is the first Asian woman to win the award, and only the second woman (following Barbara Streisand for Yentl in 1984). Chinese in China and Asian Americans celebrated, although some Chinese pushed back because although Zhao was born in Beijing, she left China at 15 to go to school in the UK and the US, asking if she was Chinese enough.

Adding to this year’s Golden Globe excitement was Minari’s win for Best Foreign Language film, although this categorization was controversial. Asian Americans felt the sting of not being considered American enough because the characters spoke Korean, even though the film was set in America, made by American production companies, directed by an American, starred American actors, and told the classic story of the American Dream. 

“Minari is about a family,” said director Lee Isaac Chung while holding his seven-year-old daughter during the award ceremony. “It’s a family trying to learn how to speak a language of its own. It goesdeeper than any American language and any foreign language. It’s a language of the heart, and I’m trying to learn it myself and to pass it on, and I hope we’ll all learn how to speak this language of love to each other, especially this year.”

Learning how to speak a language of family, home, and community is powerful, especially as Asian Americans seek community solutions to recent violence against Asian Americans

After Haijun Si and his family moved into a new neighborhood in Orange County last fall, teenagers and children repeatedly rang the doorbell, pounded on the door, threw rocks, yelled racial slurs, and told them to “go back to your country.” Then neighbors volunteered to help stand watch outside the Sis’ home every night so that the Sis can finally eat dinner in peace and their children can sleep through the night. For Lunar New Year, the entire neighborhood came together as a community to celebrate with
lanterns and lion dancing.

“Communities can take care of one other,” said Lateefah Simon, President of Akonadi Foundation, at the 1990 Institute webinar, Beyond Headlines: Protecting Asian Americans during Violent Times, last week. “I am so inspired by our folks reclaiming the narrative. That our folks are not pitted against each other. Yes there is deep violence, there is deep hurt, there is deep pain. But that must not be the end. When communities come together, as they have in Oakland and across the country, we continue our lineage of a human and civil rights movement in this country.”

“What has really encouraged me is to see the Asian American community flock together, said Russell M. Jeung, San Francisco State University Professor of Asian American Studies, Stop AAPI hate Co-Founder, and the 1990 Institute Advisory Council member at the 1990 Institute webinar. “They are standing up at whatever organization they belong to – whether it’s a church or a school place, they are taking leadership in saying, ‘This is wrong,’ and they are getting their local institutions to pass resolutions to say
anti-Asian racism is not condoned.

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Billy’s Comments: I am a Chinese American. I am a big fan of Frances and truly admire her Community Spirit and her scholarship. I truely believe that however difficult it is, we must focus on building Global Family, Global Community, Global Friendship, and United Global Language as our ultimate goal together.

For FF Brothers and Families and a few good friends, this was not a formal lecture by Billy – Just sharing good feelings. He shared stories on his 70 years FF Friendship Experience and the Evolution of his recent Friendshipology Initiative.

He did try to promote one simple message however: “Be Smart & Kind”. He was fortunate to have world recognized educators, Mr. Joshua Freedman and Dr. Rick Hanson present to give brief talks on their specialty areas – Josh Freedman on Emotional Intelligence – and Rick Hanson on Kindness, Goodness & Happiness.

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Joshua Freedman, MCC; cofounder and CEO, The Six Seconds EQ Network, working since 1997 toward a world with more emotional intelligence (EQ). Josh’s goal is for everyone to make friends with their feelings… and to use emotions to step toward a future that works for all of us. He is a Master Certified Coach and author of the international best-seller, At the Heart of Leadership, and five other books on EQ in business, for families, and in schools. Six Seconds’ tools & methods are used in over 200 countries… from developing business leaders at FedEx (6sec.org/fedex) to growing courageous leaders from the future of the planet in Kenya (6sec.org/wmf) to partnering with UNICEF to bring EQ to millions of children for free (6sec.org/popup)… we’re working toward a billion people practicing EQ.

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Rick Hanson, PhD is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His books have been published in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture – with 900,000 copies in English alone. His free newsletters have 215,000 subscribers, and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial need. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on the BBC, CBS, NPR, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. He and his wife live in northern California and have two adult children. He loves wilderness and taking a break from emails.

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Billy’s Pitch:

My definition of Friendshipology is The Art & Science in Making Friends.

My definition of Friendship is simply Getting Along & Sharing Good Feelings.

A STROKE – a wakeup call 2 years ago  made me think “ What 2 words to

leave for my grandchildren ? ”

His conclusion: “ Be SMART & Kind ” This he also likes to pass on to his FF Family.

From reading Fareed Zakaria’s ” 10 Lessons for a Post Pandemic World” recently, he learned that global threats and challenges like Climate Change, Pandemics, A.I. etc. etc, are terrifying, but Zakaria soberly suggested that they can and must be solved by people cooperating and collaboating together. To be able to cooperate and collaborate will require the ability to get along, and to Billy Friendshipology is the Art and Science for Getting Along. Friendship is the necessary lubricant for all successful human interactions ! But he feels that there really should be a guiding compass, and the True North could be ” Be Smart & Kind “.

To his FF Family, he said:

” I am very proud to be a FF Brother. I love not just the FF Bothers but the FF Family

We say we are FF Strong. We are also FF Friendly.  FF Caring, FF Kind, and

FF Compassionate.  We are not just for ourselves. We are Non-sibi. We want

to be positive contributors to this Interconnected and Interdependent World.

He also claimed that the goal of his <https://Friendshipology.net website> was to ignite and connect inspired “sparkles” so that the dream of ” An International Cross-cultural Institute on Friendshipology ” may ultimately be realized.

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Good morning dear Billy,

As  partner in crime…..in friendshipology mission…I wish to homage  Architecture Master William LEE with photographic Complicitas illustrating  an architectural theme.. where friendshipology values are visualized by the communion between  the hardest city manmade elements and the most delicate creatures of nature, flowers

I have choosen  Manhattan as architectural theatre for this  unique “play” to take place: my 3rd eye  has directed steel, concrete, glass.. on where and  how to host, in their tough fibres..the soft architecture of petals, pistils, leaves  !!!

Actually I wish this  eco-architectural fairytale, started years ago…,   could inspire a symbolic harmony  stemming  both  Love..Friendship among we people and Respect  for mother  Nature. 

Furthermore, especially in  these days  thorned by social, climate and health issues,  Manhattan in…friendshipology  aspires to inspire the hope for. a better living, a more sustainable future.
Does it make sense to Master Architect Wllliam Lee ?

Cheers and enjoy !
Amalia

Amalia’s Letter in Italian:

Caro Billy,

” Quale  artista fotografa italiana, collaboratrice  della missione Friendshipology,  desidero rendere omaggio al  Maestro Architetto  William Lee  con alcune mie Complicitas  sul tema  eco-Architettura,  tese a visualizzare   il concetto  di Friendshipology attraverso la comunione-complicità tra elementi estremi:                           i manufatti più duri  della città e le fragili creature della natura. i Fiori

Ho scelto Manhattan quale teatro dove mettere in scena questo spettacolo il cui regista, il mio 3° occhio, dirige  ferro,acciaio, vetro, cemento armato  su  come e dove  accogliere, nella durezza delle fibre,  la fragranza di  petali,gambi, pistilli, foglie…

Un’architettura surreale… una  fiaba metropolitana, iniziata diversi anni orsono… una metafora dell’ Armonia tesa ad ispirareAmore, Amicizia tra le persone, nonché  Rispetto per la Natura.

Soprattutto, specialmente in questi giorni devastati  da problemi  sociali, sanitari, climatici, Manhattan in… Friendshipology  aspira  a suscitare il fiorire della  Speranza per  una migliore qualità della  Vita,  dell’Ambiente… dono dell’ Universo. “

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BILLY”S COMMENTS: I am trying to analyze what guidelines Amalia’s 3rd eye can teach us. In the Blending of Architecture and Nature Photos, I try to look for what Images are retained, what edges are refigured, what light focuses and what blurs, and what rhythms or shapes provide commonality or complements.Compare this art to the Art of Making Friends. Give and take but retain your true selves. The successful ones bring us Love and Joy.

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A beautiful poem by Lee Tzu Pheng (Singapore Cultural Medallion winner)

Sip your Tea
Nice and Slow

No one Ever knows
when it’s Time to Go,
There’ll be no Time
to enjoy the Glow,
So sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

Life is too Short but
feels pretty Long,
There’s too Much to do, so much going Wrong,
And Most of the Time You Struggle to be Strong,
Before it’s too Late
and it’s time to Go,
Sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

Some Friends stay,
others Go away,
Loved ones are Cherished but not all will Stay.
Kids will Grow up
and Fly away.
There’s really no Saying how Things will Go,
So sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

In the End it’s really
all about understanding Love 
For this World  
and in the Stars above,
Appreciate and Value who truly Cares,
Smile and Breathe
and let your Worries go,
So Just Sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

This poem is beyond all relationships
But made for us all.

When I’m dead.
Your tears will flow
But I won’t know
Cry with me now instead.

You will send flowers, 
But I won’t see
Send them now instead

You’ll say words of praise 
But I won’t hear.
Praise me now instead

You’ll forget my faults,
But I won’t know…..
Forget them now  instead.

You’ll miss me then,
But I won’t feel.
Miss me now, instead.

You’ll wish You could have spent more time with me,
Spend it now instead

When you hear I’m gone, you’ll find your way to my house to pay condolence but we haven’t even spoken in years.
Look for me now. 

*”Spend time with every person around you, and help them with whatever you have to make them happy, your families, friends and  acquaintances.*
*Make them feel Special because you never know when time will take them away from you forever.*

Alone I can ‘Say’ but together we can ‘Talk’.
Alone I can ‘Enjoy’ but together we can ‘Celebrate’  
Alone I can ‘Smile’ but together we can ‘Laugh’

That’s the BEAUTY of Human Relations. 
We are nothing without each other 
So Stay Connected !

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