Kung Hee Fat Choy!

Chinese New Year is February 7 and it's the Year of the Rat! I went to Chinatown with a friend to check out the beginning of the festivities. We had jin dui, which is a Chinese doughnut, and a new year tradition. They were making them right there, outside under a tent. Filled with coconut and rolled in sesame seeds, they were good (they also had available filled with black sugar). A few weeks ago Jon and I were at a Chinese restaurant and noticed Shark Fin Soup on the menu, a bowl was $36! I'd heard of Shark Fin soup but had no idea it was so expensive. So when we were in Chinatown, there was a sign for Shark Fin soup, so I went in and asked about it. They were selling it by the can, for $50!! For a can of soup! I doubt we'll ever want to splurge and try it.
Winter time here in Hawaii, it is snowing on Maui and the Big Island! Haleakala, on Maiu where we went for the sunrise (10,000 ft), has been closed due to of road conditions! What an amazing place this is!

Tai Chi Update

Apparently Master Dong thought we weren't doing enough, so starting January 1, he has extended our class from 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours! So now for the first hour we warm up and do the long form. Then we take a break. Then for the last 45 minutes we are learning the short form. The short form only takes about 5 minutes and you move much faster than the long form. So we sort of get an arobic workout, doing the routine over and over and over. When we are 1 hour 45 minutes into the class, I am very tired, not doing very well and don't have a very good attitude!! Jon and I comment to each other about our age and how tired we are, but then we look at the 82 year old who is amazing! So he is our inspiration. After we learn the short form, then we will learn the slow set and then the fast set! But I must add I haven't mastered the long form yet!

Surf's Up

We drove to the North Shore yesterday to see the 15-30 foot waves. All the beaches were closed, but everyone was out to watch the waves. Hard to capture on a photo, but the water level was so high and the waves were amazing. You know it's treacherous out there when you don't see any surfers.

Happy New Year!

I know I'm really behind, since it's now the 7th day of the year! On New Year's, we stayed home and comforted our dog through the fireworks. We tried to take pictures of the fireworks off our lanai, but they didn't turn out very well. Fireworks are out of control here! You can buy them at WalMart, 7-11 and everywhere. They shoot the big aerials all over the place. Many are illegal as we read in the paper they confiscated 2 tons of fireworks at one home! Families get together and spend thousands of dollars. Or they say if you go out in the country, many even make them. Anyway, Happy New Year to all!

Chinese Birthday Party

Our tai chi teacher had his 60th birthday party. In Chinese culture, they don't celebrate every birthday, and 60 is a big one. It was held at a restaurant in the Chinese Culture Center and about 100 people attended. One of my favorite parts were the lions that came in, warding off the evil spirits, making room for the good spirits. There were 2 Chinese lions and they were accompanied by drums and cymbals, clanging the whole time. The lions danced around and around and then before leaving came by the tables for tips, which you put in the lion's mouth. The lions are good luck and if you give them money, when your hand touches their mouth, you receive good luck. And by the way, 60 is the end of your youth and the beginning of wisdom.