• Lifestyle & Relationships

    Adventure Hostess: Making My Home a Global Community

    Family cooking and sharing dishes

    Several people passed by my house this year. Many of them just passed by temporarily, but other people stopped by and stayed as long-term friends. For me, being an adventure hostess meant that everyone who needed a place to stay for some days, weeks, or months could come to my house. Welcoming people at home for over a year was my “specialty.”

  • Humanity

    Sifting Through the Ashes

    I thought it was strange that my mom called me so early in the morning. It was 7:30am for me, so it must have been 4:30am for her.  It was Wednesday, August 9th. “I wanted to call you before you saw the news. There's a fire in Lāhainā, Kīhei, and Kula. Everyone in our family is safe and accounted for. I might go pick up grandpa from Kīhei today. Your cousin was in Lāhainā, but escaped to Nāpili. Aunty has not heard from him since last night. I will keep in touch.”  My cousin called my aunty the next day to check in. He was safe and helping with the…

  • Lifestyle & Relationships

    Hey Mum and Dad, We Need You There

    Children's hand picking out crayons

    There are so many parenting guides out there, and it is challenging raising wonderful little humans. Here's something about the parent-child bond. It's pivotal as a child grows, and building a lasting bond is something that takes tons of effort. What makes the family so important is that it stands as the child's first experience in building a relationship.