The Good in Bad-minton!

Badminton is a racquet sport done by volleying a shuttlecock back and forth across a net.  It is played either in singles or doubles.  The roots of this sport can be traced back to mid-1800s, by British military officers stationed in British India. It's inspired by the traditional game called “battledore and shuttlecock” and was later formalized with set rules in England.  Badminton got its name from a country home of the Duke of Beaufort in southwestern England.

With Rutchel

Although this sport became popular world-wide, Asians have taken it to another level.  Today, the elite Badminton players in the world come from China, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia.  Besides world championships, these countries also rack up medals in the Olympics since the sport was included in 1982.

For those who may think that Badminton is not a hardy sport because it uses a thin racquet and a little feathered birdie, this sport require aerobic stamina, agility, explosive strength, speed and precision.  And yes, players do get injured, too in high levels of play.  Just take a look at this Badminton game courtesy of YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5KE

The friendly regulars: Albeth & Mercy, Tim & Renny

So, how do I inspire you to take up this wonderful sport and what is its connection to Kalihi?  Well, I found that there is such thing as the Honolulu Badminton Club, the first and only private badminton club in Honolulu and they are actually located in Kalihi at 1336 Dillingham Blvd.   You can sign up for membership at a very low price or you can just walk in to play for the night to see how it is.  The friendly owners are willing to give newcomers free lessons.

Here are reasons why it’s good to take up Badminton:

·      A very good form of exercise which, increases your flexibility, speed and agility

·      Low impact sport (unless played at high level)

·      Non-contact sport, less injury

·      Just need another person to play with (not a whole team)

Pheobe & Jimmy Yeung

·      No problem with weather, it’s played indoors

·      Uses affordable tools

·      You’ll meet other players and make friends

·      It’s FUN!

Honolulu Badminton Club (808-354-0146)

Mon to Fri - 6 to 10 p.m., Sat, Sun - 4 to 10 p.m.

Relax. Reflect. Read.

As the Hawaii State Library celebrates 100 years this year, I wonder how many of us still take the time to read a book and for that matter, make use of public libraries?  I am guilty of this.

Growing up poor in the Philippines, I didn’t have access to many exciting books.  But my mother who believed in the importance of reading would borrow children’s books from our neighbors who could afford to buy American books.

Despite of my mother’s efforts though, during Intermediate School days my friends would be reading Nancy Drew and other teen book series and later love stories published by Mills & Boon Publishing but I didn’t—I thought how could something that’s full of words and no pictures be interesting?  It took an avid reader friend to convince me to at least try to read the introduction of a romance novel for me to like reading. 

I was hooked reading romance novels.  Soon my parents and I migrated to Hawaii.  When I found that Kalihi-Palama Public Library and Lilliha Public Library are in my neighborhood and they carried romance novels of the same authors as Mills & Boon’s authors, I was ecstatic.  My library card was comparable to a platinum charge card nowadays—I could borrow books I wanted at any time.  And if they didn’t have the particular book that I wanted, the Librarian could check the other public libraries in the island and in the following days, my copy was ready to be picked up!

Looking back, I think I kept myself from trouble because I was often hanging out at Kalihi-Palama Library.  My parents would still be working when classes end at Farrington High School so I’d go there and do my homework instead of going out with friends.  Well, for one thing I didn’t have extra money to play at the video game arcade and we also didn’t own encyclopedia and reference books.  The library is safe, clean, air-conditioned, has clean restrooms and all sorts of reference materials.  The “atmosphere” is for studying and doing schoolwork as oppose to going home wherein I may end up watching television, playing or sleeping.

These days, the Kalihi-Palama Public Library seems to have fewer regulars than what I used to remember back then.  In the morning you might find a group of toddlers enjoying the reading program, and a couple of retired people relaxing with a newspaper, magazine or a book.  In the afternoon there might be some young people brought by their parents and some teenagers completing their group school assignment.  I think with the popularity of PC and the Internet, less and less people go the library.  We seem to have to find a real purpose like when I had to find a place to seriously review for my nursing board exam for us to go there.

It’s now time to rediscover our community’s public libraries.  If these facilities are under used and government funds continue to get tight, they might as well be eliminated.

Here’s some reasons why we should support and enjoy our public libraries:

·      Great for studying—it’s is air-conditioned, it’s quiet, it has references, it has computers and/or you can use your own computer there

·      Great for research—besides the books and other reading materials and the use of computer with Internet connection, there’s the capable Librarian who can also assist you and everything is for FREE

·      Great services for the whole family—the Kalihi-Palama Public Library alone has a large Children Section and Young Adult Section, a Family Resource Center, and a large Korean Drama Section.  Some may have a Travel Passport processing section.  Public libraries lend books, CDs, DVDs, and audio books.

·      Great for relaxing and getting updated with current events by reading newspapers and magazines.

·      The Kalihi-Palama Public Library is one of the few with an Auditorium that can be rented by the public for meetings, seminars, and the like.

Kalihi-Palama Public Libray

1325 Kalihi Street

Honolulu, HI 96819

808-832-3466

The Kalihi-Palama Public Library serves the community from Kalihi Valley to Sand Island, and from Palama to Fort Shafter.  Schools include a college, 3 high schools, and 9 elementary schools.  The collection includes 64,000 volumes and reflects the needs of the community.

Attainable Lifestyle Change

Many of us are aware of the benefits of healthy eating but if we didn’t grow up with it, it may not be easy to keep as part of our daily routine.  Maybe we just need a  simple and easy approach to make this lifestyle change manageable.

Therefore, let’s start simple by adding superfoods to our present diet instead of changing our entire diet immediately.  Certain foods are considered superior than others for their higher amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which, protect our health as they serve as disease-fighting and energy-boosting body fuels.  

But which superfoods list do we follow?  I found in my search at least 9 lists of 10 superfoods by physicians and health authorities.  So I sorted them out and found that there were several foods that consistently showed up in every list. 

BERRIES top the list.  Berries consist of blueberries, acai berries, goji berries, strawberries, and raspberries are the best recommended.  Tip: the darker the color of berries, the higher the substances that’s good for the body.

LEGUME followed suit.  Legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae, the fruit or seed of such a plant.  Examples of legumes are alfalafa, clover,  peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts, and tamarind.   

Let’s go nuts with NUTS!  There are so many choices of nuts but I found that walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pistachio, and macadamia nuts are the most recommend.

Next on the list of top superfoods is FISH.  The much preferred are the omega-3 rich fish such as Salmon and Sardines but preferably the wild Alaskan Salmon and not the cultured ones (due to high mercury content in cultured fish.)

CRUCIFERAE or cruciferous vegetables is 5^th on the list.  Cruciferae are known to be high in Vitamin C, soluble fiber with multiple nutrients and phytochemicals (cancer, stroke and metabolic syndrome fighting qualities.)  Examples of cruciferous vegetables are  cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, and broccoli.  

ALLIUMS also rank high as superfood.  Allium is informally referred as the onion plant genus. Examples of these plants are various edible onions, garlics, chives, scallions, shallots, and leeks.  These type of vegetables and herbs contain “organosulfur compounds” that maybe linked to protection against heart disease and cancer.

The “incredible edible EGG” made it to top 7.  The eggs recommended here are organically grown and some experts would only recommend the egg whites.  And although they recommend raw organically grown eggs I would still say, “cook it” for safety. 

Kahea, Aukai, & David Cadavona
of Family Roots Cafe

Now, you might wonder how is this related to Kalihi?  Because berries top the list and Oprah’s Dr. Perricone swear by the power of Acai berries, we invite you to try the Acai bowl offered by Family Roots Café located in 2153 Noth King Street (Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd. Building) because they make the best ones and it’s a generous serving that can be shared by 2 people. And as you can see, the serving is also topped with other berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.  This family operated café encourages healthy eating with their array of Panini sandwiches and healthy drinks.  If you don't want to try something new like eating acai berries and yet would like to get those recommended produce fresh and affordable, there's the Chinatown Market Place in City Square in Dillingham Blvd.  It is open daily with free parking.  And for those of you who likes going to the open market, Kalihi has one every Saturday morning at Kaumualii Street between Kalakaua Intermediate and Kalihi Elementary School.

Fresh Produce @ Chinatown Market Place

Saturday Swap Meet in Kaumualii

Inspirations

My resolve to try to make a difference in a young person’s life is inspired by a powerful song by Stevie Wonder called, “Used To Be.”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a1hvwLJ9Jk

And contrary to what we may think, making a difference is not hard.  Caring for others comes in many forms.  First of all, it does not require or limit to a certain age.  All it requires is awareness and maybe for a young person like my friend’s daughter Alison Pablo, great parents who instill this quality.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly7YRC-fOKU

Second, encouraging and inspiring others does not require much physical effort and sacrifice, sometimes you can even do it while having fun.  A good example is Walter Oshiro who often travels to the Philippines for leisure but while he’s there, he makes it a point to volunteer or donate to charity organizations down to charity’s simplest form like giving extra tip to his child tour guide knowing that that child works to help his family and to support his education.

And last, being a positive influence does not require monetary wealth, a certain standing in the society or spending a lot of time, sometimes even by just being who we are, we are already making a difference to others.  The story of Modesto Salve is a good example of a person whose sheer hard work and determination had made a difference not only for himself and his family but to his own people.  And even now that he’s gone, he will continue to serve as an inspiration to many people not only in Kalihi which he once called home but to all who are struggling to find their own ethnic identity and pride in a foreign land.

Good Times Kalihi

In our FB Page, I’ve been inviting everyone to share their good memories about Kalihi.  And while waiting for some brave souls, I’ll share my own little story though not as extensive as Gee Dayton’s early Kalihi days…

I was 15 when I arrived in Kalihi from the Philippines.  My first impression was, “Is this America?”  But once I saw the Ko'olau mountain range and Kalihi Valley, I realized that I would live in a beautiful place. 

The first place my uncle took me to was at McDonald’s in Dillingham Blvd.  He ordered a Big Mac for me, which I thought was actually big!  We also went to Emjay’s Supermarket (now Savers) where a lady asked me if I was Chinese.  Hmn, I must have looked a little fair back then?

Like other newly arrived immigrants, our relatives showed us around to see the different tourist attractions of the island.  And of all those nice places, my favorite spot was the Kalihi-Palama Library!  Why? Because I didn’t need money or ride to get there and I could pretty much entertain myself the whole day reading those love stories by the same authors I used to read in the Philippines. That community library served as my study and homework hub after school when I was going to Farrington High School and even when I reviewed for my Nursing Board Examination years later.

In my aunt’s house in Kaumualii Street, my cousins would often have their friends over.  I had a crush on one of them and he probably knew it because he would also flirt with me.  Everything was a blur each time he came around and I think I blushed and tripped several times when one day he was in the house playing the ukulele and singing, “On top of spaghetti…” while I had to do my house chores nearby!  

I remember taking the Kalihi Uka route bus with my friends Salne and Cora to go to choir practices at our Kalihi Valley church every week.  After getting down from the bus at Numana Road, we would hike up to the house of worship.  Often times we wouldn’t feel the steep road because we’d be talking stories.  But one evening, I noticed some men drinking by the side of the road so I whispered to them, “Walk faster, I don’t like how those men are eyeing us.”  Before I knew it, the three of us were screaming up the hill trying to drag Cora because she was panicking and could hardly walk.  Although we were wheezing, catching our breath from fear and exhaustion, we managed to chuckle for a good while thinking of how silly we were!

Those were the days.  We now have grown up and have our own families.  I am one of those who stayed in Kalihi not only for practical reasons like it’s close to my church, my work, Downtown, Ala Moana and Waikiki, Pearl Ridge and even Kaneohe but through the years I remained in love with Kalihi.

What is to be loved about Kalihi?

First, I believe you have to consider Kalihi home to love it.  And by home, it does not mean just a place where you grew up in but a place that gave you a feeling of belonging.  That, no matter how far you have traveled and how much success you have achieved, you can still say that it is the place that gave you strength, self, and character.

Second, I believe that part of loving Kalihi is being grateful for what it has done for you.  Whether you were born and raised in Kalihi or you migrated from another country, that you feel Kalihi welcomed you with open arms.  That, because of its simple and maybe in some cases challenging way of life, you strove to be a better person.

Third, I believe that Kalihi has so much to offer that all along people have taken advantaged of yet, sometimes have not realized.  Kalihi has a concentration of businesses people hailed as the best in all of Hawaii.  It also has many services that support low-income families and it has opportunities for young people to learn from.  Being home to many churches, it can claim as well as a place where people found inner peace and resolution.  And perhaps the many people who made a difference in the society who claim roots to this place are the best offering Kalihi can ever have.

Last, I believe that Kalihi has so much potential to grow.  Given its ideal topography, it is considerably a cool place to live, particularly in the valleys.  It is near Punchbowl, Downtown, and Waikiki towards the east, Maunapuna, Moanalua, and Salt Lake to the west, and Kaneohe, He’eia, and Kailua to the north.  Kalihi consists of mountain, valleys, plain and the sea.  The land is fertile for planting and although there is not much room for farming now there are still natural springs in the neighborhood as proof of its arable past.  It is the home of the largest private school campus in Hawaii with more than 3,000 students and the home of a museum and learning center with an extensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts and valuables of historical significance from the different cultures of the world.  Kalihi is home of the oldest schools in Hawaii and maybe even in the nation.  And because it is the most ideal place of settlement during the plantation era, different cultures have left indelible marks in the neighborhood.

The list can go on and on and I hope that in the near future I may be able to share with everyone about the things that are unique, relevant, nurturing, and many more reasons why I love Kalihi.