Overthrow

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"States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions."
Noam Chomsky

"If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law." Henry Thoreau

"The first principal of nonviolent action is that of noncooperation with everything humiliating."
Cesar Chavez







Yesterday, January 17th, marked the 116th anniversary of the overthrow of the legitimate Hawaiian Kingdom largly at the hands of American residents - some born in the islands.

Wearing a red shirt and carrying a small Hawaiian flag I joined the Ku I Ka Pono March commemorating the sad event, and protesting Governor Lingle (R). She is attempting to monetize the Royal Lands which the State administers SUPPOSEDLY for the benefit of the Native Hawaiian People, the Kanaka Maoli. Many of our airports, harbors & public university campuses stand on these so called "ceeded lands." and yet Hawaiian elderly, handicapped and families with babies sleep under tarps at remote beaches.



In 1998 scholars working in the National Archives in Washington D.C. uncovered a document forgotten for a hundred years: the Ku`e Petitition. It had been sent to Congress to protest the Queen's arrest and demanding the resotration of soveriegnty. It had been signed by almost every citizen of these islands. When copies circulated in the press, contemporary Hawaii citizens were touched and uplifted to see their Kupuna's (elders) signatures on the suppressed and forgotten document. President Clinton formally apologized for the U.S. role, but. . .

Loving Hawaii and her people as I do, while loving the land of refuge for my Kupuna - the U.S.A. - is like being the child of a complicated marriage. You love both of your parents, but must wonder at their relationship sometimes. Most Hawaiians are proud citizens of the U.S. and they serve, and have served the nation with distinction. But as they fight for the freedom of others, they no doubt long for their rightful dignity at home in these islands. . .

Kaulana Na Pua

"Famous are the Flowers"

or

"The Stone Eating Song"

Famous are the people of Hawaii

Who love the land, the `aina

Who care not for the wealth of the world

But are satisfied

With the pohaku, the stones of this `aina

They rather take the stones for bread

No one will fix a signature

To the paper of the enemy

With its sin of annexation

And sale of Native Civil Rights

We do not value

The governments sums of money.

We are satisfied with the stones

Astonishing food of the land.

January, 1893

A L O H A? Cloudia

Kalihi

"Where we love is home, Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and

grow old wanting to get back to." John Ed Pearce

m
"Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect!" Owens Lee Pomeroy

When I moved to Oahu from the Big Island, the neighborhood of Kalihi was Honolulu to me. To most visitors, heck – even to many locals- Kalihi is synonymous with industrial Nimitz Highway between the airport and Downtown. Most folks drive past the small factories, commercial businesses, docks, oil transport, and all the other necessities that most of us ignore without realizing that there is a gritty, but historic and homey neighborhood just blocks off the highway. Kalihi is working class and affordable, and (most importantly) it is a genuine neighborhood, perhaps Honolulu’s (or even Hawaii’s!) signature neighborhood – its lots more than a dusty highway! Kalihi Kai is the area makai (ocean-ward) of Nimitz Highway: little streets full of tiny, urban residences, the like of which are rarely seen this side of Hawaii 50 reruns on TV. At the shore one can look out at tiny Mokuea Island, which once was a flourishing Hawaiian fishing village, and is still visited by locals to fish or just get away from the city for a while. Between Nimitz and School Street (towards the mountains) is called Kalihi Waena, served by King Street and Dillingham Boulevard. Tiny, indispensable industries line Kalani and Colburn Streets. This is a tough urban enclave where successive waves of immigrants work hard, move up, and move on – possibly to lovely Kalihi Valley (Kalihi Uka) way up in the hills, where the Like Like Highway travels over the Ko`olau mountains like the Pali Highway’s poorer sister, ending in working class country-town Kaneohe, rather than the Pali’s rapidly gentrifying Kailua destination with it’s art galleries and beachfront homes. Being from Kalihi, saying that you graduated from Farrington High School, MEANS something in this town. It means that you are a down-to-earth person who has worked hard for all you ever got, and who never forgets where you came from. Yes, when I was fresh off the jet from Kona, Kalihi WAS my Honolulu, the bars, the jobs, the affordable housing, the amazing mix of people and cultures, the friends-for-life. That’s my Kalihi – food stands, happy-sticky children, the music, the great grassroots organizations like KOKUA Kalihi Valley, and the smell of diesel from Dillingham Blvd mixing with the Korean Kalbi Beef. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. If you go, especially check out Bob’s Barbecue at Dillingham & Waiakamilo, Mitsu Ken on School Street (go early in the day for garlic chicken!), or Papa Al’s favorite “classic hole-in-the-wall”, Ethel’s on Kalihi St. You GO Kalihi! You’ll always be special to me! . . .

Junior High Crush

Patrick McGoohan
1928 - 2008

He was TVs "Secret Agent Man," John Drake, and an early "man in my life." His self possession, his cool, his easy intellect, all marked him as a very interesting fellow. Like "The Prisoner" (1968) I too rebelled against the enforced conformity of my suburban youth. He was a natural ally, a cool guy, who embodied the spirit of the Sixties as much as the Beatles or Emma Peal. He has finally escaped the manipulations and pursuit of Number Two and "The System" R.I.P.




" 'The Prisoner' was a television show of ideas -- the inalienable if inconvenient right to self in a world that demands your cooperation, if not capitulation -- which also distinguished it from pretty much every other television show I had ever seen. The fact that I was just then working out that my own junior high school was a kind of jail made its appearance timely and amplified its meaning, as did most everything else about that chaotic summer of the battlements." "
Robert LLoyd, L.A. Times

Honolulu Chinatown

"Cherish your own emotions and never undervalue them."
Robert Henri

"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."

Sir Winston Churchill


"Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good."

Samuel Johnson













“Let’s Stroll Through Asia!”

All my friends and family have heard it over and over again: I love Chinatown! For a city kid like me, Honolulu’s Chinatown is familiar “mother street.” The grit, the small streets full of vehicles, a multiplicity of languages, old buildings and a million little family shops, all make me feel very much at home. “Yo! I’m walkin` here!” Loving a place, as I do America’s oldest Chinatown, means having favorite defunct restaurants/buildings/signs, and forever-magical spots like King St. & Smith where I bumped into Morgan Freeman one midnight as Chinese Opera music wafted from an upper window. Love affairs are not clear-eyed; there is always mystery. And especially in the case of Chinatown, for haole ole me, there has always been that certain veil. I might read about the old opium and gambling den days, know the former sights of plantation era dime-a-dance palaces, might even say “Nihau” or “Gung Hee Fat Choy” at my favorite Dim Sum place with total sincerity, but there is just no way into the secret truth of the Chinatown Community without the kindness of a trusted guide. Such is 3rd generation resident Anthony Chang,
Along with about a dozen other locals one recent Saturday morning, I was fortunate to join Mr. C’s monthly strolling tour through the neighborhood he knows so well. And vice versa! It was like being in the entourage of a celebrity. Everywhere we went, neighborhood folks greeted our host with warm smiles, and this included in the back rooms of small noodle factories, butcher shops, and tiny restaurants gearing up for the day. Watching sheets of rice noodle being made from scratch we learned that the proprietors add the drippings of roasted meat (from the butcher next door) to some of the noodles to suit Chinese taste, but keep other batches meat-free for the Vietnamese who prefer them that way. You see, not only is Vietnam strongly Buddhist (and therefore largely vegetarian) it is also the farthest from the spices of India and deeper Asia. Now I understand why Vietnamese food is so fresh and clean to the palate!
Ancient China had few trees, so folks cooked over grass flames: fast and hot. This gave birth to the stir-fry method, which quickly “bursts” and caramelizes the cells on the surface of your food, sealing flavorful juices inside where they wait to explode on the tongue like a Shanghai soup dumpling. Each village, if large enough, had a central shop, which roasted the meat for everyone. This is why roasted ducks and pigs are displayed in the familiar fashion one sees in Chinatowns throughout the world. Here’s a tip: it is the Chinese custom to go food shopping early in the day. So the very best shops are found on the morning-shady side of the street! If you see a similar shop across the street, it’s probably second best, though still worthy, and you might find shorter lines over there as well. If you’re in a hurry, your guests will never know the difference. Shhhhh!
The ancient Hawaiian Village of Kou sat where the Foster Botanical Garden and the lovely Kwan Yin Temple stand today on the mauka side of Vineyard Boulevard, which itself is named after the vineyards established there by early Portuguese resident Juan Marin on land granted him by the king. [Marin was reportedly not as generous with his harvests, opting to sell his provisions to the ships in the harbor rather than to share them with his neighbors. This made quite an impression on them which lives on today in the Hawaiian word: “manini” which means “tight” or “ungenerous.”]
Today’s Chinatown, bounded by Alakea, Vineyard, River, and Nimitz, had always been a sparsely populated marshy area. The solid land around the Iolani Palace and Kawaihao Church was dominated by the government and by commerce, leaving the less desirable area west of Nu`uanu affordable to immigrants. You can see a nice pair of stone lions at Bethel and Hotel Streets guarding the old boundary. They are a gift from our sister city Zhongshan China, whose officials are expected to be here for the dedication of a new statue of Sun Yat Sen (portraying his Honolulu schoolboy days) now being cast for us in China. Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Filipino restaurants have sprung up in recent years, as the area is constantly refreshed by today’s immigrants. But why “Soul De Cuba?” someone asked. That’s because early Chinese immigrants to Cuba played an important part in the war against colonial Spain, and added their food-wisdom to the African and Creole culinary traditions that gave birth to Cuba’s food heritage. Who knew?! Space does not permit me to rhapsodize here over all the wonderful little restaurants and food stalls – you really owe yourself a Chinatown adventure of your own, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out one of my personal favorites: Duc’s Bistro on Maunakea (Chinatown’s “Main Street”). This wonderful little enclave is a welcoming and civilized place for excellent French-influenced cuisine, the best in atmosphere and live music, all hosted by the man himself, Duc. I love to sit at the tastefully lit bar and treat myself to a bowl of their signature lobster bisque. It’s easy to think that I’m in classy New York, or visiting Paris. Not “cheap,” but well worth it. Check them out!
Gorging myself at a Dim Sum palace on River Walk with our group, I decided to try chicken feet for the first time. They were sort of like tiny, savory, Buffalo wings! “Probably the loser.” Said one of the guys, alluding to the chicken fights still held in our rural districts. Yes, it was a day of illumination and of firsts, but my favorite local treasure turned out to be Mr. Liu who has a small stand in the lobby of a building on the makai side of King Street’s first (second) block. Mr. Liu is a true artist, trained in the traditional arts as a boy in China. One can purchase custom calligraphy, lovely paper-cut art, or even have a genuine Chinese seal (“chop”) carved to use on your important documents or artworks. But the really interesting thing about Mr. Liu is how he raised his three children in this new land, and put them all through prestigious colleges where they excelled in professional programs. You see, this talented artist spent years earning his living in Chinatown by cutting meat as a butcher! I was glad to see that, yes, he still has all his skillful fingers and displays the soul of a true artist. Be sure to stop by for some affordable and elegant art when you explore the world’s best Chinatown for yourself. . . And be sure to stop me and say “Aloha” the next time you are walking in Waikiki. Warmly, Cloudia

HUNA: Hidden Wisdom

" We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are." Tobias Wolf

"I know what I want to do with my life. I intend to do everything. . . Everything matters! . . . . I am alive . . . I am beautiful . . . .what else is there?" Susan Sontag, age 16

"I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it."

Jack Handey

"Huna" means "hidden." This is the wisdom behind appearances that the Hawaiian Kahuna developed over centuries of learning & practice. These principles are considered practical techniques, not mere symbols. Emerging ideas, such as "The Secret," are uncannily similar, don't you think?

The Seven Principles of Huna

IKE -The world is what you think it is.

KALA -There are no limits, everything is possible.

MAKIA - Energy flows where attention goes.

MANAWA - Now is the moment of power.

ALOHA - To love is to be happy with.

MANA - All power comes from within.

PONO - Effectiveness is the measure of truth.

Food for thought . . . A L O H A! Cloudia

Hang in There

"No written law has ever been more binding than unwritten custom supported by popular opinion."
- Carrie Chapman Catt

"No one has a finer command of the language than the person who keeps his mouth shut." - Sam "Mr. Sam" Rayburn

"Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy."- Nora Ephron

"This crisis can be the greatest time of your life if you learn how to use it."

- Tony Robbins

Patience is the most powerful thing in the world. Just ask water that has been falling on stone for a while.

A L O H A! Cloudia

A Hero

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."
Christopher Reeve

"The hero draws inspiration from the virtue of his ancestors."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


“A hero is a man who does what he can."
Romain Rolland

Her people, "Na Pua" (The Flowers) are the ornament of Hawaii

Every day, all over the world, countless acts of heroism and humanity are accomplished by people who didn't ask to be there. . . The heavy rains we in the islands were "blessed" with last month caused some amazing flooding. Paukauila Stream, near O`ahu's North Shore Town of Hale`iwa, overflowed it's banks, and the waters were lapping at the door of the Gonsalves Ohana before they could be evacuated. Young Mom, Johnell was braving the torrential downpour to get to work on the bus. When she realized how trecherous the storm was, and that her baby Ikaika might be in very real danger, she grew frantic. Soon she was screaming into the phone for her brother, Henry Gonsalves, 24, to do something! Henry, unemployed and looking for work, is an experienced surfer who has lived near some of the most famous big-wave surfing beaches in this world his whole life. In water up to his neck, Henry made his way to the neighbors house where a surfboard awaited him. Somehow, he managed to jump to the cottages roof and then jump the 12 feet to his own. Clambering down through a window he retrieved his screaming nephew and paddled against a raging current to safety. Then he went back for his girlfriend, mother, and aunt. An opportune kayak floated by; Henry placed his relatives aboard and towed them into the arms of Honolulu firefighters (Yay!) who then helped to secure the family's handicapped father. "I got bit by centipedes and cane spiders . . .I wasn't going to let anything happen to my nephew. My sister would have died." he told reporters later. In Hawaii, it is a sign of respect to call folks older den you "Auntie" & "Uncle." That's how we roll in the 808. Well, Uncle Henry is a hero indeed to his nephew and all the local folks on the "country" side of our island. To me too!

A L O H A! Cloudia