Aloha !
Meal conversations are often very lively, especially over Breakfast , when all the 40 somethings and older men are sitting around , reading the newspaper and shooting the breeze .
Yesterday was Arno's Birthday . He is now 46 years young. When I sat down for breakfast , he smiled at me and said, " Molly, you're ah ......." as he encircled his hand over his face and over the top of his body. His regular sign language as English is not his first language. " Yes, what ? Ah , what ? Hmmmm ? " I replied.
" You look nice " he said , repeating his hand gestures over his face and upper part of his body. . I laughed and said, " Your hand gestures were very interesting , before the words came out ." And Clint, sitting beside Arno , said , " Arno , you have to learn how to give a girl a compliment ! You could have said " Molly, you look very lovely today . You have to let the women know that they look pretty . You have to compliment them on what they are wearing . You have to give small gifts if you can . You have to offer to help them do stuff too ! Arno, you will have to come to my flattery class later on in the afternoon ! "
It was quite funny. Yes, Clint will be giving impromptu flattery classes. Clint is verrry smoooooth .
Karl was sitting across from me at breakfast this morning. " You look very pretty today , Molly . Your dress is nice . You have a nice frame . " Hmmmm, a nice frame . English is Karl's first and only language. I started laughing. Elan , sitting next to Karl , hits Karl in the arm , is laughing too and looks at me and said " You can tell he works in the Maintenance Department First , he will tell you that you have a nice frame, and then will say that you have a great foundation , and then he will go and talk about your great plumbing ! Ooops , lets not go there ! " Yes, there was raucous laughter all around. Men.
Arno passed me the newspaper , pointing at a word on his horoscope. Elan said , " Arno , do you need subtitles ? Are you asking Molly to translate ? " " Which word are you asking about Arno ? " I asked as I was quickly reading his horoscope to figure out which word he didn't know the meaning of. He pointed at the word ' resentful . ' I gave him the meaning and it was nice that others joined in to give their version of the meaning also. " Molly, what does it mean to burn the candle at both ends ? " Arno asked as he finished reading his horoscope. : It means that you are wasting energy. Think of this visually. If you burn the candle at both ends, before long, you will have no more candle. So, apply that to yourself. It can be energy , intent . work . many things. What your horoscope is saying to you to to focus your energy and not have it scattered all over the place , because if you do , you will be like the candle that has been burning at both ends . Soon, there will be nothing left. "
" Ahhhhhh , yes, I understand. " Arno replies. " Don't get this mixed up with burning bridges at both ends ! " adds Gary , laughing heartily at his own wit. I laughed . " That's quite the visual , Gary ! Don't pay attention to what Gary just said. There is no saying ' burning bridges at both ends. ' There is a saying that goes ' Don't burn your bridges .' And so , I explained to Arno about not burning ones' bridges.
Gus was passing around his yummy blueberry loaf that he made . Crandle bought Arno a great Hawaiian shirt , the colour of the ocean , like Arno's eyes. Crandle beautifully wrapped Arno's gift with the morning newspaper funnies, and wrote in Hawaiian " Happy Birthday , Arno. " Arno took out a huge exacto knife out of his pockets and carefully sliced away at the tape . Sentimental guy. He was going to save the wrapping . " Just rip it . Its newspaper ! " said one of the guys.
I too, would have saved the newspaper wrapping . Crandle is one of the most generous souls I have ever met. Arno was very blessed to have spent his birthday with much comraderie and love from his friends here at Kalani.
I gave Arno licorice that I bought at Long's drugstore . I had asked Sami if she could stop at Longs yesterday , on our way back from a morning excursion to the Maku'u Market . Arno loves licorice.
Simple pleasures. Much laughter.
With much aloha ,
x0x0x0x0x
Molly
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