Aloha!

Day of our arrival.  Our hotel view included a view of the Ala Wai Canal.

Dahin greets the ocean on Waikiki Beach at night.

Dahin and Jess with one of the many lei'd statues on Oahu, above, and, below, Dahin and Jess walk on Waikiki Beach in the morning. My dear friend Sang Yeon and her husband were so nice to arrange for Dahin to play with their girls while Sang Yeon and I attended the conference.   Their hotel was walking distance from ours, so it was a great way to get some exercise in the mornings, plus see the beach first thing.

Above, view from the Waikiki Sheraton (ah, the good life...).  Below, members of our panel: "Pop Culture to Migration: Refashioning Identities in East Asia".  The conference was a joint one for the Association for Asian Studies and International Convention of Asia Scholars.  I wish all conferences were in Hawaii!

After the panel, we were so relieved to be done!  I liked that the panel was on Thursday afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to relax and just enjoy our time in Hawaii over the next few days.

Below, Sue-Je, Roger, and I catch up at the boook exhibits.  I also got to see my old co-workers at UC Berkeley.  It was so great seeing everyone and catching up, even it was a brief catch-up session.

Meanwhile, Dahin, Ellie, and Nora were the perfect trio.  Dahin got to fulfill her fantasy of having a baby sister (something that she's held against me since the boys were born) and Ellie, in particular, loved hanging out with her eonni Dahin.  Chieh-han's a doctor, so the girls were in perfectly safe, loving hands during the day.  I was really grateful knowing this and could actually relax at the conference.

Our friends Fred and Heather took us out to a great local, organic meal.  Dahin really enjoyed her big-girl evening.  She got a mango spritzer with her pasta and I got a local brew with an amazing roasted chicken dish.  The food was awesome!!  Fred is a Professor of Ethnomusicology at U of H and Heather is a curator at the Iolani Palace Museum.  They're great people.  We also got a chance to meet some local dogs.  On the terrace area people were sitting with their dogs while eating.  Wow--so different from Korea.  It was so nice to be an environment where people don't treat dogs like they're the scurge of the earth.  The wait staff was super friendly and seemed to like having the dogs around.  We had a great time hanging out.

Then we headed to Fred and Heather's home where we could meet the trans-Pacific Tashi.  It was so freaky that Heather named their cat Tashi at the same time we named our dog Tashi and we didn't know about it until Fred mentioned that they got a cat and Heather named it Tashi.  So freaky.  Plus, the name has the same origin in both cases: meaning "lucky" in Tibetan.  Tashi was patient with Dahin's advances.  But, you know cats, eventually he broke free.

On our first break from the conference (ok--1st of many, let's be honest), Ellie and Dahin get ready to snorkel in Hanauma Bay. It's a nature preserve and we were lucky to get in. After a first unsuccessful attempt to enter the park, a quick turn around and a few exiting cars meant we got a turn. We played there for five hours.

Dahin and I snorkled, and snorkled, and snorkled.  She didn't do so well without a flotation device, so we were lucky that Chieh-Han and Sang-Yeon had an extra pair of water wings. Once she had the wings on, she was good to go.  At first, every time she saw a fish, she would scream.  I guess it's a little freaky to see a fish that's half the size of your body swimming up to your face mask.  She got used to it, though, and really enjoyed seeing the fish swim in the coral.  We didn't get to see any turtles, but still it was fabulous.

Under the water in Hanauma Bay--no luck seeing turtles, but Dahin got to see her humuhumunukunukuapau'a, not pictured here (pics borrowed from Chieh-han's camera).  The fish above is, I believe, an oval butterfly fish (kapuhili) and the one below is an orange spine unicorn fish (umaumalei).

Views of Hanauma Bay--that coral looks pretty, but it's freaking painful. The pre-Bay excursion video session warned us not to step on the coral but didn't mention you'd spend most of your time desperately trying to find a sandy spot to land in for a rest in order not to get jabbed, scraped, and poked by the coral (bandaids and Chieh-han's meds were my best buddies). Not complaining though (really)--it was so fun.

Me and Sang-Yeon with Suyeon, one of my Ph.D. students at Seoul National.  She's in Hawaii for a year writing her dissertation.  Hope she gets a lot done--it'd be impossible for me.  The place truly is paradise.

Sang-Yeon's girls, Suyeon's boy, and Dahin.  Visiting the Bay was the perfect way to spend the day.

Dahin and tiki torches, above, and with VW vans, below.  Don't know why the vans were there--didn't stop to find out because we didn't want to be late for the sunset hula show on the beach--but still cool.

What's Hawaii without tropical birds, above, and cheesy beachside hula shows, below. 

Walking through Waikiki, you feel like you're just in one huge outside mall or theme park with expensive stuff for sale (and cheap stuff--hello ABC Marts).  There are people stationed at strategic points to help Japanese tourists and half the signs are in Japanese and English.  Guess Waikiki has followed the money. Below, Dahin gets a bedtime story from another lei'd statue.

The next morning, we walked to the Hilton for breakfast with an old friend and a dip in the Hilton's pool.  There, we found pigeons not only bathing in the pool water, but drinking it, too (ewwww).

I loved Pearl Harbor.  If we had had more time, it would have been nice to see the other sites besides the Arizona.  But, if you're there on a time crunch and with kids, the short documentary about Pearl Harbor, the little museums in the various buildings, and the cool ferry ride to the Arizona's resting place was perfect for a quick history lesson and some beautiful sites.

Riding the Ferry.

Above, Representing the home front is the Tennessee Flag, among other state flags (but who cares about those).  The flags represent each of the ships that were on the harbor that day.  Our tour guide and park ranger was incredibly good.  He just kept telling story after story about the event and about the people who played a part in the event and remembering it.  I could have just stood next to him and listened to him the whole time.  But, time on the Arizona is short as well, so you really have to break from the pack to get some photos.  The girls, below, look at what's left of the Arizona above water.

And, you can see a bit of the Arizona below water.  It's turned into a coral reef of sorts.  There were tons of beautiful fish swimming there, and we even saw two rays swimming together, but the photos I took didn't really capture the image very well.

The Memorial is so well done.  It is just heartbreaking to read all of those names.  There is also a small wall in front of this big one that lists the names of crew members who survived the attack but decided to have their remains placed in the wreckage after they died years later.

After visiting Pearl Harbor, we drove to the eastern side of Oahu for some time out of Honolulu.  It was a much needed break from the city.  There, we drive through little towns and enjoyed the beautiful sites along Oahu's east coast.  There were a lot of people fishing there.  I loved walking on the volcanic rocks and watching the waves crash up.  The kids were sleeping in the car, so this gave us a great chance to take some photos.

Our final destination was Kailua Beach.  While the bathrooms at Kailua Beach Park were super nasty, everything else was perfect (including the smell of people barbecuing).  The white sand was what we came for. So cozy--felt like we were walking on sugar.

Above, the kids, Sang-Yeon, and Chieh-Han play in the waves as a plane flies overhead.  I think Kailua beach is the perfect spot for families.  We stayed there for 3 hours, but it felt like only 30 minutes.  People were walking their dogs there, families were tossing freesbies, people were cooking and eating barbecue, and the waves were so perfect.  Dahin and I had a great time riding the waves.

On our back from Kailua to Waikiki, we tried some down-home Hawaiian drive-in fare at the Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu. Around for almost 50 years, the drive-in regularly donates some of its earnings to local schools.Apparently, this is a favorite spot of Obama's. That evening, they were collecting money for the Japan relief effort.  Dahin and her beloved rootbeer, below, enjoyed many a time together in Hawaii.  We even bought a case in Target and brought it back with us in our huge check-in bag (no, it did not explode). 

A farewell breakfast at the Sheraton (thanks Sang-Yeon and Chieh-Han!) overlooking the ocean--ah, bittersweet!

Above, Dahin with coconut trees at the airport. We didn't get to drink coconut milk from a coconut, but will next time! Below, it's back to business--Dahin had to work on her diary for school.

Final view of Oahu--Aloha 'oe... A hoʻi aʻe au until we meet again...

All aboard--in-flight games=mommy time (or a chance to zone out, whatever you call it). Looking forward to our next mommy-daughter adventure!

Cherry Blossom Walk at Namsan

After dog class yesterday, we ate some Chinese food in Myeongdong and then headed to Namsan where Tashi was tested on his loose-leash walking skills.  He did pretty good.    Jack took this video with his new smart phone, which takes better videos than our mini video camera.   The Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom so it was quite beautiful.  Tashi drank the water in the little stream, which I guess was a no-no. But, he's doing ok today.  Love the spring blooms!

Tashi gets an Edumacation

Tashi has been enrolled in training classes since the end of March.  The classes are every Saturday from 10 am to 11 am and take place right inside the gate of the US military post here.  Once our trainer, Amber, signs us onto the base, we get a taste of how good things are for dogs, and their people, on base.  The classes take place in the dog park, which is a place where dogs can run leash-free.  There are bags available for poop and a trash can to throw the waste in (unlike Namsan where bags are provided, but no trash can or place to throw away the poop--we usually get rid of it in the bathroom after carrying it around the duration of the walking path).  Also, Tashi is one of the smaller dogs in the class.  Unlike life outside of the base where Tashi is a hideously huge monster, inside the base he is dwarfed by Russian Wolfhounds, German Shephards, and Huskies. During class, we keep our dogs on their leashes, but class usually begins with some off-leash playtime.  If we have time after class, we also let them run around for a little bit before getting the dogs back on their leashes. I took pictures on sign-up day and the picture at the very bottom is from yesterday's class.  He has his exam and graduation next week.  Can't believe time has flown by so fast.  It seems like we just started.  Now, looking forward to the next round of training classes.

The dogs greet other dogs as they approach the dog park.  One of the best things about class is Tashi gets socialization with other dogs and humans.  Below, Amber (far left with light blond hair) talks to some of the people at the dog park.

Gone

Daejungok (perhaps can be translated as "gem of the people" or, perhaps, "popular spot"), one of the last vestiges of a Korea that is slowly disappearing thanks to contemporary obsessions with newness and hygiene (ok--I had to add this last part because there needs to be a bright side), served as a spot for hungry Koreans wanting that old school flavor that can be hard to come by. When the southern perimeters of the city were marked by the Han River, it greeted weary travelers making their way through the city gates and, over time, became a favorite spot for down-home Korean cooking as the city expanded and it became a part of the central district. Around since before the Korean War, this restaurant closed its doors early this spring. Another bright side is that the owners have opened a new location in Kangnamgu, Seoul's swank neighborhood south of the Han. Somehow, I think the flavors will be different. No more will the meals be prepared in these great iron pots heated by underground heating systems fueled by coal and hardwood. No more will patrons sit within the ramshackle, barely standing walls of the old hanok converted into this eatery long ago. No more will the smells of slightly molding layers, upon layers of wallpaper and inner city dust permeate the air as you sit in a restaurant smelling of--how can I say this--dirty feet (yes, this is true of any spot selling seollangtang, but here it was really strong). Funny through, I loved it. Maybe because I could just smell the history. Maybe because I knew that soon, it would no longer be here. Maybe because I could sit in this place filled with people in their 60s and 80s and no one, for once, stared or thought I shouldn't be there. Don't know why--but I think they were a bit surprised and appreciative that someone like me could be there and appreciate that flavor and environment without turning my nose up. Now, it sits, leveled, a lot being prepared for another highrise or parking garage. People will soon forget the history, the flavors, the smells, that once marked this spot.

 

 "Don't trash this spot!" with another sign advertising haejangguk--boiled ox blood soup. My personal favorite and what this place is famous for. You had to know this place was here to come. Turning off the main road through winding alleyways, you can squeeze into a parking spot and make your way in. Jack, the master of little cultural gems like this, insisted we must eat here before it closes (Jack and I once had lunch here while shopping for Christmas dinner fixings).

 The kids in front of the restaurant. In this entrance, there is a room full of tables and benches set up for eating, but that night it was totally packed, so we rounded the corner, through the kitchen and into the long part of this old L-shaped house where there were additional rooms where people could sit on the floor and eat at tables (notice the shoes below outside of rooms with sliding doors). Below, the madang, or central paved over outdoor spot of the hanok.

 The menue: galbi jjim (boiled and caramelized beef ribs), jongol (stew), songchi (veal), ulang (not sure, some sort of beef dish), gancheonyeop (have no idea what this is), meorigogi (meat prepared from the head, I assume of a cow), chutang (think this is chueotang, which is a kind of spicy fish soup, but out of character with the menu so not sure if it is what I think it is; some things were mispelled on the menu, so again, not 100% sure), seolleongtang (a beef soup with noodles--so yummy!), haejangguk (boiled ox blood soup--in photo below--yummy and loaded with iron).

Jack enjoys haejangguk while Dahin eats the kids' favorite, seolleongtang. We also got some free galbi jjim because the ajuma wanted us to try it since the people at the table next to use complained about it. Apparently, they are regular costumers and habitually complain every time they come. They were quite the jerks, I must say. So, the auntie made a big point of having us try the jjim and asking our opinion on it in front of the other people--awkward. It was good, though, and we said so.

 Walking through the kitchen, you can see the big pot in the foreground used to prepare our haejangguk.

Above, the kids walk into the main room where Apa checks us out (below). Before leaving, Jack and I grab some instant coffee available by the register and take one last look at this historic site.