Perfect view of the mountains out the window at Mike's grandma's house. 

Rice boiling...Getting ready for pounding. 

At about 8 am, the mist hangs over the mountains in Kane'ohe. 

The tools for pounding mochi 

He shows the others how it's done. Check out his turning technique. It's a lot harder and physical than it looks! 

Mike's dad takes his turn at pounding the mochi. The guys pound the mochi, and the women roll the mochi. 

One person is in charge of turning or flipping the rice, while the other pounds the boiled rice in rhythmic timing....Just don't get your hand crushed! 

After the table is dusted with flour, and hands are dry (and washed), the women start to roll the mochi while it's fresh and hot. 

Putting natto beans into the middle of the mochi. 

Mike's mom carefully gathers the sticky ends into the middle of the mochi to close it up and make it into a ball. 

Inside the mochi...You can put beans, sweet potato, smelly natto beans, or even peanut butter! 

All of these mochi are ready for packing (or eating!) 

Mike's extended family includes many little ones, but mostly boys. 

"Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day..." 

The pretty Christmas tree in front of the Downtown Honolulu annual light display. 

At the Wong's...My parents' friends hosted a get-together to bring the kids we all grew up with together again. We all used to hang out when we were little, as our parents played mah jongg into the wee hours of the night.  

The Tanaka family puts their brains together to figure out a Christmas game against other couples/families. 

At Mike's house in Kailua, during his work Christmas party 

Santa made a delivery at the party for the kids! 

My cousins Lauren and Geoff with Uncle Gary and Auntie Stevi 

If you look closely, there is a hula ornament made out of a canned juice. At the Honolulu Hale Christmas tree display. This tree was decorated by Aloha company who produces shoyu and juice. 

"What the hell is that flash?!" Jake says.... 

Home at Christmas: One of the fond memories I have as a child is going to visit neighborhood displays like this one.  

Even the older boys had fun making their gingerbread men and getting homemade stockings from me before Christmas. 

My cute little afternoon kindergartners show off their stockings and gingerbread men as they squint in the sunlight on the last day of school before Winter Break. 

Slacker

Monday, 2 January 2006

I know I've been slacking on the blog writing in December. Perhaps my New Year's resolution for 2006 should be to be a better blog writer (or perhaps everyone is just sick of it anyway....(=...) But, a new relationship (and me having a bad cold all winter break) makes you a slacker sometimes. Oh well.

Look forward to updates on being under the weather my entire vacation, Mike, Kailua, Christmas with Mike's family and mine, mochi pounding and a traditional Japanese New Year's.

Gee, I hate that school starts this Thursday. What a bummer. Just when I'm getting better. And it's raining today (well at least on the Windward side)...What the hell.

Looks like someone needs to go to yoga.