All Good Things Must End

Vacation is coming to a conclusion and despite the fun times we've had, I'm looking forward to heading home to finish out my holidays. Since the hotel kitchen isn't really gourmet-ready my idea of a traditional Christmas dinner isn't going to work out, so we're spending our last day at the beach, surfing and boogie boarding. Rough life I guess. :)

boyfriend&I on the beach

Some other things we've done the past couple days included the traditional luau at Paradise Cove, where the dancing was fantastic!  It was especially fun seeing my parents walk through the cove, knowing that they had been there nine months before I was born. The food was nothing really extraordinary, I think because they cater to more tourists than locals.

Hula dancers at Paradise Cove

Some other activities included swimming with sting-rays, eating FRESH sushi from a great little restaurant in Honolulu, and star-gazing then watching the sun rise with my father over the beach. Supposedly there's a phenomenon here in Hawaii where there is a green flash right before the run rises or sets, but I haven't seen evidence of that yet.

Sunrise over the harbor in Ewa, HI

I hope everyone else is enjoying their holidays and are getting ready for the New Years!

My Casual Adventures...

...Have been far away from the blogging world and consisted mostly of working steadily at an internship nearby my home. However, now that my schedule doesn't consist of sleeping-working-napping-working some more I not only have time to breath but to cook again too!
This holiday season my parents surprised the family with a trip to Hawai'i - specifically O'ahu in the Disney Aulani resort. I always told myself that when I travel I'd prefer to stay away from the resorts because it insulates you from the real life and culture of wherever you're traveling, but I have to admit, it's pretty nice.

This is the resort, with our own water park in the middle and a private lagoon towards the ocean. I personally suffer from a crippling fear, so swimming in the lagoon is mildly terrifying, but it's amazing to see some of the fish swimming in there. Yesterday alone I saw a school of sardines, a parrot fish, and some minnows. I only hope I don't see a shark! (My boyfriend had the humor to look up the top shark attack beaches, and coincidentally O'ahu is number 1 and 3.) What I do find fascinating about the island other than the pristine beaches and local wildlife is the food. It's such a strange fusion of Asian and local cuisine, and with so much fresh seafood around, I can't wait to try sushi. Our condo is equipped with a pretty decent kitchen so I was able to go shopping and slice into some of the freshest, most perfect pineapple I've ever had and make rockfish with rice and pineapple salsa. Today, our expeditions continue and our plans for the rest of the week include a local farmer's market, a traditional luau (the exact same one my parents went to on their honeymoon here 22 years ago!), and surfing! Expect pictures and recipes galore readers!