Hawaiian Family Reunion Cont…

I don’t want to bang on about the weather here , but it is damn good! Especially when I check the BOM for news of Mt. Barker where it is somewhat chilly. The arrivals continue, this time with Amanda’s brother, the eldest of the tribe Gary with wife Tracey. Kate has organised a late lunch/early dinner at one of Waikiki’s famous restaurant’s “House without a Key” so named for its openness to the off shore breezes and surrounding garden dining areas. The restaurant serves good quality lunch fare in an American style. Hamburgers, pizza, fish sandwiches and such like. After a relaxing morning we take a taxi into Waikiki, but due to road closures for an event happening the very same day we have to walk the last few hundred yards. Just as well, as we need to keep up a degree of exercise. The hotel Halekulani where the restaurant is situated is well known for its ocean views. An iconic Kiawe tree that sits inside the boundary of the hotels grounds and the boardwalk that separates the hotel from the ocean started life in 1887. Still standing 138 years later the treasured tree suffered some storm damage in 2016. Through the miracles of modern technology and the fact that nature had ensured that the roots had not severed their connection to the earth below its gnarled trunk now stretches horizontally along the sea wall. Where once again it sprouted in a vertical direction towards the life giving sun. Where its branches would fan out to provide an umbrella like canopy over a stage set for an Hawaiian band and a single hula dancer. Once at the venue two more of our guests arrive for the meal and the afternoon entertainment. On this occasion it is Amanda’s nephew Kaua and wife Tania, who have flown over from Maui to attend the event. Kaua is the son of Amanda’s sister Sandi, who is unable to travel at this time, and whom we will be visiting on the next leg of our trip.

I am not really a cocktail person, with one exception, I do love a good Pina Colada somehow it evokes the tropics for me. Maybe it’s the coconuts.

The meal over, Kate has pulled some pretty big strings to have us all front row for the entertainment.

The Hawaiian band warms us up before a former Hawaiian Miss Universe demonstrates her hula dancing skills, graciously she moves across the stage telling her story in the sinuously flowing movements of body, arms and hands. Her body clad in a colourful moo moo, multiple flowered leis around her neck and wrists along with a striking headdress, all moving simultaneously with the music.

The next day we are participating in a celebration of Jim Hoenig’s life. The event will take place in one of the communal gathering rooms at Kate’s apartment building. The morning is taken up with organising the room to accommodate the 38 people attending. Kate has organised the event to be catered for by a local restaurant that specialises in Turkish cuisine. It’s a little chaotic as everyone chips in with their ideas about how the layout should be. The room is quite small with some heavy furniture. Of course the caterer does this everyday, when she arrives she assesses the situation in a matter of seconds, sorting us all out along with the room, before we know it the room is looking fantastic. With decor quite homely and white roses in glass vases on the tables the look is representative of a small family restaurant. I am in charge of streaming a playlist to the tv sound system that I have previously connected to ensure no hiccups, I double check that this will work as we have one key song to play once the final memories are shared. Those final words to be presented by Amanda and I. Guests start to arrive just before 11.00am. After a commemoration by a well known Hawaiian judge, speakers relay their memories of Jim and the influence he has had on the legal system in Hawaii particularly as it relates to Family Law and mediation practices in resolving difficult conflicts. Also his work in the prevention of malpractice and importantly his and Kate’s foundation. The James Hoenig Scholarship at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law, is a scholarship endowed in 2006 by James Hoenig and his wife Kathleen Callaghan to support students interested in advancing mediation in Family Law. It provides opportunities to work with the Senior Judge of the Family Court. There are many tearful stories that relate to the loss experienced by Jim’s passing and the mentorship and commitment to these students, that Jim provided, some recipients of the scholarship who have become judges themselves. Our turn to speak comes, we want to give a different view of Jim as a brother in law and gracious host on our visits to Honolulu over the many years that we have visited these islands. We are both nervous and Amanda a little tearful, but we finish our script without too many stumbles. During the presentations the tv has become disconnected to my phone, making the smooth transition from spoken word to song difficult. Long seconds pass but I manage to reconnect and the song chosen by Kate to end the presentations rings out from the speakers. The song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” written by Eric Idle of the Monty Python crew for the film Life of Brian. A personal favourite of Jim’s and a representation of his quirky sense of humour.

After the song, we enjoy Istanbul’s spicy cuisine, consisting of marinated, lamb, wagyu beef and chicken skewers, pitta bread with dips of hummus, eggplant and spicy tomato, a fruity lettuce salad of mulberries, strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes with a tangy dressing. The best is always saved for last with a Turkish version of baklava a traditional Greek and Turkish desert with subtle differences with the main ingredients, a thin flaky pastry, honey, pistachios and butter.

The event is a resounding success with many accolades from participants thankful of the opportunity to say a few words about Jim and mix with other attending colleagues. That in some instances hadn’t seen each other for many years, but there fondness of Jim had now brought them together to share stories about Jim, his life and Kate his true love.

The remainder of the afternoon finds us relaxing poolside with the remaining family group. As the heat of the Sun dissipates making its way towards the horizon, cooling shadows fall across the scene and our thoughts turn once again to what to do for dinner. We settle on pizza and leftover salads and baklava. Even though there are a good many pizza purveyors in close proximity, having pizza delivered turns out to be a challenge. Eventually Jim and Susan take a walk to Whole Foods a local fresh food supplier and soon we are enjoying our final meal for the day in one of the apartment buildings outside cabana bbq facilities. Want an ice chest, no problem the staff at the building, have one waiting for us to keep our drinks chilled on this perfectly warm tropical night. One thing is for certain the staff that manage the guest suites and the buildings facilities are absolutely committed to providing the occupants with the best service and experience, again always with that Aloha spirit.

After a late breakfast at Tango’s a local restaurant at the foot of the apartment building followed by little light shopping at Ala Moana shopping centre the day is spent relaxing and packing for tomorrow’s flight to Maui. A dinner of Istanbul exotic leftovers, again out in the warm Hawaiian night under our now favourite cabana completes the evening. Before we all head for bed and an early start tomorrow for our flight to Maui. Where we will drive to Hana with Amanda’s brother Jim and wife Susan on Maui’s north coast to visit with Amanda’s sister Sandi and family Kaua, Tania, Cayman and Kingston.