Saturday, June 6, 2009
Baby Firefly On Her Way
So my good friend Tim has been blogging away in Texas and has inspired me to post again. The big news for me is that I have a baby firefly on the way! She's due on June 23, and I can't wait to meet her!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Firefly Has a Freak Flag
I live in Hawaii, which just might be the sunniest place on earth. What, you say? Paradise!
Well, yeah. Don't get me wrong, I am lucky, and wouldn't dream of complaining. Especially not to family living in New England. Especially not during their 6 months of winter. (Sorry, Mom.)
But here's my secret: I don't like the sun. It makes me sneeze, and blink like a hung-over vole; after 30 seconds of exposure I start to wilt. I spend a lot of time scurrying around in search of shade. Bet you didn't know that if you stand at the right angle at the right time of day, even a slim crosswalk light pole casts a fair amount of shadow. Pathetic, no?
So I've lived here for 12 years, avoiding the sun, and dreaming of the Pacific Northwest (rain, mist and clouds, oh my!). When I first got here I'd been living in Japan, so I actually had something called a "higasa" (sun umbrella) that I toted around with me. I was a grad student at UH at the time, and if that wasn't the best way to fly the freak flag, I'm not sure what else I could have done. Stripped off all of my clothing and smeared zinc oxide over me like war paint, perhaps? Plus, have you ever tried to carry multiple Japanese dictionaries, textbooks, and a higasa while commuting to and from campus on a bus? Let me tell you, it's not a pretty sight. My then-boyfriend refused to even walk next to me when I carried that sucker.
Anyway, I lost the higasa. Permanently. But every now and then I see a little old Japanese lady with one, and I get very tempted to run after her and cop some of that delicious shade. I'm controlling that impulse. For now. But all bets are off when I hit 55. (Isn't that when AARP starts sending you a free subscription to their magazine?)
Ah, there's a reason why fireflies light up in the dark. They can.
Well, yeah. Don't get me wrong, I am lucky, and wouldn't dream of complaining. Especially not to family living in New England. Especially not during their 6 months of winter. (Sorry, Mom.)
But here's my secret: I don't like the sun. It makes me sneeze, and blink like a hung-over vole; after 30 seconds of exposure I start to wilt. I spend a lot of time scurrying around in search of shade. Bet you didn't know that if you stand at the right angle at the right time of day, even a slim crosswalk light pole casts a fair amount of shadow. Pathetic, no?
So I've lived here for 12 years, avoiding the sun, and dreaming of the Pacific Northwest (rain, mist and clouds, oh my!). When I first got here I'd been living in Japan, so I actually had something called a "higasa" (sun umbrella) that I toted around with me. I was a grad student at UH at the time, and if that wasn't the best way to fly the freak flag, I'm not sure what else I could have done. Stripped off all of my clothing and smeared zinc oxide over me like war paint, perhaps? Plus, have you ever tried to carry multiple Japanese dictionaries, textbooks, and a higasa while commuting to and from campus on a bus? Let me tell you, it's not a pretty sight. My then-boyfriend refused to even walk next to me when I carried that sucker.
Anyway, I lost the higasa. Permanently. But every now and then I see a little old Japanese lady with one, and I get very tempted to run after her and cop some of that delicious shade. I'm controlling that impulse. For now. But all bets are off when I hit 55. (Isn't that when AARP starts sending you a free subscription to their magazine?)
Ah, there's a reason why fireflies light up in the dark. They can.
Cha-Ching Chinese
Went to the mall yesterday. It was FULL of people. Despite all of the gloom and doom about the economy, and proclamations of tourists abandoning Hawaii, Ala Moana Shopping Center was rocking!
After spending an inordinate amount of time at Origins sampling face creams I can't afford, I got Chinese food from the Royal Court restaurant (Ala Moana Hotel). Mr. M. had a hard day at work and wanted comfort food (honey-walnut shrimp), so I ordered that. $18.95! Holy crickets. By the time I'd ordered the other dishes (choi sum, beef with green onion and ginger, yang chow fried rice & tapioca pudding for dessert) the bill was over $60.00.
No wonder tourists don't want to come to Hawaii...
Well, maybe not American tourists. And Japanese tourists, who have historically been loyal to our islands are starting to go elsewhere, too.
But the next big tourist market is apparently Chinese. Although they've been visiting Hawaii for some time, it's usually on their way to somewhere else, rather than as a destination. However, this is about to change. Hawaii is on the verge of gaining "approved destination status," which opens the floodgates to Chinese tours coming here. On July 26 the first nonstop charter flights between Honolulu and China are scheduled to begin. Stay tuned to see what that means for Honolulu, for Ala Moana, and perhaps, for expensive Chinese restaurants!
After spending an inordinate amount of time at Origins sampling face creams I can't afford, I got Chinese food from the Royal Court restaurant (Ala Moana Hotel). Mr. M. had a hard day at work and wanted comfort food (honey-walnut shrimp), so I ordered that. $18.95! Holy crickets. By the time I'd ordered the other dishes (choi sum, beef with green onion and ginger, yang chow fried rice & tapioca pudding for dessert) the bill was over $60.00.
No wonder tourists don't want to come to Hawaii...
Well, maybe not American tourists. And Japanese tourists, who have historically been loyal to our islands are starting to go elsewhere, too.
But the next big tourist market is apparently Chinese. Although they've been visiting Hawaii for some time, it's usually on their way to somewhere else, rather than as a destination. However, this is about to change. Hawaii is on the verge of gaining "approved destination status," which opens the floodgates to Chinese tours coming here. On July 26 the first nonstop charter flights between Honolulu and China are scheduled to begin. Stay tuned to see what that means for Honolulu, for Ala Moana, and perhaps, for expensive Chinese restaurants!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Hello
I write flash fiction (short stories under 1000 words). I'm passionate about mysteries, and if I'm not reading one, I'm probably watching--or writing--one.
Life is mysterious to me, and I revel in epiphanies. Please join me for flashes in the dark--moments of illumination that I'd like to share. Or else just come for the laughs--I'll do my best to deliver.
Life is mysterious to me, and I revel in epiphanies. Please join me for flashes in the dark--moments of illumination that I'd like to share. Or else just come for the laughs--I'll do my best to deliver.
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