Days 16 & 17: A Return to the North Shore

Impromptu greeting in Hale'iwa

As Samantha will soon be leaving to attend a wedding on the mainland, I hopped TheBus back to the North Shore on Thursday to spend some more time with her before she leaves. As TheBus approached her house she hopped on and we traveled onward together into Hale'iwa to eat, once again, at The Beet Box Cafe, where we split a bowl of sauteed broccoli, onion, carrots, zucchini, red peppers, and tofu in a Thai curry peanut sauce over brown rice. Of course, there were also smoothies (banana, honey, almond butter, cocoa and            
almond milk for Samantha and papaya, banana, yogurt, cardamom and almond milk for me). Over lunch we discussed world matters big and small, in the ways that good friends do. Afterward we floated from shop to shop in Hale'iwa, looking at artwork and eating homemade ice cream (Vanilla Macadamia Nut & Meyer Lemon). When it came time to get on TheBus at the end of the day to return to Kaneohe, I wished I could have taken her with me. Every time I see Samantha I am sorry that we do not get the opportunity to spend more time together. She is such a positive and grounding influence in my life and I feel lucky that we have each other. There are so many things that I still want to do on the North Shore, including: hiking Waimea Valley, exploring Shark's Cove, and watching surfers at the Pipeline. Hopefully the next blog post you read about my adventures at the North Shore will include a picture of me next to the famous "Welcome to the North Shore" sign, a picture that I have been unable to take, in that past, due to my fear of stopping and starting a manual car on an upward slope in traffic.

Janine appreciating our creme brulee dessert

The following day Janine and I booked tickets for our 48-hour island hop next weekend to the Big Island. As of now, we will be visiting the Big Island of Hawai'i and staying in Hilo. We hope to visit the Volcanic National Park, track a lava flow, lounge on a Black Sand Beach, and zip line over a rain forest (more to come later). We will be island hopping after Janine gets out of work on Thursday night and hopping back to O'ahu Saturday night to get Janine back for work on Sunday. When booking our flights, I got a special little kicl out of the fact that I am now 25 and able to rent a car (we're getting an automatic). I am especially excited for our visit to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - I hope the weather cooperates and the lava is flowing!

We celebrated our superior decision-making skills over a delicious dinner at The Grove in Kailua (Yes, I am aware that this post is excessively food-oriented. Can you blame me?). We bonded over cocktails, Maine Lobster Risotto (Maine Lobster, Ewa Sweet Corn Relish, Kahuku Sea Asparagus, and Grape Tomatoes), and Apple Banana Creme Brulee while watching intricately decorated fish swim about in little aquarium tanks and fighting back the sniffles that have plagued us lately as a result of changing weather patterns and O'ahu's VOG (volcanic smog) level.

Day 15: Pearl Harbor

At dawn on December 7, 1941, more than half of the United States Pacific Fleet, approximately 150 vessels and service craft, lay at anchor or alongside piers in Pearl Harbor. All but one of the Pacific fleet's battleships were in port that morning, most of them moored to quays flanking Ford Island. By 10:00 a.m., the tranquil Sunday calm had been shattered. Twenty-one vessels lay sunk or damaged, the fighting backbone of the fleet apparently broken. Smoke from burning planes and hangars filled the sky, while oil from sinking ships clogged the harbor. Death was everywhere.                        - 
National Park Service Website

On Wednesday morning I woke up ridiculously early and drove Janine's car down to Pearl Harbor Visitor Center (successfully) in hopes of securing a walk-up ticket to view the USS Arizona later on that day. Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona actually topped my O'ahu To-Do list and I had looked into making accommodations for a visit within a day or two of arriving in Hawai'i only to find that tickets were sold out straight through mid-July. This left me with only one option: waking up at 5am and driving to Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to be first in line for a walk-up ticket. I arrived successfully 30 minutes before opening time, only to find ~35 people already in line. Thankfully, after standing in line for close to an hour, a kind burly gentleman handed me an extra ticket that a tour group did not need for a 10:30am tour. To kill the three hours between then and my tour time, he pointed me toward a self-guided audio tour booth and suggested that I explore the Visitor Center's Museums. For the next few hours I read about the political and economic events that preceded the attack on Pearl Harbor, which felt like a more detailed version of my high school social studies class but with real artifacts and audio accounts of survivors. The audio clips and movies of survivors recounting horrific tales of their crew members being burned alive inside the hulls of smoldering battleships were haunting. From the Visitor's Center I could see Battleship Row, where the prize battleships of the U.S. Navy had been docked on the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial is only accessible by boat. It straddles the remains of the sunken USS Arizona, which serves as a watery National Cemetary for the 1,177 crwemen whose bodies are still trapped inside. Casualties onboard the USS Arizona account for almost half of the total death toll of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. We were instructed to keep our voices low and asked to drop a flower into the water to honor the dead who lay imprisoned below. The memorial itself is simple and beautiful. National Park Service Website). I was surprised to learn that, 72 years after its destruction, an average of 2-9 quarts oil still surfaces from the wreckage of the USS Arizona on a daily basis.
The signature Tree of Life pattern (the white geometric pattern seen in photos above) from the Visitor Center's statue is also built into the architecture of the USS Arizona Memorial, creating a cohesive symmetry between the structures on land and in the harbor. The memorial consists of three sections: an entry room, a central area designed for ceremonies and general observation, and a shrine room where the names of the victims of the USS Arizona are engraved on a wall. Looking down from the memorial I could see glimpses of the sunken ship below the plumes of oil that danced on the water's surface. The USS arizona, which held approximately 1.5 million gallons of “Bunker-C” oil at the time that it was torpedoed, burned for 2 1/2 days (

I cannot say that this day was a happy one, although I was glad for the opportunity to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. I left the park in a somber and somewhat conflicted mood, trying to reconcile the images of destruction inflicted upon Pearl Harbor with the entirely unmentioned mental images of the United States later blowing parts of Japan sky-high with nuclear bombs. Standing over the sunken remnants of a once great battleship whose crew had drowned and burned alive in the service of the United States Military, I found that my awareness of the preciousness of human life heightened. How horrible that so many human beings - not Americans or Japanese - died in pursuit of imperialism, expansion, and ownership. Was it worth it? Was it necessary? I left the park feeling humbled, small, and pensive.

Day 14: D-Day

Tuesday was the dreaded D-Day (Derrick Deploys Day) at the Ransom household. Derrick was to leave at 1:30pm for a six month deployment overseas, one of the main reasons that I came to stay with Janine in the first place. I was concerned for Janine and trying to predict what she might need from a friend on the day that her husband leaves for half of a calendar year. We ate a send-off breakfast - which of course included bacon - then Janine drove Derrick to Hickham at Pearl Harbor to say goodbye. Derrick seemed sad to go but resolute. It is strange to think that he won't be around for the next month that I am here. Janine came back relatively dry-eyed, strong, and in need of some distraction.

While Janine dropped Derrick off I'd run into town to pick up a few things for a Ladies Day at home (another excuse to visit Whole Foods!). I picked up all the essentials - delicate cheeses, strawberries, chocolate covered coconut bites, veggies, hummus, and peppermint iced tea - along with a few tools for pampering. We sat on her front porch, soaking our feet and listening to DMB for about an hour, talking about the months to come and working through ways to handle Derrick's absence. This naturally progressed into pedicures and manicures, which we supplemented with delicious snacks and three or four episodes of Downton Abbey, which Janine had never seen. Our relaxing day was only interrupted around dinner time, when we headed over to base for a quick workout and massages (badly needed).

Spa day setup

Endorphins pumping, we returned home for the night for some zzzs. The house was quieter than usual and Tristan seemed confused about why Derrick wasn't home yet, which was sad, but Janine seemed content (as measured by the amount of singing I have observed in the past few days). I am so proud of my brave friend and her new journey as a married woman living in a new place on her own! Looking forward to some quality girl time with her over the next few weeks!

Day 13: Memorial Day & Lantern Floating Ceremony

Memorial Day was quiet as Janine had to work and Derrick was preparing to deploy the following day. I caught up on some reading, went for a run, then jumped in the car and headed into Honolulu for the Lantern Floating Festival. This ceremony is held annually on Memorial Day and honors loved ones who have passed away. The ceremony is meant to transform the beach into a sacred place where participants can reach out and offer remembrances to family members, friends, and loved ones who have already passed on by writing messages on lanterns and floating them out to sea.

The crowds thickened as we walked closer to Ala Moana Beach, reports later estimated that over 40,000 people were in attendance down the entire length of the beach. The ceremony officially began as the sun set, with Her Holiness Shinso Ito leading the elements below as described on the Lantern Floating Hawaii website:

Pū - The sounding of the pū, or Hawaiian conch shell, sanctifies the area and marks the commencement of the ceremony.

Shinnyo Taiko – The sound of the taiko calls people together. It is offered as a prayer for peace, with hope that people reach out in the spirit of creating harmony to support one another.

Oli - This Hawaiian chant calls the attention of all who are present to prepare their hearts to receive the importance of what will follow.

Entrance of Lanterns – Six large Parent Lanterns carry prayers for all spirits on behalf of all people. Prayers are offered for victims of war, water-related accidents, natural and manmade disasters, famine and disease. Gratitude is offered for all - even endemic, endangered and extinct plant and animal life. These lanterns are floated with the hope of encouraging harmony and peace.

Light of Harmony – Community leaders from various sectors symbolically demonstrate their unified commitment to creating harmony amid diversity.

Purification – Her Holiness Shinso Ito offers a blessing of the ceremonial area, the lanterns, all who are being remembered, and all in attendance prior to the floating of lanterns.

Onjiki – Literally meaning “food and drink,” this ritual offers spiritual nourishment to the souls of those being remembered.

Sange – Since ancient times, flowers have adorned the path of honored ones. The scattering of flowers on the path symbolizes the love and respect that we offer to our loved ones.

Shomyo – A fusion of traditional Buddhist chant and Western choral harmony.

Ringing of the Bell - The crystal clear sound of Her Holiness Shinso Ito's bell focuses everyone's thoughts and prayers and signifies that it is time to float the lanterns.

Floating of Lanterns - Lanterns are placed onto the water with wishes for the peace and happiness of loved ones past and present.

(The above series of photographs and descriptions are from the Lantern Floating Hawaii website. The slideshow below are my own pictures.)

Although we did not arrive in time to assemble personal lanterns, I picked my way through the crowds to the shoreline in time to watch others lovingly release their lanterns into the water. Those who could not make their way to the front of the crowd passed their lanterns forward crowd-surfing style. As I fought my way to waist-level, which is where the very front of the crowd was located in the water, a little boy struggled to float his lantern past the adults standing in front of him. I leaned in and gave his lantern, which had a message written to his grandfather in childish handwriting, a little extra push to the front and asked the couple in front of me to do the same, to shich the little boy smiled happily and hid behind his mother.

 The sun set as the lanterns progressed over the waves and past the shoreline. The sight of thousands of twinkling lanterns drifting solemnly out to sea was ... More moving was the extent of human emotion expressed by those in attendance as they mourned, celebrated, and remembered those that they were honoring. I watched a young father with his two little boys release a lantern addressed to their mother (picture below), a family with a lantern dedicated to an infant, and groups of friends paying homage to lost comrades. This ceremony was one of the most moving that I have ever attended. Among a sea of thousands of people I felt a collective sense of grief and understanding - that we were all mourning in our own way and that in our very human conditions we shared the experience of having loved and lost. In the end, I stayed as long as I could, watching the light from the lanterns grow smaller and smaller as they slipped away from us on the shore and the sun set. I felt moved and overwhelmed by being a part of a collective experience that I had previously kept private.

Day 12: Aulani Feast

Derrick, Janine, and I at Makahiki Restaurant (Aulani Resort)

I had delicious moments of perspective Saturday night as I drifted to sleep to the sound of rain with a gentle breeze lifting the heat of the night and bringing with it the pleasant scent of plumeria and hibiscus trees. I am very lucky to be here. What's more, I am so incredibly fortunate to have wonderful friends who not only house me, but ensure that my time here in Hawai'i is enjoyable and will be memorable after I leave. As things slow down and I begin to settle into my new schedule, I can feel myself unwinding and am beginning to see just how necessary this trip is to my well-being.

As Derrick deploys on Tuesday, we went out to an extra special dinner Sunday night to one of his favorite places on O'ahu, Aulani Resort & Spa. Aulani is a Disney Resort in Ko Olina. Compared to Disneyworld in Florida, this resort was quietly-Disney. When we pulled up I'd been expecting giant cartoon characters and Mickey-themed roads, but instead was greeted by towering delicate architecture and art that celebrated Hawaiian culture. Derrick's restaurant of choice within the resort was Makahiki Restaurant, which featured an extensive dinner buffet that included, among the items listed below, unlimited amounts of crab legs, oysters, sashimi, lomilomi salmon, and, yes, more poke.

The chef came out to walk me through the buffet and tell me which items had gluten in them and which did not, then offered to prepare me a special gluten free portion of those items that I wanted to eat on the buffet, which was amazing. I don't think I've eaten at a place that caters to food allergies like this before. While I waited for my gluten free portion of poke I went straight for the sushi, crab legs, shrimp, and oysters and got busy making a spectacle of myself in a nice restaurant by cracking legs and pulling apart tendons to get at the sweet crab meat inside. Our concerned waitress came over, smile on her face, to offer me an entire bowl of wet towels because it "looked like I'd be needing them". I was not fazed and the crab was delicious so I went back for seconds.

Janine tried her first oyster and just about all of the desserts on the buffet while Derrick started out fast and strong with a full plate then took a mid-dinner walk to prepare for seconds. Perhaps because of the amount of time and effort it takes to consume even the smallest morsel of crab meat, I took the slow-and-steady buffet approach, keeping my plates small and my portions smaller. In the end, strategies aside, we were all stuffed. We delicately sipped coffee and tea then dragged Derrick on a digestive walk around the resort and down to the beach. The skies were clear and the stars were visible, as was Saturn, which we looked at through a high powered telescope that we came across on our walk down to the beach. Derrick hopes to spend some time relaxing at the resort after his six month deployment. I think that Disney-themed places will always have a special place for him and for Janine as they got engaged at Disney World in Florida (I was there for that, too!) three years ago.

Days 10 & 11: The North Shore

Samantha's pineapple plant

On Friday I borrowed Janine's car and drove up to the North Shore to hang out with Samantha. For those of you who don't know, Janine and Derrick both own manual cars, a fact which challenged to my ability to get around the island sans public transportation. Knowing this, I had a friend give me a few lessons on driving stick back in Rochester before journeying to the island. Driving on O'ahu, however, is much different than driving in Rochester, which is perhaps, by comparison, the flattest place on earth. Before Friday I had practiced driving a few times in Janine's car, my heart about to explode from sheer anxiety whenever I was forced to come to a complete stop and get into first gear while stopped on an incline. When I missed TheBus to Hale'iwa Friday afternoon, Janine tossed me her keys and booted me out the door to a 60 minute drive (in good traffic) up the island and a trial by fire driving experience. Shaky and sweating, I was reminded of the first few times I was allowed to take my parents' cars to friend's houses and out for errands when I was 17 and learning to drive. The major difference between the automatic driving experience and the manual driving experience, as a beginner, is that when learning to drive an automatic car I was afraid to accelerate, when learning to drive a manual car I am afraid to stop. In fact, my anxiety over Hawaii'i's stop-and-go traffic patterns sent massive jolts of adrenaline to all parts of my body such that, when I finally arrived at Samantha's house (after stalling out a grand total of 11 times) I was shaking.

Highway driving? No problem. Crazy people merging? Got it covered. Stopping at a red light and starting again without holding up massive amounts of traffic behind me for 5 minutes? Sent me into a sweaty panicked state.

Once I lost my confidence to get into first gear from a stop, I was doomed to dread each and every crossing pedestrian and stop sign between me and Samantha. On my arrival to the North Shore I threw the car keys in my purse and tried to brainstorm ways to get the car back to Kaneohe the following day without personally having to drive it.

View of the North Shore from Samantha's deck

After a warm greeting and a few glasses of water, Samantha took me to Aloha Hour (Happy Hour) at a Mexican restaurant with two of her friends. I unwound slightly over a Mangorita and pupus (appetizers) while listening to Kimmy and Kelsey's lively stories about work, fiances, traveling, and teaching. Life on the North Shore seems to differ drastically from life in Kaneohe. Hale'iwa is a historic town with an extensive surfing community. The local shops, immediate and plentiful access to the beach, and layout of the town contributed to a community-based feel that was very laissez-faire. The community seemed to be young and connected in a small-city sort of way.  I would have stopped to take pictures of the North Shore as I traveled up it, but was too afraid that once I stopped the car I wouldn't be able to get it started again. Following Aloha Hour, Samantha, her friends, and me went back to Kimmy's beachside apartment to prepare a dish for the Raw/Vegan Party that we were to attend later that night. Samantha made "Save the Dates" - raw balls of dates, chopped walnuts, and cocoa powder that resembled truffles and tasted like heaven. They resembled the date balls in this recipe. With  Samantha's "save the dates" and Kimmy's Strawberry-Kiwi Sorbet in tow, we trekked 40 minutes out to a house party in the middle of nowhere.

Front lounging porch at Raw/Vegan Party

The middle of nowhere turned out to be a beautiful property nestled (again) on a steep hill. It was a one story house with multiple outdoor areas sporting Eastern-style decorations, Koi pond, hammock, plumeria and hibiscus trees, and a fire pit. I met many 20-, 30-, and 40-somethings from all walks of life, including one man from Binghamton, NY who couldn't remember my name and kept calling me "Rochester" while recounting tales of trying to surf in Irondequoit Bay. After a plate of delicious raw/vegan food and few glasses of a watermelon-basil concoction I found myself lounging on a one-armed couch outside, staring up at the full moon and inhaling the scent of tropical flowers. An older local man who had set up shop on the front lounging porch with a personal cooler offered me a drink and we talked about life in O'ahu, including his family, the teaching system, living communities, roads, and the job market. Most notably, this gentleman regaled me with stories of his construction crew and his attempts to strike fear and respect into the hearts of his crew members by doing insane things like eating bugs.

When I say bugs, I specifically mean Hawai'i's giant centipedes (Scolopendra subspinipes), which can grow past 6 inches in length, are as thick as a thumb, and are highly poisonous. I have only seen one so far and, let me tell you, I quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction out of sheer terror. If you are brave and would like to actually see a picture of one of these monsters, try this link, although I disagree with the author's account of the size of the creatures, as the one I saw (which turned out to be already dead) was at least 9 inches long. The thought of this man tearing the heads off of one of these centipedes and chowing down as it continued to multiply and wriggle in his mouth was enough to make my jaw drop. The rest of my time at the party was spent exploring the owners' giant collection of travel books, watching surfing movies, chasing cats, exchanging stories with guests from all over the United States, and trying to learn surfing terms (i.e. a break called the "gas chamber"). When there were lulls in conversation, the topic would inevitably turn to surfing - who had surfed when and where, how great it was, and tips to surf better.

Midnight found us headed back to Hale'iwa under a full moon that lit up the entire night. We gathered a trove of sleeping bags, blankets, and long-sleeved clothing (first time I have worn pants since my arrival to HI) and walked over to a beach next to Kimmy's house to lay out on the beach and wind down with the intention of spending the night there. 

Full Moon

As I helped Kimmy lay down a blanket next to some very large rocks, one of them moved. She laughed at my startled expression and pointed out that what I had thought to be rocks were actually sea turtles who had beached themselves for the night to sleep. For the remainder of my waking hours on the beach I stared at those sleeping beached turtles in wonder. The night was bright and eerie thanks to the full moon and the waves crashing against the shore were soothing and put me quickly to sleep. I had anticipated that sleeping on a beach would be an uncomfortable experience but after digging a hole for my head to rest in underneath the blanket I was actually quite comfortable. I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to a brightening day feeling tired but amazed and extremely grateful for the experience. The sea turtles had quietly slipped back into the water while we slept.

Sunset Farmer's Market

A few cups of coffee preceeded a morning trip to the Sunset Farmer's Market, a small tented affair held in the parking lot of a nearby elementary school. Here I tried homemade coconut mochi for $1 and met a woman affectionately introduced to me as "the pearl lady" by Samantha, who had gifted me a beautiful pearl ring purchased from the pearl lady for my birthday the week before. Ann has a knack for picking and creating beautiful jewelery pieces for her customers by learning about their personalities. She identifies styles and tastes through personal stories and by getting to know a person. Upon learning my name and a few of my interests, she selected a pair of earrings for me that I had (unbeknownst to her) already been eying, and allowed me to take them with me without full payment upfront, as I had not brought enough cash with me. If you are interested in her work, check out her website. All of her pearls are sustainably harvested and examined by her prior to purchase. She has a great energy and a creative mind!

On our way back to town Samantha insisted that we stop by her favorite place - Beet Box Cafe - which was everything she promised it would be. We chowed down on organic smoothies and breakfast dishes. The Beet Box Cafe is an organic vegetarian cafe located in back of a small locally owned food shop that resembles a Co-op. I happily munched on eggs scrambled with a crunchy, toasted sprouted corn tortilla and jalapeno jack cheese topped with homemade salsa & avocado, brown rice & Brazilian black beans topped with "Love Sauce" while sipping on a banana, strawberry, blueberry, hemp protein, bee pollen, spirulina, spinach, & almond milk smoothie, then browsed some of the nearby boutiques before preparing for the drive back to Kaneohe.

Having been unsuccessful in my ridiculous attempts to convince Janine to come and drive me home in her own car, I apprehensively began the drive back, already in a cold sweat. Thanks to a few pointers from Steve (Samantha's boyfriend) and some tough love from both Samantha and Janine, I managed to make it back safely and only stalled out once! I felt so accomplished that I immediately called a bunch of friends at home to tell them. Their responses were lack-luster and indicated that they didn't feel my accomplishment was as big a deal as I did, but I am proud of myself. Friends with manual cars, I can now DD for you!

Day 9: Iolani Palace & Waikiki Beach Walk

Thursday morning I jumped on TheBus downtown to Iolani Palace, official residence of King Kalākaua and Queen Lili'uokalani, the last monarchs of the ruling Hawaiian royalty. The palace was built in 1879 with full Masonic rites to mark Hawai'i's status as a modern nation. The palace itself is very modern and includes indoor plumbing, gas and electric chandeliers (less than seven years after Edison invented the first practical incandescent bulb), and a telephone system. Upon entering the palace, we were given shoe coverings to protect the original floors and carpets. As the majority of the visitors to the palace elected to use self-guided audio tours (myself included), it was eerily quiet inside the palace as people shuffled around the rooms staring at strategically placed pieces of furniture and artifacts. My favorite room was the crimson and gold throne room (see photos below) in which formal audiences and diplomats were received, state balls held, and the trial of  Queen Lili`uokalani occurred.

My visit to the Iolani Palace really helped me to understand some of the political and cultural tensions between Hawaiians on the island (see www.iolanipalace.org for more information on the Iolani Palace). Perhaps ignorantly, I have been conditioned to view Hawaii as a part of the United States, no more or less than any other state but for its remote location. What I had largely overlooked prior to my trip to the palace was the ugly and painful history of Hawaii's annexation into the United States. Throughout the island handmade posters and flags can be found on display reminding passers-by that the U.S. "stole" Hawaii from its rightful monarchs and usurped not only land, but the rich culture appropriated by Hawaiian natives. I began to get a clearer picture of this when I entered the sparsely furnished room of the palace where Hawaii'a last ruling monarch, Queen Lili`uokalani, was imprisoned after being overthrown in 1893. In attempting to promote a new constitution that strengthened the power of the monarchy and limited suffrage to subjects of the kingdom, Queen Lili`uokalani was opposed by a group of Hawai`i born citizens of American parents, naturalized citizens and foreign nationals which, with the support of the American Minister to Hawai`i, orchestrated the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the establishment of a provisional government. Queen Lili`uokalani was forced to yield her authority in 1893 and was publicly apprehended and imprisoned in 1895 when a group of Hawaiian royalists attempted to restore her to power.

Queen Lili`uokalani's quilt

The excerpt below is from the Iolani Palace Website, which explains the history of the palace, its occupants, and the state. "Convicted of having knowledge of a royalist plot, Lili`uokalani was fined $5000 and sentenced to five years in prison at hard labor. The sentence was commuted to imprisonment in an upstairs bedroom of `Iolani Palace. During her imprisonment, the queen was denied any visitors other than one lady in waiting. She began each day with her daily devotions followed by reading, quilting, crochet-work, or music composition" (Iolani Palace History, 2013)

The room where Lili`uokalani was imprisoned was available on my tour. On display in this room was a famous quilt that the queen made while imprisoned, largely crafted from swatches of her own wardrobe. It details happy moments in her life and the lives of the Hawaiian people, celebrating the history and culture of Hawaii (see picture above). During this portion of the tour I came to see how the imprisonment and humiliation of the last of Hawaii's royalty at the hands of the United States government could be a cause of the anti-American sentiment that I sometimes feel on the island, despite it being a part of the U.S. So often when I am here I feel as though I am in a foreign country and not on U.S. soil. One hundred years after the overthrow, President Clinton signed a Congressional resolution (Public Law 103-150 ) in which the United States government formally apologized to the Native Hawaiian people (www.iolanipalace.org).

Emerging from the Iolani Palace, I took a transfer bus to Waikiki, where I wandered dazedly around the commercial resort that TheBus had dropped me off at before stumbling out into the street and finding my way toward the quieter Waikiki Beach Walk area. I sought refreshment in a glass of iced lemon mint tea before parousing the local shops which, as I continued down the street, gave way to large designer stores like Coach, Louis Vittone, and Gucci (which I walked past). I purchased a really pretty hand-died skirt and scarf at a local shop, ate lunch at a mom and pop sushi shop (more poke!), then jumped back on TheBus to Kaneohe to meet Derrick and Janine for dinner.

Start of Waikiki Beach Walk

Janine and Derrick being silly at the O Club

At Derrick's suggestion we headed over to the Marine Base where he works for dinner and drinks at the "O Club", the Officer's Club on base that is only accessible to those ranked officers and above. Every time I go on base with Janine, whether it be here or in Jacksonville, I am intrigued to observe the practices of what appears, to me, to be a culture completely separate from civilian cultures. Janine is saluted when she shows her military ID card at the entrance to the base, and the base itself is a little self-sufficient community, complete with elaborate housing, playgrounds, shopping centers, and aircraft. I cannot go on base without Derrick or Janine - we go there ~ 3 times a week - and we would not have been able to eat at the O Club had Derrick not been a junior Lieutenant.That being said, I had an absolutely wonderful night with my friends. We ordered pupus (appetizers), sampled adult beverages, and talked. I met some of the Navy wives that Janine associates with, and we drove home singing old songs that I'd thought had faded from my memory long ago. It was a rare night when we were all home at the same time, available, and really sensing the short amount of time that we all have together before Derrick deploys next week.