A quiet Saturday morning to kick off a 3-day weekend. Good time to catch up with blogging.
I have been busy with a course at work. Being plugged into teaching on a very short notice (upon my return from Singapore), I went through a 3-week intensive course. Now that the course is over, it is time to catch up with windsurfing.
In fact, yesterday (Friday) afternoon was turned into "administrative leave," meaning "Go Home at Noon!" I sailed for some five hours in the afternoon off the south shore, starting from Hawaii Kai and getting about half way toward Diamond Head. It was my first time to sail far offshore on this side of the island. As I left the coast, water gradually changed its color from emerald green to deep blue, and flying fish accompanied my little solo journey.
The race board I got in January lets me go upwind. Yesterday, the wind was rare Southwesterly. From somewhere off Kahala Iki, I turned back and headed downwind toward Portlock. Riding swells back was so much fun, and I could do a much better job at that than now-popular paddle-boarders. (The sail gave me lots of boost than a paddle could.)
During past few weeks, when wind was regular (but light) tradewind (northeasterly), I also sailed off Kailua outside the reef. Circling around the "bird shit" island, heading east toward Waimanalo, the new board has really extended my reach. It has been a good light-wind sailing practice as well.
A friend and a UH engineering professor, Reza, took a few lessons from me, and has been coming along to sail for a few times. He has reached a point where he could sail on his own, follow others to watch and learn some new techniques, and break the barrier into the intermediate level--which many novice windsurfers fail to do (and quit the sports altogether). But, he needs to get his own gears, transportation, and habit to go sailing, in order to get better.
Back home yesterday evening, left-over steak served well on top of salad for dinner. A few glasses of cabernet and DVD performance of Chic Corea and his Electric Band concluded one of my better Fridays.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Luanprabang, Laos
A short flight from Hanoi, Vietnam, a smaller jet plane turned tightly between the mountains to land at Luanprabang International Airport. Having learned somewhere that this was as far as the Vietcons penetrated into the Lao territory during the Vietnam War, I looked at those mountains as if I were a war-time pilot. There were paths on the shoulders of most mountains, but it was not possible to confirm any traffic or people on these paths.
The small town I visited for the first time had a very friendly and laid back atomosphere. I threw both my luggage and myself into the back of a mini-truck taxi (used import from Japan, I could tell) to get to my hotel. From a bridge over a small tributary of the Mekong, I saw local children innocently play in the river.
The purpose of the trip here was to attend a conference on the Mekong River Basin cooperation. The second day was my vacation day before the start of the conference, and I visited all of the attractions in the central part of this small city--note that there are not many. Just walking around in this cute little town among many European tourists was quite a treat. Street vendors selling French-Lao style sandwitches, along with those selling noodle soup, reminded me of the country's colonial heritage.
As I arrived back at the hotel, where were other participants? Nobody showed up that night, and I went to the conference site--Souphanovong University--directly next morning. I was worried that the conference might have been cancelled in the last minutes after I left Hawaii. Luckily, the only last-minutes change I missed was the hotel--everyone else stayed at a different hotel. I learned many new things about this region, and could share some of my thoughts about regional cooperation with the newly developed network of scholars.
On the way back, a Japanese man on his family vacation sat next to me, and he shared his story about a smaller town he and his family visited. While global tourism is reaching every tiny corner of the globe, people in the tiny corner he visited had clearly left a strong mark on his life. Maybe some day, I too will explore further...
The small town I visited for the first time had a very friendly and laid back atomosphere. I threw both my luggage and myself into the back of a mini-truck taxi (used import from Japan, I could tell) to get to my hotel. From a bridge over a small tributary of the Mekong, I saw local children innocently play in the river.
The purpose of the trip here was to attend a conference on the Mekong River Basin cooperation. The second day was my vacation day before the start of the conference, and I visited all of the attractions in the central part of this small city--note that there are not many. Just walking around in this cute little town among many European tourists was quite a treat. Street vendors selling French-Lao style sandwitches, along with those selling noodle soup, reminded me of the country's colonial heritage.
As I arrived back at the hotel, where were other participants? Nobody showed up that night, and I went to the conference site--Souphanovong University--directly next morning. I was worried that the conference might have been cancelled in the last minutes after I left Hawaii. Luckily, the only last-minutes change I missed was the hotel--everyone else stayed at a different hotel. I learned many new things about this region, and could share some of my thoughts about regional cooperation with the newly developed network of scholars.
On the way back, a Japanese man on his family vacation sat next to me, and he shared his story about a smaller town he and his family visited. While global tourism is reaching every tiny corner of the globe, people in the tiny corner he visited had clearly left a strong mark on his life. Maybe some day, I too will explore further...
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Beginning, Again
January 3, 2009
Landed on the Port of Kahului, Maui with my car. A short 2-day trip to Maui was solely for shopping. The Molokai Channel and Maui Channel in winter time were rough. Sailing into the blasting trade wind, the Hawaii Superferry swayed and pitched in roaring waves. Poor kids were screaming of seasickness as soon as the boat hit the Molokai Channel. I was imagining riding through those waves on a racing board.
The first destination, Neil Pryde windsurfing store. I was disappointed to find out that parts were missing from the used set of the Olympic-Class racing board, RS-X, despite my reminder via an e-mail to the store manager before departure that I needed a full original set. Several hours of price check for obtaining the missing parts and considering alternatives, I have decided to take the board anyway and as many original parts as available and a few substitute parts for immediate training. A Japanese salesperson, who was a racer himself, was sympathetic and gave me as much discounts as he could. After all, it was fair that I, who spent nearly $400 just to get to his store, was not completely screwed by the store manager’s laziness.
A nice addition to the short shopping trip was that I was able to join my old friend’s family for a dinner. Their Japanese-style house was built by the husband himself in a forest of Haiku, northeast Maui. Several Japanese former windsurfers live there and enjoy rural Mauian life. The visit had to be short given the rural children’s early bed time, but was very enjoyable thanks to the couple’s hospitality.
To be able to attend official competitions, I need to obtain a new complete set. Right now, my budget is totally stretched due to the unexpected cost for obtaining the missing parts. In addition, I must save up for the travel costs to attend those international competitions. It is a concern, but I must humbly consider myself lucky to be concerned about my hobby, rather than my living, at the time of global economic downturn. I cannot wait to try out the new equipment in Kailua.
Landed on the Port of Kahului, Maui with my car. A short 2-day trip to Maui was solely for shopping. The Molokai Channel and Maui Channel in winter time were rough. Sailing into the blasting trade wind, the Hawaii Superferry swayed and pitched in roaring waves. Poor kids were screaming of seasickness as soon as the boat hit the Molokai Channel. I was imagining riding through those waves on a racing board.
The first destination, Neil Pryde windsurfing store. I was disappointed to find out that parts were missing from the used set of the Olympic-Class racing board, RS-X, despite my reminder via an e-mail to the store manager before departure that I needed a full original set. Several hours of price check for obtaining the missing parts and considering alternatives, I have decided to take the board anyway and as many original parts as available and a few substitute parts for immediate training. A Japanese salesperson, who was a racer himself, was sympathetic and gave me as much discounts as he could. After all, it was fair that I, who spent nearly $400 just to get to his store, was not completely screwed by the store manager’s laziness.
A nice addition to the short shopping trip was that I was able to join my old friend’s family for a dinner. Their Japanese-style house was built by the husband himself in a forest of Haiku, northeast Maui. Several Japanese former windsurfers live there and enjoy rural Mauian life. The visit had to be short given the rural children’s early bed time, but was very enjoyable thanks to the couple’s hospitality.
To be able to attend official competitions, I need to obtain a new complete set. Right now, my budget is totally stretched due to the unexpected cost for obtaining the missing parts. In addition, I must save up for the travel costs to attend those international competitions. It is a concern, but I must humbly consider myself lucky to be concerned about my hobby, rather than my living, at the time of global economic downturn. I cannot wait to try out the new equipment in Kailua.
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