Hula And the Family, Hula Oni E 2013

Youngsters really, step onto the stage, but when the chant begins you become enthralled. So confident, graceful and thrilling. As I watch ,I admire the ability to step onto a platform and perform as though they were born dancing. The leis, hakus and costumes can take time and money.

Pain and hours and hours of practice is all behind them now as they immerse themselves into the past.

It is time for the Hula Oni e competition 2013 at the Hilton Hawaiian resort.

They aren’t just beautiful and graceful, they ARE the hula. In deep concentration, aware of every move, the face betrays none of this but relaxes as it tells the story.

My grandson has been dancing for about 3 years now and enjoys every step he makes. He has poise and confidence and executes his moves perfectly.

When his and other  performances are done  pockets of  audience disappear. We’ve managed to get our photos. I’ve managed to get back up with my camera from my kneeling position without falling over. I join the exodus. The families, excited, file out the doors and down the hall to greet and hug their kids and add their, “job well done.”

In the past I’ve tried to show some of the behind the scenes as well as types of performances watched. But this year seemed different. As families and friends we have come together now for a few years to watch. In doing so we’ve grown more and more involved as we see the kids mature and grow in their art.

So I thought I would share the love and pride that is shown among families and friends back stage. There are also a few behind the scenes shots that I thought were colorful.

While waiting to perform these two boys kept each other entertained. “I’ll take a photo of  you then……you take a photo of me.”

completely dressed to perform but keeping warm while they wait.

These girls might have been from Japan as groups do come over from there to compete. They are concentrating on something. It might not even be performance related

These young girls were adorable. They may even be related. But they were all dressed up and waiting and family started to take photos so I did too.

I took a photo of these two as no one had a camera so I photographed them for one of the relatives and emailed it to them.

This guy was relaxing with a cool drink of water and wearing his socks. I love photos that are so out of context. It remind me of the admonition that entertainers are no different than us because they have to put their pants on one leg at a time. 🙂

Then when I went back into the auditorium to watch more hula here was the guy who was drinking water. He got up their as cool as could be and gave a powerful, solo performance.

This guy was posing and having a lot of fun while waiting to go on

 

The kids are close in each halau as close as family and they gravitate to each other after their performances.

The grandparents grab the kids making sure to get their photos together.

These two siblings compete in the hula and with each other.

Mom and auntie’s turn to pose

 

Grandma has something special  for her girl.( I just love how beautiful and long  Kili’s hair is gettingProud father

By now the kids are getting tired and want to be with their friends but wait. There are more grandparents

 

And Dad wants a photo with his son

Mom is back again with both kids now

And even the mentor who helped my grandson to stay on track throughout the competition steps in

and though my grandson has on his hat and is ready to make it he has still more family that wants those photos.And last but not least I manage to get  into one shot, all washed out from running around trying to take everyone’s photo.

but that’s what family is about and we support the kids in their endeavors. But families here in Hawaii extend beyond blood.

 

The most important family in hula life is the Kumu. You can see the admiration for kumu Snowbird on Kili’s face.

And of course there are the hula sistersAnd the hula brothers.

And the very touching love of friends.

I’ve said it before but I can’t say it enough. What touched me most about living in Hawaii is how much children are loved. They, are to be seen, and they, are to be heard.

Time to give up Driving

Just leave me in a coffee shop and come back and get me at the end of the day. I’ll be safer that way

I came out of the store this morning and walked to my car. It wasn’t there! Did I park it in that spot? Clicking the panic button didn’t get me any reaction. I’m getting so old I thought I might have parked it somewhere else. But my mind insisted, no it was on the store side of the parking. Click, click, click. But no alarm sounded back.

I went into the restaurant that fronted the parking to ask the young man in there if he saw anyone fussing with a black ford. He responded with caring concern and walked out to the parking space. All the time I kept thinking, my computer is in the trunk. What is Chris going to do if I lose her car.

The young man patiently walked up and down also pressing the panic button and then the lock button but nothing. “Calm down, keep your cool and just keep looking,” I chanted to myself. But nowhere in site. Then the young man said to me “are you sure you parked it next to such and such store?”

I looked at the store next to where I parked my car and lo and behold the store had changed places with the one I had parked in front of.  I walked down to the store my car was parked in front of and yes, luckily when they changed the store they had changed my parking too. There sat the car. The bane of my existence. Crummy radio and all.

I think my driving days are numbered.

Four Equals One

My kids were up all night packing. When they left with tents, three mountain bikes and food a part of me went with them. Cadie.

If you’ve been reading my blog long enough you might know how I feel about my four dogs. I should say the family dogs but they sleep with me, eat what I put down for them and gather around me when ever I sit out in the patio. Do you see how Cadie  in the above photo is looking at me so admiringly? That is how she looks at me all day long as she follows me from room to room. She is a White Boxer

When ever I leave the house she shakes like a leaf when I leave her behind. Consequently I have a very hard time leaving to go anywhere because it breaks my heart that I have to leave them behind.

Now if Cadie could only behave like this when I leave I might not have told the kids to take her camping with them. I needed a “heart-break.” I am going to a knitting lesson tonight and I know I will be gone for many hours and the thought of leaving her home locked up just tears me to pieces.

So off she went without so much as a good-by as my son-in-law whisked her away with his quiet departure. I quickly pushed down the emerging sadness as I thought “I didn’t even get to hug her.” But I said to myself “be happy you won’t have to feel guilty when you leave tonight.”

 

Now this is Ka Mea. A Pit Bull.  And this is how he appears in the morning when he greets my daughter and I. He actually talks to us in long sing-song sounds. He is a happy little guy and when I leave he is just fine. He goes to his crate and settles in like a clam. No problem. He is Caddie’s pal and partner in crime if someone forgets to lock them up before they leave the house.

Many a time I’ve come home to my books and Nico’s books torn from the shelves and totally chewed up. I used to leave them in the yard until one day I came home to a snow storm. They had torn open all my yard furniture pillows and both sat at the sliding door looking at me with grins on their faces.

This is what Max looked like when my kids first rescued him from the Humane society. He is a Polish Low Land Sheep Dog.His tail never lifted for the longest time and he walked sadly next to me when I took him out. But at least he was easy to walk.

This is “Mad” Max now. When we go for walks he pulls me down the street and his tale looks like Captain Feather Swords, sword. As Cadie and Max go whizzing by him he growls and grumbles. He pushes to be the first out to the yard. He barks at everything and everyone as they go by or don’t go by. He just loves to grumble. Cadie and he both stalk me. I have to make sure that I don’t give Max more attention then Cadie or it results in a big fight.

See that long mustache. That was Ka Mea’s playground when He was a pup. He pulled every bit of it off hanging off Max’s mouth. And Max never bit him.

And last but not least is Kylie.

Kylie is part Beagle and part Basset Hound. She she is a rescue also and really could be part anything. We were told of her wonderful virtues  when we decided to get her. She was housebroken (but not when it rains we found out. She pees on any and every area rug she can find) She doesn’t shed (when she is standing still) and she is a picky eater (If they meant picky as to what spot she is going to pick like the counter in the kitchen where she throws anything she can find down to the other dogs and then helps herself to the better foods. And we still can’t figure it out as to how she gets her short little legs up there as she is no higher than two feet.)

And Kylie and Ka Mea were best buds. UNTIL… Cadie. This brings me back to the beginning. Cadie became the toy hog, the pillow hog, and the dog hog. Ka Mea being the youngest loves to play and so does Cadie and Kylie. But Cadie won’t let Kylie play. I guess you can say she is the school yard bully. So Kylie has devised a way to get even with Ka Mea for dropping their friend ship.

When Ka Mea is all snugly in his crate rolled up into his pillow and Cadie is no where around. Kylie will stand in front of the cage and lean down on her two front paws in play position and bark a come out and play bark. Inevitably, Ka Mea will get out of the cage and prance and do his happy dance and Kylie will quickly go around him and run into Ka Mea’s cage and lay down on his pillow and go to sleep.

So those are the four. One is now camping and as I go into the house the three are not the same. Mea has been pacing and Max doesn’t seem to care that I’m not with him and Kylie? well she’s just Kylie. But as for me, how in the world did I ever think it would be a break for me if she went overnight with the kids? Three is not better than four. Would 3 limbs be better than four? Would  Three of my grand kids be better than the four? For that fact would 3 Hagen Daz Bars be better than a whole quart? Wait that’s not supposed to be on my mind.

No, I want my arms and legs in total. I want all my family together and without Cadie my pack is not complete. Oh well she will be home tomorrow.

And if you would like to see where the kids are dirt biking tonight here is a link to Kualoa Ranch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1dPL5vbDMg