All posts tagged: AtoZchallenge

L is for Listening

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I spend many nights awake. Often I hear the wind rustling the leaves outside my window. Other times I can hear the high pitch sounds of the uncontrollable coqui frogs singing to some quirky beat. But my most favorite sound is listening to the rhythm of my baby’s breathing. Sometimes I’ll hear her quietly snoring. Other times she mumbles a tune in her sleep. When the air is still just the tiniest sound from her can put me at ease. I am grateful for each day I get to spend time with her even if it’s during the middle of the night.   Across the Bored’s Two Cents Tuesday Challenge is Grateful: http://acrossthebored.com/2014/04/08/two-cents-tuesday-challenge-grateful-2/ April is the start of the A to Z challenge. Check out other blogs participating in this challenge at: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

F is for Ficus Benghalensis

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What the heck is Ficus Benghalensis you ask?  It’s also known as the Indian Banyan Tree.  Luckily for me you can find it growing throughout Hawai’i Island.  I always wondered how these massive trees arrived in Hawai’i as it is not a native plant.  I did a bit of digging to learn more. Along our Banyan Drive in Hilo, where all the major hotels are located, you will find these large trees lined along the road.  About eighty years ago the Hilo Parks Commission had these trees planted by celebrities, politicians, athletes and even religious leaders.  Today, when you walk past these trees you can see a plaque with the individual’s name and the year it was planted. These large Banyan trees always take my breath away.  Sitting under one of these massive trees, you feel very tiny and protected with all of its exposed branches.  Sometimes, when we hangout along Banyan Drive, it feels so peaceful and tranquil to be there.  When the wind blows, the leaves brush together creating a soothing sound.  For …

E is for Expression

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Do you love to dance, sing, write, sculpt, paint, or debate? What’s your favorite way to express yourself, creatively? I have a variety of artistic outlets, but my favorite is dancing. I began dancing hula as a child and quit before high school. In the years I wasn’t dancing hula, I tried other dance forms, like jazz, ballet, latin, even modern. I also endured my fair share of dance-related injuries, including shin splints, sprains, and a dislocated knee. 6 years ago, I returned to hula and have been dancing regularly, twice a week, for 2-3 hours each practice. For me, hula isn’t just exercise. It has permeated all aspects of my life, informing my career, my life, and my relationships. It’s taken me to grand and humble stages around the world to learn about new cultures and dance forms, and to be able to recognize and honor their parallels to Hawai’i.  As Maya Angelou has said, “we are all more similar than different” and that truth has been reaffirmed in the connections I’ve forged, engaging with the people, environments, and myths of those locales, all while knowing myself …

D is for Dim Sum

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I am told that you can find at least one Chinese restaurant in every country.  I am not sure if that statement is true, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a huge Chinatown in Lima, Peru.  During our outing in downtown Lima, we headed for Chinatown, also known as Barrio Chino.  I had the onos for some yummy dim sum.  Welcoming us as we walked into the Wa Lok chifa (term used for a restaurant only heard in Peru) was a clear glass case that housed a few of their tantalizing dishes.  Though my traveling companions preferred the sweet treats, I steered in the direction of these tiny appetizers. After an hour of feasting, I was completely satisfied and thankful to have found a few dishes that I recognized.  There are many Chinese restaurants on O’ahu that serve dim sum, and are usually crowded on Sundays.  The fun part about the dim sum eating experience is having the food pushed on carts brought to your table.  Usually the dishes are served in steaming bamboo baskets. …

C is for Chocolates & Churros

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During a cold winter Sunday, I was strolling through the city of Madrid, Spain.  I would have thought the city would be quiet for a cold Sunday, but it was bustling with people walking every where.  After visiting la Puerta del Sol, I started to meander and follow a crowd of people up a winding walk way.  It was rather cramp quarters, and in a very old part of the city, but thought, why not go where the people go. I was delighted to have joined in on the pilgrimage as I found a really cute shop called Chocolateria San Gines.  I didn’t know what to expect, but when I walked in, the warmth of the shop, the aromas of hot chocolate and the smell of fried churros did me in.  I was so happy to have found this place. I was a bit hesitant to try the combination of hot chocolate with churros, but figured if the locals are eating it, why not try it?  Once I got my order, I stood along the side …

B is for Books

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While my dear friend, Rogene, is a Capricious Traveler, I tend to enjoy planning and learning as much as I can about the country I will be visiting.  Although I lose track of time perusing through travel books, I don’t always retain everything I read.  Hence, I often can be found carrying one of these guides, as they have come in handy especially when I cannot speak the host country’s language.  I think it’s so important to know the basic greetings and phrases when going to another country.  I love how these guide books are like the traveler’s CliffsNotes so everything you might need can be found in there. Though I don’t normally carry my travel book when I am actually visiting landmarks while abroad, during my visit to Greece with one of my friends the travel book became our bible.  Since we were stranded and didn’t have much with us, it helped us as we navigated from island to island.  I guess now with modern technology travel books might be obsolete as more and …

A is for Amazon

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During one of my holiday breaks while studying abroad in South America, I spent one-week in Iquitos, Peru.  It was always a dream of mine to explore the Peruvian Amazon.  Being able to travel through the Amazon river with a local native was so surreal.  The small canoe we traveled in might have been fine in the smaller tributaries, but when we were in the middle of the large Amazon River, where you cannot see land on the other side of it, I felt a bit meek and scared. Along the way, we would pass small villages and get to see the daily happenings of the locals which included washing clothes along the river.  Some folks even were swimming and fishing.  I was terrified of swimming in the river as I was scared of the piranha that might be lurking in the brown water.  I hardly set foot in the water unless it was only a foot away from the shoreline. Every evening we would stop at various resting spots.  One of my memorable ones was with a family …