Lika’s Log

These pictures were taken at about 9:30am Sunday 9-28-08 it was only 90something degrees then. It was just another hot day in the Valley of the Sun. This is from the landscape of the We-Ko-Pa Golf course.

This is your typical suguaro cactus found at certain elevations around southern Arizona. There’s more down in the Tucson area I think. True story: I met this Pima/Papago aka Tohono O’odham guy from Sells, AZ way long time ago and he was talking about the cactus and how their people make jelly and what not from the cactus. I told him; the first time I saw saguaro cactus in person for real, it looked to me like I was being flipped off, proof God has a sense of humor. He said, he was born and raised among the saguaros and not once had he thought of it that way. Of course till I mentioned it. Me & my brainstorms.

Typical desert scenery.

Desert Scene with waterhole, its a golf course.

More desert scenery.

Why does this remind of Star Wars. LOL

Another view - oh yeah those white robot dudes in Star Wars huh?

I love this picture just because. I dunno, a nature thing. See the spider web. I couldn’t find the spider. Probably was too hot to be out.

Last one. The whole cactus. Is it called an agave. I should really learn what I’m taking pictures about huh? K-bumbai. *L*

Tomorrow? hmmmm more cactus? LOL

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I spent Sunday at the golf course. I was a volunteer at a golf tournament and so since I was going could I take pictures. I get to use the camera? Oh yeah. Love using da work camera. I was at the golf course from 9:30AM to 6:45pm more or less. I had fun actually and it was work but fun work. I did a lot of different things but mostly I was designated paparazzi. *L*

I took a lot of pictures of cactus. I love still life. In looking at all the pictures I took, I learned I’ve not mastered the taking pictures of people yet. Its either fuzzy or they looking away or maybe I am, but humans aren’t a favorite subject to capture. Cactus, trees, flowers and sunsets or sunrise are more of my speed.

I took these pictures and I don’t remember them looking like this when I was looking thru the lens. When I took the picture with the two trees, I thought I was just taking the in between part and didn’t know I captured the whole tree. Duh? My eyes look at one thing and then totally capture the bigger picture then I didn’t totally see. I’ve been told I have an EYE. Actually I have two. But I’ve been told I have an eye, whatever that means. I think its an accidental eye or a makapio eye. What I see in the lens and what I see afterwards are two different pictures. Go figgah. As long as they are nice, why ask why. Although there’s a bunch thats kinda fuzzy and I think its my eyes or the lack of. I’m trying though.

Golf carts at sunset. I didn’t notice the golf carts till I downloaded and saw it on the computer.

Two trees in front of a sunset. I was aiming for the in between part. Duh. Still pretty anyway.

This is an Arizona Sunset. I didn’t know I caught part of the tree on the right. I didn’t see the plants on the bottom. I didn’t know I framed it the way I did. I was aiming at the colors. I really like doing this photography stuff. Tomorrow, cactus. *L*

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AKA Gadderings.

So back in March or April I got this call from dis guy www.kamakabrown.com and he says EH I GOING SING DIS SONG AND I LIKE YOU DANCE’UM. Wait wait wait, WHAT song?

You know da song EI NEI? No. Doesn’t ring a bell. He says if I hear it I’ll know it; it an old song written by Lena Machado. I tell him send me da CD of him singing den I’ll use that fo’practice. If can, can; if no can no can. Ok so can. And did.

So I got da CD and I listened and I listened. OH yeah I suppose to dance’um. Right, dance. Aloha wau ia oe, e ku’u aloha ei nei, there’ll be no one in our place, ei nei.

There was a little panic on my part cause the song had a 45 second music only intro. Dats a long time. Anden there was an interlude portion, da panic part of what do I do, I can’t just kaholo thru what was it call 32 bars of music. Is that whats its called. I ask Kamaka can dat be shortened? NO. No can, studio time blah blah blah, deal with it. Anyway after many days of dancing it every which way but loose, it dawned on me duh? da first verse fits exactly in there. As evening shadows fall….hello.

So after many months I think I got it down but den I’m thinking, dat a longass intro. I don’t have to really kaholo till I hear da keeting keeting keeting part. Oh wait wrong kine music. But I mean there is a certain guitar lick that I know to start at. Is that whats its call “lick” hmmm short fo’Lika. Auwe, but I digress….

After many months, Aloha Gatherings arrives and I fly to LV. Meet up with da “organizers” and us go eat! Two or three times people asked me; “so you going dance?” My standard answer was “I did not get da memo.” Oh I forgot to say, this was going be one surprise. It was not on da program. It was something Kamaka thought of cause he Mr. MC not hamma, hah? So I neva like say no I not and lie. I couldn’t say yes cause den I gotta answa wot song. So all I said was “I did not get da memo.” Which was true. There’s no memo’s in hula. LOL

So I go to the event and ask Kamaka “us doing Ei Nei?” Yeah yeah yeah. Again my concern, the 45 second intro. And he explains to me the music goes on, he talks about da song anden I come up dance. Oh ok cool. For whateva reason I thought it was gonna happen at the end of the evening. Like before us sing Hawaii Aloha. Duh dat was last yea. So I’m gibberjabbering “at the bar” and I hear familiar music. Aiyah, is dat da song? So I go sit my seat, that was close up front, hemo my slippas, Kamaka talking talking about da song, I hear my cue, and I walk up to da stage. SURPRISE! Like nobody knew? LOL

Andats my story fo’dis yea’s dance. *L* Accept, as I started to dance a strange thought came to mind.
Did I shave? How lolo am I.

When I watched the clip I saw all my booboos. Thats so typical of me, focusing on da junk part and not looking at it in a more positive light. I did have good fun so, its all good.

OH & I danced Papalina Lahilahi too. And I saw these NTs in front the hand stay making all da motions. So I tell her: Hui, come up. Her start acking all shy kine. No no no. And I said very Tita-ishly: SHUDDUP COME UP! And her did and I cracked up. So me and NT danced. Was good fun….

You gotta go to ohanalanai.com, fo’go see da clip. Look for: Hana Hou: Lika Dances “Ei Nei” Sung By Kamaka
Stay unda da Aloha Gatherings tread. Oh wait, wait, wait try look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyYZxhuIJRw

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Ei Nei ~ Lyrics & Music by Lena Machado -1962

Aloha wau ia oe
E ku’u aloha ei nei
There’ll be no one in your place
Ei Nei.

As evening shadows fall
I hear your sweet melody
That bring me fond memeories
Of You.

I’ll be so lost without you
Every thing seems so blue
My heart keeps saying its you, dear
It’s you, it’s you, just you
Ei ku’u aloha ei nei
You’re mine
Just mine alone
There’ll be no one in your place
Ei nei.

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No, not jail. Financially! I have debt up da yingyang or maybe just da yang but its UP there. Ok its not no 7Billion. Not even 7Million. So how about bailing out some of us “working” class people; you know the ones who live pay check to paycheck. AND I’m sure once WE get bailed out WE will make “an effort” to save money. We promise not to get ourselves in such a predicament, again. We will pay our bills the way we have been doing all this time. We will be financially responsible. Can?

So da rich people that are in trouble are going to get help from da richer people. And the poor people will get poorer. The Richer people are going to bail out the rich people; paying for their mistakes, greediness, cars, homes, lavish lifestyle. But the Richer people are not going to use their own money to bail out the rich people. How do you thing they got Richer, surely not using their own money. No dey have to use ada peoples money. OH, is dat called taxes.

WTF and how da hell and shoots….. I’ve heard people say if the government does not bail THEM out then it will be worst den da great depression. YEAH for da poor people. Da rich people have off shore accounts and swiss accounts and a home in da Bahamas or Mexico. Worst then the depression, YES for the oppressed & da depressed. If you are poor, be prepared to be poorer. If you are living paycheck to paycheck, hey be grateful you have a paycheck. If you are rich, be prepared to down size and maybe go slumming or just move out of the country; depending on how much the dollar is worth. Unreal yeah?

Frkng doom and gloom. Terrorist invading da country. Homeland security. Weapons of mass destruction. Wea? There’s a war going on. People are dying in a foreign land, freedon ain’t free. Tell me about it. DefCon 5? Gas prices the highest ever. The housing market bottoming out and ova. Domino effect ain’t it. Somebody needs to go to jail, because somebody - a bunch of peoples - is manipulating da market.

I read an article where it stated; research shows that the high price of gas was brought on by speculative buying and not the foreign market. Noshit? And are any of these “specultive buyers” looking at any speculative jail time? Hellno.

I don’t know what to believe anymore. We suppose to save money, have an IRA, have insurance. And the companies that are needing to be bailed out are banks, insurance….. I’m totally frkng confused. My money is not safe with me and its not safe in da bank? I have moe debt then income, SOMEBODY PLEASE BAIL ME OUT!

Mahalo.

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This is my plate at Aloha World Gathering. Sad to say my eye was bigga den my opu. We had gone to Makinos at 11am and I was still full at 7pm. Ok not dat full. I ate MOST of my food, just not all.

I ate all my olives. I love olives. There was a big toss salad with alot of other veggies and all I got was olives. Why I going eat toss salad when I get laulau. Dat green I think it covers the veggie department yeah. There chicken long rice was ono. I went back for 2nds on that. Oh right, I was full. Like I said I wasn’t dat full. LOL

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I got to go to da Hapa Concert yestaday at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix.

Betta yet was FREE fo’me. Will dance for free ticket. LOL City of Phoenix had a pre show cultural program thingy going on at City Hall and in da plaza. Was frkng hot doe outside man. But you could go insaid CityHall and had one 3 piece band - Tropical Breeze - playing. Had information booths and a few vendors.

Anyways I’ve known about this concert for months and neva buy tickets. Then I started to buy tickets but I neva still yet. Den couple of weeks ago our halau got asked to do a twenty minute segment. So I just had to do one dance, Pua Hone. And I got a free ticket to go insai.

So awesome. Great seat too. Accept da lady in front me had BIG hay-yuh! Fo’see Unco Charles Kaupu I had fo’lean right if da lady was leaning left and kapakahi la dat. Wot I was going say, “excuse me will you SMASH yo’hair down on top and da sides, could you go fo’da sleek flat look.” hehehehehe

Lucky I neva buy tickets because all dey had was like Row 18 plus. Where was my free ticket? Row 4 Seat 6 front & centa baybee. Also the section where big hair people sit, but hey beggars can not be choosey. You get wot you get, yeah. So happen my friend and her daughter was right in front of me too, next to da big hair lady. She said they just bought their tickets and 1pm and she was surprised to be able to get Row 3 in da middle kine.

The concert was awesome. Always good to hear Hawaiian Music live. Flat guitar and all, oh no no no; I not tawking about DIS concert I tawking about one ada performance dat I kept hearing “it bothers me that da guitar is tuned flat.” I’m partial toned deaf so it has to be super bad ugly for me to know flat guitar or not. LOL But I digresss….. as usual.

I wanted to hear more of Nathan Aweaue music. Call me impartial, da E’ Apo Mai CD is one of my all time favorites. Talent really shows in live performances yeah.

Ha’come they every time say in concert SO&SO LIVE! Dey couldn’t perform if dey was makidiedead. You know what I mean. Or wot, dey going do play da CD fo’in concert; SO&SO RECORDED. Just always wondered about the LIVE part. Nobody has ever been in concert DEAD. I could be wrong.

So dey had Hapa & Unco Charles Kaupu and Miss Aloha Hula 2002 as their dancer. So elegant. I gotta learn elegant. Unco Charles was funny. He said “oh get choke locals hah transplanted hea. WHY? I see plenny beach, get plenny sand, no moe ocean, hoooo da hot!”

Oh da concert, right right right…… I’ve always admired Barry Flannigans guitar playing because I like Segovia and Wes Montgomery. His guitar playing is really strong and forceful, kind of on da Flemco style yeah. Or thats what my eas heas. lol I don’t think of it as Hawaiian. Although he does great Hawaiian Music. I’m talking his guitar playing. Its more classical style even when he playing slack key. Well dat cause he get classical training yeah…

Whereas Nathan Auweau is moe nahenahe. So den dose two syles fused compliments one another. I think Barry Flannigan should do a solo album. Something Segovia-ish, ya know. Or maybe he has and I haven’t been paying attention. LOL

Anyway it was a great show. One hula and a free concert ticket. How lucky am I?

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[From this mornings emails]

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are20you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you le t go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

If you don’t send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone’s day with this message!

It’s easier to build a child than repair an adult. !!!!!!! This is so true.

May we all be COFFEE

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Most peoples have dropped calls. Hate wen dat happens yeah. ME I was having Drop Phone. I swear so mental me………

Rewind to dis past Saturday night in Las Vegas. Us was walking around Circus Circus and I panic because I cannot find my phone. I don’t have it on me. I search my purse. No moe. I go to da closest worker there and ask where the lost and found place is and as I’m talking to dat lady this teenager comes up to me and ask, did you loose a phone? In her hand she shows me my phone. I am eternally grateful. Anden she says, I think I stepped on it? I’m like dats ok as long as I have. I thank her some more. OMG loosing a ones phone is like being disconnected to da world or something ain’t it. I love my phone. LOL

I was just showing everybody da pedometer and so far that night I had walked over three miles and by da end of dat evening it was over four. I would feel lost wit out my phone. Not dat I talk alot on it or anything. I’m not a big talk story plenny on da phone all da time. But there are times when I do.

So then Monday or Tuesday morning before work I had to go buy ice and pop for work. I’m at the checkout and one of the checkout ladies was fixing up the shelves and she says, “somebody lost their phone.” I touche my waist band and shoots, its my phone. I’m like OMG I didn’t even know I dropped it. She hands it back to me and says “you have to keep it in your chichis!” Me and the other cashier were just cracking up. I tell her I did for a long time but den its unprofessional to keep digging in my bra. She says “never mind professional at least you have your phone.” You have to say that with a Chicana accent to get the right effect. LOL

I can’t believe I’ve been such a dufus and loosing my phone like that. I’m just glad I have it now.

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A picture speaks a thousand words…..well in dis case……da picture makes my stomach growl and ono for sommoe. I loved the shrimp tempura. For more information go to: www.makinolasvegas.com

Round 1 - my eye bigger den my stomach part I

Round 2 - my eye way bigger den my stomach part II

Round 3 - I shoulda gotten dessert first but da sushi was calling me first. Could not resist…..

Round 4 - Green tea ice cream without the hot fudge. It taste betta wit hot fudge on it. I put hot fudge on it after I took the picture. Was too busy grinding to take pictures afta dat…….

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Pictures taken at Aloha World Gatherings Sept 12, 2008. You guys gotta come next year……

Look so ono & pretty cause nobody wen kakaroach’um yet…….

Two of everyting….

The dessert table and one big kakaroach……

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