Let's Play the Match Game...

Aloha kakou!! Let's start tonight with this... Aloha Wear.  I can see many of you out there wrinkling your brow as you try to figure out what I am talking about. Try this...Hawaiian shirt.  There ya go...now I know what is popping into your head...

Yes, THE infamous Magnum PI shirt. Working and living as we do in Hawai'i, Leialoha and I see literally hundreds, if not thousands of these things a year, (Not this one...but many like it) and I have come to realize that different places in the US and other countries tend to have different themes for their Aloha Shirts. (That is what they are actually called). For instance, when I was living in Florida, there seemed to be a fondness for, in no particular order...parrots, volcanoes, beer bottles, guitars, hula girls, pineapples, coconuts and some others that escape my mind right now. Truth be told, I do not know of many locals here who would wear an aloha shirt with ANY of those things on them. Does that make an aloha shirt with dolphins and parrots inferior to mine? Not at all...it is just interesting to me that different places go for different things. Truthfully, not many of us here wear aloha shirts as part of our every day attire. But when we do, it tends to be something decidedly non-grass skirty...if you know what I mean. These are a few companies that make aloha wear that is very popular here in Hawai'i:

Reyn Spooner
-This is a very popular maker of aloha wear, and they are very well known for their pullover style. In particular, they are known for their annual Christmas/Holiday design, which changes each year. I got turned onto these by my steel guitar teacher Alan Akaka. I htink he has pretty much every one dating back from when they started issuing these special runs. They have Hawaiian Santas on them, other holiday images, and in each one, is hidden the year of issue. They look like this:

I started my collection last year, and thanks to Leialoha and EBay, I have a half dozen right now.

Sig Zane
-Sig Zane is a Big Island guy, who takes his inspiration from things found here on the BI. One of his most popular designs is based on a street map of Hilo. He is also worn by one of the most popular Hawaiian bands around called Na Palapalai as well as local boy Mark Yamanaka. Leialoha has quite a few of his dresses. Like this one:

Manuheali'i
-This is without a doubt, our favorite local clothing company, and this where the title of the blog tonight comes from. See, when we are onstage, Leialoha and I like to wear matching aloha wear, and if you see musicians and bands out and about in the islands, chances are that many of them will have matching aloha wear. Manuheali'i designs are strictly loud and proud, and not what many from the mainland would think of as aloha wear. Here is an example of a pattern that they offer:

and this one is a little laid back to tell the truth. They make pullover styles, which for me, work great on stage, and Leialoha will usually pick out our outfits. At last count, I think we are somewhere north of 25 matching outfits. They have kind of become our signature look over the last few years. I love wearing aloha wear on stage...about a million times better then the suits and tuxedos that I used to have to wear when we played in the Wheelhouse. C'mon, which would you rather gig in? This:

 Or this:

Speaking for me...I'll take #2 every day, all day.

So tomorrow will be our day to go through the closets and start getting our things together for this season. Fortunately, this year, with the new house, we can keep ALL of our clothes in one place, and then go home on Hilo port day to get new clothes and fresh outfits. I may try to get a picture of our closets tomorrow...the sheer amount of aloha wear is astonishing. Oh, and here is a little tidbit for you mainlanders out there...you know the loose fitting, caftan-like thing that some women wear. What is it called? Moomoo? Nope, check it...courtesy of my friends at Wikipedia: Mu'umu'u This is one that only locals get right...I'm not sure how over the years it has been accepted as Moomoo...but when you're in the islands, you can make yourself sound very local if you drop the correct pronunciation.

Lastly, here is today's thing about living in Hawai'i that I love.

I have never been in a place where tattoos are so accepted and appreciated as in Hawai'i.  I particularly love the Polynesian style of tattoo, and many of you know that I have started to "collect" Polynesian style ink. There is something about the look and design that I just love, and there is meaning behind almost every design that is usually very personal and special to the person getting inked.

So, everyone have a great night, and I have some news to drop tomorrow. Malama Pono...

A Hui Hou,
Dave Soreff
(of Elua)

The Rain Isn't In Spain...It's in Hilo!!

Aloha Kakou!! Let's dive right in, shall we? Check this graph out:

What is this? It is a graph showing for the last year, the number of days in each month that rain has fallen in Hilo. Now, for those of us who live here, and those who come here often know this already, but for those of you who have never been, it's safe to say, Hilo is a wet place! It impacts our lives almost every day, and most importantly, it is the main reason the BI, (Big Island) is so lush and beautiful. Ua, as my steel guitar teacher Alan Akaka says, is the reason it is so beautiful here. And it is...lawns are green, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of different plants, trees, shrubs and so forth that grow here, and give the whole area, a decidedly "green" outlook. But it can't all be roses, right? Right! Here is why...

Many of you may know that I am a new homeowner. (Well, WE are new homeowners) And with that comes some chores and jobs I haven't had for many many many years. The most obvious one is taking care of our lawn. Now, before this, the last time I pushed a mower was when I was about 12 years old. Where I grew up, not too many kids did the lawn...lawn services were very popular. But, for a period of time, my Dad had my brother Alec and myself out mowing every week. But as time went on, we stopped doing it, and eventually, my Mom got a lawn service, and all was good in the world...and our lawn looked immeasurably better. So, since then, I have not had to mow anything...until August. Here is where the rain comes in. I went out and purchased a mower....ready to go at it...and I learned a very important lesson...lots of rain, grass, and mowing don't make an ideal marriage. (Most of you know this...remember, I am still re-learning these things) I made the mistake of trying to mow after one of our regular Hilo downpours. Needless to say, I was stopping every four minutes to empty the clipping bag that weighed about 200 pounds. (Slight exaggeration) But, I slogged through and learned my lesson. BUT...here I sit each day, looking out the window, waiting for some sunshine. Take yesterday for example. The lawn needs attention...I get my lawn care wardrobe together, and just as I pull on my trainers...the heavens open up. It goes on for about ten minutes...after, the lawn is alright, so I figure I can head out. Well, no sooner do I start to head out...the skies open again, and no joy...and no mowing. It goes on like this for the good part of the morning...and of course no mowing happens. But...to be truthful, it is so beautiful around here, it doesn't really bother me. I'll take the rain any day. Upside? No car washing!! Cars around here tend to have very little bird poop on them.

So, it seems in the last few blogs, that I am not really conveying how much I love being in and living in Hawai'i...it seems I am always bringing up some of the negative aspects of being here. So, let me list a few things that really make me happy and glad to live in Hawai'i, and the BI.

1. Slippers (or Slippahs)
For most on the mainland, (which is what we refer to the "other" part of the US as) slippers conjure up images of a newspaper, robe, pipe and furry footwear. Slippers here are what the mainland would call flip flops. We spend a lot of our lives here in slippers. Everyone has their favorites, but the most popular brand here is Locals. Peep them:

They are about $10 or less a pair, and if you go to someone's house, chances are you will see a few pair out on the lanai. (We also take off our slippers and other footwear before we enter the house) I love being casual, and there is nothing like a fresh pair of rubber slippahs on your feet.

2. The Lack of Traffic
This is about being on the BI. I love O'ahu, for many things, but the highway is not one of them. Here is a pic taken to illustrate a typical scene on the H1:

Now, I just read that Honolulu has passed LA as the most congested traffic city in the US...and for any of you have been driving at "quitting time" in Honolulu can attest to that. Her eon the BI, we do have some traffic issues, but for me, the only time I am bothered is when they are doing work on the three gulches that are on Highway 19...so sometimes you have to wait a few minutes to get going. No biggie. Speaking of traffic and driving...

3. The Courtesy of Drivers in Hawai'i
Being from Boston originally, where driving can be a contact sport, (literally) it is so great to drive in Hawai'i, and have people treat you as another human being. Yes, there are occasional slips, but for the most part, it is wonderful driving here. People let you into traffic, they don't tailgate, and using your horn is considered rude here. Here is the most used traffic signal in Boston:

Here is the most used traffic signal in Hawai'i:

I will take #2 any day of the week.

3. Early Morning PGA
Okay, this may sound silly, but because of the time difference out here, PGA golf is always on in the morning. What does that mean? It means I can get my golf on, and by the time it is done, I still have the rest of the day for whatever else I want to do. Sometimes, it's the small things.

4. The Aloha Spirit
Now, we put a lot of stock in this one here. Many on the mainland know that aloha means hello/goodbye/love...but it is also a way of living. It's hard to put a real definition on it, but maybe this will help a little...I found this online:

You have probably heard about Hawaii’s “Aloha Spirit,” but what is it exactly?  In the Hawaiian language, “aloha“ may mean love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness or grace.  These sentiments make it a lovely common greeting and expression of farewell.
Living Aloha is the coordination of mind and heart within each person.  It brings each person to the self.  Each person must think and express good feelings to others.

Akahai, kindness to be expressed with tenderness;
Lokahi , unity, to be expressed with harmony;
Oluolu , agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;
Haahaa , humility, to be expressed with modesty;
Ahonui , patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

    “Aloha” is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. “Aloha”       means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return.
       “Aloha” is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to         every other person for collective existence.
       "Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the         unknowable."
        Queen Lili‘uokalani

It is something that is in our every day lives...or should be. I am still learning and adjusting, but this might be my favorite part of being here.


Anyway, I think I will try to put in a couple of these "things I love" in each blog. Because the aim of this is not just to keep in touch, but to share information and things from where I live. So...everyone stay safe and well...spread the word about the blog, and as always, feel free to drop a comment or question.

Malama Pono,
Dave

Past Life Experience...and a New Recipe

    Aloha kakou!! First of all, glad to see that there are some people reading the blog. I know we only started this a few days ago, but I'm already getting some nice comments and emails...so spread the word everyone.

    So, let's start with this past life thing. Nothing mystical, but we all have history. With the pervasive spread of Facebook, depending on how much you, (or your "friends") wish to share or post, you cannot really hide from your past. Now, we ALL have some embarrassing things in our past, and pictures of our mistakes in fashion and hair choices or choices in boyfriends/girlfriends are on display for all to see. So, let me share a picture with you all.

    This is me. Now granted, this was a few years, and many pounds ago, but I think you can still see the resemblance. LOL. Next to me is a very good friend, and one of my mentors in the cruise business, Jim Ward. So, my past life secret, is that for a time, in the 90's, I was not a musician, but a cruise director. I know most people who read this will know what a CD is, but for lack of a better way of saying it, I was Julie McCoy. (Who by the way would have lasted 10 minutes in the real cruise industry) This picture is from the Royal Majesty, (part of the late lamented Dolphin/Majesty Cruise Line) and was taken in 1994. I was Jim's assistant, and we were up on deck of the MV Royal Majesty. I was Jim's number 2, and we had nicknames for each other. Jim was Jean-Luc, as in Jean-Luc Picard...the commander. I was a few things, Jim usually called me Wease...short for Weasel...I will not go into it. But my favorite was Rabbi. Besides being applicable pertianing to my faith, in some parlance, a Rabbi is someone who you go to to take care of business, who has connections in places. If Jim needed something done, he would turn to the Rabbi...we had a really great work relationship, and he was largely responsible for getting me bumped up to full time cruise director. There are many more pictures I could post (and probably will at some point) of this time in my life, but sufficed to say, I had an amazing time, met some great people, many of whom I am still very close with, and made connections that I still use to this day. Every now and then, I get an itch to go back into this part of the business, but a CDs job is so different then it used to be, that I don't think I could hang. It used to be 80% entertainment/20% bureaucratic and business things. Those numbers seem to have switched. No thanks.
  
    Tonight was a another first time attempt at cooking something local. Tonight was Chicken Long Rice. Here is the recipe:

Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds chicken leg quarters
3 (32 ounce) cartons low-sodium chicken
broth
1 tablespoon Hawaiian sea salt
1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger root,
sliced
 1 large Maui sweet onion, cubed
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked bean
threads (cellophane noodles)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 small head bok choy, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Place chicken, chicken broth, salt, and ginger into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 35 minutes. Remove chicken, and strain broth into a new pot. Discard the solids.
2.
Fill a bowl with hot tap water. Add the long rice noodles, and let sit for 30 minutes to soften.
3.
Stir onion into the broth, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and discard. Roughly chop the meat and set aside. Add the noodles, chicken meat, green onion and bok choy; simmer until noodles are tender.
4.
After the noodles have sat for 30 minutes, stir in the chicken meat, green onion, and bok choy. Reheat and serve.

    And how did it turn out:

  
Two things to admit...I forgot the Hawaiian Sea Salt, but I subbed in Kosher Salt...go figure LOL And I couldn't find a Maui onion...so a regular one had to do. Oh, and owing to the fact that there are only two of us, I halved the recipe. Leialoha pronounced it Ono!! (Hawaiian for delicious) I may have even got a Supah-Ono!!
    So, tomorrow, my mother-in-law Jody will be coming for a few days. She lives up the coast in Honoka'a and one of the mice things about living here, is that she is free to come on down and be with us. She is a great lady, who loves singing, dancing and having a good time. As far as mother-in-laws go, I don't think I could ask for better. So I am sure she will pop up in the next few days here in the the blog.

   Lastly, I am going to start "The Countdown" tonight. This is our countdown until we head to the Golden for another great season.

13

A Hui Hou,
Dave



   

The Night That the Lights Went Out in...Waiakea-Uka

    Aloha kakou!! Well, let's start with the title...many of you will say, "but Dave, don't you live in Hilo?" Yes we do...but we also live in Waiakea-Uka, to quote Wikopedia:

    "The name comes from wai ākea in the Hawaiian Language meaning "broad waters", and sometimes what is now called Hilo Bay was called Waiākea Bay. Waiākea is home to many and has its own schools. It stretches for miles and ends at Waiākea-Uka...the area on the slopes of Mauna Loa"

    Anywho, it is a lovely area...one that Leialoha likes to get up earlier then me to experience...usually MUCH earlier. So there I was in perfect peace, sawing logs on our VERY comfortable bed...when I was woken up by Leialoha tapping on my feet telling me:
1. "There is no power"
2. "I think someone is knocking at our door"
The first thing is no big deal...the second, not so much. Especially when I looked t the clock, (I always have a portable alarm clock next to my bed...for just such an occasion) and it read 5:45am. The Jew in me immediately think that if someone is knocking at your door, something has gone wrong or someone has died. (It is also our first reaction when the phone rings very late at night)

    So, to cut to the chase, I called HELCO (Hawaiian Electric Company), and was informed by a very pleasant, albeit prerecorded voice, that an accident had knocked over a a pole, and that we were the lucky section of Hilo to have no power. Jumping in the car, Leialoha and I drove about 1/2 mile down the street to see what used to be a fairly straight pole, (we do not have underground lines here ont he BI) leaning at a good 35 degrees. Eight trucks, two flagman and one spare pole were on the scene ready to go up. I promptly took myself back to the house, back to bed, and when I awoke at 9:00am, we had power and I was able to watch Tiger Woods not make a move at the BMW, (no surprise these days) and Vijay Singh stay on top of the leaderboard, (BIG surprise).

    The days here have taken on a lovely rhythm...working on music, working on the house, catching up on my favorite shows, (we have, to be kind, limited TV on the ships) and shopping for the house. I thought I would share a look at a typical section of Target here in Hilo. It seems that we are always on the short end of the merchandise stick out here...at elast for some things. So, here is a look at the shcool supply/paper shelf and one of the frozen food shelves:

    Leialoha had posted a few pics last week of WalMart which was looking the same. There is a saying here "lucky you love in Hawai'i"..and indeed we are...EXCEPT when it comes to having full shelves on a regular basis. But for this small thing, I can cope...because we also get to have this:

    This is the view of Waipio Valley from the lookout...Waipio Valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and we are lucky to have it here on the BI. Want to know a little bit more about it? Check it out here: Waipio Valley Leialoha's cousins Charlene and Russell actually work a taro patch in the valley. I know many of you have tried poi...and this is where that goodness starts. Working the patch is VERY hard work, and there are fewer and fewer patches these days. Do yourself a favor read this: Wikipedia-Poi...it will give you some good info. We always ask passengers on the ship, "how many of you have tried poi?" Invariably, 7/8 of the audience will raise their hands. We then ask, "how many of you actually liked it?" We may get three or four people. (Usually local transplants or people who have lived there for a while) As we always say, "good, more for us". Taro, (the plant that poi comes from) was, and still is a VERY important part of life in the islands.
     Last thing for the night...I posted something on FB today, and wanted to make sure that everyone was able to get the link. One of the great things we have on TV here is WeTV who have the good taste to run Twilight Zone episodes each day. Two of my favorite episodes happen to star Burgess Meredith, and they aired one the other day sday that I DVRd. If you have a spare 28 minutes, check it out on YouTube: The Obsolete Man It is just as topical today as it was when it was first aired, and the performances are grade A.
    Enjoy the evening all...and remember, if you ever have a question for me or Leialoha, feel free to drop an email, or a comment.

Malama Pono,
Dave

Kona Road Trip...and Food Porn

Aloha Kakou!!

Today brings to light one of the few drawbacks to living in Hilo...I will start by saying that Leialoaha and I are new homeowners, so like many, we have found ourselves worshiping at the altar of Home Depot and Lowe's. Now I don't know about you all, but we much prefer Lowe's. Better customer service, better selection, the store is laid out much better...and much much much cleaner. What's the problem? Well, Home Depot is about ten minutes away...Lowe's, not so much. In my experience, it has always been that you can't go to either of these home store giants in any mainland city or town without finding the other brand no more then 1/2 mile away. Not here on the Big Island. Lowe's is in Kona...roughly 2 hours away from us. There are two ways to get there...up the beautiful Hamakua Coast and through Waimea, (although a case could be made to go the more northerly way past Waikaloa) or on Saddle Road:

Big Island Overview with Saddle Road Highlighted

We have done this route once...and once was enough. So, insiders tip...if given the choice heading to Kona from Hilo, take HWY 19...it may take ten minutes more, but the ride is sooooooooo much better. The ride takes you through North Hilo, Hamakua, North Kohala and Kona districts. The ride through Waimea is beautiful, and the animals all seem to smile and say hello. Lots of cows and horses and sheeps and goats and rams and wild pigs, (more on them at some other point) and of course my favorite:

This is the mongoose...how they came to Hawai'i is an interesting story, but the only two ways I ever see these guys is either flattened on the road, or as they run across said road trying to avoid being splattered. They look very cute with their two inch legs motoring a mile a minute. But I digress. For us...it is the longer route all the way. Oh...I promised food porn.

One of the millions of perks of come along with having Leialoha in my life, is that her Auntie Susie is an outrageously great cook...with an emphasis on baking. On our way back, we had to drop some things off, (Auntie Suzy and much of Leialoha's family live in Honoka'a) to her and my mother-in-law Jody. (This is very common, as if someone is heading to Kona, it is nice to ask if anyone needs anything while over at Costco) There is a dinner tonight to honor the memory of Auntie Flora, who passed away last year. I thought I should get a few pics of the deserts, (just a few of the many I should mention) so enjoy...not 100% sure what these are, I just know they smell and taste great. Enjoy!!

 And lastly, there have been a few requests for the recipe that I used for Portuguese Bean Soup the other night. Here is is:


Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 50 Minutes
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS:
1 ham hock
1 (10 ounce) linguica sausage, sliced
1 onion, minced
2 quarts water
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 celery rib, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Place ham hock, linguica, onion, and water into a Dutch oven over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
2.
Remove meat from ham hock, chop, and return to soup. Stir in potatoes, celery, carrots, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and garlic. Cover, and continue simmering for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3.
Stir in cabbage and kidney beans, cook until the cabbage has softened, about 10 minutes.

Give it a try and enjoy! Oh, by the way, I left out the hock, but it came out just fine. Either way will work out nicely. The Portuguese Sausage is the key of course.

We are down to two weeks before back to work time...I'll be trying to get my vocal and steel guitar chops back to acceptable levels in the coming two weeks. Tonight? Red wine...it's a start!!


Dave

E Komo Mai

Aloha and e komo mai...this is the first, in what we hope will be many blog entries from myself and Leialoha...if you are here, chances are that you know us from either Princess Cruises, from our travels around the world...or from back home in Hawai'i. Leialoha and I decided to do this blog as a way to keep in touch, inform and to hopefully entertain. We will share pictures, videos, stories, music...almost anything is fair game. If you have any questions or comments, always feel free to leave them here, or at our email at eluablog@gmail.com. Remember, we are at sea a bunch, so if we don't get back right away...don't be mad. And on a personal note, peep out my birthday gift from the lovely Leialoha...I needed a new ukulele for this season...and what is now mine? It is a smokin' Willie K Ukulele from Oscar Schmidt. A ton of mahalos to Ken at Hilo Guitars...the best place to find a uke in all of Hawaiʻi...tell them Elua sent you.

Many of you may know that we have just purchased a home in Hilo...Leialohaʻs first house, my first house, and of course our first house together. It is a bit overwhelming, but Leialoha has gone above and beyond to make it homey and warm in a very short time. When the house is ready to be put on display, pics will follow. Have a great night all, and check back soon. A hui hou!!

Dave