Thursday, March 14, 2013

Christmas in March?

It is almost Easter, so I guess I should post my Christmas 2012 blog!  This is what happens with procrastination - all you get for your effort is way behind.  Oh well - I will start here and keep going and maybe by the end of the month I will get caught up.
 
Mele Kalikimaka - Merry Christmas in Hawaiian.
Christmas in Hawaii is a bit different for us.  We are used to cold weather and the hope of snow.  Not much chance of that here - December is cooler, but that means in the 60's, so it isn't truly cold.  We don't get a lot of snow, but we do get rain, and it gets very damp.  None of this keeps us from enjoying the season and the celebration.
 
One of the most delightful things we did this season was to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and take the holiday canoe ride. They decorate the canal with lots of lights, which reflect beautifully in the water. 
 
Along the way, they tell the story of the Nativity from the viewpoint  of a little star that gets to be the Christmas Star.  This is a Hawaiian twist on the story. The word for star in Hawaiian is hoku.
 
 
The oar man on our canoe.  He was good.  And strong!
 
We ushered in Christmas Eve with a candlelight service at Fort DeRussy chapel.  The choir Layden has been singing with provided the music as their final performance of the Christmas season.  The choir is a lot of work, but Layden reallyenjoys it.  They sang beautifully.  
 
After the service, we headed over to King street, the site of the annual Honolulu City Lights display.  There are lots of lights and decorations to enjoy, and fun food and activities, all with a Hawaiian Christmas theme.
 
Santa and Mrs. Claus cooling their feet in the fountain. The name for Santa in Hawaii is Kanakaloka.
 
I really like the oversize lights that hung in the trees.
 
Off to one side was this modest but lovely reminder of why there is so much to celebrate this time of year.
 
We also went to the giant gingerbread display in the lobby of the  Sheraton Princess Ka'lulani hotel in Waikiki.  It was pretty impressive!

 

Aloha Tower

 Eiffel Tower
 
Iolani Palace in the foreground and Kawaiaha'o Church, both impressive Honolulu landmarks.
 
What it took to make this village.
 
 

 
 
Our Christmas tree - tall and thin to fit our tall but small beach house. We love the way our Christmas ornaments remind us of our family and the many places we have lived.
 

Speaking of family - now that Stephen and family have moved to a colder climate I was delighted to be able to knit wonderful hats for my darling grandchildren.  Sometimes being far away has disadvantages - fortunately Cortlynn will grow. 
 
An interesting picture of the lights on our lanai.
 
Until next year... 
 
 
ALOHA
 
 
 
 
 




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1 comment:

  1. Mama PeckApril 12, 2013 at 3:43 PM

    How fun!! I'm so glad you are having all these wonderful adventures to share with us. Hawaii looks like a lovely place to be for the Holiday season. (Well, ok.. ANY season! LOL) Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete

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Sunday, July 26 2009

Sunday, July 26 2009
Remember this sign?
We have learned something really interesting about this "welcome sign" which we thought was a big billboard that was pasted onto an old overpass. It turns out that this is a defensive emplacement known as a rock drop. It is a big concrete box full of rubble and rocks. In the event of an invasion by North Korea the panels underneath the drop will be opened and release the rubble across the roadway, hampering movement into South Korea.

SOLAR ECLIPSE!

SOLAR ECLIPSE!
Might look like the moon - but it's the sun!
On Wednesday July 22 Asia experienced a solar eclipse and we got to see it! Miraculously the expected day of monsoon rain did not materialize and the sky was mostly clear for the duration. During the eclipse, which occured around 11:00 a.m., the sun was much too bright to view directly - we had to be satisfied with reflected images. But, as the sun began to re-appear, just enough clouds came in to allow us to look - and take a picture. It was quite something to behold and we feel lucky for the opportunity.

On A Clear Day...

On A Clear Day...
We had 2 days of church meetings in the Seoul area. Today the weather was remarkably clear and I was able to get a great view of the city skyline and the radio tower. Usually the sky is too hazy for a view like this. Pollution, rain, high humidity or dust storms are contributing factors.