tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57329340207787451962024-03-13T22:05:46.852-10:00Plum in ParadiseAt home in the islands, in the middle of the sea: mana`o (thoughts) and ki`i (images) from my island paradise.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-90105452067732617782009-07-26T13:11:00.002-10:002009-07-26T13:20:36.739-10:00Wisdom for the agesFrom <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060777052/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0CC9VVV9GKDJ3GXA21QM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846"><span style="font-style: italic;">Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want to Write Them</span>, by Francine Prose</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Among the questions that writers need to ask themselves in the process of revision -- Is this the best word I can find? Is my meaning clear? Can a word or phrase be cut from this without sacrificing anything essential? -- perhaps the most important question is: Is this grammatical? What's strange is how many beginning writers seem to think that grammar is irrelevant, or that they are somehow above or beyond this subject more fit for a schoolchild than the future author of great literature. Or possibly they worry that they will be distracted from their focus on art if they permit themselves to be sidetracked by the dull requirements of English usage. But the truth is that grammar is always interesting, always useful. Mastering the logic of grammar contributes, in a mysterious way that again evokes some process of osmosis, to the logic of thought.<br /></blockquote>Amen.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-80999152623477444942009-04-18T18:17:00.020-10:002009-04-18T23:04:48.292-10:00Live blogging Merrie Monarch: Hula `Auana<div style="text-align: center;">*** Updated every so often - scroll down to see the beginning of the post ***<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Kamuela - Technical difficulties might throw off the "bots" (as SG calls them) a little bit ... or not. An interesting mele choice: it showcases their skills, but it almost seems like it would fit better in a Keiki Hula competition or something. We'll see what the judges think: this group does well year in and year out, but they've got some strong competition this year.<br /><br />Sonny Ching's wahine - It's hard to argue with the near-perfect execution and beautiful interpretation here. I'm so glad he decided to use the majority of their stage time doing all the verses of the mele. Great performance.<br /><br />Olana - I'm stumped about this one. I don't particularly care for this style - and I'm not crazy about the costuming - but I have no idea what the judges might think of it. There's certainly no shortage of expression.<br /><br />Halau Mohala Ilima - I love, love, <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> these gowns with the white `awapuhi! Oh, man, I'd give anything to be there now, hearing this mele sung live. And the dancing is ... I'm running out of superlatives, but just exquisite. Mapuana always does such a beautiful job with the classics. They'll place, I guarantee.<br /><br />Sonny Ching's kane - you're looking at your first place right there.<br /><br />Keolalaulani Halau Olapa O Laka - When these girls are on their game, nobody can touch them -- they're what you expect hula dancers to look like. I do love this mele and their interpretation of it is superb. Definitely place-worthy, in my opinion.<br /><br />Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka - The look is certainly striking, and the dancing is exquisite. Last night I accused these girls of not rehearsing enough; tonight is a different story altogether. Loved it.<br /><br />Hokulani - I wonder if Aunty Hoku will ever opt to have her girls do `auana <span style="font-style: italic;">without</span> shoes? They never seem to place, but I always like them. This was another solid performance.<br /><br />I haven't done much blogging about the guys, and it's not that I don't care about them; I just love watching them for the fun of it and don't feel so compelled to add commentary, for whatever reason.<br /><br />Halau I Ka Wekiu - Those gowns are elegant, but not terribly flattering, especially on the larger girls. The mele was okay, not exactly an instant classic, but the dance was lovely and well executed. I may have underestimated the Kumz.<br /><br />Intermission - I may need caffeine if I'm going to make it through to the end. Time for a cup of tea.<br /><br />Kahikilaulani (wahine) - I love it! An homage hula! Sweetie Girl, if she were here, wouldn't get this at all, because this is one for all the old-timers. The satin holoku are gorgeous (except for the puckered seams, hard to avoid with satin), and how about all that red carnation? Classic. Love this one. Fun ho`i.<br /><br />Pukaikapuaokalani - Costuming and adornments are terrific, choreography's pretty good, but somehow they're all dancing like soloists, it seems to me. Meh.<br /><br />Na Lei O Kaholoku - The good news: the Kohala girls are back! The bad news: white pumps?? Really? Maybe I should withhold judgment until after they dance ... Okay, here it is: beautiful mele, elegantly danced, loved how they sang along for the hui. I forgive them the shoes, and still think they're the ones to beat.<br /><br />Halau Na Mamo O Ka`ala - Maybe it's the whole old-fashioned thing again, but I just love this costume. Or maybe it's because I danced in something very similar, 20-something years ago. I like these girls, their elegant simplicity.<br /><br />Halau o Lilinoe - I adore this song, and love this rendition: just Aaron Sala and his piano. Well done by the Cali girls.<br /><br />Ke`alaokamaile - stunning holoku, flattering on each of them. Keali`i's definitely got a shot here. I heard someone say they were favorites, though I wouldn't go that far, but they're strong contenders, no doubt about it.<br /><br />Ka La Onohi Mai O Ha`eha`e - I just love this style, which Manu described as "old-fashioned." I guess that makes me old-fashioned too, but it's just so elegant, with the simple adornments (love the combs!) and the modest white dresses. Hmm .. they wore white last night too. I like it.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">____________________<br /></div><br />I can't believe I'm even thinking about doing this again for the third night in a row. I guess it's just an impulse, an itch I have to scratch, even if no one ever sees what I put down here.<br /><br />I'm excited about tonight, and my thoughts go back a year, when I was there in that stadium and just so thrilled to be in the midst of it all. Someone had told me before I went that it's better on TV, because you can see the dancers up close and catch all the little details. That's true, but there's also something to be said for seeing everything as a whole, and feeling the energy and involvement of the audience. There's a whole lot there that you never see on TV. And on `auana night, you can't believe how incredible it is to hear that music live.<br /><br />So here we go ...plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-68789760340600826742009-04-17T18:32:00.016-10:002009-04-18T12:56:23.419-10:00Live blogging Merrie Monarch: Hula Kahiko10:12 -<br />I'm pooped; think I'll just watch the rest on the DVR tomorrow.<br /><br />10:00 -<br />Kaumaka O Uka - As Sweetie Girl just observed, ami kuku are hard to coordinate. And this group, who tend to be fairly strong, didn't have enough rehearsal time for this one, or something. It's a bit painful to watch those hips going every which way.<br /><br />9:44 -<br />Hokulani: One of the great things about Merrie Monarch is that every year, there are different kinds of surprises. I forget what those rattle things they're wearing on their calves are called, but I love it! What a great effect, especially combined with the facial expressions and that ginormous pahu. Wow.<br /><br />9:35 -<br />I would think it takes a great deal of confidence to present a hula like Kaulilua, knowing that each of the judges has probably danced it and/or seen it performed hundreds of times. This is an excellent performance - for a large group of young dancers, they are very disciplined, yet expressive. And I think I like their costume best of the night. Nice touch for Kapua to have her mom on stage with her.<br /><br />9:09 -<br />I give these Halau I Ka Wekiu girls a ton of credit -- working with papahehi is way harder than it looks: you have to be exactly on beat, or else it sounds like a ripple effect. What we're seeing represents a lot of hours of rehearsal to get that hehi step right, then you add in the kala`au and chanting - impressive.<br /><br />Intermission -<br />I need a break too; I feel like I've been washing dishes forever. For the last couple hours I have been going back and forth from the TV room to the kitchen and doing a little here, a little there. I'm gonna go finish everything now and be done with it!<br /><br />8:18 -<br />I've got to hand it to Ray (or is it Rae now?) Fonseca: his girls had the necessary energy and hula chops to pull this off. But I have to question his going with such a, well, masculine style. If you're showcasing females, why not go with feminine? Maybe it's just me.<br /><br />7:45 -<br />I love this halau from Kohala, and they are formidable. Have to say I absolutely love the adornments: lei hulu, what's the kupe`e, dried and braided la`i? - and the bone/tooth necklaces: exquisite. The gray in the temples is fake, yet it is a mature group, and I think that makes a difference, don't you? Absolutely mesmerizing, from ka`i to oli to mele to ho`i. First place is theirs to lose (my first prediction).<br /><br />7:30 -<br />I get that it's Ray Fonseca and his boys (sorry, <span style="font-style: italic;">men</span>) generally are pretty interesting, but I'm just not that into them. So I switched over to volleyball, just as they showed a great shot of The Coach! That handsome devil. Okay, back to hula ... I will admit I like the whole raffia thing.<br /><br />7:15 -<br />No Luna I Ka Hale Kai No Kama`alewa is one of my most favorite hula `olapa, but in the hands of these girls, unfortunately, I'm disappointed. It's such an incredibly poignant story, and you just have to really get that and convey it. These girls do look really young; maybe not enough life experience yet to get it across.<br /><br />6:35 -<br />As the evening gets started, there's a danger in being inattentive, if you think that "all" the good halau will come later on. Kimo told us last week that there are several good groups early in the program -- <a href="http://www.kitv.com/merriemonarch/19213563/detail.html">and I see he's right</a> -- so we'd better stay focused.<br /><br />Having said that, I'm pretty much dismissing the Vegas girls right off the bat. Sorry to be blunt, but you've got to acknowledge that at some level, just showing up and being on the stage is your victory. But I can't run away, because Tracie and Keawe are coming up ...plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-67135343104894723122009-04-16T17:57:00.027-10:002009-04-17T07:03:26.176-10:00Live blogging Merrie Monarch: Miss Aloha HulaUPDATE, Friday morning -<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">I'm pulling for this girl; I love Pohai, but I hope Cherissa wins. Her look is one thing, but her dancing is outstanding.</blockquote>Hey, how about that?! First time I've ever called a winner! I actually did stay up for <a href="http://www.kitv.com/merriemonarch/19205519/detail.html">the results</a> and agreed with every choice. So I guess the bottom line is, I really like this year's judges. Now I'm even more bummed that Sweetie Girl's kumu opted not to take the halau this year. Oh, well; next year, next year ...<br /><br />Live-blogging was fun (I even had a blog follower -- mahalo for your comment, Fia!), but I can't keep it up tonight. For one thing, I have to be watching 2 volleyball matches at the same time (The Coach's team is playing, plus UH vs. USC), and for another ... it's kinda exhausting! But who knows, there might be times when I just can't resist a comment or two ...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">___________________________________<br /></div><br />10:45 - CC has gone home, SG to bed, and so none of us is going to stay up for the results. I can tell my brain is shutting down, so I doubt I'll be doing this again tomorrow night.<br /><br />10:34 -<br />Pohai/Keolalaulani -- Well, what can you say when the song is dedicated to her mom (love you, Max!), the dancer's brother is accompanying her, and she's wearing practically the same dress as the one she wore as 8th grade queen? She looks beautiful, and her dancing is gorgeous. And how she has matured since she was last on this stage four years ago! Great performance.<br /><br />10:25 -<br />C'ari Kealoha/Kamuela -- The dress is one of my favorites, and the lei is to die for. What an incredibly gorgeous rendition of Hi`ilawe. Beautiful girl, beautiful performance; it's a no-brainer that she's the other one in the top 2.<br /><br />10:16 -<br />Kaholo Panui/Sonny Ching -- Manu O`o; another hula classic (you can see folks in the audience singing along). The gold velvet with yellow ohaialii is gorgeous. She's certainly expressive, well, captivating is probably more like it. CC puts her in the top 2; we could be looking at our winner.<br /><br />10:07 -<br />Maria Kanehailua/Ka La Onohi -- So none of us is terribly wild about the costuming, but as a dancer she seems to be holding her own. Not a bad job for a first-timer.<br /><br />9:57 -<br />Ashley Artis/Na Mamo O Ka`ala -- Cousin CC is terribly skeptical about this one, but it's refreshing, in a way, to see a traditional sort of look, and grace and subtlety applied to one of the true classics, Kawohikukapulani. I liked it.<br /><br />9:49 -<br />Geri Emata/Maui -- The dress, lei, and kupe`e are the best of the night so far. This girl is a beautiful dancer, and the whole package; she's selling this one all the way. She's almost as good looking from the back as from the front! And a killer ending.<br /><br />9:40 -<br />Nicole Taniguchi/Laniakea -- Great dress, great lei, excellent skills and she's clearly enjoying herself. Very pleasant to watch, and so much more personality than the one just before her.<br /><br />9:30 -<br />Kiki Wheeler/Ka Wekiu -- She's an elegant dancer, but after the first impression has worn off, we've decided she looks too much like Hula Barbie. But the MidPac girl gets our props for wearing buffanblu:) Great hair, though ... she's gonna go places with that hair.<br /><br />9:22 -<br />Cherissa Kane/K. Reichel: okay, midnight blue velvet, lei kahelelani, Big Island maile: what's not to love? I'm pulling for this girl; I love Pohai, but I hope Cherissa wins. Her look is one thing, but her dancing is outstanding.<br /><br />9:12 -<br />Kristi Celebrado: Sorry, that red la`i skirt has been ruled by the judges on Laamia Place (SG, Cousin CC, and Plum) as an official wardrobe malfunction. It's just so distracting that we can't hardly see her dance. What a poor choice there.<br /><br />9:00 -<br />Malia Marks/Olana is back with the bent-at-the-waist look. It is annoying, I have to admit. But I do like the song choice, Nani Kaua`i. And Howard and Natalie singing is always a highlight.<br /><br />Intermission is almost pau, so I'm looking forward to `auana. But they're sure taking their time about it ...<br /><br />8:11 -<br />Pohai Nu`uhiwa, Keolalaulani Olapa O Laka. Yay, Pohai! Been waiting all night to see you. Love your `oli; way to tell a story. How is she ever going to have enough breath to get through this?? Costume, adornments: perfect. And the maile at the waistband is my favorite. I'm biased, of course, but she gets my top 3. Hope the judges agree.<br /><br />8:00 -<br />C'ari Kealoha, Hula Halau O Kamuela. Another top 3 probable, just by virtue of her halau. Sometimes pedigree is everything ... Now, <span style="font-weight: bold;">that's</span> a la`i skirt! A lot of energy in a fairly traditional choreography. Love the red. She pretty much nailed it.<br /><br />7:51 -<br />Kaholo Panui, Halau Na Mamo O Pu`uanahulu. Okay, here's our boy Sonny Ching, renowned for turning out Miss Aloha Hulas. You can feel the energy level go up. You just know she's going to be top 3, easily, Sonny works these girls so hard, you can expect no errors whatsoever. I'm not so sure I like the eye thing, but it seems to work for Sonny.<br /><br />7:43 -<br />Maria Kanehailua, Ka La Onohi Mai O Ha`eha`e. I'm so excited to see Tracie and Keawe Lopes at MMF for the first time. They very much belong here. I predict this dancer, albeit a rookie, will do well. I loved everything: the chant selection, the costume, choreography, her performance -- it all worked for me. I think the judges would like it.<br /><br />7:32 -<br />Ashley Artis, Halau Na Mamo O Ka`ala. I've seen this girl before as a soloist at Hula Oni E. She's one of their alaka`i, I think. Love this gray costume with the red lehua. I like Noelani's choreography, and Ashley is a beautiful dancer, but there's something missing. Can't put my finger on it. And why does she always say "ilaila" for her kahea? A solid performance, but I don't see the judges scoring it real high.<br /><br />7:22 -<br />Gerilyn Emata, Halau Ka Hanu Lehua. What's this?? Roselani? Interesting. Love the lei a`i, not so crazy about the lei po`o. Like her `oli voice a lot. The ombre pa`u, not so much. But I love this girl's energy and connection with the audience. Can't wait to see her `auana.<br /><br />7:15 -<br />Nicole Taniguchi, Halau Ka Liko Pua O Kalaniakea. Finally, lei that's not red and yellow lehua. Not that I don't love lehua -- we've got both colors in our yard, the red's going off right now -- but I do love ilima. I like what Kapua Dalire Moe does with her dancers: she's not just a clone of her mom, and she maintains a good balance of the traditional and the creative. I liked this one.<br /><br />7:03 -<br />Kiki Wheeler, from Halau I Ka Wekiu. A Mid-Pac student, so my sister-in-law is particularly interested. These guys have had a bit more success with their kane than their wahine, so we'll see. Oops, did I just see a cross step?!?! Well, that's unfortunate.<br /><br />6:55 -<br />Cherissa Kane, Halau Ke`alaokamaile, Maui. Keali`i Reichel's girl. Love her `oli. And don't you just love it when the big girls can move that good? Some of her footwork is ever so not precise, but her hands and expression are spot on. I've always loved this chant of his; glad he chose it for her.<br /><br />6:44 -<br />Second dancer: Kristi Celebrado, from Kaua`i. First time at MMF for this halau? I can tell you right now the judges are not going to score this one very high. KITV made such a big deal about this being the first Merrie Monarch to broadcast in HiDef; she's going to regret seeing herself on the replay with her kupe`e spraying all over the stage.<br /><br />6:35 -<br />First dancer: Malia Marks, from Halau Hula Olana. SG is unimpressed: too bent over, and what's she doing with her mouth? I like the Olana girls for their discipline, but their style is not my cup of tea.<br /><br />6:30 -<br />They just introduced the judges, and I'm so excited to see my kumu sitting there! First one to be introduced. I'm happy to see the red shirt he chose is not too overwhelming. He told us last week in class that he was still deciding what he would wear each night, but he was pretty sure he was going to wear a red shirt, with a tie and vest, for Thursday night. I thought the red might be too much, but it looks good. I hope he behaves himself -- he tends to clown around a bit, telling us last week that he was going to be texting while judging, and stuff -- but I'm sure he's taking this plenty seriously. I'm happy for him to have this opportunity.<br /><br />6:00 pm -<br />I've never live-blogged anything before, so I have no idea how this will go. Still, I'm giving it a try. At the moment, I'm still fixing dinner and running back and forth to the TV room. Oh, good, Sweetie Girl and the Coach just got home, so I can have SG monitor the action while I finish making salad.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-10450813296296822632009-03-12T18:46:00.010-10:002009-03-12T19:55:47.463-10:007 Quick Takes Friday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmOwFaFOLU8/SbnEeSemP0I/AAAAAAAAAwA/lj66zAElOpw/s400/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 330px; height: 222px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmOwFaFOLU8/SbnEeSemP0I/AAAAAAAAAwA/lj66zAElOpw/s400/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Aloha from paradise, and thanks again to <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/">Jennifer at Conversion Diary</a> for hosting. <i style="">Pōmaika`i </i>(blessings) to you, Jen, and your new <i style="">kamali`i</i> “Joy!”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">1.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s been three months since I’ve posted anything, and while part of the reason has to do with working on my <a href="http://pluminparadise.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-big-project.html">Big Project</a> in January and February, mostly it’s just because I’ve had the blahs. I’ve even starting thinking of this as my “blahg.” It comes down to this: my life is really not that interesting, and blogging about it isn’t going to make it any more so. But it’s been bothering me not to have posted anything for 3 months, so this felt like an itch I had to scratch.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">2.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I do read an awful lot of blogs, though – I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am by (and let’s face it: envious of) the bloggers who can post something – sometimes more than one post! – every day. The ones I especially am drawn to, for some odd reason, are the mommy bloggers. There are half a dozen or so I read regularly (including our gracious hostess) who are much younger than I and have 3 or more children who are babies, toddlers, preschoolers – I’m just in awe. And utterly baffled; how on earth do they find/make the time? Granted, my memories of those years are hazy, but looking back, I don’t think I could have sat down at a computer (well, that was back in the dark ages before we had one, so I guess it would have had to have been a journal) and written like this – the amount of time it would have taken would have been more than enough for the kid to call 911 (which Number One Son did, once, when he was in elementary school) or toss his $600 hearing aids in the toilet. Which he also did.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">3.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And now that that kid is 21 and 6000 miles away, I’ve got a whole other list of things to be on my knees about. Such as Spring Break. So if you happen to remember and/or feel so inclined, please keep NOS in your prayers this week. He left this morning (our time; noon, his) on a 10-hour drive from Washington DC to Mont Tremblant, Quebec, and, if his Facebook page is to be believed, the week to come will be one long extravaganza of partying, punctuated by occasional snowboarding. Sigh.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">4.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s really cold here. Not cold like where you are (I’m assuming that whoever is reading this is on the mainland), but for the tropics … frigid. You know when you check weather.com and they tell you what the actual temperature is, and then say it “feels like” some other temperature? I guess to account for wind chill or whatever. Well, weather.com just told me that here in my zip code it’s 67 degrees, but if you’re island-born, I’m telling you, it feels like 32. <span style="font-style: italic;">Inside </span>the house. Like you, I’m ready for spring.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">5.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I like mainland winter weather, though. Well, let me qualify that: I like to go to <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Colorado</st1:state></st1:place> for a week during the winter -- not really; we're talking March -- to ski. (Okay, stop scoffing) And I’m sad because this year I’m not going. The Coach has to coach, and Baby Girl has umpteen commitments of her own, and the financial situation, well, you know – so we decided this year there could be no spring break trip to our <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Rocky</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place> home-away-from-home. So I’m bummin’. I’m an island girl through and through, but I do love to get away to those majestic mountains and carve it up. If you do get a chance to ski this spring, do a run for me, would you?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">6.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I just love to read, but haven’t done much so far in 2009. I’ve only read 4 books this year, compared to 13 by this time a year ago. A few days back I finally picked up and started “Twilight,” which Baby Girl had lent me back around New Year’s. Just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. About the same time as I was starting the book, I read an <a href="http://blogs.usaweekend.com/whos_news/2009/02/exclusive-steph.html">interview</a> with Stephen King, in which he said something like, “Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn.” And you know what, he’s right: the Twilight story is kind of fun, in its way, but the writing is truly terrible. I’m constantly fighting the urge to toss it across the room. But I’m so weird in that way: I’ll torture myself and keep reading to the end, because I want to know how it comes out. Masochist.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">7.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My 7 quick takes are not that quick. I need to work on that. I’m going to start by stopping. But first I have to say I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">nuha </span>with Blogger for not letting me add photos to this post. Grrr.<br /></p>plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-84972315898025184462008-12-12T12:12:00.009-10:002009-03-12T20:09:11.107-10:007 Quick Takes on Winter in the Tropics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmOwFaFOLU8/SbnEeSemP0I/AAAAAAAAAwA/lj66zAElOpw/s400/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 330px; height: 222px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EmOwFaFOLU8/SbnEeSemP0I/AAAAAAAAAwA/lj66zAElOpw/s400/7_quick_takes_sm.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />1. People don’t think there are any real differences between summer and winter in the tropics, but there are, albeit subtle ones. If you live here long enough, you become attuned to the little differences in things like the air quality (still balmy, but with a slight sharpness to it), or how the sun sets over the ocean in a slightly different place (which I don’t totally get, because isn’t the west, the west?).<br /><br />2. I admit it, I'm spoiled about the whole shorter days business. I know our winter days are pretty darn long compared to the Mainland, but they're still not long enough for me. I'm looking at the tide calendar and see that the sun rose this morning at 7:00 and will set tonight at 5:51. I find myself counting down to the winter solstice and getting excited about how the days will get longer after that. So maybe that's something I have in common with my Mainland friends.<br /><br />3. We continue to wear the same shorts and t-shirts we wore all summer. It is a rare winter day when we are forced to don long sleeved tops and/or jeans. We do not like to shop for clothes during the winter. Imagine our frustration with the racks and stacks of cashmere and wool items with which every store in every mall is fully stocked. The display of wool scarves at The Gap makes me laugh out loud.<br /><br />4. Still, I do like to sing along with “White Christmas” and “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” even though there’s no relating to them whatsoever. I draw the line, however, at “Let It Snow,” but maybe that’s just because it’s such an annoying song. Once I get “Oh, the weather outside is frightful” stuck in my head, I have to fight the urge to shriek in agony and tear my hair out at the roots.<br /><br />5. One of our family’s Christmas traditions is to go, on the morning of Christmas Eve, to an eastern facing beach and watch the sunrise (the photo on my home page was taken at <a href="http://www.aloha.com/%7Elifeguards/sandy.html">Sandy Beach</a> one such Christmas Eve a few years ago).<br /><br />6. Our extended family all gathers at our home on Christmas morning for breakfast. We eat outside on the lanai. Until it gets too hot from the morning sun, then we come back inside and cool off.<br /><br />7. As I gaze out my kitchen window at <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/75445/Bougainvillea">bougainvillea</a>, <a href="http://www.hear.org/starr/plants/images/species/?q=hedychium+coronarium">ginger</a> and <a href="http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/bridges/sonytest/plumeria/plumeria.htm">plumeria</a>, I'm thankful for flowers that bloom all year round. Now, as part of the clean-up we're doing after <a href="http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081212/NEWS12/812120367/1361">yesterday's storm</a>, I've got to go fish their leaves and blossoms out of the pool. Because I'm going for a swim this afternoon.<br /><br />[HT: <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/">Jennifer @ Conversion Diary</a>, a favorite blogger who does this every Friday -- I'm entertained and inspired by her QTs every week, and by those of other bloggers who are also inspired by her. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mahalo</span>, Jennifer!]plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-53882680295300638742008-12-06T15:15:00.006-10:002008-12-06T15:19:48.493-10:00He's a keeper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/STskAI6ZdYI/AAAAAAAAAC0/jxCNNaoReoQ/s1600-h/IMG_0035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/STskAI6ZdYI/AAAAAAAAAC0/jxCNNaoReoQ/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276850973205689730" border="0" /></a><br />The Coach and I have always celebrated two anniversaries: our wedding anniversary, of course, and the anniversary of our first date. This is probably because our first date was quite memorable -- very unconventional, but more fun than you can imagine -- but maybe that's a post for another time.<br /><br />Anyway, yesterday was our 25th first-date anniversary. And unfortunately, TC is out of town on a business trip. But on the bright side, he remembered it, and before he left arranged to have flowers delivered. See above.<br /><br />By the way, I counted. There are 25 of those long-stemmed beauties. All together now: awwww...<br /><img src="file:///Users/administrator/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" />plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-60226754201215061032008-12-02T17:51:00.010-10:002008-12-12T13:06:03.111-10:00A Few of My Favorite ThingsAlthough I wasn't one of the people she tagged, <a href="http://www.teampologeorgis.blogspot.com/">Lisa </a>inspired me to write this post about a few of my own <span style="font-style: italic;">punahele</span> (favorites) -- in no particular order:<br /><br />#5: I know I should come up with five totally original things, and I promise I'm not copying you Lisa, but reading has been a favorite thing of mine my whole life. As the daughter of a librarian, how could it be otherwise? I read all the time ... I can't help myself ... the back of the cereal box (or <a href="http://www.nabiscoworld.com/triscuit/index1.html">Triscuits</a>, which I'm partaking of now) will do, but I start first thing in the morning with Scripture, move on to the newspaper, the internet, blogs, and of course, my beloved library books, and it just goes on pretty much throughout the day, till it's the last thing I do before I turn out the light. I keep a log of the books I've read; so far in 2008 I'm up to 54 (#55 is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swine-Not-Novel-Jimmy-Buffett/dp/0316114022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228277112&sr=1-1">Jimmy Buffett's latest, a cute little story</a> about a pig named Rumpy).<br /><br />#4: Although it isn't something I do much of anymore, I just love to travel. There's just something about going new places and experiencing other cultures -- and when you're from an island in the middle of the Pacific, just about anywhere else is a different culture -- that gives me such a lift. I'm looking forward to doing more of it when I'm an empty nester (less than 2 years to go -- whoo hoo!) -- but unfortunately this puts me at odds with The Coach, who really, reeeeally doesn't like traveling. Oh well, who knows, I may just strike out on my own.<br /><br />#3: Once upon a time, I dreamed of going to culinary school and becoming a chef. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, and while I still do love to mess around in the kitchen, I'm guessing that part of what was motivating me back then was my love of fine dining. I could eat in a four-star restaurant every week. <a href="http://www.alanwongs.com/kingstreet/king_street.html">Alan Wong's</a>, <a href="http://www.cafediva.com/html/flash.html">Cafe Diva</a>, <a href="http://www.kahalaresort.com/dining/hoku.cfm">Hoku's</a> -- once in awhile for a special occasion is never enough. I'm into it all: the menu choices, the presentation, the service, the ambience. I feel like, if I really wanted to challenge myself, sure, I could do gourmet cuisine, but man oh man, when I'm sitting there at that starched white tablecloth and there's someone in the kitchen who <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> knows what they're doing, it's just ... heaven.<br /><br />#2: You know how there's a song, or a genre of music, that just, well, sends you? Whether it's classical, or country, or gospel, or jazz, you never fail to be moved? For me, it's Hawaiian music. Of course that's mostly because it's what I've grown up with, it's the soundtrack of my earliest memories, it's just my soul music. A year ago I started dancing hula again after taking a break from it for about a decade and a half, and every Wednesday night for me is like spiritual refreshment, when Kimo takes up his ukulele and sings the old favorites and we all just fall under that hula spell. Which sort of leads me to ...<br /><br />#1: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii">Home</a>. When I was 18 years old and graduating from high school, I could not wait to get off this rock. I left for the Mainland, and I gave it a good try, sticking it out through college and graduate school and one year in LA endeavoring to launch a career. But one day it hit me, and I knew there was no doubt about it: the islands were calling me back. So I packed up and came home. That was 27 years ago, and it's one decision I've never second guessed. I met TC (whose family has been here since 1828!), and we knew this is where we were meant to be. And as I said, I do love to travel, but there will never be another place I'd want to live. People who are not from Hawai`i often tell me they envy me living in paradise, but I can see in their eyes or hear in their tone of voice that they could never imagine themselves setting down roots somewhere so isolated, no matter how beautiful. That's cool. <a href="http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861596062/chacun_%C3%A0_son_go%C3%BBt.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chacun a son gout</span></a>. I'm blessed everyday by the beauty of this `aina, it's true, but mostly I love it because it's home.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-73460336118452813182008-11-22T12:28:00.003-10:002008-11-22T12:50:15.916-10:00Happy V-I Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SSiH62WoBuI/AAAAAAAAACU/2Edcb3s-Q7c/s1600-h/victory_in_iraq_Day.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 110px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SSiH62WoBuI/AAAAAAAAACU/2Edcb3s-Q7c/s320/victory_in_iraq_Day.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271612808929740514" border="0" /></a><br />I am participating in <a href="http://www.zombietime.com/vi_day/">this declaration of victory</a> and virtual ticker tape parade, and hope you will too! Do take the time to read the <a href="http://www.zombietime.com/vi_day/">whole post</a>; it's very informative, not to mention persuasive.<br /><br />This Thanksgiving, I'm especially thankful to our troops and veterans -- and their families -- for their service. I'm in awe of all they do and what they've done, and I pray God blesses each and every one of them, from the lowliest private all the way up to the Commander in Chief.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-5539181550174714492008-11-11T10:33:00.003-10:002008-11-11T10:43:05.925-10:00Yep, that's me in a nutshell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SRntoMnenNI/AAAAAAAAACM/D71R1MzH5NA/s1600-h/Pardon_My_Planet.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SRntoMnenNI/AAAAAAAAACM/D71R1MzH5NA/s320/Pardon_My_Planet.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267502514023865554" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///Users/administrator/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" />plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-79734977069707051712008-11-03T17:30:00.005-10:002008-11-03T19:18:50.728-10:00I don't care what anybody says ...I'm voting tomorrow anyway.<br /><br />I'm proud to say, as an 11th-generation American (it's true -- I had an ancestor born in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown_Colony">Jamestown Colony</a>), that I have exercised my right and privilege to vote in every election since I was 18. That one, I voted absentee, as I was away at college, but ever since, I have walked into a booth on Election Day and cast my ballot.<br /><br />Primary AND general.<br /><br />But this is the first time in all those years I've been even a little bit tempted not to. And that's because of the feeling I've had these past few weeks that, cliche as it sounds, my vote won't count. In all likelihood, it probably won't.<br /><br />But I don't care. [Fighting the temptation to use stronger language here] Even though the polls close out here in the middle of the Pacific 2, 3, 4, or 5 hours later than on the Mainland -- by which time all the news outlets will probably have called the election. Even though I already know where all four of my state's electoral votes will be going. And even though the odds of my vote making a difference are <a href="http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=1509320">astronomical</a>.<br /><br />I just can't not vote. The alternative -- sitting this one out -- well, I just can't imagine it. No matter how many times I hear about the foregone conclusion-ness of it all -- local races as well as national -- I still don't care. I can't. Not. Vote.<br /><br />That doesn't mean I'll happily accept the outcome. Really, how much is there to be happy about after all this nonsense has been dragged out, lo these many months? But I know this: I'll be able to live with myself.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-70472446441896274422008-10-20T19:00:00.005-10:002008-10-20T19:46:31.875-10:00With apologies to Groucho ...... I'm not sure I want to be part of a group that would have me for a member.<br /><br />A few days ago, I joined Facebook. Mostly I did it because Number One Son has been on it for quite some time, and when a family member recently told me how "popular" NOS is -- apparently he has upwards of 800 "friends" on Facebook -- curiosity got the best of me, as it usually does, and I signed up.<br /><br />Once there, I was hooked. In a serious, whoa, back off kind of way. I was clicking all over the place and inviting people I barely know to be my friend. But presumably, that's what people do. Several of my new friends have considerably <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> than 800 friends. So maybe I'm not as pathetic as it may seem.<br /><br />Anyway. In the course of all that clicking around, I not only found lots of new friends, potential friends, and other people's friends, I discovered that Facebook is also littered with "groups." Which apparently you can join in the same way you can ask to be someone's friend.<br /><br />Okay. I could see right away that membership in a group attaches a certain label, shall we say, to you. So if you're like me, you might be cautious to the point of paralysis about just which groups you elect to join. Being that the label part is all some people might see.<br /><br />Still, one group that caught my eye -- and which I almost decided to join -- is called "Barack Obama and I both went to Punahou." <a href="http://www.facebook.com/friends/#/group.php?gid=2261462842">Here's what it says</a> on their Info page:<br /><br /><blockquote> <div class="datawrap">"I believe that the carefree childhood I experienced in Hawai'i, and the wonderful education I received at Punahou, should not be left to the luck of the draw, but should rather be every child's birthright. I believe that only in a country in which we can appreciate differences of race and religion and ethnicity, while still insisting on our common humanity, will my own soul feel rested." --Barack Obama<br /><br />Admit it. You find yourself looking for ways to casually mention that you went to the same high school (and middle school and elementary school) as a major Presidential candidate. In Hawaii.<br /><br />And it is kind of trippy that Mr. Kusunoki, the guy who taught you to "keyboard" really fast, was Obama's homeroom teacher.<br /><br />And you hope he wins. Maybe it's because he's the kind of Presidential candidate only a school like Punahou in a place like Hawaii could breed. Or maybe just because you like the idea of a "Pun" in the White House.<br /><br />Yup, you went to the same school as Barack Obama. You're secretly just a little proud.</div></blockquote>I was going along with most of that right up until "you hope he wins." The thing is, I agree with a lot of the above, even the secretly just a little proud part, and it <span style="font-style: italic;">would</span> be great to have a Pun in the White House. Just not that one.<br /><br />So I'm not joining that group. Even though I did go to the same school, and our time there overlapped a bit even, and I have a close relative and several pretty good friends (the real life, non-Facebook kind) who were his classmates. But the connection stops there. I "hope he wins"? Bite your tongue. Again and again.<br /><br />I did join a group though. And although this post is no indication, it's a lot more "me" than the going-to-the-same-school-with-Obama one: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=2209553478&ref=mf">"I judge you when you use poor grammar."</a>plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-51274345071384681972008-09-22T11:42:00.000-10:002008-09-22T11:43:58.623-10:00My Pirate NameTurns out I've got one ...<br /><br /><div style="position:relative; border-width:1px; border-color:332200; border-style: solid; background-color:c9b390; padding:0 10px; width:400px; text-align:center; font-family:serif; left:50%; margin:25px 0 25px -200px; color:332200;"><br /> <div><br /> My pirate name is:<br /> </div><br /> <div style="font-size:32px;"><br /> Dirty Mary Read </div><br /> <img src="http://www.piratequiz.com/flag.gif" style="top:5px; position:relative; display:block; width:100px; background-color:332200;" /><br /> <div style="left:110px; top:-60px; width:290px; position:relative; text-align: justify;"><br /> You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. Even through many pirates have a reputation for not being the brightest souls on earth, you defy the sterotypes. You've got taste and education. Arr!<br /> </div><br /> <a href="http://www.piratequiz.com/" style="position:absolute; width:100%; left:0px; bottom:20px; color:f8eecc;">Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.</a><br />part of the fidius.org network<br /> </div>plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-48631908076825323822008-09-06T20:10:00.008-10:002009-03-12T18:07:50.412-10:00I'll always love WaikikiThe Coach asked me out on a date tonight, so we sent Baby Girl to Grandma's and went for dinner at <a href="http://www.yardhouse.com/">The Yard House</a> in <a href="http://www.waikikibeachwalk.com/">Waikiki Beachwalk</a>. We had a really ono meal, then TC suggested we drive home through Waikiki.<br /><br />There was a lot of activity there on Kalakaua; my head was swiveling madly, checking out everything that was going on on both sides of the street. <a href="http://www.royalhawaiiancenter.com/">Royal Hawaiian Center</a> is looking amazing since their gazillion-dollar renovation, there was live Hawaiian music coming from the <a href="http://www.princess-kaiulani.com/">PK</a> and the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hnlmc-waikiki-beach-marriott-resort-and-spa/?corporateCode=S29">Marriott</a> and even at <a href="http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/multimed/wme.asp">Kuhio Beach</a>. At a red light we pulled up next to a limo full of really happy girls; one of them shouted at us: "I'm getting married!!!"<br /><br />Now, for TC and me, Waikiki is basically our back yard, our playground. We grew up there, in many ways. And back in the days of our youth, it was a much different place. Apart from the obvious - far fewer hotels, just a handful of restaurants, and virtually no retail at all, save for the old Liberty House and, of course, <a href="http://www.internationalmarketplacewaikiki.com/">International Market Place</a> - the place just had a completely different vibe back then.<br /><br />It's a little hard to put my finger on it, but it was kind of like we owned the place in a way, yet we were willing to share it, to invite visitors to come on in and make themselves comfortable. We would play on the beach all day, then go back at night and play some more: eating dinner at the Snack Shop or Ft. De Russy, walking on the beach, listening to music outside the <a href="http://www.halekulani.com/dining/house_without_a_key/">Halekulani</a>.<br /><br />As familiar a setting as it is, it doesn't feel like we own it anymore. That's okay; we can still enjoy it for what it is even though Waikiki has outgrown us to the point where it doesn't need us so much and we don't need it the way it is either. It's hard not to feel nostalgic for those old days, knowing they can never come back, but I think there's something comforting in just having the memories and knowing we owned a piece of something really special: <a href="http://huapala.org/Wai/Waikiki.html">old Waikiki</a>.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-73858714461439306772008-09-02T10:11:00.002-10:002008-09-02T10:21:59.217-10:00FrustratedI know I shouldn't expect too much of myself as a newbie blogger, but maybe it's my high standards or something, I don't know; I'm just really frustrated at how long it takes me to get my thoughts in a coherent enough form to post.<br /><br />When I finally do, the topic I'm posting about is already out of date and there's just no point. I just now deleted a draft of something I was trying to post last week, only 4 or 5 days ago, because it's not relevant anymore. And even at the time I was drafting the post, trying to include links and whatnot, together with my own thoughts, it was taking me forever. I was only trying to do this brief little thing in the middle of the other demands of my day, but it ended up being so awkward and cumbersome and <span style="font-style: italic;">slow</span> that I had to just walk away and ultimately scrap the whole thing.<br /><br />I've always been slow at stuff -- I do read pretty fast, but that's about it -- and that's been a source of frustration most of my life (I have this whole story about when I was learning to sew, and how long it took me to make a garment compared to my classmates, but it would take too long to tell). I've got to develop some kind of system, whether it's working with a timer (mine just now went off) or whatever, because I really want to do this but I'm never going to get anywhere with it if it keeps on being frustrating for me.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-48062774464027719912008-08-24T18:09:00.005-10:002008-08-25T09:09:51.248-10:00FameThe Coach has gotten some ink in the local press recently, due to his accepting recently a coaching position with a popular local team (different from, or really in addition to, his regular coaching job). Now people we know, both well and only in passing and everything in between, are telling him -- through me, sometimes -- congratulations and looking forward to everything you'll be doing with the team. And that's nice, that people would be happy for you and wish you well when they find out you have a new job.<br /><br />But sometimes the congratulations can veer off in an odd direction. One guy, after introducing himself to TC, said, "you're <span style="font-style: italic;">famous</span>; you can Google your name and you're all over the place." Which struck both TC and me as just weird. He is so <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> all over the place; there's been like, two newspaper articles that have mentioned it, and when curiosity got the better of me and I googled his name, I'm sorry, but all that came up were one of the recent articles about him and another one from a couple years ago.<br /><br />On the way home from church TC and I had a brief discussion on the whole "15 minutes of fame" idea, and it seems to us that not only are people eager to have their own 15 minutes at some point or other in their lives, but they have a real fascination with <span style="font-style: italic;">other people's</span> 15 minutes, too. As far as TC is concerned, he accepted a job offer to coach for a season, but for what seems like an awful lot of outside observers, what he's doing is all about the celebrity status. Such as it is, I mean. This is still a pretty small pond, after all.<br /><br />I guess in the 21st century, in the age of information access and New Media and all, people's appetites for publicity and exposure and fame and celebrity have just exploded. So even if the topic is something ordinary, like the job you've done for the past 2 dozen years, if it's out there for all the world to see, it's by definition interesting. She said, posting on her blog for all the world to see ...plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-19454539921149158682008-08-22T17:21:00.006-10:002008-08-23T08:04:53.275-10:00Missing my boy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SK-dlbe-vyI/AAAAAAAAACE/-_qGiPJgd1g/s1600-h/08:1w+july1013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SK-dlbe-vyI/AAAAAAAAACE/-_qGiPJgd1g/s320/08:1w+july1013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237578158013595426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dropped Number One Son off at the airport last night, to take the long flight back to Our Nation's Capitol to begin his third year of college. Well, two flights, actually. He expressed some reluctance to go (I sure know <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> feeling), but he's awfully resilient and will be right back in the swing of things in no time, I'm sure.<br /><br />(Just tried to check in with him on AIM; the away message says: "The party begins!" Sheesh. Even more "resilient" than I suspected.)<br /><br />Plus I think his reluctance had a lot to do with what a good summer he had. I mean, a trip to Fiji, one to Maui, surfing nearly every day -- who can argue with that? He gets credit for working two jobs -- even though there wasn't a <span style="font-style: italic;">whole</span> lot of $$ earned -- and the key thing as far as The Coach and I are concerned is it was emotionally smooth sailing. Which is something we haven't been able to say for every time he's been home in the past two years. Our M.O. is usually to butt heads over ... well, anything, you name it, whenever he's back occupying the room he grew up in, but this time: nothing. TC is particularly impressed with that stat, and it's making NOS's leaving that much more bittersweet, I think.<br /><br />The thing is, we know NOS does have a tendency to be a bit of a drama queen (king, I guess), and sometimes we just have to take a certain amount of care, shall we say, around him in the interest of maintaining family harmony (and please leave off with your two-cents' worth about how the parents call the tune and the children should dance to it, etc.). TC said to me earlier today, "It was a such good summer; no major blowups this time," with such a tone of poignancy that I got a little choked up. It was a big step, a breakthrough for us, because as TC then added: our boy is growing up.<br /><br />He's a good boy (I use the term loosely, as he will reach the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478087/">Magic Number</a> five months from now and is less boy-like by the day), we couldn't be prouder of him, and we miss him already. I'm praying for a good semester for him -- socially, academically, personal growth-wise -- and can't wait to see him again in December.plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-64068550927730371802008-08-12T15:43:00.006-10:002008-09-06T12:44:11.995-10:00"Foreign," like beauty, is in the eye of the beholderA whole bunch of people are unhappy with a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5550960">certain network journalist</a>, who whined on Sunday that Barack Obama is vacationing in Hawai`i, acknowledging: <blockquote>"And I know Hawai'i is a state. But it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place. He should be in Myrtle Beach if he's going to take a vacation at this time."</blockquote><br />That was too much for our junior senator, Dan Akaka, who <a href="http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS05/808120359/1001">blasted back</a>: <blockquote>"Saying our 50th state is somehow 'foreign,' does a great disservice to the hardworking, patriotic Americans who call Hawai'i home ... Hawai'i is a great U.S. destination; just ask the 5.5 million Americans who visited last year for business and pleasure."</blockquote> Other local folks backed him up, wanting to set Cokie Roberts straight while letting her – and presumably other Americans as well – know that her comments and the attitude underlying them are offensive to the people of Hawai`i.<br /><br />To be honest, as someone whose hometown (and <a href="http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/BREAKING01/80812044">alma mater</a>) is the same as Obama’s, being offended was not my first response. I thought it was kind of funny, actually. We’ve heard it so many times that I think a lot of us here in the islands are pretty thick-skinned about the whole Hawai`i-is-a-foreign-and-exotic-place meme, and not only do we not take much offense anymore (I mean, look, next year we’ll commemorate the 50th anniversary of our admission to the Union, for crying out loud, and we <span style="font-weight: bold;">still</span> have to put up with Mainland yahoos who can’t remember Hawai`i is a state), but I think a lot of us really kind of revel in it. Our foreignness and exoticism, that is. We like being different; we have no desire to be exactly like all our fellow citizens over there in North America. We’re not geographically connected to the other 49 states, and there are a whole lot of other ways we’re disconnected from them as well. And our little secret is: we <span style="font-style: italic;">like</span> it that way.<br /><br />And on the flip side of the whole foreign-and-exotic issue is this: there are a lot of ways that the Mainland U.S. and all its denizens seem pretty foreign and exotic to us. I mean, the food they eat, their way of life, how they conduct themselves at work and play – all can be pretty different from the norms here in our Island culture. We travel to the Mainland for vacation or to attend college or whatever, and often it requires a real adjustment to our mindset, because life there feels so, well, foreign. We speak the same language, of course, but their English is ever so slightly different from ours, so we adjust our speech patterns a little bit so as to be understood and fit in. And we get used to eating their kind of food, even though it’s not really what we like best (their idea of rice? Please. Just … no, thanks), and we live in air conditioning instead of with the windows open, and keep our shoes on in the house – and we manage just fine. Happily, even. But I’m sure Mainlanders never know how weird it all seems to us, that inside we’re thinking, “this stuff is just so <span style="font-style: italic;">foreign</span>.”plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-19448308573671369642008-08-06T16:54:00.003-10:002008-08-06T17:17:45.152-10:00My Big Project<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SJppQDceylI/AAAAAAAAAAo/Jea6yfgs_8o/s1600-h/DSC01340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cTJUzmVaWEg/SJppQDceylI/AAAAAAAAAAo/Jea6yfgs_8o/s320/DSC01340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231609641667840594" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday I received all the files I'm going to need to work on The Big Project in my life over the next six months. Talk about intimidating. I'm trying to remember that saying about, how do you eat a [something really big -- that's the part I forget], and the answer is, one bite at a time. I keep telling myself that I just need to focus on one little piece at a time and I'll be fine, but it just keeps looking so ... big.<br /><br />Now, my tendency with these types of things is to go into avoidance/ procrastination mode, and that is surely the wrong thing to do here. I need to keep reminding myself that this is something I took on willingly, eagerly even, and I've got to honor the others involved (and in fact my own decision) to do my best with it even if I'm scared. Which I am. This is such a major administrative undertaking, and I feel so rusty and inadequate doing that kind of work. But I guess something in me believed, when I said "yes" to it in the first place, that I could do this, so maybe that's what I need to hold on to.<br /><br />Plus, a whole lot of prayer ...plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5732934020778745196.post-73841410772999224172008-08-04T17:46:00.000-10:002008-08-04T17:54:32.939-10:00*Gulp* First PostI don't know why but I'm really nervous about this. I've been reading blogs for so long now that you'd think posting would just be such a natural, easy next step. But here I am, all freaked out with my palms sweating like someone's going to give me a grade or something.<br /><br />I think it's because, in my mind, the very first post is this huge hurdle to get over, and all those years of thinking about it should result in this magnificent, profound result that the blogging world has just been waiting for all this time. Well. Clearly in my current state that's not going to happen, so maybe if I just click on "publish" and get it over with, then I can just move on to whatever's next and get on with doing this just like I've always done it.<br /><br />And then in future posts, I won't use the word "just" quite so often ...plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02441541865437367859noreply@blogger.com0