Hawaii Paradise, Japan Perplexity

Dateline: Honoka’a, Hawai’i; November 18, 2012--Yesterday I delivered my last lectures of this current trip. Five and a half hours to a full and very interested audience. Where I am staying, in the highlands of the Big Island, is right next to paradise. My housing is an old shipping container retrofitted as an apartment and I love it. Hawaii has lots of rats, compliments of the early and then later explorers and profiteers. Later the mongoose was purposely introduced as a way to control the rodent population. Trouble is, rats are nocturnal and mongoose are diurnal and never the twain shall meet. So the indigenous birds of Hawaii were decimated day and night. Back before Captain Cook and crew discovered the Sandwich Isles, Hawai'i had only one native land mammal, the Hawaiian Hoary Bat.

Now, living in a shipping container might sound just a bit spartan, but let me introduce a few balancing factors. Behind the container are orange trees heavily laden with fruit sometimes rivaling the size of grapefruit and so juicy they have to be eaten with a paper towel standing by. To the left of the humble dwelling is a small grove of avocado trees with fruit the size of Florida avos but with the a texture and taste surpassing that of the Hass variety. Between them and the oranges are the bananas. To the front, on the other side of the fellowship hall where I prepare my meals, are more avocado trees and macadamia trees. If you happen to arrive before the interloping rats find the nuts, you can gather a bounty of the horny-shelled treasures. It is amazing to see all the shells littering the ground with a small hole gnawed through the seemingly unyielding protective barrier and every speck of the tender meat gone. On the hillside up toward the church is a pomelo tree. With the 30’ long fruit picker I have been provided during my stay here, fresh fruit is not a problem. And before coming here I was supplied bountifully with large purple avocados that were the best I have ever eaten along with a stalk of blue bananas. Yep! Really roughing it.

But back to Japan for a few tidbits. I was invited to speak in Kobe and Osaka on the same weekend. As they are a very short train ride apart, it was convenient to speak in Osaka on Friday night and Sabbath and then travel to Kobe Saturday evening and speak in Kobe on Sunday. As usual I was going to be flung into the kanji abyss, a taller than average traveler made even more conspicuous by wrapping myself in a misty “where am I?” aura. But on the way to the train station I ran into three lovely Indonesian students who had attended my lectures and they were more than happy to accompany me all the may to my destination station, an accomplishment that can be very daunting when traveling solo.

I had been told my ride would pick me up on the mountain side of the station. Ever notice you can’t see mountains in the dark? But I know the mountain range in Japan forms a veritable spine up the entire west side of the nation. As my angels of mercy took the escalator back down to the rail lines, I headed in the opposite direction of the east exit. East is ocean, west is mountains. This was easier than I thought it would be...I thought. You have to understand, there were exits on the north, south, east and west sides of the station and probably a few SSE’s and WNW’s thrown in for tourist amusement. But I learned long ago, find a spot, claim it and don’t move from it. As soon as you move, the person looking for you has done the same and you will miss each other big time. It rained off and on, people came and went, time went on and on. I probably stood there for two hours looking from the dark mountains to every car pulling up to the curb. For as much as senses told me to stay put, sensibility told me something was amiss. Finally I decided to explore new venues. Within two minutes of exiting the east exit, my dear friends, Keith Watanabe and his great singer wife pulled up across the road and hailed me over. The east side was the mountain side. Learn something new every day.

Packing right now but will try to post again before leaving Hawaii.

Blessings,

Don

Hawaii, First Class

Dateline: Honoka’a, Big Island, Hawaii; November 14, 2012--So much has happened since last I posted to my blog. I have not been as faithful in blogging as I should have been. Much has happened and for those who are interested, I will, over the next few days, relate some of the high points. But let me begin with the transition from Japan to Hawaii.

Sunday morning, October 28, the team from NKK drove to Harajuku. You have to know the area to appreciate the ambiance of Harajuku. The place is goth city. I suspect many tourists coming to Japan never leave this area. Entertainment walks down the street in every wave of almond-eyed Mary Pickfords and raven-haired Shirley Temples. But the team conducts a cooking school at the International and Central SDA church there. Each year we begin with a lecture. This year I spoke on a subject near and fearful to most hearts; radioactive isotopes and selective uptake. Lot of good news there if you are willing to make a few major changes. I believe Japan is ripe for some major changes.

After the lecture the people get on with their cooking and then we eat what they cooked. It was a real treat as they made something typically American; mashed potatoes and gravy. I was transported, it was so good.

Two of us were flying out that very evening. Marilene was flying back to Australia at 7 PM and I to Honolulu at 9 PM. We were driven to the heart of Tokyo which is misleading as Tokyo is too big to have just one heart. For all I know we caught an airport bus at the liver or pancreas of Tokyo, but in any case, we had a quick and comfortable ride to Narita. Marilene departed at Terminal 2 and I went on to Terminal 1. One of my suitcases had been shipped ahead so I retrieved it and went to the check-in area. It seemed as if every Oriental in the area was heading for Taiwan via Delta and there was a conga line of inscrutable travelers wrapped beyond my view. Like I tell everyone, I don’t do lines, had plenty enough lines in the military. So I found a comfortable spot and waited over an hour. 

By then the line was gone and I breezed through. Checked my two bags (really helps having an elite status), made it through security (had to drink my can of juice in front of them) and made my way to Gate 25. I was about three hours early but that was okay. Better to be three hours early than one minute late. Those at my gate were flinging off to a forgotten destination in the Middle East while down at gate 24, another Delta flight, in conjunction with Vietnam Air, was also heading for Hawaii. The thought flitted across my consciousness that it might be nice to leave early but then I considered the fact I had the best seat in economy. I always choose the same seat, the one near the exit door with no seats in front. I can stretch my long legs out, strap on my broken pair of Bose QC2 headphones (had a good set but TSA relieved me of them two years ago in Hawaii while no one was looking), and enjoy the flight.

Finally the last few passengers scurried aboard flight at Gate 25 and I was left complete alone. Periodically I heard them calling for passengers for the Gate 24 flight. Why do people wander away when their flight is due to leave I will never understand. I had it made. Computer plugged in, no crowds, quiet end of the airport. Just before 7 PM, a woman tentatively walked up to me and asked where I was going. I told her Hawaii. Then she asked, “Would you mind leaving now rather than 9 PM? And would you mind if we put you in business class?”

Would I mind? I have never worked so fast trying to stuff everything back in my backpack. “Oh, no problem, I would be happy to fly now.” I tried not to act giddy else they think me deranged and cancel their offer. But the woman was helping me, unplugging the power cord to my computer and rolling it up. We went to the gate and four women went to work feverishly trying to make this happen. The strange thing was, they kept thanking me for being willing to sacrifice my economy seat for one in Buiness Class. I was holding my breath, hoping the reason for this blessing wouldn’t evaporate with the arrival of the late passenger. They were making calls, typing away on their computer trying to have my luggage moved. Finally they handed me my boarding pass but it was in row 80. Never had I heard of business class being in the tail of a plane. I was the last one to enter the plane and rather than being directed to the rear of the plane, I was pointed up the stairs. I have always wondered what was up there, what was it like? Now I was climbing into a world I have only dreamed about.

This could not have been business class. Along each side of the cabin were a single row of cubicles. Once inside you were in your own apartment. The seat had more adjustments than an excessive-compulsive chiropractor. One turned it into a bed. Noise canceling headphones were available, as was anything and everything I could have asked. This was first class. There was a wide screen monitor, a place to power up my computer. It was a dream. Two years ago, when I flew from Narita to Honolulu, I was also upgraded. Back then I was Gold Elite; this year I was only Silver Elite but status had nothing to do with it. I believe my heavenly Father just wanted to give an extra assurance that He was looking out for me. It was a dream flight.

When we landed in Honolulu, I was the first off the plane, breezed through customs, and was at baggage claim in record time. As it turned out, my bags had not been transferred but again, I had a quiet place to collect my thoughts and make further preparation on the talk I was to give in a few hours in Puna on the Big Island, the island which is actually called Hawaii. It was to be a memorable day. It was still October 28, still Sunday. So, I delivered a lecture in Tokyo Sunday morning, October 28. Then I flew to Oahu, on to Hawaii, and delivered another lecture in Puna on Sunday afternoon, October 28. Good old International Dateline. I love God’s surprises.

Next post I will finish some business in Japan. Until then, hang loose.