Hau'oli Makahiki Hou is Hawaiian for Happy New Year! My husband and I enjoyed a beautiful evening last night welcoming 2007.
Just like many years before, many of our friends went to some posh clubs last night to dance, drink and greet the New Year away. We usually join them in these merrymaking but this year we decided to celebrate in a more laid back way. My husband has been doing a lot of business travelling lately we chose a mellow celebration style this year.
It was a great decision. We went to our favorite hotel for a sit down dinner at 9. It was a sumptuous buffet of seafood, a delicious array of meat dishes, lots of delectable vegetable dishes, and a spectacular dessert spread! Everything was so good as expected. The service, excellent.
My husband looked so handsome last night and I made sure I was beautiful for him. And while we were not surrounded by our friends, we easily made friends with some families who were also there celebrating.
One thing we love about this hotel, is it's space and architecture are designed like a huge, beautiful plantation house style common in Hawaii. The foyer also serves as a big sitting area, where oversized, beautiful armoits, huge plantation style chandeliers made with glass pieces reminiscent of those glass bubbles fishermen use in the ocean, hung from its ceilings, and other art pieces common in Hawaiian homes. It is easy to feel so at home there despite its enormity of space.
Tucked away at the east end of the island (Kahala Hotel), its location affords this hotel some seclusion and exclusivity. There are not too many tourists either. A big plus when you want to feel more at home and relaxed.
After a most decadent dinner, we indulged ourselves with champagne and some dancing at the ballroom. The pretty silver face mask the hotel staff gave me accorded me some anonymity, I found myself flirting heavily to my husband. My seductive advances must have been welcomed since my husband kept tooting his horn at me. I meant the paper trumpet a hotel staff gave him.
Then it was time to go out to the beach area of the hotel where they would have the spectacular fireworks show. It was bright and clear outside. The moon above us and stars dotting the sky. Warm, gentle tradewinds blowing.
It was almost surreal. Apart from the mesmerizing beauty all around us, we could hear the crashing of the waves on the shore, in between the explosions of the fireworks in the sky. White, foamy waves breaking a few feet away from our toes!
My eyes shifted between the aerial display of pyrotechnics and the graceful coming and going of the waves on the shore. As the skies got illuminated by the explosion of fireworks, the waters reflected all the colors and lights from the sky. It was amazing.
And as the fireworks kept exploding, I imagined any regrets, frustrations, complaints I may have had the past year melting away with each firework tails dissolving into the ocean. Trapped in the waters, then spirited away.
We love this island. And as we welcome this coming year, we are filled once again with so much gratefulness for all the beauty and love this aina (land) bestows upon us generously. Day after day. Year after year.
Happy New Year to you all. May this year be filled with all the happiness, good health, new opportunities and spritual growth for all of us.
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