Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Exploring Hong Kong Prior to the Takeover by China

July 22, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

On Friday, May 24, 1996, I set out on a journey to the Far East. Never having been there before, I did not know what to expect. My husband had gone ahead two weeks earlier for business. I was comforted to know that he would be there waiting for me in Hong Kong.

I traveled together with a group of people in my church from Laie, Hawaii. They were all going for the purpose of attending the Hong Kong LDS temple dedication. My husband and I would attend the dedication, but spend the rest of our time away from the group exploring Hong Kong.

My daughter dropped me off at the Honolulu airport to pick up a flight on China Airlines. I sat by an older couple and next to the toilet. It was hard for me to rest because of all the passengers making their way to relieve themselves. When I tried to start up a conversation with the elderly man beside me, he told me that he was hard of hearing. I spent the majority of the flight reading my Reader’s Digest and any other reading material I could find. I dozed on and off a couple of times and watched the movie “Sabrina” with Chinese subtitles appearing across the bottom of the screen.

The jet took us to Tokyo, Japan for our first layover. We had flown for eight hours. My first time in Japan, and all I got to see was the airport. We were there for nearly an hour. I located a toilet facility and there were two stalls. One had a conventional toilet, although it was child sized. The other stall had a Japanese toilet, which was just a hole in the floor. You were required to squat down to use it. This was my first experience with this sort of convenience.

I spoke to my husband on the phone and he told me “don’t be scared”, which left me wondering what there was to be scared of. Again, we boarded an airplane and were headed for Taipei, Taiwan, where we would have a longer layover. Right after our take off, we were able to see Mt. Fuji on the right side of the plane. It was very majestic and snow covered. We were served attractively prepared Japanese food, but I ate very little as it smelled unfamiliar. We arrived in Taipei three hours later and we got to know the airport very well.

We gained five hours, but lost a day on our trip. The sky was very dark as we made our final approach into Hong Kong. There was quite a storm, rainy and windy, and there was a great deal of turbulence. I became alarmed and started praying that we would be able to make it. I was sitting by a lady from Hong Kong told me that Hong Kong was one of the hardest airports to land at! She said that we had to land right in the middle of the big city, where there were sky scrapers all around. Just at the time she said that, I looked out the window to see tall buildings, and then the plane suddenly dropped, almost like a roller coaster ride. Then it picked up speed again, and I no longer saw the skyscrapers. I figured we were going to try to make another approach from a different direction.

To be continued……

Ruth Elayne Kongaika was raised in the mainland, USA, and has been living in the South Pacific for the past forty years. She enjoys trying to capture the beauty of the islands through her photography, painting and writing. She has a blog which shares some of her art and favorite subjects at:

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

- See more at: http://www.euroradialyouth2016.com/travelogue/category/guest-post/ruth-elayne-kongaika/

Filed Under: Asia, Featured, Guest Post, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Japan, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Exploring Cairo and Memphis Egypt

June 6, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

I never in my lifetime imagined I would find myself in Cairo, Egypt, but it has happened. My husband, my 86-year-old father and myself traveled to Northern Africa to be with our son and his family who are stationed there.

Egypt is a mysterious country we read about in the Bible and listen to news bytes about on the nightly news (and not always in a positive light). Self absorbed Pharoahs have left colossal monuments to themselves, which have made them unforgettable.

The extensive Nile River seems to defy nature by flowing northward towards the Mediterranean and giving life to a stretch of parched sandy covered Sahara. Gliding on a falucca guided by a toothless navigator up and down the Nile stands out as one of the favorite things we did in Egypt. The city lights of Cairo belied the impoverished state of much of the massive capital. Over 12 million people call it their home making it the most populated city in Africa.

My son attempted to educate us on Egyptian history and culture by filling our days with trips to museums, citadels, mosques, pyramids, temples, as well as cities of the living and dead. It was like having a whole textbook full of Egypt stuffed into one week.

We had begun training for our trip to the land of sphinxes by biking and walking as often as we could, but nothing could have prepared us for the intense heat of the noonday sun in April. Unless you have very thick hair, you might want to don a hat to avoid getting sunburned on your bald spot like my husband did. There are only two seasons in Egypt with November through March usually cooler than the rest of the year. Warm winds from the desert whip fine dust around which clouds the air.

Our family live in a suburb of Cairo where many expats live. Bougainvilleas and palm trees colorize the monochromatic landscape.

One of the first places we visited was The Triad of Memphis. This is the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. I thought Memphis was only in Tennessee, but I was wrong. Few ruins of what used to be a prosperous dynasty still remain. The prophet Jeremiah had prophesied that Memphis would be desolate. Prepare your baggage for exile, daughter living in Egypt, for Memphis will become a desolate place. It will become a ruin without inhabitant. Jeremiah 46:19.

And here we were! I wondered if I was at risk, since many people had expressed their concern before I left, knowing I was headed for Egypt. Fortunately, we had a great tour guide who was a good friend to my son. We learned that many chariot factories were anciently located in Memphis as well as richly decorated edifices adorned with gold and precious stones.

The temple of Ptah, where many pharaohs were crowned, was built by Seti and remnants are in Memphis. Colossal statues of Ramses II once stood in front of the temple, two of which still exist. We were fortunate enough to see one of them. It now lays horizontally inside a protective building where you can look down on it. The statue has a cartouche (emblem identifying the image) engraved on the right shoulder, on the belt and on the breast.

Not too far from Ramses II is a sphinx carved from a single block of alabaster weighing eight tons. It is believed to have flanked the entryway to the temple of Ptah.

I plan to write much more about our amazing trip to Egypt, so stay tuned.

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Africa, Cairo, Egypt, Featured, Guest Post, Memphis, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Enjoying the Journey to Hana, Hawaii

April 26, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Amidst controversy and against my better judgment, I boarded a red minivan headed on the Road to Hana, Hawaii. Just a month earlier, I had heard on the news that a tourist had taken an unexpected fall off a cliff in Hawaii. An acquaintance had also tried to dissuade me by sharing how car sick his wife was on the road to Hana. All this negativity just made me want to go more to see if it could possibly be that bad.

Armed with a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, suntan lotion, a map, and my camera, my son, my daughter-in-law, my husband and I bravely began our journey. The road suddenly turned from a straightway to a very windy paved path. It hugged the undulations and furrows nature had carved into the lava mountains of the Ko’olaus. We wondered how the road construction workers had managed to keep their equipment from plunging into the sea that eerily waited below. Luckily for us they had installed guardrails to keep us from plummeting to our demise along the way.

The road narrowed as we approached one of over twenty bridges over the chasms between the cliffs. We captured a few glimpses of waterfalls and I had to remind my son, the driver, to keep his eyes on the road rather than on the scenery. He mentioned that he loved driving on roads like this, thankfully.

I tried to keep track of where we were on the road to Hana by scanning the map. With the twisting road, it didn’t take long before my stomach started to feel queasy. My daughter-in-law had taken Dramamine and she seemed to be doing fine, while she dined on potato chips, Snickers and other delights.

I had read that it “is the journey and not the destination” that is important on the road to Hana. The mountains are covered with trees, ferns, and plants of all kinds. It was a photographer’s heaven for sure. My artistic mind went into overload and I had to make my son stop, especially when we reached the bamboo forest. It was simply magical.

Quite a few tourists had made the journey, and where the road narrowed, either they or we had to pull over to let the other one go. People are so kind. Locals dwelled in the small valleys between the waterfalls. I’m sure they do not appreciate all the traffic, but some of them have seen the great opportunity to open up little shops and sell local fruits, ice cream and banana bread at highly inflated prices. My favorite was a little place called Harry’s that left the goods out by a sign that said, “Honor System.” My husband picked up a small loaf of banana bread, dropped his money in a box, and we left. No one was around! Local style!

Just when we thought we could not go on, we took a left turn down a road towards the ocean. At the end we were greeted by the most amazing panorama, we felt like we had stepped into a dream. It was nonstop beauty for 360 degrees. Breathtaking! It made the whole trip worthwhile.

Ruth Elayne Kongaika was raised in the mainland, USA, but has been living in the South Pacific for the past forty years. She enjoys trying to capture the beauty of the islands through her photography, painting and writing. She has a blog which shares some of her art and favorite subjects at:

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, Hana, Hawaii, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

The Garden of Eden, Maui, Hawaii

February 28, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

I never knew the Garden of Eden was in Maui, Hawaii, but sure enough, it is. I even found myself looking around for Adam and Eve as I sauntered through the flowering trees, bamboo forests and exotic anthuriums of the tropical gardens.

The botanical garden known as the Garden of Eden is located in Haiku on the Road to Hana. Created by Alan Bradbury, a certified arborist and landscape designer in 1991, the garden was opened in 1996. It has been recognized by the state of Hawaii for excellent conservation practices, development techniques and proper land use.

Our walk through the Garden of Eden was educating, relaxing and breathtaking. I even saw a flowering Jade Vine, with shades of blue rarely seen in nature. It is usually found in the Philippines, and I was totally enthralled by this species. The vines wind around each other and create natural art. Signs identify many of the trees and plants and come from around the world.

There are a host of ti plants in the garden. These plants are utilized by Hawaiians for a variety of reasons. The roots can be eaten or used for a drink. The leaves can be used to cover an imu (underground oven), wrap laulau (food cooked in underground oven), catch fish by tying them to fishing nets to scare the fish inside, or used as sandals to protect the feet or as a protection from the rain. Ti leaves are used as hula skirts and are believed to keep evil spirits away from the home.

Trails are covered with gravel for safety throughout the garden. A map is available so you experience all there is to see over the 26 acres of enchanting pathways and not get lost. It is quite humid in the area, so it is best to wear good walking shoes that have a good grip. The average rainfall in the area is 150 inches per year.

Areas available to see include a tree farm, banana patch, enchanted forest, bamboo alley, anthurium garden, duck pond, bird feeding area, valley overlook as well as a waterfall overlook. You can see the Puohokamoa Falls from the ridge line on the Hana side of the gardens. A 100 year old mango tree is located near the center of the gardens. My favorite were the bamboo gardens. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of bamboo. I also loved the Hong Kong Orchid Tree.

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, Hawaii, Maui, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Visiting Byodo-In Temple on Oahu

February 10, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Living in Paradise, there are plenty of things to capture your attention. One that is often overlooked is the Byodo-In Temple nestled deep in a very lush corner at the base of the Ko’olau Mountain range of Oahu. It is located only thirteen miles from the Honolulu Airport. It is a replica of a temple located in Japan that is over 950 years old. There are no nails or screws to hold it together. It is bound with braided ropes like the original temple.

To get to the temple from Kamehameha highway, you pass through a well maintained cemetery. The temple is actually part of the cemetery, and the Buddha located in the center of the temple watches over several urns of cremated remains. Children and adults enjoy striking the bell near the entrance with a soft wooden log (shu-moku). You can hear and feel the deep sound of the sacred bell (Bon-sho). The bell is five feet high and made of brass and tin, having been cast in Japan. The sound it emits is supposed to cleanse the mind of all temptation and evil and give you a sense of peace and tranquility. This helps prepare your mind for entering the temple.

Before entering the main part of the temple (Hoo-do), you are asked to remove your shoes in reverence to deity. The impressive golden Buddha is the largest carved figure outside of Japan. It is nine feet tall and is covered by three coats of gold lacquer, lastly being covered with gold leaf. It was carved by Masuzo Inui, a famous Japanese sculptor. There are several smaller sculptures of enlightened beings surrounding the Buddha. Incense burns and fills your nostrils as you peer at the massive Buddha.

The Byodo-In temple welcomes people of all faiths. It is a place of harmony and meditation. The beautiful landscape includes a large pond and some small waterfalls. Black swans and hundreds of koi make their home in the temple grounds. Koi can live to be 100 years old and some of them are huge. An occasional peacock, frog or turtle can be spotted. You can purchase fish food at the gift shop and enjoy watching the koi feed. The temple is a Hawaii State landmark.

Buddhism Prayer Service is led daily by local bishops. There is also a meditation pavilion for personal use. Occasionally guest artists display and give demonstrations of their work. Sumi-e and ikebana are ancient oriental art styles which are often part of the demonstration arts shown. Also local Hawaiian arts including ribbon lei making are offered.

There is a small gift shop where you can find unique items, including oriental art prints, statues and even Japanese wedding gowns. A restroom is located at the back of the gift shop.

The breathtaking location of the Byodo-in Temple is perfect for wedding photos. It is not expensive or busy like many tourist attractions in Hawaii. The gardens are well kept and even the gravel is raked into a contemplative pattern. Large eucalyptus trees and bamboo align the pond. You will enjoy the peace and tranquility at the Valley of the Temple’s temple. It is considered one of Oahu’s hidden gems, and I have often taken guests there. My grandchildren truly enjoyed feeding the fish and roaming the expansive grounds.

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Byodo-In Temple, Featured, Guest Post, Hawaii, Oahu, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Bishop Museum of Hawaii

February 1, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

The week after Christmas 2012, we took two of our grandchildren and their parents to see the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Hawaii. We have been members of this worthwhile establishment for a few years now. It is an educational center and gathering place for locals and visitors to Hawaii. Their mission is to preserve Hawai’i’s cultural heritage and natural history.

Through the donations of many supporters, the museum has grown in leaps and bounds. The latest addition is the newly renovated Jhamandas Watumuoll Planetarium. We were excited and pleased to see the improvements, which now feature cutting-edge technology. The program “The Sky Tonight” is shown on an enhanced “hybrid” system utilizing a new Chronos II star machine and a full-dome video system. Just installed reclining seats assist you in lying back and enjoying the cosmos in a comfortable position.

Ancient seafaring navigation by the stars is featured in film and reading the stars overhead. You are trained on how to find your own way by the stars throughout the islands of the Pacific. Our grandkids really enjoyed the experience and learned more about our vast cosmos.

The Bishop Museum is well known for ground breaking research in entomology, botany, zoology and other areas of study. The current display is called Xtreme Bugs. There are 130 animatronic larger-than-life insects on the expansive lawns. They include a Centipede, Tarantula and Orchid Mantis. My granddaughter has never liked bugs very much, and at first was a bit hesitant, but perhaps because of the beautiful butterflies and ladybugs, she overcame her fear.

Each display gives informative bits about what you are seeing, including somber facts like the disappearance of bees and the eventual outcome if it continues. The museum aims to entertain and inform people of all ages. There are artifacts, hands-on activities, lectures, and entertainment. There are videos, books, artwork, and plenty of photography from days gone by. Many stories are shared about immigrants to the Hawaiian Islands.

At the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center in the museum, children were able to help make a volcano erupt by applying pressure, see the dynamics of a tsunami, dress up as different bugs, and actually see drawers full of mounted bugs.

The Bishop’s Museum was founded over 100 years ago. During that time, the museum scientists have been able to name about 18,000 species of the native plants and animals found in the Hawaiian Islands. Most of them are depicted throughout the museum with their scientific names as well as their common names.

Exhibits are changed a couple of time a year to give fresh information for repeat visitors. HI Fashion, which gives a history of the aloha shirt and features a large collection of Shaheen designers. The display has over 200 pieces of aloha shirts and Hawaiian dresses.

The Bishop Museum is a worthwhile and inexpensive place to spend time with family or to take visitors for an all-in-one educational experience in Honolulu.

Ruth Elayne Kongaika was raised in the mainland, USA, and has been traveling in the South Pacific for the past forty years. She tries to capture the beauty of the islands through her photography, painting and writing. She has a blog which shares some of her art and favorite subjects at:

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, Hawaii, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

The Cost of Living in Paradise

January 25, 2013 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

There is so much to do and see in Hawaii. Hiking, swimming, golfing, cruising and gardening are just a few things that can be done almost year round. Family and friends visit as often as they can to escape icy winters in the mainland. There are mainly two seasons in Hawaii, the dry season and the wet season.

Beautiful scenery, temperate weather, and beaches abound! Temperatures rarely go below 70 degrees Farenheit. Living in Paradise definitely has some perks but, unfortunately comes with some extra costs. Hawaii is a group of islands in the middle of the huge Pacific Ocean. Because of the distance from exporters, extra shipping costs are attached to groceries and most items ordered online or brought in from Asia or the mainland United States. Milk is currently nearly $5.00 a gallon since it is imported.

Median home prices in Hawaii are half a million for a very basic house plan. The cost of housing can be two or three times as much as on the mainland. It is also usually smaller than what most people on the mainland are used to. Monthly rental costs for a studio only is around $1,000 per month. Rentals with bedrooms and amenities are usually $1,500 plus monthly.

The moist salty air of the islands is perfect for rusting just about everything. Vehicles and appliances seem to suffer the most. Also, mold and mildew can form quite easily especially in places where it is warm and moist like the kitchen and bathrooms. This can be harmful to your health if the mold is allowed to grow. It takes extra effort and chemicals to keep this under control. All of this can up to extra costs for appliances, vehicles and maintenance.

Since the weather in Hawaii is fairly good all year round, the insects and other pests love Hawaii too. To avoid infestations by termites, cockroaches, mosquitoes and other creatures, frequent treatments are required. It is less expensive to control invaders than to get rid of them.

Food items go bad quicker in Hawaii. They must be stored inside plastic air tight containers. If the package is left open for chips, cereal or other snacks, the crispness will not last. Electricity needed to run air conditioners, appliances and technology can be very costly. The average charge per kilowatt hour is 30 cents. During the hotter summer months, electricity bills rise as people try to keep cool with fans or air conditioners. Hot showers are a luxury for some. Many homes have installed solar panels to help solve this problem. Wind farms are popping up around the Hawaiian Islands.

Traffic on the island of Oahu can become very frustrating, especially close to Honolulu. There is only one main road going to the North Shore of Oahu, which can also be totally cut off if there is an accident or an electricity pole falls down on the road. If there are surf competitions at Pipeline or Waimea, traffic can come to a halt as drivers gawk at the huge waves. Gasoline is around $4.00 a gallon (2013).

It is wonderful to have sandy beaches and palm trees close by, but living in Paradise does come with increased cost. Prices in Hawaii are some of the highest in the nation. Fortunately, there are WalMarts, Costco and Sam's Clubs where deals can be found. Despite the cons of living in a Hawaiian paradise, many people make daily sacrifices to stay here.

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, Hawaii, Oahu, Ruth Elayne Kongaika, United States

Favorite Holiday Food in Hawaii

December 25, 2012 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Here in the Hawaiian Islands, the holidays are not complete without plenty of great food. In our home, we usually have the traditional American food, and since there are so many different cultures here, we also have a potpourri of other delectable food items. This is necessary to please all the guests, and to share with the neighbors. At Thanksgiving, besides the turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, you may find on the table some Hawaiian Pork Chops, Hawaiian sweet bread, and one of my favorites, mochi (yummy dessert made of rice flour). Christmas is more than ham, potato salad, fruit salad and pies, but also consists of laulau (taro leaves, corned beef, onions and coconut milk), raw fish, otai (watermelon, mango or apple drink which you scrape and add coconut milk and sugar) and pineapple bars, just to name a few of the possibilities.

In Hawaii, the word for delicious is “ono”. Sometimes we mix the two and say the food is onolicious! One particular tradition that seems to be carried over is the tradition of Christmas morning breakfast. A fast bowl of cereal will not do. This holiday feast consists of New Zealand sausages, bacon or ham, omelets, rice (gotta have rice), pancakes, waffles, or bread pudding. Real locals will go for Loco Moco which is a hamburger patty, two scoops of rice topped with gravy and covered with fried eggs. It could also have a macaroni salad on the side.

Here in the islands, we don’t eat until we are full, we eat until we are tired! So for some of us, breakfast may extend all the way until dinnertime. Never mind gout or diabetes during the holidays – that is what the New Year Resolutions are for! Just make sure your high blood pressure and other medications are on hand! Santa is more likely to find a whole suckling pig waiting for him than a little plate of cookies and milk.

Many Hawaiian families go all out and dig an imu (underground oven) where they may cook their turkey, ham, laulau, root crops like sweet potato or breadfruit and fish. Often they cook a whole pig in this traditional Hawaiian oven. The men do most of the heavy work, which is great for the women, who busy themselves with the desserts.

For those of you that like pork, but do not know how to make an imu, here is a great recipe for Hawaiian Pork Chops that is sure to please most palates:

HAWAIIAN PORK CHOPS

Six lean boneless pork chops

One tablespoon prepared mustard

Two tablespoons white wine vinegar

One tablespoon hoisin sauce

One half teaspoon salt

One eighth teaspoon pepper

One 8 ounce can pineapple chunks in juice

Two tablespoons cornstarch

Two tablespoons water

One papaya, peeled, seed and sliced

Place chops in crockpot. In small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, hoisin sauce, salt and pepper. Drain the juice from the pineapple chunks and add it to mustard mixture. Reserve the pineapple chunks. Pour the sauce over chops in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for five to six hours or until the meat is tender. Remove chops and keep warm. Turn to high. Dissolve cornstarch in water in small bowl and stir the cornstarch mixture into the juices in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the pineapple chunks and papaya. It is best if the papaya is firm – not mushy. Serve the pork chops and add coconut and macadamia nuts if desired. Yum!

Depending on where your ancestors are from, in Hawaii you may eat kimchi, malasadas, adobo, curry, or dim sum. I have acquired a taste for most of them (except kimchi), but my kids love it. Merry Christmas to all, and make sure you get your fill of onolicious holiday treats.

Ruth Elayne Kongaika was raised in the mainland, USA, but has been living in the South Pacific for the past forty years. She enjoys trying to capture the beauty of the Polynesian islands through her photography, painting and writing. She has a blog which shares some of her art and favorite subjects at:

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, Hawaii, Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Natural Medicine Reigns in Tonga

December 20, 2012 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

Guest Post: Ruth Elayne Kongaika

After the birth of my first child in the United States, my husband and I moved to a third world country. I soon discovered what social medicine is like in a developing nation. When our children got sick, instead of making an appointment with a doctor, our only choice was to head for the hospital. There was only one hospital to serve several thousand people.

Back in 1974, we were lucky to only wait three or so hours for a doctor. There were no comfortable chairs to sit on. There were concrete slab that we could rest on. There were so many coughing, feverish and injured people waiting for help. We worried that if our child was not already seriously ill, she would be after we left the hospital.

Doctors had been trained in a third world country, usually Fiji. There was no state of the art equipment. Doctors are lower paid than teachers in Tonga. If we required a blood test, the closest laboratory was miles away, and the results would take two weeks or more.

If a prescription was given, we would head for the dispensary located in the hospital. We received medicine that had already expired, having been donated from a charitable organization in the United States or elsewhere.

Less than a year after we moved to the third world country, I had my second child. This was a very humbling experience for me. The hospital was full and I ended up having my baby out in the waiting area. Several people I had never met before gawked at me as I gave birth.

The hospital had neither disposable diapers nor a nursery. My baby had gastroenteritis and cried most of the time, and there was no doctor available to check on him. I went home from the hospital with a 103 degree fever and a sick baby. Family members are expected to take care of the patients at the hospital, and I had none of my own family living there. My husband’s parents were living in New Zealand at the time.

Thankfully, traditional knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. It is crucial to the survival of the people of Tonga. Many have embraced a Western diet, and experience poor health as a result. Medicine made the "old way" utilize tropical plants, gifts of the sea, leaves from certain bushes and roots. Many families in Tonga treat their children with these natural resources. Most villages also have a “witch doctor” who is known for their success in healing through their own methods.

My two young babies got thrush, and were unable to eat anything for several days. They also had fevers, because of the infection in their mouths. I was so worried and took them to the doctors at the hospital. They gave me rinses and other medicine, which I used faithfully, but my babies were not getting better. After several days of this without improvement, the babies were taken to the local village healer.

The healer mixed several ingredients together including noni, kava and burnt coconut. She ground it up and poured it into the babies mouths. They cried and fussed, but I was so relieved that the gums started to show improvement almost immediately. I gained a healthy respect for Tongan medicine from that experience.

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Fiji, Guest Post, Ruth Elayne Kongaika, South Pacific, Tonga

A Christmas Time Visit to Temple Square in Salt Lake City

December 10, 2012 By Guest Post Leave a Comment

A highlight of our recent Utah Christmas holidays was the time we went to visit Temple Square in Salt Lake City with some of our children and grandchildren. Each year the trees, buildings and almost every square inch are decorated with thousands of tiny colored lights. It is truly a winter wonder land with the majestic LDS Temple standing out in the midst of them.

We bundled up against the chill of the evening and headed for the trax. The trax are very convenient in Salt Lake City, and travel regularly to and from Temple Square, so you don’t have to worry about parking and walking long distances. Each adult held a tiny hand, and as we exited the trax, one of my little grandsons, age four, said he felt like we had gone to another dimension! So cute (where does he get that? I wondered).

There is no admission fee enter Temple Square, and although the weather is chilly, the glow and warmth of the lights are very welcoming. There are lights in Christmas colors, red, green, and even blues and yellows. They decorate the bell tower, some of the buildings, hedges, bushes, trees and walkways. There are pretty rock fountains and ponds.

Some of the buildings are over 100 years old, and have been well preserved. Most of them are still used today. The huge Tabernacle has been renovated recently.

The children loved seeing the many different nativity scenes. They would try to find Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in each display. There were displays from Asia, South America, Polynesia and many other parts of the world.

Japanese Nativity Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Maori Nativity (New Zealand) Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

Mexican scene of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus Copyright Ruth Elayne Kongaika

My favorite of all is the display of Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus on the water near the temple. Several glass lighted balls float in the water around this enchanting display, with flood lights focused in just the right places.

Many families come together for family home evening to enjoy the holiday spirit in this lovely scenario. There is a visitor’s center that welcomes all to come in, get warm and see the Christus, a large sculpture of Jesus and other wonderful art. There is also the Joseph Smith Memorial Building nearby, where you can get some hot chocolate, and see gloriously decorated Christmas trees in deliciously ornate halls.

Christmas music plays throughout Temple Square. It is truly a place to get into the Christmas Spirit and reflect on the reason for the season. I’m so glad we were able to spend this splendid time together. Even though our fingers and toes were a bit icy, our hearts were warm. If you are in the area, a visit to the Salt Lake City Temple Square will be an experience you won’t forget.

http://hawaiianart.ning.com/

email: kongaikr@byuh.edu

Filed Under: Featured, Guest Post, North America, Ruth Elayne Kongaika, Salt Lake City, United States, Utah

Exploring Hong Kong Prior to the Takeover by China

Exploring Cairo and Memphis Egypt

Enjoying the Journey to Hana, Hawaii

The Garden of Eden, Maui, Hawaii

Visiting Byodo-In Temple on Oahu

Bishop Museum of Hawaii

The Cost of Living in Paradise

Favorite Holiday Food in Hawaii

Natural Medicine Reigns in Tonga

A Christmas Time Visit to Temple Square in Salt Lake City

Beachcomber Pete Travel Destination Guides

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