Tetsuya

This is the only picture I have from Tetsuya. It was fun and everyone survived or at least I'm led to believe they survived. The above picture was taken when we were bugging Marcie about not coming after she requested that I buy ice cream. SEE YOU REQUEST, I DELIVER!

There was also home cooked food every night, mostly done by the assistant although Wayde did try out his new crockpot to make us curry. I hear that Spring Tetsuya is going to be amazing, so make plans to join ;)

Thanksgiving!

I hope that you are hungry because there's a whole ton of food pictures about to hit your screen and make you drool, seriously!

The Association wanted to have a Thanksgiving celebration before they went home to celebrate with their families or in some cases not at all. Darn these retail board holidays! Thanksgiving is not only about giving thanks with your family, but also about giving thanks with your friends which can sometimes also be your family.

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” -Margaret Cousins

Thank you Jake for cooking the turkey, which is not pictured. It was a really good bird. Thank you to everyone who came. Not pictured are Koshin Soga and Chelsie Takasaki. Also not pictured are the cookies that Jordan and Jaret brought. :)

Stuffing made by Justin though it's not homemade

Chinese Chicken Salad made by Jamie

Garlic Mashed Potatos made by Justin

Candied Yams made by Jamie

Pumpkin Squares made by Allyson. Taste tested by Ken

We played all 12 rounds of Scattergories before and after Thanksgiving. We also watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, The Charlie Brown take on the First Thanksgiving, and It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Justin needed some help from Ryne on this round

Playing Scattergories. Josh is just too good!

Feasting!

We hope to see you at the next event, which is most likely Tetsuya. December 12-16.

Homecoming Tailgate

Sorry this is late, but here's a review of the UH Homecoming Tailgate that happened on October 22nd.

According to Urban Dictionary the word tailgate means to:

1) Usually found around sporting events, they involve beer drinking andBBQ from the back of a pickup truck or SUV. 2) The car that is so close to you in the rear that you can barely see it's headlights. Some people like to quickly brake to scare them off. Pretty annoying, but it's better to move to the right. Nobody likes a Left Lane Dick... unless there is no right lane. In that case, it's time for a Skid Contest.

We met at Aiea Hongwanji and caravanned over to the stadium. There was some getting lost and such, but what else is really new. We found parking at Gate 4 and soon were getting down to the major business of cooking and tailgating.

Here's the summary in pictures. UH won the Homecoming game for the record, in case you were under a rock or something.

There's no group picture, sorry! Maybe next time.. .annual event for Young Buddhists Association?!?

This golf cart broke down near us and they need to push it to get started, kind of amusing...

Ian brought the coolest things. This grill is a pop together, so cute! And yes, we needed 3 grills to cook all the yummy food. No full food spread picture though. You missed out.

Just chilling under the pop- up tent waiting to eat and such..

Abby and her friends were captured by a photographer at the Honolulu Pulse.

Wayde showed up with Mike Lum after they got done filming the Hawaii Betsuin's Futaba lecture.

Wayde fits in my ghetto trunk which he also dared to sit in.

Playing horseshoes, I think...

People stopped by to see us such as Emi's friend from Maui and Robyn and her friend.

Even Grant Ujimori hung out with us. No pictures of Ian though...

You can grow old, but growing up is optional!

Casey, his girlfriend Rachel, and Kenny stopped by to visit. Also Jess isn't crazy she's talking to someone.

Halftime performance by the UH band included a montage of many things including a Thriller dance and the Party Rock Anthem

Is that a Jiggly Puff?! or what?

Also in other news. The Buddhist Study Center is on facebook. Fan us to get more information on our events and feel free to check-in if you are ever here :)

The Races II

On September 19 We ventured back out to Podium Raceway Park for yet another round of The Races see round one here There were definitely more people that came out this time. We even ran into Grant Okazaki and Barbara Sun though there aren't pictures of us all together to prove it. Since, it had been a while since we had been there Podium Raceway changed the track on us. HOW DARE THEY! The newer track is way more difficult than the original one.

Here's the photo trail. Don't worry if you missed this round of The Races I'm sure that we will end up going again.

Group Picture, but why is Beau trying to cuddle with Sugi?!?

Beau thought he won The Races but this was before we even started!

Easy on the dirty looks Sugi!

Upcoming Event: HomeComing Tailgate October 22nd Aloha Stadium Parking Lot. more details to follow.

Manoaphobia

The annual Welcome Back to School and Welcome to Manoa Party known as Manoaphobia was held on August 31 at the Buddhist Study Center. This year was a little different than most. Since there has been quite a rumbling among certain parts of the Hongwanji we really wanted to get the young adults more involved and try to do more things in general. There were lots of young adults that were interested in Buddhism that came out to the event, but we're starting small.

*random fact: Manoaphobia got its name from popular movie Arachnaphobia

Playing Zip Zap and apparently Wayde is REALLY bad at this game!

Jake trying to cover my notes during the strategy session

This event was meet and greet as well as strategizing for the coming year. We got quite a few ideas and are working on a few.

Events to note: September 6 will be a sitting meditation session with Rev. Muneto. We will be learning to meditate and having a short round table session.

September 17 will be The Races II cause we all really want to beat Sugi and we may want to take people that didn't get a chance to go the first time.

Since, I have an official piece of paper in my hand today I can officially announce this. As of January 1, 2012 the new Director of the Buddhist Study Center will be... Rev. Kevin Kuniyuki of Wahiawa Hongwanji! We're really sorry Wahiawa Hongwanji :(

Young Adult Retreat 2011

Above is Jake attempting to fly while we were at the Pali lookout on the second full day of Young Adult Retreat.

So as mentioned in an earlier post. Young Adult Retreat took on August 12- 15 at Camp Kokokahi in Kaneohe, Oahu. This year Rev. Thomas Okano was the guest speaker and discussed the meaning of some of the main sutras we chant at the Hongwanji. Some of the other activities at the Retreat were the meaning of Obon along with bon dance lessons from Miss Cara Tsutsuse, and a hike on the Likeke Waterfall trail. There was also a mini bon dance without our instructor so we all kind of failed. We had a campfire and did the first ever chanting of Shoshinge by campfire light that we know of. It was all very cool!

*Note the photographs are not in any order

After the hike

With Rev. Thomas Okano, our guest speaker

Before we chanted Shoshinge with Bishop by campfire light

What some of the guys did at the end of the hike. Not shown is what Ken Oyadomari did. I don't have a picture of that...

Some of us posing at the Pali Lookout sign

The view at the Pali lookout

Bon Dance Lessons with Miss Cara Tsutsuse. They are not the same dance!

If any of the above interest you check out the Young Adult Retreat site here which should be updated with new information as it gets closer to the next Retreat. Also Dr. Toshikazu Arai did a nice blog on Obon and it's meaning here.

Hope that we see more of you soon!

The Races

On July 16 Sugi organized a trip to Podium Raceway, the go-cart track at Kaleloa, for those who are unfamiliar. We met when the doors open at about 10 and got registered. You get to pick your own racer name and give them statistics for their database. They also do printouts and email you your race results :)

We decided to pay for the minimum package of 3 races. When they called out first race they took us into the Pit Area and gave us a general orientation on racing and the cars. They said that up until that day that had not had any accidents since December or something. The accidents weren't on our races, I swear! Marice and I got booster seats and foot boosters cause we're so short :( We're past the minimum height requirement, but still! We were lucky enough to have the track to ourselves for the most part for the first 2 races, but on the 3rd race they put in a bunch of random people, so it was a very busy track.

And now the long picture trail...

The Track

Sugi showing off how to properly wear the hair sock for hygeine

Getting helmets and heading to the cars

Jake being dramatic

Meditating or strategizing before the race

Action shot!

Heading out to the race from top to bottom: Ryne, Cara, and Abby

Thanks again for coming out you guys. Much thanks to Sugi for organizing, so when's our next trip? Wayde, Lacy, and Casey you actually gonna come next time?!?