The Days & Nights of the Lipstick Librarian!

It's All About the Lau Lau

I'm back from vacation, but before I resume my irregularly scheduled blogging, a few shout-outs to Hawaii, namely:

• My friend Patty, an all-around groovy girl and founding member of Those Darned Accordions, livin' la vida Maui. Not only did she provide the critical saimin hookup and instructed me on the finer points of killing centipedes, she introduced me to guri-guri and, more importantly...
• Peanut Butter Manju from Home Maid Bakery. What is manju? It's a little cakey thing usually filled with sweetened red bean paste and is very popular in Japan. My sister and mother were manju fanatics; I pretty much could take it or leave it--actually, mostly leave it. Until I discovered HMB's crispy PB manju--it's like a divine mini-PB pie. I wound up bringing four packages back to the mainland and cursed myself during the plane ride home for not bringing back more. The ube sponge cake wasn't too shabby either....
• Not that it was all about the food, but I do want to give a heart-shaped spam musubi shout-out the Hawaii State Public Library System, particularly the folks at the Hawaii State Library in Honolulu. Squirreled away those bibliographies on local food and Hawaiian history in my carry-on bag. (And yes, I did succumb to yet another busman's holiday in an internationally renowned vacation spot.)
• Finally, a mahalo to all the tourists who were on the islands the same time as me. Between the crispy tanned skin and the interesting interpretations as to what constitutes island wear, I was practically invisible in my black bermudas and 45+ sun block. But I did learn a valuable lesson: who knew there were so many permutations when it comes to man boobs?
Posted by absherl at 11:11 PM | Comments (2)

I go to Hawaii and what happens?

I get listed as one of the top 25 librarian bloggers, which is really, really...scary, come to think of it. Considering how little I discuss library issues these days, the only thing I can surmise is that you people are desperate for entertainment, at least during your last hour at the reference desk.

But take heart: your boredom is my blogging panic. Herewith is my collection of information pu pus:"

• Darth Libris is making sure we'll all be able to play Mario after the Apocalypse.
• Literary Graffitti in Unlikely Places Dept: "Archibald McLeish was here". Spotted by my husband over the urinal in the bathroom at the base of the Iao Needle in Maui.
• Why my alma mater will always live up to its reputation.
• Are we the educational equivalent of the Hawaii Superferry?
• Is your significant other better than a book?

Sayonara to My Childhood Heroes Dept: Two women who've had an enormous impact on my childhood have passed away last week: Miyoshi Umeki and Madeleine L'Engle, who I blogged about a few years ago. Miyoshi stood out because in so many ways she reminded me of my mother, from the fact that she was of my mother's generation, to her appearance in Sayonara. As for Madeleine? I'll let my previous postings about her stand. I will soften my comments by adding that whatever her faults and transgressions, the ten-year old that still lives inside me will always love her. No matter what.