Dim Sum and Shave Ice

It was raining and windy this morning so we decided to stay home and do homework. Jon resumed his dreaded job of planning the next leg of this trip and I sat at the table and wrote stuff and answered email.  This winter I am starting the project of figuring out how to write a memoir.  It may take a while, but I am making some new piles of words. When I read other people's memoirs, they seem so effortless. It will be a while before my project looks effortless.

At 10:30 we rounded ourselves up to go to Chinatown to meet up with Uncle Babe and Auntie Arlene for dim sum.

We went to Fook Lam, a crowded restaurant with big round tables all jammed into one room.  I realized that there seemed to be no tourists at all.  Everyone knew how to order dim sum at a rapid pace, and fend off the hard sell when they didn't want any more. We always leave it all to Auntie Arlene.  The elders all ate chicken feet very happily but I have no interest, no matter how delicious they may be. I know what they've been walking in.

We came back to Niu Valley and dropped off Annette and Fred.  Jon talked to Alissa in Australia, trying to firm up our plans. She says there is no evidence of fire or smoke where she is, north of Sydney.  Phew.

Jon and I went back downtown to Ala Moana Beach. He is never excited about that beach but it has many fine qualities -- good sand, clear view of Diamond Head, many locals, easy parking, close showers and changing rooms, nice water with no icky things in it, a very long stretch of protected water inside the breakers where you can swim parallel to the beach.  I swam a long way out with the wind at my back and then I fought my way back with the current against me.

Then to the original Waiola Shave Ice -- Uncle Babe and Charles agree that this is the best on the island. So smooth and fine. We shared a pina colada bowl with lilikoi topping and ice cream inside.  Hard to get better than that.

Jon made a cucumber salad he has been trying to perfect for years (still trying) and Auntie Annette and I made fried rice. Berta came over for dinner and told us about the months of getting this house back in order, including trapping all the rats that had settled in. Donna came by to repeat to her mother and uncle that they need to make a plan, one that will work, for their transition from driving to being driven by others.  This has been a theme of this visit and we are talking about it a lot.

I know this is not what most people think of when they imagine going to Hawaii. We will be real tourists in a few days.