Here’s Bob the Barman in Chucks Steakhouse, who serves my father mai tais every evening, with his fully working vintage till. A little anecdote from Bob.

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A very sad thing happened today. My Father went to see Marie Casciato his good friends Richard Kellys’ secretary. A women who he had known for several years. She was helping him with his his airline ticket. They finished there business after having a very nice chat and she said she would walk out with him.As he walked out the door he heard a crash and turned to see Marie and the ground. He called for help. There was a Doctor on site but sadly there was nothing they could do. Marie had died. One minute talking fine the next minute dead. Very sad for all concerned. Condolences go out.x

 

Found this on the beach. Its a lauhala pod from the lauhala tree or the walking stick tree(below). Its get eroded by the sea and bristles are formed. The native hawaiians used it as a paint brush.

Lovely scented Ginger Flower in the micronesian style. Known as the ‘evening lei’. An island favourite, of course.

 

This is the yellow ohai ali’i flower and tubular rose which gives the lei a lovely scent.

Found myself at Mr and Mrs Herman Lams 50th wedding anniversary. A tale of true love and the american dream.

Mr Lam escaped communist China aged 14 years old driven out of his village for being a christen, 62 years ago. He got to Shanghai where his aunt gave him a gold pen to help him on his way. After swimming to Hong Kong and managing to secure work. He still had the gold pen which he did not want to sell till he felt he really needed too. That day came when he meet Sadie, Mrs Lam. He sold the pen to take her out on their first date. Unfortunately for him it also involved taking most of her family as well.

The photo on the invite is their wedding photo. They then immigrated to Hawaii where they worked their way to financial stability. Raising 5 children who they put through college and have become successful in their own right.

Mrs Lam read a self penned poem which ended with the words 

‘there are marriages, there are unions and then there are soul mates’.

He seems to have got the Lei thing down. Well I suppose its far enough, Duke Kahanamoku was Hawaiis official Ambassador of Aloha as well as being father of international surfing and six times olympic swimming champion. He loved people and life. Aloha to that.