9 Apr 2008 – HNL

Mon- a pleasant walk to the local Manoa marketplace to lunch with Huang. The outdoor farmers’ market is not opened on Mon but the sweet basil at the supermarket was better than none. The ‘South’ gin from New Zealand is one of the best flavour gin I have tasted- consisting of coriander seeds, lemon, orange, angelica, gentian & orris root, juniper & native manura berries and kawakawa leaves. Wonders how such a clear liquid all the ingredients can produce. Basil chicken with the gin was a yummy dinner.

Tue- a beautiful fragrant ginger flower lei made my day- don’t give me flowers when I am dead, do so when I am alive and can still enjoy them!  Thank you Kim for all the leis and for lunch in your delightful company at the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Across from the Maritime Museum, the Aloha Tower is a symbol of Hawaiian hospitality with trendy eateries & shops, life hula dancing & music in the atrium to attract the tourists.

Wed- appreciation to cousin Wilki for taking me to pay respects to his paternal grandfather Wong On at the Manoa Chinese Cemetery and to our 12 uncle John at the Diamond Head Memorial Park Cemetery. A short hike on the Waahila Ridge Trail on St Louis Heights was refreshing after the rains. Thank you for dinner. I am so blessed to have all my cousins. 

Will be departing tomorrow- how quickly 2 weeks have passed by. If I had booked on Aloha Airlines or American Trans Air, I might be stranded here on paradise (a nice thought!) but Air Canada will be flying me across the ocean and up to Vancouver. Mahalo & aloha to my family and friends in HI, especially cousin David who had to put me up.

Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened – Dr Seuss