Jessica Lea

Teaching fun things

2011-09-02T13:34:00.001-07:00

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More Randomness

2011-06-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

I don't really write on here very often anymore. I'm just not that much of a technology person. I think I would rather have a really nice pen, and a cute little notebook that reminds me of something I love. Then I write. I did get a notebook like that. There is a stencil of a little girl sitting at the end of a pier. Since I am training to be a teacher, I have been doing a lot of brainstorms with the class. So I filled up my little notebook with cute little brainstorms about my childhood. It was so much fun. I wrote about my pink Jellies (the shoes), riding my bike all over Santa Cruz, Slurpees, pretending to be smurfs, all that kind of stuff. I even wrote about the soft, powdery dirt at my aunts house in Bakersfield. I remember waking up in the morning and walking outside and it being so dry, (even in the morning) that as my barefoot hit the dirt, it puffed and scattered into the air. I used to think that this must have been what the dirt was like on the moon when Armstrong first put his foot down. It was really fun to just list and organize things about my childhood. It made me feel all warm and nostalgic.
I'm liking everything that is going on in my life now. Its pretty amazing actually. The other day, a friend who I knew in Berkley who also lives here now, and I went out to get boba. Do you know what that is. Its this really sweet creamy milk tea with gummy tapioca balls at the bottom. They look like fish eggs, but taste like gummy bears that have been sitting in liquid for a while. We love it. I know it doesn't sound that appealing. But it is, and its amusing. Anyway, were talking about how here in New Zealand we have more friends then we have had since High school. Its pretty crazy to think about it actually. But it's true. I feel surrounded by amazing people that almost always say yes. Its lovely. But at the same time its almost a little scary. I have roots in a place that is thousands of miles from my family. Eek! Its great, but also a dilemma.
Keeping this blog random, I thought I would tell you that we got rid out our chickens. They are very wild you see. When I got them, I envisioned that they would run over to me every morning and let me pick them up, like the chickens I had when I was little. But they never did that. In fact they screamed like I was killing them when I was holding them. They hated me with a passion. I never liked that about that. The final straw was when the neighbors came over (twice) to tell me that they were going over into their yard and pooping everywhere. Even though we fed them, gave them a little house, clipped their wings, and put up a fence, the still wouldn't hang out in our yard. So they are gone now. Goodbye Janets. Thank you Morgan for letting us get them. I think one day I will get chickens again. But I will look into their breed more and make sure they have a big, safe coop.
Well, everything is going well. Morgan is loving his job. He is still working on Tintin. It sounds like he is doing some interesting collaborative work on some of the characters. And whenever I get to see a little bit of what they are working on, it looks better and better all of the time. Since I am at school every day, which is much farther away, he has been riding the scooter. I feel bad for him driving it in the cold. Luckily it isn't too far. And then he has been coming home at lunch time to look after the dogs. My classes have just finished. Now I have two weeks to study for finals. I am excited that we will have lunches together again.
That's all really, oh and I have another Roller derby game coming up in a few weeks. Should be good.
Love,
Jessica

Roller Derby

2011-04-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

So I am playing Roller Derby now. I did a freshemat course in the Bay Area when we lived in Berkeley and was going to play there. But we moved to New Zealand. Almost two years later I did another freshmeat course here and am finally on a team and playing. It has been a lot of fun. The people are great. There is such a mix of lifestyles and personalities. Sometimes I get frustrated because I am too competitive and I like to compare it to the BAD girls. But I realize I just can't and I need to have fun. So since I realized that, it has been great. We had our first bout last weekend and I got a few really good blocks. Here are some pics.

Castle Point!

2011-02-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

My mom is here! So we drove out to Castle Point and hung out at the beach. The first beach we went to was right on the road and didn't look good for dogs or surfing. But our friends told us that on the other side of the point it was pretty nice. So we drove over there. You have to drive on the beach and it is amazing. its this perfect little bay surrounded by sheltering rocks. And in the far corner there is an amazing surf spot. Morgan got a new lens for his camera. So he tried it out on me while I was surfing. Iv'e never really had surf pictures. So thats neat. It has been so awesome to have my mom here. She makes me feel all comfortable and relaxed. She gets why we love New Zealand so much.
Bye!

Hedge Hog in the Garden

2011-01-03T02:06:00.000-08:00

Look what we found in the garden. He is just a baby. We played with him for a while and then let him go. I was afraid he would be too pokey to hold. but if you pick him up from underneath, and don't squeeze, its ok. He was just a little ball at first, all tucked into his spines like a sleeping bag. But then he got comfortable and wandered around. Really cute.

South Island

2010-12-31T00:23:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of the trip was this little pig. I really fell in love with him. His name is Herman and is 14 weeks old. He is a Kunekune pig, related to the potbelly and a descendant of the pigs the Polynesians brought with them when traveling. Maybe its because he is the same size as my bulldog and snorts and grunts just like her. Or maybe it's because he comes running when he sees you, and rolls on to his back when you scratch his belly. I don't know. But I do know that I really want a pig now. He lives at Kelcey's Bush in Waimate. It's run by an older couple who bought the property about 15 years ago. They planted trees, put in some baches (like a little studio, or ohana) and set up a petting zoo. Waimate is the only place in New Zealand where there are wild wallabies. They were introduced a long time ago and are now considered a pest. The Ironic thing was that the man who owns the holiday park and raises baby wallabies, once killed them for a living. As he bottle fed a little one who's mother was shot by a hunter, he told us this. I thought to myself, darn! I wish I brought my tape recorder. He sounded like such an interesting character. Later he came over to chat for a while. And as it turns out, I was right. He has lead quite an interesting life. For the past several years he has been going to Thailand to train as a Mahout. This is someone who trains elephants! Wow. Anyway, this place felt good and was definitely the highlight of my trip, aside from petting eels....

The first place we stayed was Hokitika, a small beach town on the west coast. We traveled with our dogs, so everything we did depended on if they could come, if they were tired enough to stay in the car, and if it wasn't too hot for them to stay in the car. While there, we did a little night walk and saw a grotto with glow worms. There were so many of them that it looked like the stars in the sky. I saw a sign for a place where you could feed fresh water eels. We went in the morning and it was so awesome. They are huge, like 3 meters long. There were about 30 of them in a tank and they were all between 80 and 100 years old. As it turned out they can't see very well, but they knew when it was time to eat. Morgan and I got to kneel down and feed them little strips of meat. It was funny how they wiggled around like a baby bird, trying to find the food dangling above them. I asked if I could pet one. They said sure. So I got my hand wet and went for one of their bellies. Just then and employee grabbed my hand and pulled it out of the water. One of the eels was sneaking up to bite me. I tried it again, this time in a better position to see all of the eels. They are of course slimy and squishy, like a Sea Cucumber. Very Cool.

We had Christmas in Queenstown with a few friends who were also there for the Holiday. Ee rode a gondola to the top of a mountain to look out on the city. It was really beautiful with amazingly rugged and steep mountains, and a lake down in the middle of the valley. Over all though, unless you were bungi jumping, sky diving, or river rafting, there wasn't too much going on. It was a very transient place filled with young people from all over the world. In fact, I think we only talked to one Kiwi the whole time we were there. Anyway, we wanted to do something really special for Christmas. So we rode the Luge. They are like these little go-carts that just roll down the mountain. It was really fun. We raced each other and caused a little trouble. After a few days there, we and our friends said goodbye and went our separate ways.

The West Coast of the South Island is the most unique. The lush Native Forrest is everywhere, and swollen rivers and waterfalls are constantly changing the landscape. We saw the Fox Glacier and the Fanz Joseph Glacier. Unfortunately we couldn't walk on them. The trails were closed due to flooding the day before. But they were magnificent. They looked like clouds got stuck on the mountains and just froze there.

We also stayed in Kaikoura, which is like San Luis Obispo California in the 1950's. I really fell in love with that place. I think it was because it reminded me of home, but more peaceful and fewer people.

Christchurch was a neat place. Morgan looked up dog parks in the area and found and awesome one. It was all fenced off with two agility courses and a river running down the middle. Miles chased other dogs while Tobi swam in the river. Earlier that day we took them to a lake where we all swam around too. Since it rained the next day, and the dogs were good and tired, we went to the Canterbury museum and botanical gardens. It was a great museum. The exhibits were really interesting and easy to follow. And everything was set up Chronologically, from the first Polynesians who settled in New Zealand to modern day.

It was such and amazing trip. The best part of it was to be able to be with Morgan all the time. I love being with him. We really needed this little vacation, away from work, computers, and responsibility, so that we could really enjoy all the blessings that God has given us.

Post Card Home

2010-12-07T13:41:00.001-08:00

The other day a friend came over to do arty stuff. I served her a cup of tea, showed her our chickens and brought in some eggs, and when Morgan came home, gave her some home made ice cream. She looked at us and said, "You two are so domestic." A few years ago that comment might have been offensive. But today it feels good. My dad has said it a few times. He will call when I am making curtains, painting, or planting something. The thing is, its the house. Its just so lovely that all I want to do is be in or around it. Its perfect for making messes. The old hardwood floors with little worm holes carved into them will never look bad. The back yard is big and wild. I just looked out, and there is our perfect white duck cleaning himself by the pond, and our cat stalking something in the grass. The dogs are asleep in the bay window and all I can hear is the tick of the kitchen clock. Its like a hand painted post card from 1910, but with all the modern amenities. My studio is filled with Canvas and fabrics. The ocean air makes me think back to when I was little and living in Pismo. This is the first place I have ever lived where I have been able to keep plants, (other than succulents) alive. Sometimes I want to walk across the street just to dig my fingers into the sand and feel what it is like to be home.

Here Comes the Sun

2010-10-09T20:39:00.001-07:00

Its finnally getting nice again. Actually since my Birthday, September 1, the weather has really improved. There have still been a few really cold days. But at least the sun is taking its time now. Everyone around the house is happy about it. The dogs have been lounging around, and even Nina the kitty is trying to cuddle right up to them to get her vitamin D. Our chickens are laying nearly every day too. We have had a hard time keeping animals out of this area in this one. Our chickens went into the neighbor's yard and took dust baths in his potted plants. It was bad. So we put up a pretty good fence and blocked off their little path that we found. We finally got our fence in good enough condition so that Miles can't jump it and go party with the neighbors. We still keep him inside when we are gone though. If he really wanted to, he could escape.
Tobi is still doing great. In fact, it is going to be her birthday tomorrow! she is turning five years old. I can't believe she is that old. She is still very sweet, and for a bulldog pretty spry. We took the dogs to obedience school and they both graduated to second grade. I think Morgan is going to keep going with Miles. But I don't really think Tobi needs to. And the classes are on Sunday, so I haven't been able to go to church in a while.
I have a great job now, teaching swim lessons. The kids are a lot of fun. I had one class filled with little people that have been in the same level for about a year. My boss made it free for them. It was the last attempt to get them passed up. The class was five days long, 30 minutes a day. They were all high energy kids that got easily distracted. So I made them swim like crazy. At the end of the week, they all passed up to the next level. It was awesome.
I applied to Victoria University of Wellington for the teaching program. I hope I get selected. I made it to round two of the application process. The next step is to get together with other applicants to talk about issues and see how well we communicate. This doesn't happen until December 15. Sounds like fun. Well that is all. Hopefully I will write again soon. Probably not though.

A Show!

2010-07-29T04:24:00.000-07:00

Guess what.... I hung my paintings at a little cafe today. I brought in about six. Now for the first time they are on display in a public place. wow! its very exciting. Thanks Carol for being so inspiring and encouraging. Thanks Morgan for being so supportive and loving. Thanks Grandma for taking up painting and just going for it. Also thanks for setting up your table and chairs and staying up late with me to paint. Thanks Momma for telling me I could do it. And thanks Daddy for making me an easel and buying me some paints when I was in third grade! Thanks God for putting it inside of me to so badly want to create. Yay! This is a cheesy post. But I love you guys.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-07-25T03:50:00.001-07:00

We had a great little anniversary. Two years today, or yesterday depending if you are in the United States or New Zealand. We celebrated both days since we weren't sure which one counted. Yesterday we walked to town and had a nice breakfast. Then we walked all the way home along the beach with our dog Miles. Tobi couldn't make such a long walk. It was supposed to rain. But it was sunny all weekend. Then we saw a movie. I had to do a performance that night. So the celebration continued next day. We took Miles to obedience school. That was fun. Miles was one of the most well behaved dogs to my surprise. Then we drove around the bay to a place called Muritai. You can see this long beach with cliffs and two light houses across the Channel from us. I have always wanted to go check it out. So we hiked out to the light houses. One of them was the oldest permanent light house in New Zealand. It was built in 1859 on top of this rugged cliff all exposed to the crazy Wellington weather. The first guy to man the lighthouse brought his family. He drowned shortly after arriving and his wife took over. She was the first and only female lighthouse keeper in New Zealand. We saw where their house once was. And they had lost one of their babies. We saw the grave sight. They had a little commune up there with cows, chickens, and eventually a school house. Then we made a little loop down to a lake and around a cliff, back to the beach. We saw wild sheep and goats. Well, I'm sure the sheep had owners. But they still looked pretty wild. The whole thing was so beautiful. Every day we look out the window and see this place across the bay. I'm so glad we finally explored it. It was about a four hour hike. Then we came home and got takeaway Thai food, and made banana splits. Woo Hoo for marriage!

Sleepy Mermaid

2010-07-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Animals

2010-06-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

2010-06-25T23:32:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't written in a really long time. A lot has happened since. The biggest news was that Emilia came for a week to visit. I was so happy to see her. Sometimes this place feels so far away. And even though I have been making lots of great friends, and keeping busy, I still long for family and the familiar. So it was great having her. We didn't make it very far. But we did explore all the trails and beaches nearby. Morgan and I have only done a little bit of that because he works until dark. So we don't have too much time for it, except on the weekends. We walked every day, finding new little beaches and collecting shells and dried out seaweed to make things out of. It was so peaceful. We just got a puppy a few weeks before she came. He is a Whippet named Miles. I have had my hands full with him. And it rained for about two weeks straight before she came. So I was a little down from the weather and cleaning up puppy messes. It hailed when she was here, a few times. I had no idea it did that here. But we still made it out every day. Then we would come back and sift through our little treasures and make little sculptures out of them. Emilia set out to learn how to bind a book while she was here. It turned out beautifully. So it was a lot of fun, and very relaxing. We had a little burrito party. Cat and I decided not to make burritos anymore. It was so unpredictable. We would sell out one day, and then come home with 20 burritos the next. Because we are not a big company that can take losses, it wasn't worth it to us. So we called it quits. I'm happy about it. When we were making burritos, our house would smell like Mexican all the time. I like Mexican, but not that much. After a week we put Emilia back on the plane, and just like that she was gone. It was short but sweet.
Other than that, not too much has happened. The weather has been cold and very windy. It isn't a California cold, or even an Oregon Cold. It's Antartica cold, literally. Sometimes I will walk out the front door and a gust will hit me. For just a second I won't be able to breath because of it. It takes some getting used to.
Right now I am not working. I was teaching swim lessons. But for two months I worked 3 hours a week and my boss promised me more hours. They never came so I got a job at a Cafe. There I worked 10 hour days, 50 hours a week without a break and had a really intimidating boss. So I left. I decided I needed to be a little pickier about the jobs a I choose. But now I have come to find that all the good jobs go to Kiwis first. I always get asked when my work permit expires. After that I don't hear back. But I know the right job will come along. In the mean time I am painting every day. My paintings have become a little silly. I'm painting mermaids. Why not? And I got a little gig. I am going to be playing the flute in the musical Little Shop of Horrors for the Hutt City Musical Theatre. I am really excited about this because I love to play the flute, but haven't had a reason to play. It is boring to just practice and never have the chance to perform. So I am working hard because the show is only in about two and a half weeks.
Morgan and I are doing great. We are going to do a 10K run tomorrow, which we hardly trained for since the weather went bad, and I am a bit lazy. We've been doing lots of projects together. Morgan is making a dress form with my measurements so that I can make clothes that actually fit me.
Thats about all. I hope everything is going good for everybody.

Serepta

2010-05-19T23:10:00.001-07:00

I have these old family photos on a disk that my grandma gave me. There was this one of a young woman during the Victorian era. She looked so pretty, young, and innocent. I was really drawn to the photo and wanted to paint her. I asked my grandma what she knew about young the woman. This is what my grandma wrote: I think it is Viola's sister, Serepta. Where did you get the picture? My Grandmother, Pearl Henney, was the youngest child of Lucy Clay and John Rickel Henney. She had several brothers and two sisters, Viola, the elder, and Serepta. Serepta was born June 30, 1858. When she was about 32, she promised to marry W. I. Lafler. But, later, she told her family that she changed her mind and did not want to marry him. She was told that she had made a promise and she was expected to keep it. She married him in August, 1890. She died on June 20, 1891, in childbirth.
I gave her angel wings because she had such a sad, short little life. While looking for reference, I found that if you google "Victorian Wings," you will get all these pretty pictures of embroidered wings from Germany. As it turns out, Serepta's family is from Germany. I gave her a lace halo because she has a real feel of purity, and because lace became popular as an industry during her lifetime. So, that is poor Serepta.

Happy

2010-05-03T04:48:00.001-07:00

What can I say, dolphins make me happy!

Milky Pool

2010-04-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

The Tongariro crossing had so many different signs of volcanic activity. There were stinky steam vents, rigid black rock, red mountains, volcanoes (obviously), and these very beautiful sulfur hot springs. Unfortunately they were too toxic to swim in. But they were mesmerizing none the less. They were this milky greenish blue, like the color of sea foam and they sat up against ridge lines, looking over barren valleys. This is my impression of one of these pools.

Live Birth

2010-04-30T04:17:00.000-07:00

We went on a day hike called the Tongariro Crossing. The landscape was very volcanic and fresh. There was this one mountain range that was read and black and looked like it formed very rapidly. Then as it was cooling, it looked as if it just bursted open and out tumbled boulders and silty rocks. So I call this Live Birth because that is exactly what it was, an epic explosion and birth of a mountain

Painting

2010-04-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to paint more since I have a little studio in our back yard. I remember living in Berkeley. There were these little artist lofts that you could rent for pretty cheap. We drove by every day and I would think about how much I wanted one. When we moved here I was excited about the studio, but didn't use it too much until I thought back to those little lofts in Berkeley. I thought that if I didn't use the one in my own back yard, then I probably would never use one that I would have to pay for and drive to. I was a little ashamed. So I started to paint and have been doing it nearly every day, except the weekends. Its been great. I'm trying to get ten paintings together. It's hard because I always find myself giving them away. So these are what I have so far.

Dolphins

2010-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

We rode the Ferry across the Channel to Picton so we could swim with Dolphins. It was a very short trip. On Saturday afternoon we caught the ferry with friends. It's like the Super Ferry they used to have in Hawaii, only so much bigger. They actually drive trains on to it. It's about a three hour ride. When we came into the Marlborough Sound on the South island, it was so beautiful. It looked a lot like Vancouver Canada actually, with all the pine tree forests, little islands, and houses right on the water. It was pretty grey outside, but still so beautiful because we got there right at sunset. So the light was shining through the clouds, making the ocean sparkle. Picton is a tiny little town that thrives on tourism. Since it was the end of Summer, it felt pretty deserted, just a few locals, herds of restless teenagers. To save money, we decided not to bring our car. Instead we found the closest holiday park and camped there for the night. Holiday parks are funny. They are mostly catered toward Camper Vans and RVs. So when we got there, we felt a little out of place. We pitched our tent next to a couple vintage charter buses that had been converted into homes. Above us was a ridge with railroad tracks. By this time, I think we all knew we wouldn't get that good of a nights sleep, which turned out to be true. In fact, I thought it was pretty hilarious. We first were woken up by sirens, you know, the ones that go off in San Luis Obispo every month as a drill, just in case there the nuclear power plant has a melt down. I guess that's just what they use to call the volunteer firemen. Then every possible type of siren imaginable went off, police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and of course howling dogs. After all of that, we fell back asleep, only to be woken up by an occasional train, some feral cats, and a few cars peeling out. At about 4:30, I of course really had to go to the bathroom. I went back to bed and then, at about 5:30am was woken up by bagpipes and Maori chanting of all things. As it turned out they were celebrating ANZAC Day with a dawn parade. Its a national holiday that remembers all of the different soldiers that fought at the battle of Galopoli in World War I.
Then we walked down to the harbour and got on a boat to look for dolphins. It was the last day of the season, so if we didn't catch them this time, we would have had to wait until next summer. After about 45 minutes we stumbled upon them. There were maybe 15 bottle nose in a very curious and playful mood. I had swam with dolphins before. But they were spinners, which is a much smaller variety. But the bottle nose are really big, much bigger than me. They swam right up to our boat. And when we jumped into the water, they swam right up to us. They got so close that I had to turn away so I wouldn't touch them. They look right at you and study you. It was so amazing. I turned and twisted and swam as fast as I could to keep up with them. The most amazing thing was that they wanted to hang out with us. We didn't force them to. For about 40 minutes we enjoyed their company. We ended up swimming into a school of Jelly fish. They didn't sting or anything. But I was surprised at how much substance they had after bumping into them a few times. After a while, the dolphins just disappeared. We got back in the boat and caught up with them. The made right for us and road our wakes and put on a show for about 20 minutes. A fur seal was traveling with them, leaping out of the water like he was one. It was so cute. Then we said goodbye and came home. It was one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had. I felt so safe and calm amongst these wild animals. I felt honored that they were even interested in us. We are such awkward, strange things compared to them.

Easter

2010-04-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend. It started Saturday morning. We woke up really early and drove about an hour up the coast to get two new chickens. Before we got them, we only had one little bantam hen, and our duck Ferdinand. Our other hen flew the coop. She didn't like us very much. So it was for the better that she left. These two hens are Anconas. They are tall and beautiful. We bought them through Trademe. Its like a Craigslist for New Zealand. When we got there, they were all boxed up and ready to be transported to their new home. As we were trying to put them in their new coop, one of them escaped. It took a long time to find her. She lay low and still in a pile or brush in the back of the yard until I found her and chased her into a corner. When I grabbed her by the tail and swung her upside down so she couldn't resist, she squawked like I was killing her. She was so loud. I thought to myself, This is a real chicken. I never really cared for bantams. They are so fast and skittish. I love the little one I have. But she wasn't what I thought I was getting when we bought her. So it is nice to have big, hearty chickens that are loud. Twice these hens have squawked like they were going to lay an egg, and nothing. But finally this morning we found a pretty little white one sitting on the ground. I'm disappointed they didn't use the hen house. But I am so happy that we finally got our first egg.
On Easter morning Morgan and I woke up early and went on a little hike to the ridge above our house so we could watch the sunrise. It was quite glorious. This has been our Easter tradition for about three years. So far this sunrise was the most spectacular.
Later that day we threw a little party. At first we thought no one was going to come. But everyone showed up about an hour late. Then someone told us that it was daylight savings time. So as it turned out, everyone was actually on time. About twelve people showed up. We went looking for plastic eggs so we could put candy in them and hide them in our back yard for our guests to find. As it turns out, there are no plastic eggs in New Zealand. We also wanted to buy white eggs for people to dye and decorate. But you cant find white eggs at the supermarket. So we made cookies in the shape of eggs and had people decorate them with frosting. We also filled up party bags with candy and hid them all over our yard. Morgan made everyone Eggs Benedict, which I was really impressed with since he had never poached an egg before a few days ago. And it turned out great. After all the cleaning and entertaining we went to sleep at about 9:30. We really wanted to sleep in the next day. But because of the new Daylight Savings time, we only slept until about 7:00am, which turned out good because we had time to have a cup of coffee and take Tobi for a walk before Morgan had to go off to work.
In other news. My friend Cat and I are selling burritos at Weta Digital 2 days a week. So far we have sold out every time. Its great to have a little side money making thing going on. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I am also working full time at a little cafe in Island Bay. Its great because I am getting to know locals, and am keeping busy.
That is about all here. We are so happy. I love this place and our little home.

Sailing Through Life

2010-03-25T02:15:00.001-07:00

We are really enjoying ourselves here in our new home. So much has happened since I last wrote. It's been busy! I got a new job. I work at a little cafe in Island bay. Its just three bays down. So I drive along the water five days a week just in time to watch the sun rise. I am quitting swim lessons. Next Thursday is my last day. They only gave me about five hours a week for five weeks straight. So I decided to look for work somewhere else. Now I am getting too much work it seems. A Kiwi work week can go up to 50 hours before you get paid overtime, which is what I am pushing. But it is good for me because Morgan works just as much, and being busy makes me save money. I like my job. I make coffee and serve people savory and sweet pastries. What is more important is that I am meeting local people. Its good to get a feel of the place by working somewhere like this. Some people are totally awesome. I met this wonderful old woman who's daughter lives in San Francisco. She came in everyday for a week for an Americano and to chit chat. She had a temporary job in the area. On her last day she she gave me her card and told me that if I ever got homesick and needed someone to spend time with to just give her a call. That moment was the first time I actually felt that aching home sick feeling. It made me miss my wonderful family.
Lets see... I think it is impossible for me to have less than two jobs. I quit my swim lessons job so that I could have more time to work at the cafe. But then my friend and I decided to sell burritos once a week where our husbands work. We thought we would make a few extra bucks. But apparently there is a high demand for Mexican food here. We brought in 30 burritos to sell at three different buildings. We sold out at the second one. There was literally a line. It was kind of crazy. Afterward the receptionist asked us to to make more and include a vegetarian burrito. So we are going to go from 30 burritos once a week to 120 burritos twice a week. This is going to be a little ridiculous I am sure. But we made really good money from it.
I met a sailing instructor who offered to take us out on his 40 ft sail boat. It was a beautiful day with plenty of wind. I really enjoyed it because although I have spent plenty of time on a boat, I rarely get to spend a lot of time at the helm. But this time, I was there nearly the whole trip. I feel like I learned more in those few hours than I did working three months on a sailing catamaran in Maui. It was awesome. We sailed over to this little island along the west coast and had coffee. Then before the wind picked up too much, we sailed back.
Well, it is really late and I am so tired from all that burrito business that I am going to stop there. I am sorry there is nothing eloquent about this post. But I just thought I would keep you updated. More later....

Hedge Hog

2010-03-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

Around 11:00pm last night Tobi ran outside and started barking like mad. There was a bit of fear in her bark this time. When we went to see what it was, we found this little guy looking for scraps around the chicken coop.

back yard fun

2010-03-01T01:18:00.001-08:00

Front Yard Snorkel

2010-02-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

Weekends

2010-02-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

We have been having such an amazing time here. We both just can't wait for the weekend so we can explore and enjoy our home. This past weekend was particularly wonderful. We started it out right by slipping on our wetsuits and walking across the street to our little beach. Tobi desperately wanted to come so we buckled her little life jacket and let her tag along for comic relief. It was a clear sunny day with no wind. We walked right into the water and snorkeled around the rocky shores. At first Tobi freaked out a bit. She refused to walk out on the rocks. So I got out and walked down to a spot that had a more gradual shoreline so that she could kind of wade out if she wanted. Morgan snorkeled over to meet us. I hopped in and put my face in the water to see what was going on down there. And... it was beautiful. There were amazing little kelp forests swaying back and forth with tiny hawk fish and groupers scurrying around. What looked to be a bulb of kelp swam toward me in a zig zag pattern until I scooped it up to have a closer look. I am still not sure what it was. But it had legs and went limp when I took it out of the water. I put it back in and it went on its way. Minature starfish were everywhere, decorating the rocks like someone placed them there because they thought it would be cute. At the most it was maybe ten feet deep. It would be very shallow and thick with sea weed and kelp. Then I would come into a small clearing that was deep. Sometimes it was filled with round river looking rocks. Other times, rigged volcanic looking rocks covered in iridescent sand crabs and sea snails would be there. It was so relaxing. With my wetsuit I just floated like an otter as happy as can be. I convinced Tobi to swim out to me. To my surprise she did, about 20 feet or so. She got scared and climbed up on my back while I swam. I was laughing so hard. We swam over to some rocks and I left her there as I snorkeled near by. Could you just imagine an English Bulldog wearing a life jacket and sitting on rocks 20 feet off shore? Unfortunately that was when my camera stopped working. Then we all walked home and rinsed off. Its so nice to live so close so we don't have to worry about peeling off our wetsuits in a parking lot and getting them all sandy.
Later we took rocks out of the pond in our backyard that was filled in a few years back, and built up a vegetable planter. I went to Roller Derby practice for the first time that afternoon. Its good to be involved in it down here. All of the girls are totally nice and personable. Then I came home and we had Sarsaparilla and Ice cream floats,(since you cant get root beer here).
Today we went to church in the morning. I haven't found a church that I felt comfortable in for years. But this one is really nice. People are very casual, a little shy, and as they say, "non threatening." It was really nice of Morgan to come with me since I always feel a little like a target when I go to church by myself, getting bombarded with introductions and lots of questions. Anyway...
Then we stopped over at the farmers market to pick up some venison salami as well as gooseberry and brandy jam. At home we finished up the planter and the pond.Next week we hope to get some fish for it.
Now as the sun goes down, the chickens and the duck are wandering back to their little coop after a few hours of grazing, and Morgan and I are making home made garlic and cheese bread. Yum.
p.s. We finally got our Kitty back (eight days late). She was held in quarantine longer because the Ministry of Agriculture thought her anemia could be masking some weird, contagious disease. But of course she didn't. Anyway, after all that she is home and happy. The medication she is on is working and she has gained a lot of vigor. This morning she brought in a cicada that she had caught. The beetle clicked so loud that it woke Morgan. Nina has never been much of a hunter so it is good to see her actually catching things.

Good Things

2010-02-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

Its been about two weeks since we moved in our new house. During that time we haven't had Internet. This has actually been quite nice. Ive been forced to slow down, read a book, paint, garden. I planted tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and succulents in our garden. It has been wonderful. Our back yard is long and lush. It stretches way back to the foot of a mountain. Then it climbs up abandoned terraces that someone made and never maintained. There once was a fish pond that got its water from a natural spring. It is filled in with boulders now. But I am contemplating replacing them with fish. I have been reading a New Zealand History book, which has been so interesting. I often fall under the trap of thinking that all Polynesians are very similar when it comes to culture and history. But this is actually very untrue.
We went on an awesome hike on Valentines day. It was the Tongariro Crossing. We went up and down through wetlands, desert, brand new rocky earth, into a grassland, and then down into a rain forest. The hike was about 19km. But we added an extra three hours because we wanted to climb a volcano. This was the volcano that they used as Mt Doom in The Lord of the Rings. It was pretty ridiculous how steep it was. There weren't any real trails. You just walk and crawl up to the top the best you can. When you get to the top, it just stops and you are standing on a cliff looking into the crater of the volcano. It is amazing. Coming down is a lot of fun. You just have to book it without falling on your behind, which I did several times. Continuing on, we came across several bright blue and green pools. They were milky from all of the minerals. There was also a stream that flowed a creamy white. And steam vents were everywhere. Stinky. It was great.
We got Tobi from quarantine, but are waiting for our cat Nina to be released. The department of agriculture and forestry made a big deal over the fact that she was anemic. So they sent some blood tests to the UK and are awaiting their results before she can be released. When we get her, we will really feel at home.
There has been a lot of surf. But since we just got our car, and just got settled, we haven't gone yet. I am a little disappointed in myself for this. But, there will be more surf. Right now it is very windy.The ocean it moving fast and I can see the ferry and cruise ships going back and forth between the North Island and the South island from our living room window.
This weekend we are going to build a chicken coop and hopefully get chickens... I cant wait.

Observations

2010-02-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Something that I really love about the house that we are going to live in is that it isn't even part of town. The closest one is Miramar, where both mine and Morgan's jobs are. After work today I did a little bit of exploring there. Its a nice change from down town Wellington where our hotel is located. Its small and has beachy feeling. The houses are almost all made with wood siding and have sun rooms on their front porches. People have Victory Gardens right in their front yards, not because its trendy, but because its economical and rewarding. Most homes do not have electric dryers. Rather, they hang their clothes outside to be dried by the wind bright sun. When we moved here I was a little sad because I had to dismantle my succulent garden and give away all my plants that had grown from little clippings that I found around our old Berkeley neighborhood. I was so happy to find that people fancy succulents here, just like back home. So it will be a new adventure, hunting around for new succulent starters to plant all over the front and back yard of our new house. Rose bushes and citrus trees decorate the quiet, wide road neighborhoods. Seagulls are ever present, just like in California. But they are miniature and even a little bit cute. Their cry is a higher pitch and a little more comical. Miramar has no high apartment buildings like where we are staying now. Its just a little town with one main grocery store, and lots of second hand shops. I like it very much.
There are some funny little differences between New Zealand and the states. Claritin, my allergy medicine of choice, is spelled with a Y. Things are quite a bit more expensive. But when you factor in quality, the cost of importation, and the fact that tip and taxes are included, things seem a little more reasonable. If you go to order a milkshake, you will get flavored milk. If you ask for a thick shake, you will get flavored milk with a glucose thickener in it. Pies are generally made of meat, not fruit. And the drinking age is 18. So at times, down town Wellington feels like prom night.
I can't wait to move into our little house and begin painting, taking walks on the beach with Tobi, and collecting shells.

A fun weekend and playgrounds

2010-01-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

I bet when you hear people talking about New Zealand, someone says something like, "It's like California in the 1950s." In many ways this is very true. For one thing, there aren't many lawsuits. As a friend of ours said last night, "No one is liable for anything here!" This to me is kind of neat. In the area of children, this place is definitely caught in a time warp. First of all, I just got a job teaching swim lessons. I'm so grateful to have found a job so quickly because I love to work. It equates a large degree of my self worth. Last Saturday was my first day of training. After the session was over, the main thing that my boss told me was that I needed to not be afraid to actually touch the children and physically manipulate them so that they swim correctly. She said she knew that in the states you cant do that. But here its no big deal. In addition to this, all of the little kids were very independent. I tried to help them float on their backs, or hold their kick boards for them. And every time I did, they would snap at me and say, "I want to do it myself!" On my way out to the parking lot, I saw a stone wall about 12feet high made out of what looked to be cinder block turned on their sides. Out of the wall grew large trees that were cut into stumps. This little boy, no more than four years old had climbed the wall and was standing out on the edge of one of these stumps and was calling for his mom. His mom was busy, rustling through her car, paying no attention to him. But after a little while she looked up at him and in a very enoyed tone told him to get down. If this little boy had climbed this wall in the states, the mom would be freaking out, the boy would be crying, and one of the neighbors might have called CPS. But...this is New Zealand.
Last weekend we went to visit the animals. It was good to see them again. Our cat has been pretty sick with anemia and we have been worried her, especially because she is in quarantine. But she looked great. She was rolling around, pouncing, and biting. Tobi was really happy to see us. All she wanted was to be hugged. She isn't a normal dog in that way. She much prefers a big squeeze to a good scratch. Then we drove around until we found a beach and a place to camp. Along the way, we stumbled upon some of the most awesome playgrounds. They usually have a skate park, a GIANT slide, a zip line that goes forever, and lots of stuff to climb on. When you go to these playgrounds, there are almost no adults. The little kids just hop on their bikes after being kicked out of the house, and run around like crazy people. I bet you New Zealand has a lower percentage of kids with ADHD. They are usually barefoot, and usually screaming. Its so awesome to see. Anyway, here is a little video from a few of the playgrounds that we found. We also found a great camping spot right up the way from the beach. We walked through a little wetland to get to it. Along the way we saw Maori tromping through the shallow water in the moonlight looking for eels to spear.

Photos to Go With The Rest

2010-01-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

We're There

2010-01-26T20:34:00.001-08:00

We arrived three days ago to Wellington New Zealand and are adjusting very easily. Morgan actually knows quite a few people at the company he is working at now. It is called Weta Digital, most of you already know. Its kind of weird. Wellington loves Weta because it has really boosted their economy after the Lord of the Rings, and now Avatar. So we feel a little special walking around at times. The lady that has been working with us to get us a house and all transitioned is named Marilyn. I will have to attach a picture later because she is so awesome. She's super hyper, super funny, and extremely efficient. When we first arrived we told her we had a dog and a cat. This concerned her a bit because even though a lot of people have dogs in New Zealand, not very many people like to rent their houses to people who have them. So she got on the phone with a few people and set up some appointments for us to go look at some places. We spent the first day napping, walking around, and hanging out in the hotel hot tub.
Yesterday we got up early and walked along the water for a while. Its a little strange because everyone seems to be outdoorsy. There are skate parks, public swimming pools, people swim in the bay, they jog, run, sail, and everything else. People do it in California I know, but not like they do it here. Its pretty inspiring actually. Then we went Weta to get a little orientation. They mostly tried to explain to us how the taxes work. We still have no idea. So they suggested we get an accountant. Sounds good to me. Then we went to set up a bank account, and looked at houses. We thought it might take a while. We got some advice from Morgan's friends. They suggested that we be picky and make sure we get the right one. That wasn't too hard. We fell in love with the first one we saw. You go over this hill and through a little tunnel, and all of the sudden you are out in the middle of nowhere, along a rocky coastline. As we drove along, we slowly slowed down. My heart skipped a little. I thought to myself, no way. This couldn't be it. Its too beautiful, too lovely. But as it turned out, it was. Its right across the street from the beach. There is one long strip of houses along the coastline, and no houses behind it. It bumps right up to the hillside. Its a simple little house with huge front windows and a little window seat in the living room. Its gets so much sun and has hard wood floors. There are two bedrooms, a garage, and a little studio out back. The yard is big and long and protected by lush, jungle foliage. We walked along the beach and found sea shells everywhere. Aloe and other succulents grew right on the beach in the rocks. And the back yard had plenty of little succulents everywhere. Wow...God loves us.
We went to look at another house, but it just didn't cut it for us. After two, we didn't want to see any more. So we went home and went for a little walk to Victoria University of Wellington. It is straight up in the hills from Wellington City. There are paths that cut up through the Forrest that pedestrians can take to get there instead of taking the road. When we finally got up to the school we walked along for a while and stumbled upon a graveyard from the 1880's, located right behind the History Department. It was beautiful, filled with mysterious old stone graves that had shifted around and cracked from earthquakes and erosion. It was on a hillside that overlooked all of Wellington. It was so eerie, but wonderful at the same time.
The next day, (today) we met with the Landlord and shook on the house. We should be moving in on the 9th of February. I also went with a friend to see Tobi and Nina, our cat and dog. I was really nervous that they would be mad at me, or over me for sticking them in quarantine. It was about an hour drive through mountains, green pastures, and pine forests. It looks a lot like Washington, or the West Coast of Canada. Of course there were sheep everywhere. We finally got there and I got to see my little animals. They were so, so happy to see me. Tobi jumped around, doing her little dance, and Nina rattled her tail and rolled around on the floor with excitement. It was so nice to see that they were doing ok. They only have two and a half weeks to go. I cant wait to take them home and play on the beach with both of them. Oh, I almost forgot, there are penguin crossing signs right by our house! I cant wait to see them.
So all is well in Wellington. So far I love it. Since Morgan and I lived in the Bay Area and there are so many people from other countries there, it doesn't feel weird. Wellington is actually filled with a huge mix of cultures and people. I have had no difficulty with culture or accents yet. The driving is a little nerve racking, just a little bit. More than anything it feels like you are playing a driving video game. And I don't know what else. Here is link on google maps to our new place.
Link:

New Zealand!

2010-01-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

Almost a month ago Morgan got an email from Weta Digital, an animation company in New Zealand. They were interested in interviewing him. The following Sunday he got a phone interview. A few days later, he got a job! Now we are on our way to New Zealand. When we first heard from Weta, we were a Little reluctant. Morgan applied to the company almost nine months ago. Since then, I had been accepted to graduate school at USF, we were looking to get a tortoise, and we we're looking for a little house with a big back yard so we could have a garden and chickens. All along Morgan said it wasn't a matter of if he would get the job, it was a matter of when. So... our tentative date is January 23rd. The deciding factor was if our animals could go. When we first decided we wanted to go several months ago, we started the import process for them. You need to start the testing and vaccination for animals at least six months in advanced. Because we had already prepared them to go several months ago, all of their labs and blood work are up to date and they only have about three weeks before all of it would expire and they would have to start the entire process over. We had to hire a pet courier company which seemed pretty pricey. But the truth is, they were worth every penny. With only three weeks to go, they managed to get it all worked out with the USDA and MAF and get an import permit for them. As of now, they are flying out on Friday, two weeks before us. So its really important that we get our visas in time so that we get there and find a house before they get out of quarantine. So, now I am just getting rid of stuff, cleaning, and getting ready to get the heck out of here.
Here are a few things that I love about New Zealand:
1.There is no nuclear anything
2.There is no genetically modified food
3.The guy that first climbed Mount Everest is on their five dollar bill
4.It is the norm to walk your dog without a leash
5.The country decided MTV was trash so they got rid of it
6.Almost every house has a gorgeous view

2009-10-26T18:29:00.001-07:00

We had such an awesome weekend! It started with a little road trip down to Monterey. At about 8:00am, we showed up at Mcabees Beach to go on our first ocean dives in order to get scuba certified. It was foggy and cold, a typical Monterey morning. On top of that, we were all very tired because we stayed up late the night before trying to get our scuba tests done in time, such procrastinators. The first dive was a little snorkel dive. After getting all suited up, we walked down to the beach and snorkeled out into the cold, cloudy water. Our instructor asked us to dive down and touch the bottom. I looked down, then back up and replied, but I don't see the bottom. He kind of made fun of me. I sucked it up and dove down. It wasn't so bad. We swam in, got our tanks and went back in. we dropped down onto a soft little patch of sand and practiced clearing our masks. in the pool it is a piece of cake. But when that cold water rushes onto your face, your nose does not want to work. I tried really hard to blow, but my instinct fought me the whole way. I got it done though. It really wasn't hard. We cruised around and saw some cool stuff, nudebranks, different kinds of crabs, some pretty big fish, sea stars, sun stars, and lots of different little snails. It was beautiful. But the visibility wasn't that clear. We went on one more dive that day. By that time I was feeling good. Saturday night we went out to dinner, and then talked a bunch of the people in our group to go roller skating at the roller rink. This was pretty funny, seeing our instructors out there doing the hokey pokey on skates. We got a little motel room in Marina, stayed the night and suited up for our Sunday dives. We went to the break water this time. The visibility was better. On top of that there was a little momma sea otter swimming around with her baby on her belly. This was a good spot. We worked on some navigation. Then we had one final dive where we went out by ourselves. It was really cool, having Morgan, Emilia ( Morgan's sister), and Christel, (Morgan's brother's girlfriend) out there all diving together. It was cool because we made up a little dive plan. We started on the break wall, made our way across the sand, and then hung out in the kelp Forrest for a little while, which was totally beautiful. After diving, we got our little temporary certificates, loaded up the car, and headed up to Oakland so that Christel and I could tryout for roller derby. That tryout kicked my butt, especially after diving earlier that day. But it was so fun. We know if we made the team tomorrow. And that was that.

Lucy the Master Weaver

2009-07-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is a painting of my great grandma Lucy. She was one of the first women to become a "Master Weaver" so I used a sort of tapestry inspired background. My family also calls her a "hippie before her time" because she would make salads out of weeds from the garden and spin dog hair and make sweaters. So its sort of a psychedelic version of art deco because she was a young woman during the 1920's.

2009-07-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

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2009-07-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

2009-07-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

2009-07-09T11:51:00.002-07:00

2009-07-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

2009-07-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

2009-07-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

2009-07-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

art

2009-07-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

art

2009-07-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

today

2009-07-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

Things are going good here. I finally found a job, teaching swim lessons. It was so hard to find a job this time, which is something that I have never struggled with. But it showed me first hand that the economy really is messed up. I love teaching the lessons. The students range from ages three to adult. The little kids are great because they already know what to do. So they squirm and move like little fish through the water. They mostly just need to learn how to rest and breath every now and then. The older people are more of a challenge because they have learned to fear the water. Even though they know exactly what to do instinctively, they panic. They feel like they are falling and are deathly afraid of the deep end. But it is fun to help them get past that. I love swimming. To me,water feels more natural than land. I feel free when I am in it. I know I have said this before. But I feel like when I am in water I am floating in God's perfect love, just suspended there, being held by something so big,something that you can feel and know but never hold onto, something that moves without restraint covering and bringing life, also something to be feared and respected. Anyway, it is good. Unfortunately, because I spend about five and a half hours a day in the pool I have developed a rash. The other teachers say it is because they keep the pool at such a high temperature. Its like when you stay in a hot tub for too long or something. I don't know. Yesterday, one of the instructors bought me some diaper rash medicine and told me to spread it all over my chest before I got in, and wear a rash guard. It worked. So I am having fun. Morgan, our friend Pragya and I are taking a swim class at Laney College. Its pretty much just like being on the swim team. The teacher writes a set on a white board and you go through it. If there is time at the end she will give you a little more to do. I love it. I feel like I am in sixth grade on the Five Cities Swim club all over again. Its making me strong, and giving me a great and guilt free appetite. Anyway, I think I am going to post my art on this blog. I don't want to make a website for all of it yet. So here it is. I have also set up an etsy account where I can sell the bags that I am making. If you are interested, check them out at pearlcentennial.etsy.com. That's all.

Graduated

2009-05-28T14:27:00.001-07:00

I have finally graduated from California State University of Monterey Bay. Its been a long time for me. After nine years of wondering what I was going to do and if College was actually worth it, spending a year in Central America, and getting married, it is done. And yes, it was worth it. Now that I am here I feel restless. I keep saying to myself, You mean I can read whatever I want? I can paint whenever I want? No homework? Its a strange feeling.

Now I am looking for work and investigating possible grad schools. Its hard to decide what to choose when it comes to a graduate program. My interests are so broad. I realized that the most important question to ask would be, what could I study for years and years and never get bored with? We shall see.

2009-04-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

The wind blows against my cheek
As I feel something new take me gentle and quick
My fingertips graze surfaces as a I walk
An endless journey, only stopping to talk

I clear my throat and dry my eyes
the Lord picks me up and asks not for a compromise
I walk, I feel, I know, I live
In this journey my life is filtered through a seive

Final Research Paper

2009-04-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to my most updated research paper:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg48z7r4_69gfpxmjf2

2008-11-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have added anything new to this blog. But Kaho'olawe still haunts my thoughts. I mostly think about why the story of Kaho'olawe is so impacting. I haven't stopped researching for this project. Right now I am gathering secondary sources that will support my findings and conclude my research in the spring of 2009. Recently I read a book called The Earth's Blanket by Nancy J. Turner. It is about Native Americans in British Colombia who went through a similar movement to reclaim land that had been left desolate by loggers and farmers. What stood out to me was the idea of a "kincentric approach to nature" which suggests that everything in the universe is regarded as a relative, including the land and wildlife. This is how Kaho'olawe is seen by Native Hawaiians. Kaho'olawe is viewed as a part of the ohana (family). This is why the story of Kaho'olawe is so tragic to Native Hawaiians. Kaho'olawe was first used carelessly, and then taken away from its family. After being partially returned to its family, it was left sick and littered with bombs. When members of the PKO talk about Kaho'olawe, it is usually so emotional and passionate. Their voice vibrates with sorrow. The idea of Kaho'olawe being a family member sheds light on why there is so much emotion in the words spoken.

Kaho'olawe

2008-07-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

I can read hundreds of books and listen to hundreds of people tell me about Kaho'olawe and never understand. Even after being there for a brief time, I haven't even scratched the surface of its intricate significance in the eyes of its people. I feel honored and blessed to have been permitted to visit such a unique and special place.

This project all along has been about the Hawaiian people and their relationship with Kaho'olawe. But being who I am, the sum of all my research can only be told through my eyes. My eyes are young and small. I can see, feel, try to relate, convince myself I understand, and then do my best to make some sort of judgment. All of it really reflects who I am as a person rather than anything else. This is true for everyone. This blog will conclude my summer research. In the fall I will come back to it. But after this I wont be adding anything more for some time. I think the best way to conclude this research is to tell of my own experience on island.

There were so many experiences that I will never forget. It started with me sitting on the shore of a little beach squishing the sand between my toes. I looked at this sand and made the connection that it would have looked a lot like the soft, clean sand of Makena if it weren't for the decades of erosion that caused the topsoil to bleed into the ocean every time the rain fell. This was depressing and instilled a feeling of loss and hopelessness in me.

What I noticed about Kaho'olawe is that it seemed to magnify every emotion in every person. There was sadness, love, joy, and peace. There was also bitterness and un-forgiveness. I felt it wherever I went, hanging on whoever I was around. This was a bit overwhelming at times.

But after sometime, something strong and true overcame any imbalance of emotion that I may have felt. And that was a sense of love and responsibility as a family that the people brought. They cared so deeply for the place as well as the people. All 61 of us were connected through this strong sense of Ohana. It was amazing to see these people passionately reach out to one another and to the land. As I walked along the shore I saw a young woman fast asleep laying on the sand, embracing it as if it were her child. I saw a baby cover herself in the thick red dirt like a blanket. These people love Kaho'olawe as they do their family members. There is no distinction between auntie, uncle, tuttu and the land. They are all connected. And they all have a responsibility to one another that runs deeper and stronger than life as we know it.

The Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana's strategy to healing and restoring the land seems to be to love it as if it were an injured child. When someone is ill, the worst thing you can do is isolate them. Being alone and sick can cause one to fall deeper into despair. Instead, if you reach out to the person, cook them dinner, clean their house, and care for them in every way that is needed, they will feel loved and will be more likely to become well. So too is what the PKO is doing for Kaho'olawe. They are bringing their children, sharing meals, talking story together, all the while including Kaho'olawe. They are bringing life with every access. Seeing this made me realize how imperative it is to strive to reconcile ourselves, no matter who we are or what we are, to the earth. This after all is what God has asked us to do since the beginning.

For The PKO, this relationship is very limited. They are only allowed maybe six days a month to be with the island. It makes it difficult to commit to too much. Hopefully somehow there will be more families and more time to spend on island in the future. I was told that if you look at Kaho'olawe on a map it is the shape of a male fetus, laying there naked in the ocean. Molokini is its umbilical cord, and Maui is its mother. Native Hawaiians are reaching out to this child to care for it and keep it alive.

This was a very impacting experience that I will remember. This is only my view. Being on island and speaking to different people has showed to me that there is still so much hurt and pain attached to the abuse of Kaho'olawe and its people. I believe it is important to recognize and value this pain. But more importantly we must love and nurture the land so that we can receive mutual blessings. In this we honor each other as well as the Creator.

Returning

2008-07-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

I had a great time in Oahu. I read three books. Currently I am reading, Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo. This is such a thorough book about ancient Hawaii. What is really amazing are all of the Hawaiian names for everything. There is a name for every day of the month that refers to the moon. There are hundreds of names for different depths of the ocean. For example, "...kau-au where the shoal water ended; and outside of the kua-au was a belt called kai-au, ho-au, kai-o-kilo-hee, this swimming deep or sea for spearing squid, or kai-ee-nalu, that is, a surf-swimming region....Outside of this was a belt called kai-uli, blue sea squid-fishing sea kai-lu-hee, or the sea-of-flying fish..." And it goes on and on. The Hawaiian language wasn't written down until the 1800s. As you can see, its structure has already changed since the time this book was first published in 1902. Reading David Malo's Hawaiian Antiquities has been very helpful to my research. What strikes me the most is just how in tuned to the natural world native Hawaiians historically were. They studied and memorised every aspect of their environment

I also did a few interviews, one with Kylee Omo and Derek Mar, and one with David Blevins. Derek and Kylee have been devoted to Kaho'olawe since their first experience with the island. In the interview Derek focused on the the responsibility that he felt to restoring and perpetuating healing to the land. Kylee spoke of how the island is a reflection of an individual's life. Its story is a story of mistreatment and abuse, but also a story of regeneration and healing. She says that everyone can relate to that story on a personal level. This interview was so enjoyable and refreshing. I also interviewed David Blevins. He was born and raised in Molokai and only went to the island one time as a teenager. His story is unique because he comes from perhaps the least developed of all the Hawaiian islands. What struck him the most when he went to Kaho'olawe was how healthy and plentiful the marine life was, and in contrast how desolate the island's surface appeared. He, unlike any other interviewees didn't have a "connection" with the land. His love is for the people of Molokai. His interview was important because like Derek and Kylee pointed out at the end of their interview, not everyone has that connection. It is good to get many perspectives.

I also had time to catch up with some really good friends. On top of that I got to spend Independence day with my cousins. It was so much fun getting together with them and watching the fireworks. The house is always filled with happy little children and ono grinds (really good food).

I love These Islands

2008-07-02T03:38:00.001-07:00

E mau ko kakou lahui, e ho'omau.
E mau ko kakou 'olelo, e ho'omau.
E mau ka hana pono o ka 'aina
I mau ka ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.
I ka pono--o ka 'aina!!

Ho'oulu ka pono o ka 'aina, e ho'oulu.
Ho'oula ka nani o ka 'aina, e ho'ola.
Ho'ola la, Ho'oulu la, a ho'olaha
I mau ka ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.
I ka pono--ka 'aina!!

Let's strive to keep our nation alive, let's strive.
Let's strive to keep our language alive, let's strive.
Let's strive to preserve the good of the islands
So that righteousness may continue to be with us.
All that's good--in the islands!!

Build the greatness of Hawai'i, build them.
Restore the goodness of the islands, restore them.
Restore!! Build, and sustain them throughout the world
So that righteousness will fill the land once again.
Every good--in the islands!!
-Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs, Sr

Significance

2008-06-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

My time on Oahu so far has been quite productive. I have finished a few books, visited the Bishop Museum, gone to an orientation for access to Kaho'olawe with the Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana, and confirmed two interviews. Its exciting. I never knew I was such a closet nerd.
A Call For Hawaiian Sovereignty, written by Michael Kioni Dudley and Keoni Kealoha Agard is one of the books that I have recently read. It opened my eyes to the illegal and unethical actions that Europeans and Americans alike took toward Hawaiians through out history. The Hawaiian monarchy was illegally overthrown on January 17, 1893 by a small group of money hungry businessmen. After the overthrow these men appointed government officials without a proper election and hastily shipped off for Washington to propose annexation into the union. The intentions were strictly for financial gain. This newly instated government owned the majority of Hawaiian lands and major sugar cane plantations. In order to receive a secure price for their sugar that superseded that of other international growers, Hawaii needed to become a territory. When the bill reached Grover Cleveland, he opposed it and ordered an investigation to be conducted on the matter. His conclusion was that the overthrow was against the will of the Hawaiian monarch and the majority of Hawaiian citizens at the time. He also referred to the deployment of the U.S. Navy in Honolulu as an "act of war." He further writes, “I suppose that right and justice should determine the path to be followed in treating this subject. If national honesty is to be disregarded and a desire for territorial extension, or dissatisfaction with a form of government not our own, ought to regulate our conduct, I have entirely misapprehended the mission and character of our government and behavior which the conscience of our people demands of our public servants.” (pg 24). Even though Grover Cleavland was opposed to the annexation and believed it was the duty of the American government to make things right, no action was taken by the U.S. government. This was the end of the Hawaiian Monarchy.
This book is very relevant to Kaho'olawe because to many, Kaho'olawe is a political symbol. Firstly, a nation needs land. Even though Kaho'olawe is small and badly abused, it belongs to the sovereign nation of Hawaii. At one time this little island sustained a substantial population. Before the introduction of goats, the island was more heavily vegetated, which as a result caused a greater percentage of rainfall. In the access orientation to Kaho'olawe, we were asked to wear water shoes for the landing because the beach is covered in river rocks. Geological history reveals that Hakioawe was where two rivers met. With malama (care) and aloha (love) for the 'aina (land), it is possible to sustain a notable population once again. The author strongly expresses how crucial it is for native Hawaiians to have a strong relationship with the land. He writes, “…If Hawaiians were to survive as a culture and as a race, they had to get back to the land and to reestablish their ties with nature”(pg 66). This book is also relevant and important because it points out many unjust circumstances in the political and legal arena that prevent or make it challenging for native Hawaiians to reestablish their own sovereign nation.
Overall this book was very helpful because it broadened my perspective and furthered my understanding pertaining to where native Hawaiians are coming from in their passionate reconciliation to the land.

Oahu

2008-06-29T01:56:00.000-07:00

Even though Oahu and Maui are both known to be desirable destinations, they have very little in common. Honolulu is a large city packed with an extremely diverse population. For this Maui girl it takes a little getting used to. I have enjoyed my time so far. Today I went to an orientation with the Protect Kah'oolawe Ohana. I and three others were prepped on safety precautions, Hawaiian protocol, and other important topics pertaining to visiting the island. I am actually really excited to visit. Kim, who did the orientation also recommended some very good books about people who have been involved with Kaho'olawe. This was so helpful for me because it has been hard to research books that specifically focus on Kaho'olawe. I went down to the used book store and picked up three of them. I spent at least an hour there because there were so many books on Hawaiian culture and people. I will have to go back.
This trip has also been good for me because I am reconnecting with good friends and my cousins who live on island.

More Research And Transcribing

2008-06-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been reading the book, Shoal Of Time: A History Of The Hawaiian Islands by Gavan Daws. This is a great book that is easy to read. But at the same time it is heavy and packed with information. Retaining it all is impossible. I am starting to make connections with my interviews and research. What I find the most intriguing is the consistent desire through out history for native Hawaiians to have a progressive and integrative relationship with the rest of the world. When King Kamehameha the first ruled he worked toward unifying the islands and preparing them for a broad world view. He traded with all sorts of merchants from all over the globe, at the same time being true to his ancient traditions. Daws writes, "With all this traffic back and forth Honolulu produced some strange juxtapositions of old and new. Kamehameha lounged in all but naked outside a European house being built for him. Native chiefs had Western names tattooed on their arms.... The American traders held Fourth of July celebrations with rickets and fireworks in the royal yam patch," (pg 48). Its very interesting to see a society that has been isolated from the Western World for hundreds of years, embrace it while holding true to their own ideologies. Many interesting coincidences took place through out Hawaiian history to prepare for the integration of the two societies. One example of this was the doing away with the ancient kapu system that Hawaiians lived by. In Pre-European times, Hawaiians had different kapus or taboos that were strictly enforced by Hawaiian priests known as Kapunas. One kapu was that men and women were forbidden to eat with each other. After king Kamehameha the first died, his wife Queen Kaahumanu challenged this kapu by persuading Kamehameha the first's son, Liholiho the new king, to dine with her. After doing so, the entire religious system was broken. Priests no longer had the same authority. The women's role in society took a complete 180 degree turn, and idols and temples all over the islands were destroyed. The Hawaiian islands were without a national religion. Within just a few months of this happening the Protestant missionaries arrived. Naturally, the general population of Hawaii embraced Christianity with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately the diplomatic hospitality of the native Hawaiian's was abused by secular and non-secular foreigners alike.
What is fascinating to me is the progressiveness of the society, but at the same time their ability to preserve their traditions. This is spoken of in the two interviews that I have done so far. Both narrators talk about using modern technologies in a culturally minded way. Mike Nahoopi'i used the example of building houses out of modern resources while using traditional chants and blessings during the building process. This could be described as living in a modern world with a native mindset so to speak.
I have finished transcribing my second interview. This interview is filled with thoughts and ideas on culture and tradition. I hope you enjoy it.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg48z7r4_12dds74wht

Transcribing

2008-06-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I began transcribing the first interview. I had never completely transcribed an interview before. One hour of speaking had turned into twenty eight pages, double spaced, of writing. It was hard and took many hours. The hardest part was knowing where to put commas and periods. I have enough trouble as it is with grammar.

There is a really nice south swell right now and I have been able to get some surfing in with my dad. It has been a good way of escaping the monotony of transcribing. I am proud of myself for getting it done though. Here is the link if you are curious about how it went. It was really fun and Mike had some beautiful things to say about culture and the future of Hawaii and Kaho'olawe.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg48z7r4_10fg6k7wgp

Second Interview

2008-06-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

Today I interviewed Kapono'ai Molitau. He is the Cultural Specialist for the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission. This was an amazing experience. He is very in tune and connected to his Hawaiian culture and has been since an extremely young age. Before the interview he asked me what I hoped to do with the interviews and information that I gathered. He told me that he had been a part of other oral history projects that simply get shelved and nothing is made of them. He told me that he hoped that it would touch people and make them aware of what is going on in Hawaii and perhaps inspire people to care for the land where they live. I promised him I would do my best. He is a true Hawaiian that spoke of being the physical embodiment of his culture and representation of his ancestors. He spoke of the concept of the land being the chief and man being it's servants. Rather than ruling the land we are to care for it and love it. He talked much of the ancient history of Kaho'olawe and the voyage his ancestors took across the ocean from Tahiti. Honestly this interview was overwhelming. I was on the verge of crying at times because he was so filled with a strong authoritative passion for his land and culture. I will really have to go through this interview a few times to be able to grasp and remember all that he talked about.

Chants and Mythologies

2008-06-09T22:53:00.001-07:00

The book Kaho'olawe Na Leo o Kanaloa, printed by 'Ai Pohaku Press is a compilation of different chants and mythologies (Meles and Mo’olelos) that make mention of the island Kaho’olawe. It is the most extensive compilation in existence. It also had many beautiful photographs taken by various well known photographers over a four-year period.
A few things about these chants and myths really impacted me. The first thing was that it answered some questions about the mythological history of the island. In the previous book that I read Kaho’olawe by Inez Macphee Ashdown, the folktale she told of the island was that it was a creation of the god Kanaloa that never came to life. That is how it acquired the name, “the island of death.” I was curious about what native Hawaiians in the past as well as the present think about that mythology. What I learned is that this island has many different mythologies. It is said to have three demigod mothers, to be a place of refuge for chiefs of ancient time, and a sacred place that the shark god protects by cruising its cliffs. It is referred to as a child, a “gleaming vagina,” and a "tenant farmer". As I can tell there are many myths that change over the generations and are different from island to island and family to family. Today it has taken on a new purpose. Rowland Reeves writes in the introduction, “Their chants express what the island has come to represent to many contemporary Hawaiians: over the past two decades, this ‘island of death’ as it was once called, has become a place of cultural refuge and cultural rebirth.”
Another aspect of these chants and stories that had an impact on me was that the native Hawaiians are carrying on these oral traditions today. One chant in particular stood out to me. It was composed by Harry Mitchell, an elder of the Protect Kaho’olawe Ohana group. It gives the entire history of the island. First it links its birth to many different deities. Then it goes into the time of king Kamehameha, the time of when their traditions were challenged by their ali'i (royalty), the western influence and forbidding of practicing ancient religion and culture, to the time of goat and cattle ranching, to the military use, all the way up to present day. This chant has become the anthem of Kaho’olawe. It is amazing to see a people reconnect with old stories, cultures and traditions, to continue the practices into their modern day lives. It shows a strong, progressive perspective on culture.

Research

2008-06-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

For the last few days I have been doing research. I read a book called Kaho'olawe by Inez Macphee Ashdown about the island Kaho'olawe before it was seized by the U.S. military for ammunitions testing. It was leased from Hawaii by the MacPhee family in the early 1900s. Before that it was used by sheep and goat ranchers. The impact of the goats on the island resulted in almost complete deforestation. A few of the requirements for the MacPhee family were to eradicate the island of goats and reforest the land. The family was almost completely successful in doing this. By the time the Navy seized the land in 1941, there were only about 50 goats left and the island had been turned into a very successful cattle ranch.
There is a lot of mythology about this island that the author touched upon. During her time, the island was reffered to as the "island of death." I am assuming this is because of the devistation caused by the goats when her family first arrived. According to Macphee, Kaho'olawe means "gatherer of driftwood."
Scattered all over the island there are many historical sights. The author of the book recollects when a big boulder fell from a cliff and exposed an ancient burial of a warrior chief. Inside were his bones, his feather cape, an outrigger canoe, and various other items meant for him to take to the afterlife.
The book was interesting. I also indexed my first interview and scheduled my second. It will be on Tuesday with the Cultural Specialist of the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission.

First Interview

2008-06-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today I interviewed Mike Nahoopii. He has a long standing relationship with Kaho'olawe that goes back about twenty seven years. He is now the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission Executive Director. The interview was about an hour long and went really well. He is a really animated person that is used to giving interviews. He talked about when he first went to the island as a boy in 1981 for a camping trip and how you could find archaeological sights all over the island. Later in his Navy career he got involved with the island again by being put in charge of the Navy's ammunitions clean up and restoration project. It was really interesting to hear his perspective on the cultural significance of the island. He also helped me to understand the idea of the island being entrusted to the state and one day being given back to the Hawaiian Sovereign nation.
The interview went well. He said he enjoyed talking about all of it because a lot of times he has all these thoughts about the Kaho'olawe and his culture, but doesn't have the opportunity to really focus on them because he is so busy with other projects. I will give him a copy of the recording and transcription when I am done. I really liked doing it. Now I am going to contact a few more people for interviews. I might have to go to Oahu for the next one. Should be fun.

Restoration

2008-05-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today I volunteered with the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Partnership. We planted Nioa trees. They are native to Hawaii. We went to the side of the Volcano Haleaka, that faces the southern part of Maui. There is a water shortage on this part of the island. The watershed partnership hopes to reintroduce native trees like Koa wood to what once was forest. But because of the introduction of goats and sheep, as well as harvesting of precious woods and the introduction of invasive plants, is now pastureland. In doing this they hope to create a watershed. The trees, especially the Koa, are good for catching the clouds as they drift across they mountain range. This in turn will make a wetter environment.

McNair Summer

2008-05-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

I am spending the summer in Maui because of the McNair Scholars program. It is a program that prepares you to enter grad school by assigning you a faculty member as a mentor, preparing you for the grad school entry exams, providing funds to do a summer research project of your choice, publishes your finding in a McNair journal, and enables you to do presentations on your summer research findings.

I chose Maui because I used to live here and have family on island. I have always loved Maui so much. My project is an oral histories project. I intend to interview native Hawaiians that have been involved in the restoration of the island above, Kaho'olawe. This island is about eight miles off of the southern coast of Maui. For fifty years it was used for ammunitions testing by the U.S. Navy. Before that it was used as a cattle ranch. Because of the grazing and ammunitions testing, the island is suffering from serious erosion. After having 70% of its surface cleared of exploded and unexploded ammunition, it was given back to the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii. At this time there is no Sovereign Nation of Hawaii that is recognized by the United States Federal Government. So it has been entrusted to the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission. This is a state organization that was created after the island was given back to the Sovereign Hawaiian Nation.
I wanted to get about five oral histories of native Hawaiians that have been involved somehow. Ive only been here a week and have made a lot of progress I am really excited about how all of this will turn out.