Home Again, Part Three: A Local Kine Par-tay

Saturday, March 1
Mom and I drove to Alewa Heights. I hadn't seen Grandpa yet, and we had to pick up coffee kanten (a gelatinous, creamy dessert with a thick bottom layer of sweet azuki) that Grandma had made. I love going to my grandparents’ house, and no matter how much older I become, their home has a time capsule's ability to transform me once again into a young girl. I happily sink into the soft couch, allow Grandma to stroke my hair, and listen as I'm encouraged to eat more.

Traffic along the way to Grandma's.

From there, we went to Yama’s to pick up poke. You remember poke, right? Put simply, it's thick chunks of raw ocean creature (i.e. fish or squid) usually mixed with shoyu, onion, sea salt, limu (seaweed), and inamona (kukui nut). It's めっちゃうまい, but with rising tuna prices, you pay more buck for your fish. We bought two small tubs: one ahi shoyu poke, one limu tako poke. In addition to yummy poke, Yama’s sells plate lunches. I ate the kalua pork and cabbage with two scoops rice and macaroni salad.

In the afternoon, my parents and I took two cars to Waikiki, where we picked up the Japanese teachers at their hotel. They had spent the day in groups; two of the teachers had gone scuba diving, and the others had visited Pearl Harbor. We shuttled them out to Chris’s place for a casual potluck.

To give you perspective on the geography, Chris and I both live in East Oahu. My house to Waikiki takes about fifteen minutes, and from my house to Chris’s, you can expect a thirty-minute drive. The distance has always felt far too long, but compared to the separation of our homes in Japan, it's not bad.

The Leongs hosted a large party for the teachers; they devoted the day to cleaning out the garage, assembling tables and seating, and organizing an enormous assortment of food. My family was invited, as were neighbors in the area. Our Japanese visitors were mind-boggled:

1. We were having a party at the house. In the garage. Most Japanese parties involve eating out somewhere.
2. Neighbors were invited.

Our potluck line was well stocked.

ajitsuke clam dip and chips / spicy edamame / makizushi / barazushi / barbecue beef / chicken / namasu / macaroni-potato salad / fish patties/ meatballs / crab casserole / lasagna / broken glass Jell-O / coffee kanten / custard pie / lemon squares / strawberry cheesecake

I’m fiercely proud of our local food, which fills up any part of you that may be feeling empty--stomach or spirit. Family cooks here are never snobby, only serving food with the freshest ingredients, the most comforting flavors. What we eat may not follow the latest health trends, but surely it's good for you when it makes you this happy.

The trays lined up quickly.

The teachers drank beer, but I had three cans of Passion-Orange-Guava juice, my favorite.

Multi-dish plates are commonplace at local potlucks.

I really like custard pie.

The party was a success. One of the teachers confessed that prior to the party, he hadn't enjoyed any of the food they had eaten in Hawaii: the hamburger in his loco moco was too hard and the food at Mariposa too rich. That night, however, he repeatedly returned to the potluck line--to make up for all those days of "missed food," he said. Conversation was a mix of English and Japanese, with everyone attempting to use whatever words he or she could to talk about food, about life in Japan and Hawaii. The teachers joked that I must be nervous to be with my boyfriend's family, and vice versa for Chris. I suppose it's not so commonplace for the families of unmarried couples to get together like this in Japan!

The teachers were warm and friendly, easy to laugh and comfortable in chatting with all of us Americans, despite the language barrier. As the sole English speaker, Chris's supervisor spoke as group representative at the close of the party, speaking on how thankful they all were to have attended, of how they would look after Chris and I in our remaining time on JET, and of how all of our families were welcome to visit their homes in Japan. Chris is truly blessed to have such kind and caring co-workers.

At the end of the evening, my parents and I took the teachers back to Waikiki, where we said our goodbyes, as they would leave the next day. The Leongs we left to the arduous task of cleaning up. With all the food, we left with plenty of leftovers. The good eating continued long past the day of the party!