Ka Hana Lei

Aloha pumehana kaua,

He la hoomakaukau lei keia!  Ua pihoihoi loa au i ka lakou ae ana mai ia maua e kuai aku i kekahi pepa ea i hiki ia maua ke hana i lei kanake na na keiki a maua e hoikeike aku ai i keia pule ae!  Aole au hana nui i keia ano lei, aka ua kau ka halia no ka aina i ka hana lei ana, a he mahalo nuiia ka hana lei e ko Iapana no ka mea, aole lakou ike nui ia ano.  He aloha ke ano Hawaii ma waho o ka aina.

Eia pu kekahi, ua hoomaka iho nei au e ao i ko'u pakana maanei i ka hula Papalina Lahilahi!  Aia no ia ke holomua nei, aka aole au he poe hula.  Minamina

Mahalo a nui

Naranjas

A bunch of people left the office today, including the one lady who usually handles all the English speakers.  I was ok with this, because usually no one talks to me anyway and then someone walks in and I hear: "Does anyone here speak English?" Uh-oh, showtime.

So, I stand up to find that there is a man with a travel book that says Japon on it and I realize...HE barely even speaks English most likely!  But, we go up and we try to help him with what he needs.  Come to find out, he actually is from Spain which was perfect because one lady who works in the office served in like a Peace Corp type thing in Dominica!  So, she got to use her Spanish!  It was awesome to hear the interaction.  

The interesting point about this is he immediately recognized that we weren't from anywhere near Matsuyama and inquired to our hometown to which I immediately replied, Hawai'i. 

Then, he looked at us really confused as if to say, "Why are you here?" and then he did ask so we explained about the program and a the US Military and so on and so forth (you can read the introduction post if you don't know why I'm here) and he said, "I don't understand, if you're from Hawai'i why is it your problem?"

Oh, because we're part of the US.  I guess he hadn't realized, and then the funniest yet kind of appropriate question came:

"Are you OK with being a part of the United States?"

It was just, funny. You don't need to know how I answered.

(-_^)v

Ka Mea I Oi Loa

Aloha pumehana e ka mea heluhelu,

E kui e ka lono mai o a o, he aloha ko ka poe o keia aina nei a ua loaa no ma kahi hale i kapa ia o Mahalo.

Oiai he nui no na kanaka e kue ana i ke ano o ko ka poe Kepani hoohana ana i na huaolelo Hawaii no ko lakou mau hana, ua ninauele iki au i kekahi kane Kepani, oia hoi ke kane nana i oki i ko'u lauoho i keia po.  Na ka huaolelo hawaii i houmeume mua mai iau e naue aku i keia hale o Mahalo, a i ko'u hoea ana aku he ala pii e hele ana a i ka ipuka.  Ua hoihoi ko'u komo ana i laila no ka mea, aole i maopopo iau pehea la ko lakou manao i ka poe no waho o Iapana e komo ana.  Ua komo koke nae au i ke kamailio me keia kane, a ua hoao au e wehewehe i ko'u kumu o ke ku ana aku, oia no ka ike ana i ka olelo makuahine.  Ua komo koke no ke aloha.

Mea ole ka hola pani o ka hale, na keia kane oluolu i ae maila e oki i ko'u lauoho i keia po ina ua oluolu ia manao iau.  Ua hoomanawanui loa lakou apau i ko'u olelo Kepani haahaa loa, a ua mahalo nuiia e au.  Nui na manawa a lakou i kipa akula i ka aina, a ua mahalo au ia lakou me ka paipai ana e hoi hou mai.  Ua nani no.

O ka ninau a'u i makemake nui ai e hai aku iaia, oia no ke kumu o ka inoa o ia hale.  Ua kanalua au i ko'u hiki ke maopopo, aka hilinai au i ke aloha a me kona hiki ke unuhi aku i ke ano o na naau pono, a ua pono no kona naau.  I ka ninauia ana aku iaia, penei ke ano o kona pane:

O ka mahalo, he mea nui ia i oi loa ma luna o na mea apau.  Mamuli o kona hoomaopopo ana i ke ano nui o ka huaolelo mahalo, a oiai he mana no ka olelo hawaii, ua makemake oia e hoike i kona mahalo nui i ka lehulehu e hiki mai ana paha i loko o ka wa o kona hale oki lauoho.  Ua pono keia i ko'u kuhi, a he nani kona hana.  Aia no kona hale oki lauoho ma lalo pono o kona hale, a lalo pono o ua hale oki lauoho nei, aia ka hale hana o kana wahine.

Ua pomaikai au i ka hui ana me keia ano Kepani.

Mahalo a nui.

Breaking Dawn

Today, seemed to be a day as typical as any other at the office.  It was after work that things really got interesting:

So, I was on a mission to get ribbon.  Naturally, I investigate the cheap discount store first and am disappointed so I went to the big Fuji Grand (which is really the only other place I know unfortunately) but, that was even worse.  I knew I had to go back to the discount store...but I was hungry.

I guess hunger equals "No Japanese Skills" because I went to the Food Court and realized I couldn't read the sign saying where to put the McDonalds rubbish.  I wanted to go ask the girl but as I walked to the counter...she nodded at me looked scared then walked to the back...ok, no problem.

So, now I'm at KFC and I'm in line and this boy who must be...17 is speaking as fast to me as I speak in English.  OK, I guess that's kharma...all I wanted was a 3 piece set and all he wanted to say was that I'd have to wait 2 minutes (you know in America 2 minutes is a given) but no problem.  Then, when he brings my French Fries that took 2 minutes to me he was shaking in fear.  

I finish my meal and walk past Baskin Robbins where a sample is scooped BEFORE I ask for it and she insists that I try it...so I do, and of course I wanted more so I ended up being swindled into buying a King Size scoop which in Japan is apparently JUST a scoop..they don't fill up the cone at all.  I don't know how I feel about that. 

The good part comes now:

I went to the Mahalo salon, the one I talked about earlier just to see what it was about and who was representing it.  I parked my bike (and left the key in again, I always forget the key) and walked up the stairs.  The owner said they closed at 6:30...no problem, I guess I'll just come back I only wanted to see what it was like anyway.

And then, aloha happened.

He recognized and inquired as to whether or not I was from Hawaii and I explained my situation, where he offered to give me a cut at that very moment and at a discount.  I've never felt so comfortable in anyplace in Japan as I felt in that salon.  Yes, everyone was a little scared but not in fear, it was like they were scared of the mere anticipation that someone from Hawai'i had come to visit.  They broke out pictures, and plaques, art from their visits and I was just...so happy.  For the very first time, I was extremely happy to be here and I think it was just the recharge I needed.

And, now that it's getting a haircut, it'll be much easier to sit in the office without my head being a sweat sponge.  

(^_^)!!!

Manao

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka mea heluhelu,

O ka manao o keia la, he kupa no au no ka pae aina aloha o Hawaii.  I kekahi manawa, na kekahi e paipai ana iau e ano kapae i kela ano manao i ko'u hana ana maanei.  Pehea la?  O Iapana, he aina paa ia ma kona manao no ka mea aole nui na kanaka no waho e noho ana maanei.  Ua hiki no ia lakou ke ku like no ka mea aohe hoohui mauia na poe no waho. Eia no nae, aia no lakou e imi nei i ka ike i hiki ia lakou ke ku like me ka poe o waho.  Laana mai hoi, ke ao ana o ka olelo haole, ke komo ana i na lole o waho....a he nui hou aku na mea eae.

Ke hoike nei au i keia mau manao i mea e wehewehe i ko'u naau o keia po.  Aole au i ku mai maanei i mea e lilo i Kepani.  Aole au e hoololi i ko'u ano, oia hoi, ke ano o ka luliluli ana o ke poo a me ke kuhi ana iau iho.  Aole au e komo i ko lakou lole a eia hou, aole au e hana ino ia lakou aka...na lakou wale no ia hana.  Aia ka he mau poe e hoohalahala nei iau no ko'u kue i ke ano o keia aina.  Kala mai ke lehulehu iau, he hupo wale no kela hana.  Ma hope au o ka aina aloha.

Mahalo a nui.

Indians

Today was an exciting day as I went to work and, aside from getting a lot of delicious snacks, I was moreover able to have a meeting with another school for which we'll be making a presentation.  I'll be able to speak in English for this one.  Well, at least for a part of it.  It's not as much that I don't want to speak Japanese, it's just I really like the thought that I can prepare my language without having to bother anyone for translation.  I feel like I'm such a burden.  I'm going to study harder, I promise.

Another interesting thing of today was after a long Japanese class (but a very necessary one, as we learned about something I've been having a hard time with) we were invited to join some other students and go to an Indian Restaurant.  It all seemed like a very rebellious activity as everything from parking my bike to visiting a restaurant on a second floor was a new experience.

The other catch, everyone we had dinner with was from a foreign country that wasn't America! How often do you have those kind of dinners? I mean, granted, when I was in Florida it was all the time but I'm in Japan...I just mean to say, life is really random for me.

Really. Random.

(O_O)

Kolea

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka mea heluhelu,

He la keia e kakoo ai i ka poe kolea ma ke ao ana i ko lakou mau loina.  Ua nani maoli no ka hui ana o lakou, no ka mea, ua ikeia ko lakou ka poe Kolea apau holomua ma ka olelo Kepani.  Ua walewaha lakou apau ma ka olelo, a he pae no ia a'u e kulia mau ai!  Ua noho no lakou ma Iapana nei no mau makahiki paha, aka oia mau no ka paakiki i ko'u kuhi.

Aole paha kakou noonoo nui no ka poe Kolea a me ka Pake e noho ana ma Iapana no ka mea, i ka nana mua ana aku, aole paha e ikeia he poe no ka aina e.  I ka nui o kakou ka poe olelo hawaii, he like no a like paha.  Aka, o ka mea hoihoi, hiki ke loheia i ko lakou puana ke kani o ko lakou olelo ma ka olelo Kepani.  Eia no nae, kekahi manawa ke walewaha mai ka haole ma ka olelo Kepani, aole he hiki ke loheia ke kani.  UA loheia no i keia la ke kani e.

He mau manao hoihoi e noonoo ai.

Mahalo a nui.

Dukbokgi

When we walked into work today, we sat down and began working diligently at our presentation for next week.  I think it's coming along nicely and we were discussing parts.  As we were talking about our format and how we were going to address our Elementary School audience, a Korean girl who works with us runs in with handfuls of food.  Everyone kind of looks at her as no one really knew what was going on and then they remembered: today there was a Korean cooking class.  Surprise, we're helping with it too.

I really like work with "foreigners" while I'm here in Ehime because it makes me feel a little more at home.  Sometimes seeing only Japanese people all the time puts me in a little bit of cultural shock you know?  I don't think there are even place left in Hawai'i where only Japanese people live.  It was a welcome break from the norm and we got to make Korean food with lots of Japanese people.  It was interesting because many of them wanted to learn about Korean culture and Korean language, so I made sure to take a backseat as they purposely brought in Korean kids to interact.  People tried asking questions about Hawai'i, but I didn't go into detail because it wasn't my day for the spotlight.

There was however two people who wanted to practice speaking English, so I ended up sitting by them for a bit and trying to talk to them.  It was really difficult to control my speech patterns, but I think in the end they were really getting the hang of how I talked.  It was kind of rewarding, and I got a new Facebook friend out of it.  

(^_^)

Ka Onohi

Aloha pumehana kaua,

I ke ala ana ae o keia la i ike aku ai au i kahi onohi i ka pukaaniani o ko'u ipuka hale.  Ua ulu no ka hoi i loko o'u, a ua ano kau ko'u weli.  Aole paha makaukau au e pule no ka hoopale ana mai iau.  I keia manawa nae, ua ike e paha au i ke kumu o keia onohi, aka, ke manao nei au e hoailona no ia o kekahi mea e hiki mai ana.  Koe aku ia.

Oiai he mea ano nui keia, oia ihola no keia la.

Mahalo a nui

Reflections

Today was a day off which therefore made it a day for reflection.  There are a couple of things that I'd like to reflect on as it's been nearly two weeks now that I've been there:

First, I don't like the word "foreigner" as appropriate as it may be for my situation.  I think, because I live in Hawai'i most people who come to Hawai'i are called visitors or tourists so foreigner has a harsh sound.  The word in Japanese for foreigner is Gaikokujin, and that's what everyone would have to refer to me as because I'm not a "tourist" or just an "out-of-towner" and in my mind I think that holds a negative context.  That's probably why I see, although it may not all be revealed here, negative things towards me.  I think I've decided from here on out to refer to myself as an extended stay tourist.

Secondly, I don't think I'm trying hard enough to learn Japanese.  I think I'll have to make some sort of rule, like maybe cutting out YouTube or something to make sure that I at least watch Japanese TV.  I think the problem is that that the TV that I have doesn't always have movies and I love movies.  Maybe if I limit myself to one movie for myself that I brought per day and that's my max cap at English...I don't know.  But, I need to get on it.

Third, I don't know why I'm so scared to talk to people at the Grocery Store when I can't find something.  Today, I finally did and they didn't know what I was talking about so I ended up asking them to look in my Japanese dictionary (ordered in Japanese, so its faster for them to do it); and they had no problem doing it! I gotta build that bridge.

Those are a few things I've reflected on.  Here's to the end of this day, as tomorrow is a new dawn.

(=^_^=)

Ka Pilikia o Ka Paikikala

Aloha pumehana e ka mea heluhelu,

E like me ka maamau (no na pule a 2 i hala ae nei) o ka hana ma ka Poaono, oia no ka haku mele hoomakeaka, kalailai ola paha.  O ke kumuhana o keia pule, oia no ka holo paikikala a ka poe Kepani.  He nui ino ka poe e hulo nei i ka hana maikai a ke Kepani, oia no ka malama ana i ka aina ma o ka holo paikikala ana.  A he oiaio no ka waiwai o ia hana, aka no nae he pono ka hele nihi ana io ia nei.  Mai ka wa o ko'u hoea ana mai i anei nei, a hiki i keia manawa ua heluia he 20 manawa a oi i aneane keia e hookui aku i kekahi kanaka, i kekahi kaa, i ole i hookuiia e ke kaaahi.  Eia hou, o na keiki a me na opio, he holo wikiwiki wale ka lakou me ka nana ole i kahi a lakou e holo ai.  Paa i ka pepeiao ka hua mele no laila, aole hiki ia lakou ka lohe i na ano kani o ke ao, a i kekahi manawa ua aneane lakou make!  Aia paha kekahi poe e olelo ana, he poe akeakamai ke Kepani, hiki no ia lakou ke holo ma ia ano.  Hoole aku au, aohe palekana! Eia no nae, pela ka nohona a e mau ana au i luna o ko'u paikikala aloha.  He wahi mele keia e hoike ana i ke ano o ka holo paikikala.  I ike oe, o ka "piupiu" he kani no ia i ka wa au e kali ana ma kekahi aoao o ke ala, aia a a ke kukui kupono i aeia ka holo ana, o ka piupiu ke loheia.  Aka nohoi, aohe keia poe e hoolohe no ka mea, aneane makou apau o nei aina make i ka mea kalaiwa hupo!

He aha nei hana a ka paikikala

A ka nui lehulehu e kau ae nei

Holo ana hoi oe me ka noeau

O ka hookui nae kou hopena

Me ke kaa hoi e hookuku ana

Piupiu ke kukui, aohe palekana

Nana aku i na keiki e holo ino ana

Ikeia o Hawaii no e ka oi

Hainaia mai ana ka puana

Piupiu ke kukui, aohe palekana

The Day After

So, I didn't want to risk going on that incredibly long journey today because I had so much food I don't usually have last night.  The result? I'm perfectly fine, but it was better safe than sorry I think as the last place I need to be is in a Japanese hospital.  Because I was home alone today however, I had to find something to do.  Well, naturally, I called back to Hawai'i and everyone was busy so then I decided to go look for Hawai'i.

Basically, I Google'd Hawai'i and Matsuyama City and I thought I would just go find the places that came up.  Most of them however, I was unable to find and the easiest one to find was a hair salon called Mahalo; but that I one I had seen earlier so that's kind of a cheat.  As a bonus however, I found a salon called Hair Aloha or something, and it was really cute!  One place had nothing to do with Hawai'i and when I came back home I looked it up again and the only reason it came up in the search was because the buildings website has a link to Hawai'i tourism somehow.

Now, I'm sure that some people are reading this and are ready to start protesting the Japanese peoples use of the Hawaiian culture because that's usually the reaction, isn't it?  "OMG they named a hair salon mahalo? That takes away all the pono."  I just want to say that while I was playing this game I was reflecting on this subject because I thought it should be addressed. Here are my thoughts.

I love Hawai'i and so do they.  If it were an insult to the culture (and I don't really think it is) that they pick and choose small portions and re-share them again in their own country with their own twist then I'm sure they meant no offense by it.  It's not like they are trying to bring an end to all Hawaiian culture in Hawai'i, in fact they are celebrating it.

I think the question might be, how do we explain these feelings to them in a way that would make them understand?  Don't hate, educate.

I think that's part of the reason why I'm here.

(^o^)

Ka Hookipaia Ana

Aloha pumehana e ka mea heluhelu,

Poina no hoi iau ka inoa o keia ano hui ana, aka he inoa no ko ka paina a ke Kepani ke oe hui no ka inu ana a me ka hoonanea.  Ua hoolalaia he paina hookipa no maua na haumana i hele maila i ke Keena o Matsuyama a he ia ka ai o keia po.  Ua nani maoli no a he ono luaole na mea apau i waiho i mua o'u!

O kekahi mea hoihoi o keia po, ua kamailio o Kukuilani i ko maua luna a ua hoike ka luna ia maua i kekahi manao, oia hoi, aole maua e hoololi i ko maua ano.  Hoomaopopo paha ka mea heluhelu i ko'u moolelo o nehinei, oia hoi, ka'u mele ana i ka mele holookoa a'u i haku ai me ka nana ole i ka olelo o na luna e hoopokole mai.  Hui akula no au me Kakuhihewa!  Olelo mai nei ka luna, maikai keia hana.  A paipai nui oia ia maua e kapae i keia mau loina Kepani a e hana e like me ko Hawaii.

Hiki no e ka luna, hiki no.

Mahalo ka hui ana o keia po ma keia hale aina nani!

Mahalo a nui

Ame Ame Fure Fure

Today was the first day it actually rained since we've been here.  Naturally, there were other days when I woke up and things were wet outside however today it actually continuously rained throughout the day.  I am told that it's going to be sunny tomorrow, but it is yet to be determined. 

When it rains in Japan a lot of people ride their bikes while holding umbrellas.  It looked extremely dangerous, but I had to give it a try because EVERYONE was doing it and I'm pretty sure I'd get arrested to ride around on a bicycle as I did today with just my work clothes and an umbrella in Hawai'i.  Somehow, I made it through the entire ride and I was very proud of myself but I realize that it was really rough and I'll never do it again.  I just wanted to try one time and that was more than enough.  

Speaking of bikes, tomorrow Aurora is going on the Shimanami Bike Route.  I was supposed to do it as well, but my stomach hasn't been to great (I think I'm going to drink more water) and tonight we had this big reception where we had all this great food!  The restaurant was awesome as they had fishtanks filled with fish and even had Sea Turtles in one!  It was really quite amazing however, as my stomach hasn't been doing to well and a lot of the seafood I've never eaten before, I've opted out of doing the Shimanami bike route as that's 8-10 hours of bike riding and the last thing I need is to get sick in the middle.  

Perhaps though, later on, I'll try it out.  

(^_^)

He Mele

Aloha pumehana kaua,

O ka moolelo o keia la, ua pili no ia i ka halawai pu ana me na luna nui o ka aina maanei.  Na kekahi lala o ko makou keena i hapai mua maila i ka manao iau e mele i kekahi mele i ko makou wa e kipa ana i ke Kiaaina o Ehime.   Ua hoole mua au iaia aka, mahope o ka walaau liilii me kekahi hoa pili, ua hooholoia e aho ka loaa o ka ukulele no laila i hapai aku keia i ka ukulele a i ka hana i keia kakahiaka.

I ka hoea ana aku, ua puiwa na luna o ke keena i ka'u mea e hapai ana me ka i ana aku, "Aue, mele ana oe i keia la?" a he ike mai koe nohoi.  A hala ka aina awakea, niele hou maila a ua ae akula.  Noiia au e mele a o ko'u mele akula no ia i ka'u mele i haku ai na ka papa mele, oiai he mele kupono no ka pilina ma waena o Iapana me Hawaii, a he mele pilikino nohoi ia.  O ka hapa keia o ke mele a he olelo alai ka lakou.  Noi mai lakou e hoopokole au i ka'u mele.

Ua hoole akula au ia lakou me niele ana aku i ke kumu o ka lakou olelo ana me kela.  Wehewehe maila aole paha he nui ka manawa i hiki hui, no laila aole i lawa ka manawa e mele i ka mele holookoa.

Ua kupaa nae keia no ko'u mele me ka manao, i ole he hiki ke meleia ka mele holookoa, aole e loheia ka honehone o ka'u ukulele.  Aia a kukalaia keia manao i kimokimo ai ke poo o kahi luna me ka hoomaopopo.  Nolaila, ua makemake hoi au e waiho ka ukulele ma ke keena, eia nae ua paipai hou lakou e lawe i ka ukulele ina he lawa ka manawa e mele aku.  A oia no ka'u hana ai.

Ma mua iho o ka hui ana me ke Kiaaina, ua hemo ka ukulele iau mai loko mai o kona pahu malama, ina he manawa a laila e mele.  I loa no a noho ihola au o ka niele maila no ia a ke Kiaaina no ko'u makaukau ma ka ukulele, a hai aku au iaia ua makemake au e mele i kekahi mele.  Ae maila oia a mele akula au i ua mele nei.

Iau e mele ana ua ikeia ka hopohopo ma ke alo o ka'u mau luna no ka loihi o ke mele, aohe nae he hope e hoi aku ai, kupaa au ma ka'u olelo.  Pau ka mele i ka himeniia, a pai kii pu makou.  Ua haaheo no au iau iho no ke mele ana i ka'u mele i haku ai no ka hoohanohano ana i ka pilina o Iapana me Hawaii...a ua haaheo pu nohoi au i ko'u kupaa ana ma ko'u olelo.  Aole he kuemi wale i hope.  Oia no ko'u pahuhopu i ko'u ku ana mai maanei a ke hauoli nei ka naau i ka hookoia o ko'u makemake.

Mahalo a nui.

Government Meetings

So, my day started off rather horribly as I made an aggravating discovery.  

I went to Ross in Hawai'i and I bought shoes so that I could be presentable when we met the government officials.  I was very proud of myself for taking this initiative as (for some odd reason) the office actually thought I didn't own a pair of shoes and this was a common thing for people from Hawai'i.  Well, this morning I put one shoe on with to no avail then I spent 20 minutes (literally) trying to put the other shoe on...that's right, it was a different size shoe.  I think Damon Reyes even saw me try it on and yet, alas, circulation was being cut off to my foot (and I couldn't even get it on).  

On that note I put on my slippers and went to work.  As they had originally thought I didn't have any shoes, it was not a problem when I had slippers and once I explained the story they actually thought it was really funny.  I spent the morning preparing omiyage and working on the presentation, then before I knew it, it was time to go meet some important people.

Now, when I say important people, just so that you know...I don't just mean bosses of big business...we met people who were at the top of the Education Board, International Affairs, and even the Governor!  It's such an interesting formality that I've never experienced: 

Every office we went to we were served tea (except the Governors office where we were served Orange Juice, probably since Ehime is famous for its oranges).  I don't think I've been so nervous for a very long time...but as it would turn out, we were told we did very well.  I'm not sure if that's what they're culturally trained to say...but I think I'll take it.  

(-_-)'

Ua ao

Aloha pumehana e ka mea heluhelu.

Ke ike nei au i kahi pilikia o'u, ma kekahi ano ua hookae aku au i kekahi poe maanei a ua komo no ka manao e hooponopono.  I keia la ma ka hana e kamailio ana au me ko'u luna a mea mai oia, "Manako, he oluolu nohoi oe.  No ke aha aohe wa naukiuki ou?" a ua noonoo no iau iho, he naukiuki nohoi kau keia!  Eia no nae, aole paha au e hoike aku ia lakou no ka nele o ka huaolelo.  He haawina no keia i ao e ia, oia hoi, he maikai ka nele o ka huaolelo i kekahi manawa no ka mea aole he hiki ke namunamu ina he maopopo ole ia oe na huaolelo e pono ai.  Mea hou maila, "He minoaka wale no kou i na wa apau!" ae koke akula au.

Eia no nae, aole loa au he hauoli i na wa apau maanei.  Me he la, e namunamu mau ana au i ka poe i hiki ke hoomaopopo i ke ano o ka'u olelo ana aku a he hewa maoli no kela.  I keia po i kahea akula au i kekahi hoa pili, a nana no i kokua nui mai iau ma o ka hoolohe i ko'u pilikia.  Eia ka, o na huaolelo ino a'u i hoopuka ai, oia mau no lakou e lewalewa ana i luna o'u ma hope no laila mai i eleu au a i ka hale kuai meaai me ka manao e hookuu i na manao ino ma o ka onioni ana.

I ko'u hoea ana aku nae, ua komo ka minamina a hilahila.  Na'u i hewa i ua kanaka ala, a ua ike ihola i ka mea e pono ai, oia no ka mihi ana aku.  No laila, kuai akula au i mea ono nana a ua eleu no hoi keia a i kona hale me ka noi huikala.

Ua kalaia.

Mahalo a nui.

Progress

I think today has been one of the most productive days thus far on several scales, and they are as follows:

Japanese lessons (the intensive ones) are done as of today and if I can retain everything I learned in this throughout the summer as fast as I can pick up some other languages...I will go back home practically ready to serve the emperor of Japan in Japanese.  Iʻm really thankful (although it kind of stresses me out) for the opportunities in learning Japanese that have been presented to me here.  I can't say that enough.

We also kind of officially planned out our first presentation at an Elementary School today, and planning things out means progress moving forward and I'm super excited to finally start doing what I came here to do: to get to a place where I can affect change, and change it.  I want them to here what people born and raised in Hawai'i have to say about it and encourage more aware visitors to come and meet everyone.  Maybe that's a little lofty for Elementary school, but maybe meeting us will be an experience of their lifetime.  I think you have to look at it as the latter or else you won't put as much effort in.

I came home and finally braved my fear of riding the bike at night. I rode my bike to the grocery store, bought groceries, stuck them in my basket and came back home.  It's so liberating to get over this going out at night nonsense...I think I'm finally settling in to Japan. I also got an iron today.

Also, today a woman came into the office and she was getting ready for an event this weekend where she will help people try on traditional Korean outfits.  It's so awesome to work at an International Center in Japan because one doesn't often think about various international activities while they're here...but i get to witness first hand all the amazing foreigners who come to Japan and still can share their culture.  My office is like...a safe haven for the different and the misunderstood...and so many of them speak such good Japanese!  Inspiring.

(o^_^o)

I Ka Olelo No Ke Ola

Aole maopopo iau ke ano o keia, aka he kiute.

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka mea heluhelu.

Aue, he nani keia la i ko'u ao ana i ke olelo Kepani!  He olelo noeao no o, I ka olelo no ke ola i ka olelo no ka make, a ua ola au i ka olelo i keia la...o ka olelo Kepani nohoi.  O ka olelo makuahine mau ana ka olelo ma ko'u puuwai, aka ua komo no ke aloha no ka olelo o ko'u mau kupuna i keia la.  Oiai aole i makaukau loa maua i ka olelo Kepani a pueko wale ka olelo, ua hoolalaia he mau papa olelo Kepani na maua e hooikaika i ka pilinaolelo.  He eha la, a he 3 hola o na la pakahi me ke kumu he alo a he alo a ua aapo kokeia he mau mea hou!  Aole o kana mai i keia makana a ke keena i hooili mai ai ma luna o'u, ua ke ao hou koke nei au i ka olelo!

Eia hou kekahi, na ko'u hoa hana i hapai akula i ka manao e hookomo maua i loko o kahi papa olelo Kepani me na poe no waho o Iapana e noho ana ma Ehime.  Ua hookomoia au ma ka papa C, a oia hoi ke kulana waena o ka olelo.  Aia i loko o ia papa he mau poe mai na aina like ole, oia no o Enelani oe, o Bulakila oe, a o Amerika hoi.  Ma kahi o 10 kanaka paha ka nui o ka papa, a ua nani no ka hui ana mahope no ka mea, aia he mau kanaka o ka olelo haole.

Maopopo loa, ua ahuwale ko'u hookae ana i ka olelo haole iwaena o kakou na poe olelo hawaii a i kekahi manawa, he poina koke hoi keia ka wa akahiakahi o ka olelo makuahine.  Ua ike iho nei au i keia mau la i hala ae nei, ina aole makaukau loa ma kekahi olelo, he hana nui ke komo piha ana i ua olelo nei.  Me ia mau manao, mahalo nui au i ka hoomanawanui o na kanaka i kue mua i ko'u paipai nui ana ia lakou e komo i ka olelo!  Eia mai ko'u manawa e hoomanawanui a e hookanaka hoi ma ka olelo Kepani.  Eia no nae, ua mahalo nui au i ka hui ana me ka poe olelo HAOLE maanei, no ka mea me he mea la, ua nele au i hoa kamailio a na lakou no i pani i ka hakahaka.  Manaolana, e lilo lakou i hoa no'u....he ike mai koe.

Oia mau no nae ko'u hao ana i ka aina aloha, aka i keia po ua ne maikai ka pilikia o ko'u naau.

Mahalo a nui.

Unexpected Turn of Events

The Castle is actually in this picture. LOL

I just want to preposition you: I havenʻt taken any pictures today.  Aurora said that she will send me the pictures from one of our events today as I didn't have a camera with me...but, it can't be helped.  I will however, post pictures from other days.  I just didn't want it to seem like I was lying to you, my beloved reader, about what exactly I've experienced day in and day out.

Today was a pretty amazing day aside from waking up far more early than I had originally anticipated.  I realized that my mattress is really uncomfortable so I flipped it over in hopes that tonight it will go better.  I'll be sure to let you know, as I'm sure that's an extreme interest point.

Lunch today was a little more eventful than I had anticipated.  We went to the University right down the road and ate at their cafeteria, then we were taken to a few offices where I am pleased to announce that we were very well received.  It would turn out that there is coincidentally a group of students here from Illinois, and they were about to be taken on a private tour to the Matsuyama Castle (pictures to come later). They were kind enough to allow us to join them, and we got a private tour guide for the castle!  It was really awesome, but we had to leave early because we had our first official meeting.

We got back to the center in time to rest a little, and then we began our meeting to plan out our first school visit.  Summary: I'm really excited about it!  I'll keep you posted

Oh by the way, first day of formal Japanese Language class today...it was great.

(^_^)~!

Pouli O Ka La

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka hoa heluhelu.

He la keia i piha i na ano hoailona like ole.  No ka poe piliuhane, a hoihoi ana paha keia mau manao a'u e hapai aku ia oe.  I keia kakahiaka i ala ai au no ka holo wawae ana a puni ka paka e kokoke ana i ko'u hale.  Aia ma kekahi kapa o ka paka ke ala e hiki aku ai i ke kakela o keia wahi.  Ua kaulana o Ehime i kona kakela no laila, he nani no ka ike ana i ia e ku ala i luna i ka lai o uka.  Eia nae, ua uhiia ka paka holookoa me ka noe.  Me he la, he noho keia i na kuahiwi a ua nani no ka hooikaika kino o keia kakahiaka.

Eia pu kekahi mea hoihoi o ka holo wawae ana...eia ka he mea maikai ia no ka launa aku launa mai.  Na kekahi poe o Hawaii, he aloha no ko lakou i na poe apau e kaalo ana ia lakou i ka wa kiihele.  Me he la hoi, o na luahine me na elemakule apau o keia kulanakauhale, ua aloha maila lakou ia maua i ka wa e holo wawae ana.  He aloha no ko lakou ia makou, a ua puiwa au i ka lohe ana i ka lakou mau leo oluolu ia makou i ke kakahiaka nui.  Ke loli nei ko'u manao no ka oluolu o keia mau poe, malia paha aia lilo ko'u nanaina i mea maamau no lakou, a laila paha e oluolu loa maila lakou.  Koe aku ia nae.

O kekahi mea hoihoi ae, oia no ka pouli o ka la i keia kakahiaka.  Oia kekahi mea ae e hoopili ana ia maua i na hoa noho no ka mea ua puka kakou apau i waho.  No'u iho he mea ano nui ia, aka na ka opua i alai maila i ka nana pono ana.  Eia nae, ma o ko'u pahu pai kii i hiki iau ke hoopaa pono i kekahi kii o keia hana kuikawa o ka lani.  Manao au ina ma Hawaii paha keia ano, he nui wale ka nua kanaka e puka ana i waho e nana...aka ma Iapana nei, me he la aohe poe i nana.  Mamuli paha ia o ka nui o ke kakahiaka  , oia ka mea a lakou i ala ole ai.  He aha la hoi ke kumu, ua hoka maoli no lakou no ka mea aohe keia he hana maamau.  Ke haawi piha nei au i kuu mahalo i ke Akua i kona hana nani i luna o makou, i mea hooheno no ko kakou mau maka. I ka wa a'u e nana ana i ka la, ua launa pu au ma kahi hoa noho.  Maikai no ka mea kupono na hoa hou iau, ina aohe hoa a laila e kaumaha nei naau.

O ka hope hoi, oia no keia po ma ka mikini koloaka.  Iau e huli ana i ko'u makemake ma ka mikini koloaka i oeoe mai ke ala kaaahi.  No ka oeoe ana mai o ua ala kaaahi nei i hooku koke kahi luahine i kona hele wawae ana o hoopalahalahaia auanei oia.  Aole emo, namunamu ana oia i kahi olelo ano e me ka leo kiekie a i nana hou aku ka'u hana, ua ikeia no he popoki e kaalo ana i ke ala kaaahi me ka wiwoole a me ka hupo pu kekahi.  Akaaka ihola au i ka hoopakele ana aku a ka popoki a ua ano alawa ino maila ka luahine iau.  Koho ihola au i ka PepsiOne no ka mea oia ka mea emi loa...a i ka wa i haule ai ua koloaka nei i kiki wale aku ke koloaka mai loko ma kahi puka na ka mikini i hana.  Aue, hoopoho kala!  Oia paha ka uku no ka akaaka i ka popoki minamina.  Aue ka aoao piliuhane.

Mahalo ka heluhelu ana!

Washing Machine Blues

It's a good thing I waited a little bit longer to write todays entries because I almost could have possibly left out the utter madness that was this evening. Ok, let's start from the beginning of today: I woke up early this morning as it has become some what of a regimen and at 600am I was out the door and jogging through a foggy park.

 Come to find out, I'm actually really close to museums and shopping centers as I only jogged about 20 minutes but I passed by several points of interest. I'd like to make this a common thing, that is, the 600am jogging but only time will tell how committed I am to it. As for the rest of the day, I had Japanese lessons at work, bought a pretty cheap bento for lunch, and then spent the last 4 hours finally starting the presentation we're supposed to work on. I think tomorrow will be a very productive day at work so I didn't do quite as much today. I've concluded that I probably need my own computer because the computers at the office are all in Japanese...which, as you're about to see, I can't read.

 So, tonight I got home and I took a shower as I usually do. I reheated my last bit of pork stew which was quite an appropriate meal for a slightly cooler day and then disaster struck...I realized I had no more underwear which means I have to do laundry. One down side to living here is that while there is a washing machine on my lanai...there is no dryer. It also hasn't been as sunny as I would like so I'm not even sure if the clothes will dry very quickly...but, as we all know when we run out of underwear something must be done so I ventured to do some laundry. For those who are my friend on Facebook, you will notice a picture of my laundry machine and its panel...with frantic Japanese all around it as a call to arms to all of my Japanese reading friends.

 I pushed every button a bagillion times and nothing would wash. In the end I discovered, I was supposed to TURN ON THE HOSE (which no one told me, how was I supposed to know?) Anyway, it was extremely embarrassing so naturally I had to share this experience with all of you.

 ($_$)

Ka Ohi Pupu

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka mea heluhelu. I keia la kakou i naue aku ai i kahi i kapaia ma ka inoa o Fuwari. He aha la ke ano o ia wahi, aole loa maopopo iau. I ka hooku ana aku i ke kee, ua loheia ke kani hokio o ka popailima. Ua pihoihoi au i ia wa no ka mea, he iini ka'u e ike i ke ano o ko Iapana popailima. He lohe wale no ko'u pepeiao i ke ano okoa o ka lakou paani ana, aohe nae o'u ike; ua ike nae au mai kahi mamao aku ka paani popeku wawae a ua eleu maoli no ka poe Kepani. O ke ano o ia wahi, he hoolaulea Kepani. Aole nae makou i makemake e uku (aole paha i lawa ka manawa) no ka hele ana i ka hoolaulea maoli, aka nae aia ma kekahi aoao aku o ke alaloa ke kahakai o keia aina a he nani okoa no ia. Ua ikeia na keiki a me na kupuna pu ma ka huehue one a ua ulu no ka hoi a me ia mau manao makou i hele aku i laila i mea e niele aku i ke kumu o ka lakou huli ana i ke aha la ma ke one o kahakai. I ka hoea ana aku, eia ka he pupu a lakou e imi nei a he papai pu kekahi! Ua kiuke wale no ka nana ana i ka lakou hana no ka mea ua kau ka halia no Hawaii. He nui no na manawa a kakou e hele kahakai a ohi pupu. He nani ia ka ike ana i ka hua a lakou ala e imi nei, ua wehewehe akula au i ko'u mau hoa hele i ka lealea o ka huli pupu ma Hawaii a wehewehe pu aku au i ka waiwai o ka pupu o ka aina aloha a Kahelelani. Kahaha iho nei lakou a pau i ka waiwai o ka pupu a ua komo no ka iini e huli makou ma ke one i pupu, a i mea hoihoi ae paha. Nanea au i ka makaikai kahakai! He loaa na ano pupu pupuka like ole, me na limu he ano e, a he loaa ka pololia pu! Nana, o ka Hawaii o ke Kepani, ua ano like a like hoi. Mahalo a nui.

Fart

First off, I saw an ostrich egg today. It was 3200 yen. Wow. So, today one of our coworkers offered to take us on a little driving excursion. You may have already noticed this but I'm noticing now and I remember from last time I was in Osaka, they like to experience new things in their own country just as much as we do. She said she looked this place up on the internet, and that's how we ended up going there. One of the main thing I noticed on this drive is that I really like Ehime...it's beautiful. It has mountains and trees...and I feel like there are always flowers blooming. It's actually really interesting to me that so many Japanese people like Hawai'i so much because we hardly ever have flowers blooming. In fact, in many ways, parts of Ehime look a lot prettier (than parts of O'ahu anyway). Maybe it's just our weather. Anyway, I would say one of the odd highlights of the day is when our cooworker smelt something bad from outside and immediately blamed me and said that I farted. I didn't actually know the word for fart, and I kind of forgot it already...but it's nice to see people warming up so fast that they can say that kind of stuff! Today really motivated me to get more on it with the language so that I can laugh more...I'll bet you don't often think about how important humor is, most of us take it for granted...but here, I don't get to laugh at much because I don't understand and it makes me sad sometimes. But, I'm going to pull through. (^_^)

Io Puaa

Aloha pumehana kakou!

O keia ka la hoomaha mua loa, a ua ano manaka maila oia.  Ua komo no ka iini e hana i ka pipi ku, no laila ua hele (wawae hoi) au a hiki i ka makeke a ma laila au i imi ai na mea apau e pono ai. Ua ano paakiki keia hana no ka mea, aohe mea i hoikeia ma ka hoailona ma ka olelo haole.  Eia nae, ua ohiohi au i na mea apau e pono ai.  Aka nae, ua heluhelu hewa au i kekahi mea, a i ka wa aʻu e kuke aku ana i ike aku ai au he io puaa koʻu ma kahi o ka io pipi! Aole no he pilikia, ua mau no ka ono.

Me ia mau manao i hakuia kekahi mele hoakaaka.  Manao ana au, ina lawa ka manawa (a e lawa ana paha) e haku mele iki ana au ma na Poaono.  Eia mai na lalani o ke mele i kauia ma o ka wikio ma luna nei.

Ke ala o ka io o ka puaa la

A ka leka kolohe i kuu maka

Hookomo ia na lauai he nui la

I ka ipuhao liilii a ke Kepani

Palai iho no i ka io puaa la

Ua hoohui ia ka akaakai pilau

Haina ia mai ana ka puana la

He ono he aloha kuu puaa ku ea

Mahalo a nui!

The Crows

Today was my first official day off and I was up at 5 oʻclock in the morning.  Actually, Iʻve been waking up at 5 in the morning everyday and Iʻm not exactly sure of the reason why.  At first I thought it was jet lag, but it might be because of the sun because the sun is pretty much the same here at 5 as it is in Hawaii at 7.  Whatever the case, I didn't jog today like I had originally planned...perhaps I'll do that tomorrow.

After spending all morning sitting around I decided I wanted to make some stew so I went shopping for food again.  I'm hoping I can fall out of this phase of shopping for mass amounts of food everyday soon because everytime I go there I find I want something else...and by the way, for lunch I made some instant package saimin and I just want to let everyone know so you can remind me, that stuff makes me feel sick. The one I eat at home does too but I guess I couldn't come to terms with it 'til today.  I just can't live off the cheap instant food, I get sick.  I guess that's one reason to pursue a prosperous career, no?

An interesting thing that happened today is, as I was walking to the 100 yen shop, and I was crossing the street I felt like everyone was staring at me.  I immediately got worried because yesterday (I don't know if I told you this) I left the house in a rush to go to the grocery store and I re-wore a pair of shorts that didn't seem that dirty and I'm trying to put off laundry as long as I can.  So, I wore the shorts all last night at all the grocery store we went to and when I got home I felt a bump in the back of my leg then I reached down and fabric was hanging from the bottom of my shorts...come to find out, my boxers from YESTERDAY were IN THE SHORTS LEG, and its very likely they were sticking out for the whole 2-3 hours I was shopping...

So anyway, that's why I was worried today.

But, it turns out that people just seem to be scared of me because I look very different everywhere I go, and they don't know if I can speak Japanese so they never say anything but I notice what they do: One lady saw me at the crosswalk and wouldn't cross with me to wait on the same side, and another person saw me down an aisle at the store and immediately ran to another aisle.

Some might say I'm exaggerating, some might agree...but I think I just feel like I'm giving a bad impression because I don't smile at people or try to be friendly because if they talk to me I can't really talk back that well; or worse, if they actually are scared they might be all "stranger danger" you know?

Anyway, after all that weirdness, stew was good.  AND, one other weird thing...today at around 19:00 a huge flock of crows flew over the building.  Is that something I should be concerned about?

(^_^)v

Paikikala

Aloha pumehana kakou,

O keia la ma Ehime, ua nani no mamuli o ka hoomakaia ana o ka hana a maua o Aurora.  Ua hoomanawanui au i ka olelo Kepani i keia la no ka mea o kaʻu hana o keia kakahiaka, he walaau i ke Kepani e pili ana i na ano mea like ole.  Makemake au e hoolaha pu kekahi i kaʻu mea i hana ai ma ka hana, ua ima i na hale aina maikai.  Me he mea la ke huli nei ka maka o lakou a i kekahi aoao.  He nani no!

A eia mai he kii o ka hookui o ka la ma Iapana.
Kimochii

Manako

Jitensha

Hey hey, today was my first day actually doing stuff at the office! I started off with an amazing 4 hours with a Japanese tutor and even though Iʻm sure I seemed almost disrespectfully tired, I enjoyed every minute of it.  They fully immerse you in the language and talk really slow, but thatʻs ok because they know that you take your time.  I wrote stuff out and I was shocked to discover how much I actually know in Japanese.  Great confidence boosting day.

And confidence was absolutely necessary for endeavors of later in the day.  Immediately after the tour I ended up going to get lunch and we at Dogo Park which was BEAUTIFUL! Whenever I go back I intend to take a picture but, unfortunately when we left today I didnʻt know we were going to eat at a park so I didnʻt bring my camera.  I found out one of my coworkers speaks Spanish.  She even invited us to a Salsa class on Tuesday!

As it was a very confident type of day, I must also mention that today I had a huge Ugly American moment during my Japanese tutoring session.  She asked me what my major was and I said Hawaiian and "hoterumanagimento." Now, I donʻt know if you know this already but I explained to her that itʻs hard to Japanesify all my words, to which she replied,"Itʻs a Japanese word, and thatʻs why you pronounce it as such.

Wow, heavy.  Think about it.

(-_-)ʻ

Ke Ala O Ka Rose

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka mea heluhelu.


He la nani nohoi keia ma Ehime nei.  Akahi nohoi au a ike, aia au ke noho nei i waena o elua mauna a aia he kakela ma luna o laua pakahi.  Pomaikai ka nohona i Ehime nei.

I keia la i kipa aku ai makou i kekahi hoikeike pua loke kekahi.  Ua malamaia ua hookuku nei i loko no o kekahi hale kaawale o ka hale hoikeike o keia wahi.  Pau o loko o ua hale nei i ke ala onaona o ka rose.  Auhea oe e ka mea heluhelu, ua oi aku oia ma luna o na pua apau i kamaaina iau! Me he mea la, ua noho no au i ke ala onaona o ka pua kiele oe, ka pua pikake oe, a o ka pakalana no hoi pu, aka aohe o'u ike i ke ala o ka rose. Nui ka poe i olelo maila he ala onaona kona aka, manao nohoi au he ala lahilahi wale kona. O ka hale piha i ke ala rose, oia no oe o ka lani o ke Akua paha! Aia komo au, ua pau ka pilikia, a ua olioli maila ka naau.

A o ka poe Kepani, he akamai hoi lakou ma ka malama mala rose ana.

Mahalo a nui

Tower of Babel

Today was a very productive day:  I woke up alive and succeeded in meeting most people at the office and discovering that we're pretty "in demand" among the community and sessions and visitations are still pending.  I got my first Japanese cell phone which is prepaid and they actually had to call it.  I went to several grocery stores and I've realized that my goal for this week will be to no longer be bothered by people staring at me.

I find that all day, I think of things that I want to put in this blog.  It takes everything I have not to jot them all down; but I recognize that I don't think I need to give every detailed moment and that instead I should sift through to find interesting things.  Todays interesting thing is that we were speaking to our leader at lunch (which was really a very delicious soba) and she mentioned the Tower of Babel.

Now, I don't think I've explained yet that my leader, while she's really very well versed in English, makes a great effort to speak Japanese to improve Aurora and myself.  Personally, I sincerely appreciate it and I'm excited for someone to offer that to me!  It was this Japanese that made the Tower of Babel story so interesting!  We were discussing similarities in languages and dialects around the world, and she propose that it was all related to the Tower of Babel and as we progressed all languages became different but, it appears that now we are all heading back to one language.

I don't necessarily want everyone to speak the same language, but it was kind of a cultural revelation for me as I never really thought of Japanese people talking about the Tower of Babel.  I'm going to bet most of you wouldn't either, when you think about it.  That may make me seem a little ignorant, but I'm enlightened now.  When you think about it, that's pretty heavy stuff.

(~_^)

Ka Pua Carnation

Aloha pumehana kaua e ka mea heluhelu.  

Eia au ma Iapana nei ma ke kikokiko ana e pili ana i ke ano o ko'u huakai.  Ua mio wale ko'u lumi, a ua nani na hoa o'u i launa iho nei.  O kekahi moolelo hoihoi a'u e hoike aku ai ia oukou, oia no ka moolelo o ko'u eke kala hou.

No ka poe i hele ole i Iapana, aole paha i maopopo he poe malama pono lakou i ko lakou kala.  Aole hoi lakou e hoohana nui i ke kaleka kikoo kekahi a he mea pohihihi iau ke kumu.  Ma muli o ka maemae o lakou, aole au e hana ino i ko lakou kala Kepani no laila ua pono au i kekahi eke kala ano loihi, aka aole au i noonoo no ia mea a hiki i ka po ma mua o ko'u haalele ana ia Hawaii.

No laila, ua hana au me ka lipine a me na ano kii like ole.  Aia na kii o ko'u mau hoa, o ka ohana, o na pua, a o na ano wahi like ole hoi o Hawaii.  He hoailona kuikawa no ia no ko'u ola.  A, me ke kokua a ke kane o ko'u tita ma o hoi ka hoohana ana i kana anakuhi mahaka, ua hoike au i ka hoailona o ko'u ohana, oia hoi ka pua ponimoi, i hanaia me ka pepa kula e like me ke kii o luna nei.

Akahele oe e Iapana, miomio kahi eke kala o ko Hawaii.

Mahalo a nui.

Here We Go Again

It's Day 1 and aside from my own personal feelings about flying long distances, I don't think things could have possibly gone any better.  That being said let me just say that it would be my luck to be the only person in the world who didn't know that if you check-in online with ANA you can in fact get in another line at Honolulu airport and bypass a bagillion people.  Note to self: Utilize this service in the future.

We flew from Honolulu to Narita, rode a bus from Narita to Haneda, and then flew from Haneda to Matsuyama here in Ehime.  The highlights of my day on the plane were probably meeting a lovely lady from Australia whose husband was the pilot; and the 4 movies I watched on the plane ride over.  It was about half way through when I got hit with excitement and actually watched an entire Japanese Movie called Shiawase-Pan, or Happy Bread.  It was basically about the different ways a couple bread to make others happy...very Japanese.

Aurora is my partner in crime here and we've already been received very well by some of our leadership here and a fellow intern.  They helped me work through some language problems with my air conditioner and hook me up to the internet...which is in my room, which is a bomb room just so you know and I will post pictures once I set everything up.  Tomorrow is a big day and it's 2230, so I should probably get to sleep.  I just didn't want to start off on the wrong foot by skipping a blog.

By the way, there was a Japanese lady on one of my flights that brought her ipu heke with her on board.  I think that's a sign this is going to be a good summer.

(~_~)

He Olelo Hoolauna

Kaulana o Ehime i ka Alani

Aloha pumehana ia kakou apau e na hoa makamaka o ka olelo makuahine.

He wahi wehewehena keia i ke ano o ka hana ma keia kikokikona o ka punaewele.  Aole keia he mahele unuhi o ka olelo haole i hoike mua ia nei, he wahi moomanao hou aku nae ia na ka hoa olelo makuahine wale no e hoonanea.  Penei ana ke kakau ana, me ka ole hoi o na maka o keia au i malama maikaiia ka moolelo, o pau kona pono i ka pahu aiole ka maka ninau paha, apwa.  Makemake nae au e wehewehe aku ia oe, e ka mea heluhelu, i ke ano o keia hanana nana i hooulu ai i ka manao e hana i keia wahi moomanao.

O ka la 9 o Pepeluali i ka makahiki 2001 i ulia ai ka mokuluukai o Amelika me ka mokulawaia o Ehime no Iapana mai.  Mai kela wa a hiki i keia manawa i pili maila lakou ala o Iapana me makou ko Hawaii.  O kekahi hua, oia ka huakai ana o kekahi haumana o ke Kulanui o Hawaii mai a i Ehime, a noho no laua a elua ma laila no na mahina he ekolu.  Oau nohoi kekahi o keia mau haumana nei.  O ka hana a makou, oia no ke ao ana i na mea Hawaii, a me ka launa like ana me ko Ehime.

Iau iho, o ke kuleana o neia papahana oia no ka hoike ana a me ka malama ana i ke kuanaike Hawaii no na poaiapili like ole.  O kekahi mau pahuhopu penei:  e nana pono i ke ano o ko ke Kepani ao ana i ko makou kamaaina no Hawaii ano nohona, e hooulu hou i ko'u Olelo Kepani, e kokua aku ia lakou i ke ao ana ma ko makou mau olelo oia hoi o ka Pelekane oe, o ka Hawaii oe, a o ka Paiai pu hoi!

Maanei no e waihoia aku ai na ano manao like ole.  Manaolana keia he hoi mai no oe e ka mea heluhelu i kela keia la mai ka wa o ko'u haalele ana ia Hawaii ma ka la 15 o Mei i ka hoi hou ana mai i ke one aloha.

Mahalo.

Introduction

Ehime Memorial

Sometimes, it takes tragedy to bring us together, and such will be the case from here on out for this humble blogger.  On February 9, 2001 there was a tragic accident here in Hawai'i.  The USS Greeneville, a submarine of the United States Navy and the Ehime Maru, a fisherman training boat from Ehime, Japan tragically collided and simultaneously ended the lives of 9 of the Japanese crew members and scarring our history for an eternity.  The remains of the boat are deep in the ocean off of O'ahus coastline, and one victim was never discovered.

From this sprouts the inspiration for this blog.  In summary, in an effort to foster good relations between the State of Hawai'i and the Ehime Prefecture of Japan several programs and events have been created since the incident.  Of these, I am the benefactor of a particularly amazing opportunity for students of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa to go to Ehime, and intern as an ambassador of sorts to exchange our culture with that of their land, and to instill fellowship amongst our nations.  May 15, 2012 I will leave Hawai'i and remain in Ehime for 3 months, throughout which time I intend for this blog to be a window into my thoughts and whatever interesting events should come into light.

JUST, letting you know.

(^_^)