It's a Sign!

I walked with the Neighborhood Security Watch group this morning. I used to walk with them every week before I moved; now I walk with them when I visit. Along the way I saw a couple of signs that I liked. 

On the walk we went by Fort Ruger Market; it has a new owner who is doing an extensive remodel. I hope they will be keeping some of the old things like the Hawaiian food deli & the weekly kulolo. The artwork on the outside walls has changed since I last saw it. It's still nice but I kinda liked the octopus they had more than what is up now. 

They have taken everything out!

The octopus used to be on this wall.

Today DT,  Brent, & I worked on getting the old bed out of my room & moved in the "new" bed. The  bed is "new" to me; it is about 25 years old! But the old bed really was old; we figure it is around 50 years old! I forgot to take photos of our progress.  

I watched Episode 3 of Chief of War today. They introduce Kamehameha in this episode & also Keōua, Kaʻahumanu, & John Young. Kamehameha has not yet made a name for himself as an aliʻi (chief) but is asked to meet with his uncle who is dying & is also the current aliʻi nui of Hawai'i Island. His uncle asks him what he would do to defeat Kahekili who is running rampant & killing a lot of people on O'ahu & Maui for no reason. He says he would increase the food supply; which is what he did! The Kohala Field System that I got to tour last November is part of the foundation of his ability to support a large number of warriors. Which then allowed him to go to war with the aliʻi of the other islands.

Keōua is Kamehameha's cousin. I'm not sure if Chief of War will include the bit of history where Kamehameha is told he must build Puʻukoholā Heiau & sacrifice Keōua there in order to unite the islands. The Puʻukoholā site is also where John Young's homestead was located; he became an advisor to Kamehameha & his knowledge of western firearms greatly aided Kamehameha. Kaʻahumanu was Kamehameha's favorite wife & was instrumental in some reforms. They also talk about the start of the sandalwood trade. I am not noting these as spoiler alerts since this is history so it is already known. 

Kaʻahumanu & John Young.

During the Hawaiian Council Conference that I went to last October, producer Thomas Paʻa Sibbett & actor Moses Good were speakers. Moses Good plays Kaʻahumanu's father. After the credits, there was an interview with Thomas Paʻa Sibbett who talks about how originally they wanted to do a story about Kamehameha but it just didn't feel right. Then they had a hoʻailona (sign) & turned in the direction of Kaʻiana as the focus.  

Moses Good.

Thomas Paʻa Sibbett.

I learned this word on Duolingo!

While watching the credits about translations for the series, there were 2 credits that were either in Hanzi or Kanji; I'm not sure how to tell the difference. But I was able to recognize 日本 (Rìběn in Pinyin) as "Japan" in the 1st credit, so I assumed it was the Japanese translation team. The 2nd one made it more clear it was the Japanese team; there were 3 Hiragana characters in the credits. Which then made it clear to me that the other characters must be Kanji.

I also watched Episode 21 of Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities. I like the character of Zhen Lan, the Prince of the Kongsan. He has a strong sense of justice & believes in self-determination. While he has developed feelings for Bai Ying, the sword deity princess, he knows that she is in love with Su Mo, the leader of the Quanxian tribe & future Emperor of the Sea. Even though she had been the Princess Consort he does not want to force her to marry him as many of the other emperor/king types do in other series. Instead, he lets her know that he is aware of her feelings for Su Mo & will not interfere. He has also entered in to an alliance with Su Mo in order to save the Kongsan people & the Quanxian merpeople; he places his responsibility to the Kongsan people above his personal wants.

In some ways Zhen Lan's philosophy on love is like mine. I believe you should treat love like an injured wild animal. In the beginning, you should nurture & care for it. As it heals & grows stronger, you should back off & give it space. Once it is strong & healthy, you should let it go. If there is a true connection, it will return to you.

I have slowed down on the Mandarin. One of the things I really need to figure out is how to turn on the microphone so I can do the pronunciation exercises. That is the only way I will be able to learn the correct pronunciation for those 5 different vowel sounds! So frustrating not to be able to use the microphone.

The next episodic eruption of Kīlauea is predicted to occur some time between the 13th & the 15th.

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Jeannette! A me Kamehameha ʻEkahi!  

Chief of War

The nephews have Apple TV+! Hūlō! Now I can watch Chief of War! So I did! I set it up so the audio was in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with subtitles in English.  对不气（Duìbùqǐ, I'm sorry) Mandarin, but you will have to take a back seat while I am watching Chief of War. (I will still do at least 1 lesson a day so my brain remembers the Mandarin it has already learned.) 

The current plan is to watch 1 episode per day, I want to extend the amount of time I get to watch it. I had said earlier that I felt I was not able to hold a conversation in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi even though Duolingo said I "knew" 930 words. This is true, however, I was able to understand about 1/4 of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi dialogue & get the main idea of the conversations in the 1st episode. So I am happy about that since Duolingo only has about 15% of the necessary lessons available to become fluent. I can have the dialogue be in English with ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi subtitles like below. Or have dialogue in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with English subtitles; this is what I chose so I could hear the ʻōlelo & interpret in my head, then check the subtitle to see how much I actually understood.

"This island is our home."

While I was  watching Chief of War, I had my laptop on in the next room with the security camera feed on screen. And the sound on for the front yard camera. I heard a racket & went to investigate. There was a very heavy downpour for about 10 minutes!

This morning I got an email from Bokuto Shop; the initial work on the bokken & jo rack I ordered with the customized tanto holder has been completed! After I send them my approval, they will sand & lacquer it. It should be ready to ship on Friday. I am not sure how long it will take to arrive from Ukraine. Yes, Ukraine. That is the only place I could find in an online search that regularly builds these. Very nice people who provide very prompt service. I hope they stay safe.

My jo & bokken rack in Ukraine.

Later I had dinner with Alden, a friend from high school. I like hanging out with Alden; he is still working because he likes what he does in the field he is in. For example, the highlight since my last visit was an emergency trip to Kona to investigate a disease outbreak. He was part of an 18-person team that included experts from the CDC that were examining an outbreak of infectious Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) aka flesh-eating bacteria. It happened in April & made the news but I was somehow oblivious to it all. Because of the nature of the visit he did not have time to contact me. We had a lively & informative conversation about various infectious diseases; interestingly everyone left the restaurant while we were talking. 🤔 And I was so focused on the conversation I forgot to take photos of our food. 🙄

The links to the papers I need to read for the Leeward Planning Commission meeting next week have started to be posted. So I will have to get on them as soon as possible when I get back since there are 7 items on the agenda! We start at 9:30 am & going until all the items are finished. We usually end before 4:30. 

We also got links to the materials for our special meeting the following week. The item for the special meeting was originally scheduled for next week, but was thought to be too much due to the amount of public testimony. 

Eruption Episode #49 at Kīlauea is indicated to be likely to occur between the 12th & 15th, with the 13th & 14th the most likely days.

 Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Jean & Beth!

Pursuit of Jade

I'm now on Oʻahu helping my nephews with cleaning out the last room in our parents house. They have Netflix! When I was here in March I began watching Pursuit of Jade because it popped up when I opened the Netflix app. It looked like a historical piece with swords, horses, & martial arts so I started watching it. I immediately liked the story line of a strong woman not allowing her circumstances to limit her! 

She is also physically strong, carries unconscious person home through snow along with rest of gear.

But I did have a little problem with a gyrfalcon being used like a carrier pigeon. Gyrfalcons are definitely trained by humans. But not as messengers. Like other birds of prey, gyrfalcons are trained by humans to hunt for them. They are also found in far north latitudes, like Arctic Circle far north & are not really common in lower latitudes. And yes, I realize the gyrfalcon shown is a CG bird; it moves like one. But I still have problems with it being a messenger; on the plus side, it does not talk like Nemo does! (That is a story for another time.)

Gyrfalcon came to Yan Zheng when he whistled; which is plausible.

Yan Zheng gets ready to send gyrfalcon off with message; which is not plausible.

At any rate, I really enjoyed the story line of the female protagonist Fan Changyu, a strong woman running the household, even though there was a little romance involved. SPOILER ALERT - I was intrigued to find out the true identity of the injured male protagonist, Yan Zheng, & also how he helps Fan Changyu. But then, as Xie Zheng, his true identity, leading his mounted troops in to battle, I was impressed by the riding of the actor! I Googled actor Zhang Linghe to find out if he was a rider before becoming an actor & was taken by surprise at how popular he is. Though apparently more for his good looks than his acting. Or riding. (I could not find any information about his riding experience.)

He seems to me to be a good actor, but what do I know; I am more interested in his riding than his acting. I think that is because in these period dramas that include horses you rarely see an actor that is really riding a horse. The "action" scenes with galloping are usually close-ups showing the actor & a portion of a mane or neck of a robotic horse.  But in the scene that Zhang Linghe impressed me, it starts with a close-up of Marquis Wu'an rallying his troops, then the camera angle widens to show the charge all while still focused on Zhang Linghe. The reins are held in his left hand in a calm, quiet manner; in his right hand he carries a well-balanced long qinglong ji spear. As he gives the command to charge, he leans forward, signaling to the horse with his body the intent to move forward at speed! He does it so naturally! I watched it 5 or 6 times ... or may be even more. 🙄

Holding the qinglong ji.

Initiating the charge.

It really is him on a real horse & not a stunt double.

The female protagonist Fan Changyu is played by Tian Xiwei; she cannot ride. I think the final episode is the only one where she is on a horse by herself. They are starting out from the camp to capture some bad people; they are only walking but she has a death grip on the saddle. Many other actors in many other shows also have at least one hand holding on to the saddle. 

Compare the body language of riders as well as horses

Notice her grip on the saddle.

So far I have not seen many other main actors that are shown really being able to handle a horse; however, another one in Pursuit of Jade is Lin Muran, who plays Sui Yuanqing. He is also carrying a qinglong ji as he rides. And then there is Luo Yun Xi as Tantai Jin in Till the End of the Moon; but he is only riding & does not carry anything in his free hand so it is not as impressive, but he still appears to ride well. Not many of the historic shows have the main actors riding horses. I think this is for 2 reasons; either the characters are such high ranking people they are transported in carriages or palanquins or the characters are lower ranking & walk almost everywhere. Not much in between except for the cavalry.

Lin Muran riding with qinglong ji. It's a real horse, you could see legs in action before close-up.

The saddles in these shows look interesting. I am not sure if this is what Chinese saddles during these time periods were really like but I would guess they did not look like this; I think these saddles are used to keep the actors safe. Instead of a pommel there is a metal loop that can be easily grabbed. Nice that they are looking out for the actors & I'm pretty sure most people don't even notice this piece of the saddle. Or even the saddles at all. 🤔 

I miss my saddle. I did a trade & got a saddle with a seat sized for a child's butt on a horse-sized  tree. It allowed me to ride horses comfortably instead of slipping around on a seat that was made for a person with a larger butt. I left my saddle in Washington when I moved back because I knew I did not have the space or funds to buy or maintain a horse. My friend in Washington that I used to ride with would be able to make more use out of my saddle; she had 4 horses & would invite others to ride with her so the horses could all get some exercise & a change of scenery. I miss those days. 😿  

On the way to the house from the airport I had Curtis stop at Uloha; the largest outdoor outfitter in Hawaiʻi. I know I already have an MSR camp stove; but it is somewhere in a box in the house. I want to put this MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe (along with a couple of fuel canisters) in with my hurricane supplies so if I am unable to use the regular stove in the house I can still heat things up & boil water & do other things that might be needed in a disaster. I love this little stove; it weighs just 2.9 ounces. Along with a 3.9 ounce fuel canister, which weighs just 7.4 ounces, it was so easy to take along on our hiking trips. (Especially when Kai was so little I had to carry everything! Well, except for his extra water, snacks, & extra layers of warm clothes in case we got separated on the trail.) FYI I have to pick up the fuel canisters in Kona because I can't fly with it in my luggage. 

MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe.

We left Uloha & stopped for lunch at Aloha Salads in Kahala Mall. Curtis had the Tutu's Chicken Salad Tortilla Wrap. I had the Grilled Steak Wrap.

After I got unpacked I went to use the bathroom & discovered repair #1 for this trip. When I was visiting Mom & Dad after Mom's dementia diagnosis, I was repairing things on every visit so this was like old times again!  

I am almost half way done with Level 8 in Mandarin. Hope to be on Level 9 by the end of the day tomorrow. I am still in awe of how well my brain is doing in remembering all these different things in Mandarin! 

Tropical Depression Amanda has disintegrated. It is now just a post-tropical remnant low. It did not get very close to the Central Pacific region.

Episode 49 of the eruption at Kīlauea is now forecast to begin some time between the 12th & the 15th.

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Steve & Michelle! 

Another Fermentation & Pickling Class

I helped with another Fermentation & Pickling Class that was sponsored by the Kohala ʻOno Food Hui. Sandra was again leading the class, with assistance from Kathy, Michelle, & me. We made the same things we made 2 weeks ago: sweet cucumber pickles, mak kim chee, & sauerkraut. But this time we used what we learned from the 1st class & were able to get out much quicker.

Marian fills her jar with mak kim chee.

My Team - (L to R) Marian, Vanessa, & Delilah filling jars with mak kim chee.

(L to R) Bill, Marian, Vanessa, & Delilah massage cabbage to make sauerkraut.

Most of the class with most of what we made.

After the previous class I had asked Sandra if she had any shiso starts or seeds or knew where I could get some. She did not. But Michelle did! She said it grew like a weed at her place! She brought me 2 small plants today; they are the red variety. As soon as I got home I planted them in the raised planter; I hope they do well there.

Foreground: ʻuala; back right corner: shiso.

The ʻuala in the front of the photo has a purple skin with purple flesh. The leaves & stems have more purple in them than the Okinawan sweet potato which has purple flesh but a beige-colored skin. I think I have the Stokes variety of purple sweet potato. I add the leaves to my smoothies for more fiber; I like that they have a higher anthocyanin content from the purple pigment in the leaves than other ʻuala varieties.

I checked on the kalo this afternoon after I planted the shiso. They are all doing well. But I need to get out there & weed out all the grass. And I also need to move the Palehua so it is easier to tell them apart from their neighbors when they start crowding each other. Right now the planting order of the varieties from the inflow to the end of the trench is: ʻEleʻele, Palehua, Moi, & Bun Long. Both ʻEleʻele & Palehua have purplish coloring on the stems; Moi & Bun Long do not. I want to change the order to ʻEleʻele, Moi, Palehu, & Bun Long so I can tell them apart easier. 

 

The Mandarin lessons on Duolingo have 2 additional lesson types that ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi does not; one is a listening exercise & the other is a speaking exercise. I'm guessing the speaking exercise is so that you pronounce those 5 vowel types correctly! Here's what the listening exercise looks like.

Tropical Storm Amanda has been downgraded to a tropical depression. It has maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour. It is moving southwesterly at about 3 mph. 

Episode 49 of the eruption of Kīlauea  is likely to take another 7 to 13 days.

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Kip, Marcia, Gloria, & Peter!