An Awesome Aloha-Ohana Vacation

Jo & I at Lanikai Beach

I'm sitting in home at 400 Hobron Lane in Honolulu, 8:27am, and waiting for my friends to wake up. We've got a plane to catch at about noon. We've also got a suitcase full of memories.

I have to say, this has got to be my best vacation ever. My first time in Hawaii, and I got to come here with good friends...and of course by best friend Jo. I don't know if it would have been as much fun without Martha, Pauline, Wendy, Serene and Jo. We all kind of lived and ate and played and took in much of Honolulu together. We got to experince part of the spirit of Hawaii: Ohana meaning "family." Hawaii itself would not have been as good without good friends to enjoy it with. Mahola!

There's a long list of highlights I want to remember:
- BBQ's on the rooftop, overlooking the Pacific
- My first flight with Jo and friends
- Funny Samoan guy at te Polynesian Cultural Center
- Exploring Waikiki Beach in my bright white bathing suit
- Seeing everyone's morning hair (ahhhh!)
- Serene posing with lingerie (sorry Wen, but it was fun for us!)
- Swimming in the rooftop pool, playing "Hungry Shark" and Marco Polo
- Swimming (or wading) at Lanikai Beach
- Kayaking to the Mokulua Islands
- Visiting Pearl Harbor
- Adopting Heffy
- The hike and view atop Diamond Head Crater
- L&L dinner, at the beach (with a bit of frisbee flickin' by the sunset)
- Listening to Serene read the Bible in local Hawaiin dialect

Throughout the trip, I set up a daily blog chronicling our vunderful vacation.
Click here to take a looksie.

Aloha!


Kayaking to that island in the background


the background's the real deal


A wonderful night


Peek-a-boo


Hike through a cave


On top of Diamond Head Crater


Inside USS Arizona Memorial


Oil spilling still


half mast


Dinner at Bubba Gump's


salt and pepper shakers

Picture perfect

In the photo above, Wendy and Serene are "framing" themselves for their photographer. (Click on it to see more pics at sony imagestation)

Awesome day. It was such a long and fun day! I couldn't believe how much was jam packed into the one day: Eggs Benny, clipping on suspenders, pit stop at TD bank to exchange twenty's for ten's, limo pick up and decoration, wonderful "traditional" ceremony at Chen's residence (very moving, and good food too!), no looking back, practicing dance steps in the gym, waiting in the "back" room, standing for about an hour, witnessing the vows, posing in the park, getting ready at the hotel, drinking two bowls of soup, forgetting the jive, seeing my beautiful Jo in a beautiful dress, and all in all, seeing two good friends make a sacred commitment to one another. Ahh...what a good day.

Now...off to Honolulu. =)

Wake Up Call

Deconstruction

I awoke this morning to the sound of a mechanical hum, ripping wood and breaking glass. It couldn't be my neighbour mowing his lawn, as he does so often in the early morning. His grass doesn't crash when cut.

So I jumped out of bed and to my window, and through my sun-squinted eyes I could barely see this orange monster pulverizing a home across my alley. It was really a sight I didn't expect. A building once standing, now being crushed to rubble.

I actually dreamed of this recently, happening to my own home. I've been living in my home all my life. And I've been thinking of what lies ahead for this home. Will I, or my parents, sell the place? Will it be our home till its own demolition? Then I remember thinking, and seeing me, looking at the (future) deconstruction of my own home. And I couldn't help but notice a tear in my eye.

This is my home. All my birthdays and scraped knees, my crying and whining...all this stuff of growing happened here, in this place. I've invested in this home. I painted it about twice over. I've hid treasures in little cracks. It is the backdrop of all my photographs. The tacky iron railing that guides the staircase is the same one I grabbed onto as I learned to stand. I've baked banana bread in this place. I've prayed, and learned to pray, mostly in this place.

So what happens when home is deconstructed? When familiar breezes and smells no longer exist? When faces and voices become faint in memory?

I suppose a hammer will do. And some wood and nails. And a lot of effort to build again.

A lot in my bowl...

Spicy

Went to Happy Shabu Shabu last Saturday and had this sauce bowl with the works. It's fitting. These past and next few weeks are pretty full. Trips, weddings, new church...

It's been so much I haven't had much time to think and process the changes. Just so much to do and plan and run around. Come August, I think I'll have a good time to unwind, slow down and reflect about the recent months.

In the meantime, I'll dig in.

My RV Road Trip to Oregon with the Guys

At the beginning...

What a great time!

This past weekend Derek, Serene, Kevin and I hopped into an RV and slowly made our way as far south as Astoria, Oregon. Along the way we slept in two Walmart parking lots, shopped at the outlet center in Tulalip, bought clothes and shoes (yes, we bought shoes), went fishing, ate fish at Ivar's, roasted marshmallows (not me, though), ate steaks by the Pacific, got lost in Kelso, unknowingly smuggled a watermelon and carrots across the border, backed up a "tank" in our RV and found stinky water in our shower, killed a squirrel, scared a deer, got I.D.'d at Safeway, bought "Country Apple Body Cream," scared Derek, ate hot dogs every day, discovered a surreal campground full of hundreds of RV's and families and old people rollerblading, played word association while fishing, and all in all had a pretty good time.

Things I didn't know or ever experienced before this trip:
- You can make a rug out of raccoon pelts
- You can get "Buy One get Two Free" deals at Safeway
- Kevin likes cleaning
- Your signature on the back of your credit card is always checked in the States
- Serene knows how to buy quality paper
- Near the Oregon-Washington border, shops ask "Washington?" to determine if tax is applicable
- The "tallest" mountain in the world is in Hawaii
- You can buy a rug made of raccoon pelts at Walmart
- Derek likes looking at the moon


just chillin


Derek's not doing anything, but posing.


"I just bought groceries! Yippee!"


Me Scan


Wal*Mart Poster Boys


Wee!


cheers!


Derek got a little lonely on our trip.


little town Americana (of course there's "diet")


chili dog and fishin


just about to catch a fish


all four of us


gone fishin'


Kev & I


At Fort Steven's State Park in Oregon

CLICK HERE to see more photos at Flickr

Thank you Jo...

Jo made me a wonderful "Congratulations-on-Getting-Your-Job" Lemon cake just for me!! Yippee!

When we got back from our RV Trip, Jo surprised me with a homemade lemon cake. She knows I love lemon flavoured things (like sorbet).

It was extra good because Jo made it for me! Thank you Jojo!