Work Hard, Play Hard

Sunday, 2 October 2005

This weekend was a weekend of relaxing, going out, and working...especially with the prospect of having Monday off (teacher professional development day that I did not need to attend.) Friday night, I met new friends at the Art After Dark event at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. This month's theme was Hawaiian vintage night...a little more mellow event than usual, but I always enjoy walking through the art galleries. A bunch of us went to eat Italian food afterwards at Verbano's to celebrate someone's birthday. A glass of chianti and pomodoro and I was set.

Saturday morning, I did yoga as usual, then put on my long sleeved shirt and pants to enter the jungle that is our yard. Since our house stands on stilts on the side of a mountain, our yard is rather huge, literally the side of the mountain (since our house is the lowest on this side of the mountain) to the valley below. Growing up, my dad always tended to the yard, after work, and on weekends. There is an orange tree, a lime tree, bougainvilla, aloe, and there was even pineapple at one time. But, ever since my dad moved out of the house a few years ago, the yard has gone untouched and WAY overgrown...hence, "the jungle". I decided to tackle it today and focus my energies on cutting away the noxious vines that are covering the bougainvilla and orange tree, as well as cutting the five foot tall grasses so that you can actually see the path again that my dad once paved long ago. After working on it both Saturday and Sunday, my little area that I've begun to clear out looks so small compared to the whole mountain, but it's a start. I have many more Saturdays and Sundays to go. (I even bagged the yard waste and had my brother help me bring some of it upstairs....and now my dad tells me I should've just thrown it over the lanai onto the mountainside below...don't even bother bringing it up all those stairs and wasting bags....Great, you're 85 stairs too late!)

Took my Aunty Stevi to the Honolulu Symphony on Saturday night. I went to church with them first (and saw the infamous New Hope service, which is amazing with its technology and membership that fills an entire high school auditorium), then we ate at Verbano's (again!..My second night in a row....But I scarfed down a whole loaf of warm bread and lasagna...so delicious...I was stuffed!) beforehand, and then enjoyed the beautiful voice of Monica Mancini as she sang her father's (composer Henry Mancini) songs from movies like 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Ran into some of my parents' friends, then enjoyed some chai tea at Starbucks while waiting for my cousins at Ward.

Today, Sunday, I went to yoga again. I've begun focusing more specifically on my postures and techniques, stretching myself further. Being naturally flexible helps, but getting stronger takes precision and focus. It's fun getting to know more people and the instructors as I become more of a "regular" at yoga. We'll see if I'm good enough to compete in the February yoga competition in LA.