Team Musubi

Although we went to sleep at around 10 pm, I was wide awake with friends at around 2-3 am. Several of us chatted as we didn’t see the point of going back to sleep as we will be working east coast time this week. When most of us were ready, we strolled over in our “casual outfits” to Holey Grail Donuts which were super light because they were made of taro. So Asian. A photo of a mural on our walk and a collage of the donuts experience:





We returned and relaxed before heading over to the luxe Ala Moana mall. While nursing Island Lattes from Island Vintage Coffee where I’m now a rewards member, we waited in line for dim sum at Jade Dynasty. In usual form, we over ordered dumplings and as Christina called us, acted like an ohana or family. Some pics from dim sum brunch:





We perused some stores as we digested our food and then picked up a white ginger lei garland and headed to the airport to pick up our last friend. We were now a complete team of eight as we cruised down the boulevards reciting facts about the area as it had been repeated to us over several airport transfers. We returned to the mall where we enjoyed a Korean dessert and afternoon snack of shaved ice called bing su. Here we are scavenging for parking spots and enjoying the traditional Korean dessert:





We returned to the condo and several us sat poolside as the remainder tried to nap and rest. The pool team which I also dubbed the extrovert team, decided to leave and dip into the ocean at Ala Moana beach pictured here:



After floating in the Epsom salty water, we swung by Foodland Farms to pick up some poke. Our original plan was to barbecue tonight, but since we had so much dim sum and Korean food leftovers, we were going to finish them off with some poke. A photo of the poke bar at the local grocery store next to a display of musubi or spam over rice snack which is very popular in Hawaii:





Tonight’s dinner of leftovers and poke pictured below:





The team is all finally here! We essentially were a group of friends who became so close during the pandemic with weekly dinners and supporting each other through some hard times. They don’t like it when I refer to them as my pandemic bubble friends, so I suggested we needed a nickname. One friend suggested Musubi, because we often eat them on our road trips and obviously it’s a Hawaiian favorite. Well whatever we are called, feeling pretty blessed for our gracious hosts and team members as today was filled with food, laughs, and memories…we are indeed a musubi ohana!