A Year in Waipahu

Plumeria bloom found on the sidewalk   We live in the same town as my work.   This was a conscious decision.   My commute involves walking 1.5 miles.   Because of this, I get to see old and new Waipahu, new construction and old buildings, manicured and wild properties, dry and lush environments.   Pothos garden landscape   I pass private homes, businesses, churches, and temples.      I pass children and teachers at school.   School motto painted on the outer wall   I pass kūpuna (older adults) out walking or tending their property.    I pass wealthy homes, middle income families, and homeless encampments.   Trash near one of the homeless encampments.   I meet dogs behind fences, and sometimes feral ones on the street.   In Waipahu, and all of Hawai`i, there is the constant music and presence of birds.  Some are varieties I saw in Michigan; most are not.  Often their behavior and singing have ...

"The White Lotus" is a hit series on HBO/MAX, now in its third season.  After I moved to Waipahu, my kids asked if I’d seen season one.  Prior to their question, I had never heard of the show.   This tells you something about my ability to keep up with the times.  i.e. dinosaur So my wife and I turned on the series.  We plowed through all six episodes within a week. It was a well-done drama, perfectly cast.  It had an great script, soundtrack, and cinematography. It was filmed in Hawai`i, at an isolated upscale resort hotel.  I'm not sure of the exact location. The show had "almost" NOTHING to do with life in Waipahu.  At least how I've experienced life in Waipahu. Perhaps that was the point of the entire season one: To show how fake tourism can be from real life. I said “almost.” Colonialism One theme from the show was colonialism and its legacy..  It didn't take center stage, at least for the majority of season.  Instead, it was m...

Yesterday I cooked my first Filipino dish: Bulalo.   I cooked this because one of my new friends said this was his favorite food growing up on Kauai.  I surprised him with this at lunch. It was fun to use my neighborhood grocery store (Seafood City) to find ingredients.  Some of the main ingredients included beef bone joints, fish sauce, cabbage, broth, among other things.   I added lemongrass to the stew, which was optional for the recipe.  This turned out to be a perfect addition. The fish sauce came from the Philippines, and had chili peppers in it.  This gave it a slight "kick" in the end. While the ingredients were different, the stew reminded me of good stews in the Midwest. Basically, I seared the meat, filled the pot with water and broth, added the fish sauce, and then let it "stew" for a long time.  Until the meat was falling off the bone. This was similar to a good chili or stew anywhere. The recipe I followed can be found here . As...

    I have loved the song, Koke'e, since it was released in 1996.  I've loved it ever since, and my kids heard it a lot while they were growing up.     1996 happened to be the same year I was in Hawai'i the first time around.   The composer was The Reverend Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi (March 31, 1953 – April 28, 2014).  A beautiful soul.   For me the song shares an inimitable spirit.  It speaks of the communion between humanity and a specific place, Koke'e, on the island of Kauai.    It is a love song.  Not to a person.  But rather to the 'aina, and one with a unique character.  We will return to this theme in Hawaiian art (music included) on many occasions.   The song joined a host of other Hawaiian songs that truly SHARE the aloha of this place, this culture, this land.   This past week, I was invited to join with a local Waipahu-area volunteer band (The Happy 'Ohana) as a singer....

  I heard a SNORT! and was surprised to see -- right in front of me -- this beautiful creature.  She looked at me, and I at her.  I didn't move for a bit.  I took a couple photos.  I backed away and left her to be.   I had been visiting a beach down the road from Waipahu.  While this photo is a close-up, you can see that the water and reef and monk seal have the same coloration.  So I was looking over her, at the ocean (kai or moana).   Just another example of the beauty that lies RIGHT IN FRONT OF US that we often overlook, as well as a reminder that WE ARE JUST ONE SPECIES AMONG MANY in this world.       After I left, I looked this creature up on Google, and then called the NOAA wildlife hotline and left a message.  (Given the federal layoffs, I'm not sure if anyone answered.).       The official Hawaiian word for these monk seals is ʻIlio-holo-i-ka-uaua.  They are the state mammal.  They ar...

 DON QUIJOTE The second featured grocery store, Don Quijote, became an instant favorite.  We like their selection of fresh fish, prepared hot foods, and variety of Asian goods.    Don Quijote has Gundam and Bandai action figure displays.     Don Quijote is a Japanese chain, and has a theme song that is fun: "Don Don Donki."  The song plays every ten minutes.   Recently, the chain re-branded and their new store near us (in Kapolei) is named after their theme song. Apparently, the theme song is popular enough for local celebrity Bruno Mars to get in on the fun. Click here for Bruno's video.