Brown Motion

I flew SW by Southwest.  To chill.  To gather in the gathering place.  My favorite isle in the WWW. Oahu. Hawaiians call it 'The Gathering Place'.  Most populous of the Hawaiian archipelago in the Pacific it is second oldest island in the chain.  The largest and youngest island is not Oahu but Big Isle of Hawaii, the furthest east and it's still forming as witnessed by Pele's activities in Kilauea national park. But Oahu is where I first landed on the US shore and a quarter century later remains a favorite haunt, albeit to visit for few days. This trip was memorable for a variety of reasons.  I reconnected with a dear old friend whom I befriended during our first landing 25 years back.  He is of Sri Lankan descent and a gentleman.  He regaled me with his exotic tales as I listened raptured.  From almost getting killed in Tesla's newest vehicles to having a pet pig for a companion the stories were uniquely his and I expected nothing l...

A rather stimulating documentary on the tube last night.  Or technically on cable.  Or cloud.  Or whatever it is that I pay for unbeknownst to me (what with autopay) and causes shows to show up in my recorded list. Chai - the caffeine fix that I long for each morning - not the Folgers in my cup.  Far from it - in fact mine is named for a goat and tiger since the package says Wagh Bakri.   I vaguely knew that the origins of this wonder drug lay somewhere in the Orient.  Just not exactly.  So it turns out that Tea or Chai is the second most popular beverage in the world after water. The beverage we know of as Chai or Tea (and some moronic brands in America also make it a point to call it Chai Tea) comes from the leaves of a shrub that grows in cool climes.  The shrub is called Camellia Sinensis (sure recipe for sinus trouble but it actually refers to - as from China (sino)). Originally thought to have grown in the mountains of Southe...

Ah to be in Hawaii again. The ups and downs I refer to jokingly are or were experiential as I spent a week on the sunny isle of Oahu or the Gathering Place. Ironically a rolling stone gathers no moss and so it was with moi. With all that walking along the shores and ridges and high mounts I did indeed not gather any moss but certainly gathered a fresh set of wonderful memories. The missing ingredients being the better 90 percents (as in wife and daughter) but oh well. They were traipsing through some scenery in Asia. Beginning with a Monday arrival I was able to get the rear limbs wet on Ala Moana beach, our former stomping grounds when we lived on this isle a couple decades ago. Then it was a quick bus ride and a half to a famous Malasada joint called Leonard's on Kapahulu for some amazing doughy goodness - Malasada being a portuguese invention and precursor to the donut. Its simply fun to stroll along the streets and see the Hawaiian language spelled out on s...