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Saturday brought the first truly hot day of the year. the first day of summer really, and the first day after the equinox. The temperature was about 100F (37C). Along with the coming hot days will come the smog and unrelenting fumes. Things I will not miss. But I will miss many things. When I first got here and for the first few months I would have been happy to just go; but now… Good friends make all the difference and I have them here. I even have some friends in the Khan where I may spend an afternoon chatting and drinking chi. Other things to mis: lost alleys, hidden stores, secluded patches of color, discovered restaurants, unknown palaces of splendor, the chaotic pulse of the souks, horse rides into the desert, a day at the beach. It is all here. But my time of departure is at hand. two maybe three weeks then I am off on a new adventure. My first plan is to go up to Jerusalem then over to Istanbul and then….

To day, I attended a sunrise Easter service at the British memorial cemetery (6am). Just 15 minute walk from my apartment. Walking the streets at 5:30 am is blessing. The quietness stillness before the hectic day of Cairo. The streets all but void of cars. The birds singing and chatting in multitudes. A cool damp morning before the hot dry day. Entering the cemetery was like stepping out of Cairo. Broad green lawn with shrubs and trees around the perimeter blocking out the much of Cairo A manicured tunnel of trees leading off left and right. Definitely an English touch. The simple white head stones backdropped by a green open lawn. In the center at giant cross is were we had service as the sun rose. The first rays peaking around the the buildings and casting long shadows of palm trees across the dew wet grass. A moist haze lifted as the dew started to depart for the day. the ??? trees, barren of all leaves but doted with the red of their huge hardy blossoms. A tranquil start to the day.

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This last weekend we had RAIN. Actually for the past week or so we have had torrential downpours, lightning storms that go on for hours, and sunshine. Sometimes all three together. The most beautiful is the when the nearly full moon is out, some stars scattered about, and lighting and thunder plying along the moonlit clouds. This weekend brought even more rain and flash floods. Three parked cars up in Manoa Valley had been washed off the road and into some trees along the Manoa stream, the stream that became more than a trickle. The Hamilton library on University Hawaii Manoa campus was inundated. The basement became totally swamped, nearly to the ceiling, when the basement windows shattered under the weight of the mounting water. The University’s map collection had been stored down there, many irreplaceable. Computers, books and other material could be seen piled next to dumpsters. Furthermore the air-conditioning system for the library, also in the basement, was destroyed. I hear it will be months before the library reopens. As this is the main library, there will be many students concerned about finishing semester research projects (not me). Many labs also got soaked. However, the building that I work in, POST, was unscathed as well as the Raman lab, which I plan on using next week. The koi pond that I eat lunch at sometimes did not escape unscathed. Apparently the flood went right through leaving the pond a brown color instead of its normal green. I can only hope the koi and two turtles lodged them selves deep. But otherwise the pond looks good. The frangipani are already dropping their fragrant flowers across the mud-strewn campus as if nothing ever happened.

So from the land of rain, sun, and rainbows
Aloha
Orion

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone. I took my first trip back to the Mainland since I moved to Hawaii. And can you believe I took me 17 hours to get to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Well no more road trips for me and my truck:( but I know rack up the frequent flier miles We had a Carlisle Clan reunion. Six of the original eight showed up and various cousins. It is harder now to get the whole clan together as some of us cousins have kids and families that otherwise have grown up with our own schedules. Ahh wasn’t it easer when all we had to do was just be kids. Well, it also seems that us cousins have also been shanghaied into doing the cooking as well (Not that I mind, as for me I enjoy). Well This year was fun had by all. My inner child comes fully to life as my younger cousins and I have our nerf battles… This year I decided to ambush Gaby, and signed up Keturah and Elisa coconspirators . When Gaby arrived we let her have it with flying sponge disks. You have to understand that she has ambushed me in the past with water guns and potato pellets. Well skirmishes broke out all through the week and at one time ended up in a two against one wresting match (grass stains included). Uncle Arther and Aunt Jennifer put on the Thanksgiving feast, including fresh smoked turkey, ham and all the fixings. There was defiantly some veggies and I believe tofu was sited amongst the fair as not all of the clan partakes in meat. As usual their were two tables, adults and kids. Which translates into cousins vs aunts & uncles. The cousins have defiantly out striped the others in the noise and laughter department. The torch is being past on. Then Saturday we had an Asado. This is an Uruguayan bar-b-q. Starts in the morning with the burning of wood to get a good supply of glowing coals. Then about mid day, thick cuts of meat are placed on a special grill, and coals scoped up an tossed underneath. The meat is allowed to slow cook for hours. As some the first pieces become ready they are taken off and chunks sliced off and passed around. A nice juicy smoky flavor that is not to be missed. Even the Vegetarian took a bite (but did not swallow). As the evening set in some of the clan settle around the wood fire to chat and get ourselves throughly smoked. Other events included mid afternoon walks on the beach with a crisp sun and an autumn nip in the air, a boat trip up the bayou with shaggy trees and bright white sand beaches, and late night art walk in downtown Ocean Springs. And two birthdays where celebrated, one on Thanksgiving and the other the very next day. All in all it was a wonderful week. I hope your thanksgiving was enjoyable too.Aloha
Orion

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