Twenty-One Interesting Facts About Hawaii

In connection with our Annual Hawaiian Luau this coming Friday, here are some Facts About Hawaii that you should know!  

In my previous posting, the Ohi'a tree was listed as Hawaii State Tree. In another  listing it is the Kukui tree. What is the correct answer?  If you are curious, do some Internet Search. 

Revered as a symbol of enlightenment, the kukui nut is deeply intertwined with spiritual practices and ceremonial rituals. In ancient times, the soft golden light emanating from the burning kukui nuts would guide travelers safely through the darkness. It also known as the Candle Tree. 

Meanwhile here are 21 interesting things about Hawaii that you should probably know.

1. **Hawaii is the Only U.S. State That Grows Coffee** - The volcanic soil and ideal climate make it perfect for coffee plantations.

2. **Home to the World’s Most Active Volcano** - Kilauea on the Big Island has been continuously erupting since 1983.

3. **The Aloha Spirit** - Hawaii is famous for its welcoming and friendly culture, encapsulated in the Hawaiian word "Aloha."

4. **Unique Time Zone** - Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time) and does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

5. **Rainbow State** - Hawaii has the most frequent rainbows in the world, often visible after the island’s frequent, brief showers.

6. **Birthplace of Surfing** - Ancient Hawaiians invented surfing, which they called "he’e nalu" or wave sliding.

7. **Hawaii’s State Fish** - The Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, also known as the reef triggerfish, has the longest name of any state fish.

8. **No Billboards** - Billboards are banned in Hawaii to preserve its natural beauty.

9. **Hawaii is Growing** - Due to volcanic activity, the Big Island is continuously growing as lava flows add to the landmass.

10. **Royalty Rules** - Hawaii is the only U.S. state that was once a royal kingdom.

11. **Hawaii's Unique Wildlife** - It’s home to many species that are found nowhere else on Earth, including the Hawaiian monk seal and the nēnē (Hawaiian goose).

12. **The Most Isolated Population Center** - Hawaii is 2,390 miles from California, 3,850 miles from Japan, making it the most isolated population center on the planet.

13. **Hawaiian Language** - Hawaiian is one of the state's two official languages, and the alphabet only consists of 13 letters.

14. **Largest Marine Reserve** - The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is one of the largest protected areas in the world, covering 582,578 square miles.

15. **Hawaii Has No Snakes** - Thanks to strict laws, there are no native snakes in Hawaii.

16. **Honolulu's Bustling Business** - Honolulu is the largest city in the world, if measured by its city limits, which span to the ocean.

17. **The Land of Many Islands** - Hawaii is made up of 132 islands, although most are uninhabited.

18. **Hawaii's Stunning Beaches** - The islands are home to beaches with sand in various colors, including white, black, red, and even green.

19. **Pearl Harbor** - The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, led the U.S. to enter World War II.

20. **Highest Life Expectancy** - Hawaiians enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the United States.

21. **The Spirit of Ohana** - Family (Ohana) is incredibly important in Hawaiian culture, fostering a strong sense of community and support.

Batman says Good Day to All!

The Annual Luau Feast Here at THD for August 9

The Annual Luau Hawaiian Dinner and Live entertainment here at THD is scheduled for Friday, August 9 with Cocktails at 3:45PM. This will be followed by Hula Dancers and Music at 4PM. The highlight of the day is the Hawaiian Luau Dinner at 5PM. You should  reserved your Dinner Selection by August 1.

Women wear your MuuMuu and Men your Hawaiian Shirt💚 for this Festive occasion. You have a few days to order it, if you need one. 

https://lavahut.com/collections/traditional-hawaiian-muumuu-dresses?srsltid=AfmBOor8xcXdK_FcbzSaafQkNbk-PtHGnONabpNOGKtZ-hi9Jta96ukU 

 I am looking forward with great anticipation for this Gastronomic Event here at THD based on my last year experience as described in the website below.💙 

Here are three photos I took of the last year Luau here at THD.

 

💙 https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/08/my-life-here-at-thd-hawaiian-luau.html

💚My Matching Hawaiian Shirt with Macrine's (RIP) MuuMuu personally tailored from the Philippines.  

Meanwhile, Batman and Robin saying Hello to All! Thank you Mary Alice for the Cat Food.

  

Thirty Minutes Garden Projects-Another THD Activity

I attended the first meeting of this activity hosted by Galen- Our THD Activity Director the other day. I was curious since I was a previous avid Gardener in my younger years. Three other THD residents attended the planning meeting. 

However, after reading in detail the brochure (above),  I realized that the two days scheduling for this activity is in conflict with my corn hole, ladder ball and Chair Volleyball Activities that I loved. 

I left the planning meeting after 5 minutes and joined the Haiku Writing Activity scheduled at the same time last Friday. My Haiku meeting experience I posted in my blog yesterday. 

Anyway, the brochure above ( not easy to read) listed a Sample of Garden Projects that the Participants may enjoy doing.  Some of the projects are improve the soil, plant flowers in containers, put down weed screen, add garden ornament/ art etc....

I have done most of the listed planned projects in my younger years, But it will be fun again to do it, so I plan on attending the Friday session and not the Tuesday session as Galen suggested. 

 Here's my postings on some of my gardening projects during my younger years and prior to my downsizing move here at THD.

My Purple ( Red ) Okra- My first Planting of this Variety. Also have beautiful yellow flowers ( see photo below;  

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2021/04/spring-planting-time-to-cultivate.html

My Bitter Melon (Ampalaya) in my Backyard, Fair Oaks, CA June 2022

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2022/05/i-am-planting-ampalaya-and-okra-again.html

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2019/08/our-four-favorite-garden-plaques.html

       

Haiku Writing Here at THD-The Fifteen Types of Poetry

Yesterday, I attended the above activity hosted by Cydney- One of our Activity Coordinator who is an excellent Haiku writer. Three other residents attended. Two of the residents have written several Haiku Poems in the past. Myself and another resident have never written a Haiku, Needless to say, I was not able to write a Haiku, but my short poem is as follows:

The subject is " In the Summer breeze":

Dahlias and Azaleas bloom brightly here,

Meandering and dancing in the breeze,

Its summer here -warm days stretching ahead.

I guess I will stick to writing my daily blogs, because I will never be a Good Haiku Writer. So what is a Haiku? A Haiku is an unrhymed poem consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. Here are the 20 most beautiful Haiku poems inspired by nature.

https://thewanderersupplyco.com/blog/20-of-the-most-beautiful-haiku-poems-inspired-by-nature

Meanwhile here are the 15 types of Poetry to share with your kids.

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language; such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre, to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning.

(ii) What is an aubade?

Aubade is a love poem welcoming or lamenting the arrival of the dawn. One of the finest aubades in literature occurs in Act II, Scene III, of Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. It begins with the famous words, "Hark, hark! The lark at heaven's gate sings". Donne's "The Sun Rising" is also an aubade.

(iii) What is a ballad?

A narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain. The Anonymous medieval ballad, "Barbara Allan", exemplifies the genre.

(iv) What is a folk ballad?

Folk ballad is a song that it traditionally sung by the common people or a region and forms part of their culture. Folk ballads are anonymous and recount tragic, comic, or heroic stories with emphasis on a central dramatic event. Examples include "Barbara Allan" and "John Henry".

(v) Define a carol?

A carol is a hymn or poem often sung by a group, with an individual taking the changing stanzas and the group taking the burden or refrain. Examples include "The Burning Babe" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

(vi) What is a dramatic monologue?

A dramatic monologue is a poem in which an imagined speaker addresses a silent listener. It is a 'mono-drama in verse'. Examples include Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" and T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".

(vii) Define elegy.

An elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song of a lament for the dead. It usually ends in consolation. Examples include John Milton's "Lycidas" and W.H. Auden's "In Memory of W.B. Yeats".

(viii) Define an epic.

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation narrated in elevated style. For example, Homer's "Iliad" is an epic.

(ix) What is a mock epic?

A mock epic is a satire or parody that mocks common classical stereotypes or heroes and heroic literature. Typically, a mock epic either puts a fool in the role of the hero or exaggerates the heroic qualities to such a point that they become absurd. Examples include John Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe" and Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock".

(x) What is an epigram?

An epigram is a short, satirical and witty poem (statement) usually written as a couplet or quatrain but can also be a one lined phrase. It is a brief and forceful remark with a funny ending. Examples include Walter Savage Landor's "Dirce" and Ben Jonson's "On Gut".

(xi) What is an epithalamion?

An epithalamion is a lyric ode in honour of a bride and bridegroom usually containing suggestive language and innuendo. Examples include Theocritus' "The 18th Idyll" and Edmund Spenser's "Epithalamion".

(xii) What is a hymn?

A hymn is a religious poem praising God or the divine, often sung. In English, the most popular hymns were written between the 17th and 19th centuries. Examples include Isaac Walts' "Our God, Our Help" and Charles Welsey's "My God! I Know, I Feel Thee Mine".

(xiii) What is a lyric?

A lyric is a short poem which expresses personal emotions or feelings, often in a song-like style or form. It is typically written in the first person. Examples include John Clare's "I Hid My Love" and Louise Bogan's "Song for the Last Act".

(xiv) Define an ode.

An ode is a long, often elaborate stanzaic poem of varying line lengths and sometimes intricate rhyme schemes devoted to the praise of a person, animal, place, thing or idea. Examples include P.B. Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" and John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn".

(xv) What is a sonnet?

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes. In English, a sonnet has 3 quatrains followed by a couplet and ten syllables per line. (iambic pentameter). It usually expresses a single, complete thought, idea or sentiment. Examples include P.B. Shelley's "Ozymandias" and John Keats' "When I Have Fears".

Meanwhile I had a super breakfast last week with potatoes au gratin in our Newton's menu. It was not as creamy as I expected but still taste great. 

So what is Potato Au Gratin:  Also known as Dauphinoise Potatoes, this French classic is adapted from a Julia Child's recipe. With layers upon layers of finely sliced potatoes baked in, cream, butter and cheese with a hint of fresh thyme, it's luxurious and thoroughly indulgent. Bonus: It's the ultimate make ahead potato side dish!

Chocolate Testing Activity Here at THD

Another well-attended activity this week was the Chocolate Testing Event sponsored by Love & Chocolate Shop💚 specializing on Leonidas Belgian Chocolate. The Chocolate Shop is located in downtown Walnut Creek. They also sell sweet jam, short bread and marzipans.  

Proprietors: Kent and Kristy Lincoln, 1397 North Main St, Walnut Creek, CA

Yesterday we tasted 3 chocolates and rated them with the following criteria (SEE, Smell,Snap,Taste and Savor ( photo above). Indeed It was an hour of Saccharine Activity, that I enjoyed very much for the first time in my stay here at THD.   

Here are some photos I took during the one-hour of Sweetness Event yesterday at our Activity Room with Chairs now with Back Pads and made seating more comfortable.   

Most of the seats in the Activity Room have new back pads which made seating more comfortable. 

For Details, Pricing and ordering visit the following

💚https://loveandchocolateshop.com/

My Aussie Nephew One Day-Visit Here at THD

My namesake( Dave Katague) and Nephew from Sydney, Australia  visited me the whole day yesterday. He took videos and photos of Me and the THD community. His videos will be titled "The Day on the Life of David B Katague at THD". Dave is a well-known International  professional videographer/photgrapher. https://www.davekatague.com/

He was lucky that yesterday, we have the Chair VolleyBall Championship Game and Award Ceremony and Reception.  He took some photos of me playing bridge, reading the newspaper and Dining in Newton's.  His video documentary will be available this September, and if THD Management has no objection, he plans to present it at the THD Cinema for our Senior Community.  I believe it will be an excellent promotion and free advertising for THD, if I post this video on my blogs. My blogs have world-wide readership as well as in FaceBook.  Here are some photos from Dave's visit yesterday, July 31, 2024.     

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-four-living-david-katagues-of-world.html