gigi-hawaii

David was very fortunate to have a mother who loved classical music and was an accomplished pianist, herself. I remember her playing pieces by Chopin and Bach on my piano back in the 1980s, when we were living in our condo. She played from memory, and it was flawless. I was so impressed, as it had been years since she had played, having left her piano behind in Calgary, Canada, when she and her husband immigrated to the USA in the 1940s.

When Van Cliburn became the first American pianist to win the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958 (at age 23), David’s mother insisted that the entire family attend his Victory Tour concert at the Waikiki Shell in Hawaii. And that’s precisely what they did. There they all were, sitting under the stars at the Shell, enjoying piano music by Van Cliburn and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.

As for me, my parents had absolutely no interest in classical music. I knew nothing about Van Cliburn and the Tchaikovsky competition, as it was not discussed by my parents. We didn’t have a stereo, so I never had the opportunity to listen to classical music when I was growing up…

…Until that moment when I decided to tune my transistor radio to a classical music station. I heard the Beethoven Violin Concerto for the first time in my life. It was performed by the French virtuoso violinist, Zino Francescatti. I loved his vibrato and expressive phrasing. It was so incredibly sweet that tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. This inspired me to focus even more on my private violin lessons as a teenager. Years later, when living in New York, I had the chance to hear Francescatti perform at Hunter College Playhouse. He played a number of violin sonatas with piano accompaniment. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see my idol perform in person.

Hunter College Playhouse was the place to attend recitals by world renowned musicians. I heard the virtuoso violinists, Nathan Milstein and Henryk Szeryng, perform there to an enthusiastic audience (standing room only). Oh, it was exciting to live in New York (1970-1975)!

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All of my siblings and children prefer to listen to pop or jazz. So, you can imagine how glad I am that my husband loves classical music as much as I do. In fact, he majored in Music Education at the University of Hawaii and studied classical clarinet for many years. He took courses in music history and music theory and can identify all of the instruments in the orchestra. We are on the same page when it comes to classical music.

How glad I am that we met for the first time in May 1977 at a music rehearsal. We both had joined the Karadeniz Band. He played his clarinet, and I played my violin. He began taking me home after rehearsal…and the rest is history.

Despite our vastly different upbringing, David and I get along very well.

The couple who listens to music together stays together.

There is such a paucity of ballet productions in Hawaii. Usually, the “Nutcracker is performed during the Christmas season, and that’s it. David and I saw “Sleeping Beauty” performed at the Blaisdell a few years ago and enjoyed it tremendously. But, other than that, there is nothing but the “Nutcracker” ad nauseum.

Today, I would like to feature three famous ballet dancers I saw perform in person. They brought so much joy to my dreary life, and I still remember them to this day!

Maria Tallchief:

I saw Maria Tallchief perform “The Firebird” in Hawaii in 1965. She danced with utter passion and abandon, yet we knew she stuck to the choreography. She was America’s first major prima ballerina. Further, she was the first Native American (Osage Nation) to hold that rank. She retired in 1966 and died in 2013 at age 88.

Mikhail Baryshnikov:

I saw Mikhail Baryshnikov perform in New York in 1974, shortly after he had defected from the Soviet Union, where he was born and raised. He was famous in the Soviet Union but chafed at the restrictions that prevented him from dancing contemporary foreign ballet. Once he settled in New York, his fame grew even more. His jetes were high and effortless. I was thrilled and enthralled by his performance of various solo pieces, which showed off his technical mastery of the ballet. Baryshnikov also starred in a number of Hollywood movies, e.g., “White Nights,” which David and I saw in 1985. Though he spoke with a Russian accent, I thought his English was pretty darn good. He is famous as a ballet dancer, choreographer, director, and actor. He is still alive at age 74 and is married with 4 children. He became an American citizen in 1986.

Natalia Makarova:

This is Natalia Makarova, dancing with Mikhail Baryshnikov. I saw them perform together on stage in 1974 in New York. Makarova also defected from the Soviet Union in 1970. She was such a graceful, lyrical prima ballerina. It was lovely to watch her emote on stage, moving me to tears. She is famous as a dancer and choreographer and is still alive at age 81.

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When I was 12 years old, I enrolled in a ballet class at the YWCA. It was just a 6-week class during the summer. I was quite good at it, and I could do the splits and plies very easily. (No way can I do them now!)

But at the end of the term, my parents told me I had to choose between ballet classes and violin lessons, as they could not afford both. I thought then that the violin would be something I could pursue in old age, whereas ballet would be short term in the long run. Hence, I pursued violin lessons and don’t regret my decision to do so. But how sad I was that I couldn’t study the ballet, too!

I truly admire ballet dancers. They have such gorgeous bodies, so sinewy yet lithe. And when they move so beautifully to music, why, it just takes your breath away.

I miss my life in New York (1970-1975). There was always the ballet to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon.

“Hamilton”

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Blaisdell Concert Hall

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Despite the ongoing pandemic, we’re attending various musicals and operas again:

April: We already have seen “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” which we enjoyed immensely (Broadway musical);

July: Lisa Matsumoto’s “Once Upon One Time” (a pidgin English musical);

October: Nolan Gasser/Carey Harrison’s “The Secret Garden” (opera);

December: Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” (Broadway musical);

February 2023: Gaetano Donizetti’s “Elixir of Love” (opera);

April 2023: Giacomo Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” (opera);

June 2023: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” (Broadway musical).

We have already bought tickets to these musicals and operas. I plan to wear my mask throughout all performances, as it will protect me. I hope to have a great time without getting sick.

As a bonus, we were charged a special reduced price for disabled seniors. Not only that, but we have been assigned seats that are convenient and accessible. (We need to be near our walkers.) I am so glad that we live in Hawaii.

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You might be wondering why we are not subscribing to the Hawaii Symphony. There are 3 reasons:

(1) The concerts are being held at the Hawaii Theatre in Chinatown. It’s a small, cramped theatre, where seating is uncomfortable;

(2) Parking there is difficult; and

(3) The programming is lackluster.

Joshua Bell and Larisa Martinez.

However, we did enjoy the Joshua Bell concert last January. He played the violin beautifully, and his wife, soprano Larisa Martinez, sang expressively. This concert was held at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, which has very comfortable seating.

Maybe, things will improve, and the Symphony will leave Chinatown and switch back to the Blaisdell. Until that happens, though, we won’t be subscribing to the Symphony.

Here we are at Michel’s (2021).

David and I have been married for 42 years. It’s the first marriage for both of us. We now are in our 70s. Neither of us has dementia. We spend our days in conversation.

U.S. Supreme Court.

For instance, we have been discussing the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Though he is not a woman, David is pro-choice. Me? I am definitely pro-life. He has his reasons and I have mine for feeling the way we do. Our discussions so far have been civil and amicable. But this controversy will continue forever with no real end in sight.

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We discuss politics. Our Hawaii primary is scheduled for August 13.

Vicky Cayetano.

David is going to vote for Vicky Cayetano for Governor and Sherry Menor-McNamara for Lt. Governor.

Vicky is married to Ben Cayetano, who was Governor for 2 terms. She once owned and managed United Laundry Services, a profitable company serving hotels and hospitals in Hawaii.

Sherry is President and CEO of the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce.

David likes these 2 women, because they are business oriented.

Dr. Joshua Green.

I plan to vote for Dr. Joshua Green for Governor and Sylvia Luke for Lt. Governor.

Dr. Green has been our Lt. Governor for the past 4 years and has done an excellent job leading the Covid response efforts. He also is a practicing emergency room physician (Pennsylvania State University, MD; University of Pittsburgh, Residency), working twice monthly at a hospital in Kona, Hawaii.

Sylvia Luke is a practicing attorney (University of San Francisco, JD), who chairs the House Finance Commitee. She has brought transparency and accountability to the budget.

I like Dr. Green and Sylvia Luke, because they have the most education and political experience of all the candidates.

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We also talk about sports. David is always asking Siri on his iPhone what an athlete’s net worth is.

Tennis star Coco Gauff’s net worth is $2 Million:

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As for me, I like the British royal family. I truly admire Queen Elizabeth’s dignity and composure despite the turmoil in her life. And she is 96, having served 70 years on the throne!

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David and I don’t always agree with each other, and we do sometimes have divergent interests. But conversation is what drives our marriage. We don’t spend our days in golden silence!

We are not only husband and wife. We are best friends!

We celebrated our 42nd Wedding Anniversary at Chef Chai (June 2022). The 4-course dinner was fabulous!

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You might be wondering why I have not posted any restaurant reviews lately. The last one was posted on May 27.

Well, believe it or not, David and I have been dining out quite frequently. Recently, we had lunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. I ordered delicious Chicken Scallopine, and David ordered Pepperoni Pizza. We also had a fantastic 4-course dinner at Chef Chai, celebrating our 42nd wedding anniversary. And we had lunch at the Greek Marina and Chengdu Taste. The reason why I have not posted a review of these 4 restaurants is that I have already reviewed these 4 restaurants. I don’t want to be redundant!

We also had lunch at Tango Contemporary Cafe. This restaurant has won several awards, but the food we ordered was pretty bad. My Madras Chicken Curry was bland and tasteless. David’s N.Y. Steak was gristly and tough. So, why post photos of such bad food?

Then, we had lunch at Assaggio at Ala Moana Center. We were so disappointed in this restaurant. David ordered Osso Buco, but was served Veal Parmigiana, instead. He was pissed off with the chef, but ate it anyway, because he didn’t want to wait another 20 minutes to eat. My Shrimp and Chicken Linguine was mediocre. So, why write a post about this disappointing dining experience?

Those are the reasons why I haven’t posted a restaurant review lately.

Cuisine that is fit for a King and Queen? Why, that would be enough to make my culinary heart sing!

I wish I had a veranda to sit in, but I do not. I do have a patio in the back, but the view isn’t very interesting. So, every morning around 6:00 AM, I sit on a chair in my carport. It is 71F at this time, and I have to wear a sweater.

This is my breakfast, which consists of crackers covered with Guacamole and Spicy Hummus:

I gaze at the scenery.

Birds:

A cat:

My Filipino neighbor:

My Vietnamese neighbor:

My Chinese neighbor:

My White neighbor, his son, and his two dogs:

This is my carport. That chair next to the red car is where I sit and watch the world go by:

When breakfast is over, I head back into the house before it gets too hot. It is expected to hit 87F today with high humidity. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

It is Summer in Hawaii, and the living is easy!

My landscaper is from the Philippines. His name is Nolie. I am very pleased with his diligent yard work. He recently vacationed in the Philippines for 3 weeks with his wife and 16-year-old son. They were thrilled to be back there.

Nolie told me that he voted in the recent Filipino presidential election and is overjoyed that Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. won by a landslide, replacing Duterte as President. Although Marcos is the son of a ruthless dictator (Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.), Nolie likes him, because Marcos and Nolie both were born in the same province (Ilocos Norte).

Marcos, Sr. was overthrown by a popular revolt in 1984 after 20 years in power. He and his wife fled to Hawaii, where he died in 1989 at age 72.

Imelda Marcos returned to the Philippines to bury her husband there. She was tried and convicted of corruption during her husband’s regime and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, she has not served any time behind bars. Obviously, the Marcos family still has enormous charisma and power in the Philippines.

We shall see if Marcos, Jr. will step down when his term in office is over. Presidents are allowed only a single 6-year term and cannot be reelected. Will there be a true democracy, or will there be a dictatorship again?

President Biden called Marcos, Jr. to congratulate him on his victory. Biden realizes how strategically important the Philippines is to us.

We shall see what the future holds.

This is Manila, capital of the Philippines:

This is Filipino folk art:

This is Filipino folk dance:

This is Pancit, a popular Filipino noodle dish, which I like very much:

There are 4 million Filipino Americans in the USA, and 367,000 of them live in Hawaii. They constitute 25% of Hawaii’s population.

The Filipinos I know are all very pleasant, friendly, and kind people. My doctor at Straub Clinic is Filipino and board certified.

I have never been to the Philippines, but I think it’s an interesting culture with an interesting history.

P.S. The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a Filipino journalist, Maria Ressa, who championed freedom of expression in the Philippines. She was the first Filipino to be awarded that prize.

Last week, the 40-year-old Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas) at the Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii died of natural causes after releasing a cloud of eggs. It was the oldest and most famous clam in captivity worldwide, which is why its demise was newsworthy. It had been a star attraction at the aquarium.

This clam was spawned in captivity and purchased from a clam farm in Palau 30 years ago. After moving to the Waikiki Aquarium, it grew to a massive 200 lbs. It dined on algae and plankton and was given no supplemental food.

You might say that this clam’s diet and sedentary lifestyle were absolutely boring. But, hey, that diet and lifestyle kept it alive for 40 years. Much longer than a horse might live. The life expectancy of a horse is 25-30 years. On the other hand, horses seem to have more fun than clams do, in my opinion.

My 12-year-old grandson wants to be a marine biologist and ecologist when he grows up. Science fascinates him.

There is so much to learn about the ocean and its inhabitants.

I didn’t know that Lisa had the Covid while she was staying with us for 10 days (May 27-June 6) until Maria told me so last week. I was shocked. When Lisa was here, she developed a bad cough and a migraine towards the end of her vacation, but, I didn’t think it was the Covid. In fact, she took our home test, and it was negative.

Then, Lisa took the test again at the hospital where she works in Nevada, and it was positive. She called to ask how I was feeling. When I told her I was okay, she said she had the “Covid.” But I thought she said she had a “Cold.” Man, I really should have my hearing checked!

Anyway, I never bothered to test myself and neither did David. For all we know, we might have had the Covid. We both were asymptomatic and still are. Our vaccines are effective.

Even though you have been vaccinated, you really should wear your mask. Lisa was fully vaxed including 2 boosters, but she got sick, nevertheless. It’s because she didn’t wear her mask when she was in crowded social situations. And just think: She flew in a crowded plane back to Nevada, unaware she had the Covid!

On July 10, we will be attending a musical at a local high school. I am going to wear a mask, but David said that he won’t wear his. Very foolish of him.

Oh, well, you will die of something sooner or later. Covid? Cancer? Pick your poison!

There is so much suffering in Hawaii. Many people, especially the elderly, are homeless. The local newspaper recently featured 2 women, who are in their 80s, living homeless in Waikiki, which is a mecca for tourists. Neither woman has ID, because it was stolen by other homeless people. Without an ID and not being vaccinated, they have limited access to shelters. Where can they use the bathroom, and where can they get food and water?

It’s a jungle out there. A dog eat dog world. Just awful! The social workers can do only so much. It’s overwhelming.

Doesn’t this make your own problems seem so petty and miniscule?

My arthritis makes me feel depressed sometimes, but at least I have a nice house to live in. I also have ID, medical and dental insurance, and enough money to buy food and pay my bills.

What have I got to complain about? Well, only arthritis!

I am so spoiled. I have everything I could possibly want in life…except perfect health.

If I had perfect health, I would be in Heaven!