It was the first day off for the Amasia crew in training, so we flew to Kauai to participate and support Mark Oyama along with the Kauai CC faculty, students, to raise money for their program. What really makes this event a must for me is to be part of a community that cares for each other so much and supports one another so much. They put on this after party, yes, in the school's auto mechanic garage, every year, and it is sometimes more anticipated than the regular event because the locals make local food that they either caught themselves or prepared themselves. I used to live on Kauai, and I always felt warmth from the locals from the very first day I started work here. The locals prepared Lomi oio with opihi limu kohu and shoyu chili pepper water, UFOs (gotteborg sausage with a scoop of rice and furikake), Kauai shrimp sashimi, smoked meat, Darly's goat soup, Portugese bean soup, crispy shrimp heads, steamed uhu, fried ahi bone, and more. I like to bring new staff with me on this trip, so they can see really how locals on Kauai throw a party, experience a different culture, and learn about new dishes and food.
~AW