the jetlag hour

Hello ~

Nice to meet you. Spread your blanket, and quickly pour yourself a glass of something special (I suggest wine) and make yourself comfortable. If you forgot your blanket, I will share.

Since jetlag still is holding me firmly with it's large talons and I cannot for my life go to sleep, I figure I might as well start this write-a-blog business. I might as well run this pig. Now! :)

It's been a week since we got back home after an awesome two weeks in Hawai'i. Since homecoming though, I've been fighting jetlag - the kids won't fall asleep until 3.30am and other such antics - for days. And the topper was that the worst heatwave in years pretty much was in full force as we landed back in New York. It got up to 108 Fahrenheit one day in Newark, NJ, last week, which is not were we live but I thought I'd mention it anyway since that is oh-so HOT! 

If you're not familiar with what 108 degrees Fahrenheit really means - yes, I am talking to you my Scandi sisters and brothers - it can be translated to over 42 degrees Celcius. With the thick humidity it feels like 115 F = over 46 C. That's brutal.

But enough about the weather. Me and my hula sisters in our New York halau (school) extension of Pua Ali'i 'Ilima O'ahu went to Hawai'i - 10 crazy hula sisters in all. It was hula immersion galore lead by our amazing kumu Vicky Holt Takamine, who had classes and workshops and performances and huaka'i's (excusions) planned (or not planned, but happened anyway in true Takamine fashion!) for us in a never ending stream. For some of us it was the first time we got to meet our hula sisters and brothers on O'ahu finally. It was AAWSUM!   

You can read about our arrival here:

http://www.paifoundation.org/2011/07/06/ny-students-hit-hawaii-this-week/

One of our events was an early morning TV appearance with our kumu and some of our halau members from Hawai'i and New York. You can enjoy that here:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/category/6743/video?clipId=6047344&topVideoCatNo=undefined&autoStart=true

The culmination of all our efforts, hard work and endless hours of practice back in New York was our participation together with our O'ahu halau in the prestigious Prince Lot Hula Festival in the beautiful Moanalua Gardens in Honolulu. What a day! I will live on the surge I felt after it was all done, for the rest of the year. That feeling will feed me at dull moments, during hard times or when I stress about something silly.

Some of the images from the whole event were professionally captured here:

http://www.moanaluagardensfoundation.org/

Well, this was nice but my eyelids are getting rather heavy, and I am going to attempt to sleep. We have to do this again sometime soon. Don't forget to bring your picnic basket, and some paint to paint the sky and the flowers.