The condo party was a big success. Most of the preparations were done the night before so on Saturday morning we had only to bring the food, florals and accessories. The lawn areas were outfitted with chairs, tables and umbrellas in anticipation of a hot day.
The shade was a welcome relief as the day got hotter.
We were nearly overwhelmed with potluck dishes of every kind imaginable. From kim chee to halo halo, Chinese chicken salad to baked apples, pancit to shumai, we had something for all tastes.
This is an unappetizing photo but it shows the things typically found on a Hawaiian plate lunch.
Our association provided the main dishes which were kalua pork, kalua turkey, poi, lau lau, lomi lomi salmon and chicken long rice which, as you know, has plenty of chicken but no rice at all.
For our contribution, the Alpha Japanese Female and I made musubi with two types of SPAM – regular and teriyaki.
Home made “shave ice” desserts prepared using a 50 year old hand cranked ice shaver were a special treat.
Solid iron. These are collectors’ items and sell for nearly $1,000 each.
We offered an array of flavored syrups with which to douse the shave ice including lychee, strawberry, banana and the ubiquitous blue vanilla.
As one of the crankers, or old cranks if you prefer, I can tell you that it takes a fair amount of arm power to keep the shaver going fast enough to create super fine shave ice.
(Note that it is always shave ice, never shaved ice. Or, shudder, snow cone.)
That’s me prepping the shave ice machine.
About 70-75 people attended the four-hour affair which is a reasonably strong turnout for our size property.
The kids spent their time in the pool wearing off their sugar highs while the adults gathered about the gardens to talk story and eat.
By the end of the party I was stuffed with good eats but choking for a cold beer since we don’t permit the divine nectar at condo functions.
Just part of the marketing.
By the way, the marketing campaign, so roundly abused by the blogging community, was judged to have been a success. So there…neener, neener, neener.
The final “elevator ad” was a photoshopped depiction of our resident manager’s head placed on top of a morbidly obese guy in a grass skirt with coconut bra offering a giant drink and saying e komo mai – welcome.
For most, hilarity ensued; however, the resident manager was not amused.
In other news, Maxwell got his mid-summer hair cut from Miss Nanako and has been doing his best to avoid the great outdoors, preferring to spend more time in front of the air conditioners. Here’s the Malt:
“Looking good, Max. “
“Feeling good, Tom.”
Categories: Max's Stories
WITHIN THE K STREETS 
Of course, I had to be the first to like this…..me being part of the abusive blogging community you speak so highly of. So glad it was a success. Max looks adorable. Would have loved to see the final ‘elevator ad.’
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We dodged a bullet when the home owner faction that was pushing for karaoke was outvoted. We had a worst aloha shirt contest though and my eyes are still in pain. But it was good fun.
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I missed your last post….goodness only knows how….so am innocent of abuse – for a change!
Looks a great party….we get shave ice with syrups here – and it is a great treat, though i’m glad not to have to operate the machine!
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Whilst I noted an unusual silence from Central America I decided the smartest move was not to poke the sleeping dragon. Oh wait, not to say that you…I mean… bad choice of …uh,…never mind. 🙂
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Ok, I’ll abuse you if you want! That shave ice machine looks more like 100 years old. Something from the 60’s would be electified and stoned out of its gourd 🙂
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Beat me, kick me, make me write bad checks. I just happened to see the machine’s owner and asked her to confirm the age and she said that there is a foundry mark for 1952 so you were right in that it is older than I thought. Perhaps the notion of a 60s machine was a flashback but I don’t remember much else about the 60s. Groovy.
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Peace out!
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Aw max! You look gorgeous! Want to cuddle you! X
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I’m pretty sure Max would love to join with Lily and Poppy and terrorize your home. He just looks innocent.
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Haha! Dont they all?!
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Max you definitely look ready to weather the rest of the summer-great pic-and your community party sounds like a lively and imaginative bunch-love the marketing tools too-
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Finally! A person with taste! Someone who can appreciate fine marketing. (Your check is in the mail.)
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