Although I celebrated my birthday two nights ago, IT’S MY BIRTHWEEK**, so I wanted to let you in on my celebration. Here are some photos from my surprise birthday dinner party at YuZu, a vegetarian/vegan friendly sushi joint in Ala Moana.
{ Surprise! A Big Girl Birthday Dinner Party With People! Yay For Friends and Vegetarian Sushi! }
{ Make a wish! My birfday strawberry nutelle crepe. }
As I stated yesterday, my birthday wish was to have something super low-key, understated, quiet and possibly boring. I didn’t want anyone or anything to be a big deal for my thirty-first. A cheap dinner and a walk on the beach would’ve been perfect, but Husby wanted to go out to dinner, so I suggested our new Japanese go-to restaurant in Ala Moana (the district with the big-ass mall next to Waikiki), YuZu, which provides a much broader range of options for vegans and vegetarians than other Japanese/Asian restaurants in Honolulu.
{ My dinner entrée: Seafood Dynamite roll – Teriyaki salmon and shiitake mushrooms on dynamite roll bed. I’m a pescetarian – a fish-only vegetarian with vegan tendencies. }
{ Nigiri sushi balls @ Yuzu, Ala Moana at ma birfday dindin. }
When we walked in the door, running ten minutes late, I spied our friend JB, a triathlete, extreme hiker and Doctor of Group Hugs and Handshakes, sitting on the couch in the lounge. He gave me a hugely quizzical face, probably mirroring the perplexedness wrinkling up my face. I didn’t recognize him at first, since he was scrubbed up all nice, and I only ever see him in biking or hiking gear, covered in a sweaty sheen with some streaks of Hawaiian red mud. I’m sure he was stunned by my beauty (read: not at all). LOL.
After we were seated for a few, ordered some drinks, who comes sauntering in but my very first real friend in Hawaii, Allie (of life & style blog, Heels, Eggs and Rice) and her boyf G! Allie draped a gorgeous, fragrant orchid lei about my shoulders, and, at that moment I felt like some sort of pageant queen.
Husby then informed me that our other friends M, C and their son Nico couldn’t make it, and that he had forgotten to invite a few other people. Of course, I was pretty thrown off, because I wasn’t expecting people. Husby and I generally celebrate our birthdays just the two of us and in quietude. To have people at a birthday dinner is a huge change! It would’ve been a full-on grown up party! I’ve only ever had a few of those in my life, so it was a beautiful night.
{ Da group. Missing a few good people. }
{ Allie and I discussing eyebrows and fashion bloggers, and the men discussing hiking… and GD hopping in between convos. LOL! }
{ Birfday girl’s delicious dessert. }
For dessert, I ordered a Nutella organic strawberry crépe (with the whipped creme 86′d–don’t do full on sugared dairy). Delicious, nutty, chocolate-y goodness to finish off a night of amazing conversation, friendship and fun in a gorgeous, dimly-lit, homey environment.
{ Shaka to yo mada! }
I decided against wishing, since all my birthdays have been progressively better, and each year of life improves upon the last. With my family, friends and amazing life in Hawaii, I decided making wishes would be hypocritical or excessive, or even may jinx all the good fortune with which we’ve been blessed over the last two years. I’ll just let the Universe continue to bestow all the amazingness and ride the current for as far as it takes us, perpetuating good waves and vibrations by trying to remain drama and negativity-free.
A wonderful night, all in all. Better than a mountain of presents. Mos’ def.
{ Do you make wishes on your birthday? What do you usually wish for? Share with me in the comments below! I’d love to know! }
Rock on, Lover! Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
**FYI: This entirely spoiled rotten, indulgent notion of a birthweek is completely farcical and said in a joking manner. I would never encourage or demand anyone celebrate my birthday for a week straight. That’s just way bratty. Also, it would be too taxing on my energy to have to celebrate that much.
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Do you know someone who is a total brat about his or her birthday? Loves reveling in the celebration, giddy like an excited eight year old in the thought of receiving presents and having people lavish them with attention?
{ Birthday Brat }
{Birfday girl. Wearing a WWD paper hat.}
A birthday brat. That’s me. I turn into a child every spring. We all know That Person–the one who makes their birthday the biggest friggin’ deal of the year, expects dinners and presents galore, calls it a Birth Month and expects their friends and family to play along with their Me Show. There’s one in every circle of friends and every family. I may happen to be That Girl in my family.
What can I say? I normally don’t like being the center of attention (believe it or not), but when my husband makes a big deal of me, I lap it up. And, seriously, a girl loves her presents. We don’t normally give each other huge anniversary presents (since we have three anniversaries) or Christmas presents… so, once a year it’s nice to get some goodies.
Husby has a 6-7 year running joke that he doesn’t remember my birthday or won’t do anything to celebrate it. So, for the last two years I’ve made an effort not to make a big deal about my birthday, not go overboard with mentions or reminders or ask for anything. Last year he rewarded me with a sumptuous dinner date, a couple’s spa afternoon and an extravagant shopping spree. (It was my Big Dirty Thirty.) In light of the luxurious (and expensive!) celebration last year, I decided to be pretty nonchalant about it all this year, shrugging when asked what we wanted to do, replying that I wanted something quiet and low-key, small and boring.
I like quiet and boring. With the right people, it’s a Happy Place.
I fully planned on napping in the car on my lunch break after my daily lunch walk through the wonderfully air conditioned mall near the office. Instead I received an email around 10AM:
I wanna take my girl out. What time can I get you? Where can we go? You can nap later.
So. Cute.
{My birfday lunch: vegetarian/vegan picnic in the park with my family.}
{Husby and Max the Bear, the best presents I’ve ever had in my life.}
Husby and Max picked me up for lunch at the office, we hit up a local deli for our vegan and vegetarian eats and then drove to Kapiolani Regional Park in the shadow of Diamond Head, found an extremely shaded spot and copped a squat on a beach towel for a makeshift picnic. Perfect lunch date with my perfect little ohana (family).
Max begging and Husby enabling…
{Caught picnic gramming.}
Although I’ve been joking it’s my Birfweek on my social media, yesterday was the perfect singular day for my birthday. After we got home, I grammed for a bit on the couch, then we went out to dinner. More on that tomorrow.
{Reflection selfie}
{Birthday selfie: the perfect understated necklace from my best friend Lily, a single crazy lace earring and coral lipstick smiles.}
{You can see my hormonal acne if you look closely. LOL.}
It was definitely the best way to celebrate 31 years. I’m now firmly in my Thirties. I love it.
{Reflecting on life.}
Along with another year of life, I find myself reflecting about how I live and the years behind me. And I truly must say, life does get better as one ages. Do you find that’s true? If not, you’re living wrong.
{ Do you know a Birthday Brat? Are you one? Do you find that life gets better the older you get? How do you celebrate your birthdays? Please share in the comments! }
Rock on, Lover! Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
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Have you ever been so engrossed with something so petty or meaningless (like a phone or a magazine article), that you miss the greater beauty of the moment happening around you?
This happened to me yesterday.
{ A Day in the Life: Life is Beautiful, Put Down the G*DD*MN Phone! }
{My Hawaii Life: Shaka – It’s all good.}
N sat on the couch next to me, a bowl of salad on his lap, crunching away on his greens. In between bites, he paused and gasped.
“Oh my effing God,” he said, leaning forward.
“Mm-hmmm,” I mumbled, scrolling through my Instagram feed.
“I can’t believe we live here! Look at that sky!”
I briefly looked up from my iPhone. The sky was afire, apricot, peach, tawny reds, some lavenders, a little pink tinge on that wisp of cloud, and a gradient of infinite, deepest blue. Against this coat of many colors, the cone silhouette of Koko Head had a patch work of light playing against the dry greens and yellows and browns, shadows creeping deep in the ridges and grooves eroded into the sides of the volcano. The moon was a quiet shimmer through the clouds, ready to rise once sunlight completely died.
N’s mouth was agape.
{Sunset chasing and sweet kisses from my Son[Dog] Max.}
{Poke!}
I went back to my phone and the beautiful women in beautiful clothes crowding my timeline.
“Seriously, look at this… this is effing beautiful!” N continued, pausing to take another humongous bite of his dinner salad. “Did you ever think to yourself, three-four years ago, that we’d ever in our lives be living here?”
“Uh uh,” I mumbled, shaking my head, not taking my eyes from my phone.
Gorgeous outfits and sky-high heels flashed before my eyes as I tapped and scrolled, tapped and scrolled, liking a photo quickly and moving on to the next without commenting. I continued scrolling from photo to photo for awhile before I realized N had stopped talking.
I looked up. N’s brow furrowed deeply, lines cutting across his head like cracks in a dry lake bed. A deep fissure between his eyebrows. A look of concern and stern scolding flashing in his dark eyes.
“What?”
“Don’t you ever put down your damn phone? Look where we are. Listen to what we’ve just been talking about. Look outside and see how lucky we are. You live where you never dreamed you’d be. Why don’t you just put down the phone and be in the moment for a second?”
He snatched the iPhone out of my hand and tossed it on the floor, just a ways out of my reach. Normally something like this would annoy the shit out of me, but he was absolutely right. I needed to be in this moment, a moment of true and stunning beauty that may never be replicated.
Koko Head’s slopes were darkening in the waning light and the moon had gained strength from that quiet shimmer to a glowing orb, silver and hazy behind the clouds.
I gasped. All my breath disappeared for a quick second.
{Koko Head and moonrise.}
Truth is, no, before I met N, I had never imagined living in Hawaii, let alone travel there. I mean, I’d wished I could visit, but on a poor college kid’s budget, not something I’d really fantasize about and plan in detail. Before I met N, no one had ever said they’d take me there, or talked about what was here. I never played the Anywhere But Here Fantasy game where I’d imagine different scenarios and daydream about vacations and excursions in this exotic locale of legendary sunsets, gorgeous rainbows and white sands. Before I met N, I’d never let my dreams venture farther than the reaches of the eastern coast of the United States or farther south than Baja Mexico (where I’d already been) or farther west of the California coastal town I lived in. My mind just didn’t expand or widen enough to include faraway places and foreign lands or tropical destinations. I was firmly and plainly a continental girl, living in a bubble and unimaginative beyond all measure.
Then I met N, who came from a weird and foreign place (Detroit), who had traveled the globe and was interested in it… and my entire perspective of the world changed. All of a sudden, there WAS a world out there. It actually existed and real people lived in it and had stories to tell. Not just the stories I heard on the news or saw in movies or read on blogs or in magazines. All the fairytales and fantasies were real, happened in real castles and cathedrals and palaces and in hillsides and forest glades, along rivers and in lakes and in glorious, towering mountains, and not just as the history books told them!
I know I make my teenage and early 20 something self sound so naive, but in truth, I really was that sheltered. Sure, I knew the world existed, but never once did I think I’d go out and explore it, so it never made sense to be curious or imagine a life of adventure in it for myself.
{Max looking out over Hawaii Kai, to our mountainside neighborhood, Mariner’s Ridge.}
So now that I find myself living this weird and beautiful Hawaiian adventure with my husband and my Wheaten Terrier, why do I let myself miss out on it so often?
We sacrificed a lot, slaved for years and risked much to come and build a life here. Given everything we’ve been through to make our own dreams real, why take it for granted or even forget that it’s here? Why obsess over material things I’ll never give myself and obsess about beautiful women I may never meet, whose style I can’t attain? There are much more beautiful, gorgeous things happening here in Hawaii. The best runway show at Paris Fashion Week could never rival the light show that runs across our Hawaii skies each night.
{I put down my phone for a second to enjoy the view.}
Sometimes, you realize how absolutely breathtaking your life is… you only have to put down that goddamned phone to see it.
{ Have you ever come to a similar realization? }
Rock on, Lover! Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
This weekend, we hike five miles. Along a mountain ridge, descended the mountainside into a valley, followed a stream to a waterfall with swimming hole. This is video evidence that my Wheaten Terrier (which we also call our Bear[dog]), Max, enjoyed the hike.
I hope your weekend was lovely. Have a great week!
Rock on, Lover! Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
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How are things in your world? Last week things were pretty fun, my uncle visited and stayed with us for a week after working the Honolulu 1st International Auto Show, and so we took him around our Island home here and there. It was pretty fun.
{ Life in Pictures / Week in Pictures: What We Were Up To Last Week, According to My iPhone }
{Max pouting in bed on Sunday morning after a particularly rainy morning walk.}
{A shrine dedicated to a deceased surfer, Karl Shinsato, who died in 2005.}
{Even in the darkness, there is a golden ray of hope. Tourists and other sunset chasers (like us) at Diamond Head beach.}
{Authentic Asian cuisine that’s super healthy and deliciously filling at Sweet Home Café in Mo‘ili‘ili.}
{Max the Bear and Uncle L sunset chasing at China Walls, our normal sunset watching spot.}
{While sunset chasing, we ran into some Instagram Friends, D, D and R, who also have a Wheaten Bear back home! Hi, guys!}
{Tuesday’s OOTD.}
{My quirky bunny ear headband and arm party on Tuesday.}
{Max and his dad, N, sprawled out in the living room Wednesday Morning.}
{Feelin’ pretty for small show with Jon Yamasato and Herb Ohta, Jr.}
{Family portrait on Thursday after dinner with my cousins and uncle at our usual Thursday spot, the Kailua Farmers Night Market.}
{Max was all loved up on Uncle L, one of his favorite uncles.}
{The epic and lush Windward Side (East side) of Oahu as seen from the Pali Lookout – Kaneohe Bay and Kaneohe town in the distance.}
{Kaneohe Bay glitters aqua and bright.}
{More views of the lush landscape of the Windward Side looking toward Kailua and Kapa‘a Quarry in the distance.}
{Uncle L and the amazing Windward Side landscape sprawling below.}
{Cliff jumpers contemplating their fate at La‘i‘e Point on the North Shore, Oahu.}
{Epic waves batter the sharply textured rocks at La‘i‘e Point on the North Shore. Husby and Max in the distance.}
{My favorite place to get amazing locally grown Hawaiian coffees on the North Shore: Coffee Gallery.}
{My Hawaii Life in Pictures}
Sunday: Lazy day cleaning the house and hanging with Max.
Monday: Dropped off Uncle in Waikiki before work, then picked him up after his lazy beach day, took him sunset chasing at Diamond Head Beach, and then do dinner at Sweet Home Cafe in Mo‘ili‘ili
Tuesday: Worked, then met Uncle, Husby and Max at China Walls, our normal sunset chasing haunt, but our sunset blocked by clouds. However, we ended up running into some Instagram friends, D and R and their daughter D, who also have a Wheaten Bear back home in California! Yay, FRANZ.
Wednesday: Worked, then jammed into town to see Jon Yamasato and Herb Ohta, Jr., local recording artists play some beautiful Hawaiian music.
Thursday: Worked, then jammed over to the Windward Side to eat dinner with my cousins (who were also visiting Hawaii at the same time) and my Uncle at the Kailua Farmers Night Market. We forgot to snap photos with my cousins, but we did get a family portrait with a very hyper Bear[Dog].
Friday: Took Friday off work for Doctor’s appointments and to hang out with la familia in the evening, heading out to Lanikai Beach where I also forgot to take pictures. Oops.
Saturday: Morning appointments, then a massage at my regular spot, gifting a session to my uncle as well! Lunch, and then afternoon road trip up the east shore and up to the North Shore with lots of pictures to be snapped.
Sunday, Uncle left, but I’ll save these photos for next week’s post.
How was your week last week?
Rock on, Lover! Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
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Regarding a certain task I’ve been needing to complete and haven’t done yet.
{ Day in the Life: Musings on Nerd-dom – How I Define Things }
I have a certain thing I have to do that’s been overdue for a long, long time. Even though there’s only a tiny batch of the entire task left to do, I just don’t want to do it. The whole undertaking was a helluva lot to accomplish, and it feels like such a battle (albeit a mental one) to complete what’s already mostly been done.
The final hurdle feels like a growing gulf to cross and it feels like there is no quick way to get over it.
And how this pertains to me being a nerd? Well, I summed up my feelings on this issue to Husby (N), who would understand without any additional thought exactly what I was talking about.
“And that [MUNDANE TASK TO BE COMPLETED]… the final batch: It’s like that last, big boss in a long-ass RPG that you don’t feel like leveling up for just to beat the game.”
And that’s how I roll, yo. Any RPG (Role Playing Game like Zelda, Final Fantasy, etc.) nerd or gamer would understand exactly what I’m talking about and probably sum up their I-don’t-wanna-arduous-tasks with an analogous simile.
Has this ever happened to you? Where the final item in a task feels like the biggest mountain to climb, the largest burden to surmount? Do you ever define things in videogame or animé terms? Do tell!
Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
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Yesterday kinda rocked, but also kind of stunk so this title by a song of the same name by Icelandic Band Múm is kind of appropriate.
Where I ate lunch after my Doctor’s appointment. My view from Island Brew Coffeehouse in Hawaii Kai, next to Koko Marina
I’ve been waking up with mild throbbing, pulling tension in my forehead, behind my eyebrows and at my temples for several days. As the days spend out their hours and come to a close, the tension becomes actual pain and a sharp, pounding pressure and continues to mount until I have to go to bed and I feel like I’ve just put my head through a wall. Hot showers, neti-potting (nasal flushing or douching, if you prefer), facial massage, cold compresses, Tylenol (acetaminophen)–nothing I tried would bring relief. Monday and Tuesday night, the pain became so unbearable, I grew dizzy, my eyesight started warping and blurring a bit, and I couldn’t sleep properly. Which is saying something, because I can sleep through a hurricane once I actually fall asleep (which is the usual difficulty for me)! In addition to a lupus/arthritis flare in my hips and back, my head was raging…all in all, Monday and Tuesday night pretty much sucked except for the part where Husby cooked me delicious seared tofu and veggies for dinner and let me veg on the couch all night.
I have never had a headache this bad… nor have I had one last for five days straight.
Yesterday, I came into work, feeling mildly as if I’d been run over, the buzzing in my forehead only getting stronger. I called my Doctor’s office, who was able to get me into the clinic the same day. Then I checked in with the bosses (I work for a couple), who said, “don’t even think about taking your work home, just go home and rest,” and by 11AM I was out the door for the day. (I love my bosses and my job. So grateful for them.)
1.5 hours at the doc. It wasn’t stress, it wasn’t a cluster headache (as I feared), not a tension headache, but a sinus problem. I have managed to develop allergies. Never in my life have I had allergies. Even when I lived in the smog and pollen ridden Midwest, I did not have allergies. Damn you, tropics and your perfect climate for flourishing molds and fungi! All that damn mold from living in the rain forest and all the mold we regularly have to clean away from our rainy mountain top home have made me develop allergies! That explains the X-men mutant strength blue and brown dark circles I’ve developed over the last year that make me look like someone beat the living sh*t out of me every morning, which I must cover with corrector, foundation and strongly pigmented concealers (4 layers, people!) everyday to look somewhat normal. (I swear you can still see them through all that cr*p.) And the random sneezing (I thought it was just because my office and car–two places I spend a lot of time in–were dusty). And the headaches. And the dizziness. And the eyeball probs. But seriously, allergies SUCK. Husby has LOTS of them. It has, on occasion, been absolute misery for him.
BLARGH!
After the disappointing news at the doctor, my head still raging, I decided to call my massage therapist and see if she could squeeze me in. YES. 1 hour of relief. With half an hour to kill, I decided to eat lunch by Koko Marina at a local coffeehouse. As I walked in, one of my favorite local recording artists, Jon Yamasato (also here), was floating through the place, and silver light flooded the walls as it reflected off the water of the marina. I just sat, listened to the quiet and contented conversations of the patrons enjoying their coffees, heard the whir of the coffee grinder and the hubbub of the staff making lunches and lattés, watched the sun glint off the water like glitter alive. That moment felt as if I’d come upon an oasis. My head still pounded… but everything felt less chaotic.
Then, massage. Om, b*tches. Serious om. That’s all I can say.
INSTALL THIS SIDE DOWN. Translate to: #FAIL
Then, head still pounding, but less badly, I picked up yet more items at the drugstore, grabbed my prescriptions from Costco (where I noticed, in the loo, that someone had installed the toilet paper holder upside down–another example of wonderful Hawaii construction standards, LOL) and then headed home, by which time it was already almost 4:30PM. What? So much for working from home.
I tried to eat something and then spent the next hour medicating; massaging my arms, back, temples and forehead; inhaling bergamot and tea tree-oil infused steam from a hot compress over my face; applying Biofreeze to my inflamed hips and lower back and watching HGTV. Fell asleep by 6 and then woke up again only to take a nap from 8-9:30 to make myself a hodgepodge of dinner and clean the kitchen. I missed seeing sunset (sunset chasing is one of my newfound hobbies), which can be epic in my neighborhood due to the moisture and atmosphere that develops on this slightly wetter side of town. Sad. I’m not sure how I spent the time the rest of the night or what time I even managed to drift off to sleep, but I know it involved re-watching more episodes of Downton Abbey, House Hunters and The Property Brothers before I completely conked out.
The epically gorgeous sunsets in Hawaii are even more stunning particularly in East Oahu where there’s more moisture and clouds.
How do I feel today? Dizzy, lightheaded and sore. But at least I don’t feel like I got run over by a truck, so that’s better. But I’m a bit annoyed and frustrated.
Because of this new development in my body there are yet more drugs I must take from now on, in addition to the half bottle of supplements, vitamins and couple lupus-related meds I already take daily. I’m a healthy person… I eat right (mostly), I exercise (more than the average American), I hydrate, stretch, try to be positive and live [mostly] drama-free, but man, all this pill popping and these headache issues really chap my ass. Can’t I just be normal for once? So. F*cking. Annoying.
I guess there’s a price to pay for paradise after all. I’ll take it. Despite this stupid hiccup, I’m still insanely lucky to live here. And no matter what, I still wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Ever.
How are you today?
Me ke aloha ~ With love + aloha,
Mae Xx
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Aloha, Lovecat. So, yeah, I was kind of missing in action all Christmas/Holiday Season. But, I’m bat-sh*t crazy for Christmas. If you didn’t know… you will know once you’re done watching this vlog. Even though I was MIA, I filmed a lot of footage of my days. So here it is…
{ Day in the Life: My Holiday Season 2012, Part I }
Max the Christmas Bear at the Christmas House in Hawaii Kai
If you want to know what I was up to this Christmas season… please keep watching.
The Christmas House
My Fixation with Christmas Season and Festive Decor
Christmas House #2
How Christmas in a Warm Climate is More “Christmas-y” to me than Snow Fields, Pine Trees and Cold
More to come with several parts – see parts of my Christmas Holiday, parts of a last minute trip to Canada, and how I spent New Year.
FTC: Not a sponsored post. There is nothing sponsored about this video. It’s a very personal video and no person or thing was harmed in the making of it. Music obtained from Free Music Archive by WFMU. Music is all royalty free and approved for use by artists through the Free Music Archive user agreement.
—
Sunset Chasing: Taking a moment to enjoy the setting sun after a long work week, the waves lapping quietly on the shore, no winds to harry us or disturb the serenity of the moment. This is happiness. The utter calm of a windless, golden evening.
{ How to Be Happy #5: Watch a Sunset and Breathe. }
Ahhhh… Keep Calm and Watch a Sunset.
I worked late on Friday evening. Not feeling like going home after work, I deliberately missed the turn off the highway that would’ve taken me through my little town to the road winding up the mountain ridge to our home. As I passed the bay that fronts our community, I noticed the clouds wisping across the sky, light glinting off the delicate, lace-like edges, glowing like light glinting off satin. Kayak teams rowed mightily across the lazy waters. The sun inched lower and lower, dipping to hug the horizon, blazing gold and amber.
I turned quickly into one of the parking lots along the shore to watch the light show’s final moments.
Kayak teams practice in the last rays of the day. Diamond Head looms quietly in the background as the day ends. Maunalua Bay, Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii.
Taking the time–even short, spontaneous moments like this–to enjoy the wealth of beauty Hawaii has to offer… this brings happiness. I know how lucky I am to live here. Curses on me should I ever forget it.
A fisherman waiting for his evening catch at Maunalua Bay, Hawaii Kai, (Oahu) Hawaii
Just wanted to say hi and Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau’oli Lanui (Hawaiian for “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays”).
It took a lot of counting to get the entry.
The winner of the ShopBop giveaway is S.C.! There were 549 entries, so it was a lot of work to compile all those names–thanks for your patience. Congrats, S.C.! I’m going to email you tonight with the Shopbop gift code.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway! Definitely a big shout-out to my new followers and Facebook pals. I really hope you guys like this site, even when I’m not doing giveaways and really hope you’ll stick around to read more after this.
But…I have another Christmas giveaway planned this month, so be on the lookout. It won’t be as crazy… but keep your eyes tuned to this space. Thanks to ShopBop for the giveaway.
Much love + aloha to you this week, lovecats. Mae Xx
Three things singlehandedly (triple-handedly?) shaped the person I grew to be today: a technophile with sometimes extreme nerdist tendencies.
Day in the Life: Nerdery Grows Up
Through conversations with a new friend, I’ve rediscovered a past love affair that got me thinking about how the things we obsess over in childhood shape you into who you are today.
This song is especially important and special to me.
“Ai Oboete Imasuka” – “Do You Remember Love?”
From SDF Super Fortress Macross – Do You Remember Love, 1984 Composer: Kazuhiko Kato (1967 – 2009 R.I.P.) Performed by: Mari Iijima (as Lin Minmei)
Animé:
I blame my cousin Jon and my big brother L for feeding my twenty-year long obsession with Japanese Animé, a passion that has, unfortunately, slackened as of late, due to the growing stresses and responsibilities of that tired old thing we know as being a grown up.
My first taste of animé was with the series Robotech: The New Generation, with Commander Scott Bernard being the sole survivor of a terrible Invid attack on his space battalion, and landing in the strange wastes of Earth somewhere in South America. As a 7 year old, this style of animation was new, innovative and more artful than the American cartoons I’d been watching; and I immediately fell in love with Scott Bernard’s slicked back blue hair (the same electric blue I eventually dyed my own hair my freshman year of college), tight flight suit and sexy Cyclone battle armor. Next came the Macross Saga movies and a new love for the ever unflappable, slightly awkward and clumsy pilot Rick Hunter (Aka Hikaru Ichijyo in the Japanese version) who eventually becomes Admiral of the entire starship fleet (around Scott Bernard’s time).
How I loved the music, the silly characters and their foibles, misadventures, misunderstandings, love triangles and the battles…oh! the battles.
Takaya Noriko in the film Gunbuster (1988), via Kakera.wordpress.com
My seven-year old, knobby-kneed, skinny tomboy, often-bullied self imagined that one day, I’d be an amazing space fighter pilot, flying off to battle hyper mechanized, hostile aliens. As a teenager, I imagined myself as an underdog type, the oft-bullied late bloomer with an unconscious innate power to save the world, battling against alien forces in gigantic mecha much like Noriko Takaya in Gunbuster. I even wore a long sash in my hair for the better part of my thirteenth year, fashioning myself after her.
My interest in animé only burgeoned as time went on, my imagination and curiosity running unchecked when the TV set was turned off, or when we ran out of tapes because my cousin hadn’t dubbed us any more new movies or episodes. Oh, how today’s generation is spoiled with their torrents and readily available data streams. If they only knew the days of VHS recordings and the trouble that came with them! I devoured as much as I could. And when there was nothing else available to us, my brother and I threw our energies into video games.
Videogames:
I no longer consider myself a gamer, but for many years, I was.
Being absolute rubbish with hand-eye coordination and sports as I am in real life, that clutziness translates to videogames as well. I was never–and will never be–good at shoot-em-up games, sports games or racing games. Street Fighter, Rally games, Call of Duty? Forget it. I’m rubbish. Give me a good old fashion Role Playing Game (RPG), preferably of the Squaresoft (now Square Enix) variety, and I’ll jizz my pants and then tune you out for about four months straight. Once my brother and I splashed out our children’s sized life savings, a total of about $76 and some change, on the original Nintendo (NES) game system, it was over. Mario Bros transitioned into Zelda with its intricate puzzles and story lines and dungeons. But once we discovered Final Fantasy, my world realigned itself with a new universe. Drawn into the insane world map, the long storylines and interesting characters, I felt as if I had stepped into a fantasy book that I could control. The turn-based battle system allowed me to strategize characters’ strengths and weaknesses.
Final Fantasy I turn-based battle system, via Wikicheats.com
From game system to game system, my brother and I would switch off being in control, the other would be the navigator and team strategist, calling out spells for characters to use and which characters to be the warrior tank for massive HP damage to the boss. In real-time RPGs like Zelda III, he would be the brawn, and I would be the brain, remembering puzzles and especially convoluted dungeons and secret places where Pieces of Heart were hidden.
It was a thrill for me, to be able to puzzle things out, and systematically conquer what stood in my way–something that didn’t come easily to me, being the scrawny kid in class that the popular kids made fun of. When I was done with homework, I would throw myself into my alternate universe of videogames or animé and become someone else. Someone more potent. Someone more capable. Someone who could speak her mind and squash the opposition. It was powerful, losing myself to that world. Like a drug. For a kid.
My love for videogames only grew as gaming systems became more elegant and advanced. From NES to Super Nintendo (to this day, Final Fantasy III/6-Japan, is still one of my all-time favorite games–top 3) to the various Sega systems… and finally, to Playstation when I got to high school. Playstation changed my life. Final Fantasy 7 blew my mind. And of course, yet again, another gritty lead character stole my heart. I was in love with Cloud Strife from moment one. (I might still harbor a little fantasy that I might bump into a real Cloud Strife one day, and if that does happen, my husband N can’t fault me for what might happen. Jus’ sayin’.)
The love of my life for a good two years in high school: Cloud Strife, from Final Fantasy Film “Advent Children”, via Zerochan.net
When I got to college and suffered crippling depression and anxiety disorders, Playstation and the Final Fantasy franchise saved me from complete and utter insanity and from plummeting even further into the void of emotional despondency. My life was a quagmire, and the one piece of solid ground I could find was my mission to win the game. I’m pretty sure I would have dropped out of college completely had it not been for gaming.
Sadly, these days, my PS2 is a glorified paperweight, gathering dust in my living room, and my love for the Final Fantasy series has skidded to a halt at Final Fantasy 12, and I can’t imagine splashing out the moolah for a PS3 or a pay to just betray my beloved gaming platform to buy an Xbox 360..but without the games, I’m pretty sure I’d be a wholly different person today, and I don’t care to imagine who she would be.
386 Computer
Before Pentiums and Intel Inside and Apples being the trendy thing…I started a love affair with computers.
In the early 90s, my father brought home a computer to do his CAD (he’s an architect) at home. Back then, there were no such things as DVDs, flash drives, flash memory, the Cloud. We had things called floppy disks, 5″ x 5″ plastic disks that held about 56KB of data that would save your precious data files. No one had ever heard of a .jpeg or an MP3. We had to log into Windows from a DOS prompt. (You Mac users might understand what the DOS Prompt is if you use Terminal.) Back then, Windows was Windows 3, not Windows 8, Windows 2k, Windows 98, Vista, whatever. There was a File Manager instead of Explorer (or whatever you PC users have now). There was no Microsoft Office Suite. We had Notepad and Corel Word Perfect.
386 computer, dinosaur.
I was maybe 7 or 8 at the time, and, as technology advanced, so my love for computers grew. I knew hot keys and how to navigate through Windows without the use of the mouse, in the late 1990s, before websites were plug and play, I knew how to write HTML and create websites (something I should have capitalized on if I had known the earning potential I had within my grasp). I remember the days before broadband wireless internet access, when modems were an 8 pound hulk of metal and beeped and blipped and took 15 minutes to send one email through an email service like Juno. This was before AOL, before chat groups, back in the days of BSB and IRC (I was an mIRC diva, too). I remember when the first MP3s came out. No body knew what they were, but I somehow found a way to play the 4 songs I had.
By the time college rolled around in 2000, my dad and I had built my first computer ourselves–a fact that I lorded over other girls in a new world populated by so. many. boys… a fact that set me apart from the run-of-the-mill girl who only was interested in clothes, makeup, shopping and sex. Me, I wanted to be different, and I knew that I actually was.
Technology, shiny, new and sexy, turned me on. Flowers? I wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Candies? I could give or take ‘em. But when a boy bought me a video game, or a shiny new external hard drive, or a CD-RW writer (we’re talking the early 2000s here), I would feel things moving in my heart and loins.
So, let’s bring us back to present day.
How do these three things shape me?
Well, I’m a nerd, and I will always enjoy things with a nerdist slant to them. Scifi, kung fu, epic fantasy, comics… anything derived from these genres will probably enrapture me.
The joy of videogaming will never be something I will deprive my children of, in fact, I relish the day I get to pull my son out of school for a day of hooky, going to the movies and then going home and playing videogames all afternoon, into the wee hours of the night. If I have a daughter, I will disown her if she doesn’t like gaming.
I will always appreciate the magic of technology and electronics. Having a slew of new and amazing shinies will always be something we’ll have in our house. Cables and setting up entertainment systems? I probably could wing it. The transformative power of technology has changed our lives and allowed us to live a bit more environmentally friendly and compact. If you see me traveling, yes, I have a laptop, an iPad and an iPhone, but with all these things, I have my work, my hobbies, my entire library and tons of movies at my fingertips. Being a technophile and an Internet nerd allowed me to find my husband (I was editing HTML on my MySpace profile when we started writing each other) and allows us to bond with each other. In fact, I’m typing this on the brand new Macbook Air he bought me.
Animé… I think it’s made me more… Asian. I’m sure that’s a whole other essay in and of itself, but it has certainly put me in touch with one major aspect to my own culture and appreciate it much more. Had I not engrossed myself in Anime, I wouldn’t have branched out into the historical studies of Asian Americans and their experience in the US, which made me interested in politics and how they shape my own experience as an Asian in America. Plus, the more silly, quirky side of my personality might mirror some of the more strange anime characters I have known in my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Nerds, FTW.
Is there an obsession from childhood that shaped the person you are today? Please share!
How Honolulu Ballers Ball: Halloween at Aloha Tower Marketplace, 19 October 2012
Warning: Photo Heavy Post
Goth Kpop Princess and Lady Gaga White Rabbit, before we came home tired and/or buzzed (CK, not me).
RENO 911! I hope he danced.
A more original cat costume. A better take than the ubiquitous and sadly generic “Sexy Cat” costume.
Hula Man. I think I probably choked on spit laughing when I saw him.
A gorgeous peacock and her birdcatcher. Ingenious!
Mermaid and her 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Diver man, and their pirate friend. All very nautical-inspired.
Greenman
Me and Greenman Greg again. Still my favorite.
This is NOT what I meant when I said, “get the feet”!
I don’t know, Lady Gaga White Rabbit, Goth Kpop Princess, Lady Gaga
Kpop Goth Princess, Gaga and Delta Pilot.
Pair of iPods. So fun.
The Two Gagas. Lady Gaga White Rabbit, and just Gaga.
When asked, “what ARE you”? He responded by ripping his shirt open and shouting, “I’m FAT!” A+
The best Cat Woman and her Jailbird.
Indian Chief. How!
Molecules? Golf balls?????????
Molecules? Golf Balls? IDK.
He is some sort of sushi… ebiko, I think??
James, the adorable Harry Potter again.
This is the Bacon that kissed my hand and told me I was ravishing and lovely. Yummy, sir. Just yummy. I hope you pick up all women that way, really.
This stripper couple had matching legwarmers. So cute. And he’s quite fit, if you don’t mind my saying so.
Me and the stripper twins.
Wilson!
Wilson and Castaway. Cutest date ever.
Dominatrix posse passing through VIP.
This guy got cheated out of his costume by Fedex.
80s Hairband Rock God and his latex pants.
Animal Man? He didn’t know, either. He DID know that it took him forever to paint himself.
Boba Fetts.
Darth Maul and Boba Fett – teaming up to eliminate the Jedi? Probably. And that Green Man is at it again in the background. Told you he was everywhere.
Boba Fett and Baba Fett. A+
Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars, together, at last.
She want as Tamago Sushi for halloween. SOOOOOO AWESOME.
Buzz Lightyear, all growed up… Pretty damn hilarious.
Cryano de Bergerac. Proboscis and all.
Male Marilyn. So awesome.
Pretty smart. Just wear stockings and paint your body blue. SMURF.
Kung Fu Pandas! Geniuses cut holes for their peepees so they could pee comfortably without disrobing. Pretty smart.
The single most inappropriate duo of costumes at the party… yes, these are real assless chaps S&M gear. My eyes=raped.
Alice, Gangnam Style Mad Hatter and Lady Gaga White Rabbit. They were pretty jazzed there was a White Rabbit. I’d like to think so, anyway.
The Hip Hop duo: They actually were playing music out of that vintage stereo. BRILLIANT.
Strawberry Shortcake Steve and CK. He rocked my world with his costume. Ballsy.
The Mad Hatter and The Red Queen. All handmade.
This samurai’s armor was all custom-made. He wasn’t very talkative with me, but I suppose if you had 20lbs of armor on, you wouldn’t be, either.
Self-explanatory. Except these bastards were next to us in VIP smoking up a storm, it smelled AWFUL.
A gothic Lolita Doll and a Pirate. Her makeup was off the chain.
Good Humor Man, Rainbow Brite (I think?), Cleopatra and Stereo Man. Stereo Man was ingenius.
Kpop Goth Princess and Rocky Balboa.
Our perpetually shirtless neighbor as Rocky Balboa (I think?), CK and I.
My friend having people play ring toss with his Conehead.
Strawberry Shortcake Steve and Margitte’s Son of Man. Brill.
Female Thor and her Cowgirl side kick. Pretty brill.
Castaway and his friend Wilson.
Stripperella Man costume… it made the ladies crazy. Literally the tallest man I saw at the party.
Goldeneye. He hit us on the mark. Props for his props.
The second most inappropriate (but totally clever) costume of the night. Pedophile priest.
Me and Greenman Greg posing again. He was EVERYWHERE. I think I was secretly stalking him. j/k. He was hard to miss.
Goth Kpop Star duo. My neighbor CK and a matching goth Kpop King…
Sexy Steve Urkel. No need to say more. He rocked it.
One of the more humorous gender benders from the night. Ladybug. Guybug?
The Red Queen designed and handmade there costumes. The only ones to recognize me as The White Rabbit.
Gaga White Rabbit and the most adorable Harry Potter ever. I think his name is James. He’s my girl Shar’s friend.
Vintage Gaga White Rabbit? Have we met in another life somewhere?
Creeptastic doll face.
And I didn’t attend any other parties this Halloween season… too much money spent on last year’s Lady Gaga White Rabbit Costume, I didn’t feel like wearing it a second time in a row. It’s a small Island, after all.
{ What did YOU do for Halloween? Have a good time trick-or-treating tonight! }
I already feel weird going to the bathroom with other people nearby, but this experience took the cake.
Day in the Life: Ultimate Discomfiture in a Public Restroom
Restless feet: Awkward bathroom experience in a Costco restroom.
The most awkward bathroom experience in a public restroom in the history of ever.
I’ve been on a kick to drink more glasses of water per day, in an effort to be more healthy and have better skin. Consequently, I find myself having to piss pretty frequently. And when the need hits, I gotta go, ‘cuz I gotta go, know what I mean?
At Costco this afternoon, the need hit hard while I was refilling prescriptions for my arthritis meds and monthly contraception. I rushed immediately to the women’s loos to let it out.
Midstream, I hear grunting in the next stall over.
Pause. My pee stops. Um…?
The lady starts moaning and grunting. I hear shifting. More loud moaning.
Is she having a particularly satisfying number two? A simply good pee? I hear no evidence of anything going into the toilet, no noises of anything hitting water, only inappropriate noises emanating from my toilet neighbor.
I force my piss out as fast as I can and wash my hands, uncomfortable as hell, while the moans, oohing and low grunting continues from the stall next door. I speed through the hand dryer, frantically shooting glances over my shoulder, half expecting the woman to fall out of the stall. The bathroom exit feels yards away. My hands are still damp as I speed-walk the heck out of there.
I still have no idea if she was experiencing discomfort or if she was getting herself off.
Talk about awkward toilet experiences. I may never feel the same about that Costco restroom.
Me ke aloha ~ With love, Xx
Mae
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Back in March, my Auntie A and Uncle L visited O‘ahu, and, being unemployed at the time, I was able to take them around to a bunch of interesting places during their stay. Perhaps the most “colorful” of the bunch was Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, if only for the sheer volume of colorful sundries and out-there stimuli.
This is a portrait of my…
Hawaii Life: Silly Goggles, Hula Doll and Sexy Soap Misadventures at Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
If you’re trying to plan for a day of Hawaii site seeing during your visit to Oahu, I highly recommend stopping by Aloha Stadium Swap Meet for at least an hour or so after or before a visit to local beaches or Pearl Harbor. There’s so much to see here, all neatly gathered in one place, that you would otherwise might have a hard time finding outside of Waikiki–and probably better priced.
Auntie A and Uncle L, the hip and cool “with it” family members, and a sunburned tourist in a poorly chosen print.
A and L referred to me as the “daughter they never had”. Being the “cool and hip aunt and uncle” in my family (I have a few of these), I consider this a totally rockin’-yet-wholly-undeserved compliment. I was lucky to have a week with these two.
Is this all people think of when they think of visiting Hawaii? Waikiki? There’s so much more than just this busy, crowded, polluted, congested strip of mediocre sand (but exquisite water).
Hawaiian “Aloha Print” dresses stretch as far as the eye can see. I own two. In one whole year, I’ve never worn them. I probably never will.
The ever ubiquitous “Aloha Print” attire, known–perhaps tarnished by American Tourists and derided–the world-over, are quite affordable and abundant at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (flea market). Men can obtain pretty authentic-looking Aloha shirts at Costco for a steal, but why not go local style and get it for a bargain? Getting a deal, that’s local kine shit.
Haoles (Hawaiian/Pidgin for “whites”) may have a harder time haggling than those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. You’ve been warned.
Tahitian/Polynesian tribal poles or “Tiki Totems” ward off evil spirits. Snag one for $15 or two for $25!
Grrr! Argh! (Cool points if you know where that’s from.)
Caught in the Act: Uncle L has his Asian pop culture down pat. Spotted this Domo cap and said it was the shiz.
So gangsta.
So AZN. My signature “piisu” pose and Hello Kitty Eye Glass frames (of course, with no lenses!).
Due to the cultural and ethnic makeup of Hawaii, tourist traps like Aloha Swap Meet, Waikiki and local convenience stores sell Asian pop culture kitsch like Hello Kitty plastic eye glass frames at their hipster best without lenses or Animé/comic staples like Domo gear. Having an impressive assemblage of Asian novelties caters to the waves and waves of tourists from Asia, but also makes shopping in Hawaii kind of a shopper’s paradise for people who dig Asian pop culture paraphernalia.
On the plus side of this tourist-centric commercialism, I can also find elusive Japanese and Korean cosmetics if I dig hard enough. Win! (Just not at the Aloha Stadium.)
Hi! HI. Hawaii. I so bought one in white. I love it.
Tropical-ized punk style (and sentiments) replete with Tiki fonts. Not sure I’d want something like that over my door. We WELCOME visitors.
Sweet music twinkled from these bamboo wind chimes.
Hula Man dashboard wobble doll. His dock played a Hawaiian tune as he wiggled and his grass skirt swished. So cute.
Uncle L agonizing over which Hula doll to snag for Auntie A – who has a thing for Hawaii paraphernalia.
Vibrant colors pop, like the paradise flowers of my tropical homeland, on the Hula dolls for sale.
Hula dolls are the epitomé of tourist fodder yet a wonderfully vibrant statement of the rich enduring cultural heritage of the Islands.
The practice of hula dance (story telling) and hula music (traditional and historic Hawaiian music) are taken very seriously in Hawaii, and thousands of halau (Hula schools/groups) exist to pass on the knowledge and practice of hula from kumu (elder/teacher) to haumana (students). Thus, heritage spanning hundreds and hundreds of years (from the 1300s) thrives, fighting back dark fears that the history of the Islands will die under the plague of modernization and disinterest.
Plus, however cheesy, the dolls are pretty cute.
You can find them at one of every ten booths at the swap meet.
Now: on to my favorite part of the flea market: Filthy Farmgirl Soap Co. soap bars. Sexy irreverence at its best.
Filthy Farmgirl Soaps: handmade in Hawaii. Filthy Super Cock Soap is a coconutty peppermint concoction. 100% natural and vegan.
Filthy Pussy Soap: a coconutty, minty soap with a hint of rose notes. All natural and totally vegan and wonderfully moisturizing. Scandalously luxurious.
Despite the shocking name, Filthy Farmgirl Soap Co. is a local business dedicated to producing a natural, sustainable multi-sensory bath experience. All their bath and body products are lovingly handmade in Hawaii out of 100% natural and vegan ingredients. Many of the herbs and spices used in their skincare is locally and organically grown, supporting Hawaii farmers and reducing carbon emissions.
Despite the sexy irreverence and cheeky snark in their soap names, Filthy Farmgirl soaps aren’t some scandalous novelty. These moisturizing soaps are as deliciously fragrant as they are luxuriously moisturizing.
Their product catalog offers 80+ “flavors” of soaps emblazoned with saucy, brazen names like the three pictured here, to more tame scents like “Uber Super Duper Aloha”, “Tipsy Tea Tree”, or “Groovy With Everything”.
Bars sell for $8 a pop (also available online). But you can get bundle deals if you buy them at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. I think Auntie A got 3 for $22. These are probably among the more unique (and actually useful) souvenirs that you can snag for your loved ones Off-Island. They make great gifts for friends and family who have a sense of humor and a love of amazing scents.
Amazing label design and thoughtful “flavor” formulations make products like Filthy Farmgirl Soaps not only a subversive and thought-provoking pilgrim among a sea of blasé “peer” products, but also a blazing reason to support local, small start ups. When you support people who aren’t afraid of going against the grain, creativity flourishes and inspires others to break the mold and follow their own paths of creation. Buying local bolsters your local economy, sustaining and creating jobs, strengthening the community around you. *TRYBUYLOCAL*
I took “Filthy Hooker” home with me. Cue a “That’s what she said” joke and subsequent snickering.
Filthy Hooker Soap: A honey oatmeal soothing soap with a sweet hint of vanilla and a secretive snap of spicy cinnamon. Sweet and sassy, just like the name suggests.
Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is open 3 days a week–Wednesday, Saturday from 8AM to 3PM, and Sunday from 6:30AM to 3PM–and is home to 700 local vendors.
Admission is $1 per person, children 11 years and under free. Parking is free with the price of admission.
It’s a good place to stop after a visit to Pearl Harbor and is relatively easy to find. It’s the biggest structure on Oahu outside of Honolulu. But you can visit their website for directions.
Even if you only go for an hour, I’d say it’s worth it just to browse for the novelty of sheer mass of Hawaii paraphernalia all in one place. (And for the soap.)
Auntie A and Uncle L loved it. Not to miss in my book.
Me ke aloha ~ With love, Xx
Mae
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FTC: Not a sponsored post. Just a look at my own experiences and giving my own opinions on stuff I totes dig.
Everyday, as I make my way up the stairs from our lower level Ohana Unit (apartment unit in a detached family home) to the streetside, I’m accompanied by the thrum of bees pollinating the tree on our hill. The soft hum is a soothing low sound, like a harp string in a low key plucked and drawn out. It’s a quiet reminder that nature is amazing and that hard, industrious work yields sweet results.
The lesson is there for me everyday if I just remember to listen.
—
Except the bees were not humming as usual this morning. The wind was turbulent and whipped through the flowering trees that shade the stairs up to the street.
It somehow felt off-kilter. An essential part of my morning, my daily reminder to be productive, happy and motivated, had been silenced.
The silence in and of itself, however, was enough of a reminder to be present and fruitful today while I can…before a roaring wind of life quiets opportunity. A salient suggestion from the Universe to live in each moment, embrace it and milk from it every available drop. Beauty, happiness and success can only happen now, when I choose this moment to take it for myself.
Still, I can only hope the buzzing continues tomorrow.
Me ke aloha ~ With love, Xx
Mae
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Music obtained from 
