Scenes From The Aina

Just because sometimes pictures speaks more volume than words.

Now where’s my trusted steed?

How do you propose to a girl who already knows you will propose to her soon, who has already picked out her engagement ring, who has the wedding planned out already, and whom you know will say yes when you ask for her hand in marriage?

The inner dude in me asks: “Should I even bother? Why can’t I just hand her the ring?”

The sensitive guy in me says: “Yes, because girls like to be romanced and swept off their feet by their knight and shining armor.”

I’m in a quandry.

This is how I talk your ear off

I’ve finally dug myself out of my grave like a zombie. I’m still alive!

It’s been a hectic month and a half. My mom’s visit from California was a lot of fun. I can’t tell you how much I love being tour guide. It’s like being a tourist yourself. It’s also nice to get to spend some time with my mother and talk about life. She’s been hinting a lot that I should get married soon. And somehow it’s been working because I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.

The swineflu pandemic is not letting up. Everyday it seems more and more people are getting sick and that means longer working hours for us. With state funds running dry we are sometimes forced to work extra hours all for the love of public service. I guess that’s just part of being a civil servant.

Working long hours has not been good to my health. Every time I come home all I want to do is just plop into bed and hibernate till next spring. I went to the doctor last week and found out that my A1C has shot up and she’d have to increase my dosage from 850 to 1000. The last thing I want are stronger meds. So I told her to hold off on it until my schedule gets a little bit bearable. Then I’ll have more time to workout and cook at home. But since my schedule hasn’t gotten better I’m forced to work around it. So now instead of running 3 miles twice a week, I run 1 mile once a week, and do 10 minute body weight workouts when I get the chance. So far it’s been working great and my blood sugar has been slowly decreasing.

I was planning on going back to California for a week vacation this August but with the swineflu not letting up means that vacation at work remains suspended. So, I guess the earliest I could take vacation would be sometime around early December.

These are the updates on my part of the woods. I know I’m just babbling here.

XX and XY

I’m glad to be taking a break from saving the island of Oahu from the dreaded swineflu for at least a few days.

Tomorrow my mother dearest will be visiting Hawaii for the very first time. I’ve been living here for about a year and 6 months now and almost every time we talk on the phone I ask her when she plans to visit me. She always has an excuse not to visit. Then a few weeks ago my lovely ku’uipo sent her an invitation inviting her to attend graduation party. Lo and behold she called me a few days ago telling me that she’s finally booked her ticket to Hawaii. Now I’m beginning to suspect a conspiracy going on between these two women. hmmm?

Say the title 5 times and fast

Today I just witnessed the most disturbing sight of all.

I walked in the lab and found The Bossman bobbing his head to the tune of Britney Spears’ If You Seek Amy blasting from our little radio while working on our viral cultures. I think the song must have been playing in his head the whole morning that he eventually figured out the actual meaning of the song, because when I came back after lunch the radio was turned to the oldies station.

Fill in a form: Mine forever more

“I wish I could just stay here with you all day today,” she said as she wraps her arm around me. She buried her head on my chest and squeezed me tighter.

“Will you still say that once we’re married?” I asked.

“Why? Are you worried?”

“Well, I’m just wondering what it’ll be like once we’re married. Will we still have the tolerance for each others bad habits? Are you still gonna be excited to see me everyday? Will you have the same anticipation when I come home from work?”

“Yeah, I know. I wonder too.”

We don’t really know what’s in store for us once we tie the knot, but one thing we know for sure: this song is going to be in our wedding video.

Sing Me A Lullabye

I think I’m in love…

with her voice.

And the world seems so much better. Again. I can breath.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

This is what we live for. This is what we were trained to do. It reminds me of that movie Jarhead. They we’re Marine snipers trained to do only one thing — shoot. Once they got to war they never even fired a single bullet. It’s quite disheartening that after all of those years of training and hard work you never ever get to use it.

News broke out Tuesday morning about an unusual flu strain, similar to swine flu, affecting two kids in San Diego, California. The next day 3 more cases appeared, 2 in San Antonio, Texas and another one back in San Diego, California. Although the flu strain wasn’t considered deadly — all patients recovered rather quickly — but it was in the best interest of the public that this be treated as if it was a deadly one. What makes this case unusual is that all of the patients never had contact with pigs. It is rare for animal virus strains to be transmitted to humans since virus receptor sites in humans are different than that of animals. But close proximity of humans to animals causes these viruses to mutate and infect humans. Usually people infected with animal flu strains, such as bird flu or swine flu, are those that work closely with them, like breeders and animal handlers.

Then Friday morning came with the bad news. 68 deaths were reported in Mexico with hundreds more suffering from flu like symptoms. Just as I had suspected. With San Diego and San Antonio being so close to the border the flu strain could have come from the south. It has already gone into an epidemic, something that we as virologist don’t wish for, but this is what were trained to do. All of those mock training and exercise on what to do during an outbreak or a pandemic, this is what we do for a living. It’s a little scary but I must admit that this is an exciting time to be an influenza virologist right now, because now we can finally fire that single shot that we have been training for.

For the latest on this news click here.

Honey Bunches of Oats

The lady on the next parking stall was patiently waiting for us as we attempted to park her clunker of a car into a compact parking stall. We had to swing her beat-up Toyota Camry several times just so we could squeeze in to that tiny spot. Then after a few minutes of struggle in that small confined space we finally got to park the car.

I jumped out of the car, opened the rear door and grabbed the two small styrofoam coolers rested in the back seat of her car. This way hon, she said as I excitedly followed her. There we stood at the entrance of a small kitchen alongside the boxes, trays, and rolling carts. The space was so small that I was feeling a little claustrophobic. We had to move the carts and boxes as more people were lining up to have there styrofoam coolers filled.

Today we have seven people waiting at home for their meals. This being my first time I’m a bit excited and a bit weary as to how they’d respond to seeing me. They’re used to the regulars that deliver their food and I am not to sure how they’ll receive me in their home.

We arrived at the first house about five minutes early. It’s a retirement apartment complex just at the bottom of Waimano Home Road. The GF knocks on the door. An elderly Chinese lady opens the door and invites us to come inside. She profusely apologizes for her messy domicile, which in reality is actually 100 times cleaner than my apartment. We smiled and told her that she has nothing to worry about. We set up her table — fork and spoon in the proper side of the plate. She thanks us and bid us a safe travel. As we headed back to her car I can’t help but be proud having a girl with such a big heart.

Despite her busy schedule (working 3 jobs and taking her master’s degree) she still manages to squeeze in time to volunteer for Meals-On-Wheels — delivering food to the elderly. When she’s not busy delivering food to the elderly she volunteers for the Food Bank of Hawaii — another charity organization that she supports both physically and financially. As if that wasn’t enough she also sponsors a child in Tanzania through Compassion International.

There are days when I wonder if I’ve made the right choice. Because, sometimes, I must admit that I base my choice on how hot girls look in tight jeans and high heels. But I know from experience that the hot jeans and high heels has nothing to do with relationships. It cannot make the relationship work, nor can it make it last. It is in the heart. And when those days come when I ask my self if I’ve made the right choice, I simply think about the things that she does and why she does it. She has a big heart and most of all I am a better person when I am with her.

Today she turns 31 and I want to make this day special for her, the way she makes other people feel special. Happy birthday my love.

Got beef?

I must have burned at least a 1000 calories that day, because once I got out of the water my knees were rattling like two maracas in a conga line. I zigzagged my way across the uneven sand towards the showers to wash off the sand and the salt. The sun is already fading into a grayish red and the cool evening breeze is making my teeth chatter.

I raced across the street to score some ono grindz (local speak for good food) at the Ala Moana Mall’s food court. I usually order steak dinner after a nice swim but today I decided to get something different. Something healthy. I order some grilled chicken over rice and some leafy greens on the side, because it makes me feel good when I pretend I’m eating healthy.

I was leisurely enjoying my pretend healthy meal when a little boy, about four years old, started to gag and regurgitate his food onto his father’s hand. The father, furious at his son’s antics, began to reprimand the little boy.

“Why are you putting so much sh*t in your mouth, son? Just grab a small bite and then f*ckin’ chew!”

The boy feeling sorry for failing his father’s expectation looked down with tears rolling down his cheeks. He sobbed for a few seconds and then looked up towards his dad and said:”Sorry dad, I’m gonna grab just a little bite so I wont choke. Because if I eat too fast I’m gonna choke, right dad?” As he slowly wiped the tears off his eyes.

“That’s right son. So eat your sh*t slowly. Chew it very well. And then f*ckin’ swallow. Okey?”

Cursing in front of children is something that really irks me. I wanted to say something. I wanted to put that man in his place. But he has biceps the size of Texas and pecs as massive as the USS Enterprise’s hull. So I held my tongue instead. Because I’m pretty sure had I said something I would have probably ended up at the county hospital’s intensive care unit with knuckle marks dented into my skull and a few missing limbs. I think I just made the wisest decision in my life.