Gymnastics and Hawaii

My daughter is a competitive gymnast. Due to her performance in the previous year’s competitive season, she was invited to a competition on the island of Honolulu with several other teams at her gym. We arrived in Honolulu on the 16th. And, as anyone who has been to Hawaii can tell you, it is a magical place. The air itself exudes calm and relaxation. For my part, I had spent the previous three months recuperating from a stubborn ankle injury (torn ligaments in my foot and ankle), a nasty case of the flu, as well as three months of physical therapy, so six days of rest and relaxation were top of mind for me. At the Aloha Gymfest my daughter and her teammates took top honors. It was this season’s crowning achievement because it reflected her team’s recent efforts to work better together; while also emphasizing each athlete’s ability to perform in each of the skills and competitive stations.

The day after competition wrapped up the entire gym went to a Luau hosted by our gym, Peninsula Gymnastics of San Mateo, at Paradise Cove. It was a magical time full of the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Hawaiian island’s rich cultural heritage. I found it particularly interesting to learn of the ways that the Hawaiian islands were formed and how settlement of the islands by native peoples of many islands in the Pacific happened over many generations due to commerce, mutual interest, war, and curiosity. The people of Hawaii are stunning in their beauty and rate amongst the most kind and tolerant people I have ever met (pictures below).

During our stay in Hawaii we chose to get around the island by Lyft exclusively. I’ve found when traveling that the people I meet and the interesting information I have gathered through discussions with gig-economy drivers are almost always helpful. For example, one of our Lyft drivers recommended that we take a trip out to Lanakai Beach and see and feel its “peanut butter sand.” It was magical! And the chain of islands off its shores made for amazing vistas as the sun began to set. Also, given my status as a “mainlander” who lives and works in one of the most wealthy and high-pressure areas of the nation, several of our Lyft drivers shared with us invaluable insights on some of Hawaii’s local customs and norms. The first of which was not to be a know it all who thinks he’s the boss of everyone — [sp] a “High Muka Muka” - I love that! I used this knowledge frequently to just relax and “flow” with the island, its customs, and rituals.

On the fourth day of our stay, we fortuitously were able to visit Hanauma Bay for snorkeling with the marine wildlife in it’s pristine waters. Fortuitous, as the next few days the beach was closed for myriad reasons. There we saw a rare (and endangered) monk seal, had a handmade lunch, and relaxed amongst the throngs of other beachgoers (pictures below).

On our fifth day on Honolulu we took the opportunity to book a helicopter tour with the famed, Magnum Helicopter Tours. I was originally skeptical, due to its cost, but we ended up thoroughly enjoying ourselves. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life. And the views of Honolulu, the North Shore, the mountains, waterfalls, Hanauma Bay, and Waikiki were simply breathtaking (pictures below).

As we boarded our plane to return to the Mainland, we did so steeped in the knowledge that Hawaii is now a part of us and would be a destination for future family vacations. There is so much to see in Hawaii (we only got to see Honolulu during this visit) and there are seven other islands that (given whatever life may have in store for us) we may be able to explore during trips to come. Hawaii, mahalo nui loa!...until we meet again.

Novel Coronavirus

Within a few days of our return from Hawaii my wife began showing symptoms of the flu. She complained of headache, fever, and aches, with some nausea. I went to work, having set her up for the day with soup, crackers, and tea. By midday my daughter had called me at work to share that she was very concerned about her mother, that her symptoms had worsened. She was now too weak to move off of the floor and the nausea was so debilitating she couldn’t keep anything down. I left work to take her to the hospital. As we were admitting her, the ER Receptionist asked me if we had travelled to Africa recently. I was surprised that he asked about Africa, and not China, nevertheless, I shared that we had just returned from a trip to Hawaii and had lots of contact with international travelers, but that we hadn’t ourselves been to Africa. He shrugged off my disclosure and admitted us into the ER. After a few hours in the ER, and a saline drip, she was released to my care. Within two days, she was walking around. Within a week, she was back to her regular routine and habits. This was the flu. A nasty strain of the flu, but nevertheless, the flu.

I’m told that the Coronavirus is no flu. I pray daily that we never have to find out. At this point in time, in January and in the Bay Area, I’m vaguely aware that there is something unusually virulent circulating in our communities. But, fortunately for me, my awareness didn’t extend to the depths of fear and anxiety that would have resulted if I was more fully aware of what the novel coronavirus is capable of. If I’m honest, I’m not sure how I would have reacted. Given that I have a strong protective instinct, and that I am completely dedicated to and enamored with my wife, I can only imagine that I would have taken every precaution, while unknowingly putting myself (and our child) at risk by tending to her care. For these are the choices that the infected, and their loved ones, have to make.

In January, I am still clueless to how quickly things can change. As the fear and anxiety of this global epidemic, although present in my subconscious, is far enough away from awareness that I don’t bother with concern. At this time, for me, the novel coronavirus only exists in conflated news reports and on the social media of friends and friends of friends who are traveling internationally. It only exists as an abstraction sometimes called, the “Chinese” coronavirus by racist politicians and their minions and as the punchline of puerile jokes parroted by inferior minds. It is real, but irrelevant, for me and my family at this time. It is like dust on a glass table in a drafty room. In January, I’m aware of the frequency to which I provide high fives, hand shakes, and fist bumps to my colleagues, neighbors, and the most casual of acquaintances. I’m aware that at a recent trip to the gym a young woman sidled up to me, smiled and straddled the exercise bike next to me for a work out. I smiled back and without a further thought immersed myself in my workout. After my workout, I did what I always do, I wiped down the bike with my towel and then dispensed of it in the communal bin. I took a shower in the locker room and headed home to check in with my family.

Eli (January 1 - 31, 2020)