Many locals shun Waikiki, saying it’s just for tourists, not worth the hassle, not worth fighting/paying for parking, everything is overpriced. I, on the other hand, make semi-regular pilgrimages to this Mecca of tourism to see the sights, which include top-flight hotels and shops and bars, a beautiful beach, and a crazy throng of tourists pulsing through the streets.
The Christmas season is an especially good time to cruise the Waikiki scene. The hotels deck the halls, the city chips in some lights and bobbles, and of course people are generally in a festive mood. Eighty percent of the people on the streets are on vacation in Hawaii for the holidays. As for Waipahu Bob, once again, in accordance with Mao’s philosophy of guerrilla warfare, he is a fish who swims in the sea of the people. In this case, it’s a festive sea, and I’m swimming with a belly full of cheer. What’s not to like?
I met my long-time friend Mr. S at his Waikiki condominium and we set out on foot. As he often does, Mr. S suggested a first stop at the Coffee Bean. I quickly declined. As previously reported in this blog, Mr. S once helped the Coffee Bean owner out of a #MeToo-type jam, and in gratitude the owner granted Mr. S a 22% discount for life, on all coffee purchases of $5 or more. Mr. S is keen to flaunt this deal as much as possible, which in itself would be fine, but he has the unseemly habit during Coffee Bean visits of reenacting the owner’s #MeToo transgression in graphic detail, normally with a potted plant. This was not my idea of how to start out a holiday swing through Waikiki. Mr. S was a bit perturbed at my veto of the Coffee Bean, but he quickly shook it off. For all his perverse fetishes, I’ll say one thing about Mr. S, he’s a team player. We soldiered on through the streets of Waikiki.
O.K., I give Mr. S some grief, but I must also give him some props. The man was a true hero this evening. When we were walking down a side street, off of Kalakaua, we came around the corner to see a guy walking across the street, in a crosswalk, talking loudly in his cell phone and dragging his young boy behind him. Problem was, the kid was like 3 years old and his pants had literally fallen down to his ankles, and his little ding-a-ling was in the breeze. The kid was screaming for his dad to stop, but the oblivious asshole father was only interested in his cell phone. He was pulling the kid’s arm without even looking at him, and the kid was yelling and struggling not to fall.
Almost like a superhero, Mr. S gave the dude a tap on the arm and said, “Hey buddy, hold up, your son needs help.”
Dude turned and saw his son in disarray and shamefully stooped to help him. The kid looked up at Mr. S and said, “Thanks mister. I owe you.”
“No hurry on that, kid,” Mr. S said as we started to walk away.
“But I do hang around the Coffee Bean on Hobron Street, if you’re in the neighborhood.”
Ah, Mr. S, always a class act. Anyway, it was getting late, at least for a country bumpkin from Waipahu. We decided to swing by the Hale Koa hotel on the way back. They always did some solid Christmas decorations.
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Seasonal music choice, associated background trivia, and Ukraine in the news again:
The song “Carol of the Bells” is based on a traditional Ukrainian folk chant that celebrated the season of rebirth and hope for the New Year. In 1916, Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich borrowed the four-note melody for a new choir song called “Shchedryk,” which debuted in the US at Carnegie Hall in 1921. When American choir director Peter Wilhousky heard the song, he wrote new lyrics and introduced his version, called “Carol of the Bells.” He copyrighted and published it in 1936.
Audio clip below is the group August Burns Red doing Carol of the Bells. I like this version, which was featured on the TV show, The Office. Sure, most people like more sedate versions of this song, like the outstanding version done by Mannheim Steamroller. August Burns Red provides a more head-banging version. When Dwight Schrute cranked this up at the office Christmas party, let’s just say, things got poppin’!
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Have a happy holiday everybody!
Peace. Out.
Waipahu Bob 