Category: Sports

Fight night

thethreeonenineLeave a comment


It’s pretty easy to catch a BJ Penn pay per view fight at any number of sports bars in Oahu. MMA is huge here. It seemed a no brainer that some place would feature the Pacquiao/Cotto fight. Pacquiao is a Filipino National Treasure and outside of the Philippines I’ve never lived around so many Filipinos! I called every place that people suggested I call with zero luck. No one was showing it. Our house isn’t equipped with a digital box so we couldn’t purchase it to watch at home.

At work, K asked a friend on the crew if they knew who might be showing the fight. He put it out on the walkie and K said suggestions came pouring in. As an aside, I wish this applied to all of life’s issues.

One of the suggestions was Giovanni Pastrami in Waikiki. And thank goodness! They were showing the fight and you could make reservations. Of course K and I ended up paying cover charges for four people just so that we could have a table…but it was worth it! Giovanni Pastrami is awesome. The pizza wasn’t so good but then again, it isn’t called Giovanni Pizza.

The fight was so good. And the place was filled with Pacquaio fans. We whooped and hollered and banged on the table which was so much fun. It wouldn’t have been if we were Cotto fans or if we’d had to watch it in Puerto Rico instead of HI….

Untitled

thethreeonenine1 Comment


Since being back I’ve only gone to Bikram yoga classes with Manny at Koko Marina. I haven’t been moved to take any Vinyasa classes… even with my favorite Brigitte. I’ve been missing taking class with Dharma Mittra in NYC so a couple of weeks ago I ordered his DVD. I’ve never done yoga off of a DVD before so I didn’t know what to expect. As student that took class with Dharma for at least two years I can say that his DVD’s are as challenging as his classes. There are several options for Intermediate and Advanced levels– within those categories are three options for length of practice the shortest being 53 minutes. There’s even an option to OM with him and do his beginning of class blessing. Within a couple of minutes I was sweating profusely. It’s not a replacement for a live class but it’s definitely a great alternative.

In other news my posts here have slowed down a little because I’ve been working on 319 on Beauty. I think I busted out ten posts today. Very satisfying.


Hurry up and get here

thethreeonenineLeave a comment

img_0968

I’ve been searching for the perfect yoga mat.  Methinks it doesn’t exist.  I bought a Manduka prolite from local  Lily Lotus (my favorite) a few weeks ago and it didn’t work out.  I was slipping around in downward dog so bad that I thought I was going to fall and break my nose.  My teacher, Brigitte, came over to adjust me and I whispered ‘too slippery!’ And she got me a rental mat to use over the Manduka.  Before I left I checked the brand: it was a Harmony mat.

Trolling the internet for credible user reviews, I found a great blog called Om Shanti: A yoga blog. Not only did he have a nice post about slippery mats but he also had a recent post about the lack of diversity in American yoga classes.  Good stuff and thoughtful product reviews.  The blogger seems to prefer Manduka’s eKo mat.

I sent my proLite back to Manduka by UPS this morning.  The customer service person said she would send out my new eKo as soon as they receive it.

Ah yoga.  Ah things.  When will I not need things to do other things.

Hawaiian Warrior

thethreeonenineLeave a comment

dsc01731

This afternoon was fantasy city.  K and I got to meet BJ Penn at Ala Moana.  He was signing autographs for two hours at Nordstroms. It was a decent crowd but not a long wait.  There aren’t so many people I would be excited to meet but BJ is one of them.  Getting closer to the front of the line we could see him hug and give everyone a paternal rub on the back.  Everything about his persona is warm and welcoming.  It’s nice to believe that someone can be a superhero.

roll-640

After Ala Moana we had lunch at Nico’s.  My FAVORITE.  Ahi Furakake.  Dreamy Plate lunch:

dsc017401

I feel like Homer Simpson….FU  RA  KA KEEEEEE

Take a Pillbox

thethreeonenineLeave a comment

dsc01596

We hiked up to the first ‘pillbox’ or bunker on Ka’iwa Ridge in Lanikai.  The trailhead is along a chain link fence right across from the Mid-Pacific Country Club.  The hike was about an hour and a half and pretty steep at the beginning and near the end.  I was huffing and puffing in parts but then it would ease up and it was very easy to enjoy the view.

dsc01606

dsc01608

Lomi Lomi

thethreeonenineLeave a comment

img_08341

Diane, this lovely person that Wing Tek introduced us to said that if we ever wanted to try Lomi Lomi massage that she had a great person to recommend.  We do.  And she did: Maka at the Kailua Medical Arts Building.

from Wikipedia:

Lomilomi, (Hawaiian: masseur, masseuse) is the word used today to describe Hawaiian massage, traditionally called lomi (Hawaiian: To rub, press, squeeze, massage; to work in and out, as the claws of a contented cat).

Traditional Practice

Lomilomi practitioners use the palms, forearm, fingers, knuckles, elbows, knees, feet, even sticks and stones. Lomilomi practices varied by family, ahupua’a (region) and island.

Traditionally, lomilomi was practiced in four contexts:

  1. As a healing practice of native healers — kahuna lā’au lapa’au (healers) and kahuna hāhā (diagnosticians)
  2. As a luxury and an aid to digestion, especially by the ruling chiefs (ali’i)
  3. As restorative massage within the family
  4. By ’ōlohe lua (masters of the Hawaiian martial arts)

Although the word kahuna lomilomi is widely used in contemporary writings, traditionally the people who performed lomilomi were called ka po’e lomilomi (the massage people) or kanaka lomi (massage person). A related term, kauka lomilomi, was coined in 1920 to describe osteopathic physicians. The word kauka is the Hawaiianized version of doctor.

Like all endeavors in old Hawai’i, lomilomi was conducted with prayer and intention.

  • Hawaiian kupuna (elder) Auntie Margaret Machado describes lomilomi as “praying” work (Chai 2005: 39).
  • Emma Akana Olmstead, a kupuna of Hana, Maui, in the 1930s, said, “When a treatment is to be given, the one who gives the treatment first plucks the herbs to be used. He prays as he picks the herbs. No one should call him back or distract his attention, all should be as still as possible for they do not want the vibration broken. They knew the laws of vibration. They knew the power of the spoken word. They knew Nature. They gathered the vibration of the plentiful.” (Chai 2005: 40)

Lomilomi Today

Lomilomi is now a common and popular form of massage throughout the world, especially in Hawai’i, Japan and Europe. Traditionally taught lomilomi practitioners are generally unwilling to work at just any spa or massage office. They prefer to treat selected clients quietly and privately, often in home settings. Lomilomi practitioners may also ask their clients to pray, meditate, change their diets, and engage in other self-help activities usually believed to lie outside the scope of massage. Lomilomi is a holistic healing tradition beyond simple massage.