Message in a Bottle

My wonderful writers' group in Alaska does a creative exercise to get the juices flowing at the beginning of each weekly meeting. This is the one from last week (here with permission).

Topic: You are stranded on a tropical island. You have a small note to send in a bottle. What would you say on the note?



My favorite "note" among the group's responses is:

~I’M PERFECTLY OK . . . STAY AWAY!

p.s. This is NOT a secret message to my faithful readers who comment (you know who you are!) or to the shy ones who email me their reactions!

It's just a "moment in paradise".

Mother Nature Won't Email

If only Mother Nature would send email weather alerts I would have done Chinatown today or tomorrow in overcast cooler weather and in yesterday's blazing heat have gone to the Contemporary Museum (5 minutes and $3 from here) up in the lush green chilly mountain. Instead today was the museum and I was alone to enjoy it, taking in the powerful Misrach exhibition of huge photographs (you can see some here). Enormous grounds with sculptures and lots of paths winding among the gardens and nooks. Calming afternoon. In the lobby is a work in which, standing in the right place, you can see 144 reflections of yourself.

And at dinner tonight, there'll be sea asparagus from the market. Market was after breakfast at Andy's--best spinach-cheese omelette in town and Andy's homemade wholegrain toast and fabulous coffee--all in air-conditioning.

Chinatown

After yoga at the Community Center ended at noon, I decided to give Chinatown a whirl. One wrong turn = learning a LOT about Honolulu streets, but made it to Chinatown and went to the Vietnamese Pho 97 in the historic Mendonca building. This is a photo blog about a different Pho 97, but the owners and dishes are the same. I got the beef rib-eye steak noodles described in the blog (seen in my own photo here), except the meat (red, just put in) was already in the bowl. My plate of bean sprouts, basil and chilies were just like in the blog you can click to. It was so good,even the bean sprouts were like nothing I've ever had and the soup was divine. Decided against pastries, but did get rambutan (like lychees).

Passed Indigo and Tea at 1024 that I saw in today's paper (photos at their site), but just kept going today. It gets really hot in the middle of day now, even though the nights are cold and early mornings call for a long-sleeved shirt plus a sweatshirt. So, today, just the heart of Chinatown, which is only a few blocks square and a real treat. Well, the rambutan should be cold enough for a delicious bedtime snack. . . .

Lomilomi, at last

Drawing blanks on recommendations for lomilomi from locals, I resorted to the Web and chose Aloha Lomilomi. It was a fantastic massage, a little different from others I've had (sea salt rubs, hot stones along with massage) and it has left me a completely limp dishrag. I'm hoping all the nasty toxins and stress were released and I'll be able to stand up and make it to yoga class tomorrow.

Afterwards, since the place was a block from where I usually go to the beach I hung out for a good bit of the afternoon with the other folks choosing the grass under the trees right on the beach. Then back for errands, including a finally successful treasure hunt for Poi Pancake mix and Coconut Syrup (a story in itself, but I cannot type any longer).

It's 7 p.m. and I'm down for the night . . .

p.s. I'm sure everyone knows photos can be clicked on to see them bigger......

Queen Emma's Palace

Why does Queen Emma's Summer Palace fascinate me so? Small, quickly seen, it is a place I cannot wait to go back to! That's a kukui tree on your right as you look up the steps. No photos of interior--but the calabash bowls are marvelous, all sizes, many very large. Used to store bed linen and clothes. The cradle, to only mention one piece of furniture, is astounding. The Hawaiian owl feather standards in the entry are worth a return trip.

The palace visit was only one piece of the day, though. It's Monday, so early morning yoga in the beach park under the palms. Stopped by Leonard's on the way to get malasadas (this is the haupia, coconut). Worth the wait! Ate two(!) on Waikiki watching the surfers after yoga was over.

Two things to do in Manoa Marketplace before setting out for the afternoon, so got a Roast Turkey sandwich (pink paper middle right of menu wall!) at Andy's Sandwich Shop, a landmark. So healthy! Yep, that is the woman who made my sandwich, right there in the photo. This is what an Andy's sandwich looks like (scroll down).

Yellow hibiscus at Queen Emma's palace, biggest hibiscus I've seen (state flower). What a beauty!

Pali Lookout is only 5 minutes further, and even though the gray clouds were rolling in I went to see...and glad I took a sweater. Yes, the wind is strong.


The photo is of the Ho`omaluhia Botanical Gardens! Both palace and lookout small and quickly seen, but very powerful and memorable.

Roast duck pancakes from Manapua Factory for dinner ... fighting the local cold virus, so early night.

Slow Sunday

Sunday is a good day to walk on campus, and then jump in the car to go up to Manoa Marketplace for the farmers' outdoor market, and then a few doors down to the Manapua Factory shop for coconut Jin Dui (Chinese sesame balls) and mochi (pounded sticky rice balls) for breakfast with Kona coffee. Both of them had treasures of coconut at the center--so good! Also got some Dim Sum for lunch (menu here). Great cartoon on the subject from today's paper is here. Breakfast with the local paper, lunch with the New York Times. Ah, sweet Sunday.

Lucky to have gone out from 7:30 to 8:45! By 10 a.m. darker and grayer clouds and stronger winds rolling in, by 10:30 a.m. driving rain so intense French doors have to be closed--far more dramatic rain than in the first week I was here. Hmmm, cancel Queen Emma Palace/Pali Lookout today?

But, at least it is cooler! The local Sunday Paper Travel Section is on . . . wait for it . . . Alaska! Talk about cool!

Asian lunch today! The potstickers were the fattest and tasiest I've ever had.

The handmade soft tofu as good as always, and the Tokio flavored tea an elixir.
Clouds aren't lifting so no Tantalus or Pali lookout today, but a delicious Asian lunch sort of makes up for it.

No, I didn't eat the pink-tinged frangipani on the left. The underside is a surprise! They fall face-down on the path sometimes, and they are gorgeous. Here's the paler top side.
I have to walk through the fallen blossoms on the last few feet in front of the door---tough, huh.




The Academy Awards started at 6:00, so it was popcorn for dinner tonight. And I got to watch the whole Oscars show!! It was fun this year.