geekery and Hula
Sep. 18th, 2008 12:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
la_belle_laideI started today checking up on all my animals. The dogs are fine and my wonderful friend Kim had just gone in to check on them at the dog hotel when I called. At Laura's, Lohi'au is lonely, bored, depressed and he misses me a lot. She released a starling and a robin (yay!) but my two grackles started to crash for some reason after I left. That SUCKS. They were perfect. But this happens sometimes.
We went to Epcot and no matter how many times I tell people, "I'm going to take about two hours in Mitsukoshi; I can only go here once a year so I need some time; go on without me," and no matter how many times everyone says, "We'll go on, you catch up. Take your time," everyone still waits, and my Dad still gets impatient. I spent about 70 bucks at Mitsukoshi and I did a really geeky thing. One of the Japanese girls at the kiosk was writing names in Japanese on little 4 dollar fans that you can buy there. I asked her if she could write a phrase instead and she said she could. After much messing about with mixed up translations, tone and hidden meanings, I am now the owner of a fan which has written in Japanese, "Floating woman's fan." See, one of my favorite poets Komachi, (and a contemporary of Sei Shonagaon, who is my favorite,) attended a party about a thousand years ago. She was known for floating from man to mad. At the party, Emporer Michigana (nasty dude, stole the throne from Sei's empress Teishi,) stole Komachi's fan and wrote that phrase on it to insult her then he gave it back to her. (I had to assure the girl that, yes, it was meant to make fun, to be a little rude.) In response, Komachi wrote back to him, "Some cross the pass of love, others do not. But unless you are the watchman there, you cannot pass judgment."
SWEET!
Then, Timmy bought me a glass of plum wine. And then in Italy, when I was good and tispy (on a measly 4 ounces; it doesn't take much to begin with and I drank it fast,) he bought me some gelato and I said, "Timmy, why are you buying me stuff?" and he said, "Because you take care of my boy and I appreciate that."
And speaking of, I got beautiful pictures of the Boychild today.
In the China pavilion, I went equally crazy and spent about another 50.
Tonight was dinner at the 'Ohana, and first I saw the lovely Brian downstairs doing poi balls, and Auntie making leis. She told me I was dancing tonight and I said, "With your group?" She said, "No baby, we're doing all new stuff. You're doing a solo." No pressure!
Well, while we were waiting on line to check in at the restaurant, Kaleo was singing in the lounge and I waved to him. He stopped the show a few times to shout us out. Then between songs he said, "Hey, where's Jimmy Dee?" (Obviously Jimmy Dee is my Dad.) My Mom pointed him out and Kaleo said, I forgot to tell Jimmy Dee that I love his CDs, they're the best! I keep them right by my CD player!" Well, my Dad loves Kaleo and has gerat respect for him, and he just stood there blushing and being all, "pshaw," but he was so happy about that."
Dinner was great and Kaleo came to sit with us. He met Chris and Tim and Gavin too. It was so nice, as it always is.
After dinner we waited for him to come back on, and he dedicated a bunch of songs to us. The audience kept getting bigger! Before Auntie and her group came up I went up to Kaleo and told him that I was totally blanking on a Hula to do, and did he know Island of Love, because I was pretty sure I could bust that out. He said he hadn't learned that one, and I was hoping he would forget what I did last year so maybe I could do it again--even though I couldn't even remember the name of the song! but he did remember: Beautiful Kaui'i, and I asked him if I could just do that one again.
Finally Aunti's group came on and they were awesome. They did pu'ilu, 'uli'uli and three more hulas too. Brian was dancing with them, as well as one girl from Japan named Momi. It was her last day with them, and at the end of her solo she started to cry. That got Mom Chrissie and I crying, too.
Then Kaleo said, "We have a girl who comes down once a year or so and always dances for us, as well as being a true follower of the Hula, and attends seminars and learns about the Hawaiian culture." I didn't even know at the time he was talking about me so I sat there going, "I wonder who it is?" Then he called my name. I took off my shoes, but not my stupid striped socks. Then on stage I leaned over and told him that I hadn't realized he'd been talking about he, and he cracked up. Anyway, he went on to say that I had been dancing and studying for many years and such and I said, "And yet somehow I can only come up with THIS ONE HULA to perform!" which he repeated into the mic. Which was cool, because I wasn't trying to be self-effacing, but really to quantify that I knew it wasn't the best Hula and by far not MY best, and I wished I had something better to offer.
Well, I totally screwed up the beginning of the song. I forgot the vamp and I was just trying to pick out the tempo, wondering when I should start. I dance this song really fast, and he played it slow. So for the whole first few lines I was all over the damn place. It really sucked! Eventually I figured out that he was playing it at half the tempo I usually do it, and then I finished it with ease, but the beginning was really rough.
At the end I leaned over to Kaleo and I said, "The socks really made this Hula, didn't they?" and he laughed and made a joke about them being "Where's Waldo" socks.
People came up to me afterwards and said that I had done a good job, etc. but I knew that I hadn't and it really bummed me out. >_<
Well, we watched the end of the show, which rocked, and then Brian, Momi, and Auntie gave maile leis to Chrissie, Timmy and my Mom. (Auntie gave me a carnation lei when I went on stage; forgot to mention that.)
Boychild really loved the Hula and the music. Before we left, he pointed to Kaleo, then to Kaleo's chair on stage and said, "MORE!" it was too cute.
Then we went to the village for a bit.
Well, that was today. I am so mad that I screwed up a really easy Hula, but so happy that I own a fan that reads "Floating woman's fan" in Japanese. :D
We went to Epcot and no matter how many times I tell people, "I'm going to take about two hours in Mitsukoshi; I can only go here once a year so I need some time; go on without me," and no matter how many times everyone says, "We'll go on, you catch up. Take your time," everyone still waits, and my Dad still gets impatient. I spent about 70 bucks at Mitsukoshi and I did a really geeky thing. One of the Japanese girls at the kiosk was writing names in Japanese on little 4 dollar fans that you can buy there. I asked her if she could write a phrase instead and she said she could. After much messing about with mixed up translations, tone and hidden meanings, I am now the owner of a fan which has written in Japanese, "Floating woman's fan." See, one of my favorite poets Komachi, (and a contemporary of Sei Shonagaon, who is my favorite,) attended a party about a thousand years ago. She was known for floating from man to mad. At the party, Emporer Michigana (nasty dude, stole the throne from Sei's empress Teishi,) stole Komachi's fan and wrote that phrase on it to insult her then he gave it back to her. (I had to assure the girl that, yes, it was meant to make fun, to be a little rude.) In response, Komachi wrote back to him, "Some cross the pass of love, others do not. But unless you are the watchman there, you cannot pass judgment."
SWEET!
Then, Timmy bought me a glass of plum wine. And then in Italy, when I was good and tispy (on a measly 4 ounces; it doesn't take much to begin with and I drank it fast,) he bought me some gelato and I said, "Timmy, why are you buying me stuff?" and he said, "Because you take care of my boy and I appreciate that."
And speaking of, I got beautiful pictures of the Boychild today.
In the China pavilion, I went equally crazy and spent about another 50.
Tonight was dinner at the 'Ohana, and first I saw the lovely Brian downstairs doing poi balls, and Auntie making leis. She told me I was dancing tonight and I said, "With your group?" She said, "No baby, we're doing all new stuff. You're doing a solo." No pressure!
Well, while we were waiting on line to check in at the restaurant, Kaleo was singing in the lounge and I waved to him. He stopped the show a few times to shout us out. Then between songs he said, "Hey, where's Jimmy Dee?" (Obviously Jimmy Dee is my Dad.) My Mom pointed him out and Kaleo said, I forgot to tell Jimmy Dee that I love his CDs, they're the best! I keep them right by my CD player!" Well, my Dad loves Kaleo and has gerat respect for him, and he just stood there blushing and being all, "pshaw," but he was so happy about that."
Dinner was great and Kaleo came to sit with us. He met Chris and Tim and Gavin too. It was so nice, as it always is.
After dinner we waited for him to come back on, and he dedicated a bunch of songs to us. The audience kept getting bigger! Before Auntie and her group came up I went up to Kaleo and told him that I was totally blanking on a Hula to do, and did he know Island of Love, because I was pretty sure I could bust that out. He said he hadn't learned that one, and I was hoping he would forget what I did last year so maybe I could do it again--even though I couldn't even remember the name of the song! but he did remember: Beautiful Kaui'i, and I asked him if I could just do that one again.
Finally Aunti's group came on and they were awesome. They did pu'ilu, 'uli'uli and three more hulas too. Brian was dancing with them, as well as one girl from Japan named Momi. It was her last day with them, and at the end of her solo she started to cry. That got Mom Chrissie and I crying, too.
Then Kaleo said, "We have a girl who comes down once a year or so and always dances for us, as well as being a true follower of the Hula, and attends seminars and learns about the Hawaiian culture." I didn't even know at the time he was talking about me so I sat there going, "I wonder who it is?" Then he called my name. I took off my shoes, but not my stupid striped socks. Then on stage I leaned over and told him that I hadn't realized he'd been talking about he, and he cracked up. Anyway, he went on to say that I had been dancing and studying for many years and such and I said, "And yet somehow I can only come up with THIS ONE HULA to perform!" which he repeated into the mic. Which was cool, because I wasn't trying to be self-effacing, but really to quantify that I knew it wasn't the best Hula and by far not MY best, and I wished I had something better to offer.
Well, I totally screwed up the beginning of the song. I forgot the vamp and I was just trying to pick out the tempo, wondering when I should start. I dance this song really fast, and he played it slow. So for the whole first few lines I was all over the damn place. It really sucked! Eventually I figured out that he was playing it at half the tempo I usually do it, and then I finished it with ease, but the beginning was really rough.
At the end I leaned over to Kaleo and I said, "The socks really made this Hula, didn't they?" and he laughed and made a joke about them being "Where's Waldo" socks.
People came up to me afterwards and said that I had done a good job, etc. but I knew that I hadn't and it really bummed me out. >_<
Well, we watched the end of the show, which rocked, and then Brian, Momi, and Auntie gave maile leis to Chrissie, Timmy and my Mom. (Auntie gave me a carnation lei when I went on stage; forgot to mention that.)
Boychild really loved the Hula and the music. Before we left, he pointed to Kaleo, then to Kaleo's chair on stage and said, "MORE!" it was too cute.
Then we went to the village for a bit.
Well, that was today. I am so mad that I screwed up a really easy Hula, but so happy that I own a fan that reads "Floating woman's fan" in Japanese. :D
