tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321862007194695032024-03-13T22:24:27.488-10:00Aloha From Perrydise!What it is like to move to Hawaii from Michigan? Find out along with us!Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-57066963890281203392021-08-20T20:30:00.000-10:002021-08-20T20:30:01.886-10:00Pēpē Nui - Big Baby<div dir="ltr">(Written in 2016)</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">I can hardly believe Calvin is 19 months old! It's fun to see his personality develop and watch him learn new things. Here's a little snapshot of what he's up to right now.<br />
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<b>Important Stats</b><br />
Weight: 29 pounds<br />
Height: 34.5 inches<br />
Size 2T (some things 3T!)<br />
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<b>Foods</b><br />
His restrictive diet has been working! The doctor excitedly cleared him to try new foods, so now we're up to six total: carrot, grape, pork, turkey, rice and soy. To mix things up, he enjoys carrots, tofu and turkey fried in bacon grease! Rice allows him rice milk, rice cakes, rice Chex, and even cookies! He has a soy formula to add some nutrients.</div>
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<b>Words - </b>You can get a pretty good idea of what he likes by what he can say!</div>
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Momma<br />
Poppa (always whispered!)<br />
"Uk" = Lucas<br />
"Bec"= Rebecca<br />
"Ba"= Ball, bottle, or bird<br />
Vroom = Car / pretending to drive<br />
Broom<br />
Moon<br />
Burger = Of the turkey variety<br />
Air = Airplane or helicopter<br />
I = Island</div>
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<b>Enjoys</b><br />
Playing with his siblings<br />
Walking outside</div>
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Wearing shoes... on his hands<br />
Hiding in cabinets<br />
Pushing things (carts, strollers, etc.)<br />
Wrestling & tickle fights<br />
Pointing at things in the sky<br />
Pretending - to sweep, drive<br />
Smelling flowers and candles<br />
Peekaboo<br />
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Video of walking</div>
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Looking back, we didn't get to enjoy this stage as much with Lucas and Rebecca, so I'm thankful for the time now. Why were we a little distracted? Let's see the photographic evidence...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r2Ppuv4kjzdiQ8W_Ugtc75MIgSn2he0vbETy9moH6Ddx3Wo7vGwMSXEXRjDLnUW3WfS4KJp0Oyblu8ywZ76zaR7OdgpAoi6c_XENZh07bT2cxYTpv-brQbiDoMYzcHgeCigBEOE1r8w/s1600/Dec+4+160.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r2Ppuv4kjzdiQ8W_Ugtc75MIgSn2he0vbETy9moH6Ddx3Wo7vGwMSXEXRjDLnUW3WfS4KJp0Oyblu8ywZ76zaR7OdgpAoi6c_XENZh07bT2cxYTpv-brQbiDoMYzcHgeCigBEOE1r8w/s320/Dec+4+160.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucas at 19 mo - welcoming home baby RaeRae</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucas 3.5, RaeRae 19mo - visiting Great Grandma Steffen en route to Hawaii</td></tr>
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<b>Language Notes:</b><br />
Words: pēpē, nui<br />
Meanings: baby, big<br />
Language: Hawaiian<br />
Usage: <i>Nui </i>is very commonly written. You'll find it used to describe locations, Hawaiian products and silly menu names. <i>Pēpē</i> is not as common, I've only heard it spoken. <i>Keiki</i> is used more generically for children.<br />
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-86123978558783760872015-11-20T17:00:00.000-10:002015-11-20T17:00:05.953-10:00Kapu - Forbidden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When planning an international trip with a baby with food allergies, here's my simple plan:<br />
Step 1. Send lots of emails.<br />
Step 2. Make a packing list with a long list of medications.<br />
Step 3. Start stockpiling carrots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Happy camper on the 2am flight to Fiji</em></td></tr>
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Our family had the awesome opportunity to travel to Fiji and meet up with friends from Michigan and Australia! We had two wonderful weeks catching up and having new adventures. There were a lot of logistics in planning the trip - coordinating all our arrivals, two different resorts, two catamaran rides, and a seaplane! Add to the mix researching common Fijian foods, customs requirements and emailing resort staff to make sure our son with allergies would have food - it was quite an undertaking!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The staff loved "bacon boy"!</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Side note - Background on Calvin's allergies:</strong><br />
4 months old: Constant rash leads us to get blood tests that reveal allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts.<br />
12 mo: New tests show additional allergies to fish, wheat, sesame and soy.<br />
13 mo: Big test of 30+ things show allergies to EVERYTHING!<br />
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Now he is on a limited diet of pork, turkey, grapes and carrots. Although it seems restrictive, he loves the foods he can eat. And he really loves not being itchy.<br />
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To add in nutrients, he also drinks a supplemental formula that rivals Frappuccinos in price. But not in flavor. At first, he rejected it outright. Instead of serving it cold as suggested, we tried it warm in a bottle and he gobbles it up!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Enjoying his special order grapes-to-go</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Back to our trip to Fiji</strong><br />
In order to make his limited diet work for two weeks, there was a lot of research and tons of emails to customs and our resorts. Although we had about 5 pounds of grapes confiscated at the airport, we had no other issues. Both resorts were very accommodating in ordering grapes from the main island so every day he had his very own special order grape and ham plate. <br />
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Our friends were really accommodating as well - in fact, I was the one who accidentally ordered the peanut butter and jelly sandwich!<br />
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Overall, our journey with his allergies has made us very thankful. He doesn't know what foods he's "missing out" on and is generally pretty happy - even if he's itchy. Food allergies are much more common so people are more understanding. Amazon and specialty stores make it easy to find foods to accommodate his needs. <br />
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As of today, he has the green light to start adding back in new foods! Looking forward to adding some variety to his diet.<br />
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If you need me, I'll be shopping for carrots.<br />
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<strong>Language notes:</strong><br />
Word: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapu">Kapu</a><br />
Meaning: Forbidden, sacred or holy<br />
Language: Hawaiian<br />
Usage: Fairly common, especially "keep out" signsTraciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-91771051453334774252015-05-20T20:15:00.001-10:002015-05-20T20:15:04.663-10:00Punalu‘u<div dir="ltr">
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It's not a secret, but sure feels like one. This tiny stretch of beach has great views of the mountains, soft sand and picture perfect palm trees. Yet, even on a Sunday, was barely inhabited.<br />
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Thanks to my awesome husband, I had a fabulous afternoon by myself! I thoroughly enjoyed the sun, waves and peaceful views. It was lovely to eat a snack and read a magazine, just listening to the sound of gentle surf. Perhaps a little better not having to share my snack or help other little people eat theirs. As an added treat, there were paragliders coasting along in the sky!<br />
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Since words can't adequately describe it, I'll let the pictures brag for themselves.<br />
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We've been here almost four years, and there are still new places to explore! Where shall I go next?<br />
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<b>Punalu‘u Notes:</b><br />
Located off Kamehameha Hwy, halfway between the North Shore and Kaneohe. There's a public beach access just past Keneke's. Continuing further down the highway is Punalu‘u Beach Park.<br />
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-720333672389320762015-03-25T22:38:00.001-10:002015-05-20T20:21:16.823-10:00HĀpai - Pregnant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
No, I'm not pregnant! But, there are at least five new babies we know of and ten more on the way! So, this post is pretty timely - for them at least. Although I do feel like I was pregnant forever...</div>
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I've had the best excuse for not writing. Our nine pound baby boy was born in August! We're so thankful for this huge blessing! He's a wonderful addition to our family, but it definitely puts blogging on the back burner, at least for a while.</div>
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One notable difference about being pregnant here is not wearing <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2011/10/lei-necklace.html"><i>lei</i></a> in a circle, so instead it is cut in half and hangs down in front. This comes from fear of the cord wrapping around baby's neck, and some women won't even wear necklaces while <i>hāpai</i>.</div>
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Another advantage is not needing to buy different seasons of maternity clothes! And actually utilizing not one, but two maternity swim suits! Did you see pro surfer <a href="http://bethanyhamilton.com/">Bethany Hamilton</a> surfing pregnant? She's amazing! Don't worry, in case you're wondering - my photo was totally staged.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OxM_OUUVLDoseK8Plx6YMcCXcy8QttXqvhglU8nj0bT8-JIjy_DVlg8x6aBs9mywukYafs7_lG1U7e24yWSXmgZGyUlTCZzlVe-QZt9hwObV8KrsucHjAFlmON4A8th5LnVGJ2qj1rU/s1600/DSCF3032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OxM_OUUVLDoseK8Plx6YMcCXcy8QttXqvhglU8nj0bT8-JIjy_DVlg8x6aBs9mywukYafs7_lG1U7e24yWSXmgZGyUlTCZzlVe-QZt9hwObV8KrsucHjAFlmON4A8th5LnVGJ2qj1rU/s1600/DSCF3032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other than that, you get the same crazy questions and advice people love to share with pregnant ladies. Everyone seems friendlier and more helpful than normal when you're pregnant, and that is magnified in already full-of-aloha-Hawai'i. </div>
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<b>Language Notes</b></div>
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Word: hāpai<br />
Language: Hawaiian<br />
Break down: hā=life, pai=increase<br />
Definition: pregnant<br />
Frequency: very common</div>
Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-38099843444304148402014-11-20T10:19:00.000-10:002014-11-21T20:43:44.148-10:00Puka - Hole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6R1Sy5rmEh9SOaci3WjsrVx3_RKzf25pydiYiEyYoNQgBBxqzCl8FYCL-lUa-saMGxB3_SyGsZGq8yb1c_jU8GEzYe7elZQqHLrpWwUxA9VgJ5ArBkNWThF-p9Eb-yv4A0BsG47xy-vY/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6R1Sy5rmEh9SOaci3WjsrVx3_RKzf25pydiYiEyYoNQgBBxqzCl8FYCL-lUa-saMGxB3_SyGsZGq8yb1c_jU8GEzYe7elZQqHLrpWwUxA9VgJ5ArBkNWThF-p9Eb-yv4A0BsG47xy-vY/s320/IMG_0844.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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The tiny hole in the Ko‘olau mountains visible from my church parking lot has always intrigued me. So, when a dear friend was checking items off her bucket list before her move to the mainland, I jumped at the chance to do the hike up to the <i>puka</i>. It's a relatively short climb, but very exposed and right along the cliff edge. Not terribly difficult, but enough effort and skill required to really enjoy the view from the top. And a great way to send her off in style!</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr28ZmeIz0_fjUM0afoVeyojN_mH4S1CNmXTcwqKqPQIvdKJ57yt5XxI6m-HUzg54jMYo5V_jDpU19_OO_Bzcct6bcSaHGwJjh8m4X9t9xTTbJKY1KWSGYGjKPTaa7fwqdGnuMgfhmcM/s1600/IMG_0921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr28ZmeIz0_fjUM0afoVeyojN_mH4S1CNmXTcwqKqPQIvdKJ57yt5XxI6m-HUzg54jMYo5V_jDpU19_OO_Bzcct6bcSaHGwJjh8m4X9t9xTTbJKY1KWSGYGjKPTaa7fwqdGnuMgfhmcM/s320/IMG_0921.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;"><i>Bamboo forest at the start of the trail</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98NkiQortrrmKjl9HRQ4r3-ihVm0wluXsMDpEMH2J6156X3yFyJg7HxBPQ-OB-Ubzon01ukNDIqW0D0NyVCjgfhzAmbn3DRg_n05BSr2b91ENEsIPUkKEGO8VU29niPbQtaK_q2TwCXE/s1600/IMG_0915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98NkiQortrrmKjl9HRQ4r3-ihVm0wluXsMDpEMH2J6156X3yFyJg7HxBPQ-OB-Ubzon01ukNDIqW0D0NyVCjgfhzAmbn3DRg_n05BSr2b91ENEsIPUkKEGO8VU29niPbQtaK_q2TwCXE/s320/IMG_0915.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>View towards Kailua and the Pali tunnels</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg98GnmALSvQPtx-l5krQNHoQFDPHGLNmbkPYjLBrMtEsayU7iQky6qVzFoN6Wnv_6W1Q6SVyYm6DWQGjKW6cVM9cpKEp7exK-qIF0hrOBK3RMMAKAF76PUXntf29L39wB_o5F2NuUMs/s1600/IMG_0903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg98GnmALSvQPtx-l5krQNHoQFDPHGLNmbkPYjLBrMtEsayU7iQky6qVzFoN6Wnv_6W1Q6SVyYm6DWQGjKW6cVM9cpKEp7exK-qIF0hrOBK3RMMAKAF76PUXntf29L39wB_o5F2NuUMs/s320/IMG_0903.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5IS2vBhMmowqToG3ALUENtyrwWjoqkvWicqQ5QQ45KTdZYZ_yRdguC5bcoyr6wjeG2sJY_P3-fLP99GfkJj9xXa_00JckNioHmZO0_iQZ0h_LhvMAypPFRd79hUCpb2CVk0439d2g9o/s1600/IMG_0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5IS2vBhMmowqToG3ALUENtyrwWjoqkvWicqQ5QQ45KTdZYZ_yRdguC5bcoyr6wjeG2sJY_P3-fLP99GfkJj9xXa_00JckNioHmZO0_iQZ0h_LhvMAypPFRd79hUCpb2CVk0439d2g9o/s320/IMG_0909.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>Great views of Honolulu as well!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqiInJVGDVMdW-aF4rcvIf3MUZTTGX6-T5nEtUmrYrl-r6yRm-0tNnxCwURP-FRZhbwZorXS_YNxUVr4LdM1wnFzgR89tPV2I5nvE3by5AzVIwaj7LbICjjkGXpCC1ViyJGekpD_3_pE/s1600/IMG_0855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqiInJVGDVMdW-aF4rcvIf3MUZTTGX6-T5nEtUmrYrl-r6yRm-0tNnxCwURP-FRZhbwZorXS_YNxUVr4LdM1wnFzgR89tPV2I5nvE3by5AzVIwaj7LbICjjkGXpCC1ViyJGekpD_3_pE/s320/IMG_0855.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
<i>Mistakenly, we went on the back side and had to climb up this steep face!</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaKJ9poXC3YKMTK1MLyTai5-FbQeLsCHxv-iomlioVwQXcsH2s7GkAjceKjA6kJyncfMhQ5HDTge5Qj6QQol1tEz5VJdPbae66lO3ghuaDLMDxKU36WGhAJmi2ZDv1WnhTxJi5TPNh0g/s1600/IMG_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaKJ9poXC3YKMTK1MLyTai5-FbQeLsCHxv-iomlioVwQXcsH2s7GkAjceKjA6kJyncfMhQ5HDTge5Qj6QQol1tEz5VJdPbae66lO3ghuaDLMDxKU36WGhAJmi2ZDv1WnhTxJi5TPNh0g/s320/IMG_0895.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
<i>This marks the end - you should be standing on top of the puka!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rubOj5KErjlaA2xKvRzB6yt8zhSUzNwGNXnDE6G5U9g-FIqH_Tbejbtoi2xfIQ8YlU1OI0kq4BPDKa1RgrqO8yPQE2xrOO-ZXrBCrtSaUWnnfH_EYIxbhJ8UEofgQRlAD3mVSUKXnQw/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rubOj5KErjlaA2xKvRzB6yt8zhSUzNwGNXnDE6G5U9g-FIqH_Tbejbtoi2xfIQ8YlU1OI0kq4BPDKa1RgrqO8yPQE2xrOO-ZXrBCrtSaUWnnfH_EYIxbhJ8UEofgQRlAD3mVSUKXnQw/s320/IMG_0838.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">Great view of the Windward side!</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEUeelvyeTpukOl7JocTfg7VvHbHgOPVm4Sd2Vz8Q9pzdkKkp-DkKASTuN4OsciWnoIRzfzxXs_f5ohhk4nbLZqGHqbIHhHllQJMkeujSr5cI-KwHHfun8R_lzwj4X4CZqothEb-04pE/s1600/IMG_0852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEUeelvyeTpukOl7JocTfg7VvHbHgOPVm4Sd2Vz8Q9pzdkKkp-DkKASTuN4OsciWnoIRzfzxXs_f5ohhk4nbLZqGHqbIHhHllQJMkeujSr5cI-KwHHfun8R_lzwj4X4CZqothEb-04pE/s320/IMG_0852.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Watch out for the wind!</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3Ud8-4ekHbccb0O5RChrHQTQE21c2Z6xhnVm9VPbFpt-rK_2JIEBWoNp9gIPf3O2N1tiy4_JRTk_v793e4C5q6_PpqJBov0dZPdFLkRWfvkMIdpaMCHXAwo7CsqYqHP1DKeNc8UixN4/s1600/IMG_0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3Ud8-4ekHbccb0O5RChrHQTQE21c2Z6xhnVm9VPbFpt-rK_2JIEBWoNp9gIPf3O2N1tiy4_JRTk_v793e4C5q6_PpqJBov0dZPdFLkRWfvkMIdpaMCHXAwo7CsqYqHP1DKeNc8UixN4/s320/IMG_0862.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-size: 13.3333339691162px;">Clear enough to see Chinaman's Hat!</i></div>
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<b>Pali Puka Trail notes: </b></div>
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Park: <i>Pali</i> lookout parking lot.</div>
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Trailhead: Looking at the ocean, go left and follow the rock wall to the trail opening. Head through the bamboo and the trail will start to turn right, heading up the mountain. Follow the edge until you get to the <i>puka</i>. The trail gets much more difficult after that, so be prepared if you want to go further!</div>
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<b>Language Notes:</b></div>
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Word: puka</div>
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Language: Hawaiian</div>
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Translation: hole</div>
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Frequency: very common</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ad from the Star-Advertiser</i></td></tr>
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-73546081008910392202013-08-27T21:28:00.001-10:002013-08-30T15:26:40.652-10:00Limu - Nori - Seaweed (Poke part 5)"I don't like seaweed!" is the response my son will give if you ask what he doesn't like about Hawaii. If you recall, we struggled with fear of the ocean for a while, and in addition to big <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2013/07/nalu-wave.html">waves</a> and jellyfish, he was afraid of seaweed wrapping around his legs and holding him underwater.<br />
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<i>Limu</i> (LEE-moo) is the generic Hawaiian word for algae and other "plants" that live underwater. Seaweed is a common name for algae, which means it's not a weed or even a plant. Since I'm not a biologist, if you want more information on seaweed, check my favorite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaweed">source</a>. What does seaweed have to do with <i>poke</i>? It's another flavor option - <i>‘ahi limu poke!</i><br />
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Now, don't just run in the ocean and grab random <i>limu</i> to mix in with your <i>poke</i> - it might be too spicy! This summer we had a bunch of cases of <a href="http://www.khon2.com/2013/07/18/mysterious-seaweed-causes-beachgoers-to-break-out-in-blistering-rash/">stinging <i>limu</i></a> where people had bad allergic reactions after swimming in the ocean infested with a certain type of seaweed. Of course we didn't tell our boy that his fears of seaweed were justified!<br />
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If you are looking for <i>limu</i> for your <i>poke</i>, check your Asian specialty market for<i> ogo</i>, which is a specific type of seaweed used commonly in <i>poke</i>. If you really want it fresh from the ocean, first <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/reefalgae/publications/ediblelimu/">read</a> about edible <i>limu</i>. And then try this tasty looking <a href="http://www.houseofannie.com/ahi-limu-poke/">recipe</a>!<br />
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After all my son's dislike of seaweed in the ocean, it was quite funny at Costco when he pointed at a huge package saying "I love that stuff!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www2.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11895947&whse=BD_827&topnav=bd"><img alt="Kirkland Signature Roasted Seasoned Seaweed, 10/0.60 oz" src="http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/653919b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></td></tr>
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We spent a long time trying to convince him that the dried seaweed he liked to eat also came from the sea. But he had a point that if it's going to wrap around your legs, trap you and then make you itchy for days afterward, I don't care how much I love a food, I don't want to see it in the ocean.<br />
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In case you were wondering, <i>nori </i>is the Japanese word for seaweed (red algae), so the dried sheet you see in the picture might be familiar if you like sushi. It is fairly common to see people eating <i>nori</i> out of little bags as a snack, and one of my son's friends apparently got him hooked. Not so much so that we risked buying a Costco-sized package of it though!<br />
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<i>Nori</i> is not used in <i>poke</i>, but it is one of the ingredients in <i>furikake</i>, another very common and very delicious seasoning for fish and rice. I just wanted to include it here because it also means seaweed.<br />
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This is my final installment on <i>poke</i>, although there is much more to learn! I hope these lessons improved your <i>poke</i> ordering skills and save you the trouble of asking the fish counter guy about each individual word like we did!<br />
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Are there other helpful poke variations I missed? Let me know in the comments!<br />
<br />Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-22253247254728603482013-08-26T13:38:00.001-10:002013-10-16T09:40:49.396-10:00Shoyu - Soy Sauce (Poke part 4)<div>
Searching frantically through the pantry, as dinner finished cooking on the stove, I realized with a sinking feeling that I was missing one essential ingredient. <i>Shoyu</i>.<br />
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I made stir-fry, and it was the first time cooking Asian food in our new home, so it hadn't dawned on me that I might not have such a common condiment. Like I used to do in Detroit when I forgot eggs, sugar or milk, I asked my neighbor for soy sauce.</div>
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<i>Shoyu</i> is Japanese for soy sauce, and apparently there are many variations and types, but I won't go into all of that here. You just need to know that if there isn't soy sauce on the table (which is doubtful in Hawaii), you'll ask for <i>shoyu</i>. I read somewhere it's used so commonly that a local Hawaiian celebrity didn't know that it's called soy sauce on the mainland.<br />
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One of the most basic flavors in poke is shoyu. So now you know how to order! Just say "ahi shoyu poke" and you'll be all set! If you're looking for more flavor variety, stay tuned!</div>
Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-12777861671540231512013-08-17T13:07:00.000-10:002013-08-17T13:07:44.736-10:00He’e - Tako - Octopus (Poke part 3)It was the perfect prank. Tiny <i>takoyaki</i> balls look just like marshmallows - at least when they are covered in chocolate. To try and trick Kyle, I slipped three seafood balls on a stick and dunked them in the chocolate fountain. The hardest part was keeping a straight face while we waited for his reaction as he bit into chocolate-covered <i>tako</i>. It was priceless, even though I am anxiously waiting for payback.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuddAXIfktTV7AH7gd7WVLGy5hpGFkzCCyjljX09nkvOxc455es9mHsLcjIkZsxRL0UCdD-UjEqS1gyZeTg-QxgU9VEirSceIQYQlbH2CYaghVW7nI7EdybshiBRRh3eh9CmQMMaQ25Y/s1600/IMG_1044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuddAXIfktTV7AH7gd7WVLGy5hpGFkzCCyjljX09nkvOxc455es9mHsLcjIkZsxRL0UCdD-UjEqS1gyZeTg-QxgU9VEirSceIQYQlbH2CYaghVW7nI7EdybshiBRRh3eh9CmQMMaQ25Y/s400/IMG_1044.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kids plate - I can't actually remember, but I think the balls on the stick were</i> takoyaki</td></tr>
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We were visiting friends in Japan last summer when we saw all kinds of <i>tako</i>, or octopus. Although we didn't try it raw as pictured, we did enjoy <i>takoyaki</i>, minced octopus formed into balls and fried. It was good - but not when you're expecting a marshmallow!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWuKzfbz5obTaQioUqvOa48t451jaB9Y9Yv8qzlS7cKIosD1iyCLv_bFhSAodDZddoYuhzdbQ_AvSjqLB-mqQUmmFbKxwDOObUBLZqXnI03Bdw2LwbgMswq3PQeGqUtkkYvdonW_abGs/s1600/IMG_1799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWuKzfbz5obTaQioUqvOa48t451jaB9Y9Yv8qzlS7cKIosD1iyCLv_bFhSAodDZddoYuhzdbQ_AvSjqLB-mqQUmmFbKxwDOObUBLZqXnI03Bdw2LwbgMswq3PQeGqUtkkYvdonW_abGs/s400/IMG_1799.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fresh </i>tako<i> at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiweo49IK2mChPPhKeNvXUmpgmSLsIXlsrRWN95vGO_8B18nR5sLgTbdvAupmhP4mxGwAh7JBhEhf0XUPSeJxUHW9pPHDRmlNsOez4Lobm6-wUKwAplVb4f_xwtPWwe96qi_F__Lg7z4Y/s1600/IMG_1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiweo49IK2mChPPhKeNvXUmpgmSLsIXlsrRWN95vGO_8B18nR5sLgTbdvAupmhP4mxGwAh7JBhEhf0XUPSeJxUHW9pPHDRmlNsOez4Lobm6-wUKwAplVb4f_xwtPWwe96qi_F__Lg7z4Y/s320/IMG_1813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Pickled </i>tako<i>?<br /></i></td></tr>
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What does all of this have to do with <i>poke</i>? Well, it seems that <i>tako</i> is most common seafood used (after <i><a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2013/07/ahi-tuna-poke-part-2.html" target="_blank">’ahi</a>),</i> but look out for other fish and shellfish, depending on the season. Want to catch your own <i>tako</i>? Learn more about wild octopus from this <a href="http://www.mauioceancenter.com/index.php?id=11&ss=0&page=marine&content=marine_detail&cat=2&CRid=31&limitstart=0" target="_blank">website</a>. Once you've caught one and you'd like to try and make your own <i>tako poke</i>, check out this <a href="http://www.tastinghawaii.com/2012/10/the-hawaiian-octopus.html">recipe.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRku14pB4o4yKnK8QZeHQc35ihItga9rg-AODn68I2otQDBiZUlhArHCX-XpXED9mME5iZ1ID28iba8nZbU9vHBy3wVP4VITnL72nDflM43rkoclqPZUjdZ0qVY24BA97RgXAU-w57f-0/s1600/20130816_144256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRku14pB4o4yKnK8QZeHQc35ihItga9rg-AODn68I2otQDBiZUlhArHCX-XpXED9mME5iZ1ID28iba8nZbU9vHBy3wVP4VITnL72nDflM43rkoclqPZUjdZ0qVY24BA97RgXAU-w57f-0/s400/20130816_144256.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Apparently Whole Foods says no to </i>tako poke</td></tr>
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I love tacos, so I was pretty excited to see a sign for "<i>tako poke.</i>" I figured the lack of a large Mexican community led to the typo. However, I was a little disappointed to discover that <i>tako</i> was not a spelling error, but is Japanese for octopus. Although we do enjoy <i>poke</i>, I have still yet to try the <i>tako</i> variety, so you'll have to settle for stories about other experiences with octopus.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roenke47/242819202/" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" title="Maui Tacos, don't mix it up with Tako by roenke47, on Flickr"><img alt="Maui Tacos, don't mix it up with Tako" height="340" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/90/242819202_ceafb309bf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roenke47/242819202/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/roenke47/242819202/</a></td></tr>
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Language note: <i>he’e</i> is the Hawaiian word for octopus/squid, so it's interesting that the Japanese <i>tako</i> is used. We have a few other foods that commonly use Japanese words, and I'll get to another one next! With that, I'll leave you with pictures of my chocolate-covered kids.<br />
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This is the third installment on <i>poke</i>, if you would like to start at the beginning, click <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-order-poke-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-18342994729973219502013-07-31T16:43:00.003-10:002013-08-26T13:42:18.163-10:00‘Ahi - Tuna (Poke Part 2)If you'd like to try out <i>poke</i>, the most common type you'll encounter is <i>‘ahi</i>. It's the Hawaiian word for tuna and the word is used almost exclusively - I don't think I've ever seen "tuna" unless it was referring to the canned type.<br />
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In case you're a big fish aficionado, <i>‘ahi</i> can refer to both the yellowfin (kihada) and big eye (mebachi) varieties. Since yellowfin is more common, it's less expensive, and more likely to be used in <i>poke</i>. This helpful <a href="http://www.hawaii-seafood.org/wild-hawaii-fish/tunas/yellowfin-tuna/">seafood website</a> gives Hawaiian names for fish, as well as its sustainability and other interesting facts. Since the Hawaiian and English names for some fish are both used here, I never could keep them straight and this site cleared it up a bit for me.<br />
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In case raw fish sounds a little, ahem, fishy to you, keep in mind most cultures have a specialty raw fish recipe. There's <i>ceviche</i>, <i>carpaccio</i> and <i>sashimi</i>, to name a few. The nice thing about <i>poke</i>, compared to <i>sashimi</i> is the sauce. Of course you enjoy the flavor of the <i>‘ahi</i>, but it is covered in other delicious flavors, like sesame and onion, to help mask the fish if you're worried you won't like it. It's also cut into bite-sized chunks to make it easier to eat. And share! By ordering it with friends, you get to try it without worrying about wasting a whole plate if you don't enjoy it.<br />
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But you should order it, because you will <strike>probably</strike> like it! If you want even less risk, ask to try a piece of <i>‘ahi </i>(pronounced ah-hee) at a poke counter.<br />
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<i>‘Ahi</i> may be the most common seafood in <i>poke</i>, but can you guess what I'll cover <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2013/08/hee-tako-octopus-poke-part-3.html">next</a>?</div>
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(This is part 2 in a series on poke. Click <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-order-poke-part-1.html">here</a> for part 1.)</div>
Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-40899600795800598392013-07-28T13:22:00.001-10:002013-08-26T13:39:44.525-10:00How to Order Poke (Part 1)You really can't go anywhere that sells or serves food without seeing <i>poke</i>. It was one of those things that we were really confused by when we first arrived "What is a <i>poke</i>?" "Does it have anything to do with poking?" "I want to try it, but... how do you say it correctly!?"<br />
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Since this is such a common food and there's a lot of non-English terms involved, it's pretty important to cover. This is the first in a series of how to order <i>poke</i>.<br />
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<b>Definition:</b> <i>Poke</i> means to slice or cut into pieces. So if you slice up some seafood and make a salad = <i>poke</i>. Traditionally it was seasoned with sea salt, seaweed, and crushed <i>kukui</i> nuts. After contact with various cultures, it has evolved and now there are hundreds of varieties to choose from with different meats, vegetables, sauces and seasonings to suit your tastes.<br />
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<b>Pronunciation:</b> <i>poe-kay</i>, rhyming with okay. However, you will hear "poe-key," which is not technically correct (because it would be spelled "poki"), but it is an acceptable variation. So either way you say it, you'll get fed.<br />
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<b>Location:</b> Fine food markets, grocery stores, convenience stores, farmer's markets, your friend's <i>luau</i>. Basically everywhere.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The grocery store Foodland wins </i>poke<i> popularity contests</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poke<i> on white rice = poke bowl</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You can even buy it at Costco in reasonable amounts!</i></td></tr>
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Although it's common in Hawaii, if you live elsewhere and would like to try <i>poke</i>, here is a <span id="goog_8790540"></span><a href="http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2009/7/17/ahi_poke_Hawaii_style_recipe">recipe</a><span id="goog_8790541"></span>! Keep reading for more food terms to help you order some ono <i>poke</i>!</div>
Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-67324218882181051242013-07-23T22:25:00.001-10:002013-07-27T22:27:59.249-10:00One - Sand<div dir="ltr">
Although we live only minutes away from some of the best beaches in the world (according to <a href="http://www.drbeach.org/">Dr. Beach</a>), one thing used to keep us from heading out to enjoy those beaches. The <i>one </i>(pronounced <i>oh-nay</i>), or sand. I know it's a ridiculous thing to complain about, but it's hard enough to get sand out of those hard-to-reach places... but then trying to get it off of your kids too? It used to drive me so crazy that I dreaded going to the beach. If this is true for you, read on to see how we're minimizing the <i>one</i>-phobia!<br />
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Language tip: <i>One</i> is not really used in day to conversation, so don't try to say "I love the powdery <i>one</i> on that beach!" However, it is very common in place and street names, so it will save a lot of confusion to say it correctly. Say <i>oh-nay</i>, not the number 1.<br />
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If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that for the last two years, our kids spent most of their time on the sand. And not just gently scooping it into buckets with shovels. I don't know about your kids, but mine like to dig like crazy, wild dogs. So they end up looking like this:<br />
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I'm pretty sure they make cement by mixing sand with sunscreen. Or at least they should because it does not come off!</div>
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Even after a thorough shower at the beach, somehow this pile of sand still ended up on the bathroom floor (it looked way more dune-like in real life). I have to remind myself to calm down and just get the vacuum. But, most of the mess is contained when we remember to remove our swim suits in the tub. Many people here have outdoor showers to help with that. We unfortunately do not, and we found that the screams that come from hosing them off in the driveway are not worth it, so they trek upstairs.</div>
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In order to avoid the sandy floors and cars, here are some handy tools we keep in our car for beach days. Paper towel, brushes, beach blanket, change of clothes, garbage bag and jugs of water (not pictured). The beach blanket doesn't really keep the kids clean, but is more for the adults and the food. I wish I could give you a simple step-by-step method for sand removal, but it really depends on the type of sand you're dealing with, so you must experiment! Which means trying out different beaches - best homework ever!</div>
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Some handy hints: We've found that if you shower at the beach, a jug of water is usually sufficient to get the strays off your feet. However for those beaches without showers, (or if your kids kick and scream through the cold water showers and you'd rather just quickly dash home) you need a brush to help. Fine sand works best after drying out - so brush first, then rinse. More coarse sand does better with a quick rinse then brushing. You'll notice we have two brushes - one is a beauty product and the other is from the automotive aisle. Both work fine, but some people think one is too "scratchy."</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Hopefully with these hints you too can finally enjoy the "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoRpWEE-E0Q" style="text-align: start;">White Sandy Beach</a><span style="text-align: start;">" in Hawaii</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> (or in your neck of the woods) </span><span style="text-align: start;">without cringing about cleaning up! What are your favorite beach clean up tools?</span></div>
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-69001471912598952712013-07-19T23:41:00.002-10:002013-07-20T00:00:05.666-10:00Mo’o - GeckoEvery morning, the kids fight over who gets to open the "gecko door," the screen door leading down the stairs where the <i>mo’o</i> live. We have a family of at least three. Although there were more before "the accident."<br />
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RaeRae had a visitor in her room one night. It was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_dust_day_gecko">Madagascar gold dust day gecko</a>. Unlike the other types of lizards and geckos that sneak inside, this one was cute. I tried to catch it or chase it outside, but it just ran around the ceiling, so we let him stay. And he stayed for two days, and during that time he became her "best gecko fwiend" and she couldn't sleep without him watching over her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLghirgHz3ZFnSELdRs2DYueQtuPrlo2xeS1bljoJRgJPeDL7yD0kl-PowG-HXWgKBzvF-iVZyYTinQBLbbdRltJSnKh5ZYCrPIb79kq7J6EUvUeLKgWcShB_Upma0an502z-LFNMcf64/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLghirgHz3ZFnSELdRs2DYueQtuPrlo2xeS1bljoJRgJPeDL7yD0kl-PowG-HXWgKBzvF-iVZyYTinQBLbbdRltJSnKh5ZYCrPIb79kq7J6EUvUeLKgWcShB_Upma0an502z-LFNMcf64/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reading to her gecko "fwiends"</i></td></tr>
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One night, I shut the window to keep out the rain. But it didn't shut quite right. I didn't think about it until the next day, when I saw something that used to resemble a gecko in the window frame. Thankfully it was up high enough that Rae couldn't see the mess. I enlisted the help of Kyle to get it out and dispose of it before she could find out. She was disappointed that her gecko "fwiend" wasn't watching her at bedtime, but she thought he'd return the next day after getting some bugs.<br />
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Those happy thoughts didn't last long, as I heard crying in the bathroom. Seems the gecko had been disposed of in the toilet, but not flushed. To this day, she'll occasionally ask "Who smashed my best gecko fwiend"?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Distinctive gold spots on his neck and tail</i></td></tr>
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As you can tell by their name, the Madagascar gold dust geckos are not native to Hawaii, which usually is a problem for plant and animal species. For some species, like their larger cousin the giant day gecko, you should call and report a sighting, but not these cute little guys. For a brief history of geckos in Hawaii, you can read more <a href="http://www.hanahou.com/pages/magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=925&MagazineID=59">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>They startle easily, sorry for the shot through the screen door</i></td></tr>
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There are other kinds of lizards and geckos around, but they are mostly nocturnal - and uglier. Although we might be influenced by the talking <i>mo‘o</i> from the Geico ads, we love seeing these guys. Not only are they brightly colored, but they also eat nasty bugs!<br />
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And we'll be a little more careful with doors and windows so hopefully we won't have any more tragic accidents in the future!<br />
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-84263728752592785742013-07-12T15:05:00.000-10:002015-09-17T19:59:25.075-10:00Mokoli’i - Chinaman's Hat<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's the secret: I'm not adventurous. Also, I'm a pretty bad swimmer. And my level of anxiety in the ocean is probably clinical. So swimming to an island 1/3 mile offshore, with our kids in a raft seemed like a really terrible idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite all that, we spent an afternoon swimming out to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokoli%CA%BBi"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">Mokoli</span><span class="unicode" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">ʻ</span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokoli%CA%BBi">i</a>, locally known as the very politically correct Chinaman's Hat. Because it looks like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conical_Asian_hat">hat</a>. It really could be any kind of hat, but since the Chinese were a large immigrant group here, it stuck. Based on its shape, to me it looks more like "Sorting Hat Island." </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLzmsbQ3qrjxwx-q43mxJrcoyNKvhziiWpsq9fx9W2tk8ZN8Xbnj4m13yCXDDTGqFAHujx2mL4iQ-L0_KJ3gP7hMbkR4NsHoCqZ5DvJ2WgafdxRNGPVhjZneH5F4NWPznb8RO3MOaiM0/s1600/IMG_3063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLzmsbQ3qrjxwx-q43mxJrcoyNKvhziiWpsq9fx9W2tk8ZN8Xbnj4m13yCXDDTGqFAHujx2mL4iQ-L0_KJ3gP7hMbkR4NsHoCqZ5DvJ2WgafdxRNGPVhjZneH5F4NWPznb8RO3MOaiM0/s320/IMG_3063.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">It looks so far away!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, Kyle had done it twice before, once with our son in the boat. So I had to trust Kyle. And take lots of calming breaths.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2012/02/show-me-some-shaka.html">Shaka</a> time!</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wisely, Kyle brought along a jump rope to tie to himself so he could tow the boat. It also served as a communication device in case of emergency.We had a safety briefing so if anyone fell out of the boat, someone would pull three times on the rope. Glad that wasn't an issue!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Halfway there!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Photo courtesy of the children</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZhxkwlVJdN0NgddsF8BQcv0_ZiSHAP8lyoBVsr2yDApx1tImbN8flV-STDuFSbuAW4wJ-9jD8-ykdJ1-6t5e9m_NPate3EKMOmopGllOfaIRsXfya0Zai4-ilJswzaRurpz9Fsgt0Mo/s1600/IMG_3094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZhxkwlVJdN0NgddsF8BQcv0_ZiSHAP8lyoBVsr2yDApx1tImbN8flV-STDuFSbuAW4wJ-9jD8-ykdJ1-6t5e9m_NPate3EKMOmopGllOfaIRsXfya0Zai4-ilJswzaRurpz9Fsgt0Mo/s200/IMG_3094.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Spotted a <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2012/04/honu-turtle.html">honu</a>!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3ZQpNhUL5eOM6WHz_3q8EneLDAYvFS4xn5KrnKqqZNAA2U4gtsRxf1gj9haJuVp5LrD4Y86SiAVZNDtUFE1wNlTZ5hTEutrjZbYRzlrBvkH9BAsTSsMsYpZjdXiKuJbfZAdiT_NXTbY/s1600/IMG_3100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3ZQpNhUL5eOM6WHz_3q8EneLDAYvFS4xn5KrnKqqZNAA2U4gtsRxf1gj9haJuVp5LrD4Y86SiAVZNDtUFE1wNlTZ5hTEutrjZbYRzlrBvkH9BAsTSsMsYpZjdXiKuJbfZAdiT_NXTbY/s200/IMG_3100.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Using <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2012/05/no-shirt-no-shoes-no-worries.html">slippers</a> to help swim better</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Made it!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">View of Oahu from Chinaman's Hat</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMHnYZX0Gp0YueGA8XhcRrl1S1SSBfpXRqoAjRzqLfSN8mzi7O6fhaddMBQ1Dorw1PnfJwtNd4qb78mTpNxITdCXnAr47CHlRob0LG0u-2RFQ9Urm2-_ghQaWfvJHhpt9OuyCAzvrQXI/s1600/IMG_3104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMHnYZX0Gp0YueGA8XhcRrl1S1SSBfpXRqoAjRzqLfSN8mzi7O6fhaddMBQ1Dorw1PnfJwtNd4qb78mTpNxITdCXnAr47CHlRob0LG0u-2RFQ9Urm2-_ghQaWfvJHhpt9OuyCAzvrQXI/s320/IMG_3104.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The swimming leg of a sprint triathlon is shorter than that! So if I can do a triathlon with a snorkel and goggles, and stop halfway through for a snack break, then I'm all set!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfe6hy5TQNm9m15G9wkmKHJpi8-5h_WFQMRNTCZDImP_SB_KSlbKccPF8nS3NjbFoCobrsRtRTYAWYlgY9bEFg4FJD2-1sshRuez4TddUJiXe0IG_3Z5AAs_lvCsPXPmfcYfBJYrNo-r8/s1600/IMG_3114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfe6hy5TQNm9m15G9wkmKHJpi8-5h_WFQMRNTCZDImP_SB_KSlbKccPF8nS3NjbFoCobrsRtRTYAWYlgY9bEFg4FJD2-1sshRuez4TddUJiXe0IG_3Z5AAs_lvCsPXPmfcYfBJYrNo-r8/s320/IMG_3114.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">This guy can climb!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1CdK-At3Bk6cM-H2vpzBPeCqXVIfLLEuKkigeuE7CwshQmLhyphenhyphen8eIJLs2m4RMnQbJU8o3vrgWJkbDjxrdExBj4Hn9NpJNeiia0AnJ8_IY1gmQT9vkAOWL2BhCOLvsvk7CorK__fzRAfY/s1600/IMG_3117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1CdK-At3Bk6cM-H2vpzBPeCqXVIfLLEuKkigeuE7CwshQmLhyphenhyphen8eIJLs2m4RMnQbJU8o3vrgWJkbDjxrdExBj4Hn9NpJNeiia0AnJ8_IY1gmQT9vkAOWL2BhCOLvsvk7CorK__fzRAfY/s320/IMG_3117.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">And so can this girl!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPBJMSJzz9u7-YRqjKFOLn8uoYQN5k2WPDrtmamoxXqFl-pRCd3eJZNFSI_M4EzewWfow_X4ooqUl2ijIli97NE6nDpEwK5_85JjYqXZyws5KaN6rszGb67AaNSJVlx1Lo676wGgEEGc/s1600/IMG_3119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPBJMSJzz9u7-YRqjKFOLn8uoYQN5k2WPDrtmamoxXqFl-pRCd3eJZNFSI_M4EzewWfow_X4ooqUl2ijIli97NE6nDpEwK5_85JjYqXZyws5KaN6rszGb67AaNSJVlx1Lo676wGgEEGc/s320/IMG_3119.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Secret beach!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvphgfX6EH_KO8MXABBEbLaUWv4EmIHJkE2oSSxPyRr4TXaXBCvX8q97k9wZz4Z-AtbU285OK0D4N5Hpv_-xYsxWxQ5hd7GzBSE_rsk8iOOkRLEABdYk46gOx9OiRGM0qXl-FVVcL2A0A/s1600/IMG_3121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvphgfX6EH_KO8MXABBEbLaUWv4EmIHJkE2oSSxPyRr4TXaXBCvX8q97k9wZz4Z-AtbU285OK0D4N5Hpv_-xYsxWxQ5hd7GzBSE_rsk8iOOkRLEABdYk46gOx9OiRGM0qXl-FVVcL2A0A/s640/IMG_3121.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">You can see the island of Moloka‘i on the horizon - just look in the big gap between the two little islands</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlqklKCV7OHw5COi69I1JR0FWOLFCBR4xOsM0einvy73tizykG-NyZ0VV8OyxuQ5msKdqXIit17GvniONBvG35wFsz01OkvE82mv7s9GNG-sBEEBYuhMZhkN8wbzdbmF_oo6gUPQF5i0/s1600/IMG_3124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlqklKCV7OHw5COi69I1JR0FWOLFCBR4xOsM0einvy73tizykG-NyZ0VV8OyxuQ5msKdqXIit17GvniONBvG35wFsz01OkvE82mv7s9GNG-sBEEBYuhMZhkN8wbzdbmF_oo6gUPQF5i0/s320/IMG_3124.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The clouds looked ominous, but just stayed over the mountains</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoyFel_F9S6gLLziZgJ6w5cqNY-lJqA77DKbIRPxqJUCH8_nzDVUTGKVvx5AfnGftOn_WVGXumtGTGfPakyy2j930XxL0F6Z80VjZgslAn3PVShWkDCbPROOpIIBlpBXLSYGKiS3JmvU/s1600/IMG_3125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoyFel_F9S6gLLziZgJ6w5cqNY-lJqA77DKbIRPxqJUCH8_nzDVUTGKVvx5AfnGftOn_WVGXumtGTGfPakyy2j930XxL0F6Z80VjZgslAn3PVShWkDCbPROOpIIBlpBXLSYGKiS3JmvU/s320/IMG_3125.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">More climbing</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIhvtvAIbav_Yp7oxpuxfrXxHyEONHK6bzainBQJenFOTGp6J9dtatiFxZfKz3GuRpptv8VuKv8qv0c74mxLvEx7wUFdmd-jEyLcL6gGWjjqG_mvKC0WwNaMBM0fhQhpQFSNP3vZhCPk/s1600/IMG_3126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIhvtvAIbav_Yp7oxpuxfrXxHyEONHK6bzainBQJenFOTGp6J9dtatiFxZfKz3GuRpptv8VuKv8qv0c74mxLvEx7wUFdmd-jEyLcL6gGWjjqG_mvKC0WwNaMBM0fhQhpQFSNP3vZhCPk/s320/IMG_3126.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">This cave was sandy last time they visited</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQhwlIzbyLqEYnlP3upAyxuxNptbmJlkC2h8gxjovqATsRUV1CvEz7lHQM3_PS5BE4xBIO4A4BVncVg8d4yEXGfUnwovFGQ5MPV14-wcoPlRuUvxql3RgdmT2fEdOdel4ngYk1wEcaJc/s1600/IMG_3129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQhwlIzbyLqEYnlP3upAyxuxNptbmJlkC2h8gxjovqATsRUV1CvEz7lHQM3_PS5BE4xBIO4A4BVncVg8d4yEXGfUnwovFGQ5MPV14-wcoPlRuUvxql3RgdmT2fEdOdel4ngYk1wEcaJc/s320/IMG_3129.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutleYWVSwzep1Ytut0-yYh0abhhP-7Xg5WUteRAs4rXo3TOAtYn3lL9Uufqmyv5yCn9FdeON1ziF5AV-huhEfdxICqOZRUiJM8mST8UtoGvSgvHF4DFnmEh4uVt_JLvWOyxU5CEku6jY/s1600/IMG_3135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutleYWVSwzep1Ytut0-yYh0abhhP-7Xg5WUteRAs4rXo3TOAtYn3lL9Uufqmyv5yCn9FdeON1ziF5AV-huhEfdxICqOZRUiJM8mST8UtoGvSgvHF4DFnmEh4uVt_JLvWOyxU5CEku6jY/s320/IMG_3135.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Looking at tide pools</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbljPcxcYoKe3d1RMuVZKkTtRBJq8aTHmeft5TH_sRS5Ws87ZHxVd2mf_gQiwU92yotWmf_OIFA1EBKWqIbsDr54ihk4grB0OFyVOoHiuBpTZ4eD19qgMvaMPN521tGgJjlP5JmltLEHY/s1600/IMG_3155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbljPcxcYoKe3d1RMuVZKkTtRBJq8aTHmeft5TH_sRS5Ws87ZHxVd2mf_gQiwU92yotWmf_OIFA1EBKWqIbsDr54ihk4grB0OFyVOoHiuBpTZ4eD19qgMvaMPN521tGgJjlP5JmltLEHY/s320/IMG_3155.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Found a little hermit crab</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0FbSGb-0zNpmULTqmFYSnzJHn7UGeKe_HbIHE6Ajt0skrENZVUKnGBKprHo13Qwu2FI3bzgbFZO-0EfUEgo4WdGhbpZlcIJvMg6VkJJ78Qw4eM9HTWmzXh6AavNToojHAchai9YBZ6M/s1600/IMG_3171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0FbSGb-0zNpmULTqmFYSnzJHn7UGeKe_HbIHE6Ajt0skrENZVUKnGBKprHo13Qwu2FI3bzgbFZO-0EfUEgo4WdGhbpZlcIJvMg6VkJJ78Qw4eM9HTWmzXh6AavNToojHAchai9YBZ6M/s320/IMG_3171.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">And an even littler one!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6wMV_pNwS1qexlSuYJnGYgj25lEo-evOHBXLUmU_IWBmN2QXHFRgB9r5OLgEwlnqRwAritTKzX8b2bicKfGnkqKDs2LbU0Jxpy9iqJi8ABd2BbcpNB0_LZ4oJ-tmYVmbKH3g6bNKNNM/s1600/IMG_3173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6wMV_pNwS1qexlSuYJnGYgj25lEo-evOHBXLUmU_IWBmN2QXHFRgB9r5OLgEwlnqRwAritTKzX8b2bicKfGnkqKDs2LbU0Jxpy9iqJi8ABd2BbcpNB0_LZ4oJ-tmYVmbKH3g6bNKNNM/s320/IMG_3173.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabellidae">Feather duster worm</a>: before...</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhbkglezVxvnf6UcQ0Sk_PFb1o5bWL8FKcZrXBCT34kn3xILsv_q0y7XHoXNdbT-WkQF3edyYCqJ3nSWebcg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...during...</span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTs9CcyMl_Ff4feUtxiYmsbDMlO7i4eFxmr_XIBzPToy7mTuAliKXJbLn86sZK4au9kNSAf81V6-szfK7sJ9m-45ouVslUDKZb3-nAWzkImMuG2MVUtNkSM30jig2_2tmSdAjqFNgY9A/s1600/IMG_3176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTs9CcyMl_Ff4feUtxiYmsbDMlO7i4eFxmr_XIBzPToy7mTuAliKXJbLn86sZK4au9kNSAf81V6-szfK7sJ9m-45ouVslUDKZb3-nAWzkImMuG2MVUtNkSM30jig2_2tmSdAjqFNgY9A/s320/IMG_3176.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">...and after.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Enjoying their free ride with a free sucker</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although I'm not really a risk-taker, I'm thankful for my adventurous husband who forces me out of my comfort zone so I can experience cool things like this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You can do it too! To access Chinaman's Hat, you'll want to park at <a href="http://www1.honolulu.gov/parks/programs/beach/kualoa.htm">Kualoa Beach Park</a> (not the ranch). Any place will do, but there is a rock wall protecting the beach in some areas, so unless you want to hop over it, launch from a different spot on the beach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although I'm not a strong swimmer, I can swim and have done so in open water before, so please do use caution. It is possible to walk most of the way to the island at low tide, since the water is about 4 feet deep. But, there have been drownings - be aware of the time for high tide and ask the lifeguards about the currents if you are unsure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And if you want to try it, you can always borrow our raft!</span><br />
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-54073490440493794122013-07-09T14:15:00.002-10:002013-07-09T14:15:49.699-10:00Nalu - WaveIt's not surprising that in Hawaii, most kids are comfortable in the water from an early age. It's not uncommon to see naked babies swimming underwater and preschoolers surfing. But if you live in a state where you're never more than 20 miles from the ocean, you have lots of exposure to the water. We are from Michigan, and if you're not up on US geography, it's a peninsula shaped like a mitten, surrounded by the Great Lakes. So we were used to the water. And were cool with <i>nalu</i>, waves. Or so we thought.<br />
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Back in 2010:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVXJcwVGf6cKBOoRn16h9N8kn535VFsq4Su_qlTTqJgOzBuCarfVlUuKL0AkfsxvkxmUv6Ao5qralIYN6Z2tSzv50sPjK5iCqVWFBIacwhjEV2hx7CjDm6oRGJQ6Ber53b2uM8bkD4m0/s1600/IMG_4012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVXJcwVGf6cKBOoRn16h9N8kn535VFsq4Su_qlTTqJgOzBuCarfVlUuKL0AkfsxvkxmUv6Ao5qralIYN6Z2tSzv50sPjK5iCqVWFBIacwhjEV2hx7CjDm6oRGJQ6Ber53b2uM8bkD4m0/s320/IMG_4012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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On our first visit to Hawaii, we took a trip to the North Shore to see the big waves. Unfortunately, they were so big there was a beach advisory and the kids had to be kept way back on the sand. The older guys thought they'd have fun body surfing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmRJbkTLJ7uIvLEYQgmaYS5RyboVm5Z3H_xVm7z1xYK0ItffOpLod6hZwsXxSMVHWE5ypMogACPd8IjblXLYPq4fRIvniMMgB8so9DZ87Wf6naUKq0XjSU7-9op3tIolSN9NnIaEOxtc/s1600/big+wave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmRJbkTLJ7uIvLEYQgmaYS5RyboVm5Z3H_xVm7z1xYK0ItffOpLod6hZwsXxSMVHWE5ypMogACPd8IjblXLYPq4fRIvniMMgB8so9DZ87Wf6naUKq0XjSU7-9op3tIolSN9NnIaEOxtc/s320/big+wave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Getting ready to dive in</i></td></tr>
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They did have a great time, although getting out of the water was quite a dangerous task because the waves broke hard right on the shore and would proceed to suck you back in. And then hit you again. And again. Now we know better and we're so thankful no one was hurt!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pretty sure lifeguards love when tourists do this stuff!</i></td></tr>
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Back in 2011:<br />
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Despite Michigan having many lakes, our kids didn't have that much exposure to swimming. So when we arrived in Hawaii they were almost afraid of the water. The ocean might look almost the same as a lake to an adult, but for a child the waves are much bigger, louder and saltier! They preferred to play in the sand, only using the ocean to get water for their sand castles...<br />
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...and giant holes in the sand. Which, looking back are a great way to keep them from escaping!<br />
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Another <i>haole</i> mistake about waves. After we had first arrived, there was a big storm. Since it was winter, we thought going to the North Shore would let us see some killer waves. However, they weren't that great. And no one was surfing. That's because the wind in a storm causes waves, but the big swells you surf on come from miles and miles away. And most people don't like surfing waves in a storm. For obvious reasons of getting rained on and poor visibility, but also because it stirs up the sand and makes the water nasty. Now we know to actually listen to the weather and surf report to find out when to watch the surfers in action!</div>
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Now in 2013:<br />
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For safety's sake, it was nice that the kids were content playing in the sand without sneaking into the waves. However, we realized they might actually need to learn to swim one day. It has been a gradual process, and there might have been some long discussions about sharks, seaweed and being brave. Once they realized riding waves was fun, it was a good motivator.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Body boarding with a life jacket</i></td></tr>
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They've both started swimming lessons, and although there's still a long way to go before they'll be surfing, it's awesome to watch them conquer their fears and be able to enjoy the <i>nalu</i> that grace our shores.<br />
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<i>Tracie</i></div>
Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-1578193792527739142013-03-30T20:25:00.003-10:002013-07-14T13:27:15.887-10:00Haupia - Coconut pudding<div dir="ltr">
Did you know McDonalds has local menus? They are a really interesting cultural experience to try while traveling! In Hawaii, you can get <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2012/02/show-me-some-shaka.html">Spam</a> or Portuguese sausage with your breakfast. But don't worry, they still have sausage and bacon. Besides the local breakfasts, they have seasonal pie offerings - taro, banana and my favorite: <i>haupia</i> pie. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's not baked, it's fried!</i></td></tr>
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After doing extensive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haupia">research</a>, <i>haupia</i> is traditionally a gelatin-like dessert made with coconut milk and arrowroot (a thickening agent). Although it is usually made with cornstarch now, you can find it as a topping on white cake, or cut into small squares and served alone.</div>
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Even though <i>haupia</i> is this specific dessert (<i>hau</i> - cold, <i>pia</i> - arrowroot), it is <strike>erroneously</strike> commonly used to indicate coconut flavor. So if you see a chocolate <i>haupia</i> pie, it's really just chocolate and coconut creme pie. Now you know what "real" <i>haupia</i> is, and that chocolate <i>haupia</i> pie isn't going to have any "real" chunks of <i>haupia</i> in it. But it's still going to be really, really good. And I'm thankful that I have one in my refrigerator right now.<br />
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In case you're wondering, the pie at McDonald's has small chunks of "real" <i>haupia</i> in a creamy coconut filling. It is delicious. And I'm bummed that I don't have one of those in my refrigerator right now.<br />
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I <i>haupia</i> get to try one soon!<br />
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Tracie</div>
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Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-5682428722360135502013-02-12T23:04:00.000-10:002013-02-12T23:04:02.926-10:00Malasada - Pączki - Awesome DoughnutIt's Fat Tuesday.<br />
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Where we're from in Detroit, it's "<i>Paczki </i>Day." Every year, I would look forward to the jelly-filled donuts that marked the last day of celebrating before Lent. At my last job, one of the teachers I worked with did a fundraiser and sold HOT, fresh, <i>paczki</i>. Wow! I cannot explain how awesome the worlds' best doughnut can taste when it's fresh like that! Needless to say, I got spoiled.<br />
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The <i>paczki </i>(pronounced "poonch-key") in Detroit are thanks to the sizable Polish immigrant population that was centered in the city of Hamtramck, about 5 blocks from our old house. I was bummed that since there aren't a lot of Polish immigrants in Hawaii, I would miss out on my delicious <i>paczki</i>.<br />
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But, thanks to the Portuguese, in Hawaii we have <i>malasadas</i>! First of all, I was surprised to learn that the Portuguese were a major immigrant group in Hawaii. Second of all, I had no idea that the Portuguese had their own "use-up-the-butter-and-sugar-before-Lent" pastries. So today is "<i>Malasada</i> Day" in Hawaii!<br />
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Since each bakery does it their own way, I can't tell a huge difference between the two doughnuts, except <i>malasadas</i> are irregularly-shaped and <i>paczki</i> were usually round. However, the fillings are very different. <i>Paczki</i> are traditionally filled with plum jam, but I preferred custard, strawberry or apple. <i>Malasadas</i> traditionally are NOT filled, but you'll find them with chocolate or custard filling, but also more Hawaiian flavors of <i>haupia</i> (coconut) or guava. Of course there are many ways to fill a doughnut, but I'm just trying to give you an idea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malasadas!</td></tr>
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My apologies for the totally unartistic picture, but I'm trying to post things more quickly to be a bit more relevant. And I had to act fast before they were all eaten!<br />
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Obviously with the Lenten season, we have a lot to be thankful for in our Christian faith and it is a wonderful time of reflection as we look forward to Good Friday and Easter.<br />
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But today, I am thankful so many different people groups make doughnuts.<br />
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For further doughnut research:<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malasada">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malasada</a> (which shows the Punahou carnival here on Oahu!)<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%85czki">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pączki</a><br />
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<i>Pau</i> for now,<br />
Tracie<br />
<br />Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-78891481741641719182013-01-28T22:42:00.000-10:002013-01-28T22:42:03.008-10:00Lā - SunSometimes beach time is more important than nap time.<br />
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If you know how much I love naps, then you'd realize how badly we needed to get out in the sun!<br />
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It's been super cold and rainy in Hawaii. I mean two straight weeks of grey skies and intermittent rain. After coming from Michigan, with its 319 cloudy days a year, I thought I could handle bad weather. Well, apparently not anymore! I'm not complaining, (friends who are shoveling their way through winter) but part of the trade-off for moving thousands of miles from everything is to get some sun. Plus, after being stuck inside our family was showing signs of cabin fever. Not quite to <i>Shining</i> proportions, but everyone was pretty grumpy.<br />
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Last week when we saw the sun, we quickly scrapped our plans and headed to the beach. The moment we arrived, I knew we had made the right decision.<br />
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The winds from earlier in the week had died down, so it was a perfect opportunity to try out the new boat!</div>
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After paddling around, chasing birds, and running up and down sand dunes, we finished the afternoon off with a family walk. Which wouldn't be complete without the kids acting like dogs. And one child in particular actually fetching a stick with her teeth.<br />
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Another benefit of skipping naps? Early bedtime!<br />
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<i>Pau</i> for now,<br />
Tracie</div>
Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-17511975384431652832012-08-11T15:05:00.004-10:002012-08-11T15:05:35.916-10:00Honolulu Zoo<div style="text-align: center;">
We are so thankful to have a zoo membership! Although it is "all the way in town," it is nice to be able to go and play without having to make a full day trip of it. It is a small zoo, but it has plenty to offer for the little ones. Here are some of the highlights!</div>
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Plants</div>
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<a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2011/08/keiki-kids.html">Keiki</a> zoo with interactive exhibits and petting zoo</div>
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Elephants! We saw their old enclosure and now enjoy the giant place they call home now. If you come when they're getting fed, you'll get a show too!</div>
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Playground - there is a large play structure in the shade. Unfortunately, I only have pictures of the alligator from the "baby" half of the playground and a tree that my kids thought was a jungle gym.</div>
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Giraffe sculpture to climb</div>
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And of course, the animals!!!</div>
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My favorite animals:</div>
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*These pictures come from many different trips, as you may have noticed due to the changing size of the <i><a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2011/08/keiki-kids.html">keiki</a></i>*</div>Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-68303514964127001062012-08-02T12:08:00.000-10:002012-08-03T22:21:49.412-10:00Kamaʻāina - Local<h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who doesn't like to save money? For most touristy things, there is a military/kamaʻāina discount. We're not military, but we quickly figured out how to qualify for the kamaʻāina discount! Sorry Michigan, but one of the first things we did when we arrived was to trade in our "great lakes" IDs for ones with rainbows on them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">It allows us (and sometimes friends that are visiting!) to try out new things for a lower price. So instead of just buying a kayak, we can try it out and see if we like kayaking before buying one and then having it take up space in our garage. And it allows us to stay at a hotel like this for a not-as-ridiculous price. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsCqxa_TFBWtULGH3BQUKbTyHQo8VbtUyhbhVJwx1iRD9ErGJ6f8B0-kgiZEon1CPPVClaICyL_Kya-M3TbsWQWmNlKaQK_4haTAIp69cA0-jyweR-YBW4R-WbyEusf_RI07quFNy1nk/s1600/IMG_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsCqxa_TFBWtULGH3BQUKbTyHQo8VbtUyhbhVJwx1iRD9ErGJ6f8B0-kgiZEon1CPPVClaICyL_Kya-M3TbsWQWmNlKaQK_4haTAIp69cA0-jyweR-YBW4R-WbyEusf_RI07quFNy1nk/s400/IMG_0360.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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Or eat here and order more than just an appetizer!</div>
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<img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB68iFnxpkIivSjlAA2TGde9DfLD1T5MlEZGslWPB-F-2mxFb__SeG9IzJ-I9zOU3S4X8UNdN0Ob0SAs10wj_UrvW1FX6mce2e-5M7Xa-0Mp1hHFo_SF9GJyf4TLd-InfzEYj4S2cUMqM/s400/IMG_0537.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;">However, there are two sides to the word "</span><span style="background-color: white;">kamaʻāina." </span><span style="background-color: white;">Literally it means "land child," so we will never really have that official title since we weren't born and raised here. H</span><span style="background-color: white;">owever, we can aspire to </span><span style="background-color: white;">"local haole" if we live here long enough (haole means "white", which is a whole different post!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">It's also important to note, people from that are from Hawaii are called "locals," and that can apply to people of many races. But you are only "Hawaiian" if your ancestors were Hawaiian. Sometimes people say "native Hawaiian" to clarify, but usually "Hawaiian" means they are ethnically from Hawaii. And just please don't use "natives," since it brings to mind the idea of the "hostiles" from </span><i style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Lost</i><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"> and maybe isn't the best term for people anywhere.</span></div>
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So, we might qualify for the <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">kamaʻāina discount, but if you ask if we're local, we'll have to say no. For now.</span></div>
</span></span></h3>Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-14720865092051057282012-07-15T09:00:00.000-10:002012-07-15T09:00:03.124-10:00Kahe Point - Electric Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hawaiisnorkelingguide.com/kahe_point_beach_park_snorkeling.html">Electric Beach</a> is one of the best snorkeling sites on the island. It's nickname comes from the not-so-scenic electric company next to the beach. However, thanks to the power company, warm water is piped out into the ocean and where the pipes come out there is an abundance of fish. It's a bit of a swim, but worth it! We also saw a few turtles and there is supposedly a pod of dolphins that frequents this spot.</div>
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The beach is nice for the kids to play on, although there is little shade. The water is clear, but the break is too strong for little ones to swim in (although someone was boogie boarding). Plus, the restrooms are shuttered, so you're limited to the porta-potty. We found a more family-friendly spot (although not quite as many fish), that I'll share about next time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North end of the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's behind the fence</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Next time we'll bring the underwater camera so we can post pictures of the fish!</span></div>
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<br />Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0Kahe Point Beach Park, Kapolei, HI 96707, USA21.3531611 -158.130285921.3384526 -158.1499409 21.367869600000002 -158.1106309tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-49505563821755576222012-07-12T23:42:00.001-10:002012-07-12T23:42:58.083-10:00Mahalo Nui Loa! - Thank you very much!<div style="text-align: left;">
You would not believe it, but we moved to O‘ahu one year ago today!</div>
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There have been many ups and downs, but mostly we are thankful. Some of these things we owe to just moving in general, but most are to our family, friends and the people and state of Hawai‘i. We are still missing many people, but are thankful for those that keep in contact and that we have those visits to look forward to and appreciate them even more.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqY9fmcK7W0vFXIGClRB0KZQoTiNE0QVHahhDF5sy5rWMhTTd1LgdXDud3En93GvxrBsUT-lx7To9vkzWMRWt4hNMnobSEDjki0pmSSfyfoCxn5_Ym0mJluIpVi2_Ql5RCdlyaBIEpbk/s1600/IMG_9442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqY9fmcK7W0vFXIGClRB0KZQoTiNE0QVHahhDF5sy5rWMhTTd1LgdXDud3En93GvxrBsUT-lx7To9vkzWMRWt4hNMnobSEDjki0pmSSfyfoCxn5_Ym0mJluIpVi2_Ql5RCdlyaBIEpbk/s400/IMG_9442.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Moving has allowed us to slow down the pace of life, partially because of the island attitude, but also by stripping us of all the additional commitments. We are enjoying this time with our family as we readjust to a new place and are able to slowly incorporate activities. Grow a lot as we are forced out of our comfort zone in meeting new people and trying lots of new things.</span></div>
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<i>Mahalo nui loa</i>:</div>
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Our family and friends in Michigan - the endless hours you donated to helping us pack, watching our children, cleaning, sharing garage sales and mom-to-mom sales. And for letting us leave, but still keeping in touch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnM_9x6w3kQ-InSH_T78LJ1LKLh2e7_w5wcXaqFw4kmmjaWcHbpNI_6SSoDJQevDdiWFhdEufMBv98lbCxxYfXr7zoAZvVDn5Bjnl1dyvxQpa5rm5SwExk0HgHPSQRXHdhWTCsy95Qub4/s1600/2012-03-18+13.24.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnM_9x6w3kQ-InSH_T78LJ1LKLh2e7_w5wcXaqFw4kmmjaWcHbpNI_6SSoDJQevDdiWFhdEufMBv98lbCxxYfXr7zoAZvVDn5Bjnl1dyvxQpa5rm5SwExk0HgHPSQRXHdhWTCsy95Qub4/s400/2012-03-18+13.24.48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Mighty Moms Bible study - for answering my constant questions about where to go, what to do, what is that and all the valuable cultural inside information. And for being a solid rock to stand on in a time of much uncertainty.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our neighbors - answering more silly questions about home improvement, plants and native bug species, bringing over cookies, being quiet and kind and having a playmate for our kids!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The state of Hawai‘i - For having islands with distinct personalities, for your awesome beauty, moderate temps and cool tradewinds. For being "half way" to Japan to visit our friends. For being so diverse so we and our children can make </span><span style="background-color: white;">friends with people from a much broader group of cultures. Which also means many new foods to try!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2RY073igbJUHQLj8R_0Nrz2S3eAfD7rTfyaTrRc48TDWZhfSbjZGGVWqUqhUTMlizI-B2tBfRHYeBoszMH8ZaWOosw3fZRaFhGYBSOUSQHhGTAp_8T2OPKtjKhdKZ4ok3N2Fey8HrCI/s1600/IMG_9329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2RY073igbJUHQLj8R_0Nrz2S3eAfD7rTfyaTrRc48TDWZhfSbjZGGVWqUqhUTMlizI-B2tBfRHYeBoszMH8ZaWOosw3fZRaFhGYBSOUSQHhGTAp_8T2OPKtjKhdKZ4ok3N2Fey8HrCI/s400/IMG_9329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The random people of O‘ahu - friendly drivers letting me cut in, helpful store clerks asking if I need help, social Pizza Hut workers complementing our pizza choice and inquiring about our plans with said pizza.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And </span><i style="background-color: white;">mahalo</i><span style="background-color: white;"> to you for reading! I have really enjoyed this endeavor and will continue to blog about our adventures and will hopefully have many more to share!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i>Mahalo</i> from Perrydise!</span></div>
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<br /></div>Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-19955441631307131812012-07-07T16:49:00.006-10:002012-07-07T16:52:06.527-10:00Haukōhi - Shave Ice<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of our favorite treats is shave ice. It's not a sno-cone. And it's not "shaved ice." (<span style="background-color: white;">I'm not trying to be picky, but helpful). It's the perfect treat after a hot day on the beach. Or after a long drive. Or after dinner. Okay, anytime!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XEMw1tpwbgk/T_joettYYLI/AAAAAAAAOS0/juYDaJPP2rE/s1600/IMG_8863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XEMw1tpwbgk/T_joettYYLI/AAAAAAAAOS0/juYDaJPP2rE/s400/IMG_8863.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Sooo <i><a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2011/09/ono-delicious.html">ono</a></i>!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In Hawai‘i, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_ice" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">shave ice</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> is made - not surprisingly - by shaving a block of ice. The places that offer it vary because of their shave machine. I never knew that ice could be so different. It can be grainy, fluffy, smooth or kind of crunchy. Always delicious though!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BM5fK7ZOik4/T_joYf6VpyI/AAAAAAAAOSE/Mi2oHwymjd0/s1600/IMG_2236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BM5fK7ZOik4/T_joYf6VpyI/AAAAAAAAOSE/Mi2oHwymjd0/s400/IMG_2236.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Hawaiian, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">h</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>aukōhi</i>, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">gives a pretty accurate description, since <a href="http://alohaperrys.blogspot.com/2012/05/hau-snow-mi-part-1.html">"hau" means snow</a>, and "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">kōhi" gather. Apparently, shave ice came here from Japan (although many cultures have something similar). The rich people wanted a cold treat, so they'd send their servants to the mountains to get ice. Someone figured out it was a good idea to flavor it, and for that, I am thankful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought this was funny:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="line-height: 19px;">As Japanese immigrated to </span>Hawaii</i><span style="line-height: 19px;"><i>, they brought this tradition with them. Like Rome and Japan, in Hawaii warm areas are close enough to snow capped mountains that snow can be brought into the warm areas without melting</i> - Wikipedia</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Hawaii, there's only one snow-capped mountain, and it's not snow-capped all the time. And it's only on one island... Who knew that Wikipedia could be inaccurate?</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Our newest find: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/angels-ice-cream-laie">Angel's</a> in <span style="line-height: 19px;">Lā<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>ie</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I am not joking in that it's one of our favorite treats - I had to comb through over 80 pictures of shave ice to choose the ones you see here! So we have tried quite a few different places and have our favorites. In </span><span style="background-color: white;">Hale‘iwa on the North Shore, </span><a href="http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com/" style="background-color: white;">Matsumoto</a><span style="background-color: white;"> is good, but it's the most common in guidebooks, so the line is always out the door. Nearby is </span><a href="http://www.aokishaveice.com/Aokis/index.html" style="background-color: white;">Aoki's</a><span style="background-color: white;"> which is not nearly as busy, but we'd rather go to the other side of Hale‘iwa town to the </span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/aloha-general-store-haleiwa" style="background-color: white;">Aloha General Store</a><span style="background-color: white;">. Ample parking and seating, and last time they were playing music so the kids were dancing and entertaining the other patrons.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4-TUbOKnSs/T_jof-qS4AI/AAAAAAAAOS8/3nOJGPsp5Z0/s1600/2012-01-04+14.56.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4-TUbOKnSs/T_jof-qS4AI/AAAAAAAAOS8/3nOJGPsp5Z0/s400/2012-01-04+14.56.54.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The North Shore might be the popular spot for shave ice, but you can find it all over the island, even on trucks!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-plutnBUvnL0/T_joc7L-ggI/AAAAAAAAOSk/OLrdiARHAcw/s1600/2012-03-19+18.22.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-plutnBUvnL0/T_joc7L-ggI/AAAAAAAAOSk/OLrdiARHAcw/s400/2012-03-19+18.22.35.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Boy, were we excited to see this pull up to the playground!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you're planning your trip to Hawai‘i, you need to seriously consider what flavors of shave ice you'll try. You can go with classics: grape, lime, cherry, orange. Or tropical: mango, pineapple, coconut, lilikoi. Or try them all. Each place usually has their own special flavors too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What makes it even more awesome is getting ice cream on the bottom and a <span style="background-color: white;">"snow cap" on top (aka </span><span style="background-color: white;">sweetened condensed milk).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">With whipped cream and a cherry on top</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">No matter what you try, if you eat with our family, you'll have to eat it quickly or it'll be all gone!</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_LXU52sbfA/T_jojO-1IvI/AAAAAAAAOTk/v-nthox2Lgc/s1600/IMG_6806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_LXU52sbfA/T_jojO-1IvI/AAAAAAAAOTk/v-nthox2Lgc/s200/IMG_6806.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pn_Q8FZ3HSc/T_jokjjK-mI/AAAAAAAAOT0/3jGe_1ETqJo/s1600/IMG_6810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pn_Q8FZ3HSc/T_jokjjK-mI/AAAAAAAAOT0/3jGe_1ETqJo/s200/IMG_6810.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I0dieVAIPMg/T_jomGV8wnI/AAAAAAAAOUE/Pj_-8P3nesI/s1600/IMG_6812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I0dieVAIPMg/T_jomGV8wnI/AAAAAAAAOUE/Pj_-8P3nesI/s200/IMG_6812.JPG" width="200" /></a></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_LXU52sbfA/T_jojO-1IvI/AAAAAAAAOTk/v-nthox2Lgc/s1600/IMG_6806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_LXU52sbfA/T_jojO-1IvI/AAAAAAAAOTk/v-nthox2Lgc/s1600/IMG_6806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">*Another blog, <a href="http://www.oahumom.com/2012/06/3-good-places-for-shave-ice/">Oahu mom</a>, had an entry about shave ice, so I waited to post so it didn't look like I was copying - but she and her readers suggest other places to try so check it out!</span></span>Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-8461874251227439342012-06-27T14:59:00.000-10:002012-06-27T15:09:24.345-10:00ʻIʻo puaʻa uahi - BaconFor Father's Day, I wanted to honor Kyle with something special... and what's more special than the rare Bacon Flower!?<br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/06/how-to-make-a-bacon-bouquet/">Our Best Bites</a>, one of my favorite food blogs, for providing the inspiration and instructions for this delicious treat!<br />
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It was enjoyed by all!<br />
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Notes:<br />
1. Bacon does not grow on flowers in Hawai‘i. If it did, you can be assured that we would never leave.<br />
2. <i>ʻIʻo puaʻa uahi</i> translates to "smoked flesh of pig". This is not a phrase that is carried over to English, so you can just order bacon :)Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-5326667784630338332012-06-20T22:54:00.002-10:002012-06-20T22:54:08.204-10:00Yokohama Bay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Wai‘anae Coast is on the western side of the island, so we decided to take a trip out as far as we could go. Although you can technically hike another 2.5 miles to Ka‘ena Point, we decided to park where the road ends and enjoy the beach for the day. The waves were a little strong, but it was a beautiful sunny day to play in the sand and the tide pools.</div>
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I realized that I'm not posting as often because I write too much and edit too much and it takes too long. So for most of our outings, I'll let the scenery do the talking, which is probably better!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">If you missed them, you can see a body boarder catching a wave and Lucas hiding. It's so hard not to label pictures!</span>Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com1Yokohama Bay, Hawaii 96791, USA21.5577778 -158.252521.5430898 -158.272155 21.5724658 -158.232845tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332186200719469503.post-60036735463684433492012-06-10T14:29:00.000-10:002012-06-10T14:29:01.844-10:00Hoapili - Friend (MI part 3)Everyone has friends that have moved far away. However, I think the difference in Hawaii is that those friends are REALLY far away. Even locals who have never lived on the mainland still know someone who lives there. A visit means you have to get on an airplane. Even a phone call is complicated by multiple time zones.<br />
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In Michigan, I have a wonderful group of friends that I've known since high school. And most of us moved around for a while and then ended up in Michigan. Moving to Hawaii I knew it would be hard to give up seeing them so often. And I knew it would take a while to replace those quality friendships. But something funny happened on my trip back:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Toddlers obey well if you tell them "make a silly face"</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The friendships picked right back up where we left off. We had a lot of fun reconnecting and had a lot more to talk about since there was a longer time apart. It's comforting to realize that I don't need to "replace" those friends. Of course we are building new friendships in Hawaii, but it doesn't mean that we have to get rid of the other ones.</span><br />
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I was reminded of the <a href="http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/makenewfriends.html">Girl Scout Song</a>:<br />
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<i>"Make new friends, but keep the old.</i></div>
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<i>One is silver and the other gold."</i></div>
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Also, I was surprised to hear that there hadn't been a girls' night since I'd left. Not that I'm the party catalyst, but that getting a group of moms together isn't an easy task. It helped me realize that even if I lived in Michigan, I wouldn't be seeing these people every day. The reason I was able to spend so much time with these friends in one week was due to my lack of a schedule. And that they had to clear their calendars because it was a "special occasion" for me to be in town.<br />
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What really touched my heart was how well our children got along as well. It was like they were reconnecting with their friends too.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">It might be blurry, but it's so cute!</span></i></td></tr>
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Just like the extended time with our families, I realized that how we spend time now is different, but it doesn't change that they are my friends. </div>
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When my best friend went to college a year before me, I was devastated at not having her around. But, thanks to the new technology called "electronic mail," I could head to the library after school and it was just like she was passing me a note between classes. Now we have so much more to keep in contact: free long distance, texting, Facebook and Skype.</div>
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It may not be the same as a face-to-face conversation, but it does the trick. And when we are able to see each other in person, I'm so thankful that we can continue along just as we were.</div>Traciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05647246887232407094noreply@blogger.com0