Bellydancing!

Bellydancing Video!

Here is a video of our bellydancing performance last weekend for those of you who couldn't be there! I am second from the left in the back row. We didn't go all out on costumes, but a girl in the troupe did makeup and everyone in the audience got glow sticks! I'm glad I finally got to do a performance, I've been wanting to for a long time. I've never been very attracted to the stage but this was so much fun!


Love,
Samantha

THEY'RE HERE!

The countdown is over! Mom just called to say that her plane touched down, and Meema & Papa Bob and Dad & Robby will be here soon! Two more days until SPRING BREAK!

Sandy Beach

I haven't taken many photos lately, but a lot of fun stuff has been happening. On Friday I joined the Spanish Honorary, and today I went to a picnic. I'm also going to be doing a bellydancing performance at the culture fair at school in a few weeks.

Mike and I went to Sandy Beach a few weekends ago. Sandy's is famous for having really strong waves that crash right on the shore, great for body boarding (read: I didn't touch the water). Here are some photos:



^View of the blow hole from Sandy Beach



^Delicious Valentine's Day dinner


^Silly photo of me, because I was excited that I could do the splitz!


Count down until the family comes to visit!
Love,
Sammi

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA JULIE!!!

A little belated. I hope the boys took good care of you on your Caribbean adventure and that you had a great birthday!

Little Birdie

I don't have much exciting news so I thought I'd put up some photos of the birds here. I like learning the names of all the local plants and animals.

Common Myna Bird, this is Mike's favorite.

Brazilian Red Cap Cardinals, you always see them in pairs. This is my favorite.

Java Sparrow, you usually see these in small groups in the grass.

African Common Waxbill, you see these in big flocks in the grass.


Anyhow... those are the most common birds here. The pigeons don't count, they're the bird equivalents of homeless people.

Randomly, this is my favorite mural at Manoa:

COCOA KRISPIES 2 FOR $5!

I'm sure it goes without saying what I'll be eating for the next few months... but aside from my chocolate cereal addiction, I made a baklava experiment. It was edible for the most part. On the right are some oranges in a bowl I made.



This is a special thanks to Mom for my care package: (:

Ceramics

Some of my ceramics pieces are finally out of the kiln!

Diamond Head

Hi Everybody!



This was a great long weekend. We intended to hike up to Diamond Head at 5 this morning (bright and early, right dad? :) BUT... instead, we moseyed on over around 5 this evening. The park closes at 6, so we made an adventure of walking back to Waikiki.



The view was still fabulous.



The greatest part of all!!!! We found a POMEGRANATE BUSH!!! I've always wanted to see one, and now that I have I think I'm going to put one on the lanai tomorrow. We also saw starfruit, lime, and mango plants.



Diamond Head another day. I love and miss you all!
-Samantha

We're Back!

We made it back to the island! Mike and I have successfully survived our first week of school. My classes have all been fabulous so far, and I am happy with my schedule. I got a new bike, which is bittersweet. It's an older Bianchi Volpe, which is a pretty good frame. I think I'm going to go to clinics at my favorite local bike store to learn to tune it up myself. Best of all, I've only taken the bus once or twice.

It feels good to be back, but I'm still re-acclimating to the environment. I tried my hand at surfing today, and the break definitely didn't help! I also sunburned my arm reading by the window the window this morning!

I miss everyone back home, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of you this spring!!!



Love,
Sammi

Mele Kalikimaka!

...That's Merry Christmas to y'all (:

Happy Thanksgiving

It took a little while to get over the trauma, so am a little belated in getting the photos from our wacky Thanksgiving weekend adventure on Maui. It was a fabulus adventure.

WARRIORS PERFECT SEASON!!!

The joys of public transportation.

This guy decided he wanted to ride the bus. After a half hour of shoving, he made it on.


Three blocks later, he was unable to get off, because his "apparatus" was somehow attached to the bus. After another half hour of shoving, and another passenger attempting to separate him from the bus with his lighter, the man was forced to stay on the bus and wait for someone to meet him with "jaws of life."

NORTH SHORE

A bunch of friends split the cost of a tent and a rental car for the long weekend and the rest was left to fate. We circled the island a few times and created most excellent adventures.





The back seat looks nice and cozy.












After a few conversations with the concierge on the first night, we returned to camp at... the Ohia.

<-dorm s'mores

looking like hobos in waikiki ->

Dad, I really missed our sleeping on bags of dirt days- the boys were too big of pansies to spend a night on the beach.




For the second night we returned by daylight with a tent and were much more successful.





Overall it was a very fine adventure indeed.