On the Ohana Meeting

Auntie Florence called ... you know, HER. Anyway, she will give her the photos of me and White Joon on Tuesday at Choon Chun BBQ. They are meeting there at seven, since the other place closes Sunday night. Auntie Min is so nice, I'm sad her place is closing but happy she'll be able to come to Ohana meetings now. Maybe she will bring me orange chicken!

The Ohana meeting was so very fun! Uncle David came in near the end with presents for everyone, and the Aunties loved the talking cup, and screamed when someone won it. The stamp set got cheers and screams too. The food was excellent, too. Auntie Nancy did a good job with the menu. Many Aunties passed me around and they seemed to like my feet a lot, which was strange. Then, She put me in a place of honor on the stage, high up where I could see everything and went to talk to the Japanese Aunties. Oh, Auntie Y. is so sick, still! I am worried about her!
Then, joy of joy! Auntie C. showed The Woman Who is Not My Mommy something white, and I saw her make an exclamation, then come running up to me with it in her arms - White Joon! White Joon had come to live here! "What is your name?" I asked my brother. "White Joon," he replied. "Mommy didn't give me a different name." Oh. Well, many of my brothers are named thus.

"Does she make you clothes, and feed you lovely delicacies all day and all night?" I asked, jealous that he got a Japanese Mommy and I didn't. "No," he said. "This white jacket is my only clothes, and Mommy is a very dedicated and hard worker, so I sit in my place like a good bear most of the time. But Mommy loves me so I am very happy, and she is a lovely and good person." I couldn't think of anything to say.

The Ohana Aunties really liked him, too. At the end of the meeting, he went home with his Mommy and I went home with my ... um, owner-woman-thing. She rubbed my head and body with a cloth that had been sprayed with lysol white and a little scotchguard after that, so I was very fresh and clean. We had cocoa with Hershey's Kisses in it, (she had green tea), and she dressed me in my shirt and pants for the night.

I hope I see White Joon again soon.

My Brother is Here!

Auntie C. put him in Not-Mommy's hands and she came running up to me with him in her arms - White Joon! He has come to live in Hawaii with his Japanese Mommy! I would not let him go, so Not-Mommy carried us back to Auntie C, still embracing.

I am so happy! I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Spring Day

Another outing! I am a lucky bear this week!

New clothes! I am in bliss!

Oh, they're too big, but just a little. I have flowered blue surf shorts, a nice bucket cap with a pink ribbon pin on it, and a plain white t-shirt. It looks very good on me. I was grateful and am very polite, so I said "Kamsahamnida, Mommy." to That Woman. She's not really my Mommy, but I wanted to be nice after she'd been so nice to me.

We met Auntie Gerry for Japanese food. I had sashimi, and Not-Mommy had grilled meats with salad and rice. She brought Auntie Gerry presents for the Hilo Chapter of BYJ's Ohana: pins, photographs, stickers, ASIA Tour Note and Brokore Magazine, plus the calendar Auntie Youngsun gave her in Korea, Ionade postcards and April Snow brochures - the last six of both of those. Plus a magazine with lovely pictures of Daddy for Auntie Gerry, who is going to work at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival. Not-Mommy says we'll watch Men's Kahiko day on television, as that's her favorite.

This is men's kahiko:


Not-Mommy needs to get a grip.

When we got home, there was a package from YesAsia.com! A present for me? Alas, no...a present for the Ohana Meeting. Not-Mommy showed me: a cup, that when you pour hot liquid into it....a click, and then, music and Daddy's voice! I remember watching that on television last month...Not-Mommy said "I don't care what he's saying. He could read the telephone book. I just love his voice so much." Me too, Not-Mommy.

We waited to hear from Auntie Joanne, and Not-Mommy gave me a picture of Daddy to hold and look at, and she rubbed my head and kissed me on the nose. I'm accustomed to all of her germs now, so I don't mind any more. She said I was like my Daddy. Thank you! "I never thought I'd love any man the way I love him, and I never thought I'd love any bear the way I love you."

I couldn't say anything for a while.

My First American Easter

"All your chocolate eggs are belong to us!" Alice kept saying. I didn't understand, but today was a lot of fun.

We woke up in the morning and That Woman Who is Not My Mommy surprised me with a lovely new outfit: black pants, a shirt and vest combo, and nice black lace-up shoes. Everything was a little bit too big, but she says when she can afford it, she'll take it to an Auntie who loves my Daddy very much and have her alter them to fit me. Oh, thank you, I like it very much.

Then, wonderful surprise and best of all! Auntie ba-ba sent April Snow cards from Cafe-B! I spent all morning memorizing each beautiful picture. I bet you know which ones I liked the best!
After they came home from Mass, they informed me that the Easter Bunny had been there to visit the previous night, and that he had hidden two dozen colorful plastic eggs in and around the packing boxes and materials in the living room and dining room, which used to be Papa's office. Papa is That Woman's father, that's all I've ever heard him called, so that's what I call him too. The red-haired Hungarian woman is Nana. I found a yellow egg in the lemons, a pink egg in the Russian Rabbit dish, a pretty blue egg perched between two packing boxes, and a lavender egg in the fruit basket. That Woman cuts up apples and pears and gives them to me with cheese or peanut butter, which is very good.

We took a photograph together in the entryway, and lo and behold! I found another lavender egg between the dogs who guard our front door!

While she was sick, I found out that the woman who calls herself my Mommy, but isn't, really had brown hair and yellowish-brown eyes, and wears glasses! I have a Swedish Auntie, Monika, who makes That Woman's hair yellow. She's very beautiful and nice, and she speaks English with a pretty accent.

Do you see my Easter Basket? Alice and Cousin Michael got big ones, but I got one just my size, with jelly beans and chocolate, and also a delicious cupcake from the Japanese bakery, with a toy chick and green coconut nest on top. I like Easter very much. "Wait til Halloween and Christmas." says Alice. "What do you want to be for Halloween?" I don't know. I'll ask my Aunties.

But what about my little monkey, Jack? Don't worry! He got a chocolate egg just right for him!

I understand the pagan fertility rituals associated with the origins of Easter, and also the Christian Easter, with the resurrection of Christ. What I don't understand is how they get the rabbit to lay eggs. I asked Victoria, and she just rolled her good eye at me and said nothing.

My Ohana Aunties are in Korea right now, and told That Woman they'll try to go to Park BOF the day before they leave for Hawaii, which is April 21. Guess what? That's the day Gorilla in the Kitchen, Daddy's restaurant, will open. What if they get to see him? Please tell him to come rescue me....after I finish eating my Easter candy!

Daddy's on TV Again!

AZN is showing Winter Sonata. Go away, I'm busy now.

A comfortable day

She and her daughter brought home a present - my own smooshy pillow to sit on, shaped like a heart, because I'm so loveable. It has aloha print on it and is very comfortable. I did not like to sleep in my Wizard's robes, so she took them off me, though she was tired.

"Excuse me," I complained. "I'm not wearing any clothes!"

"You're wearing lovely mohair fur." she said, and tucked my blankie around me and Jack. "Goodnight." She kissed me on the nose and turned her back to me; that means 'don't argue with me right now'. It was a very warm night, so I was comfortable after all.

American Joon

Yesterday was Friday, "Your day!" says That Woman, far too chirpily, so we couldn't have meat. But I finally tasted pumpkin yam, and it is delicious. We had tempura teishoku, with pumpkin yam, long green beans that were still crunchy, with little chewy beans hiding inside, shrimp, carrots, zucchini and beautiful purple sweet potatoes. Auntie Joanne had noodles with egg, and showed That Woman pictures of her trip to Korea.

Auntie BB is back, I'm so happy! I miss reading what she writes. She is so knowledgeable about my Daddy, and I really enjoy her. That Woman who bought me really likes her, too. That Woman has her flaws, but she does have good taste in whom she loves.

Boys' Day is coming up in a few weeks. My brothers got four beautiful outfits, I saw the picture on Quilt. I want an outfit like that. I asked That Woman. "I don't know if I can swing it." she frowned. I hate living with someone poor! She loves me so much, and that's nice, I'm getting used to all the cuddling and kisses, but I wish I could have things like I see in pictures like on this page:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?F55722EEC

She says she'll at least get me a blue carp, to go with Alice's pink one. I'm happy for that.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, so they will go to Mass and bring me back a palm frond. A frond is a leaf, but split all apart. Alice read me The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and just started reading me The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Those naughty boys smoked and ran away from home, but still, wouldn't it be fun to take a raft to an island and be pirates for a few days?

Ursa Joonius

The good news: Alice bought me a new outfit
The bad news: Wizard robes, with stars, lightning bolts, and bear paws all over it. The stars glow in the dark.

Every day is Halloween. Sigh.