Hawaiian History

Today was our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. My Uncle Allan needed to head out to Laie to pick up a car and when he heard we were driving there today, he asked if he could ride along. We readily agreed and while he felt like he got a good deal because going with us was much better than riding the bus, we felt like we got the better deal because he is Hawaiian, has lived on Oahu for the majority of his life, and was like our very own built in tour guide. He gave us all kinds of interesting tidbits as we drove, and it made for a wonderful trip. We stopped at China Man’s Hat to take some pictures and with Uncle Allan along, we didn’t even need to do selfies!

Once we dropped Uncle Allan where he needed to be, we headed to the Laie Temple. This is the temple where my parents got married and due to the tropical local, the grounds look quite different from the temples closer to home. We didn’t have time to do any temple work, but we did enjoy wandering the grounds and exploring the visitors’ center.

After we ate lunch and visited the temple, we headed to the PCC. We opted to do just the villages, skipping the night show because with the drive back to the hotel and the fact that our bodies are still functioning on Utah time, it would feel like 3:00 a.m. to us by the time we got to bed. And the migraines really, really don’t like that. So, we explored the villages, saw some traditional Polynesian performances, did some shopping at the Hukilau Marketplace, and enjoyed some ice cream in tropical flavors. We ate dinner at the buffet that is located at the PCC though. We tried a little bit of everything and enjoyed most of it. I even tried some poi in the vein of trying foods I disliked when I was younger just in case I like them now. But I still don’t like it. The stuff still reminds me of wallpaper paste. 😝

It was a rather long day, but we had a good time. We ate some good food and found some little goodies for our family members at home. The only negative about the day was the fact that we missed going to lunch with my mom’s cousins. But we purchased our PCC tickets before leaving home and the lunch was scheduled only a day or two ago, so we opted to stick with our original plan. Oh well! At least my parents had a good time!

Old Home Day

Whenever she is in Hawaii, my mom goes to church in the ward she was in the entire time she was growing up. Despite having lived elsewhere for more than fifty years, the Auwaiolimu Ward is still home turf for her and there are still people there that she knows. In fact, my Auntie Lissa, my mom’s older sister, my uncle Allan, and one of their daughters and her family all live in that ward. When my grandfather passed away, my auntie inherited the land on Pacific Heights where they grew up and they recently built a beautiful new home up there with an upstairs/downstairs duplex plan, the downstairs home being where my cousin and her family live. It is a plan to provide them with the care they need as they age, and since they already owned the land, the $1.2 million price tag for the new home was doable. And the view is spectacular. Seriously. 

After attending sacrament meeting, we were invited to have lunch with my Auntie and Uncle. We were able to enjoy the afore mentioned views and chat with family. I heard some stories about my grandfather and my mom’s childhood that I haven’t heard before about how the money was raised for the Auwaiolimu church building. This was one of those situations where the members of the ward were responsible for raising the money for the building. Auntie Lissa told me that the members would hold carnivals and luau dinners to raise money for the church. My grandfather was highly involved in those fundraising efforts. He was the one responsible for collecting the money at the end of the event and since it was late at night, my mom and her two sisters would sleep in his car while he was doing so. He built a platform to cover the gap in the footwells of the back seat so they could lie down as in those days, car seats didn’t recline. 

I remember attending church in the Auwaiolimu Ward from my last visit to Hawaii, but that was almost thirty years ago, and some things have changed since then. The chapel is an open-air chapel with panels that can be opened instead of solid walls on the sides of the chapel. I remember all the panels being open to allow the breeze to help cool the building when I was there last, but since then air conditioning units have been installed to help keep the temperature in the building more comfortable. While the building has definitely been updated over the years, it still houses only the one ward, unlike the multiple ward buildings we have now. So, this is one of those much loved, historical buildings and it was neat to be able to attend meetings there again. And it was so fun to see hymnbooks in both English and Hawaiian!

After a spell back at the hotel for a Sunday afternoon nap, we enjoyed dinner with some other family members. My mom’s half-sister, my Auntie Pat, has two sons and a daughter. We met Stewart when we visited with her a few days ago. This evening, we were invited to dinner with Bryan, her other son, and his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Auntie Pat’s daughter Brenda also joined us. I know it might be more concise to call all these folks cousins, but I’m trying to make sure I know where everyone fits in the family so bear with me. Anyway, it was a pleasant meal and we had a nice visit. It has been a long day for my mom though, and as she got fatigued, we cut our visit short and headed back to get some sleep. 

It has been nice to meet some of these relatives and put faces with some names. We don’t see these relatives of my mom’s often, so it has been good to spend some time sorting out her family tree in my mind. I know that visiting with family is the reason my mom longs for Hawaii so much. She is very close to her family due to being raised in a multi-generational Chinese home, and living far away for so many years has done nothing to dampen the relationships. So while Kevin and I have taken time to play tourist, my mom has been focused on spending time with loved ones.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…

Malia and Kate painted for like two hours. Malia was mightily pleased with the results of her efforts.

Family History and Family Dinner

It was dim sum day again. Hurray! And it was a different restaurant with a different menu and an earlier arrival time, all of which meant it was also a much better experience. Yay for dim sum day!

After our more satisfying lunch, we drove around to the other side of the island for dinner with extended family. Enroute, we got a family history lesson as my parents pointed out where they lived when my dad was stationed at Pearl Harbor, the field where they played church ball, the schools my mom attended when she was growing up, etc. It was fun to hear my parents share all the memories that popped up as they visited familiar locations. 

Once we left the Honolulu area, we headed towards the Dole Plantation. Unfortunately, the entire place was shut down because they were having some issues and had no water to the entire facility. So after just a few minutes browsing one of the smaller gardens, we hopped back in the car and were on our way. Kevin and I will be headed to the north shore again in a few days, so we’re planning to attempt another visit to the plantation then. Because how sad would it be if we never got to eat Dole whip at the Dole Plantation?

Our next stop was to nosh on some shave ice in Hale’iwa. For those who don’t know, shave ice is like a snow cone but about a million times better. Instead of grinding the ice, it is shaved very fine. The end result is a confection that allows the flavorings to fully blend into every bite. It feels smooth on your tongue, and you never end up eating just ice. In addition to the traditional fruit flavored syrups, ice cream, whipped cream, real fruit, etc. are incorporated and the end result is a wonderfully cool, refreshing treat for a warm day. Seriously good stuff. 

After our treat, we headed off to our dinner date. Our destination was Hau’ula and we had to traverse the north shore to get there. I know that area is very popular with surfers due to the perfect waves and all that, but the part we experienced today was the part where there are a billion cars and only one two lane road and all the resulting snarl of traffic. Luckily for us, we still arrived in good time and our hosts, Audrey (my first cousin once removed) and her family, and Sherry (Audrey’s sister, which makes her another of my cousins) and her family commiserated with the traffic situation. Apparently, the fact that it takes forever to get anywhere is a totally normal and somewhat irksome occurrence. Anyway, the length of travel aside, we had a lovely evening visiting with family we rarely see, learning a bit about their families and lives, and enjoying the family pictures that my mom brought to share.

It was definitely an on-the-go type of a day, but one that was steeped in family history. We saw places my parents frequented in years past, heard more stories of their time on the island, caught up with family members who live far away, and ate the food of my people. So, despite not being able to really visit the Dole Plantation, it was a good day!

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch…

Malia did not have school today, so Rachael, amazing sister that she is, picked her up after school yesterday so she could spend the weekend with Rachael and her crew. Matthew’s schedule is such that Malia would have been home by herself for the bulk of the long weekend, and that is definitely not something she likes. She was alone for a lot of the evenings when Kevin and I were in Texas earlier this year, and none of us wanted a repeat performance of that solitude, so I am very grateful that Rachael was willing and able to take her for a few days. And that means she will get some serious Kate time as well!

This evening’s entertainment was a monster truck rally. Malia had never been before and was suitably impressed. She sent videos of a guy on a motorcycle making some crazy impressive jumps. I have to remember that she was not around when Evil Knievel was super popular. And yes, I know I just dated myself by admitting that I was around when he was super popular. 😂 Anyway, she was totally wowed by this guy’s death-defying cycle acrobatics and although she was unsure about the whole thing beforehand, she ended up having a really great time! 

Tropical Lifestyle

Today was another beach day for my dad, his favorite kind of day around here. He has noticed that he doesn’t actually get much reading done when he is with other folks, but he seems ok with that. 😉 Today Kevin and I and my mom all joined him at the beach and had a nice, relaxing morning. We chatted and watched the waves and the wildlife and generally lazed about which is one of the things vacations is all about. We walked down the beach a bit, dipping our feet in the water and acting as ballast so my mom could do the same. Tucked under some trees with the breeze blowing off the water, it was pleasantly cool and completely enjoyable. 

For lunch, he visited a little spot called Eggs n’ Things, a restaurant that offers brunch items. It is only open for breakfast and lunch and the majority of the menu is composed of traditional breakfast items with an island flare. I enjoyed the perfect trifecta of tropical pancakes-pineapple, coconut and macadamia with real nuts this time! Kevin had the fresh fruit rainbow pancakes, and the tower of whipped cream was just right for him, whose love of enormous amounts of whipped cream is well known, and often joked about, within my own little posse. We both chose fried spam as our protein, something we wouldn’t normally do at home, but which is a must around here! 

It was a slow, calm, laid back kind of a day. And I got to eat pancakes for lunch which always feels like a treat to me!

A Moment of Silence

Today was our Pearl Harbor day. Both my family and Kevin’s family have ties to Pearl Harbor. My maternal grandfather was a civil engineer and was employed at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Kevin’s grandfather was in the navy during that time and although he was home on leave, his ship was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. So in addition to the overall historical importance of the site to us as red blooded Americans, our family history ties us to the site as well. I’ve visited in the past, but as this is Kevin’s first trip to the island, he hasn’t had the opportunity to visit until today. 

Visiting the Arizona Memorial is a solemn affair, and the guide who gave us our little orientation before we boarded the ferry was great at conveying that. He very clearly stated that this is not a tourist attraction but is a military cemetery and deserves to be treated with solemnity and honor. I always feel that seriousness when there, as I believe most people do, but I was grateful for the reminder. I don’t know that I have much more to say other than that being there on the memorial filled me with an immense feeling of gratitude for all those who have fought and sacrificed, and those who continue to do so, in order to preserve the freedom of this country. They have allowed me to live my day-to-day life in safety and without fear.

Our second stop of the day was to ride the shuttle over to the airplane museum on Ford Island. It is still an active military base so there are security measures to be followed, hence the shuttle taking us rather than individual vehicles being allowed to drive onto the base. Kevin and I were both first timers for this stop and while I don’t have the same interest in airplanes as most of my boys do, it was another reminder of the cost of freedom in WW II. While most of the destruction of the December 7 attack was repaired, there are still bullet holes in the windows of some of the hangars. They were left as a reminder instead of being replaced after the war. 

The museum itself includes a Japanese zero which is a plane Kevin has never seen in person before, so he was excited about that. I think the most interesting thing I learned was that Asian American PILOTS carried what is called a “blood chit.”  Basically, that is a document that acts as proof that they were Americans and could be trusted should they be shot down and need help from civilians. It makes perfect sense that such a thing would be needed, but it was something I had never thought about before. Again, a solemn stop for me, one that was a reminder of how very blessed I am to live where I do.

When Kevin and I were finished at Pearl Harbor, we met my parents for lunch. It was dim sum day and I was super excited about that! Unfortunately, we arrived after the lunch rush, which you might think was a good thing but in fact, was not. We got a super pushy waitress who unloaded all the lunch leftovers on us which meant the selection was minimal and none of it was fresh. We all left feeling a bit dissatisfied with our meal. Oh well. We still have plenty of days left in which we can pursue some better Chinese cuisine. Because Asian food is plentiful and easy to find around here!

Swapping, Shopping, and Far Too Much Fabric!

We ate breakfast at the Liliha Bakery again this morning. It is still within walking distance, still open earlier than most of the other places, and we were up bright and early again, so it was a no-brainer. This time I skipped the waffle and opted for an omelet. It was served with a scoop of rice which is definitely not a thing in Utah. 😂 Kevin ordered a pancake. Yes, a single pancake. But it was the size of a frisbee, so it was plenty of food! And it was a good pancake, light and fluffy, good flavor, probably going to end up ordering one of my own another morning.

This morning’s adventure was to the swap meet held at Aloha Stadium. For those who don’t know, the swap meet is the place to find most of the same souvenirs and island products you can get at other locations for much better prices. The weekend swap meets are bigger, but today was the day that worked best with our schedule and I didn’t have a super long list of items I was looking for, so smaller was just fine. We picked up some coral earrings, puka shell bracelets, and several other fun items. We even found a bracelet that has Malia’s name on it! Her name is never included in the prefab personalized items you can usually find at all the tourist traps, but around here, it is pretty common. It is a Hawaiian name, after all. 😉 The vendor even provided us with a made to order one when we asked if she had the bracelet in another color. Malia will be much happier with green rather than pink and it only took her about five minutes to make a new one, so it all worked out perfectly.

When we finished our shopping trip, we joined my parents for lunch. After listening to one side of an entertaining phone conversation between my mom and her half-sister, my Auntie Pat, our afternoon plans shifted and we headed off to Pat’s house. My Auntie Pat has a lot of fabric that she is trying to downsize. On their last several Hawaii trips, my mom has come home with suitcases full of fabric, so I knew that my Auntie Pat had a lot, but honestly, I was not prepared for how much fabric she actually has. She has a very comfortably sized house and every time she opened a new door or cupboard or closet, it revealed yet another space completely filled with fabric. She would rather give it to people she knows will use it, hence sending it across the ocean with my mom rather than sending it to good will, so my mom just shows up there knowing that there will be stuff to haul home. And is happy about it. And my dad just smiles and nods…and occasionally rolls his eyes when my mom and my auntie aren’t looking. 😂 This time around, I’m pretty sure they are going to need to buy a new suitcase to get the latest stash home. But my folks assure me they know just the place to get one cheap, so it’s not a huge issue. We may need a huge suitcase though!

So, here’s the funny for today. My Auntie Pat is not a big woman. She’s a tiny little Chinese lady who has gotten even tinier with age. I’m married to a big white guy whom my auntie has never met. When we walked into her house this afternoon, she looked up and said, “He’s enormous!” Ahh, the lack of tact that the elderly have earned through many years of living! Sometimes I think they are just tired of biting their tongues instead of saying exactly what they think, and due to their years, assume everyone is too polite to do anything about it. And honestly, I think they’ve earned the right to just lay it all out. 😂 But Kev is a good sport so he took in all in stride. At home my half Chinese self may be in the minority, but around here, Kevin is definitely the one who stands out. 😉

Let’s talk a bit about Don Quijote. No, I don’t mean Don Quixote, the novel. I mean Don Quijote the Japanese discount store. Think Walmart with an Asian flair. Apparently, this is the place where my mom likes to buy all her chocolate covered macadamia nuts because they are cheaper than anywhere else. Apparently, this is also the place to buy a cheap suitcase big enough to haul a mighty load of fabric or smuggle a person into the United States. And since my parents have a mighty need for a container to transport all of my Auntie Pat’s fabric donations back to Utah, they suggested we have dinner at Don Quijote. 

That didn’t make much sense to me at the outset, but on arriving at the aforementioned store, I discovered that they have a variety of quick service restaurants lining the outside front of the store as well as a covered area with a bunch of picnic tables where you can eat. It was an eat whatever you want kind of situation, so after perusing the options, we each made our selection and ate before doing our shopping.

Upon entering the store, I discovered that apparently, this is also the place where you can buy just about every Asian food item known to man. Kevin has talked about the onigiri, Japanese style rice balls, he ate on his mission, and we actually had some decent ones when we ate lunch at the Ala Moana shopping center yesterday, so we were on the lookout for some of the flavoring packets Kev remembers. We found an entire aisle of them and selected a few that look tasty. Our goal wasn’t to take a bunch of them home, but to find a few so that I could use the ingredient lists as a starting point for replicating the flavors in a Matthew safe version. I’m particularly careful of internationally prepared food items as each country has different food labeling laws, but I like to give my kiddos opportunities to try as many foods and flavors as I can, so I’m always on the lookout for things Matthew and Malia can try. Anyway, we read a lot of labels, picked up a few things and called it a day…while my mom was zooming around the store with her shopping car. The Parkinson’s slows her down, but with a shopping cart to steady her, she left us in the dust. 😂