Thanksgiving Celebrations in Hawaii

 Thanksgiving in Hawaii

 2013

On Wednesday the Seamstress department had a "Turkey Trot" race.  It was only about 1/2 block long and you had to walk, not run.  The first woman, Rina, was disqualified for running.  The second woman, Sister Cooper,  thought the finish was about 15 feet before the finish and stopped early.

 So Sister Tessie Crummett won the race.  Tessie is one of my roommates.  (Her hair when it is down goes to mid thigh.)

I  may look like I am last, but I was not last, just near the end!  After the "race" we went inside and had a big Thanksgiving dinner.  I didn't get pictures of that feast,  but I enjoyed eating it.  That was at noon.

 I went home and made a big crock pot of chicken with sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks for the Theater Wardrobe department party at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.  Sister Smith and I did a survey and found out that Hawaiian people have never heard of Hawaiian Haystacks.  So it is not a Hawaiian dish like we thought!  But they loved it and requested a repeat dinner of it for the Thanksgiving party.

Sister Smith and I decided that we fed a sampling of the world.  We had people from Japan, Hong Kong, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Hawaii, the mainland and more.  I can't remember all of the places, but there may have been someone from Australia or New Zealand there too.

 With Sister Connie Nance (left) and Sister Sharon Johnson (center) who are my walking partners here in Hawaii.  We walk to the PCC every morning together.

On Thanksgiving day we were invited to Tita's Grill for a big Thanksgiving dinner.  All the Senior missionaries were invited and many others, including the poor or anyone who wanted a free Thanksgiving dinner.  There were probably 200 people there or more.  Tita cooked 200 Turkeys in a big imu.  He gave them away to people in need too.  An imu is a big pit that is lined with hot coals, layers of banana leaves are put over the coals and Turkeys or pigs are put in and covered with more banana leaves and left to roast and steam over night.  I wanted to get a picture of the imu but it was not at the grill, it was at a farmer's place somewhere close by.  I was told that it was about 8 x 10 feet in size.  I can't see how the turkeys in the center would get done, but they do.

They had rice, mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni casserole, sweet potatoes, taro leaves, pork, turkey, gravy and more.  Tita 's is famous for its homemade bread and there was plenty of that too.

 The missionaries were asked to bring a dessert to share with everyone, to there was a big variety of desserts.  I brought a Coconut cake from Ted's bakery.

Here are some of the people waiting to take a turn in line for the food. 

Here are some of the Senior Missionaries enjoying their food.

This was our table of single senior sister missionaries.

Tita is announcing dinner and introducing the people playing music while we eat.  This is the nice man that fed everyone.

These men played music while we ate and while some people danced after dinner.

The young sister missionaries were also there.

 Full and happy after dinner.  With my roommates, Sister Cheryl Hubbard (left) and Sister Teresa Wang. (Two of my roommates.)

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we went to the International Marketplace.  There are dozens and dozens of stores and small stands selling mostly jewelry and Hawaiian items of clothing and decorations.  They are in and around these huge trees that shade the whole marketplace.

I was with Sharon Johnson, Cheryl Hubbard and Connie Nance. 

Across the street from the International Marketplace is this beautiful hotel, "The Moana."  Behind it is the beach at Waikiki.

Around the corner we found this cute place.  It looks like an interesting place to go on another day.