Haiku & History of Hale Koa and Green Flash

Hale Koa view

 

Landscaped lawn to pristine beach

 

Military sound

The Hale Koa celebrated its grand opening on October 25, 1975 with a traditional Hawaiian blessing and a royal procession. The hotel and grounds are open to all ranks of the US military for rest and relaxation.

Although not a member of the military, I have had several opportunities to visit this military hotel complex in Waikiki. My sister is a retired Air Force Reserves Colonel, and she enjoys her time there during frequent visits to Honolulu. Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, my writers' group, has also held holiday luncheons there, hosted by retired military/fellow writers.

Of all the photographs I have taken on the grounds of Hale Koa (Hale - House; Koa - Brave, Fearless; Hale Koa: armory, barracks), one I failed to snap was of the Green Flash I viewed at sunset one evening. I was at the hotel’s beach bar as the sun reached the horizon, touching the blue sheen of the Pacific. To my surprise, and great pleasure, a green flash appeared and, for an extended moment, lingered. This occurred in 1995, the only time I have ever witnessed the illusive Green Flash. 

While I prefer to think of witnessing the sight as a mystical experience, a scientific explanation for the cause of the Green Flash when the sun meets the ocean can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_flash

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HAIKU HAWAIIAN STYLE by Gail Baugniet



Twin hibiscus smile
Queen Kapiolani Park
Sunshine lights their face



Pikake surprise
Feathers tipped with many eyes
Paradise alive

My Haiku-esque word descriptions follow the basic rules of traditional Japanese Haiku. Each is strictly composed of three unrhymed lines of poetry. The 17 syllables are distributed among the three lines as in Japanese Haiku: the first and third lines having five syllables each and the middle line consisting of seven syllables.

The illustrative poetry I have written, however, less rigorously contains the requisite “Kigo” for traditional Japanese Haiku. Among these in my poetry are words such as twin hibiscus and pikake* surprise, monkey pod tree, mighty seas, plumeria fragrance, array of poinsettia, and sun-washed ferns. Over the next few months, I wish to share my haiku poetry with you.

*Pikake is the Hawaiian word for peacock and for the fragrant flower.

The narrative haiku for each of my photographs aims to create a more compleat awareness of the image displayed, pointing out less evident details or focusing on implications of a scene. Hawaii, while having subtle versions of the four seasons common to most other locales, does not have sharply defined seasonal conditions and I have only loosely applied the distinguishing “Kigo.”

This, then, is my variation of haiku, where the seasons blend and changes in weather are more apparently demonstrated by the shifts in wind: cool, refreshing Tradewinds from the East and hot Kona winds from the South; and by modifications in rainfall and threats of impending tsunami.

Please also view these other sites for the beautifully illustrated haiku of:
Reka Sang:
A haiku for a fitting end
and
MagicalMysticalTeacher
Chinatown Honolulu

Choosing Between Coffee and Chocolate

Is it fair to ask you to choose between two simple and relatives inexpensive caffeine pleasures, coffee and chocolate? I didn’t think so.

While reading the morning newspaper on Kindle, I enjoy two cups of freshly brewed coffee, usually 10% Kona but this week 100% Molokai dark roast. For me, beginning the day slowly is sort of a pleasant, guilt-free ritual. For years, I awoke to a clanging alarm clock, rushed through breakfast and morning tasks, then traveled to my place of work, whether across town, miles down the highway, or merely a few short blocks' walk. It was the choice I made when I was sixteen years old and continued to make for decades. Now that I can stay home and compile stories at my own pace, another choice freely made, I appreciate the more relaxed lifestyle.

Recently, I attended an informal talk given at the Duty-Free Shop in Waikiki by an author and coffee aficionado. Shawn Steiman earned his doctorate in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Hawai‘i. One of his comments, something to the effect that coffee opens the mind and clarifies thinking, stuck with me. Could this reasoning apply to my writing? It was an idea worth some thought.

It isn’t necessary for me to have a clear idea of what I want to express when I first transform my thoughts into written words, I reasoned. But once the thoughts are on paper, I need to convert those ideas into a comprehensible format for others to easily understand. The mystery within a novel should not remain a mystery after the reader finishes the story. If I understood Shawn correctly, a cup of coffee, once consumed, should open my mind and give me the ability to clarify important details.

Yes, I know, the writing process still requires that I bring all the tools with me to the coffee table.

Shawn’s book, The Hawai‘i Coffee Book - A Gourmet’s Guide from Kona to
Kaua‘i also peaked my interest in coffee production and the diverse varieties

of coffees grown here in the islands. Some are even described as having a “chocolate character” so there really is no need to choose between coffee and chocolate. You can have your chocolate, and drink it too.

Knowing your brain needs stimulation to function properly, and assuming you have eaten all your vegetables, could you make a choice between that cuppa joe and a chunk of Belgian chocolate?

Click on the link below to check out Shawn Steiman's book:
The Hawai’i Coffee Book

LI HING MUI #AtoZChallenge

Large jars of Li Hing Mui at
Crack Seed Center

For the A to Z Challenge today, the letter "L" is for Li Hing Mui.
Huh?
Well, the description is no more confusing than a discussion about "seeds."

Li Hing is a red powder that is often sprinkled on food, more specifically, on fruits. Originally from China, li hing mui means traveling plum. Mui is also a Hawai'ian word meaning assembled, gathered together. So Li Hing Mui dried mango could be described as the assembly of dried fruit and plum powder. Wikipedia offers a thorough description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_hing_mui

This is a local advertisement for Li Hing Mui:

It is not just nostalgia that keeps sending customers back for more. The Crack Seed Center, one of Hawaii's most popular crack seed retailers for over 40 years, has created new products, expanding its traditional Li Hing Mui offerings to include Li Hing Mui Mangoes (wet), Li Hing Mui Mango (Dry), Li Hing Mui Guava, Li Hing Mui Gummy Bears ...

... well, you get the picture. 

I'm certainly not paid to advertise for them, but the owner of Crack Seed Center at Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu did allow me to take photographs inside his store!

Li Hing Mui dried plums have gained popularity in bars where locals drop the dried fruit into their mugs of foaming beer. Whichever product you try, I'm sure you'll delight in the experience of its tangy, sweet, and sour flavor. Have you experienced a similar product?