Paris, etc

Paris boat ride. It is an island city, so named, and its symbols are a boat and oar.rape seed fields of bright yellow.

More later!

Kakigori 氷

Kakigori is a Japanese treat that immigrants brought to Hawaii, where it is known as 'shave ice,' dropping the past tense in the way of 'hash' browns, 'ice' tea or 'ice' cream.

 A summer treat big at the many festivals, kakigori differs from snow cones for its absolutely fine shavings that you gently lift off with a spoon, like eating snow.

Sakuraya, the lone Gardena store which served kakigori - otherwise had in Japanese town - and its famed mochi and manju cakes which even Japanese tourists now purchase to take back to Japan!  The secret with kakigori is using a solid block of ice, not cubes, in order to "shave" off with a blade, not chipped.

In Japan, these are, like most things, taken to their ultimate aesthetic and culinary level, where you can order it with UJI (the highest grade of green tea from a village near Kyoto) and azuki beans, sweetened; giving it a bitter/sweet blend.

Hula Girls of Huntington Beach brought shave ice to BHCA yesterday, reproducing much of the flavor and all of the atmosphere with their homemade syrups,

 

 

At the end, Jason pulled out the azuki beans, tropical fruit, and condensed milk ('snow cap'), as a special favor. I had three. A Poipu native, Jason knew of the prickly lady ("auntie") in charge of Hanalei's Wishing Well and helped mainstream shave ice on the mainland. School's almost out for summer, as American students plunge into the famous 'summer slide,' losing weeks of learning to be redone in September.

Jack's recital

 More lowkey, compared to Mrs. Loyd's studio, Jack's spring recital was refreshingly laidback, simple.

 Carolyn found a great teacher in Dena, who understands children, especially those who've chosen a difficult instrument.

Jack, who loves numbers - does math homework for fun, really took to sudoku in Hawaii - seemingly fits the profile of individuals geared towards music and math.

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Michael is a real party animal who fulfilled a dream by painting his hair at an elementary school carnival. Reveling in all the game booths, even entering a watermelon eating contest. He hates watermelon.

This has been a great neighborhood for the boys, who routinely play with the kids across the street and next door. A late ending, BHCA goes til the 22nd, summer is almost here.