May 26, 2008

Aloha and an update

Sorry I have been absent for some time.....

Some of you know that I left Hawaii to travel to the mainland on March 7th to help my siblings settle our parents (early 90s) in an assisted living facility and clean out their house to get it ready for market.....I had originally planned to be home by March 29.

That deadline was extended to April 21st after we saw that the cleaning of the house was taking MUCH longer than anticipated....then I could not leave on the 21st and lost my return ticket as the airline would not extend it again if not used by May 6....

There was no way we would finish the NC and Florida Winter homes by that date....So I decided to go ahead and stay and then worry about my return later....That was a good thing because when we were almost finished with the FL home, we got a call our mom was in hospital in NC. I will spare the details, but we returned to NC right away and
even though she is back in the home, she is still not doing well.....she is better though. We call her the 'Energizer Bunny' since she keeps going and going....

At the moment my plans to return home are still suspended.....I do know that I will be driving down to Miami with my sister whenever we finish the house in FL and after a few days will leave from there.....whenever that is....

Meantime, please excuse my lack of participation, as my hands have been quite full....and oh, yeah....the house in NC is in the process of selling.....to my niece and godchild, Madeline!!! She is moving up here from Miami and we are all very happy that after 54 years of it being owned by our parents, a granddaughter will be living there!

She already started the process of renovation/remodeling and the first priority is making the kitchen larger....Last Saturday we helped take down the wall between the kitchen and den/office! This will make the new kitchen much larger and give her the space she needs for her cake baking/decorating business......She is a wonderful cake decorator and has won national recognition.

You can read the journal I have been sharing in Gather by clicking on "When roles are reversed...." - though I have not had a chance to update it in the last few weeks...

Many mahalos to those of you who have contacted me via e-mail to offer your support and well wishes!

Sonia

February 17, 2008

Kung Hee Fat Choy - Chinese New Year Celebration in Hilo!

The Chinese New Year starts on the first evening of a new year's month with a new moon and lasts for 15 days.  It is also celebrated in China as the beginnings of Spring. 

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A traditional Lion Dance kicks off the festivities in Hilo

This year the Chinese New Year started on February 7th and will last for 15 days until ending with the Lantern Festival.

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On that last day of the festival whole cities and towns in China are decorated with lanterns to celebrate the last day of the full moon.

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Overview of a section of Kalakaua Park during the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival in Hilo.

According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, we are now celebrating the year 4706 or Year of the Rat.

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A little boy all set to enter the Chinese costume contest.

Saturday 15th of February, the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival was held in Hilo at Kalakaua Park.  This was the biggest event yet.  More booths, more people, more contests and attractions.

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We ran into our friend Sue and her daughter Cindy there.  Sue did her part to dress festively!

 

Part of the celebration included performances by dancers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers of Oahu led by Diane Letoto.  The ensemble also performed at the Palace Theater in Hilo the previous evening.

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Young performers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers charmed the crowd

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Chinese Flickering Fan Dance

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Mongolian Horsemen Dance

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Hunan Province Hunters Dance

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The Firecracker Dance was one of the highlights!

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That is me, standing in the middle, under the huge banyan tree anchoring one corner of Kalakaua Park

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Alice Moon, without whose hard work, initiative and imagination there would not be so many wonderful events and festivals celebrated in Hilo throughout the year!  I caught Alice in a moment of contemplation sitting by the statue of King David Kalakaua, our 'Merrie Monarch' and last King of Hawaii.

The next Hilo festival will be the "45th Merry Monarch Hula Competitions" held every year in honor of King David Kalakaua and held the week after Easter every year.  On Saturday, April 5th, go to Kalakaua Park after the downtown Merrie Monarch Parade, where we will again celebrate our "Merrie Monarch" in the park named for him.

For more about the 6th Annual Chinese New Year's Festival in Hilo, please visit my pages at my foodiesleuth pages at Gather.com

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