SPAM!

I am writing this post from my phone as I wait for my bus, because waiting for buses takes up a good amount of time that could be used for other things. Like the kanji I should be studying. Or procrastinating.

Case in point: We went to the beach yesterday. (The only worthy beach is on the other side of the island in Waimanalo.) It took an impressive 4 hours to get there, at least half of which was waiting for the buses we had just missed. Much as I love the beach, 7 hours of travel time for an hour of swimming wasn't quite what I had in mind...

But it was a party, and there were musubis. Well, one musubi. I brought my own instead of risking soy-soaked chicken and noodles. It gave me the distinction of not only being the only haole but also the only one not eating the food - both of which not my fault!

Spam has been my go-to food from college days, either from being too lazy to cook something fancy but needing protein or from looking at the price of uncanned meat that would have to then wait at the bus stop with me. My favorites are fried rice and musubis. Spam on rice on rice.However, I did discover Garlic Spam, which is one of the best things I've found here in Hawaii. I fried it with vegetables and could almost pretend it was healthy!

In an inedible display of spam, I also found this book to read:

Yes, that is a murder mystery. With spam.

Themed murder mysteries tend to be the literary equivalent of junk food (tasty, tasty murder), but this one was written by someone I know! From Hilo! I taught her kids in my very first Japanese class, and they were the best students I had.

The book itself was, in my opinion, quite good, although rather depressing for someone with a toe in the education career pool. The main character was decidedly NOT a local, but the book still managed a bit of local flair without being too condescending. It felt very strongly like Hilo. Which is, of course, the best. Sorry, Oahu. I'm not a big Hawaii 5-0 fan, either.

I just realized that as of last Friday, I have officially been living here for a month! So far, so good! I have enough work to keep me busy and enough coffee to keep me awake to do it. (The other nice part about Hawaii - lots of GOOD coffee.) Here's to many more!

Books, Music, and Spam: Part II

Hello all!

After my last weekend adventure, things have been mostly work, with exciting interludes of sleeping, imploding banana bread and new housemates.

Work itself (teaching music and Japanese) is highly stressful and fascinating. In between lessons with my students, I am frantically trying to rectify years of... not being musical. I WAS at an advanced level of piano, but now am struggling on basic exercises. Lots of fun.

Since I also teach Japanese, it would make sense for me to teach Japanese kids piano, right?

Wrong!

Japanese piano method and theory is VERY different than what we use in the US. First of all, instead of letters (A-G) for notes, they use solfege (do-re-mi). Not too hard; vocal lessons use solfege as well. However, key changes use a different and unrelated Japanese system. Instead of the Italian do-re-mi, there Japanese syllables for each note and therefore each key.In addition, much like Suzuki method for violin (I learned), some Japanese students are initially taught to play music without learning the theory behind it. For instance, several of my students are working to distinguish quarter notes and half notes (1 beat and 2 beats, respectively) and counting rhythm. Sometimes this results in playing the same phrase 10 times, because reading music is hard and they don't want to do it.

The Japanese kids were playing more advanced music, with eighth notes, sharps and differing key signatures, but didn't know these concepts when I asked about them. Instead of hitting them with a new and unfamiliar method, I passed them off to my Japanese boss.

In another interesting adventure, I had a student dropped on me who only wanted to learn jazz piano. What is jazz piano? It's the art of making stuff up in an organized fashion. That is basically it. And, in a very classically trained studio, I am the only one with any jazz experience at all - which was in jazz band, where I played mallets and keyboard but improvised almost everything. Still, I gave it a shot and had a lot of fun doing improv exercises with the student. Student's mom wasn't impressed with my lack of formal training and methodology. Oh well. It's jazz.

It's my day off today (woo!) and I have ventured to the State Library, which is a large and many-winged structure that I get lost in every time. I love the local library, but the collection here is enormous, and has a lot of books about musical theory and teaching. And hula. Since I have yet to find my own halau, this is the closest I can get.

I know I included "and Spam" in my title, but I'm proud to say that I haven't had to use my emergency spam reserves all week. Normally I eat a lot of spam, as it's one of my very few options when eating out, but I've been able to actually cook lately, which is really nice! More on that next time :)

Until next time!

Books, Music, and Spam: Part I

Aloha mai kakou! Happy May Day (is Lei Day in Hawaii...)!

I have been officially living in Honolulu for a week and a half now, enduring the pitying stares of the locals as I bumble along, sunburnt and frizzy-haired, but I am no longer constantly lost!

This weekend, having rented a car on my day off to pick up things like heavy furniture and bulk items (riding the bus with a large amount of paper towels is comfortable, but really inconvenient), the boyfriend and I went on an adventure!

By a lucky coincidence, we happened to be here during the Hawaii Book and Music Festival! Due to rental car timing and the ever-obliging rain showers, we missed much of the music portion, including a few halau hula performing, which was very disappointing.

However, we did schlep around all the booths, poke at books both shiny and well-read, and discover a few familiar ones:

I HIGHLY recommend this book ;) At the Hawaii Wildlife Center booth - lots and LOTS of bird stuff!

My English/Fiction professor at Hilo - he has a few books published. I own this one, but haven't read it yet, I am ashamed to admit.

In case you can't guess, this is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... in Hawaiian. I already have this, and I am SO excited to read it. I have spent most of my time in Hawaii's libraries browsing the Hawaiiana sections, so I found myself sucked into the Native Books booth at the festival, eavesdropping on conversations in Hawaiian.

Speaking of eavesdropping, I find it funny that, after moving to where I am in order to speak the languages I speak, I am constantly surrounded by Tagalog. Life always has more challenges :)

A hui hou!