Prophetic new word?

Last week, I had two terrible day, first was Thursday with heavy rain, which might have been heaviest I had in O’ahu before. When I left my home around 10:00 as usual, it’s not raining. But within 3 minutes, it turned to pour! I got totally soaked, my note was also spoiled… I should have left for school earlier. “The later bird catches rain”? Nightmare had not finished yet. In my office, I changed my shirts and pants, and put those on an old wooden shelf to dry them out. BUT, 5 hours later when I checked how it got dried, WHAT? Dark color varnish or water paint was transferred to my clothes and pants!! Gosh. They were spoiled.
It was not end, but start of nightmare in the week. After the field survey in early morning on Friday, I stopped at UH to pick up Thomas and go to Kewalo marine lab. BUT, when I tried to leave from parking, transmission of my bug (at least, reverse, 1st and 2nd) did not work somehow!!! What? What I did? With Thomas’s quick-witted action, we managed to go out from UH campus using only 3rd gear, but finally asked towing away to VW shop.

A couple of weeks ago, I accidentally learned new word "tow truck", though, this word was really useful on last Friday. Prophetic teaching? Hey, you guys, next time please teach me other prophetic words associated with success story such as “babe magnet” and “lottery winning”!

Keg Party

Because I’m supposed to have presentation at my lab seminar next week, I’m pretty busy. But Party does not wait for me. I’ve got to go! Today we had Beer Party at the apartment where Varsia, Jessie and Cyril are sharing. I rushed back to home around 8:30, and quickly cooked “Tofu patty” this time, because there are many vegetarian friends here. Blotted sliced tofu at micro oven, and squashed them with spoon. Separately buttered mushroom and yam, then mix them with another ground yam and “patty mix”. And just baked them.

Regrettably this “patty mix” for “Tofu patty” included bonito powder, so this was not good for Varsia. Sorry, I’ll take care more next time. I also brought some Japanese seasoning, sesame taste miso, garlic soy sauce and citrus soy sauce. Garlic soy sauce seemed to be good for foreign friends. It seemed that over 60 or 70 people finally gathered today. I tried to ask the name again and again, but, you know, it’s hard to memorize foreign name. Please put name card on your forehead! Nice to meet you guys all today, and thank you, Varsia, Jessie and Cyril! What’s the next party? "Mafia game party?"

Bowling Party

I got good news last week end. Small grant about $10,000 /yr, was assigned for my study (not salary), this year. Because the applied study plan for this grant was focused on algal physiology, I could do good job during another 6 months in Hawaii. So keeping this pleasure in my mind, I joined “Bowling Party” to celebrate Marian’s birthday. Bowling? My farther was good bowler (over 200 on average) though, it’s been over 15 years since I last played it. Then scores of two games were so bad (85 and 95). Umm, my scores were around 120, even when I was high school students. But fortunately, the scores of other members in my group were also bad. So we excused that probably our lane had subtle slopes for gutter. It might be. It must be! After the bowling, we went back to Alexis & David room, and enjoyed chatting with White Russian. What's white Russian? Guess it. Because gathered people are so nice, and Alexis, Varsia and Jessie had some experiences to stay in Japan for a while before, I felt very comfortable atmosphere this time. Happy birthday, Marian.

End of festival

1 week Ocean Science Meeting ended. As usual, it was like festival rather than scientific meeting, because we can meet many old friends and new friends. See you next year again.
After the meeting, I visited Iuri & Ilsa’s house to celebrate their marriage with their friends from FL, OH and HI. Their house looked like restaurant with lanai and good night view. I could not believe that I was in their home and celebrate them, because I met each of them at different places in different time. Today, I had another surprise. Ryan from Ohio said that my friend was hired in his lab as technician managing mass spectrometer and he is supposed to work there from April. I worked him several times at Ishigaki Island in Okinawa. When we had “Okonomi yaki (Japanese style pancake) in Shinjyuku last January, just before I left Tokyo, he told me that he wanted to work in foreign country as lab technician. Dream came true for him. Good luck!

Sporty party? together with winter Olympic game

I think that this period, mid February to March, is one of the busiest season around Waikiki. Last weekend, I joined “Heather’s birthday Party” held in Kapi'olani Park. I was lucky, I could find my parking space at the side of Natatorium. Thank you for compact car-.
Beause Heather usually enjoy volleyball on weekend, sporty people gathered in this party. So the party was little bit different from usual BBQ party. First priority is playing volleyball, second one is enjoying volleyball, and third one is continuing volleyball-. Though I had few experience of volleyball, I like this kind of party, too. This time, I took several flavors ice cream of Baskin Robbins (http://www.baskinrobbins.com.au/home/default.asp). Why? Because, it’s Heather’s 31st birthday. Do you know what I mean? This idea seemed to go down well with all.

In winter, we can often see good sunset with beautiful gradation at Waikiki. It looks like post card, doesn’t it? But regrettably this photo was obscure. Next time!

“As I sow, so shall I reap.”

Because I enjoyed Japanese baseball division series, and Championship games over midnight in October, I’ve completely become night person. I try to go to bed around 0 or 1 am, but I don't get sleepy. I’m getting hungry, and then have some foods, watch TV and look over book. Finally I can go to sleep around dawn. I was actually trapped in vicious circle.
I asked my friend what is good way to go to sleep well. Cleaner, Ken, told that he has a medicine “melatonin”, which is something to adjust hormone. It seems to help us going to sleep without any obvious side effect (http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/10/12/melatonin.clock/). It’s first time to hear such a pill. But I do not have such a medicine-like tablet. Other ideas are to have alcohol or stay up all night. Finally, I selected Heather’s idea, having herbal tea and relax myself.

The herbal tea, which I bought at Down to Earth(http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/hawaiian_life_e/2005-06-01), is 5 times higher than my usual Lipton tea! But taste matches this price. It’s really nice. Irrespectively to the virtue of this tea for sleeping, I may continue to buy it.

Hiroshima-yaki party

We had “Hiroshimayaki” party at Brenden’s backyard, with members from UH, Kewalo(http://www.kewalo.hawaii.edu/) and HIMB(http://www.hawaii.edu/HIMB/). Hiroshima-yaki resembles Okonomiyaki (http://www.japan-guide.com/r/e100.html), which is Japanese popular food, but It's made by different style only at Hiroshima city in Japan. Okonomiyaki may be more popular for young people than Sushi and Tempura, ‘cause it’s so cheap. This time, Masaya and Hiromi, who grew up at Hiroshima prefecture, prepared and cooked it. Honestly speaking, it’s first time even for me to see and eat Hiroshimayaki, because I grew up Tokyo area. Here is recipe.

1. Bake batter (flour, water, eggs and yam) like crape and put s bonito.
2. Heap handfuls grated cabbage, bean sprouts and green onions.
3. Put large strips of poke and/or shrimps.
4. Put some batter on the top with some pepper and salt.
5. Turn over and bake it.
6. Pile it on the baked yakisoba noodles.
7. Finally, pile it on the baked eggs.
Then, we ate it with special sauce. It’s really nice taste. Awesome!

Thai cuisine

Chris, who was PhD candidate in our lab., decided to go back to Oregon to write his PhD dissertation. A couple of months before, He’d moved to dormitory at HIMB (Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology) from his apartment, and tonight he’s gone back to Oregon. Because we had enough time until his departure, we, Chris, Masaya, Brenden and me, went to Thai cuisine restaurant located at Waialae Ave. This restaurant is Brenden’s favorite. Though I had many chances to go to Thailand for my field works and had very very spicy dishes there, the dishes served at this restaurant was really nice taste with appropriate spiciness. One restaurant was added in my list. The list of “my new English words” has get to more than 30 or 40 pages, but the list of the restaurant is still first page…

Potluck dinner

We had potluck dinner party at emeritus professor Dr. Abbott’s house. In addition to usual lab members, Ryan’s mom also joined. What is little bit different from home party in Japan is that people seem to enjoy talking with old friends and new friends rather than eating and drinking. When I visited her house last time, I was too nervous to explain how we eat my prepared Temaki-sushi, even if I was urged to do it. But now I didn’t feel such a feeling, probably due to these 6 month experience. Great! Additionally, my cooking skills also may not be same as before.

This time, I prepared Temaki-sushi again, but it seems to be improved, doesn’t it? Ryan says that Temaki-Sushi is appropriate dishes as “Pupu” (appetizer), because it’s easy to have standing and talking. The items to roll with “Nori” (seaweed paper) and rice are “Unagi” (eel fish), avocado, imitation crab, cucumber and “Takuan” (Japanese style radish pickles). Japanese word “Temaki” means “rolling with hand”.

Improvement of QOL

Though Hawaii is an island of eternal summer, trade wind has come to brow, and we have many showers especially on hill side in these days. TV news is broadcasting the movement of hurricanes around Gulf of Mexico and East Coast of North America every day. In addition, however, there are also several hurricanes between CA and HI, and weather news on local TV program says that two out of them are approaching to Hawaii Islands (http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/). I hope they are not severe ones.

By the way, I found that I can use wireless LAN at my apartment, a couple of weeks ago. Then I decided to buy new chair for spending more time comfortably at apartment. So far, I had one 5 dollars camp chair, whose seat was too flat and hard to sit for several hours. I purchased new one at Office Max.

Back is mesh like material and seat has good cushion. Umm, all of conditions was set up at apartment, then I don’t need to go to office?