Puddles, Merrie Monarchs, Guests

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

4/15/23

 

Aloha All!

 

Another wet week here. This is getting old, though it has its upsides -- I've been able to switch off my garden irrigation system for several cycles and I haven't had to add any water to our pool for many weeks now.  Unfortunately, our photovoltaic system doesn't have many photons to convert to volts, so we've been cutting into our reserves. Twice this week I even had to turn on our electric backup heating for our hot water so our showers would be at least lukewarm, and that uses even more reserves.  I'm confident, though, that in no time at all we'll be complaining about how relentlessly sunny it is and how badly we need rain....

A major feature of this week was hosting a long-term friend who is visiting from the mainland.  This is the woman who used to live here for over 30 years and then moved to Portland because her husband had health issues. I just realized this may be somewhat confusing because we have another friend in almost the same predicament, and both now live in Portland. The other friend, though, was a snow bird who never lived here on a permanent basis.  At any rate, we really enjoyed having her stay with us for a few days.  A

Hula Kahiko

highlight was sharing dinner at Four Seasons resort up north one evening. She is now over on the east side of the island, where she attending the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo.  This is the World Cup/Super Bowl/World Series of hula, in which groups (both male and female) from all the islands and even other parts of the world perform and compete in honor of King David Kalakaua. Kalakaua is credited with saving hula as an art form after it had been severely repressed by Christian missionaries in the 1800's.  It is certainly alive and well today, and each year it evolves and gets more complex, expressive, and demanding. Two major categories of competition involve "hula kahiko" (old style performed to a chant and only a drum) and "hula 'auana" (modern, post-contact, performed with instruments and in more modern dress).  Both are fascinating to watch.  This is the first year since Covid that live-audience tickets have been available and they sold out almost immediately. 

 

Speaking of our ultra-posh resorts along the Kona coast, the demand is apparently strong enough that two more are opening:  the re-built Kona Village next to the Four Seasons, and the Auberge, which took over the Mauna Lani further north. These comfy accommodations start at a mere $1200 per night and go up to  $3000+ for a bungalow at the Kona Village. Sorry, airport parking for your private jet isn't included....

 

No golf this week, but we did work out at Planet Fitness yesterday. We were pleased to have the place almost to ourselves.  However, after lunch at one of our favorite Thai restaurants (TK Noodle), we stopped at Safeway on our way home.  Absolutely jammed. Karen tells me this is normally the case, and so I made a vow to avoid going on Fridays at all costs in the future.

 

That's about it.  Hope you are seeing some signs of spring.  If so, enjoy.  If not, take comfort in knowing it must be just around the corner (right?).  Take care.