BALI & HAWAII SISTER STATE CELEBRATION

Thanks to Lena Gan, we were invited to attend the Governor's reception for the signing of the Bali Hawaii Sister State Initiative. 

The reception was held at the Archives Building by Iolani Palace.  Indonesian food, Balinese and Hawaiian dancse, and music by National Guard and UH Gamelan Ensemble (with anklung gamelan).

 

 

With the Balinese Gamelan leader I Made Widana 

(Apologies if I did not identify him correctly)

With General Darryll Wong, Adjutant General, Hawaii National Guard

SISTER STATE RATIONALE

Bali and Hawaii are the two most beautiful places on earth, and their many similarities make for a natural partnership between these vibrant states.  The Bali Hawaii Sister State Initiative (BHSSI) provides a framework for developing planned collaborations, strategic alliances and partnerships between the Bali province, Indonesia and the State of Hawaii.

The partnership will promote and facilitate continuous learning and best practices of economic, social and cultural sustainability and development within the areas of tourism, education, agriculture, environment, and other trade and investment sectors.

Bali and Hawaii share a common need and desire in collaborative learning and keep each other accountable to remain world-class destinations.

The partnership will also focus on historical preservation and cultural renaissance through, among others, "entertainment-education" approach in championing, appreciating and sustaining local arts, music, culinary and other cultural ways of living and heritage.

The BHSSI also aims to help promote and forge win-win partnership activities in quality (not quantity) development [...] taking into consideration the appropriate local wisdom and cultural heritage, values and practices.  Bottom line, we are confident this relationship was made in heaven.

POTATOES IN MY PURSE

Last night I dreamed that my purse was too heavy.  

When I opened it, I found two humongous potatoes inside.  

What does it mean to dream of two big potatoes?

 

So today I went to Food Pantry

and bought the two biggest potatoes I could find. 

Should I sleep with them tonight?  

See what they have to say?

And then make garlic mashed potatoes tomorrow?

Dear Dream Interpreters, your advice, please.

ZIPPY'S AFTER TWO MARK TRAVIS WORKSHOPS

Kris is revved up and barely in control
...................
 

As always, Kris and I debrief on our ride home.

So much to talk about:

Mark, stories, feedback, insights, meltdowns...

This time it's very late when we finally 

manage to leave Hau`ula.

We're starving but decide to drive straight to Honolulu

and eat at Zippy's on Vineyard.

 Waiting for our order, we start to fade

 Fading...

 Fading...

 Faded

Until our food arrives.

 My comfort food: fried rice and egg  

Hash browns for Kris.

And finally home.
Thank you, Mark, Alice Anne, Henry, and our new/old writing friends!

EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK

Last night I hurried to get to the dojo before they closed but got stopped in my tracks by a scene that seemed straight out of a movie.  Two musicians and their dogs had set up shop right by the entrance to Eaton Square.  Wish I had had the wits to have taken pictures of their "caravan" of stuff: two strollers modified to hold their belongings.  One stroller had a large homemade wooden box fastened on top of it, filled with I don't know what all.  Like the musicians, the box had obviously weathered a few seasons.  

She said that she was a germophobe and that they played mostly Bach but also did numbers by Herb Alpert.  When she did not recognize the piece the man played, he told her it was Vivaldi, and then sang her some phrases to help her remember.  The dog got up, circled his pad, and laid down again.  I felt like I had stepped into a time warp where forgetting was as important as remembering.

BROTHER JOHN'S UNFORGETTABLE GIFT

John, a Marianist brother and good friend of Phil's, offered to cook us a gourmet meal.  Who are we to refuse?  The evening before New Year's Eve, John came armed with all the fixings for a six-course dinner:

Maple and Mustard Glazed Salmon

Asparagus with Carmelized Onions

Divine Carrot and Sweet Potato Slices

Risotto with Precious Porcini Mushrooms from the Motherland

Garnish of the Most Luscious and Peppery Watercress

Warm After-Dinner Salad

Dessert of Mango Sorbet in a Papaya Bowl  

And wine, of course 

And his Kindle for background classical music! 

 John stirring the risotto and filling our home 

with the most delicious aromas.

  

Phil pretends to be helping.

Dinner, fit for a queen, is served!

Warm salad with porcini mushrooms and walnuts.

Slice of sweet potato on the side.

 The dessert looks a bit lost on my red salad plate from Macy's.

I should have drawn a design on it with chocolate syrup 

or cream or something, if I stocked any of that.

We didn't get done with dinner and conversation until close to midnight.  And if that weren't enough, John offered to come back and prepare us his specialty: Chicken Marsala!  Any time, John, any time.  I can get accustomed to this.

The next day I fixed a semi-gourmet meal from the leftover risotto by adding fresh carrots, onions, garlic, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.  I also steamed half a cauliflower head and dressed it with a special Japanese Sesame Dressing with Yuzu (A gift from our realtor John Baessler - Thank you, John!) and a sprinkling of gomashio.  And more of that unbelievably delicious watercress.  I swear, I never liked bitter vegetables, but I can't seem to get enough of this bunch of watercress.

Everyone should have a friend like Brother John.

Thank you, John Campbell!!!!

MEDITATION ON MY LEFT HAND

 My left hand says 

I don't know

I didn't know

I didn't do it

So many things to  handle

so many to mishandle

It takes a saint 

to do the right thing

My left hand 

left alone

follows the arc of the moon

finds truth and freedom

where none is easily found

and draws sweetness 

from the hardest stone

IF CAN, CAN. IF NO CAN, NO CAN.

I don't often go to Shirokiya's but when I do, I make a beeline to their upstairs food court where a lot of the foods offered are unfamiliar to me.  Great for a tasting adventure if it were not for the price.  So I end up sticking with the usual, a saba or salmon mixed plate.  After watching them make taiko yaki, a stuffed kind of pancake, I decide to try one with chocolate filling. 

 

It turns out okay, but nothing to write home about.  I walk around some more and watch how shrimp tempura is made.

I sit down to drink some water and listen to my neighbors' conversation -- three heavily-tatted local guys of enormous girth, sharing beer from one of those huge table top beer dispensers. They're talking story, laughing, having a good time.

"You know da Punchbowl house?" says one.
The others nod.
"I ask my maddah why is my bedroom pink?  You know wat she say?"
"Wat?"
"Koz my bed spread was pink."
 
Another says: "We had two rabbits.  One day I come home from school.  No rabbits.  Wat happen?  Somebody open da gate.  Rabbits jump out.  Dog eat them."
"Foh real?"
"Nah, I tink jes a story."
"Ya, wen you small kid dey tell you anyting.  One time I ask my faddah wat is a loading dock?  He say das where you can only load people in the car.  No can drop off.  Against da law."
"Eh, don't sneeze in my beer."
"Ya, one time my faddah had to do you know wat but no lua.  He jes go to a bush an stick his okole out lidis.  No squat, nottin.  Den boom, it come out.  I was impressed."

And thus ends my story about Shirokya.

I hope I did alright with the pidgin.  If not, so be it.  Like they say:

"If can, can.  If no can, no can."