I was waiting for this luau. For once, we weren’t late to an event. I craved the taste of Kalua Pig, Lomi Salmon, Chicken Long Rice, Squid Lu’au, POI and of course, the raw stuff that completes a normal lu’au menu. What we got instead was Roast Pork, Watercress Salad, Island Veggie Salad, Huli Huli Chicken, Mahi Mahi, Mock Laulau and Lomi Salmon-minus the green onions. The food was very delicious and somehow I led myself to believe it would be authentic Hawaiian dishes. You know that feeling, when in your mind you can almost taste the food but when it’s served, it’s something entirely different?
The same was true for the entertainment. Normally, when MWR hires a group from Hawaii, it’s usually someone I’ve never heard of. Lastnight though, the entertainment made up for my disappointment in not having real luau grub. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the familiar voice of Ilona Irvine rising above the shuffling of people being escorted to their seats. She’s now part of an entertainment group that sings and performs Polynesian dancing. The show was great. Since we had to wait for Meg to get off work (She worked at the luau), I took pictures of the group and spoke briefly to Ilona. They’re on the last leg of a 25 show tour throughout Japan, Korea and Okinawa. She told me they were flying out at 3 a.m. to head to Sasebo. We hugged and I wished her and the group a safe trip.
I’ll be adding more pictures to the gallery, so check back soon.