The Pau Hana Dance

Wednesday Evening in Honolulu, Oahu, after work - What's doin'? Same old thing, go home or stop for Happy Hour and have a drink somewhere to wait for highway traffic to die down. Dancers are not drunks, everybody knows that. So Wednesday is a nice time of the week to take a break.

The secret of a happy life is not buried in a treasure chest ...
it lies within your own heart.
It's the little moments that make life big.
Don't wait. Make memories today.

For some reason or another we cannot have a Pau Hana dance in Honolulu or Oahu?. So be it. But rumbling around town is a little chatter of the Pau Hana Dance. This definitely does not involve "Ballroom" dancers now that another group has assumed the responsibility for Social Dancing. Sounds to me almost like the original Tea Dance, because it is in the middle of the work week and it starts right after work.

"Rags To Riches" by Tony Bennett

Pau Hana Dance, a Happy Hour but with much more dancing, less alcohol and more juice drinking. And with a Live Band, Wow! The dance floor would not have to be huge because this would be for Social dancers. There are other places for your quick stepping. This would be an amalgamation of the American Bronze and Night Club Dancing. Whatta Fun Crowd they would be!

Beside the break from everyday work, (specially for Cultural dancers) it is also a respite from the every day freeway headache on the way home. And on Oahu it is going to get worse, because of the Rail tragedy. Dancing, a few drinks, a few snacks, a little talk story and it could be a very pleasant interlude in the middle of the work week. The women would find the preparation for the dance, fairly easy and a common thing. The men would also find it easy to freshen up a bit and some would even change to a fresh shirt. There shouldn't be anyone showing up in slippahs

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

Down Town would be the most efficient. The working density is heavier and parking would be closer, and there are quite a few places available. The dance could be pau at eight and nine for the late comers and it could go even more if dancers would still be there. It would be a complete day and the freeway home would be a breeze. Enough time to get a good nights sleep and you would have a very comfortable next day.

You got anything more perfect than that?

The Personal Part

Finally getting my new life in Pearl City in good order and it is looking better all the time. The VA and I are both trying to keep me from going to a care center. I have a nice place to live, and they are going to help make it easy for me to get around. The Handi Van is just terrific. Then there is a Nurse that will be coming in once a month to check up on me, what I am doing right or wrong.

"Some dancers are so busy learning the tricks of the trade

that they never learn the trade."

 

They got me a shower chair, which will make it easier for me with my Vertigo. (dizzy,) And they have ordered a special hospital style bed, that can adjusted in several positions. If and when the swelling on my foot happens, I will be able walk a little more and get out. I have read some bad reports on the VA but let me assure everyone that they are not going to get any complaints from me. I have many things ahead of me. My hearing is off, and then I must see my dentist for some new teeth.

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Bruddah Iz

My son and his wife were visiting Hawaii and visited me at Tripler. Sent me some nice photos. Made me very happy that they are all doing fine. So much good family.

My son Ron, his wife, two daughters with husbands, and one grandchild.

Then one of Ron and me at Tripler and the last of Ron and Leigh

probably at their hotel in Waikiki.

Meanwhile, I have much planning for my blogging, hoping to eventually work myself out of all the blogs and just keep this one which will remain my hobby. I will play it by ear, I haven't got much time.

Dance Law #34B: We can try to make it foolproof,
but we cannot make it damnfoolproof.

The Personal Part

Finally getting my new life in Pearl City in good order and it is looking better all the time. The VA and I are both trying to keep me from going to a care center. I have a nice place to live, and they are going to help make it easy for me to get around. The Handi Van is just terrific. Then there is a Nurse that will be coming in once a month to check up on me, what I am doing right or wrong.

"Some dancers are so busy learning the tricks of the trade

that they never learn the trade."

 

They got me a shower chair, which will make it easier for me with my Vertigo. (dizzy,) And they have ordered a special hospital style bed, that can adjusted in several positions. If and when the swelling on my foot happens, I will be able walk a little more and get out. I have read some bad reports on the VA but let me assure everyone that they are not going to get any complaints from me. I have many things ahead of me. My hearing is off, and then I must see my dentist for some new teeth.

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Bruddah Iz

My son and his wife were visiting Hawaii and visited me at Tripler. Sent me some nice photos. Made me very happy that they are all doing fine. So much good family.

My son Ron, his wife, two daughters with husbands, and one grandchild.

Then one of Ron and me at Tripler and the last of Ron and Leigh

probably at their hotel in Waikiki.

Meanwhile, I have much planning for my blogging, hoping to eventually work myself out of all the blogs and just keep this one which will remain my hobby. I will play it by ear, I haven't got much time.

Dance Law #34B: We can try to make it foolproof,
but we cannot make it damnfoolproof.

Winos

Here on the Island of Oahu, there are more beer drinkers and hard liquor drinkers than there are wine drinkers. And yet throughout history, wine has been the most mentioned alcoholic beverage. And according to my limited knowledge, the dancers have many good connoisseurs of drinking wines. (plural.)

Here, the news—very good news, indeed—from the latest studies. 

There are health benefits that come from moderate wine consumption, defined by the American Heart Association as one to two four-ounce glasses a day. The Evidence: These Wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers.

 "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain
"You know she was a dancer, She moved better on wine."

Wine drinking reduces Heart-Attack Risk and the evidence is that moderate drinkers suffering from high blood pressure are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack than nondrinkers. Source: a 16-year Harvard School of Public Health study of 11,711 men, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 2007.

 "Red, Red, Wine" by Neil Diamond
"Red, red wine, Go to my head. Make me forget that I, Still need her so"

Wine drinking lowers Risk of Heart Disease. Red-wine tannins contain procyanidins, which protect against heart disease. Wines from Sardinia and southwest France have more procyanidins than other wines. Source: a study at Queen Mary University in London, published in Nature, 2006.

Wine drinking reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Moderate drinkers have 30 percent less risk than nondrinkers of developing type 2 diabetes. Source: research on 369,862 individuals studied over an average of 12 years each, at Amsterdam's VU University Medical Center, published in Diabetes Care, 2005

"The Way" by Fastball
"They drank up the wine, and they got to talking
they now had more important things to say."

Wine drinking lowers Risk of Stroke. The possibility of suffering a blood clot –related stroke drops by about 50 percent in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol. Source: a Columbia University study of 3,176 individuals over an eight-year period, published in Stroke, 2006.

"Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho
The entire song is about Champagne

Wine drinking cuts Risk of Cataracts. Moderate drinkers are 32 percent less likely to get cataracts than nondrinkers; those who consume wine are 43 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those drinking mainly beer. Source: a study of 1,379 individuals in Iceland, published in Nature, 2003

 And now that wine can be produced so inexpensive in Latin America, you can imagine the increase in wine drinking with Latin Music and Dance. Like peaches and cream already in most of the capitals. In the outskirts they still tend to go for the local rot gut which is pleasant enough.

"Never miss a chance to dance - and dance your heart out."

Anyone interested?

Live Music and Dance
by James Miyashita, Kalealoa

Ever wonder how a band gets a particular sound? Maybe some of us want to learn how to be a better performers ourselves? One of the best ways to learn is by watching other artists to see what they do. On the island of Oahu, we might discover a cool guitar move, a way of engaging a crowd, or a combination of instruments or effects that we never thought of.

"The new century has certainly brought us into a fast age. The impossibility of yesterday has become the luxury of today and the necessity of tomorrow."

Spending time with friends enjoying live music is a great way to bond. Shared musical experiences can become memories that will last a lifetime. We will always remember the times with our friends when we enjoyed our favorite band or the new artist who surprised us with their talent. It also feels amazing to be completely absorbed in the music and dancing it our way. Then glance around the club to see that we are surrounded by so many others who feel the same way!

"La Golondrina" por Placido Domingo

Although it is becoming more and more common for audiences on Oahu to listen or watch performances through other methods, attending a live music event is actually a great opportunity to unplug from our devices and enjoy the present moment. There is so much to see, hear, and feel at a performance, so we don’t want to spend our time glued to earbuds. We might find that the time we spend enjoying music in the moment with our cellphone switched off refreshes our mind and gives us a new perspective on life. We may just live in Paradise.

"Contigo A La Distancia" por Christina Aguilera

It has always been hard to make a living as an artist, and it is particularly difficult on Oahu, now that so much music is available for free online or courtesy of the many good DJs out there. Many musicians now make more money performing than they do from their recordings, so if there is an artist whose work moves us one of the best ways to show our support is to attend their presentations. Especially for independent artists playing in smaller venues, a supportive audience is one of the most wonderful things a musician can see. And we are so fortunate to have so many good artists musicians on this Island of Oahu.

"Dancing? We may not be there yet, but we are closer

today than we were yesterday."

Getting Updated

A quarter of the year almost gone and I can see pretty good down the ways. I don't get around much anymore but what I have heard is that the dance situation is getting better. There was a time when too many in our dance circles look down on other groups with disdain. And fortunately now many have seen that kokua works pretty good too. I hope we will all try to understand  and just be one big happy family with normal everyday differences of opinion. We are not clones of anyone, each of us and groups should be respected as a separate distinct unity.

"The richest dancer in the world is the one that finds pleasure

in everyday doings and dancing."

Town Dancer remains in front of the blogs in average hits per day. This is followed by Platinum Horseshoe which is second by a hair ahead of Dancing Nights. Wahiawa Ballroom Dance Club sent a beautiful poster for Platinum Horseshoe. The rest are still in solid double digits average per day hits (19 or less.) A steady additional Guest Author will determine who will take over first place. And we are fortunate that we have so many capable people in our dance environment.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Tony Bennett

"Save The Last Dance For Me" by Dolly Parton

The subject matter most needed is the Live Music on Oahu. Much of what I get is doled out as advertising and almost all on the Internet plainly states that it is copyrighted. They will hang me up by the thumbs if they catch me taking any of it for my blogs. So my friends, anything you can do to help me help them.

Dance Law #35C: "No matter what goes wrong,

there is always somebody who knew it would." 

Getting Updated

A quarter of the year almost gone and I can see pretty good down the ways. I don't get around much anymore but what I have heard is that the dance situation is getting better. There was a time when too many in our dance circles look down on other groups with disdain. And fortunately now many have seen that kokua works pretty good too. I hope we will all try to understand  and just be one big happy family with normal everyday differences of opinion. We are not clones of anyone, each of us and groups should be respected as a separate distinct unity.

"The richest dancer in the world is the one that finds pleasure

in everyday doings and dancing."

Town Dancer remains in front of the blogs in average hits per day. This is followed by Platinum Horseshoe which is second by a hair ahead of Dancing Nights. Wahiawa Ballroom Dance Club sent a beautiful poster for Platinum Horseshoe. The rest are still in solid double digits average per day hits (19 or less.) A steady additional Guest Author will determine who will take over first place. And we are fortunate that we have so many capable people in our dance environment.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Tony Bennett

"Save The Last Dance For Me" by Dolly Parton

The subject matter most needed is the Live Music on Oahu. Much of what I get is doled out as advertising and almost all on the Internet plainly states that it is copyrighted. They will hang me up by the thumbs if they catch me taking any of it for my blogs. So my friends, anything you can do to help me help them.

Dance Law #35C: "No matter what goes wrong,

there is always somebody who knew it would." 

The Juice Bar

By Anthony Hanaoka, Liliha:

Actually not many people know what a Juice Bar is. Yes they sell juices. Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Pineapple Juice, Berry Juices etc. But is that all? Not on the mainland. And a good fruit juice is not only deliciously appetizing but good for your health. Fortunately we also know that dancers are not drunks. Money cannot be made easily in an ordinary alcohol bar for dancers. And no one on Oahu has ever "pushed" the fruit juice bar.

‘If we would be a real seeker after truth, it would be necessary that at

least once in our life we doubt, as far as possible, all things.’

Nowadays, They also sell Slush Drinks. And very simply put, they are a little more liquid than shaved ice and using the same type of syrups for flavoring. Very thirst quenching because of the ice and the syrup is familiar and nice tasting. There are also other variations.

"Little Things Mean A Lot" by Kitty Kallen

They also sell Smoothies. And what is a smoothie? Basically, a smoothie is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients. They have a milkshake-like consistency that is thicker than slush drinks.

"Every Part Of Love" by Amy Hanaialii

Interestingly, the difference between a fruit smoothie and a fruit juice is that smoothies use the fruit in its entirety, whereas a juice simply extracts the liquids from a fruit. For this reason smoothies are said to contain pulps and fibers, as well as in some instance the nutrients from skins (for example apples) and therefore can be marketed as being a more healthy and nutritious drink than a fruit juice.

"I'll Remember You" by Don Ho

A Juice Bar on Oahu can have start up costs ranging from $10,000 - $20,000 and there are franchises available. However an established Night Club on Oahu can install a special Juice Bar for from $2000 to $4000 depending on the location. And with the proper inducements to the "dancers," can make more profits than the alcohol bar. May come with the new Pau Hana Dances. (Tea Dance.)

Tony

"An Optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds.

 An Pessimist fears this is true."

Shocking

With the short background that this blog has it is doing just great. All my stat indicators point to a terrific future. One more good steady information contributor would establish them as number one. For now Richie Fun and his information contributors are doing a bang up job. Divino Ritmo Dance is establishing itself as the top studio on Oahu.

"The truth that makes dancers free is for the most part

the truth which dancers prefer not to hear."

Many still think is terms of the money we are going to ask for. They simply do not know about blogs on Oahu nor why we do this. Fortunately they are learners and they are coming around. Flier kine emails are just fine for a beginning but there is more to it than that. Advertising in other media is not the same as communication in a blog. But social media is much more efficient.

"Private Dancer" by Tina Turner"

And if course, the aftermath of any dance party - What happened? - with items of information and photos. Wow. That is Social Media. We are in the slow process of development but Oahu dance clubs will be well known throughout the Hawaiian Islands and perhaps in the entire Pacific Basin. Our readers are increasing daily, more slowly now but steadily.

"I Will Dance For You" by Willie K

Our blogs have reader/dancers that are a different breed of person than the ordinary dancer. It is more communication, a personal invitation to join us in all our different ramifications. And the net increase in difference will be most prominent out on the dance floor where most of our people will be having fun and enjoying the movement to music.

"Here's to the Nights which we will long remember

with Friends we shall never forget."

How About Live Music?

I meet plenty people who want to dance to live music on Oahu. Why? When most of us social dancers think about music, we think DJ music. Let us face it, they do pretty good in their presentations on Oahu. They have the latest and most current stuff out there. And we are accustomed to listening to music while traveling from one place to another? On every bus on Oahu, you can see several people with earbuds to their ears

“We are going to die, sooner or later, whether or not we have even spoken

for ourselves. Our silences have not protected us. Your silences will

not protect you .... What are the words you do not yet have?

But most of us know that music doesn’t come out of a machine, a cloud, or a search engine. People make music, and it takes a lot of energy, dedication, and commitment. If you rarely see live music, it is easy to forget how much work goes into that killer beat, sweet riff, or catchy melody. Go to a live performance in any night club and get close enough to see the passion, energy, and yes, sweat, that goes into making music. You will definitely walk away with a deeper appreciation for what musicians do. If you are dancing to it, no need explain the many benefits.

"What are the Oldies but Goodies?"

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

Unfortunately, many of the performances of live music are for the listening pleasure of the audience. That is somewhat different than the people that want to move to their favorite rhythms. Even some listeners can feel the need to move to the music. You can see young kids that have not learned to control their bodies good enough to keep from moving to the music coming into their ears.

“Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Great dancers are great because of their passion.”
 

Wahiawa Ballroom Dance Club

"The time has come" the Walrus said, "to talk of many things:

of shoes and ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings"

Anyone know where that comes from?

 Received from Aunty Maile and first posted to Platinum Horseshoe blog.

Central Valley is gonna have a rousing good time. It could be a "contendah" what with Dot's In Wahiawa,  Just Tacos, Salsa in Mililani and the new one coming up in Waipio. Now that the Dance Pavilion at the Patsy Mink Recreation Park has been cancelled to pay for the Rail Disaster. But the Present Rail Party is making millions and millions of dollars in profits. It's the money, Sonny.

"Paniolo Country" by Melveen Leed

Meanwhile,Town Dancer, the blog continues to lead all the others, but gradually losing hits. Dancing Nights is in second place mainly because of Richie Fun and his information contributors. And Platinum Horseshoe is in third place just waiting for that good steady Two  Center. And whoever gets the steady Guest Author will determine first place -  I guarantee it.

"My Ku'Ulei" by Willie K.

Took my first trip on the Handy Van today and it was amazing. The good that humans make for their fellow humans on this island of Oahu should be appreciated by us all. Many pick ups on the way to the VA but still made it in 45 minutes. On the way back, only two of us and we live in the same building, 20 minutes. And this is picking me up at my front door and  dropping me off at the door to the VA. Wow.

"Hanalei Moon" by Loyal Garner

Letter to the Editor

A letter to the editor, ten years ago, but not to this editor..
from Patricia C. McGinnis, Hilo Hawaii.

I am writing this letter just to vent my frustration and perhaps to the attention of any ballroom dance members that might read your magazine. Why, for the life of ballroom dancing, can't " Big Bands" play a genuine Waltz? My husband and I have attended numerous ballroom dances in Hawaii over the ten years that we have been dancing. We recently went to a place in Honolulu and found the same situation. Do these musicians not know a Waltz from a Viennese type tempo?

"When dancers come to believe in the voices that call us worthless

and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are

easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap,

however, is self-rejection, don't fall for it."

"Till I Waltz Again With You" by Theresa Brewer

If I hear "Laura's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago played one more time as a "Waltz," I fear I will throw my dancing shoes at the conductor. That song is fine for a Viennese Waltz, but please, can't we have some Waltz music - the slow, romantic tempo? In all fairness, perhaps these musicians are not dancers, and therefore, they do not really recognize the difference. Thanks for the opportunity for sounding off.  Is anybody out there listening.? 

Patricia 

Pubs Note: Through these blogs read the most informed dancers
in the Pacific.

Time

 By Steven Kirishima,  Nanakuli
 
Though even thinking on the subject of time may prove discomforting, it is not a bad idea — especially now when we are well into the new year. On Oahu, as we look back into 2015 we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. And all of it is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.

“We may be like all dreamers and confuse disenchantment with truth.”

The gift of time is not ours alone on Oahu. It is given equally to each person, rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak — every man, woman and child has the same twenty-four hours every day. And another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on.

"I Am Walking Behind You" by Eddie Fisher

And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. If yesterday is lost, tomorrow is uncertain. We may look ahead at a full year’s block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it.Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in helping the people around us.

"Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho

This year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count? Yes, on Oahu, we are still trying to make contact with information contributors.

Snaps

Town dancing in Honolulu seems to be doing just fine. Most clubs are making adjustments regularly, we just don't get much news of it in this blog. We need names and doings. The dance blogs on the Mainland are doing just fine with five or six guest authors, and all with different independent opinions. That is what makes them interesting and they rack up the hits.

 “The difference between all of us and everyone else, - is everyone else.

And that’s a lot, so we should feel special because of that.”

Once we get off the ground with a few and everyone can see the difference, we will roll. And what are we doing? The writer feels good that he contributed dance information. The readers feel good because they were informed. The club or organization benefits along with their top wheels. And the blog that is blogging benefits from getting more hits. It is a win-win situation and the counters can go wild.

"Beautiful, Beautiful Hawaii" by Melveen Leed

Blogs are not taking anything away from anyone. The diversity of opinions is crucial and the reader/dancers are gradually becoming aware of it. Since there are so many dancers on Oahu, there seems to be more than enough for our blogosphere. Of course many have their own Web Sites and figure they don't need upstarts like blogs. It is and should be totally their decision.

"Get The Party Started" by Pink

  

"Beginning dancer. Knows nothing. - Intermediate dancer. Knows everything.

Too good to dance with beginners. - Hotshot dancer. Too good to dance with

 anyone. - Advanced dancer. Dances everything. Especially with beginners"

African Myth

In Argentina the only blacks slaves that witnessed the high class Spanish Argentine's dance were the house servants. A favorite dance was the Andulasian Tango which had no resemblance at all to the Milonga that was danced by the poor in those days. It was prominent with the upper classes in the beginning of the 1800s and fizzled out about 40 years later.

"All truths are easy to understand, once they are discovered;

the point is to discover them."

"Nostalgia" por Placido Domingo

The myth established by some, is a painting dated 1832 and entitled "El Tango de los Negros." Proof that the Negros were dancing Tango before the whites. It was a nice picture of a bunch of blacks having a great time dancing. But the title will tell you more if you look for it. And it was not Tango that they were dancing. It was not even the Andalusian Tango, it was the Negro version of the Andalusian Tango that the blacks were dancing.

"La Media Luz" por Julio Iglesias

But the poor whites, mestizos and Indians were not dancing the tango at the time. They were dancing the Milonga which was renamed Tango late in the century and even then carried for a couple decades as Milonga-Tango. Some have expanded the myth to include the word Tango and that it also comes from Africa and it means bla bla bla. Yeah, right.

“Dance may be the oldest, noblest and most elegant of the arts. It may be the
most perfect symbol of religion. It may be that true education in the art
 of dance is education of the whole person.”

Nothing Much

Of course, Platinum Horseshoe is way out West but moving nicely and I am not in any hurry. I have hopes for it because that has to remain mine to the end. That's where I live. All their reader/dancer's opinions are valuable and I will slowly convince them so. Dancing Nights, the dance blog, is looking very promising because of Richie Fun and his Two  Centers.

"Unfortunately many of our fellow dancers will believe anything,

so long as it is not founded on truth."

So for all the blogs we need commentators at the end of the blogs or Information Contributors. Wot's Happening? Yes, the reader/dancers want to know. And most dance clubs in town are doing very well keeping their members happy. Unfortunately, some wheels think we are taking something from them and don't realize we are contributing some Good Publicity for them. For us, we may get Guest Authors and build up the readership on our blogs even more which will benefit the entire Island.of Oahu..

"Dear Hearts And Gentle People" By Bing Crosby

I have pulled back my levers of influence and will let the blogs go as they wish. They cannot continue as my own personal "fiefdom." The total is at a plateau of about 150 average hits per day. I have gotten rid of many scam spam robot hits. They do not seem to be moving any higher, so we are at the point of diminishing returns.This month will be very revealing. It will be in the counters.

"You Are So Beautiful" by Nohelani Cypriano

The International dancer: "For me dancing is an art."

The Club Dancer: For me dancing is a sport.

The Social Ballroom Dancer: For me it's a struggle