Being here in Honolulu for a few weeks has highlighted some differences from being at home in upstate New York, other than driving:
* Today, there was the monthly test of the tsunami warning system. E’s neighborhood is higher in elevation, so she lives above the evacuation zone. When we were staying in the hotel in Waikiki, the first several floors of the hotels were mostly dedicated to parking. This allows them to keep people safely on the upper floors in case of tsunami.
* A heat wave here is not as hot as in most of the rest of the US. We have been having a heat wave with some records tied or broken, but it is only 88-91 degrees F. (31-33 degrees C.)
* There are microclimates everywhere, but they are much more noticeable here. For instance, in E’s neighborhood, you can be walking in what seems to be a rain shower – while there are no clouds overhead and the sun is shining. The rain is falling in the Palolo valley and being blown into Kaimuki.
* At home, I’ve never had a tiny chameleon show up in the bathroom, matching its color to the bathmat.
* There is much more coverage in the news on climate change and renewable energy. Despite Hawai’i being the most remote islands in the world, the effects and the threat of more effects are real.
* Because the angle of the sun is higher here, solar panels can often be placed on more than just the south-facing slope of a roof.
* Unlike home, there is almost never a basement here. It ‘s strange to me to see water heaters just sitting outside under the eaves.
* There is a lot more discussion and coverage of homelessness and affordable housing. Rents and real estate prices here are very high and there are many people who can’t afford them, even when they are employed. While there are single people who are homeless, there are also many homeless families.
* The tension between the indigenous Hawaiians and the state is obvious. There are demonstrations almost daily against development of certain areas. While these problems are also present in New York, they are much more hidden.
Tag: Hawaii
Settled into Kaimuki
I am still in Honolulu, which probably seems to be the longest vacation ever, but it is really an extended visit with family.
It started out looking pretty vacation-y with B and I staying in a Waikiki condo/hotel, although he was working via Internet part-time and I managed to get sick for a while, which cut down on some vacation-like activities.
The real reason for the visit, though, was to spend time with our elder daughter E while her husband is away doing PhD research. After B went back East to travel for business, I moved into E’s apartment which is in the Kaimuki neighborhood, mauka (toward the mountain) from Waikiki. Kaimuki is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Honolulu and the house in which she lives, now broken into several apartments, is old enough to apply for status as a historic home. Fortunately, that doesn’t preclude its having solar panels on the roof.
It is a mostly residential neighborhood, but includes some churches, schools, restaurants, and shops. Having never lived in a city, I am unused to neighborhood identity, but I’m glad that E and L live here because of the sense of community. President Obama’s sister lives in the neighborhood, although he doesn’t come to visit her when he comes to Hawai’i because the security would be a nightmare on the somewhat narrow and hilly streets. (I’m sure she gets to go visit him and his family, though.) When Ruthie Ann Miles won the 2015 Tony for best feature actress in a musical for her role as Lady Thiang in The King and I, E immediately knew that she was from Kaimuki. E and L were married at St. Patrick, the Catholic church in the neighborhood, where they are active in the music ministry.
I have been learning my way around and doing what I can to help out. I bring E to work and back with the rental car, which gives her a break from her usual bus routine and shortens her commute time by half an hour each way. I also do some of the shopping and chores while she is working so we have more time for visiting and relaxing when she is home.
So, I’m not really on a five week vacation – just lucky that, for now, my daughter lives in Hawai’i!
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King Kamehameha statue
One of the traditional ways to honor King Kamehameha Day is to drape his statue in the historic district of Honolulu with leis.
The statue is located in front of Aliiolani Hale, which is the home of the Hawai’i State Supreme Court.
The statue is draped with plumeria and ti leaf leis, some of which are forty feet long. The plumeria leis are made by volunteers using donated blossoms.
The leis are draped over the arms of the statue, not around the neck because leis are not ever placed over the royal feathered cape. Here, the cape is represented in gold leaf.
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June anniversaries
A few days ago, B and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary – separately. He is back in New York State, while I am still in Hawai’i. Before he left, we had had a delicious celebration dinner with E at 12th Avenue Grill – on the second try, as the first reservation had to be cancelled when I became ill.
On the day, I opened cards from him that he had left here; I had left a card for him at home. Still, I didn’t feel moved to write about it until today.
E and I were at 8:30 Mass at St. Patrick Church, where E and L were married in Nov. 2012. E sings with the choir, so I have been sitting near the front on the right side of the church, where I can look over and see her. These last three weeks, I have sat behind the same couple, who are about the age of my parents and obviously filled with aloha spirit, always greeting many other congregants. This week, she was wearing a beautiful purple dress with coordinated lei and he was looking sharp in an earth-tone leaf-patterned aloha shirt and brown slacks.
Today, they renewed their wedding vows in celebration of their 64th wedding anniversary. When the priest called them forward after the homily, they first presented him with a plumeria lei. In a lovely coincidence, her name is also Joanne; his name is Guy. Guy and Joanne were married right there at St. Patrick and had also baptized their children there. No wonder everyone seemed to know them! Guy has a sly sense of humor. Joanne says the key to a long marriage is “Patience!” There were multiple rounds of applause for them from the congregation.
I hope that B and I will be blessed to celebrate a 64th anniversary someday. We are more than halfway there…
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Flowering trees near Waikiki
There are always flowers of some sort here in Honolulu. One of the things about coming at different times of year is that you catch different plants flowering.
I am not sure what these trees are, other than I know they are no longer planting them as they are not native. (If my younger daughter were here, I’m sure she would be able to tell us what they are and how they are being managed.) It’s interesting that the blossoms develop along the branch but not at the tip. There are clusters of blossoms and then more leaves beyond.
Some yellow hibiscus in Kapiolani Park, adjacent to Waikiki beach.
We have often seen plumeria blooming on other visits, but not nearly so prolifically as this June.
While I’m at it, let’s throw in another couple of photos!
Looking out from lunch at Lulu’s near Waikiki. We were sitting at the edge of the second floor, which, like many restaurants and hotel lobbies, is open rather than walled off.
A pair of bird of paradise blossoms outside our hotel.
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Kamehameha Day Parade
Because I was unwell, my intrepid spouse B went down to the Kamehameha Day Parade on Saturday morning. He took some photos for me to share with you.
A float representing King Kamehameha the First and his attendants. Kamehameha Day commemorates June 11, 1810 as the date that King Kamehameha united all of Hawai’i under his rule.
Like most parades, there were marching bands.
This band was lucky enough to get to wear shorts!
There is a large military presence on O’ahu, so there were several units marching in the parade.
One of the elements for which the Kamehameha parade is known is the pu’a riders. Each island is represented by a princess with attendants. The colors and leis represent the different islands.
After each mounted unit, there is a clean-up team to keep the street tidy!
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GIANT Hawaiian pancakes
After Sunday mass, B, E, and I went out for brunch. E suggested we go to Mac 24/7 at the Hilton just down the street from our hotel for pancakes.
While they do serve regular size pancakes, they are known for their Mac Daddy Challenge, which involves one person eating three 14″ pancakes with toppings in 90 minutes. A friend of E’s did it – as a hungry teenager – but, with none of us in that category, we decided to split the order among us.
We opted for the pineapple coconut macadamia topping. Here is what our platter looked like after we each had a helping. (For perspective, the spoon is a serving-size spoon and the knife is pretty hefty, too.)
Not pictured is the pitcher of coconut syrup that we poured on our servings on our individual plates. There was maple-flavored syrup, too, but a) I don’t think maple goes with pineapple coconut macadamia and b) coming from New England, anything less than 100% pure maple syrup gives me the willies.
The pancakes were delicious. Even with three people, we did not finish them, though. After we each had seconds, there was still enough left for B and I to have breakfast the next day. Fortunately, we already had a bottle of coconut syrup in our hotel kitchen refrigerator.
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Trouble in Paradise
I realize that you are probably expecting more cheery posts from Hawai’i.
And I promise, they are coming….
Just not quite yet. I managed to get sick – I’ll spare you the details – and will write some posts with photos when I have my act back together.
Until then, aloha!
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Corpus Christi in Honolulu
Aloha! Today, Catholic churches celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, still often called by its Latin name Corpus Christi. This celebration is close to my heart because for the many years that I belonged to Blessed Sacrament parish, we celebrated it as our parish name day. Even though that is no longer my parish, I still feel a special connection to the day.
This year was special because I got to attend mass at St. Patrick Church in Honolulu, where my daughter E and her husband were married and where they serve in the music ministry. My son-in-law is away doing research for his doctoral dissertation, but I attended the 8:30 mass at which their choir sings. The assigned cantor wasn’t able to make it, so E stepped in to do it, which was a lovely bonus for me.
One of the things that drew my attention today was the crucifix, which is carved wood. I was thinking about how appropriate that the corpus on the cross is brown, because Jesus’s skin would have been brown. So often, Jesus is depicted with light skin, which a Jewish man living in the sun-drenched Mediterranean would not have had. I also noticed, as always, the colorful floral arrangement. One of the brothers at the monastery arranges the flowers from their garden every week.
Father C, who presided at E and L’s wedding, presided and preached today. I love how he can say so much with so few words. He used the image of an open hand receiving the host at communion to explain how we should be open to God’s love.
Father C has a tremor disorder, which causes his hands, especially his right hand, to shake markedly when they are outstretched. Yet, when he was praying the Eucharistic prayer and raising the host and the cup, he was able to still his hands.
I appreciated the opportunity to be there to celebrate this special day, with Beth leading us in song. I especially enjoyed singing “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether,” a favorite hymn which I have not had the occasion to sing for several years. The third stanza of the poem by Percy Dreamer begins:
| All our meals and all our living make as sacraments of you, that by caring, helping, giving, we may be disciples true. |
Amen!
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Poetry on the front page
Our hotel gives us the Honolulu Star*Advertiser each morning. I was pleased to see a front page story this morning about poetry, “Poems give voice to students’ creativity,” by Michael Tsai. (I had hoped to share the link, but the paper has very strict access requirements.)
The article talked about the month-long residency of Hawai’i-born poet Laurel Nakanishi at Palolo Elementary sponsored by the nonprofit Pacific Writers’ Connection. The fourth grade class which is the focus of the article has 18 of 23 students who are English language learners, meaning that English is not their first language. The usually reticent students come alive when they write and share poetry.
I was especially struck by this paragraph:
Such indulgences in creative arts and the humanities were supposed to have become extinct from school curricula in the age of rigid standardized testing. But as a growing number of elementary school teachers can attest, every hour spent practicing the fundamentals of free verse returns dividends of creativity, expressiveness in figurative language and overall language sensitivity that measure well on current Common Core State Standards and other assessments.
I was thinking about the young poets who participate in the Binghamton Poetry Project both in the classroom and in extra-curricular sessions. Their obvious joy in poetry and using language in new ways mirrors that of the students who worked with Nakanishi in Honolulu.
The power of poetry!
Joanne Corey 