Aloha Malaki (３月）もう すぐ おわります。

Me Ka Haku Lei (見て）

March was a very busy month.  I am appreciative for the opportunity to have traveled to many Japan cities with Yonezawa and Jun of Yonezawa GK.  This year they  included: Nigata, Kamakura, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukushima and Utsunomiya.  On this tour, it's always nice seeing and meeting participating halau, talking with all the sensei, jamming with the band members: Hookena & Weldon's group, and hulaing with the hula ladies Kuulei Hashimoto Sensei, Skyler and Nicole Fox. To Braddah Scott, take care.  Nice to see you! I really appreciate Yonezawa's team and their dedication to producing a concert filled with Aloha.

Other things that happened during this month include: doing a live at Il Chianti, going to Disneyland two times, spending wonderful two days with my friend and teacher Ray Abregano, cooking and hosting a big luau for my Mahalo keiki students at my home. Oh! Cant forget the welcoming of Sakura. Hanami (Sakura watching) came around quickly this year.   I enjoyed every minute of everything.

One thing I have realized a while ago and I have to remind myself everyday is to take care of my health.  Right now Japan's weather and temperature fluctuates between warm and cold.  Drinking lots of water is important which I remember to do but don't drink enough of it. And, one more thing, taking care of your teeth by using a soft tooth brush to prevent receding gums. Sorry, I digressed a little but I really wanted to tell you these health things.  

So to you all my family and friends,  take care of yourself and others.  Live each day with aloha spirit.  Hawaii is getting busier and busier I see it in the news and when I return home. HAPPY EASTER!.  Thank you Jesus.  

E malama mau kakou  HIkari
Enjoy the video Me Ka Haku Lei

Mahalo Luau

Luau (Taro Leaves)

Lomi salmon (I used smoked salmon)

Preparing for a luau here in Japan is similar to that back at home.  Luau, party requires much time: cutting, mixing and cooking many ingredients.   Luckily 99% percent of all the ingredients I used today was bought here in Japan.   The most important ingredient being luau, or cooked taro leaves.  I was lucky to find them in a store way out in Tajimi which is 45 minutes from Nagoya station.  These taro leaves are dried and packaged in a vinyl bag.   They taste delicious.  One thing I did buy from Hawaii was liquid smoke for my kalua pig.  I actually had some real kalua pig in my freezer but I am saving it for another special occasion.   One sad moment for me was my haupia. It did not set so I could not cut them into nice cubes.  I think I know why.  I mixed all the ingredients in the pot.  I should have mixed a little in the pot and wait for it to thicken then add the remaining ingredients.  I will try again to make haupia and I will be more determined to make it right.  We still ate the haupia pudding.  It was kokodelicious as in coconut delicious. (Hey, shout out to the Koko ohana).  

Kalua Pig

Why such a big fuss to make a luau party? My keiki students are on their spring break, I wanted them to come to my home and enjoy eating Hawaiian food and making a craft.  I was so satisfied with them.   There was nothing that they did not like.  Sometimes children can be fussy eaters.  I was a little worried about them eating luau, cooked taro leaves. Mondai nakkata, no problem.  Looks like these kamaliʻi could survive on the Hawaiian diet. They ate everything on their plate and more.  Todayʻs Hawaiian plate included:luau stew, chicken long rice, kalua pig, haupia. lomi salmon, and chocolate cake.  I think my ohana from Waianae would be very proud of me. Mahalo and lots of love to the Keamo Ohana.

I think the tray was too big.

After my keiki filled their opu, stomach with lots of Hawaiian food, we did a craft together.  They all succeeded and completed their hair clip.  I was very proud of them because they helped each other and they waited patiently for their turn. Oops, wait a minute,  they were doing their best to be patient. I heard my name called some 50 millions times.   I think they were excited to finish and see their results.

Having my keiki over today is certainly a blessing for me.  I love each and every one of them.  After all we have spent much time together learning hula.  Something about being close to them, hearing them and seeing them laugh and smile brings lots of joy to my spirit.  Its very sad when they have to go home.   


Well you can see I had a great day, right?  It wasn't pau. After the keiki left, another wave of students came over to our home to eat Hawaiian food too.  Then after these students filled their opu with Hawaiian kaukau, they too, wanted to learn how to make my latest craft.  Add two-hours more onto the three-hours I spent with the keiki.  Today, kekko nagai datta.

Mahalo everyone for coming today.  I really hope you enjoyed yourselves.   God bless and aloha for now  HIkari

Keiki are amazing!

自分　作りました

Aloha Keiki...Mahalo nui loa!!!

E hana ka lima kakou

Aloha ahiahi, good evening!
My how quickly today had gone by.  Today like most days, I was busy taking care of my hula kuleana (responsibilities).   Mainly the work today focused on making uliuli for my kane students.  Now why am I making the uliuli for the kane dancers you may presume? Well, I actually want to because I know I can get the work done quickly.  I am just a little, what you would call an enabler.  Being an enabler isnʻt a good thing because it takes away the opportunity for others to learn valuable lessons.  For the record, I donʻt do everything for my students.  I want to but its impossible.

Now, can I share with you a story of another kumu hula that does everything for his students?
Yes, none other than Kumu Chinky Mahoe.  I am very much like Kumu Chinky.  Kumu Chinky made everything for his kane including: aloha shirt, shell lei, uliuli, malo, etc.  The list is endless.  His joy has always been from doing the work that was required for is halau.  I have a lot of respect for this aspect of being a kumu hula. To make the craft, we are able to infuse mana, our personal power.  Having seen my teacher always working so hard instilled in me a love to work hard for my haumana too.  In this story I mentioned Chinky but all of my kumu were the same: Kawaikapu, Makahinu and Keola.   Take the time to learn the crafts and increase your knowledge of hula.  Always please come and talk with me.  My home is open and I would love to help you.

One final note,  you see in my post that I try to keep myself busy everyday.  There is meaning and purpose in that.  In Hawaii, many of us are born Christians.  At the time of our birth, not only do we receive a Hawaiian name but we also receive a Christian name.  Mine is Anthony after St. Anthony.  Growing up I wasn't so fond of the name Anthony.  I really liked being called Kawena.  However, nowadays, I love my Christian name.  I don't mind being called Anthony or Tony for short.

Now that you know what my faith is,  I want to share with you a verse found in the Christian bible pertaining to idle hands.  You might not be a Christian but the valuable lesson in these words relates to all people. Idle hands simply means hands that arenʻt involved in work.  The connotation of idle means to be still or not moving. Here is that bible verse from 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

⁶ Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. ¹² Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.^[a]

This is how I learned to live my life.  My teachers were not lazy.  My parents weren't lazy.  When we are diligently involved in our work then there is no wasted time to be intrusive upon others.  Stay focused on your own kuleana and refrain from being niele (inquisitive) or maha ʻoi (impudent) towards others.  Being niele and maha ʻoi, i believe negatively affects your pono (harmony).

Mahalo for reading my long post today.  I am actually quite relieved and satisfied with the work I completed.  I am almost finished with the feather tops for the uliuli.  I worked on nine uliuli today.  I need 15 total.  My work isn't pau  but slowly it will get done.  e hana ka lima kakou...Keep those hands moving my friends.

Me ke aloha pumehana HI-kari.

Aloha from Nigata

Four years ago, when I first moved here. I visited Nigata for the first time. Two-days ago, I came back to Nigata.   I had so much to look forward to on this trip back, a Hawaiian concert and famous onsen.    When I first went to Nigata,  I actually dreaded it because we drove to and from Kanagawa which is maybe a 6-hours drive one way.  This time we went in style.  We rode the Shinkansen which was a comfortable 2-hour ride.  When we arrived we were greeted by our student Kodama 先生。After meeting us, she took us to a nice bistro that served delicious dishes, for example: osso bucco, iberico ham salad, and deer liver paste.  Sounds delicious doesn't it?

The night of the Nigata show was quite awesome.  The acoustics in that concert hall were superb.  The concert promoters were so pleased with the result and were boisterously pounding their chest when giving themselves props for doing such a fine job with their sound setup.  Really though I must agree, the sound was SWEET.  God job to my friend Jun and Yonezawa and all their staff.

Nigataʻs concert was special for another reason.  Our student Kodama and her students were participants.  For some of her students, it was their first time to dance on a large stage.  Kodamaʻs students danced Ke Aloha and Akahikuleanaakapiko (Hewett).  Watching them was a little nerve wrecking, maybe likened to parents seeing their child take their first baby steps.  Needless to say, they all did awesome.  I think the beautiful thing about Kodama and her halau is that they all danced with so much care (ていねい） and aloha（あい）.  For me and Erisa their dance was the perfect dance. Congratulations to you all.

I have to say one thing about Erisa.  She is a loving person.  She might not be able at times to say how much she really loves all her students but I know and see from her actions that she will stand behind anyone of you, 100%.

One last mahalo to Kodama and for the students that made my beautiful lei.  A lei gift is something I treasure very deeply.  I appreciate all the time, effort and expense that went into making my lei.  The lei you all made was exceptionally gorgeous.  I took care of the lei and wore it during my show in Utsunomiya.   I will wear it again during my lesson with my keiki on Monday.

Well my friends, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to write my blog to commemorate my wonderful time in Nigata.  All the concert organizers, vendors,  that are always kind to me, mahalo and see you real soon. To Kodama 先生 keep up the great work.  To Ipo,  thank you for coming with me on this trip to Nigata.   We got to do more than what we had planned.  We got to spend some relaxing onsen time together.

Nigata...hope to see you next year or sometime soon!

Me ke aloha always HI-kari.

Check the lei out...Gorgeous...

Nice fish light...dont know what it's for, didn't really care...It was in the hall way distracting me from my pursuit of the hot water

おゆ。

Here is the onsen bath.  Can't take pictures when you go to onsen.  

Having said that I took a lot of photos.  I took a really nice one of my Hawaiian feet.

I couldn't upload that one for you all. Sorry.

Happy Aloha Friday

Always praying for my family and friends. Have a nice day today and everyday. This evening 3/8/2013 if you are free Kishi and I will be at Il Chianti next to Enoshima
Aquarium for a special live. It's free so please come and say hello. Enjoy a little of Loea Hewetts song Lei Ana Kauai Aloha Hikari

Click on link Lei Ana Kauai

Mahalo ke akua

My father has always been a great role model for me.  He always loves to share his knowledge from since small kid time.  The greatest thing that my dad has done was to instill in me an appreciation for God.  In grade school, high school and through college I had attended Catholic schools.  During my grade school years,  my father encouraged me to be an altar boy.  Twice a week, I had to wake up at 5 AM and go to serve mass at Sacred Hearts.    That was an enlightening experience seeing a sea of nuns in all white at 6 AM. No light outside!  Praying for Gods help to make me understand why I was there in church so early in the morning.  My father has never forced his will upon me or my other 4 siblings.  However, every once and a while he loves to reiterate his love of starting his day on his knees.  Praying on your knees that is.  I find his daily routine quite interesting.  I preferably like to wait it out at least until the sun has come up over the horizon.  Anyway, I get it!  Prayer and giving 'thanks' to God is an important thing.  There is so much that I am thankful for:  my family, my wife, my students, my teachers and role models.  Now days, Christianity is being tested more than ever.  I grew up Catholic but I don't see myself different from another Christian that  is Lutheran, Protestant, Born again whatever.  This is me.  I am not no expert on God or religions.   Ok, ua pau.  Good night..little rant at the end!!!I think its late!  Bye Hikari.

Me Ka Haku Lei

Practicing with Makoto for evening LIVE at Lealea Hale.  That restaurant is so nice. It is located next  to a river. The restaurant has large windows with a lovely view of a bridge and beautiful buildings.   This was my first time to play this song without my friend Kishi.  Next time I come back here Kishi san lets do LIVE together. Mahalo ME KA HAKU LEI  love to you all Hikari

Click on link:  ME KA HAKU LEI

Loea＝Highest expert of HULA

Here is a splendid video of Loea Hewett and halau. Band Olomana Jerry Santos