Bishop Museum, a Birthday, and Kakanin

In 2006, Cari and I took the younger five of our six kids to a day at Bishop Museum hosted by the Iolani Alumni Association. Unfortunately at the time the main building - Hawaiian Hall - was closed for renovations.

Our oldest child, Alyssa, wasn't with us that day because she remained behind on Molokai with her cousins. So I thought it would be nice to visit Bishop Museum during this trip because Alyssa had never seen it and I wanted to see how the renovations came out.

Amazingly, three years later, Hawaiian Hall is still closed for renovations!

I'm not exactly sure what the purpose was of all the black lights in the volcano exhibit, but the effect was pretty cool on Alyssa's and my brother's Jimmy's clothing...



And while I like to think I have great respect for other cultures and all, I have to admit that this exhibit freaked me out...



This particularly picture is specifically for my wife's brother-in-law Paul, a big time fisherman. I wonder if he's ever used a traditional Hawaiian octopus lure...



This trip was an opportunity for my brothers and sisters to get together and spend a little quality time with our father on his 86th birthday party. While Alyssa joined me, Cari remained at home with the other five of our kids. Thankfully during this trip I set up my parents with their new computers and their first internet connection - so our kids can now chat with Grandma and Grandpa via Skype...



After 8 days in Hawaii, it was time to return to Wisconsin where I was greeted with a birthday celebration by my kids.

David, ever the comic, said he worked really hard to write me a personal note...



Then after getting his laugh there, David said that seriously, he did write me a birthday letter...



What a goof.

Bret Jr. made a card as well while Kekoa drew me a candy forest...



While Nalani and Malia danced a birthday hula for me...



Though I am finally back in Wisconsin, no trip to Hawaii would be complete without a birthday treat on the way out of town courtesy of Mrs. Jacang, my parent's neighbor...



A nice warm bowl of kakanin - a sweet Filipino pudding.

It's a nice warm memory to carry me over since it's snowing today in Wisconsin.

For those still there, always remember, "Lucky You Live Hawaii."

Circling the Island

One of the great things about Hawaii is that folks here take something foreign, screw around with it a little bit, then come up a completely new take on it. Think of mochi ice cream or spam musubi.

Well, today I discovered a local Hawaii version of the "wrap" sandwich from the mainland.

Introducing the Korean Chicken Wrap...



I think there even may be a little kim chee in there.

Anyway, my wife has been bugging me that since I'm in Hawaii, I have to go to the beach.

Well, I will admit it publicly.

I don't like the beach.

I'm no big fan of sand, nor do I enjoy laying out in the hot sun. Really, when you think about it, there are far more entertaining things to be doing when laying on your back.

But to make my lovely wife happy, here I am at the beach...



That was about it.

Actually, I should note that while I do not enjoy the beach, I absolutely LOVE the water. When I was a younger man, I couldn't get enough of it.

My daughter Alyssa and I decided to drive around the island today and we found ourselves at the North Shore watching the local guys ride the waves at Sunset...



In my early 20s, when I was a much younger (and skinnier) man, I was working in Hawaii. At the end of about every other day I was in the water on my boogie board. Of course, more recently I just worry that they don't make a boogie board that is buoyant enough for me.

We drove through the North Shore, around Laie, through Kaneohe, Waimanalo, Makapu'u, Hawaii Kai, and everything in between. We often stopped to take pictures from the beach or to stop at a lookout. It was ridiculously windy all day and it was near high tide. That made for quite a spectacle at the Holona Blowhole...



For our non-Hawaii friends, the Blowhole is a former underwater molten lava tube that serves as a bit of a pipe, shooting water high in the air when the wave hits it just right.

Here's Alyssa enjoying the view...



Makapu'u was just like a picture postcard as usual...



So Alyssa and I posed for a picture...



It took something like a dozen takes before we got a picture in which Alyssa's hair wasn't blowing all over the place!

Coming back around Oahu, we were going to stop by the University of Hawaii because that is one of the places Alyssa is considering attending in the fall.

But since we were so close to my alma mater, we had to stop by Iolani School...



Speaking of people who didn't get into Iolani, in case you were wondering, Alyssa and I figured out where President Obama's $144 billion bailout of AIG went.

It's here, in Hawaii!



AIG Hawaii is giving everyone a $20 gift certificate for gas!

It must be some conspiracy by our President to benefit the people of his home state...



Hey, he's a Punahou graduate. You gotta cut the guy some slack.

Anyway, now to the real issue. Lunch.

Today it was a Zip Pac from Zippy's, eaten while looking out at the beach at Waimanalo...



For the uninitiated, a Zip Pac consists of one piece each of teriyaki, fried chicken, mahi mahi, and spam. All of that loving joy is then piled on top of rice covered in furikake.

Ono!

A Second Birthday Party...

This is Hawaii, of course, so you have to begin your day with two rainbows in the sky. Here's the picture from my parent's deck overlooking Pearl Harbor...



As noted in a previous posting, many in our family gathered to celebrate my father's 86th birthday. I pointed out a few days ago that we all thought it remarkable that our dad jumped in the Mustang to ride with me to the gathering.

But what I forgot to post is that only my dad would ride in a Mustang but park in a handicapped parking stall...



Somehow he managed to talk his doctor into giving him a handicapped parking stall placard. He apparently convinced the doctor that he wasn't able to walk very far any more. Yet amazingly he still manages to walk up and down the buffet line several times over!

My sister Dawn and her boys posed in their own unique way...



And Donovan and his girlfriend Christyn decided to dress up like tourists complete with the matching outfits...



I guess that's what happens when you're from Molokai. The good news is that none of us have ever seen Donovan as happy and content as he is now with Christyn.

While in Honolulu Donovan said he needed to go shopping for a new sheet and comforter set for their bed. Apparently Christyn is a huge fan of the color pink - my wife's favorite color as well. But Donovan is a man now, and men don't sleep on pink sheets.

So his Aunty Cari and I told them that we'd pay for the new set but it had to be pink. We figured that Christyn needed all the backing she could get living with our nephew.

Anyway, after the big luncheon I decided to work off some of the calories by dancing like an Egyptian all the way down the stairs...



But that was a few days ago. More recently, we celebrated Dad's birthday a second time on the actual day of his birth.

And like his Grandson David whose birthday is the very next day, my father celebrated with a birthday pie...



Kimberly was in town from Lanai, hapai as one can ever be, and she joined us for dinner...



Kim is the eldest daughter of the greatest cook not only in our family, but the the universe, Adorna.

In honor of his birthday, my father made one of his (im)famous concoctions...



For those who cannot see the cans clearly, let me spell out the ingredients in the mixture. Equal parts diet pepsi and coconut milk, topped off with a scoop of ice cream.

Make one yourself and enjoy. Really. Go ahead. Try it and see how it tastes.

As Alyssa was sitting at the table next to her grandma, we noticed something...



My mom has now lived in Hawaii for fifty years (having moved from Manitowoc, Wisconsin). Alyssa has lived here for five days. Yet somehow my mother still doesn't have much more of a tan...



My daugther Nalani would be very pleased at Grandma's choice of plates upon which the pie was served...



My sister Dawn cracked open a few bottles of wine and clearly she can't hold her liquor. Just look at the mess she made on the tablecloth...



You can't take her anywhere.

Speaking of Dawn, here's a picture of our Dad being tormented by his daughters...



That's Dawn on the left and Renee on the right.

Although Dawn has a regular job on Molokai by day, she is a profesional singer at night...



Gotta love those sleeves!

When visiting my sister Renee's house the other day, I was reminded about her exciting but all to brief professional singing career as well.

At a Barry Manilow concert in Hawaii a few years back, Barry pulled someone from the audience on stage to sing a bit with him.

And it just happened to be the biggest Barry Manilow fan in the world - my sister Renee...



Yes, the pictures are real, this is Renee's professional debut...



Okay, done with all that. Now we really should get down to the real issue that everyone wants to know

Where was lunch?



Yes, that's the famous Shiro's Saimin Haven in Waimalu.



Fried saimin smothered with char siu and spam.

Ono!

Time to Eat... uh, I mean "Happy Birthday"

We arrived in Hawaii a few days ago to celebrate my father's 86th birthday.

And because we're Bicoys, that means it's time to eat.

So while Alyssa, Christyn (my nephew Donovan's girlfriend), my mom, and my sister Dawn were fooling around in the living room...



My father and I decided that there was no time to waste... a buffet awaited.

And amazingly, he jumped with me into the Mustang convertible I had rented and off we went...



Our destination was my sister Renee's favorite place to eat, Tsukiji Fish Market. It's an enormous buffet of sushi, tempura, udon, and lots of other stuff which simply demand to be piled high on a plate.

But my brother James, ever the meticulous and wonderful chef in his own right...



...made sure his plate of sushi was presented just the right way...



Of course, my presentation consisted largely of tilting the plate so everything would just roll off into my mouth...



There was so much terrific food that even my lactose intolerate vegetarian daughter found things she could enjoy...



Uh, well, kinda enjoy, I think.

It was a nice gathering of family members as my sisters Dawn and Renee sat with our Dad...



And while my brother Bernie couldn't make it, Jimmy was there to joke it up with our Dad...



Happy Birthday Dad!



Next year, I say we should gather at my favorite place to eat in the whole wide world, Soon's!

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

Recently we celebrated the 18th birthday of my oldest daughter Alyssa.

Yes, I did say 18th birthday.

As in adulthood. Grown-up-city. Maturity-ville.

Happy Birthday Alyssa...



She is now old enough to vote. She is old enough to join the army.

She is old enough for lots of things.

As for me, I'm just old.



She received lots of presents and cards on her birthday as usual, but her brother David was too lazy to make a card...



If you look closely, he took a card that his little sister Nalani made for a previous birthday and just decided to re-use it...



Alyssa thinks recycling is important, so I suppose this makes sense.

As for Nalani, she would have gotten mad but she disappeared. In her place was this guy who showed up...



He introduced himself as "Mr. Gazpacho."

Seriously, Nalani walked around with this moustache and decided on her own to tell everyone her name was Mr. Gazpacho.

Must have gotten that particular gene from her mother.

Speaking of Cari, not too long ago were the Academy Awards - which means that everyone in our house gets dressed up for our very own Oscar party...



The kids looked great but I just loved Kekoa's outfit.

It's a leisure suit right out of the 1970s...



Of course, the biggest news is that Alyssa has finally taken her driver's exam. She's been old enough for the last several years, but only recently did she decide to finally take it.

As a parent, I must say that I am already very concerned about her driving habits.

The other day I was driving home and passed Alyssa in the van driving in the opposite direction with Cari. Through the windshield of my car I could see Alyssa fiddling with the radio and talking to Cari rather than paying attention to the road!

I got so mad that I dropped my electric shaver in my coffee and it spilled all over my blackberry just as I was sending a text message.



Kids nowadays.

Um, rather, adults nowadays, I guess.

Happy Birthday Alyssa.