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Friday, 26 January 2007 |
The title will only make sense if you read Tanna’s blog first. Or if you were just thinking to yourself “woo hoo” and I knew that so I replied “woo hoo too”. Or maybe in your native tongue “woo” means greeting, “hoo” means blog, and “too” means reader. Hey you never know. You never know. Anyway on with my HOO. Hi again, the topic for today is me. My name is Roy Kawaji and I am wonderful. Okay bye. No comment will be accepted for this hoo. (I went with a lower case hoo because by now I’m hoping that I don’t have to "INTERNET YELL" in capitals to say HOO means blog. Besides, my hoo toos are highly educated).
All right, on to some serious hooing. Ladies, when was the last time you found the perfect shoe? Right color? Style? Fit? Well, I don’t care. Let’s talk Super Bowl. My wife, Karen is 100% Colts. Of course being the typical guy I had to know why. Give me stats. Give me odds. Give me my Fantasy Football Magazine and a bucket of chicken. All she said was “I’ve got my reasons”. So I dug deeper (that’s when my nose bleeds) Why do I always have to interject with weird crap like that. Why? Okay, where were we? I believe it was, Why Karen, Why? She finally gives in and says “It’s because of Peyton Manning”. Pretty impressive, she’s got quarterback stats. I ask “What do you know about him that makes you 100% sure he will be the key to getting the RING?” (Yes, all caps. RING. Winning the ring. Got it? Got it? Like in weddings! See Tanna, my story does relate to weddings. Sneaky but valid.)
Back to the hoo. Back to the hoo. Focus team focus. The question on the table is “Why Karen?” So she gives in and divulges her secret, “I don’t know, I don’t know anything about the team or how he plays. I’m going with the Colts because I read a story that Peyton Manning has a brother named Eli who is also an NFL Quarterback and how proud their dad must be.” “Ummm okay so what does that have to do with winning the Super Bowl?” Her answer was simple. “ I don’t know but it’s a neat story. I have no neat story about the Chicago Bears”. That’s all she needed. Well we all know the Center for the Bears, Olin Kreutz is from St. Louis HS. That’s a connection. But I didn’t want to throw a kink in her cute story that she was so proud of.
Isn’t it fascinating how decisions are often made. All it takes is a simple connection. A great story that makes you smile. Sorry Olin, you were my Hawaii connection for the Super Bowl, but my wife’s cute reasoning just trumped that link. Colts it is. WOO HOO. (Like in a cheer silly!)
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Tuesday, 16 January 2007 |
E-writing always worries me. I never really know how you are going to read this. If I start with ‘Howzit”, do you imagine me saying it with a low voice as I tip my head back like I’m saying “what!” in the typical local boy fashion? Or do you read it like “Eh Howzit Girlfriend”, my eyes wide open as I run to you with my arms extended ready to give you a kiss-kiss on each cheek? Y’know what I mean. Anyway, “Howzit”. Read it the way it makes you the happiest.
By now you must know that Karen Kawaji, the designer of WHITE, is my wife. We’re going to make 12 years on March 18. How I met her will be another story. Today I’m starting with how I met Tanna, my friend that’s writing the ‘she said’ blog. I wonder what she’s writing?
7 years ago Tanna and I were complete strangers. On paper we couldn’t have been more different. Opposites to a new level. If you were to put us in the same room there would be nothing but awkward silence. Okay, not silence because we both can talk anyone to death. Back to the point. Tanna was a rising star in the wedding industry. The media labeled her as the ‘Wedding Guru’. I liked starting businesses and was in the process of launching my newest idea called The Wedding Cafe’. Our paths were bound to cross. So it happened.
We ran into each other at a wedding event. Tanna was very outgoing and introduced herself as Goddess Tanna. (nah, just kidding gurrl. Go back to your own blog.) She opened with the guaranteed winner question for connecting people in Hawaii. “So, what high school did you go to?” Great question! I opened with Pearl City. She came back with Punahou. As you can figure out by now, that question bombed. We were lost for words. She probably was thinking that all I did was go cruising with my boys in our Hondas and played in the marching band. By the way, the answers to those questions would be, 1. It was Toyotas, not Hondas. 2. Yes, I played the baritone, but it was in intermediate school so that doesn’t count. Where was I, ah yes, Tanna was judging me. Only fair because I immediately thought “what a snob”. If we were on a first date we both would have walked out. But being the professionals we were, we bit our tongues and smiled. Like this... imagine my lips closed tight and pulled to the sides, slightly up. My eyes really wide open. Add in a couple nods. Exactly! Okay let’s continue.
But remember, this is Hawaii. Throw out 3 questions, one is bound to stick and you’ll be as close as Starbuck's is to Jamba Juice. So I launch question number 2. “So did you go to UH?” She comes back with a discouraged “no I went to the University of Oregon”, thinking, what’s the chances? But guess what? I went to the University of Oregon too! Instant connection. Like we just reunited. We shared stories. It didn’t matter that she was a Journalism major and I was Architect student. That we were there in different decades. That’s right decades. That’s not the point okay, the conversation just flowed.
It has been 7 years of a beautiful friendship. We were both fascinated how our completely separate worlds were magically connected. I knew her Aunt Flora who was close to my sister. My good friend went to the prom with her cousin Amy, who went to McKinley High School with my wife Karen, who went to Bingham Tract School as a kid, that’s where Tanna went before Punahou. Karen went to UH, that’s where Tanna’s husband Bryson went to college. Stay with me now... Remember that question about being in the band and that I was a baritone player? Guess what? So was Bryson. What’s the chances of that! I mean, who plays the baritone?! Want more. Here goes. Tanna’s dad and Karen’s dad both went to Farrington. Tanna and Karen both worked for the same magazine. Wow, wowwee! Bryson’s uncle and Tanna’s uncle are both executives for Aloha Island Air. Tanna and I went to different high schools but we were both class presidents. Explains why we both love to talk so much. Bryson and I were talking about one of our good friends doing something funny one day. It was the same friend. In case you’re wondering, his name is Kyle Kikuchi and he was running in his underwear. Whew!
Tanna and I still rag each other about everything. I mean EVERYTHING! It's a business relationship made in heaven. And it never fails, the 'Best High School" question always come up. I love Pearl City. She loves punahou. (The small ‘p’ was not an error) I love joking with Tanna. She is awesome. To think what would have happened if we both clammed up that first day and just walked away. What a waste. Years later, I can’t imagine my life without her. I love her friendship and the package deal of having a cool guy like her husband Bryson included is priceless. Karen and I love you both.
When you get chance. Ask a question. Tell a story. Make that connection. Friends are much closer than you think.
This is ‘White’.
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