Just read a Huffington Post article by Arianna herself, about a conference she was organizing, topic being: a search for a new definition of success.
Money and power being a 2-legged stool, OK for the short term, but due for an inevitable fall.
Instead, she asks, how about a definition of success that includes well-being, wisdom, wonder, empathy, and the ability to give back?
I like that!
Just had a lunch today with 6 of my Punahou classmates. Classmate Val Nip was in town (unchanged from 40+ years ago! Except now there were pix of her grandson on her smartphone!). Arthur Johnsen was visiting from the Big Island (here to attend a workshop on possible artistic involvements in a to-be-built mass transit system). Organizers Sandi Chun and Linda Auyong (don't know their married names) came, along with Wayne Yoshimura, and...Bub Wo (EVERYONE loves Bub Wo! He is the quintessential gentleman, quiet, classy, thoughtful!).
Although many of my classmates are materially and professionally successful, I think most fall into Arianna Huffington's new definition of success as well.
The wonderful thing about Hawaii is that it is an island. If you're a jerk and piss people off, then it will be kind of awkward when you run into them at the market, at events, in town, and at family parties. So, better to get along.
And most people don't boast about themselves or their families. I like that.
Except for Arthur, and occasionally (because our friendship circles overlapped a bit), Val & Bub, I didn't hang out much, in high school, with the classmates at the lunch. But meeting up with them in the last few years at reunions, and, especially, at these smaller lunches (I just loved this lunch size!), and at the malasadas booth in early Feb, has been a revelation. Middle age becomes all of them. Most are fit and healthy, the ladies are even better looking than in high school, and they are fun, knowledgeable, interesting & interested, and...so pleasant and civilized! Well-being, wisdom, wonder, empathy, and the ability to give back...definitely all there!
Such a contrast to Honeywell!
But back to Arianna H's definition of success: I have seen awe of power and money. Not so much in Hawaii, nor at UOP, but definitely at Honeywell. And sometimes acquaintances talk about money, and making more money. This doesn't interest me. Although we're not wealthy, we're comfortable enough.
And with power comes responsibility. That would be stressful. I'm happy being just comfortable and in control of our own lives. That's good enough!
Se Fok & I don't need much. Se Fok loves his books and music. As for me, I don't buy expensive clothes, and I regard a home as just that - a home. Not an expression of our wealth or my great taste (which I don't have anyway). And we don't feel a need to attend expensive performances, or to eat at expensive restaurants.
I do love traveling and eating well, but both Se Fok & I want good value. We don't eat at restaurants because they are famous, but because the majority of Trip Advisor reviews indicated "amazing food AND incredible value!" I do kind of regret not eating at the Louis XV restaurant in Monaco as I think that would have been an experience of a lifetime, and after seeing the pix, I think it was good value. Expensive, but it looked like it was worth it.
On the other hand, I'm not sure our stomachs could have handled so much food. Witness what happened to me at the restaurant in Cannes!?!
And we ate very well in Belgium, Holland, France, and Turkey! So, no regrets!!!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
NYC
We somehow learned that our oldest, who lives in SF CA, planned to visit the two younger ones in NYC for the holidays (Xmas 2012). So, a very rare opportunity to see all 3 of our children in one place! We cashed in hotel points, airline coupons, and wielded the almighty credit card, and our holiday plans were set!
Oldest lives in SF CA; younger two live in Nolita in a miniscule 2-BR 4th floor walkup with a rent totally out of proportion to the size & state of the apartment. "Kitchen" (if it could even be called that) consists of a refrig, stove, and battered sink next to a living room that's slightly larger than our AH master BR closet (and NO we do NOT live in a McMansion). But it's a lively area, full of shops, gentrified start-up restaurants and bars, and the like. Chinatown (with its cheaper veggies & fruits) is a short walk away. OK, so no ACE Hardware, CVS/Walgreens, Target, or supermarket anywhere nearby, but a nearby subway line promises connection to most parts of the city.
Our kids shrug off the inconveniences and the noise. Ah, well, climbing 4 flights of stairs daily is good exercise. And I am getting used to it, though SF & I vowed that we would never, ever help our children move again, after we carried 800+ pounds of possessions and unassembled IKEA furniture up that narrow and steep staircase last summer.
Besides, their next door neighbor, Lucy, just turned 90, and SHE walks up and down those stairs. Lucy invited me into her apartment once. She pays some ridiculous rent-controlled amount/month - $85? That's why she won't move - if she does, she'll have to pay market rate. Her apartment has a little altar, and no easy washing facilities. There's a bathtub in the middle of the living room-kitchen, but it seemed t/b used as a storage space.
But Lucy's happy enough. Her son is the building superintendent and keeps at eye on her. Our own son says that Lucy goes downstairs every day in the summer when the weather is good. She has some friends - also elderly Italian women - and they sit outside the building, talk, greet passers-by, and watch the world go by. An inexpensive form of entertainment, indeed! That, in fact, is how I first met Lucy. After we unloaded the first 500 pounds of our children's stuff from our rented van, piling it on the sidewalk in front of the building entrance (a narrow & unobtrusive door - I never would have noticed it had I been an uninterested passer-by), I stood guard over the pile, convinced that some nefarious New Yorker surely would abscond with our children's possessions if I relaxed my vigilance for even a moment. It wasn't a bad job - far better than, say, carrying boxes up 4 flights of stairs. Lucy was sitting outside watching this, and asked why I wasn't helping. When I explained (leaving out the "nefarious"), she said, "You help your son and husband. I'll watch your stuff." OK, how was an 88-year-old woman going to stave off the thieves? But could I say that? So, I started carrying stuff up the stairs. WHEW! Nothing was taken. But I had to work quite a bit harder!
Back to our holiday visit. Oh, did I get distracted? Now it is half a year later & I forgot what I was going to write about!
So, will close...RIGHT NOW!
Oldest lives in SF CA; younger two live in Nolita in a miniscule 2-BR 4th floor walkup with a rent totally out of proportion to the size & state of the apartment. "Kitchen" (if it could even be called that) consists of a refrig, stove, and battered sink next to a living room that's slightly larger than our AH master BR closet (and NO we do NOT live in a McMansion). But it's a lively area, full of shops, gentrified start-up restaurants and bars, and the like. Chinatown (with its cheaper veggies & fruits) is a short walk away. OK, so no ACE Hardware, CVS/Walgreens, Target, or supermarket anywhere nearby, but a nearby subway line promises connection to most parts of the city.
Our kids shrug off the inconveniences and the noise. Ah, well, climbing 4 flights of stairs daily is good exercise. And I am getting used to it, though SF & I vowed that we would never, ever help our children move again, after we carried 800+ pounds of possessions and unassembled IKEA furniture up that narrow and steep staircase last summer.
Besides, their next door neighbor, Lucy, just turned 90, and SHE walks up and down those stairs. Lucy invited me into her apartment once. She pays some ridiculous rent-controlled amount/month - $85? That's why she won't move - if she does, she'll have to pay market rate. Her apartment has a little altar, and no easy washing facilities. There's a bathtub in the middle of the living room-kitchen, but it seemed t/b used as a storage space.
But Lucy's happy enough. Her son is the building superintendent and keeps at eye on her. Our own son says that Lucy goes downstairs every day in the summer when the weather is good. She has some friends - also elderly Italian women - and they sit outside the building, talk, greet passers-by, and watch the world go by. An inexpensive form of entertainment, indeed! That, in fact, is how I first met Lucy. After we unloaded the first 500 pounds of our children's stuff from our rented van, piling it on the sidewalk in front of the building entrance (a narrow & unobtrusive door - I never would have noticed it had I been an uninterested passer-by), I stood guard over the pile, convinced that some nefarious New Yorker surely would abscond with our children's possessions if I relaxed my vigilance for even a moment. It wasn't a bad job - far better than, say, carrying boxes up 4 flights of stairs. Lucy was sitting outside watching this, and asked why I wasn't helping. When I explained (leaving out the "nefarious"), she said, "You help your son and husband. I'll watch your stuff." OK, how was an 88-year-old woman going to stave off the thieves? But could I say that? So, I started carrying stuff up the stairs. WHEW! Nothing was taken. But I had to work quite a bit harder!
Back to our holiday visit. Oh, did I get distracted? Now it is half a year later & I forgot what I was going to write about!
So, will close...RIGHT NOW!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Rainbows and Mercury...
Today I saw FIVE (not counting doubles!) rainbows!!!
This morning there was a brilliant rainbow arching high overhead, one end in front of us, at the foot of Diamond Head, the other end at the foot of the misty Ko'olaus. It was a double rainbow, in fact! Both rainbows were SOOOO brilliant that I ran in the house to get my camera! But by the time I got back out again, they had faded...
So ephemeral, so elusive!
This afternoon, on my way up Kalihi St., I saw something magical: the houses and trees on the hill before me were shimmering and glimmering in guava and raspberry and orange sherbet. The colors were pale, glittery and shimmery, as though misted with fairy dust.
Then I caught a glimpse of glittering yellow and green, too, and realized - I was seeing a huge, fat rainbow lying on the ground!!! I don't know how else to describe it! There was no arch, no bow - just the magical, elusive colors and light transforming the houses, trees, hillside into a vision of a bright fairyland!
Had to merge onto the H-1 freeway... Darn, had to watch the road now!
That was Kalihi Valley. Picked up my mother and struggled (just as I'm struggling here) to describe what I'd just seen. Then as we drove up Liliha St. to pick up the H-1 freeway again - there was ANOTHER rainbow!!! This time, in Nu'uanu Valley! Although it wasn't "lying on the ground," it was a VERY low-lying rainbow, and my mother saw how it transformed the side of the green valley, dusting it with color!
Amazing! Two very low lying, brilliant rainbows! My heart was overflowing!
Back on the H-1 freeway, I had to keep my eyes on the road again, but I saw two more low rainbows (tho' not as brilliant as the Kalihi and Nu'uanu Valley rainbows) - one by Punchbowl, and another arching out of Manoa Valley to St. Louis Heights.
And then we were home.
Yesterday, we had a double dipper for celestial sights! We were at my sister's in-laws' home for dinner, high on Waialae Nui ridge. It was chilly and breezy, with occasional misty rain blowing over the Ko'olau spine. We had a splendid view of the city, and, more importantly to me, the water and the western horizon. There were quite a few clouds out west so we weren't too optimistic about seeing the "green flash" (which requires a clear horizon), BUT as sunset approached, the sun dipped BELOW the clouds. It sank steadily...and we all saw the green flash!!! I was SOOOO excited!!!!!!
We went in to enjoy an absolutely delish dinner - brown rice, grilled chicken & veggies, a delicious baked salmon, squid luau, and a wonderful salad. We watched a Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz spy (?) movie that didn't make a lot of sense. Then Mrs. Kim (my sister's wonderful m-i-l) and I went out to see if we could spy Mercury, in spite of all the clouds.
And we DID!!! There it was, out west, low on the horizon! Like the sun, it had dipped below the clouds to a clear area! It was quite dark so Mercury glittered brightly. A rare sight!!!
Rainbows, green flash, Mercury - so many wonderful, wonderful things to see!!!
This morning there was a brilliant rainbow arching high overhead, one end in front of us, at the foot of Diamond Head, the other end at the foot of the misty Ko'olaus. It was a double rainbow, in fact! Both rainbows were SOOOO brilliant that I ran in the house to get my camera! But by the time I got back out again, they had faded...
So ephemeral, so elusive!
This afternoon, on my way up Kalihi St., I saw something magical: the houses and trees on the hill before me were shimmering and glimmering in guava and raspberry and orange sherbet. The colors were pale, glittery and shimmery, as though misted with fairy dust.
Then I caught a glimpse of glittering yellow and green, too, and realized - I was seeing a huge, fat rainbow lying on the ground!!! I don't know how else to describe it! There was no arch, no bow - just the magical, elusive colors and light transforming the houses, trees, hillside into a vision of a bright fairyland!
Had to merge onto the H-1 freeway... Darn, had to watch the road now!
That was Kalihi Valley. Picked up my mother and struggled (just as I'm struggling here) to describe what I'd just seen. Then as we drove up Liliha St. to pick up the H-1 freeway again - there was ANOTHER rainbow!!! This time, in Nu'uanu Valley! Although it wasn't "lying on the ground," it was a VERY low-lying rainbow, and my mother saw how it transformed the side of the green valley, dusting it with color!
Amazing! Two very low lying, brilliant rainbows! My heart was overflowing!
Back on the H-1 freeway, I had to keep my eyes on the road again, but I saw two more low rainbows (tho' not as brilliant as the Kalihi and Nu'uanu Valley rainbows) - one by Punchbowl, and another arching out of Manoa Valley to St. Louis Heights.
And then we were home.
Yesterday, we had a double dipper for celestial sights! We were at my sister's in-laws' home for dinner, high on Waialae Nui ridge. It was chilly and breezy, with occasional misty rain blowing over the Ko'olau spine. We had a splendid view of the city, and, more importantly to me, the water and the western horizon. There were quite a few clouds out west so we weren't too optimistic about seeing the "green flash" (which requires a clear horizon), BUT as sunset approached, the sun dipped BELOW the clouds. It sank steadily...and we all saw the green flash!!! I was SOOOO excited!!!!!!
We went in to enjoy an absolutely delish dinner - brown rice, grilled chicken & veggies, a delicious baked salmon, squid luau, and a wonderful salad. We watched a Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz spy (?) movie that didn't make a lot of sense. Then Mrs. Kim (my sister's wonderful m-i-l) and I went out to see if we could spy Mercury, in spite of all the clouds.
And we DID!!! There it was, out west, low on the horizon! Like the sun, it had dipped below the clouds to a clear area! It was quite dark so Mercury glittered brightly. A rare sight!!!
Rainbows, green flash, Mercury - so many wonderful, wonderful things to see!!!
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