Some photos

Two Years in Pictures

Yup... Shabbat

This past August I decided to start (sort of) practicing Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest or Sabbath. I don't watch TV, use computers or phones from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. While based on the Jewish tradition (trust me, Orthodox Jews do much more than I do), my decision to do this is not about God but about me. The more time I spent with people who kept Shabbat and the more I learned about it, the more sense it made. They explain it as a day to forget about everything that's urgent and focus on what's important: friends, family, themselves, spirituality... For me, it's also one day a week where I give up the distractions of my electronic addictions. When I'm not sitting around watching TV or chatting online, I do more with my friends and family here in Hawaii: play games, go surf, or just talk. My weekends have become more relaxing and rejuvenating since I now read and nap more. I even find that I'll work harder other days knowing that I have Shabbat to look forward to. So while, at first, it may seem archaic and bizarre, it's been a great way to regain some focus and has been freeing rather than restrictive.

Hopefully this makes my whole "ritual" seem less weird. If not, I'd love to answer any questions... and if that doesn't work, I'll just remain your weird Jew-ish friend. That's cool too. :)

Gotta Love It!

CNN did a story about how some school bullies have started getting their friends to record the beatings of fellow students, so they can post them online to further humiliate their victims. What an unimagined bonus the bullies received when their victims' pummeling got international airtime on CNN. Cheers to you, Anderson Cooper.

A Hawaiian Christmas

For many people, the winter holiday season is often highlighted by cozy sweaters, warm fires, and steamy drinks, but in Hawaii, where winter is defined by big waves and whales spouts, the holidays are done a little differently.
For starters, there's a phrase which some people use that's entirely unique to these islands. Since the Hawaiian alphabet, consisting of seven consonants and five vowels, does not contain the letters r, y, c, s, or t, the way they say Merry Christmas is Mele Kalikimaka. There's even a carol for it.
Also, lights are a really big thing here. The city of Honolulu, private homes-- everything is covered in tiny flashing bulbs. I think the mentality is "if there isn't going to be snow, there'll at least be lights;" so even though you're wearing shorts, you still know what time of year it is.
The most popular Christmas song is probably the Beach Boys' "Christmas Comes This Time Each Year," and the meaning of "White Christmas" for us in Hawaii is more as a descriptor of the foamy water created by the colossal surf.
Then there's the typical ways that people in Hawaii like to celebrate all holidays: family camp-outs, barbecues, and fireworks. Whenever there's time off from work, that means it's time to gather all your uncles and aunties and pitch some tents on the beach; it's not chestnuts, but rather, hot dogs and burgers that we smell roasting on open fires; and come New Year's, the smoke from all the fireworks is so thick that it can make driving hazardous, and public service announcements suggest closing the glass windows of children's bedrooms (which is probably the only time they're closed). In other words, people really like their fireworks.
So even though we are wearing bathing suits and toting surf boards, it does not mean the holiday sentiment was lost somewhere in the Pacific.
Aloha, Mele Kalikimaka, Happy Hanukkah and best wishes for the New Year.