Today, thanks to the Department of Transportation and Alana, we got to ride Skyline, Honolulu’s new rail system.

It was really neat! We went from the Aloha Stadium to Kapolei in 21 minutes and back in a smooth comfortable ride. We had birdseye views of places that could not be seen otherwise.

I was one of the constant grumblers about the system from the start but I ate crow today and thoroughly enjoyed the round trip. I plan to load up a senior Holo card for one way trips that cost $1, or opt for a $35 annual senior pass and use it to ride to Kapolei, catch an Uber to the shopping center or theatres there, eat ono Filipino food at Julie’s, and return to town (currently the Aloha Stadium).

Here is a short video of the segment from Leeward Community College to Pearl Highlands. I hope that you enjoy the ride!

Not too Xrated – just hilarious! (Thanks Wandaful!)

I am a take out queen. It is a terrible admission but that is who and what I am. I KNOW I should be cooking healthy dishes and I do thoroughly enjoy a good home cooked meal (mahalo Wandaful!) but all those preparation logistics such as rinsing and starting the rice pot and defrosting frozen meats make me dizzy. And so, I do take out and fast food.

This month, I downloaded the Zipster app. This is a new app by Zippy’s Restaurants to replace the old one. I had paid my $20 annual dues to be in the Senior discount club saving me 10% on my purchases there but that program was going to be discontinued SO they offered me a refund check of $20 or a credit of $100 if I joined the Zipster app. Of course I opted for the $100 and followed the instructions on their fun “how to” video. So now I have $100 in food credit! My first purchase with the app with be a glazed donut. I love Zippy’s glazed donuts. After any first purchase by September 30, I earn a Zip Pack meal – woohoo, such a deal!

The next app I downloaded was the McDonald’s app. Why? Because I made a bet with a friend and lost. The bet was for lunch and he wanted a Big Mac meal. I hadn’t eaten at McDonalds for decades – other than getting their 99¢ large Coca Cola in drive through. I took a bite of my Big Mac. Surprise! It was delicious! Juicy, with dill pickles and shredded lettuce on a soft bun. Probably totally unhealthy but REALLY tasty and satisfying. (Good for the soul but not for the body.)

So he heard from pal Cookie about the deals on the app. Buy one Big Mac, get one free – and our mutual friend downloaded the app and we kept making Big Mac bets, happily winning or losing, going through the drive through windows and getting 2 Big Macs and our 99¢ Coca Colas. Easy to do – order through the deal through the app and tell the drive through teller the 4 digit code that pops up. We order our sodas after we supply the app codes. Only one deal can be done at a time (so we didn’t order french fries.)

But today, my daughter said the deal is a Big Mac and fries for $4.01. Ayeeyah! So I downloaded the McDonald’s app (very fast) and sure enough – that was the deal today. A thank you for signing up deal is a free large fries expiring on August 31, which I will use in the coming weeks. Yum yum yum.

Guess what I am having for lunch today!

Auld Lang Syne translates to “old long since” and sung to bid farewell to the old year or old times. A bit late since we are now into mid January, but still deserving of a listen.

Mark Ford aka Michael Masterson sent this in one of his non daily emails that I subscribe to. He is a super intelligent slightly cranky brilliant investor and author that I have been following and sometimes admire. His latest email also featured a movie on Netflix, “The Hand of God” inspired by Fellini, winning many film awards this year. [Update: This movie was different because it was in a different language and a different culture. Nudity, messages, and such a variety of characters on so many different layers that I find myself wondering what it was about. Still, it was a film director’s masterpiece and actually one based on the director’s memories of his own youth growing up in Naples, its obsession with their savior soccer star Maradona, and the coming of age of a young boy. I almost want to watch it again, but not sure if I will.]

Another recommendation of his, “Enlightenment Now” by Stephen Pinker, is a non-fiction book with great reviews such as: magnificent, uplifting and makes you want to rush to your laptop and close your Twitter account.” (The Economist). That makes me want to rush out and listen to the book on tape IF the library has it. [Update: Library has it!]

And now, without further ado and still pushing back pending posts about Korean Natural Farming, here is a wonderful version of Auld Lang Syne sung by Home Free:

November 3 is a special day to Japanese because it was Emperor Meiji’s birthday (born in 1852) and then evolved into Culture Day. Here is a YouTube video that was put together by our local Japanese and Okinawan societies to celebrate this event during our dreary Covid times. It is rather long at 48 minutes but I loved every minute of it. Almost makes me want to join one of them but I shall resist.

Thanks to pal Ryuko for sharing this with me. And now, I share with you.

I am a confessed Korean drama junkette BUT ever since I binge watched all the episodes and then the movie of Downton Abbey, Korean dramas have been topped and many of the offerings on Netflix do not thrill me like before. Have you watched Downton Abbey? The snobby Mary and the marvelous grandmother, Lady Violet and the plots, scenery, costumes, characters, time setting, etc. make it so deliciously memorable – and it got me spoiled.

So now I watch movies – mostly on Netflix – and they guiltily fill my evenings (actually waste my evenings). This week I found 2 that are outstanding and worth watching.

The first one is “Birth of the Dragon”. It is set in San Francisco with Bruce Lee in 1964 before he really got famous. He fought with a Shaolin kung fu master Wong Jack Man in an epic fight. I did not care for the actor who portrayed Bruce Lee – too smiley, cocky, and punk looking, but perhaps that is how he was in real life. I really liked Wong Jack Man and thought he was cute. Aunty Blossom is portrayed by “China’s Oprah Winfrey” Jin Xing. I google searched her because she looked like the Chinese girlfriend of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s ex-husband (see how I watch too much Netflix?). And it turns out that she is transgender. But I digress. The movie was well done and in English. It is based on a true story and fight. Not the typical Kung Fu movie with revenge and corny lines that Uncle used to love. Here is the trailer (isn’t the monk cute?)

The second really good movie that I watched on Netflix was “My Octopus Teacher”. I was surprised that I liked it so much. A movie about a man who finds an octopus in the kelp forest at sea? For real? Actually, it was for real, and SO well done. The photography is beautiful and the octopus stole the show. She was so smart and amazing. I don’t remember if the filmmaker named her but they had a relationship for over a year. I fell in love with that octopus without a name, and as a result, I don’t want to eat tako (octopus in Japanese) anymore. Here’s the trailer. Btw, the trailer doesn’t do it justice. The movie is awesomesauce.

One of Aunty’s favorite writers is Mark Ford aka Michael Masterson.  He used to write financial advice and the mindset for wealth but recently he came out of retirement and writes about common everyday pleasantries and finds.

I do like his movie recommendations – Octopus Teacher, Fargo, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Home for the Holidays and others – as well as his wit and observations.

His latest was about sumo – which he calls “full grown men having a shoving contest in diapers.”  He highlighted a Czech born wrestler named Takanoyama Shuntaro – in error since Takanoyama had retired in 2014.  However, despite his mistake, the tournament he referred to was in May 2019 with Tochinoshin Tsuyoshi – a Mtskheta, Georgia born sumo wrestler.

It is a fascinating sport.  Hawaii has also had many sumo wrestlers, among the best were Takamiyama (Jesse Kulaulua from Maui), Konishiki (Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e born in Samoa), and Akebono (Chad Rowan from Waimanalo).

Here is Tochinoshin’s highlight video from last year.  The surprise comes at the end:

Pal Wandaful sent this touching video about ramen.

Enjoy!

Gorgeous father, gorgeous son. Aunty fell into idolship after watching Andrea Bocceli’s life story on Netflix “The Music of Silence”. He takes on the name of Amos Bardi in the movie, so a bit confusing at first. Still, his talent transcends all.

And here’s another one for goosebumps – with Ed Sheeran in “Perfect”.