Ranch Dressing

I was concerned when I called Cook's Ranch in Waimanalo to find out about volunteering for their riding program for kids with disabilities. A gruff man answered the phone asked me if I was available the next day because they needed me and then rattled off some directions.

A program for kids with no background checks? No waivers or forms to fill out? Hmm, but I reminded myself that this is Hawaii where everything is not always as professionalized as one would expect.

I showed up the next morning after a stunning drive on the Pali Highway twining a cliff that overlooked a pristine eden. I pulled into the ranch, which along with being dusty seemed to be aging and in somewhat ill repair. A woman, who I would later learn was named "Auntie Pudgy" pulled in ahead of me. Rusty trailers littered the property and the stables seemed to do the trick, but were rickety. The horses were an interesting mix. A red faced man, the one from the phone enlisted me in helping take out the helmets. I did as I was told.

As I brought them to the table and helped line up the plastic barrel an out going red head, (the man was her husband) Patti greeted me with a hug. "We give hugs here! You are a godsend! We had a second group of kids from the local school ask if they could come!" She then gave me waivers to fill out and a name tag. She introduced me to Ben, the owner of the ranch, a striking middle aged Hawaiian man. Ben sized me up, "You a horse person?"

I hemmed and hawed. "If you mean and I am a horse expert, no. Have I ridden them and do I like them, yes." No response from Ben. He just looked at me and went back to grooming the horse. After meeting a handful of the volunteers, I had a few moments to take it the exquisite beauty of the valley and the surrounding accordian fold mountains that encirecled us.

A bus arrived and off came about 15 kids mostly around the ages of 6-9. I was very impressed with the series of exercises that Patti led the kids in before getting on the horses. For the kids who had more physical challenges, the exercises helped with motor control, balance and stretching parts of their body that get little attention. The kids who had more cognitive issues were guided in focusing and being present.

The range of needs and challenges was vast. There were kids with mild and severe autism, downs syndrome, muscular distrophy, developmental delays, including one enthusiastic child who had a stoke when he was an infant. Though mobility of one side was limited, he was giving it all he had and with an infectious grin the entire time.

Patti had them mount the barrels like they were horses, teaching them good technique and led them through balancing exercises on the barrel and then on a low to the ground balance beam where they did stretches. Then we had a series of exercies on a log higher up on the stable. There was "Woody" and "Ms. Woodette" which they practiced getting on the horse again and led through a series of stretches and comfort level sitting in a saddle. We also taught them the right words to get the horses started and to slow down.

The horses were older slower horses, but beautiful nonetheless. They were great with the kids and we walked them around the ring often sidewalking with the kids to ensure no one fell. Games were played with balls, rings, colors. Hanging things on posts, exchanging objects--even riding backwards, which Pattie explained helps the kids with all their hip muscles.

The kids were so happy as well. Omne of the higher energy kids, as they were leaving ran up to me full force and hugged me as he slammed himself against me almost knocking me off my feet. "Thanks!"he yelled. The teachers were all nice and one younger teacher suggested some places to go hear live music.

One volunteer and I struck up a conversation. Rosemarie, a dog lover, began telling me more about the island. She invited me to her church, which I may take her up on just to see. She, pudgy and a few others were very welcoming and the kids were having such a good time that the atmosphere was full of goodwill. Afterwards, people all had lunch together. I appreciated the offer of deviled roastbeef spread and macaroni salad, but I passed.

It was a good day and I enjoyed myself tremendously. It was a peaceful drive back to Waikiki.

Becoming a Tweenage Girl and PROUD OF IT!

Far be it for me to make gender stereotypes but... I was recounting on the phone with a friend about how I am occupying some of my time here in Hawaii. I talked about my trips on the boat recording data for the Wild Dolphin Foundation and seeing pods of the incredible spinner dolphins then I progressed on to my new volunteer opportunity at Cook's Ranch where I help disabled children ride horses. As I was listening to myself, I realized that coupling this with my excitement of seeing rainbows almost daily that somehow I have morphed into a 'tweenage girl. Next I will be writing Josh with a heart instead of an "o".

But seriously, I am having such great opportunities out here. Two to three times a week, I am going out on the boat off the leeward coast in Waianae to observe the dolphins. The boat is called the Island Spirit and it is owned by Tori and Armin. They run Wild Side tours and Tori is the founder and director of the Wild Dolphin Foundation (WDF). Wainae is the part of of Oahu I wrote about earlier where the tent cities are lined up all on the beach. There are approximately 3000 people homeless in this particular area, most of who are living in tent cities.

The boat harbor is pretty modest and fairly empty. Though I often spot local fishermen (and I mean men in this case)hanging out. There is a group of salty older men who hang out most of the day talking like the coastal version of the barbershop.

Each day that I go out on the boat is truly a spiritual experience. Just the beauty of the coast around me, the amazing breeze and the sparkling water is enough, but then when I spy a humpback whale and her baby or a pod of 100 dolphins, I am reminded of the complexities of creation. The other day we saw 4 humpbacks, which are headed back to Alaska during this time of year. There was a baby which had them surface more often, we watched for 20 minutes as they breathed. Just as we were leaving, I saw one of them do what is known as a spy hop. Usually you only see their tail, their back and the spout of water from their fluke. This time, the whale lunged forward and stuck half of his upper body out of the water. I could see his large eye even though were quite a distance away. He was checking out his surroundings.

The spinner dolphins are active, playful creatures that often like to swim in the waves of the boat so I have seen them up close. I have even swam with them on my first day. Yesterday they were extremely playful, exhibiting an aerial show that demonstrates their name. They can jump up to 9 feet out of the air and will often spin up to 7 times before landing. They are gray with white bellies. Right now is mating season so lots of white bellies can be seen! These dolphins are known to be quick in doing the deed (under a minute or so) and a notoriously underendowed when it comes to other dolphins. But they make up for it in acrobatics and being highly social.

Part of what I am observing is their behavior because we want to make sure that human presence is not disturbing their rest. They are nocturnal hunters and while they do not sleep, they must rest. They shut down their sonar and head in close to the beach where there are shallow sandy bottoms so predators are less likely. So far, from 8-noon, they do not seem to be in their resting grounds, which is a bit troubling, but could be due to mating season, where males from further out in the ocean come to the Waianae coast for their version of shore leave. This could be stirring up the pods.

I photodocument and record their behaviors in writing which I then enter into a database later. Also, we are trying to identify them by photographing their dorsal fins and any noticeable scars. There are these cookie-cutter sharks (about 2 ft long) that attach themselves to the dolphins at night and swim with them. When they are finished they spin in a circle using their teeth leaving a round chunk of skin missing--hence their name. These will often leave scars that will help identify them without tagging them. You can check out the WDF at wilddolphin.org.

When I do these days, I must get up at 5:15 am because I have to take Brian to work and then I have a 45-50 minute commute ahead of me to the harbor. I try to be there between 7:00 and 7:15. I am done around 12:30.

When I get there, I help the captain, Ann or Cara and the crew, Cara or Melissa get the boat ready. We greet the tour from Wild Side--usually a dozen to 18 people. I get the job of defogging their snorkel gear. I look at this as the boat equivalent of our ancestors greeting people by washing their feet. Most of the guests have been nice, though some have treated me like a servant until they find out that I am an intern--or better yet the one lady who was really demeaning was shocked to discover that I was a rabbi on sabbatical. She changed her behavior and seemed much more appreciative of my help.

The director and I have had some interesting conversations. She told she was surprised that a religious person would want to do this internship. When I asked why, she replied that "Didn't I think the world was ending soon? Why would I care about the environment then?" I laughed as I explained for progressive religious folks the environment was a major issue. Later on she made a similar assumption when she was surprised that I had some science background. She thought that why would I take science because what I do for a living is the opposite of science. I told her that many people of faith support evolution and science. She was amazed to hear so many people from the CDC were members of the synagogue. Though by the end of the day, she asked if I would consider officiating at her daughter's wedding in May. I will let you know if that happens.

Also on religious lines, the captain Ann invited me to help with a literacy program in Waianae. She said they were reading the book of Genesis in order to teach people to read. Skeptical about using the Bible as a primer, I asked for more info. I was told that she could really use my help because the next discussion was about circumcision. LOL! Maybe I will go and help her out.

I am off to the ranch now. I will write more about the horses later.

Don Ho's Final Show

I was reading the Friday entertainment section and saw Don Ho's twice weekly show. I mused out loud if I should get tickets for my mom when she came. Unfortunately, this past Thursday was his last show. The Hawaiian icon died yesterday and has left Hawaii befreft.

Crooner Don Ho dead at 76


HONOLULU (AP) - Legendary crooner Don Ho, who entertained tourists for decades wearing raspberry-tinted sunglasses and singing the catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," has died. He was 76.

He died Saturday morning of heart failure, publicist Donna Jung said.

Ho had suffered with heart problems for the past several years, and had a pacemaker installed last fall. In 2005, he underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand in 2005.

Ho entertained Hollywood's biggest stars and thousands of tourists for four decades. For many, no trip to Hawaii was complete without seeing his Waikiki show - a mix of songs, jokes, double entendres, Hawaii history and audience participation.

Shows usually started and ended with the same song, "Tiny Bubbles." Ho mostly hummed as the audience enthusiastically took over the song's swaying, silly lyrics: "Tiny bubbles/in the wine/make me happy/make me feel fine."

"I hate that song," he often joked to the crowd. He said he saved it for the end because "people my age can't remember if we did it or not."


The son of bar owners, Ho broke into the Waikiki entertainment scene in the early 1960s and, except for short periods, never left. Few artists are more associated with one place.

"Hawaii is my partner," Ho told The Associated Press in 2004.

Donald Tai Loy Ho, who was Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and German, was born Aug. 13, 1930, in Honolulu and grew up in the then-rural countryside of Kaneohe.

In high school, he was a star football player and worked for a brief time in a pineapple cannery. After graduating in 1949, he attended Springfield College in Massachusetts on an athletic scholarship. He grew homesick, returned to the islands and ended up graduating from the University of Hawaii in 1953 with a degree in sociology.

Inspired by the U.S. military planes flying in and out of Hawaii during the Second World War, Ho joined the Air Force. As the Korean War wound down, he piloted transport planes between Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu and Tokyo.

When he returned home and took over his parents' struggling neighbourhood bar, Honey's, he put together a band and started performing at his father's request.

"I had no intention of being an entertainer," Ho said. "I just played songs I liked from the radio, and pretty soon that place was jammed. Every weekend there would be lines down the street."

Honey's became a happening place on Oahu, with other Hawaiian musicians stopping in for jam sessions. Ho began to play at various spots at Hawaii, and soon, he was packing places such as the Coconut Grove in Hollywood and the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.

Stars such as Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra were known to be in the audience for Ho's shows.

Ho also became a television star, and hosted the "The Don Ho Show" on ABC from 1976-77. One of Ho's most memorable TV appearances was a 1972 cameo on an episode of "The Brady Bunch."

"I've had too much fun all these years," he said in the 2004 interview. "I feel real guilty about it."

Besides "Tiny Bubbles," his other well-known songs include "I'll Remember You," "With All My Love," and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song."

Ocean's the Notion

For what is it to die
but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?

And what is it to cease breathing
but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.

And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.

And when the earth shall claim your limbs,
then shall you truly dance.

words from "The Prophet"
Khalil Gibran






We got dressed up for surprise number three which usually means in Hawaii, putting on long pants. We were headed to the theatre.

Surprise #3 was tickets to a reprise of one of Hawaii's best performances of the year before it toured the mainland-- "Electric Blue" by the Iona Contemporary Dance Company. This dance company is extraordinary in so ways.

The brilliant Cheryl Flaharty, the artistic director has a stunning vision. First, the evening's production communicated the power of the ocean--its mythology and the danger of its real present. Rarely have I seen a political message conveyed so beautifully. Almost every step of the way we were awed by the twining of the dances to communicate the ocean's stories and the need for us to preserve it. This performance should be performed in tandem with a showing of an Inconvenient Truth. There was a trio of spoken word with dance all about global warming. Flaharty says that "Electric Blue communicates the beauty and mystery of a central idea: our planet and our bodies are both 70% water; they rely on a subtle symmetry to maintain life."

The show at times was playful, arresting, challenging and stirring. At its best like its opening, it was a visual feast. The first number began with the reading above by Gibran. A single dancer and a single flowing line of sand from the ceiling invited us to reflect on the limitations of time for us and for the earth. Other numbers used the sand that had spilled in really interesting ways.

Flahartey combines traditional Japanese butoh dance with contemporary movements including acrobatics. The company is experimental in the best sense. Incorporating poetry, world music, storytelling, politics, mulitculturalism, feminism,video and romance the pay off is mostly sumptuous. Interspersed between the dances were videos of them in beautiful costumes dancing underwater. It was a stunning fairy tale. Even the diversity of the dancers is incredible which includes one person who identifies with the Mahu community here.

About the Mahu community from 'O Au No Keia:
Voices from Hawaii's Mahu and Transgender Communities
Andrew Matzner: Brian has this book which I look forward to reading-

The first Polynesian settlers arrived in Hawaii about 1000 years ago with a culture all of their own. From the time that Captain Cook arrived in 1778, and with the increasing ease of travel bringing immigration from all over the Pacific, to Hawaii's present incarnation as the fiftieth state of America, the old ways have all but disappeared. So little was it respected that the four Warrior Stones, set up over five hundred years ago, had all but disappeared under the sand, and for some years were built over with a bowling alley. Now with the world-wide interest in past history, and with many different cultures reclaiming their heritage, the stones have been restored. A plaque records the legend that they were set up in memory of four healers from Tahiti in the early days of Hawaiian history. What it does not mention is that many of legends suggest they were mahu, or hermaphrodite: "their habits coincided with their feminine appearance although manly in stature and general bearing"

Today, although less disparaged than in many other countries, the public face of Hawaiian mahu is of transvestite prostitutes. "Historically, transgendered people have been unable to control the ways that they are represented to the general public. They have been written about, most often by psychologists, academics, magazine writers and news reporters who have had little interest in actively involving their subjects in the writing and editing processes. Often, assuming that they will be treated fairly, transgendered people speak with writers and reporters in good faith. Frequently the opposite occurs, as they discover that they have been misquoted or portrayed in a negative light."

This, then, is the personal accounts of fifteen mahu or transgender people - health-care workers, performance artists, hula dancers, sex workers, a university graduate, a minister and a retired military officer. They come from a range of backgrounds from Hawaiian families that still retain some of the old ways, to others where they were rejected, to immigrants from the American mainland. They offer an unparalleled insight into their childhoods and schooldays, and their views of their lives in Hawaii as it is today.

On the whole, this was one of the best theatre performances I have ever seen. At times I felt that I was at the artistic equivalent of a dessert buffet. Each treat delicious and mouth watering--but after awhile it is too rich and too distracting. Flavors run together. So too, Flaharty would be best served by having restraint or better yet an artistic editor. Ultimately the only thing that would have served this important work better would have been if it had been tighter and only chosen with dances (which there were enough of) that underscored its theme of the ocean. What makes this company even more commendable is that it tours around all parts of the islands (especially the more impoverished communities) and performs on the beach and in the parks for free.



I have not seen many modern dance performances, but this performance did so many things wonderfully that I would seek out this kind of theatre again. Brian and I enjoyed it immensely and couldn't believe all that we had done in one day. We started in the ocean and ended the day in the ocean.

Jurassic Perk

After the Shark Adventure, we headed to Matsumo's which is the best place in Hawaii to get shaved ice. Often there are lines down the block, especially on hot days. Though it was just past 9 am, there was already a short line.

After exploring more of the North Shore, we headed to the East side of the island. We stopped for a Vietnamese lunch and proceeded to Surprise #2. As we pulled up to Kualoa Ranch, I convinced Brian that I had gotten him a rodeo skills package where he would learn lassoing, hog tying and cattle calls. I could tell he was trying to be positive about it, but what we were really doing is taking a 2 hour drive on ATV (4 wheelers) on the dirt roads around this magnificent ranch.

According to their web site, Kualoa is one of the most historically significant destinations on Oahu, and in ancient times, one of the most sacred places on the island. In 1850, Dr. Gerrit P. Judd purchased the land from King Kamehameha III and the property has remained in the family ever since. The current family owners strive to be role model stewards of the 'aina (land), by preserving and protecting it from development.

Kualoa means 'long back'; the ranch is full of beautiful valleys and mountain peaks.

Some credit this name to a voyaging chief, Lua Nu'u. According to tradition, Kane the 'creator' required an offering. Lua Nu'u looked amongst the mountains of Kahikiku but found no location suitable. Seeking divine guidance, he was told to travel eastward until he found a sharp peak jutting from the ocean. It was at Kualoa, that Lua Nu'u found the sacred offering site.

The sheer beauty makes it easy to understand why Kualoa is seen as sacred. Most pronounced is the majestic mountains rising around the sea. The highest peak atop the Kualoa ridge called Kanehoalani, towers 1900 feet skyward and means "Kane's heavenly companion".

Brian and I managed to get on the ATVs that were at the very end of the group, which turned out to be good because we could leave space and drive the ATVs a bit faster. We saw amazing vistas and rode some rough trails, crossed small streams and passed by many lazy cows that barely paid us any attention. On one hill, I hit a bump and loss control of the wheel giving Brian a great birthday present by heading straight into a tree down the side of a hill. No injuries this time except embarrassment by the fawning of the staff and the offers for me to finish the tour in the tram.

As we continued on we saw the areas were they filmed parts of Godzilla, Lost, Pearl Harbor and Jurassic Park!

It was a great tour, but we needed to clean off since we covered in dust from the head to toe. The third surprise was a very different change in venue.

Brian's Birthday Celebration

Since Brian turned 33-- I decided to plan 3 surprise adventures for his celebration. The first one required us to get up at 5:30 AM (not such a nice present) and head to the North Shore. Brian kept guessing that we were going whale watching or sky diving. Even when we pulled into the N. Shore Small Boat Harbor he didn't register the sign that said NS Shark Adventure. He was taken aback when I finally revealed the surprise. There was the caveat in the beginning that he did not have to do anything he didn't want to. But he was a trooper.

We were joined on the boat by 8 other passengers: a father and a teenage son (who ended up puking his guts overboard), another teenage son and father (the father did not participate)and a couple in their 30s and the woman's dad. Who knew swimming in a shark cage was such a family experience. The sons and fathers were funny as there was this whole sullen, angry teenage vibe going on--like their fathers were inflicted upon them during this cool experience. Never mind, who was paying for their cool experiment. And on the other side, fathers desperate to connect to their sons without being too pushy. It all made for a quiet ride as we mostly listened to our two crewmen make silly jokes about lawyers and sharks.

As we made our way to the buoys, I saw a whale's tail slap the ocean and the spray of water shoot up like a missile from its fluke. We arrived in an area that had been marked by crab trappers. The shark adventure came about when a crabber realized that after years of emptying the bait from the crab traps, the sharks began to recognize the sound of the boat and like the good Pavlovian animals they are connected it to the bait in the water. These bottom dwellers now come to the surface when they hear the boat engines.

As the sharks surface, 3 people enter a cage that has quite large gaps?! The crew throws fish around the cage (not many) and the sharks eat. We were the last to go in the cage, 5 sharks swam around us in circles coming close enough to nip off a finger or toe that held on to the cage. They were Sandbar and Galapagos sharks. I can't say that I had tremendous fear, I was really struck by their beauty and the ingenious fish that swim in the wake create under the shark's bellies.

Cold, we dried off and hung out on the North Shore--though the way to our next adventure was blocked by a landslide. We had several hours to take an alternate route for the 2nd adventure.

Back and Blogging

I took a break from blogging. My trip back to Atlanta was good. It was great to connect with folks especially since so much of my Denver trip felt like hibernation. Being home was the opposite.

I am at the airport now waiting to take off. This will be a very different section of my sabbatical. I am looking forward to resting and relaxing. I have travelled so many times since the sabbatical began that I am looking forward to getting somewhere and staying. Even in my three weeks home in Atlanta, I went to Tampa for a bet din on a conversion and then led 3 intense diversity workshops for the Jewish community in S. Jersey. In 4 months I have travelled by plane 14 times and taken two major road trips back and forth to Denver.

Staying put sounds nice.