Going to the Gathering

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 less.  Including his near death experience.  Seriously.

All that said as the Vedanta says he has lot more good to do on earth and survived another day.  We drove around in his Model 3 to some of my nostalgic haunts.  When not in company I walked.  Took the bus.  It goes all over.  Caught an amazing sunrise over Kahala.  Watched early surfers hit the waves.

Stuffed so much raw tuna in my face

that I probably smell like a fish (my wife mumbled something about a whiff she caught on my return).  Wandered at all hours smelling everything from the plumerias to the days old spilled beer and urine left behind by the homeless who seem to be growing in numbers by the way.

Traveling on the bus I noticed most of the spots in the front are taken by mentally handicapped folks.  A lot of them are clearly dishevelled but some look like they are headed to work until they start staring at the ceiling and begin a heated conversation with finger pointing to boot.  Sad commentary on how wealth of nations does not translate to health care for all.

Getting back to nutrition to keep me mobile - there was all sorts of asian food and in particular all manners of fish

cold fish bibimbap at a Korean run grocer

in variety of cooking styles became my staple diet and I had many of these (diets).

Hawaiian plate 

Dessert was in the form of Portuguese recipe called Malasadas at the original Leonard's on Kapahulu.

 I also had some unusual firsts like:

• Meeting a pet pig(let).  

• Interviewing and congratulating a teeny bop from Busan, S. Korea where she had spent two hours getting a nails treatment - of which I had to take a picture  while we both were riding The Bus.

• Imbibing my first Arrack at my Sri Lankan friends house - sort of like cane rum - liked it

• Standing under the giant Bodhi tree which was a literal branch of the famous and original Bodhi under which Gautama became the Buddha (in India).

• Walking past a scene of horrific and unusual crime scene of charred homes (for the quiet island) where a crazy person shot and killed two police officers

and

• watching Dolphins entertain me as they swam in abandon at the Kahala lagoon
  

Of course it was all accompanied by a healthy trampling of the brown sugar like sand at the multitude of beaches including Waikiki... leaving more footprints in the sands of time etc.