Joan Ishibashi and I made the two-hour train trip to the city of Gloucester from London’s Paddington Station. I can’t believe it has been three years since I came to Gloucester for my first Three Choirs Festival! This time, though, we were here because of the residency of the Duke University Choir at Gloucester, where… Read More Joyful reunion and Evensong in Gloucester
Even though we faced another hot, muggy day, Joan Ishibashi and I toured Kew Gardens today, one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. As we had seen in Green Park near Buckingham Palace, the large grassy areas, normally lush green and verdant, were shockingly dry and brown. News of the heat wave and… Read More Kew Gardens
I am back in London, where my flight from Hamburg was uneventful except for having to endure 1-1/2 hours in the queue entering the UK Border. It is very hot and humid here, unlike my previous trips to London. I can’t ever remember it being so hot and uncomfortable like it is now! My BFF… Read More Outside on St. James’s Day
It’s exactly 1:13am in London, UK, and I’m wide awake. “Don’t watch the movies on the plane,” a friend told me recently. “Just try to sleep,” she said, saying that she never gets jetlagged on her trips to Europe from Hawaii and return. Her trick is to buy a lie-flat seat on the airplane, and… Read More Jetlagged in London
Last month when I published the newsletter for my condo association, I listed the following checklist before going on vacation: Filling out a Resident Vacation Form to let the office know how long you’ll be gone. Putting your mail on hold. Putting a vacation stop to the daily newspaper. Unplugging electronics. Getting someone to water… Read More Vacation checklist
In spite of only coming back to Hawaii on Tuesday, I’ve had to hit the ground running and will be playing several different organs within the week. Next weekend will especially be busy because of a Friday night rehearsal and Sunday concert at St. John Vianney, playing the prelude for Pastor Fritz Fritschel‘s funeral service… Read More Planning ahead for a busy week
Pure energy and exhilaration… that’s how I would describe tonight’s Oahu Choral Society’s concert with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. I came away breathless, my heart racing with a spring in my step! The music, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, were the perfect pair of works, each with its driving rhythms yet singable… Read More Pure energy and exhilaration!
What time is it in the U.K.? I typed this in my browser repeatedly last night to make sure I knew what time it was in England. You see, I was counting down the minutes it would be exactly April 4th at 10:00 am in England—that was when tickets would be available for this year’s… Read More 11 time zones away
I’ve had a houseguest for a week—my good friend Joan Ishibashi, a United Church of Christ pastor, massage therapist, former Hawaii resident for 15 years, and all-around BFF (best friends forever!) Nearly five years ago my husband Carl, son Stephen and I were in Los Angeles, attending Joan’s wedding to Kantila Vaghela, where I wrote… Read More I survived an amazing weekend!
I left Warsaw at noon yesterday for the Chopin Airport and couldn’t resist taking a picture of the sign—they are really proud of their native son! It wasn’t until 9:30 pm, though, that I arrived at London Heathrow because of a nearly four hour layover in Vienna. My friend, Joan Ishibashi, was waiting for me… Read More London church hopping