INFINITY.

Wishing everyone a Mele Kalikimaka this holiday season. We are spending ours on the beautiful island of Maui with my sister and her family, and let’s just say that it’s a good thing that not only do we love each other, but we also enjoy each others company - a group of ten adults and children can get a bit crowded.

With list in hand, debit cards in wallet, Lilinoe and I were able to check the couple of dozen off of our Christmas list in one day! Yes, it’s not a typo, just one day! With effective communication and a “plan” Christmas shopping can actually be a joyous event. And really isn’t it supposed to be? Sure we endured the bumper-to-bumper traffic during our commute to Waikele, Ala Moana and across the street to Pearlridge; but we passed the time singing songs and laughing with and at each other.

This morning, we woke when our bodies told us too, and casually prepared for our Christmas buffet brunch at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel’s Tiki Terrace. KBH, as it’s known by the local Maui folk labels itself, “Maui’s most Hawaiian hotel,” with its Polynesian decor, wall dedicated to stunning photos of hula dancers, and a menu of a medley of island flavors. KBH has been on the shores of Ka’anapali for over 20 years, and its customer service is cloaked in Aloha spirit garnering many awards. There was one wrinkle in our experience, and while I won’t divulge the details, I must recognize the hotel representative, Madeline Rabago who handled the matter in the most professional manner and as I said earlier, “cloaked in the Aloha spirit.”

We headed home to unwrap presents, and had joked with the children that we’d do so after a nice, long nap. My sister implemented the “trash bag” system to minimize the clutter, not to mention possibly losing a few gifts. Most 3-year-old boys are happy with a stick and a rock, however our little guy still has an obsession with the movie “Cars” and after opening the latest version of “Mack” he wanted nothing more to do with any other gifts. Chelsea more than deserved her Nintendo DS Lite and brand new pink digital camera, and the expression on her face was priceless. (Note: Lilinoe has been playing the DS Lite more than Chelsea has so far trying to win at “Connect Four”). My niece Taimane was thrilled with tearing the wrapping paper off, but she especially loved the package of panties from Tutu, and danced with her favorite television characters, Dora “We did it, we did it!” (You need to watch Dora the Explorer cartoon to understand.)

I gave the world wide web a peek into the gifts I purchased for Lilinoe and she was glowing with gratitude upon receiving each one. I patiently waited for everyone to finish, and Chelsea was anxious for me to open my gifts. For those who know me, know that I like accessories, not the stereotypical kind, but sunglasses, a hat, a little bling on the ears. I opened the box and unveiled a cool pair of Arnette’s which is one of my brands of choice. But nothing could prepare me for my next gift. For those of you who really know me, know that while I yearn for “big kids’ toys and gadgets” I exercise control and practicality. I live by a budget that includes a comfortable lifestyle, but invests in our children’s future so the gadgets come during sales or after building up the savings account. And, even when the budget calls for it, it takes a lot to convince me to make a hefty purchase without feeling guilty. Well, my dearest Lilinoe, whom by the way is much more frugal than I, surprised me more than when I received a “Big Wheel” for my 6th birthday. The box looked odd shaped, it wasn’t shaped like a cellular phone, and it couldn’t have been a laptop since I purchased one last month. It was heavier than airline tickets, and it couldn’t be we’ve already planned our next vacation in Arizona and Nevada. It certainly wasn’t a massage at the spa, Lilinoe surprised me with a reservation at the Westin Maui earlier this month on my birthday. And, after losing our digital camera, we purchased a new Canon only a few weeks ago. So what could it be?

A CANON DVD CAMCORDER!

I was stunned as you can see, and absolutely grateful. These are moments that I am reminded how truly blessed I am with Lilinoe, Chelsea, Jayden and my entire family. I could not ask for more…

In Hawaii, food is an important hub of it’s culture and probably the second best conversation ice-breaker after establishing your identity through your high school. And so when “Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant” opened at Ala Moana Center’s Hookipa Terrace it was high on our list of “gotta try.” Two important factors were met immediately, the type of food: Japanese and the amount: buffet. Price would only determine “when” we’d eventually get there.

We drooled at photos from Ryan’s birthday and envied the rave reviews from our dear friends Heather, Janel and Kris; but this past weekend it was finally our turn. The commute was a bit challenging with the Christmas shopping traffic or are we so used to traffic on Oahu we just give it “names” like, “Friday traffic” or “Back to School traffic” or “UH football traffic”? We entered the maze or more commonly known as the Ala Moana Shopping Center parking lot and the rain began to drizzle a bit harder, so we figured that if we were going to spend that much on dinner what’s another five dollars for valet parking.

Our initial impression from the outside of the restaurant went unnoticed since we, were busy estimating the number of people ahead of us! The young host was obviously overwhelmed, whispering to some sort of manager, scratching out names on a tablet, and trying to figure out what appeared to be a layout of the restaurant’s tables. 45-minutes to an hour wait, and he’d call my cell phone to let me know when a table was ready. No problem since during the drive Lilinoe and I figured out that we had missed a few on our Christmas list. But, the type of person I am, I rushed the shopping to return with much time to spare, and luckily since a few parties ahead of us did not answer their cell phones or so we were told.

The atmosphere was “busy” but the fixtures and tables were elegant, and the aroma of the food was excellently inviting. As we customarily do when you have children, we eat in “shifts” so Lilinoe and Chelsea attacked made their way to the buffet line while Jayden and I played with a toy truck and shark. Being the great person that she is, Lilinoe quickly returned with a plate full of our favorite selection of nigiri style sushi. I won’t cross anything out, Jayden and I attacked the plate!

The rest of our evening was spent enjoying the flavors of tempura, sushi, steak, udon, and several legs of crab! I had never been impressed with the food at Makino Chaya’s, and Todai’s slowly began to disappoint me, so Tsukiji’s ranks first of the three.

But, we will not return unless the following has improved:

1. Organization. It took too many minutes for the host and manager to figure out where to seat each new party, even with a 2-way radio from someone on the floor. It shouldn’t be that difficult, if you’re organized.
2. Service. I don’t expect personalized attention, but I do expect a certain level of respectful kindness, especially towards my family. The server’s first words to me and Jayden, “What how many people here?” Believe it or not, it went down hill from there.
3. Tacky signs. Several of the signs identifying the dishes were hand-written on nothing more than a scratch piece of paper. How can you charge over $30 per plate, and yet not have enough in the marketing budget?

Despite those three items, of course we had an evening full of laughs and left with full stomachs, we can’t let those things get in the way of our family time. But, it will prevent us from returning.