Obon 2017

Saturday started out with the wi-fi hot spot dying. In the morning I tried to get on-line to the Hawai'i Humane Society website to check for Momo, but was unable to do so; I checked out the Jetpack and found the display locked at the intro screen. It was hot and I couldn't turn it off at first. When I finally did, I couldn't turn it back on. Of course it would have to happen on the day of Obon; which meant I wasn't able to post anything since then. So now that I am back where there is wi-fi service, you will be getting it all now, but I'll break it up by days since there was so much going on each day.

Tomiko, David, Evan, Sarah & Kaia got up at 4 in the morning and went to Pololu Valley for the sunrise. Aunty Florence and I stayed back at the house. When everyone returned we had lunch made from the leftovers from Friday evening's dinner.

Clockwise from top right: Fried rice with furikake, roast pork with gravy, pineapple salsa, warabi salad, & green salad with miso dressing.

Tomiko & Aunty Florence had gone to Hilo on Wednesday; they met with Aunty Florence's friend Ken and went to the farmers market. On Saturday afternoon Ken and his wife Judy came over with their granddaughters Kailee and Brooke. They brought laulau for Aunty Florence to take back and kulolo and chocolate chip cookies to eat right now.

L to R: Ken, Evan, David, Brooke, Tomiko, Judy, Kailee, & Aunty Florence.

Back in April, when David & Kai came for Mom's service, Curtis cleaned out a bunch of his aloha shirts that he had not worn in a while. David took about half of them, Kai took the other half; Kai wore one of his to Mom's service. David shared his with Evan & Sarah; Evan remembered to bring his. They wore their aloha shirts to Obon.

David & Evan with Curtis' old aloha shirts; the buttons with Mom's photo are from Suzanne.

The lanterns that hang at the gravesites are to light the way for the departed loved ones to return to visit with family. Originally, candles were used to provide the light; no one uses candles any more so now the lanterns are dark. Last year I found lanterns that had battery-powered LED lights incorporated in to the base, but they weren't for the outdoors so we put plastic bags over them. They all leaked and this year none of them worked. We found some battery-powered LED tea lights, we wrapped them in tiny plastic bags, & taped them inside the lanterns.

The lantern on the left replaces the original lantern we had put up on Friday and blew away some time overnight; white lanterns are used for hatsubon. The orchid plant is from Suzanne & Manu.

Lanterns in the distance on the right with the full moon on the left.

At the Kohala Jodo Mission the Obon festivities start with a walk through the cemetery where Sensei Wansa blesses all the gravesites. Anyone is welcomed to follow the reverend so we did. After the cemetery service there is a service indoors; this year there were 7 people for whom this was their hatsubon, or first obon service.The reading of the Eight-fold Path is part of the Obon service.

Offering incense at the start of the cemetery service. L to R: Reverend Wansa, Suzanne, & Kaleo.

Names of the departed whose hatsubon are being celebrated are on the wooden plaques; Mom's is in the center. The hashi standing in the rice is symbolic for funerals; that's why you should never do this to rice you are eating. (Photo by Tomiko)

(Photo by Tomiko)

After the church service, David & I went to get Uncle Kazu. Many of his friends came up to talk to him; he looked like he was really enjoying himself. He even did some thumb wrestling with Kawaiola!

L to R: Lefty & Uncle Kazu, background William & Laurel.

Uncle Kazu thumb wrestling with Kawaiola. (Photo by Suzanne)

Cousin Shirleen was there with her husband Curt & children Denver & Aaliyah; but her mother, cousin Leilani, was not able to make it. Lem was there as well as Uncle Kazu's niece Laurel and her husband William.

L to R: Curt, Uncle Kazu, Evan, Sarah, unknown person, Shirleen, Tomiko, David, Kawaiola, & Suzanne.

One of the highlights of the Obon celebration is the bon odori or bon dance. Tomiko and Sarah were out their dancing a lot. Kaia was in a carrier trying to figure out what was going on.

Sarah & Kaia dancing.

David & Kawaiola also looked like they were going to dance, but just ended up doing laps running around the outside of the odori circle. Later they were making pictures with the shells of the boiled peanuts and building towers.

L to R: Tomiko, Aunty Florence, David, Kawaiola, & Suzanne.

David's Hello Kitty octopus. (Photo by Suzanne)

Peanut jenga!

Kaleo also did some dancing. He was also looking for Pokemon! When he found them, they were dancing, too!

Kaleo showing the Pokemon dancing at the bon odori!

When the bon odori ended, David & I took Uncle Kazu back to the hospital. Because the eating hall is up a set of stairs and there is no ramp he is unable to join in the osettai meal after the bon odori. Although we could bring food down for him, he also has no access to the bathroom so it becomes a very long & potentially uncomfortable evening for him if he stays longer.

Osettai buffet.

Kaleo wasn't able to make it much past osettai.

As we were leaving after osettai, Arlene asked if I had seen the lantern banners; I had not. She said I should go and see them because there were a lot of them for Mom! There were banners from Aunty Doris & Uncle Tom; Aunty Judy & her family; Suzanne & Manu & their family; Neill & Myrtle, the Dann family, Aunty Michie, & Daniel; and Mom's mahjong group. I took photos of each one and sent them to the people who sent in the donations for the lantern banners but were unable to attend the Obon.

Lantern banner from the Liholiho Mahjong players.