Dinner Party in Waimea

I'm quite proud of myself. I hosted a dinner party for 9 people without any staples. I guess I would have to count the salt and pepper that were in the cupboard as staples, so I guess that isn't entirely true. It is hard to design a menu where you don't invest that much in things you have to leave behind. I did have to buy olive oil and vinegar but the rest was just fresh. The meal had 2 bulbs of garlic, 4 bagettes, fresh thyme, 10 lemons, 3limes, Kyr was juicing all day. Not entirely true, we did manage to beach it as well. The menu was sourdough crostini, scampi with margaritas. Followed by marinated beef, baguettes, rice-blackbeans-corn salad, greek potatoes, greek salad and caesar salad plus the au jus from the beef. It was delicious. Harmen's family seemed to enjoy it and they came fully insulated against the Waimea cold by wearing their Vancouver outfits.
We have spent almost all of our time snorkeling. The last 2 days have been spent at Hapuna which has been lauded as the best beach in the state. It is a lovely expanse of sand and we were treated to the humpbacks leaping wildly out of the water in their entirety - probably some kind of mating display. All of the people at the beach were in awe. We have found some spectacular snorkeling just south of the beach - 3 rocky inlets and miles of uninterrupted coral. Unfortunately Jacques' camera has developed a leak, much to everyone's disappointment and Jacques' despair. But we still soldier on even without the plethora of documentation. Jacques can still take about 9 pictures per outing so it is almost like going back to the days of film where you had to be very selective with your photography. I'll remind him of Shackleton's photographer where each plate of film was a jealously guarded thing, but yet the photos are amazing. The only visible perils of snorkeling at Hapuna are the fishermen on the cliffs above. Once a fishing weight came into the water beside me, and this is before I was even aware that there were fisherman. When I shot to the surface to look around and see what was going on, the guy casting looked really smug and I had a horrified feeling that perhaps he was trying to get me. Yesterday I swam by a fish caught in the wierdest way imaginable. It was as though he had two wire pincers holding his thorax and riggled wildly in the pincers. It was such an odd set up that I wondered if he were bait for a much larger fish. With that horrifying thought I swam away rapidly. So rapidly in fact that the flutter kick I was doing has damaged both kneecaps and the pain of bone on bone is so intense that I am unable to sleep. Just to give some indication - percacet doesn't touch it. Ah the perils of snorkeling.
It is raining again and the rain has the quality of maybe being on the whole island. Hopefully that is not the case and we can go to the beach today and I will avoid the flutter kick and do my own invention of a kick that doesn't seem to hurt.

Jacques Coustea Has a Mother

Jacques Coustea has a mother. She has a very important role. She trails Jacques in his underwater odyssey ensuring his safety. It is a dangerous and taxing role. Dangerous because she must always be on the alert for Jacques’ flipper getting her in the face, and if she should ever, ever accidentally finds herself above Jacques when he is finished diving and trying to surface, well let us just say the results could be catastrophic. Taxing because often she loses track of Jacques and has to surface and frantically look for signs of his snorkel or his flippers flailing at the surface as he begins a dive then she must swim blindly and frantically towards him lest he vanish from sight quickly again.
She also has a very important role corralling and gently flushing unwieldy sea creatures towards his lens. Often while swimming happily behind him she will spot exquisite sea creatures herself like a octopus or even her favorite fish – a darling tiny little fish with polkadots that looks like someone has pressed their lips to the fish and blown it up like a tiny balloon. By the time she has surfaced and screamed for Jacques to return she has churned up the water so frantically that there is no visibility and the creature has disappeared and Jacques really wonders what she is up to. Luckily sea turtles are not offended by her antics and stay patiently there and wait for Jacques to reach them with his trusty lens.
We found our turtles at our trusted beach again. All is well. It was a hot and sunny day and the water was quite clear, except for where the turtles were living.
Joop picked a branch off the orange tree and the orange blossoms smell amazingly like gardenias. It has even been sunny in
Waimea.
We'll probably beach it again, getting up the reserves to actually tackle the planned trips. We might be having Harmen's family over tomorrow for dinner. If they come (and this is a big if) I am trying to imagine a menu whereby I won't be a slave and can still beach it. I want to get an earlier start to the day today. Once again it is hard to drag the boys from their computers.

weekend and rain

One of the islands had quite a blackout because of the rains and in Hilo some of the streets were under 5" of rain. When I talked about the rains yesterday I didn't really think that they were that significant, I just assumed all is normal in the tropics, but apparently they were significant and destructive.
Yesterday was not that exciting. Both Kyr and I felt very ill. We hauled ourselves to the bigbox shopping mecca of Kona to gape at the tourists and buy a computer key board. Joop without his computer is like a person without oxygen. The good part of staying in Waimea is that the tourists are not that visible. In Kona they are. Then I end up feeling sorry for the tourists because I think what a dreadful place they have come to and subsisting on. I sure hope they rent cars in order to see the beautiful valleys and mountains of the ranchlands. I have included a view from our lanai so that everyone can experience the pastoral wonder, albeit the chilly wonder. This area was once just one big ranch, the Parker ranch. It came into world because Captain Vancouver gave a present to one of the Hawaiian kings of some long horned cattle. The hawaiian king saw them as sacred beasts and over time without culling they became vicious marauding beasts that were pillaging the flora and fauna and goring the people. The king brought over this cattle expert Parker who was also an exceptional shot and allowed him to start killing the beasts. With his keen eye he saved some that had traits that would lend themselves to domesticity. With marriage to the king's daughter, the gift of much of the north tip of the island and that initial tiny herd Parker ranch grew to be I think one of the largest privately owned ranches in the united states at 225,000 acres.
Our illness and cloud cover precluded any beaching. In fact I lay in bed most the day and read Blink, prequel to Outliers. You have got to love that Gladwell character. Today I feel a bit better, at least I won't be on a steady diet of tylenol. I have instructed the boys to pick one activity from the book that they would like to do so that it won't just be a vacation whereby default we always end up at the same beach. Kyr wants to go to the tropical gardens we have seen before. He is very keen to photograph the flora. Joop wants to go up to the high volcano where they have an observatory. The roads up to it unfortunately are closed with snow and ice. Maybe they will perk up later in the trip. Me, I just want to go back to the captain cook memorial, despite the trial of getting in the kayaks, just because the snorkeling is so beautiful.

boxing day in waimea

Had torrential rains all night. They started while we were having dinner at Harmen's and Donna's. The food was great and the company very entertaining. It is interesting to know people that live on the island because you become exposed to things that you normally wouldn't consider. Some aspects of living are so costly that you wonder how anyone could afford it. Harmen's electrical bill is $1500 a month. That does not include airconditioning which they don't use anyway. That is just lights and the pool. And apparently their municipal water charges are increasing by 50% this year. Perhaps they are being gouged for the water because they live in a palatial home in a very exclusive gated community. Those residual costs are too much for ordinary mortals.
My bouquet was a huge success. The bouquet looked very grand in the centre of the great room. On the way there we realized we had a little passenger in the car that must have come in on my bouquet. It was a dear little gecko that proceeded to leap with great skill and agility around the car. I felt vindicated because Joop had spent a portion of the previous day googling geckos, being quite sure that my initial blog post was an exaggeration. Kyr and I were quizzed as to what time of day we were actually seeing and hearing these beasts.
We snorkeled yesterday and Kyr made some great films of snorkeling. Whenever I'm feeling lonely for Hawaii I'll watch these videos because he has captured the experience so perfectly. It was our original favorite beach where we used to see lots of sea turtles. There were no visible turtles yesterday and it made the ocean feel empty.
Probably another beach day. We might go to Kona so that Joop can buy a computer key board. I was a bit premature in congratulating him yesterday. Apparently the miraculous liquid he used caused the entire key board to seize up.

christmas day

We are up listening to our complimentary christmas cd from the rental agency. A nice mixture of hawaiian vocals and english vocals with a number of standard carols. Joop and Kyr really distain it. I like it except for the white christmas one. That song in the tropics really bothers me. Joop has started the day really stressed because his computer has packed it in.

We went to Hilo market yesterday. The little Hawaiian Havana was really bustling. I thought I'd buy a fondue pot at one of the kitchen supply shops. I was informed rather emphatically that fondue was practically illegal in Hawaii. We were incredulous - Why? Well it is very obvious that those little flame holders under the pot hold a flamable liquid and that must not be brought into hawaii because of the combustibility. So we wildly started listing all of the combustible liquids covering the island - gas, alcohol etc. I even vainly said what about methyl hydrate surely there is methyl hydrate on the island. He most emphatically shook his head. What about those chafing pots for buffets? I asked. He hesitated over that one and came up with a rather evasive answer about they are a different size than normal, much smaller than mainland burners. Well we had our illegal fondue last night, very furtive with the lights low. I just kept it in the hot water bath and it was actually better, no chance of burning.
The market was overwhelming. It seems a shame to not buy all the fresh produce. It is quite exciting - a big bag of papayas for $2. We happily bought a bag of tangerines, that Kyr and I are consoling ourselves must be local because they look so dreadful. Joop happily bought chinese garlic unknowingly which made us question all of wares. The ugly, blemished ones must be local we have decided and so happily just have hawaiian produce except for the garlic. I bought a large mass of tropical flowers to create a bouquet for Harmon and Donna. They are having us over for Christmas dinner tonight. All of the flower plus the lovely banana leaf lined pot for only $17. I hope its not like bringing coal to Newcastle. But I like it if people bring me bouquets of flowers that grow around Nelson so I'm going to try not to worry.
We drove down to the western beaches chased by 2 rainbows. Waimea is always covered in rainbows. The beached were too windy so we went down to Kings shops at the Waikaloa resort for a drink. We happily bought salt from the dead sea to exfoliate ourselves to the smoothness of a babies bottom. The Isreali vendor who happily told us he spoke 7 languages including greek, also include a lovely free gift of a nail buffer. It really works! He buffed my thumbnail to the sheen of a very glossy nail polish that is to last for 2 weeks. I love it! It is still shiny as I type. It has something to do with the silk portion releasing my natural oils. Can't you just picture toenails?
So far none of us are pining for the opening of the presents thing. Kyr is either being exceptionally brave or he genuinely doesn't mind.
We are heading to the beach soon to frolic until we head to Donna and Harmon's where Donna's parents have made 150 Bitterbals - a savory dutch treat we will be devouring.
Merry Christmas Y'all once again!
Just to let you know Joop has once again rescued his computer from the bowels of oblivion - he discovered lots of dust around his fan and then unstuck his fan with a meat skewer and by pouring some type of miraculous liquid has created a new,cooler computer much to Kyr's and my collective happiness!

Christmas in Hawaii

Back at the glorious Morning Fire Ranch. Seems unchanged especially in the aspect of cloud cover. As we head up from the west coast beaches in the late afternoon, the clear sky overhead, we see ominous clouds on the mountain. As we drive closer we think they may be over Waimea, but no it is almost clear in Waimea, it is simply over morning fire ranch. What this means is that we have deliciously cool evenings where you must wear a hoody or sweater as there is no heat source in the house. Small price to pay we think, at least we don't need air conditioning.
Joop has valiantly picked oranges off our tree in the yard. The peel is thick and fragrant and rock hard. You really need tenacity to get to the fruit. Not a commercial variety I'm sure.
We have been snorkeling and tried out Kyr's underwater camera. I'm impressed with the shots. You can see them on Kyr's blog. It is hard getting your courage up initially to venture out the reef. The guide books warn of ominous wave things and currents when the water isn't calm at Mauna Kea beach. So both Kyr and I would be following out the fish when one or the other would motion that we were getting pulled out. You shoot your head up and scan the beach and see that you are much further out then intended and then the panicked first strokes which seem really tough and you frantically think for a moment that perhaps you will be up against a current that you can't win. And then suddenly you realize you are moving afterall in the direction of your choice and then the attempts to quietly reassure yourself that it is all normal and you weren't in danger after all. Lots of fish again, way more than greece but I do find myself missing the abalone shells and sea urchin shells for collecting. I loved the quest of acquisition. I'm hoping to transfer that zest to acquiring photos of all the different fish. I'll have to depend mostly on my boy because I don't like diving that much and I am hopeless at looking at the digital display and seeing what I have in the view finder. It is all blind luck and faith.
I am trying to quickly ease into the spirit of hawaii. I worry that all of this is almost beyond acknowledging because I have seen it before for the maximum 2 week period that the brain seems to notice new things. It becomes a conscious acknowledgment of the unique things that make it so - the smell of the flowery smell of the salt water because of all of the flowers everywhere, the noises of the different birds, the geckos and above all the warmth. And of course my obsession with the lava. I scan the ground everywhere and just see the clumps of lava being softened over millenium by the grasses and scrub trees. It is so reminiscent of Greece - just clods of rocks and perilous trees and grasses that seem desperate and only liked by goats. Then I think of all the landscapes in the world and realize that very few are friendly to just normal walking - most landscapes need trails. Think of it - forests, mountains, jungles, volcanic islands. Only the plains, and maybe some deserts can you traverse easily without trails. It makes me feel a tiny bit better to realize that I am not the only one with difficulty getting around some landscapes.
Food is very expensive here. More so than last time. I am thinking that we may try to embark on the Melissa tradition of a fondue for Christmas eve. I think it would be cheaper to buy a fondue pot than for all of us to go out for supper. We were planning to go to Hilo to the market and get some local fruit that is cost prohibitive if you buy it in the grocery but I am not sure if they will have a market on Christmas eve.
I am mesmerized by the people in the starbucks in Waimea. I watch them all carefully for signs of them being local or not.
Who lives in this paradise? They seem to look like the people I would see throughout North America. I expect them to look different - some kind of visual mark that they realize how lucky they are to live where you don't have to struggle against the elements.

San Francisco

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, ding, ding went the bell. From our perch at the top of Nob hill those are the most consistent sounds emanating from San Francisco. That and the loud sirens that Joop has timed to be hourly. It is a busy city. The most densely populated after New York. You don’t think that because from our perch you can see ocean on several sides and the buildings don’t seem too imposing because a lot of them are old and their ornateness seems to preclude lots of inhabitants, they simply seem to exist by themselves, as if they too are inhabitants and personalities.
There is only going to be this one blog from San Francisco. I seem to have taken too much time to adapt to be able to write. At first it was musing on the whole urban experience. That is almost too much to dissect and write about. It is just there. You don’t realize how it affects you until you are out of it. The guy that sold Joop shoes from Macy’s had just moved back here from Seattle. I asked him how he finds the two cities. He said that San Francisco is an adjustment because it is so urban. I was shocked by that. In a way Seattle seemed more urban to me.
The Fairmont we are staying in is the first Fairmont – the eponymous Fairmont. Built by a Fair on the mount in San Fran. How do you like that? As it goes, it is not the caliber of the others we have stayed at – no coffee makers, no kettles, no little café for takeout coffee. Very bare bones. And the attitude of most of the workers is impatience. Too many tourists tire people out. And if you don’t have to try and they still come it seems to make you irritable. A simple question like how many ounces in your martinis – causes quite the kerfuffle. It ranges from just raised eyebrows to complete insouciance – how could they possibly know they simply free pour – as if to quantify one waitress added “for 12 seconds” as if that was a measure. No body really seems to care. Don’t even get Joop started on his experience trying to get me a takeout Americano. We have had to move 3 times within the hotel. The first time because the window was blocked by a cement balustrade. I felt we would end up like the polar bears at the Calgary zoo – pacing with an obsessiveness that is barely touched by SSRIs. It is difficult to function if you can’t see out for a week. The second suite was nice but paper thin walls. We were privy to too much information about all the neighboring inhabitants. This last suite is in the newer (1960’s) tower on the 17th floor and afforded us a beautiful view of presidential hopeful Rudi Gulliani as he entertained at the $5300 per night penthouse. There is not a lack of renters for this suite – every night a party with strobe lights etc. Lots of corporate Christmas parties I imagine. But all in all I have like the hotel. It has a lovely ornate lobby and I like the perch in the city. To go anywhere is a massive hike down and then back up. The steepness the likes we wouldn’t see at home because any ice and it would be over – completely over. As Joop likes to say at night the paratroopers(tourists) descend from their point on Nob hill and fan out over the city to all of the restaurants. It does feel like that. I imagined all of their parachutes strings webbing the streets in streams.
We have taken in a couple of museums. (musea?) The first was the modern art. Quite the ruse. A fan oscillating on a cord above your head as you enter, followed by this photographer from Vancouver who was almost convincing as he expounded on his method in a video. Apparently he is a photographer who walks the city in search of beautiful images without a camera. He then photographs it in his mind and then maybe years later recreates the image with actors, sets etc. And apparently the poignancy of the initial moment is even more intensified by this method. Enough to garner tons of notoriety, money etc. An interesting Danish artist with a frozen car. We went to the fine arts museum today. A huge walk followed by a long bus ride and then another huge walk. Unbelievable paintings. I nearly collapsed with toe pain on the way home. I am becoming exhausted from all of this walking around SF. What if I didn’t have a car? Life is so much more difficult. Your whole life would be spent finding shoes that don’t hurt. Not that my life isn’t already spent that way but the imperative is so much greater when you have to descend death defying slopes. We are attending our favorite restaurant tonight as a farewell dinner. The type that makes foam out of flavors etc. Joop is quite insistent that we go to this restaurant one more time. Frankly I am surprised. I thought it would be something that I would demand not him. I am sad that I have not bought anything uniquely SF. In truth we have not shopped much. I have wept in the Britex fabric store. The same store in which the metrosex satchel got wild acclaim. How many other fabric stores have a list of famous patrons I wonder? I thought how unjust that a fabric lover such as myself is denied exposure to such beautiful fabrics and accoutrements. I hustled up the four flights of stairs holding my two huge Old Navy bags in my hand and bought the four pieces of fabric that I had been coveting. Dripping with sweat, the whole transaction took 10 minutes, enough time for Joop to frequent the Macy’s mens store again. I think the saleswomen at the fabric store were a bit in awe with my speed and decisiveness. The things that I wanted to buy are actually quite stupid – a metal post card holder that is too long for my suitcase, a 10” LCD tv in the shape of a race car. What has come over me? My only purchases of significance for me have been two red coats from Sausalito.
We rented a car one day, a tremendous respite from all of the walking. We drove to a beach – Stinton just north of Sausalito. It was so relaxing being away from the city. It made me realize the insidious stress you are under and don’t realize it until you are away. We happened upon a dear little costal town Bolinas. It is the only old car graveyard in California. What I mean is that for the first time we saw cars that were older than 5 years. It does make you wonder where all the wealth comes from.
I will be sad to leave. While we were here the sky was bright blue everyday and the temp was around 13. It was lovely. Despite my complaints I loved the freedom to walk and my lungs were very clear here. I think because there is no molding deciduous leaves. For me mold is a big allergen, bigger I guess than urban pollution. Who would have thought. Now back to Christmas preps. I hope I get in the spirit soon. I am excited to see my boy and all of the animals.