Home for a week or two
Back home in Honolulu for a few weeks on a belated vacation and chance to not worry about work and school and what not. It’s been a little short of a year and a half since I’ve been in Honolulu, a lot of things have changed by way of the local businesses, it almost feels like I’ve visiting an entirely new city. Went to the Mai Tai Bar at Ala Moana, it had been several years since I had been there, I remember back in 2000, 2001 it was a brand new hang out and ended up becoming a sleeper success of sorts. I imagine that they originally thought it would be a place for shoppers and tourists to relax during the day, but instead it became a total local hangout pretty much 7 days a week. Natural Vibes was playing last night, I was reminded that they played at our Senior prom way back when they were still mostly a local reggae band.
Monday after fliying in we went with my folks to this Japanese izakaya in Mo’ili’ili that used to be this old drive in dinner next to a cemetary. The place had a very authentic Japanese feel to it right from when you walked in the door, and a whole bunch of interesting menu items, some traditional, some more modern. Dad wanted to sample some shouchu, since they had a special anniversary price. Its a lot like Awamori, but usually made from potatoes or brown sugar instead of rice. Not quite as strong either.
It has taken a few days to get used to the time difference, and get familiar with home again. I’ve been reminded that this gap in time has been the longest I’ve been away from home, during college and grad school I at least made it back 1, 2 times a year either for the holidays, or to take a class at UH. The professional career life and legal training in DC is another animal all together. Of course there is the perspective that living away from Hawaii provides you. I am constantly reminded how crazy and intense DC, such a concentrated amount of federal and commercial power in a tiny corner of the country, yet the far reaching affects of which can be felt here in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
Walking around my house late one night after my parents were asleep on the first night back brought back a lot of memories from my childhood, pictures on the shelves, my mom’s pottery, dad’s cluttered medical journals, the wild and living jungle in the backyard, the creaking floor in the living room. for the most part it seemed like a dream digging through old things in my old room it was almost like a different person used to live here a long time ago. Most notably are all of the books that I had accumulated through my years after I got back from Madison, when I was taking night classes at UH-Manoa and Kapiolani Community College and frequenting the few used bookstores in Honolulu. There was an old book I came accross written on the price of paradise, namely, the economic price of living in Hawaii. It was written almost 15 years ago, but some of the lessons I think are very relevant to this day.
Linkes 8/8/2007 Summer Vacation Edition
Bottle Cap O Rama
Demographic shifts in Hawaii
Tsukiji Fish Market (the restaurant)
August 21st, 2007 at 12:37 am
Ono grinds brah…!