Hitorikiri no Book Club: Briar Rose

This post began with a question from B:
"Do you ever do anything fun?"

Despite the fact that I enjoy cooking, playing the piano, and organizing my things with a slightly manic air, those are still things I have to do.

So in between bouts of paying bills, answering emails, making lesson plans, and furiously studying kanji, I decided to read a book. Thus began the Hitorikiri no Book Club!

"Hitorikiri" is a compound word. "Hitori" literally means "one person", or "alone." "Kiri" comes from the verb "to cut". Therefore, "hitorikiri" means something like "completely alone". However! When I started learning Japanese many years ago, my self-appointed "nickname" was Kiri, so it can also be read as "Kiri, alone", for some straight up nerdiness. (Hitorikiri is also much more fun to say!)

I love reading, but have not had great experiences with book clubs, as I rarely ever want to read what anyone else does. I like old, boring books full of history and deep thought. (I also like campy murder mysteries and Japanese comics. Shhh.)

My first book is Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen. I picked it at random from the library for a number of reasons: one, I love fairy tales, Sleeping beauty being one of my favorites; two, I really like Jane Yolen; and three, it's actually historical fiction and not fantasy.

Without ruining the story, it has much to do with the Holocaust and ancestry, and so it was full of history and deep thought, but never boring! Dark and quite adult for a book in the YA section, but I have the feeling it would do well in an English class. Althought there's a lot there, reading it for itself and not on a quest for Themes and Symbolism was much nicer.

And there you have it! (Sarah, if you see this, read this book.) Despite being picky and not having much time, I do take book suggestions, if there are any!

For now, going back to my regular schedule of "fun", I'll be cleaning the kitchen.

A hui hou!

Blowin' in the wind

Aloha!

I got a shiny new phone! I'm blogging from it right now, because immediately after getting it set up my laptop keys started malfunctioning. Among others, the 'b' key, which means any sort of blogging activity has become a huge hassle. Luckily my work computer is fine, and it's not too much of a setback.

We had our first potential hurricane this week. We actually had two! Hurricanes Madeline and Lester came breezing through, flooding Hilo and then turning aside. While I'm happy that nothing bad happened, I can't help being a little annoyed to having prepared and waited anxiously for several days for not even a bit of rain to beat the extra humidity.

It has been very windy, though! Growing up in a valley, I am used to high winds, and it was a welcome change.

My house is midway up a hill, with the bus stop I take to work at the top of the hill. Getting off after work, I can see the ocean, Pearl Harbor, Aloha Stadium, Kapolei, and fabulous views of the airport and Target. It's started getting dark earlier (and I work later), so the view of the lights can be pretty spectacular. (If there's football games, however, it's blinding.) This past week as I was walking home, the wind was coming from the mauka side. As such, I could hear the wind blowing down the mountains before it got to me.

Today it's back to beautiful clear blue skies in paradise. I suppose I'll just have to suck it up.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Mushiatsui

Hello!

Sorry for the long delay in posts - I have been extremely busy and just recently recovered from an eye injury that temporarily blinded me in one eye. (I did get a day off work in which to sit and do nothing, which was gloriously relaxing. Blessings in disguise.)

The other reason is because it's hot and I don't feel like doing anything.

"But wait!" come the cry of the Californians, "We've been in triple digit temperatures all summer! What do you mean, you lousy islander?!"

Well, yes, it rarely gets above 85. But when it does, it feels a bit like the apocalypse. One of the rude awakenings upon moving to to the leeward side of Oahu was that, while it is still humid, it is only humid enough to make things ridiculously uncomfortable, especially in a house with no AC and pathetic breezes. Add that to the fact that I was never here in summertime before and I am suddenly reconsidering a job with a dress code that bans shorts and flip flops.

There's a word in Japanese for this, though, which is my original point. Southern Japan can get very hot and muggy, or 'mushiatsui'. 'Mushi' comes from the word for steam, as in food, and 'atsui' means hot, so it translates roughly to "life in a sauna". (Just kidding. I'm not going into translation anytime soon.)

However, 'mushi' is also the word for insect, which seems fitting, as there have been hordes of horrible gnats.

If you need me, I'll be standing in front of the freezer.

Being Elsa

I have really long hair.

I kept it long mainly for hula reasons. Also because it's easier to restrain when gravity is on my side. Most of the time, however, it's in a braid, because of random gusts of wind and humidity and working with small children.

There's someone else who is known for a long braid, only it's blonde. And animated.

That's Elsa of "Let It Go" notoriety, if you didn't know - QUEEN Elsa, as I was corrected recently.

I was made aware of this similarity by a student, just after I started working. I laughed it off. Said student was horribly traumatized when his teacher came into class with a ponytail. "What's wrong with your hair??" (Said student is three and is traumatized once or twice a month.)

The next little girl was so excited she still refers to me as Elsa. She's not quite sure how Miss Rachel and I work together. I have been petitioned to be Princess Anna next week.

It mostly died down, and I continued on my merry, hairy way, until today, when one of my most sensible seven year olds stopped in the middle of her sentence and asked The Question.

"Are you Elsa?"

Yes, I am. I have messy, braided hair and blue eyes; I teach people how to sing in abnormally cold rooms; and I am Supreme Ruler for exactly thirty minutes out of each kid's week. It could be worse.

My other option is the messy bun of pop-singer princess Ariana Grande, adored by preschoolers everywhere, who sing completely inappropriate songs at high volume.

I think I'll stick with the braid.

On Rain

This post is feeling ironic, as I'm baking in the sun at the bus stop. Nowhere newr the triple digit temperatures at home, but I'm uncomfortably reminded of earth science discussions on UV rays and the tropics...

Hawaiians had names for different rains and winds, such as the Kanilehua rain of Hilo or Kauatuahine of Manoa. The winds are less famous, it seems, but I know Hilo has Uluau. The names have always fascinated me, both as a hula dancer/ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and a meteorology nerd. If it weren't for my hatred of math, I think I would have gotten along well in the physical sciences.

Hilo rain, no matter what type, was very reliable. When it rained, it would rain until it stopped. Although there was a drought most of the time I lived there, We always planned for rain, because it would be there. Eventually.

Oahu rain is fickle. My windows are always open to keep my room from being impossibly stuffy, and I find myself constantly shutting and reopening windows as I feel raindrops blowing sideways right towards my papers and books. I leave work into a bright warm muggy evening with massive puddles on the ground. I always carry an umbrella for the rare chance I get caught in a shower (usually falling in full sunlight). I like rain, but in Honolulu there's just enough to be annoying.

In my initial trip to Oahu, I ended buying a bew book that had just come out: Hānau Ka Ua by Collette Leimomi Akana. I haven't had time to open it, but it is basically a collection of the different rains (and winds, I believe) of all the islands. It's something I have been searching for for ages! The book is very pretty, too. (Sig Zane designs, ooooo).

The frustrating part about Oahu is not knowing where I am. 'Honolulu' is a vast area of buildings and cars that surpass the original Hawaiian 'ahupua'a designated for the name. Unlike the Big Island's Hāmākua, Kaʻū, or Puna, there's Pearl City, Salt Lake, and Tripler. It has thrown me off and made me feel very haole as I struggle to orient myself on this tiny island, and I have to work pretty hard to figure out locations.

A project for my free time! :)

In the meantime, it looks like rain coming over the mountains. Or maybe not.

A hui hou!

Music!

I decided to post some links to what my students are currently working on, mostly because they all get STUCK in my head and I wanted to share. I'm just nice like that.

First up is an ADORABLE song I found for my little student still learning to find her notes. I have a slightly different version for her (the song is a bit tricky), but her favorite part? "BUY MOLASSES CANDY"

One of my new students picked this intriguing song. It's one that I really like, which apparently was a huge letdown for said student.

This seems to be popular with my preteen and teenagers. It's pretty good, as far as pop music goes.

For my video-gamer piano student who doesn't listen to a thing I say, but knows enough to eke out an impromptu version of Ode to Joy, I found sheet music for this song. I like it more than he does. I'm fairly sure he likes it more than he likes me. (Be a teacher, they said. It'll be great!)

And as for me, I am working on memorizing this song:

I don't particularly like this version of it (which is the original - oops!), but my boss likes it and it's to promote a new integrated Japanese and music classes we're trying out. Exciting!

If you hadn't noticed, there is a dearth of classical, traditional music in there. None of my piano students are advanced enough yet, and voice students tend to be unstable and prone to quitting, so I'm treading carefully. We will see how it goes. I have great plans for you, padawans.

Got any songs or recommendations of your own? I would love to hear them!

Woe Is Me!

I am having problems. Many of them.

Some are legitimately serious, such as trying to resurrect a voice that spent three years being beaten down by asthma and wildfires only to be derailed by proximity to Every Smoker On Oahu and an angry volcano, as well as having a job that depends on a fragile little organ in my not-so-sturdy throat.

Others are not too terrible. Those are the ones I will write down.

1. I have too many things to blog about. I never know what to write simply because I never know where to BEGIN.

2. I have too much coffee in my freezer. I've barely drunk half the bag, and I drink STRONG coffee. Horrors!

3. My boss keeps giving me free bread. The bakery nearby sells "upsets" for a dollar and she always buys 2, one for me and one for her and her family. I can't eat it, but I put it in the freezer so I can feed starving Bronsons. I now have no more room in my freezer. It's TERRIBLE!

4. My students love to sing. They all have confidence out the wazoo. They are exhausting and terrible at listening to direction because all they want to do is SING.. How appalling!

5. My work schedule is full. Heaven forbid I actually have STUDENTS!

6. There is too much room in my kitchen. Cabinets upon cabinets, empty. How dare my housemates not come with clutter?!

7. There are too many cats in the neighborhood. I nearly tripped over one this morning.

8. The view of Pearl Harbor from my window is terribly distracting. It is extremely RUDE of my neighbors to have their trees so far out of the way.

9. I have to walk everywhere. My legs are atrociously in shape and I can outrun a bus. (For short distances, in traffic.)

10. My boyfriend keeps buying me food! Does he not know that I am perfectly capable of cooking? Why does he tempt me with things like laulau and ice cream?!

11. I am a linguist, and yet I am fluent in only three languages: English, Gramatically Incorrect English, and Sarcasm.

Hopefully that sums up my life thus far - things are difficult, and yet I am very blessed.

Have a wonderful week!