It is exactly one week before Thanksgiving. How will you be celebrating your day?
RY's mom is flying in from Maui and the future in-laws will be coming over to our place. Similarly like last year, instead of cooking...they've ordered Zippy's Thanksgiving Meals to Go. All that needs to be done is pick it up that morning and to re-heat it when we come home. Once done with eating all that good food and cleaning up, must remember to check all the ads (mental note: buy NEWSPAPER) as well as make a list of what to buy before heading to bed.
And I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about ~ yes, it's those horrid after-thanksgiving sales, also better known as Black Friday. I'm pretty sure RY will ultimately want to go to Best Buy while I would prefer to be at the Waikele Premium Outlets since their sale madness kicks off at midnight! But with the current economic climate, some local retailers have already started to offer early discounts and other incentives hoping to get cash-strapped consumers (like myself) in the mood to spend! I'm not looking to buy anything for myself but more so for some great bargains as holiday gifts. Let's see what I find next Friday!
This time next week, I'll be a year older, hopefully slightly more wiser than today and I'll be in Vegas!! Woo-hoo! Now, I wonder what we'll be doing on that day?
It's still the eve over here but the new lunar year is being celebrated elsewhere such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and etc with lai sees, lion dances, good food, and firecrackers. As for me, I'm trying my best to thoroughly clean house right now (this is thanks to that caffeine boost I had for dinner) so that I can sweep away some of that bad luck from last year and make it ready for some very much needed good luck! I even manage to decorate 2 paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases (which I have no idea what it says since I can't read Chinese...LOL!) on the doors. Alright! I'm taking a break from cleaning to post this or should I say I'm multitasking and sorta doing both simultaneously...anyways...continuing on...
It's been a long while since I've celebrated it with my parents so I do get a little homesick around this time every year because nothing beats than celebrating such a special occasion with one's own family. Here in Honolulu, Chinatown always play host to most of the Chinese New Year festivities and it was celebrated last weekend with a parade and lion dances to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits. I didn't go due to bad weather (it was forecasted to rain), however the CNY celebration will continue on this weekend at differing locations so I will try to check a few of them out and blog about it with pictures. *crosses fingers*
Until then, here's wishing Gung Hay Fat Choy (which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous") to all that are celebrating this auspicious lunar new year! It's also my dad's year...yes, he's a Rat (and last year was my Mom's...how cool is that?) ;P
Finally, it is New Years eve. We wake up to a gloomy morning and it's pouring outside. R's mom had to work half a day so we tagged along hoping it will stop raining and clear up just enough so we can kill some time til about 1-ish and walk around in Lahaina. The rain did stop even now and then, enough for us to check out Lahaina Cannery, the new Barnes and Noble across the street, Whaler's Village at Ka'anapali and a quick drive through on Front Street.
We come home with lunch from Cupie's and spent the rest of the day at home cleaning up for the new year, helped R's mom prepare for dinner and watch TV while R napped on the couch. I even got to speak and wish my parents "Happy New Year" when my mom called me on my cell which was a really nice suprise! After a hearty dinner of rib roast with gravy, tempura, shrimp fritters, potato salad and leftover ham, it was finally time that we get to play with all that fireworks. It was a nice night, although cold and slightly windy, it was a somewhat clear night and did not start to rain heavily again until after half past midnight. Overall, it was a loud yet fantastic way to ring in the new year with loved ones! Now to look forward to tomorrow's New Year morning breakfast with the traditional ozoni.
Click this to view several videos of the novelty fountain displays.
After all that anticipation...Christmas morning came and went...we opened our presents, hugs and kisses to say "thank you" for the gifts we received, we then proceeded to the dining area to have a home-cooked breakfast (made by R's mom) of fried rice, over-easy eggs, bacon and portuguese sausage. I was still a lil sleepy, so having a cuppa of coffee did help wake me up as I continued to enjoy my breakfast.
R, on the other hand, had his own priorities. Instead of finishing breakfast first, he proceeded to find the Long's ad for fireworks which officially goes on sale the day after Christmas. He came back to the table with a writing tablet, the calculator and started to make his list. Bear in mind, there was still a box downstairs with plentiful of leftovers from last year yet he said those weren't enough plus we're out of the fun novelty types. I didn't want to argue but could not help myself to take this shot...so serious and determined to buy almost every type of fireworks! He even kept reminding me all day that we had to be up and ready to leave before Long's opens at 7am. Me being me, made a case and said that was too early to be anywhere except in bed and he can go get them without me but he argued back and suggested we could go after-Christmas shopping when he was done with his fireworks purchase. Me being the crazy shoperholic didn't have any comebacks to that statement, and hence I gave in.
So the next morning, he filled the shopping cart to the brim with different varieties of fireworks ~ mostly fountains, tanks, morning glories, and rolls (50,000) and bricks of paperless firecrackers. As you can below...R's damage to his wallet was a lil over $100! Now to patiently wait until 9pm on New Years eve when we are finally able to play with them.
Happy 2008! So, I'm eight days a lil late but it is the thought that counts, right? R and I celebrated both holidays on Maui with his parents and we had our share of good eats, presents, sight-seeing, and fireworks! Yes, you heard me right...FIREWORKS (that's for another post, hehe)
More photos to follow suit, I promise. So did you have a good Christmas and New Years?
Wishing you and your loved ones,
A Christmas filled,
with picture perfect moments!
Will be away on Maui for the holidays so I'll see you next year when I get back! Have a Blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year and oh yeah, may you find the spirit of Hawaiian holidays under your tree!
So now that school is out, I thought I could get back to blogging regularly, however because of the holiday season and lots to catch up on backlog stuff at the office...I don't really have a whole lot of personal time to do my own thang. Anywaes, here's some updates on what's been going on with either myself or interesting happenings on the islands.
1. Although it's not officially out yet, but I was able to check on my grades for this past semester. Let's just say...my Mommy & Daddy will be very proud at how well I aced all three classes!
2. R, his mom and I went shopping on Black Friday at midnight. We didn't get the most desired item which was on sale that made us stand in line (in the cold) for four and a half hours at Circuit City. So instead we came home with this and this which was purchased from BestBuy.
3. We experienced the worst storm ever on December 5, 2007 ~ toppling power lines from Nanakuli to Wai'anae, power outages and streams of bumper-to-bumper traffic on all the Hawaiian islands.
4. I'm not a football fan. Heck, I don't even know the game at all (although my better half played football in high school, I still don't get it!) But I'm proud to say (even though it's not my alma mater) University of Hawaii's Warriors closed out a perfect 12-0 football season as beat the Washington Huskies 35-28. Colt Brennan threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Grice-Mullins with 44 seconds left to give Hawaii the victory. On New Years Day, they will play in the prestigious BCS (Bowl Championship Series) against Georgia in New Orleans.
5. In the last couple days, we've witnessed a few major fatal auto accidents. The one that stands out the most is the fatal head-on collision caused when local playwright and children's book author Lisa Matsumoto drove the wrong way on the H-1 Freeway. She had such great talent and will definitely be missed. My condolences go out to her family and ohana.
6. I'm proud to say I'm all done with Christmas shopping. As usual, it was no easy task to figure out what to get and for whom...but that's all taken care of. Now to get them all nicely wrapped up and placed under the tree. Ohh wait, we'll be on Maui for Christmas so which means I'll have to wrapped R's and his parents gifts on Maui just in case we have problems with security check at the airport.
7. Last but not least, the ultimate must-do and must-see attraction this time of the year ~ Honolulu City Lights ~ is Honolulu's largest Christmas spectacle; where one gets to see a Shaka Santa and his sidekick, Tutu Mele. Below are some photos taken on the night after my last final with R, Ritsuko and her hubby.
and...I do mean Welcome! Selamat Datang! Aloha! I extend a warm welcome and am glad that you could stop by and read my blog. It simply contains general musings and ramblings about things that concern and/or interest me.
So kick back, click away and don't forget...enjoy your visit!
"So you want to know me? Romantic and logical ~ Loyal and always true ~ Funloving crazy and very quiet when needed ~
Sensible and down to earth...to sum it up, I guess I'm pretty much a "nice girl", hopefully in a good way, who's also a bit of a geek"
Here I am as perfect as I'm ever going to be.
You'll see, love me for me.
Stick around, I'm not the kind of girl you wanna leave.
You'll see, love me for me.
"With a birthday on the 5th of the month you are inclined to work well with people and enjoy them. You are talented and versatile, very good at presenting ideas. You may have a tendency to get itchy feet at times and need change and travel. You tend to be very progressive, imaginative and adaptable. Your mind is quick, clever and analytical. A restlessness in your nature may make you a bit impatient and easily bored with routine. You may have a tendency to shirk responsibility".
Finally, it is New Years eve. We wake up to a gloomy morning and it's pouring outside. R's mom had to work half a day so we tagged along hoping it will stop raining and clear up just enough so we can kill some time til about 1-ish and walk around in Lahaina. The rain did stop even now and then, enough for us to check out Lahaina Cannery, the new Barnes and Noble across the street, Whaler's Village at Ka'anapali and a quick drive through on Front Street. 
R, on the other hand, had his own priorities. Instead of finishing breakfast first, he proceeded to find the Long's ad for fireworks which officially goes on sale the day after Christmas. He came back to the table with a writing tablet, the calculator and started to make his list. Bear in mind, there was still a box downstairs with plentiful of leftovers from last year yet he said those weren't enough plus we're out of the fun novelty types. I didn't want to argue but could not help myself to take this shot...so serious and determined to buy almost every type of fireworks! He even kept reminding me all day that we had to be up and ready to leave before Long's opens at 7am. Me being me, made a case and said that was too early to be anywhere except in bed and he can go get them without me but he argued back and suggested we could go after-Christmas shopping when he was done with his fireworks purchase. Me being the crazy shoperholic didn't have any comebacks to that statement, and hence I gave in. 
is how I feel now
