It's not really my birthday anymore. That was yesterday. I had fully intended to log on last night to tell you all about it, but a) it wasn't all that eventful and b) I ate so much for dinner last night that once we arrived back home, it wasn't long before I was zonked.
Dinner was lovely. We at at Kilauea Lodge.
I think it's one of the best restaurants on the island. It broke da bank and broke the mout'! The soup was a delicious puree of peas, cabbage, cream and curry. It had a name, but I can't pronounce it. For our main course we had Duck l'orange and Seafood Mauna Kea. The seafood dish was scallops, shrimp, fish and calamari with an assortment of veggies, topped with a sauce of creme fraiche, on pasta. The appetizer was to die for; coconut crusted, fried brie served with fruit salsa and fresh bread. And the dessert? Onolicious. A custard with raspberry sauce topping. It was all good. The lodge is so cozy, with a big fireplace, vaulted ceiling and koa wood tables. The best part? It's only a 10 minute drive from home!
I hit the gym yesterday after being pretty lazy for the past two weeks. Today, I'm sore. After last night's meal, I should really return for another workout today.
Monday night I attended a Tea Society presentation with guest speaker Roy Fong. He is the founder and proprietor of San Fransisco's imperial tea court, the first traditional tea house in America. Mr. Fong taught us proper tea brewing using the gong fu (kung fu) method of infusing the leaves with water in a gaiwan. A gaiwan is a simple ceramic bowl with a saucer and a lid. It's a ritualistic approach to tea brewing, not completely unlike traditional Japanese tea ceremony. For the Chinese, tea is not just a beverage. It is seen as central to physical and social well being. Tea is an integral part of Chinese culture.
Fong also gave us a little history lesson on the processing and drinking of tea in China. We in the west are used to hearing the term kung fu in relation to martial arts. It can be used to refer to anything that requires or inspires extra effort, extra work, something worthy of striving. The presentation was interesting and educational. Plus, they served free pupus. You can't beat that. I'm pretty sure that had something to do with the high turnout for the event.
I have a bad news good news story to share. The day I took Doc to the vet for his shots and a checkup a couple of weeks ago, I saw my up-the-road neighbor there. With her was a sad little puppy in a carrier. "I found her at the dump," she said. The poor little pup was emaciated and so weak she could barely keep her head up. The neighbor said when she found her, she seemed nearly lifeless. This puppy was a beautiful little short-haired shepherd mix of some sort, with mixed coloring and long legs. It's hard to believe that someone would just dump her there. That happens here often. So the neighbor brought the puppy to the vet with the hope that they could help nurse her back to health. They found that the poor little girl was much older than she looked (anywhere from six-nine months vs. three), was extremely dehydrated, malnourished and riddled with worms. They were concerned that she might have severe liver damage. All they and the neighbor could do was wait and see.
Two weeks or so passed and I ran into that neighbor at the tea presentation. I asked about the puppy, a little afraid of what I would hear.
"She made it!" beamed the neighbor. "You wouldn't even know she's the same dog. I think she's almost doubled in size since I found her." She said her pack (two crazy, over-the-top energetic border collies and a mellow, shaggy chow/shepherd something-or-other) had immediately accepted the new girl. They named her Ipo, which is an abbreviated word for sweetheart in Hawaiian.
So while the puppy story started out sad, it had a happy ending. I like that.
A hui hou. Aloha.
Dinner was lovely. We at at Kilauea Lodge.
I think it's one of the best restaurants on the island. It broke da bank and broke the mout'! The soup was a delicious puree of peas, cabbage, cream and curry. It had a name, but I can't pronounce it. For our main course we had Duck l'orange and Seafood Mauna Kea. The seafood dish was scallops, shrimp, fish and calamari with an assortment of veggies, topped with a sauce of creme fraiche, on pasta. The appetizer was to die for; coconut crusted, fried brie served with fruit salsa and fresh bread. And the dessert? Onolicious. A custard with raspberry sauce topping. It was all good. The lodge is so cozy, with a big fireplace, vaulted ceiling and koa wood tables. The best part? It's only a 10 minute drive from home!
I hit the gym yesterday after being pretty lazy for the past two weeks. Today, I'm sore. After last night's meal, I should really return for another workout today.
Monday night I attended a Tea Society presentation with guest speaker Roy Fong. He is the founder and proprietor of San Fransisco's imperial tea court, the first traditional tea house in America. Mr. Fong taught us proper tea brewing using the gong fu (kung fu) method of infusing the leaves with water in a gaiwan. A gaiwan is a simple ceramic bowl with a saucer and a lid. It's a ritualistic approach to tea brewing, not completely unlike traditional Japanese tea ceremony. For the Chinese, tea is not just a beverage. It is seen as central to physical and social well being. Tea is an integral part of Chinese culture.
Fong also gave us a little history lesson on the processing and drinking of tea in China. We in the west are used to hearing the term kung fu in relation to martial arts. It can be used to refer to anything that requires or inspires extra effort, extra work, something worthy of striving. The presentation was interesting and educational. Plus, they served free pupus. You can't beat that. I'm pretty sure that had something to do with the high turnout for the event.
I have a bad news good news story to share. The day I took Doc to the vet for his shots and a checkup a couple of weeks ago, I saw my up-the-road neighbor there. With her was a sad little puppy in a carrier. "I found her at the dump," she said. The poor little pup was emaciated and so weak she could barely keep her head up. The neighbor said when she found her, she seemed nearly lifeless. This puppy was a beautiful little short-haired shepherd mix of some sort, with mixed coloring and long legs. It's hard to believe that someone would just dump her there. That happens here often. So the neighbor brought the puppy to the vet with the hope that they could help nurse her back to health. They found that the poor little girl was much older than she looked (anywhere from six-nine months vs. three), was extremely dehydrated, malnourished and riddled with worms. They were concerned that she might have severe liver damage. All they and the neighbor could do was wait and see.
Two weeks or so passed and I ran into that neighbor at the tea presentation. I asked about the puppy, a little afraid of what I would hear.
"She made it!" beamed the neighbor. "You wouldn't even know she's the same dog. I think she's almost doubled in size since I found her." She said her pack (two crazy, over-the-top energetic border collies and a mellow, shaggy chow/shepherd something-or-other) had immediately accepted the new girl. They named her Ipo, which is an abbreviated word for sweetheart in Hawaiian.
So while the puppy story started out sad, it had a happy ending. I like that.
A hui hou. Aloha.
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