Wednesday's in Waimea

On the far westside of Kauai, the nearest town with any action going on is Waimea, and for a change of pace, I've been hanging out once a week at the local community center with a friendly group of senior ladies. Wednesdays are Hula Days, and although I'm not quite in their age bracket, swaying to 'the rhythm of the sea' at these dance lessons has become a welcome diversion that is made more fun and interesting by chatting it up with the grannies. Some of them will come right up to me and speak candidly about anything that pops up in their minds; it doesn't matter how young or how old, females LOVE to talk! The weather, food, family, health, travel — I can only hope that someone half my age will listen to ME thirty years from now. As one silver-haired lady cheerily put it, "It's good that you come visit us seniors, I don't see much young people around here!"

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Saved comment(s)

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I just hope when I get their age, I can still hula without breaking anything! lol! They are so cute :-)
JMom | Homepage | 03.31.06 - 4:21 pm

That's awesome, hula with the kupuna. They're simply radiant.
alan | Homepage | 03.31.06 - 2:45 pm

Being with seniors keeps you young! They're like a daily multivitamin!
kim H | Homepage | 03.31.06 - 8:14 am

i love the photo. they look soooo happy. i hope i am that happy when i get to be their age (though, sometimes secretly, i look forward to being a grumpy old lady :P) --- i've always wanted to go to kauai to see serge kahili king. one of these days!
ptinfrance | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 1:18 pm

I just read your past blogs and just found out about your mom. We're sorry to hear about your loss and we extend our heart-felt condolence to your family. Our thoughts will be with you.
Pat and Moira | 03.30.06 - 12:48 pm

Rowena, I'm so glad you are back... blogging... in Hawaii... and for your family. For some reason when we come back to Hawaii, the land, it's people and the ocean seem to heal us and ground us to be able to do like that gecko... move slowly, watch carefully and drink fully of all that life has for us.
Hope that your stay back here in Hawaii brings the peace and fortitude to continue your creative journey.. looking forward to many more observatons.
Debi | 03.30.06 - 11:04 am

They look a bit 'furbi' those ladies! I really like hanging out with old people, I find it so peaceful, they don't rush around or try to make an impression, they just roll along the wave of life. Have a good time! When are you coming back to Italy?
ilva | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 8:27 am

Rowena, i just heard from Steve about your mom... my deepest condolence. She has reach heaven while we're still crawling on its ladder.. --- Chatting with grannies, always found them interesting..their stories, wisdom deep in their smile..and those eyes have witnessed larger world than mine.. :-)
dewi | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 7:28 am

They look like they're having so much fun! Good for them - and good for you!
Cathy | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 3:35 am

Rowena, that is so sweet. And ultimately so true. We all need each other ... young and old. And I love the spirit and energy of these women.---Trust me, with the beautiful stories you tell... people will always want to listen to you! Baci!
Ivonne | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 2:03 am

What fun! And I loved the photo! What sweetness.
Karina | Homepage | 03.30.06 - 1:34 am

This is such a nice thing to do! I love the pic and this lady's expression. Yes older people are a true treasure for life experience sharing!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 03.29.06 - 10:14 pm

Sounds like a fun visit. Older people always have great stories, did you get any good recipes. I am a pastry chef so I loved the Purple Sweet Potato and Haupia Pie looks great. I like the macnut crust. I will try to make my own version soon. Maybe deconstructed by using all the same ingredients in different preperations. Pastry chefs are always trying to jazz/change things up and think outside of the box.
roger | Homepage | 03.29.06 - 9:46 pm

Oooh! This lady is so adorable! I want to be hula dancing when I get to be her age.
Susan | Homepage | 03.29.06 - 9:33 pm

Purple sweet potato and haupia pie

If you're wondering where the recipe is for this dessert, you'll just have to check out Alan at mā'ona. I had it bookmarked for future use just in case I should find myself in the islands where it's easy to get Okinawan sweet potatoes. These purple spuds are an excellent snack that I ate on many occasions as a kid, and the simplest method of preparation requires not much more than boiling or steaming them. They're also very versatile in cooking as their pleasantly sweet flavor lends itself well to chowders, cakes, bread, tempura, and even ice cream. What luck to discover that my favorite mom n' pop grocery store had these on sale at $1.29/lb. And coconut milk for only 50 cents a can!

I basically followed Alan's recipe with just a few minor changes. Instead of peeling the potato beforehand, I simply boiled them with skins on in order to have extra for snacking; the skins are easy to remove after they've cooled down. The pie was baked in a 13x9-inch glass dish (for dessert bar servings) for 25 minutes and I cut the sugar used in the sweet potato filling by 2 tablespoons. The macnuts in the crust really give it a nice contrast in texture and flavor. And of course the Cool Whip was an added touch (more than what the photo shows), hence the reason for reducing the sugar in the filling. I don't know of any local eatery on Kauai that makes this, but this is absolutely delicious!

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Saved comment(s)

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What an impression this makes! It reminds me of the (not sweet) Bolivian purple potatoes that got popular in the States a few years ago (at Whole Foods, etc). If you really want to freak a dinner guest out, you make them purple mashed potatoes. Anyway, I'd try this in a heartbeat. Did you really find Okinawan Sweet potatoes in Italy? Wow.
Susan | Homepage | 03.29.06 - 7:47 am

What an interesting looking cake! Lovely! Definitely different from what I know and have seen, so I like it even more!!!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 03.28.06 - 2:59 pm

that looks *almost* too beautiful to eat. i've never had the purple okinawan potatoes and now i want to try them! i might try to make this dessert, of course with some substitutions. i think i'll have a hard time finding macadamia nuts in france, too. let's see... instead of using the purple potatoes, how 'bout fois gras? EW! j/k :P
ptinfrance | Homepage | 03.28.06 - 10:48 am

Oh that looks yummy - and so pretty! I wish I could get my hands on some of those purple sweet potatoes, but I have a feeling there are none to be had in these parts.
Cathy | Homepage | 03.28.06 - 1:35 am

That photo is beautiful. I'm glad the recipe worked well for you!
alan | Homepage | 03.27.06 - 9:55 pm

Hi Rowena, I love it! The colour is amazing and the photo really gives a great idea of what the texture is like. And of course it's always so much fun to read about new vegetables. I envy how available macadamias are in Hawaii ... :o)
Ivonne | Homepage | 03.27.06 - 5:36 pm

When I started reading this post, I first thought "Okinawan sweet potato" is a different name for taro. But when I followed the link to the Star Bulletin, it became clear that no, this tuber is indeed something different! Truly, I've never heard of it before. I feel like I've discovered a new vegetable! How amazing. Now I just wish I could taste it myself!
Tania | Homepage | 03.27.06 - 5:33 pm

Just a small Opihi

There's a silly tune done by Hawaii comedian Frank Delima that goes something like this... "Please don't eat me! I just one small opihi..." Whenever that song comes to mind, I am back in my childhood days when gathering these shoreline gastropods meant an outing which was more fun (to me anyway) than work (to my father).

The bottom photo is of fresh opihi (limpets), and by fresh I mean that they MOVED when I prodded them with a chopstick. Now this is where non-islanders might exclaim "Yuk!" and wonder how did I eat this thing. Traditionally, opihi is eaten raw, scooped right out of the shell or used in a raw fish salad called poke (po-keh). The hawaiian word translates "to cut into small pieces" and anything goes when it comes to preparing this island delicacy - raw pacific tuna, cooked octopus, opihi, sea snails, squid, crab, or whatever is desired, along with the addition of seasonings and often bits of seaweed. Poke is something that visitors simply MUST try for a true 'Hawaii dining experience' — with the many varieties there are to this dish, coming here and not tasting it is like planning a trip to Hawaii and not going to the beach. But getting back to how I ATE it... well, I chickened out and ended up cooking them briefly with a bit of salted water, sliced onions, and hawaiian chili pepper. A sacrilege for true opihi eaters but geez...that damn song was playing in my head! Auwe!

Fresh Opihi - $6.89/lb. at Ishihara Market

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Saved comment(s)

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Rowena, I was so happy to see your post. I missed your generous, warm blogging voice! Now on to the food... I had never heard of Opihi so thanks for educating me! And like you I think I would have chickened out too! Great pic!
Ivonne | Homepage | 03.27.06 - 5:26 am

aww, you cooked them...I like them in poke although they are very hard to get because the fishermen literally have to risk their lives with their backs facing the incoming waves.
Kat & Satoshi | Homepage | 03.27.06 - 2:30 am

From reading these comments here, I will have to make some hawaiian raw fish salad. Poke is not anything like ceviche which is somewhat cooked. Seasonings are typically salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

Interestingly enough though, I recently stumbled upon an online article by the Honolulu Advertiser that revealed the support for the ban of opihi sales in the islands. What once was an island delicacy found in abundance some 30+ years ago is now a rare, if not difficult thing to obtain. I'm all for gathering opihi for personal consumption, but certainly not a foodstuff to be depleted by commercial 'overfishing'.
~rowena~

Looks tastier than raw oysters. I usually like them but had one recently without my usual lemon juice on top and it was gross! The poke, though sounds really good. What kind of seaweed do you use? and is there a lot of citrus like in ceviche? If you happen to have a recipe we could all try it out (with what's locally available to us, of course.)
Susan | Homepage | 03.26.06 - 12:37 pm

Looks yummy to me!
Kim H | Homepage | 03.25.06 - 4:54 pm

I never tried Poke when I was in Hawaii, bummer! I love the looks of the shell. Cute shellfish! Well, if I eat oysters raw, why not this?
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 03.25.06 - 3:03 pm

The scent of green...everything

Kauai's Mount Waialeale isn't nicknamed the 'the wettest spot on earth' for nothing, and with tremendously heavy rainstorms making such big news both locally and nationally, I thought OK, there's subject material to go on - the weather! But after walking around the yard to inspect for any damage (everything smells so fresh and green!), I ended up chasing this chameleon in order to get a shot. They show up unannounced everywhere on my family's property - in the shrubbery, the papaya tree, on the patio furniture, or clinging vertically to window screens - and I can get only so close until they'll either scoot out of sight, or move to a discreet distance before puffing out the underskin of their throat to a bright red.
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Things are more settled now, and I would like to thank all of you who took a moment out of your day to send the kind emails or left comments on the Mejiro story. It is a good feeling to know that people visit this here BLOG which, by the way, initially started out as a means to keep in touch with family and friends. Although Rubber Slippers is largely associated with food and Italy, I had been anxious as to how one proceeds at returning to "blogging" after being away for awhile. The more time went by, the harder it was to get back into creative writing mode and the less enthused I became for being at the pc. Where does one begin?

Part of the answer to that question recently came to me in the idea to simply focus on the island and the culture in which I was raised, ergo, Rubber Slippers on Kauai, atleast for while I am here. So perhaps there will be an upcoming "Best local places to dine out" or "How to open a fresh coconut" - it should make for an interesting show and tell at the least. The other part to the answer revealed itself in something that my sister had remarked regarding this blog. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you were a happy-go-lucky girl from the way you write." Happy-go-lucky? More like happy-go-greedy/hungry. But she has a point there, laughter has always been my favorite medicine, and with that I take my cue and can only promise to share more than just photos of green lizards.

The Mejiro

I find myself feeling awkward as I write this, because the whole theme of this blog revolved around an expat islander's quiet life in Italy. But here I am once again in the Aloha State, and I believe it would be a great disservice to my future descendants, should there be any, if I pretended that nothing happened and gave no reason for my month-long absence. Blogging, as I'm sure that I've mentioned before, is a useful way to chronicle events in one's life. It helps to preserve memories for as long as one is willing and able to write. The following story is something special that I'd like to share as it always gave, and continues to give me, great pleasure thinking back on it.

Photo credit: K. W. Bridges - Common Campus Birds
More mejiro images captured by K. W. Bridges.

The little family in the ficus tree

Several years ago a female mejiro or Japanese White-Eye had built a nest in a potted ficus tree that stood just outside the entrance door to the home of my parents. I found this to be absolutely thrilling, because for the most part, mejiros in Hawaii are wild birds and therefore rather skittish around humans. To be able to witness the beauty of mother nature in the life of this small, olivegreen creature — from the moment when tiny eggs first appeared in the nest and then the subsequent hatching of the babies — was utterly... magical.

Everyday after getting home from work I'd take a quick peek to see how the little family was doing, hoping to see them at the point where they'd soon learn to fly. For the most part, the mother was always in her nest unless out hunting for food (there was no male as I recall). It was only by her sweet voice that I was assured they were still out in the potted ficus tree.

And then one day they were gone.

I never did get to see the babies learn to fly. Infact I never saw them again except to hear the sounds of chirping mejiros in the hedge that separates our property from the neighbors. The nest is still in the ficus tree, completely intact even after having been subjected to days and nights of wind, rain, and hot tropical weather. When I look at that well-crafted abode of dried bits of grass, initially it gives me a sense of loss for it carries only fallen leaves now. Yet this solemn thought is immediately put aside because then the precious vision of that mother mejiro and her little family come to mind and reassures me that beautiful things will always continue to live on in our memory.
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My mother, unexpectedly and without warning, passed away after having been recently diagnosed with a serious illness. Certainly I miss my mother, but now she's in a safe place. Farewell Mama Mejiro.

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Saved comment(s)

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Rowena, I'll be thinking of you, plase look after yourself. keikox
keiko | Homepage | 03.19.06 - 4:59 pm

Dear Rowena, My heartfelt wishes for peace are sent your way wherever you may be. A beautiful story.
mahalo & blessings, karina
Karina | Homepage | 03.18.06 - 4:16 pm

a very nice story sis'... it brought tears to my eyes. - i'm glad that you are finding ways to make those connections with mom, where ever she may be. i myself have been having difficulties in that department only knowing the empty feeling that was once mom's space.
take care, and keep writing and don't forget to give Dad lots of hugs - Aaron
Aaron | 03.16.06 - 3:43 am

Auwe... so so sorry for your loss. I know how it is to loose your mother. My mommy passed away 9 years ago and when I think of her I am sad for a moment than I smile because of all the precious memories that I have of her. Take care Rowena.
Sandy (island girl in Wisconsin)
Sandy | 03.13.06 - 9:40 pm

Hi Rowena, I am so sorry to hear about your mom. Take care of yourself. I don't know what to say, because I would be inconsolable were it my mom who passed away. **hugs**
JMom | Homepage | 03.09.06 - 8:11 pm

Rowena, I'm sending you a big, warm hug. I can tell by the lovely story that you've shared, that you must have so many incredible memories of your mother. Know that she is always with you! Take care.
Ivonne | Homepage | 03.09.06 - 1:25 am

Rowena, Very sorry for your loss. One can only hope your mother is with the mejiro now.
Barry | Homepage | 03.07.06 - 10:20 pm

I have been thinking about you. And thought maybe you had to sew for the Torino Olympics, but am sorry to hear the reason of your hiatus. May God give you the strength to get through this difficult time. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Kat & Satoshi | Homepage | 03.07.06 - 12:09 pm

My Dear Rowena,
I was so worried about your absence and am very sorry to hear the reason now. Your story was lovely. If you need to chat you have my number and if you need support just call anytime day or night. Family is so precious and I cannot imagine what you are going through. Take care.
Gia | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 9:56 pm

Rowena, that is such a beautiful story. I was so sorry to hear the news about your Mom and my thoughts and prayers are with you, your Dad and the rest of the family. Hugs from New Orleans.
Laurie Kunipo Tablan | 03.06.06 - 8:57 pm

I'm sorry to hear about your loss - I can't even imagine what that must be like. The story is a touching tribute to your Mama Mejiro.
alan | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 8:23 pm

Dear, dear Rowena - All I can tell you is that my heart and my thoughts are with you. I know what this is like (and you know I know, since you've read my "best chicken in the world" post). Be well, and know that, as I say in the post, you won't get over it, but you will get on with it. Love, Julie
Julie | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 8:22 pm

Rowena, I've been thinking of you lately and last night, I had a dream that you posted again. and lo and behold you did. Your story was quite beautiful and expressed so much about your loss. My heartfelt love goes out to you during this time. Be well, Steve
Stephen Newton | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 3:08 pm

I am so sorry Rowena - I hope the time spent with your family and your fond memories of your mother will ease your loss just a little. I hope you're doing OK - take care.
Cathy | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 2:26 pm

i wish birdies will come to make nests on our tree one day...
dario | 03.06.06 - 10:50 am

Oh Rowena, I'm so sorry for you. It is really hard to loose a mother or a father even though we know from the start that this is the way life works. I am and I will be thinking about you.
ilva | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 8:34 am

Rowena, I'm so sorry to learn of the reason for your blogging hiatus... My sincere sympathies to you and your family.
Tania | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 6:07 am

So sorry for your loss Rowena!! Those times are terrible, even if we adults know that are part of the life cycle. Take great care of yourself.
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 03.06.06 - 5:03 am