Category: blog

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“City of Brotherly Love”

I had the privilege of attending the ISTE Conference in Philadelphia this summer. It was an amazing learning experience. I’ll post something about it later on my school blog. But this post is not about that. Here’s a little story….

Arriving early in Philly, we were able to do a little sightseeing and take a bus tour of the city. I saw the Love sculpture at the JFK Plaza, a.k.a. the LOVE Park. It was a few blocks away from our hotel and on the way to the convention center. I attended an informal bloggers’ session on the weekend and thought it would be a good opportunity to check out the park. (A tourist took this photo of me.)

What I discovered there was somewhat disturbing. It was a park where the homeless lived. At first, I walked around the fountains and avoided the homeless people. I ignored them like how the tourists and businessmen there ignored them. I guess you call that “selective seeing.” Then I came across this blind, elderly lady who was also mentally disabled. It broke my heart. What’s going to happen to her? Who’s looking out for her? She was the neediest of the needy.

I had brunch at the Reading Terminal Market, a Philly cheese steak sandwich. It was good, and it was huge. I saved half and went to my session. When it was over, I thought about that lady. God really put her on my heart. I decided to return to the park on my way back to the hotel. I looked for her, but I couldn’t find her.

Everyone at the park was snapping pictures and ignoring all of the homeless people scattered among the park benches. But I decided to walk alongside the groups of homeless people. What a turnaround. I couldn’t find the lady, so I looked for the oldest man there. It startled him when I offered the sandwich. Guess they’re used to being ignored. He happily accepted.

The next day, I took a stroll through the neighborhood. I had what I now call, “the best lunch of my life.” I visited this highly recommended kosher deli and sampled their homemade corned beef and pastrami meats. Oh my gosh! I went with the pastrami on rye, latkes (potato cakes,) slaw, and pickles. So ono that it made my head spin! Again, the portions were just too huge. I went back to the park and looked for the lady one more time. On this Sunday, a local church outreach was there to pass out lunch bags. The line stretched along the sidewalk of an entire city block. There were still a bunch of people on the benches. I couldn’t find the lady, so I looked for somone who looked the saddest. I startled him. He took the bag and said, “God bless you.” His face just lit up.

As delicious as the food was, it was my “best lunch” because I got to share it. This was after all, the LOVE Park….

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Around the Block….

I’ve been living here at 909 Kapiolani for nearly two years now. Still, I’m surprised by what I sometimes stumble upon in my own” backyard.” My building sits at the corner of a major intersection, Kapiolani Boulevard and Ward Avenue. I’m more familiar with those two thoroughfares than the surrounding back alleys. This morning, I walked down my back street to Harry’s Cafe for the 99¢ breakfast. To avoid the construction site of the Pacifica (formerly known as the Moana Vista,) I took a shortcut through a parking lot to get to the next street. There I saw a preschool underneath the parking structure of another condo building, lined by auto repair shops. And this….

I discovered a lunch wagon (food truck) that featured smoked, barbecue ribs. It was tucked alongside a self-storage facility.

I later returned home to a coffee truck that’s parked downstairs behind my building. They cater to the constructions workers down the block.

Needless to say, they are doing great business….

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Memories of My First Day….

Today’s summer school technology training debacle brought back memories of my very first day as a Kamehameha employee. Everyone remembers their first day. Mine is hard to forget….

The week before my first day, my manager (let’s call him Dan) called me. He said, “Al, I know it’ll be your first day, but would you mind flying out to the Hawai’i Campus for training?”

“No problem!” I thought to myself, I need all the training I can get. Little did I know, I was supposed to give the training, not receive it….

My first day: wanting to make a good first impression, I arrive at the airport at 4:45am. Back then, the inter-island terminal’s parking structure opened at 5am. Not knowing this, I turned around and parked in the Mahalo Airlines parking lot. I walked it back to the terminal huffing and puffing.

I sat at the gate and waited for my colleagues (let’s call them Davin & Momi.) 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, I waited. At 5:45, passesengers started boarding. I had to make a quick decision. Do I get on the plane not knowing where to go or what to do, or do I call in sick on my first day? Finally, Davin & Momi arrive as the “last call” announcement is made. Phew.

We had breakfast at Ken’s House of Pancakes. Little did I know, this was to be the highlight of my day….

We arrive at the newly built Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i Campus. The campus is grand, spacious, and pristine. We set-up, say a pule, get introduced, and then my adventure begins. Everything moves in slow-motion. My portion of the training is on Microsoft PowerPoint. Easy. Only thing, I’m a Mac guy. The Hawai’i teachers are all on PCs. They also have the brand new version. Back in the DOE, I was using the old stuff. Here we go….

“Aloha! My name is Al. Welcome to the wonderful world of PowerPoint! You and your students are gonna create amazing presentations! First, you go here….oh. Hmm. Wait. No, first you click here…. Oh? Uh, then let’s do this. Um, let’s click here…. oh. OK, here’s a trick.” (I show them something flashy.) All right, I’m good now. “Now move your cursor down here to… OH. OK, Then you do this…. oh….?” (Before OMG, I think I invented “Oh?”)

Minutes seemed like hours. Finally, like a good UFC referee, Momi stepped in to protect the beaten fighter. “Thanks Al! Can I also mention a few things?” (Everything that happened after that was a blur.) The gracious teachers at Hawai’i Campus thanked us and told me that they couldn’t believe this was only my first day. Unless my unconscious body got up and delivered a morsel of good training, I don’t know what they were talking about. Of course, they are genuinely nice people.

Through the years, it all came back full-circle today. The difference? I can laugh now. LOL….

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Nohona….

….means to practice, whereas ‘ike means knowledge.

Our Kamehameha Schools Education Technology Services Team (ETS) went on a nohona outing yesterday to Kailua. We met at Kailua Beach Park and had a cool icebreaker activity.

We downloaded the iPhone app called Seek ‘n Spell which is like Scrabble using the iPhone’s GPS. It was a blast! My team came in a respectable 4th place. (Photo courtesy of Keith.)

We then hiked up to the Lanikai Pillbox. The view was spectacular! Another one of God’s masterpieces. It was an extremely windy day, but fortunately no one lost a hat.

We came back to the beach park and played Hanohano Wailea on our ukuleles. It’s a song written by Kihei DeSilva about the ancient place names of the area.

We then picked up lunch from K & K Barbecue Inn. We all ordered the garlic shrimp w/ fried rice on Uluhani’s recommendation. It was awesome.

The entire day was awesome. Mahalo to the planning team. And mahalo Ke Akua for blessing me with a team of great people.

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“Worship Him” Honolulu 2011

Attended the HIM (Hawaiian Islands Ministries) Conference this past weekend. It was my ninth conference in a row. It’s something that I look forward to all year long. The teaching is incredible and the worship is amazing. Such a blessing!

Here I am waiting outside the Convention Center’s main ballroom. I’m always early to each general session so that I can get a good seat. I know, crazy….

There were about 4000 attendees. You can’t see me (obviously because I took this picture,) but because I’m usually in the 2nd or 3rd row.

Here are the highlights that I will remember from this conference:
1. Deepening my relationship with God.
2. Dave Gibbons from Arizona and Pete Greig from London were fantastic speakers.
3. Koa Siu sitting in with Cory’s band on Friday. Amazing song….
4. The Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream (dipped in dark chocolate) that I always get there.
5. Saturday morning’s worship. The youth are allowed to come up near the stage for worship. They usually dance and “move all over.” They are awesome. But this morning, these two local old men (one with a cane) came up to the front in the aisle next to me. They were dancing and praising out loud. It was great. It was absolutely contagious and inspiring to say the least. They really knew how to WORSHIP HIM.

Already looking forward to next year….