Hawaii dreamin'

The vanilla flower from a Hawaiian Vanilla Company poster

Honolulu, August 13th -- It has been a real food fest. (check out some of the places we ate at below) this last week we spent mainly on the Big Island of Hawaii. C., M. and myself are all such foodies it’s not funny. Even the absence of P. (another foodie) didn’t stop us from pigging out.

Apart from eating, we had a great time sightseeing, visiting (coffee, vanilla bean and mac. nut) farms, breweries and the Parker Ranch historic homes. And we stayed in the lovely Jacaranda Inn nestled in the coolness of the Kamuela hills. We had an absolutely gorgeous time.

What this reunion (we all went to the same college and try our best to meet up every three years or so) renewed was our dream to buy a place together in Hawaii.

This time though, inspired by our Big Island jaunt, we want to buy a plot of land to cultivate coffee, vanilla, cacao or some other crop no one else has thought of that will grow well in the lushness of Hilo or the cools slopes of Kona and retire as farmers (and master brewers).

Amid the laughter, fun and massive eating, we exercised the very human need to dream. While they may be castles in the air at this point, we are united in our love for Hawaii. So that farm could become reality – who knows?

C.’s favourite island is the Big I. for the mana (spirit) of the land is special. “Hilo people are the friendliest in the world.” People were indeed super-friendly and everywhere we went, we would talk story with the locals.

I was inspired by the family-operated farms we visited, for each began with a dream. Within each story of realized dreams were the passion, love and commitment of the owners and their families. Despite the sweat and tears, it’s obvious that each had found their bliss.

This set me thinking about my life and I found that, similarly, I am in the process of realizing my dreams. More importantly, the dreams He has placed inside of me.

I am where I should be right now: teaching Pilates and writing, with the occasional footsie thrown in. I find meaning and great satisfaction in what I do and it allows me to express myself fully.

There have been times I’ve wanted to give up, when the going gets incredibly tough, but I persevered for nothing worth having in life comes easy.

The pollinated vanilla flower takes nine months to mature into a harvest-ready bean pod. Coffee trees take four years before they start flowering and bearing fruit while macadamia nut trees take seven years.

All things have a natural rhythm, a season, a time and place for being.

As I continue to dream the dreams of our reunion, I do not overlook the baby dreams still brewing within me and I continue to live out my current dreams day by day.

Ono Grinds (delicious eats)
* In Hilo we had incredibly cheap and delicious loco moco at Café 100 (great chili too), yummy shortbread cookies from Big Island Candies and this amazingly soft mochi and azuki bean-wrapped fresh strawberries from Two Ladies’ Kitchen.
* Rootbeer floats with creamy, yummy vanilla ice-cream at Hawaiian Vanilla Company in Hamakua.
* In Kona, the beers at Kona Brewing Co. went down really well, especially the Lilikoi Wheat Ale (aka Waialua Wheat Ale) as did the Kona coffee from Mountain Thunder and Kona Joe.
* Kona’s Island Grill’s beef teriyaki was seriously good.
* Daniel Thiebaut’s in Kamuela served flavour-rich and cooked-to-perfection fish.
* Back in Honolulu, munchies included crispy, chewy Champion malasadas on Beretania and McCully. And shaved ice from Island Snow in Lanikai.
* Nothing beats Ono’s Hawaiian food – the lau lau, kalua pig and lomi lomi salmon are da best!
* For plate lunch, it has to be Rainbow’s on Kapahulu, and of course, there is Zippy’s for its fried chicken (Zip Pac) and chili.
* It’s Hawaii Kai for good dim sum, delectable Italian at Assaggio’s and super-rich ice-cream at Bubbie’s.