This is how they quarry for aggregate in the Marshall Islands. I’m pretty sure this is why good things turn into scrap metal almost immediately here. On the long road, there are numerous Cat and other excavator carcasses lying about.
Archive for the 'Culture' Category
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I should probably explain the title of my earlier post. Through those convoluted paths that conversations often take, we found ourselves outside that earlier review Mexitlan Grill wondering about the composition of the Japanese word “benpi” and the “ben”. Benpi is constipation in Japanese.
便秘
We figured it was the same “ben” as in “benjou”. I looked it up in the dictionary on my iPhone, and much to our surprise, it came up with the kanji compounds as “convenience” and “secret”. So it turns out the “ben” is also the same as in “benri”. We found this pretty odd. It turns out this same kanji also can mean feces. That makes complete sense, but two have these two very different meanings for the same kanji seemed pretty wierd. I’m used to seeing a word that sounds the same but having different meanings and different kanji, but not this way around. Anyway, now you know!
This altbier from Kyoto’s Machiya Brewery has the eponymous qualities that distinguish alts – a bitter, ale-like flavor and matching color. When poured, there is a finger-thick head, which quickly dissipates. Although the head is not persistent, the carbonation is actually reasonably high for a Japanese craft beer: From beginning to end, the bubbling can be felt on the tongue and lips, and each tip of the glass excites new outgassing from solution. The initial flavor is bitter with no flowery or sweet hop note. The bitterness moderates in the middle, allowing a light flowery aromatic to bloom before the bitter fully fades to reveal a maltiness that subsides into a clean, even finish. The color is a light reddish brown, somewhere between a pale ale and a red ale. Compared to the Onuma Alt reviewed here earlier, this one has more carbonation and a stronger bitter. Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Machiya Brewery Hanamachi Beer Jibiiru’
WTF?! Pearl Highlands has their holiday decorations up already. I took this picture on the 6th of October!
Well, it’s Silver Week again, and I see all the shiny-skirted, tall-shoed JDM gals and white-tee-shirted JT-wannabe guys around town.
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As in years past I made it to the Okinawa Festival again this year, and once again the weather was clear and almost brutally sunny. What with the worldwide economy as it is, it seems there were less visiting acts, but nevertheless the quality was good as always. One of the performing groups that stood out for me this year was not a traditional Okinawan art group, they were the Okinawa Prefecture Junior & High School Wind Ensemble Select Band. I’ve seen and heard a fair share of both local and visiting school bands that ranged from good to good effort. Watching these kids in T-shirts and jeans set up they seemed a pretty typical school band group, which set me up even more for the surprise. From first note to last, they simply stunned me. This was coming from middle and high school kids?! I had to justify it in my mind that these kids were Select, basically All-stars of Okinawa school bands. I did hear one reed instrument squeek, but aside, these kids would put many a professional ensemble to shame. They apparently had done some earlier performances one of which was for Niu Valley Intermediate. I dunno, if I had heard them when I was there I’m not sure what kind of effect it would have had on me. I wonder if it would be like when I see videos of BMXers or Trials riders throwing down technique so great that it despires me. I know, thats not a real word, but I think you understand. They are just so good that it makes you realize how piddly you are and that there is no hope that you will ever be anything like them, ever. Anyway, I enjoyed their and all the other performances.
The crowd didn’t feel larger than last year, about the same. I noticed they were more frugal with the food, at the conclusion of the festival just about all the food booths were out of food, even the andagi was sold out so I couldn’t get any last bags of that doughy, oily goodness.
Another nice festival, my only criticisms of this years event is that the Olelo camerapeople were really annoying this year. Previous years they didn’t really bother me, but this year they were constantly in the way blocking my shots. Another is the sound people had lots of problems this year, even though its the same people. And finally the layout when they got the bon dance going was super congested.
Well, I’ll have to go through my pile of pics and see if I have any possiblity of wining something in the photo contest.
Just got home from The Contamporary Museum of Honolulu’s August Moon wine tasting fund raiser at The Edge at the Sheraton Waikiki. I was one of the featured artists at the “Drawn Out” venue table of artists who all donated their time and talents to create artwork on the fly for sale to the attendees to whip up some much needed cash for the museum. Traffic going into Waikiki was horrendous (Saturday? go figure) so I got there a little late (Sorry, Waileia!) – I really should have known better. I managed to draw two pieces – an oni gnawing on a skull, and two nekomimi girls in a box. Both pieces sold almost immediately. Whee! Cade ended up with my last minute scribble “Tio Muerte contra El Prehensilo”, which was not ready for prime time. I am a little curious as to who bought my pieces… Continue reading ‘No Good Deed Goes Unpunished’
I was stuck on the freeway today. No, it wasn’t because it is “back to school” time. No, it wasn’t the accident or stalled vehicle at the bottom of the School Street on-ramp on the other side of the freeway. It was Mr. Pokey in the Sentra who forced his way in front of me from the Like Like on/Vineyard off then dropped down to 25-mph. At least 15 cars took advantage of his 10-second following distance in the few miles I was on the freeway, all the while the traffic in back of him got further and further behind. The other lanes of the freeway were moving at a good clip, so there was no opportunity to pull out and change lanes.
(0)So a young woman, born and raised in Kailua is walking along the beach with her dog, and a pigmentally challenged individual says, “Hey, what are you doing here? Locals aren’t allowed here!”
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With the air asset rotations out of MCBH diminishing as RimPac winds down, Windward residents may have noticed that bright light has replaced jet sound at night out over the bay. No, those alien abduction lights aren’t some black project: They’re illumination for night shooting of the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie at He’e’ia Kea pier. The Black Pearl is tied up along the North side of the pier, off the tips of the slips. There is also some stuff staged at the old ‘Ulu Mau village site, and further down the road before the straightaway ends. When I detoured by tonight on the way home, they had four or five light booms shining full blast, and billowing clouds of Hollywood smoke flowing across the water and onto the shore. You can sort-of make out the masts of the ship in the center of this grainy spy picture.