Leslie Wilcox Blogs

Sitting Close: Jon de Mello and "Bruddah Iz"

          The CEO and owner of what Billboard Magazine calls the strongest independent record company in the world is a former Waikiki "surf rat" who attended public schools on Oahu.

         Jon de Mello, who incorporated the Mountain Apple Company, still lives in Honolulu and has built a phenomenal business around perpetuating Hawaiian and island music.

         He's a wizard in his state-of-the-art music studio, using both right and left brain to create cutting-edge sound mixes and shrewd business strategies.

         While other music producers were fighting Napster and free downloading, Jon came to see the Internet as an ingenious way to promote Hawaiian and other island music around the world. He uses Google Alerts to keep him up to date on where in the world the late Israel Kamakawiwoole's magic voice is getting attention and makes sure the stores in those areas are stocked with Iz CDs.

          Jon will appear next week on PBS Hawaii.

          I asked him what it was like to produce music with the late "Bruddah Iz."

         Jon said he had a "funny" way of recording with Israel. He'd sit in the studio while Iz sang. Talk about close quarters! He positioned himself three feet in front of the big man, facing him.

        "I wanted to feel his energy. I wanted him to stay energized and focused and I could help him wth chording or structures and we could talk," Jon said.

         Israel would close his eyes as he sang, and at the end, he'd crack open an eye to gauge Jon's reaction.

         Unconventional, but it worked, with smashing success.

        Jon de Mello shares stories about his work and life Tuesday night at 7:30 on PBS Hawaii's Long Story Short.

Figuring Out What Fish Think

    My husband Jeff makes fishing lures with the goal of catching the elusive ono, mahimahi, ahi. He'll often show me a new creation and say, "You think they'll like this?"

       And so once again, I try to think like a hungry but wary fish. Would I fall for a man-made creation of mother-of-pearl head, red eye, and blue-black-silver skirt with a hot pink underskirt? Very tough to say!

        Trying to understand fish, I came across Ka 'Oihana Lawai'a, Hawaiian Fishing Traditions, by Daniel Kaha'ulelio. He wrote in the Hawaiian language in the early 1900s and his work was translated into English by the late Mary Kawena Puku'i and edited by M. Puakea Nogelmaier.

       It's a treasure trove of experiential knowledge, gained through generations of subsistence fishing in Hawaii. And even back then, time and again, Kaha'ulelio notes fishing techniques that were already in disuse, traditions that had fallen away.

       I was most intrigued by the melomelo stick, a thin smooth stick toasted many times over a fire and rubbed with coconut oil. The fragrant stick was lowered from the back of a canoe as a fish attractant, and a fisherman could move it about to resemble an eel making its way in the ocean. Nets would gather in 'opelu, humuhumu, hinalea and all of the other fish fooled by the melomelo stick.

    I still can't predict whether my husband's hand-made lures will entice fish, but I learned from this kupuna's detailed stories that success begins with constant observation of many variables and having patience and respect for the fish.

     And if fish don't like some of my husband's lures, I'm going to try to talk him into toning them down in size and color, to attract an even more puzzling species--humans--who might want to use them as earrings.   

Curious Leslie...uh, Curious George

     Though my grown children tell me otherwise, I'm cool, current and cutting-edge. I have proof. The PBS show CURIOUS GEORGE has emerged from the latest national ratings as the most popular children's TV show in the nation for kids ages 2-5.

     I know all about Curious George--and have for decades. He was #1 with me as a keiki, just as he is with little viewers today. Of course, back then the lovably incorrigible monkey existed only on paper as drawings in a series of books. (Authors H.A. and Margret Rey, wrote the original book in 1941 and it's never gone out of print.)

       Today's munchkins are lucky to have an animated Curious George--because he's very much an action character.

      As a kid, I identified with Curious George because of his non-stop curiosity. He would count and squeeze and dismantle and rearrange things to find out how they work.

      My curiosity led me to become a journalist.

      Scientific curiosity is encouraged in the TV version of Curious George. Preschoolers following the antics of their favorite monkey are exposed to basic concepts of science, engineering and mathematics. And the show producers believe in laughing as you learn!

       Curious George airs on PBS Hawaii at 7 am weekdays. And any old time, children can play SAFE, fun online games at http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge 

        ***Note to my kids: Not only is Mom cool, but PBS is HOT! for having six of the top 10 children's programs on television. The others are Bob the Builder, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sesame Street, my new favorite Super Why!, and Dragon Tails.

A Joyful Giver at the Wheel

     It all started with wanting a new car.

     The old one had to go--and a PBS Hawaii viewer decided to donate her sedan to this non-commercial TV station.

     "When I called the person was very nice and professional. I had to change a couple of dates and they were very nice about it and didn't push me."

       Nice and easy. The experience got the viewer thinking.

       "You've brought so much joy to me," she told us later. "You're pretty much all I watch...It's like a free college education. I just turn on (PBS Hawaii) and I learn something."

         She said PBS Hawaii understands that time is valuable, and respects her time. She likes watching her favorite programs uninterrupted by commercials.

          "You're a civilizing force in the community and an educating force in our society," she said. "Every day it keeps getting better."

          Wow. Sounds great to me. But what's this leading up to?

          "I'm not wealthy," the woman said. "But I expect to leave something behind when I go. I've decided I want to give it to PBS Hawaii. I want to help keep great television going."

           And that's how this public television station came to be included in a viewer's estate planning.

           I love stories. And this one is a simple story of a woman's generosity of spirit and her investment in enriching the lives of others. We sincerely thank her for steering her legacy this way.

Keeping up with the Hawaiian Language

     I remember stepping into a crowded elevator at Honolulu District Court one day. There was an animated conversation going on about a court ruling that had just been made--and everybody in the elevator was speaking in the Hawaiian language. It wasn't for flavor or effect--this was a full-fledged, intense discussion.

      Later I ran into one of the Hawaiian activists at a football game and asked him why it seemed so effortless for his friends to refer to procedures of modern American law in Hawaiian.

       "Not a problem," he said. And then, as the UH Warrior team made a key play, he shared with me the term laina kulele. Offensive line.

       Huh? Never saw that in the familiar Hawaiian Dictionary by Puku'i and Elbert?

       It's just one of many newer Hawaiian words approved by the Hilo-based Hawaiian Lexicon Committee, which publishes Mamaka Kaiao  as a companion to the Hawaiian Dictionary.

      Just as Webster's adds new words to its English-language dictionaries, the Lexicon Committee rules on new vocabulary for the living, breathing Hawaiian language.

      The Lexicon Committee's been meeting since 1987.

      Here are some of the words early Hawaiians didn't have because there was no need for them then, but which exist today: kama'a lole--tennis shoe or sneaker; ulau kahi--spatula; uaki helu manawa--stopwatch; ohenana--telescope; kui pahu--thumbtack; na'ia'umi--boycott.

       After all, Hawaiian is Hawaii's OTHER official language, belonging to our host culture. And after edging near extinction four decades ago, it's back--and growing.

      As the language keeps up with the times, I'm enjoying reading the entries in Mamaka Kaiao.

       For example, you're on the punaewele puni honua--the worldwide web.

Real Life aboard CARRIER

     We've seen plenty of  U.S. Navy "photo ops"--limited opportunities offered for film and news crews to record selected activities aboard ship.

       But what are the chances the Navy will allow an independent camera team access to daily life and contrary personal opinions aboard a nuclear aircraft carrier on its way to the Persian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom?

       You may be surprised at the number of revealing scenes in CARRIER, PBS' upcoming 10-part, character-driven series shot aboard the USS Nimitz.  Producers at Icon Productions, founded by actor Mel Gibson, say they were given unprecedented access. Of course, permission didn't come easily--this decision went to top levels of the Pentagon.

        Ultimately, the documentary team deployed for six months with the carrier, bunking aboard.

        Kudos to top military decision-makers for allowing crewmembers to be seen as individuals, and for not sanitizing the camera view of shipboard life.

        In this floating city, 24 stories high, cameras follow a core group of crewmembers on their way to the war as they encounter different issues--dating and the 7-to-1 ratio of men to women, homosexuality, separation from family, patriotism, love, faith, the war on terror.

        The average age of the 5,000-plus crewmembers is around 20. It's obvious not all are gung ho about the U.S. presence in Iraq. One says outright, without a Navy handler stepping in, that America has no business fighting this war.  We meet a white crewmember who's getting his walking papers because he's an avowed racist. And we watch his riveting encounter with a black crewmember trying to get him to see people as individuals. We see another crewmember get drunk at a stop in Guam.

        We gain an appreciation for the professionalism and the pressure involved in operating an airport at sea, with pitching decks, steam catapult launches of aircraft, and tailhook grabs for the planes as they land. As one crewmember points out, he's got a major airport for a roof, and he's sitting on an ammo dump. We get an understanding of the strains and the sense of pride..

         "Reality TV" has become a catchword for vile, vulgar, ludicrous, banal, manipulative. Not this series, airing the final week of April on PBS Hawaii. And again, a salute to the Pentagon for letting shipboard stories unfold.

Thinking Hard About a No-Brainer

       The verdict is in, the stars are aligned, and the new name of this blog has been decided.

       The blog started out as "Coffee Break with Leslie Wilcox," because I enjoy taking a java breather and pecking out an entry. Then a reader pointed out that Midweek columnist Jerry Coffee uses "Coffee Break," which works on more levels for him than it does for me.

      So I asked readers for ideas on a new name. A few posted comments ("Leslie's Lexicon") and more  folks emailed me.

      Most had an answer for me, but it wasn't a clever blog name. It was an OBVIOUS blog name.

     The first response to come in: "Why introduce another layer, an unnecessary title? Go with your name."

       Another comment: "We know you from TV news. Your name is your brand."

        Yet another writer: "No worries. It's a no-brainer. Just use your name and be done with it."

        Okay, I'm done with it. Our website operator, Jeff Langcaon, drew a sketch of me at my computer, and printed "Leslie Wilcox Blogs."

       Simple. And it only took weeks to come up with this "no-brainer."

Don't Pity Me!

    After a long workday, my co-workers pity me a bit, knowing that my commute is more time-consuming than most. It's more than 40 miles from our TV studios in Manoa to my home on the North Shore.

      But that's what it takes to get to a place where there are miles of open green fields, a long blue and white necklace of breaking waves, and remote beaches where skittering sandcrabs aren't impeded by beach towels.

      Can't view the beaches in the dark, of course, but those late-night drives sometimes bring a sighting of Hawaiian owls, with their beefy white chests, flying low over fallow fields, hunting.

      And the darkness doesn't conceal the salty tang in the air or the refreshing ocean breezes.

      Living on the North Shore means special moments like the one I had today. My husband Jeff noticed a kayak and a fishing boat holding their positions less than a mile offshore. Why? Had to wait and watch for a minute to find out. Humpback whales! They'd jump out of the water, showing a flash of fin or a great tail.

       It's a joy to get glimpses of the range of animals here. Turtles pop their head out of coastal waters, an occasional monk snoozes on a beach, seabirds fly home to Kaena Point.Near an old irrigation ditch, I might be lucky enough to see a mighty auku'u. In the mountains, there are wild pigs and pheasants. A sharma thrush will sometimes offer a song outside our bedroom window. And while mongooses can be nasty little critters, I admit I like seeing them dart across the country roads. They were a common sight in Honolulu when I was a kid, but not anymore.

       This is a place where a neighbor will bring over tangerine juice squeezed from fruit in the yard, or offer wonderfully-scented pakalana vines, or come by with freshly caught fish--yes, already cleaned!

       I used to work with news reporter and producer Andrew Pereira, whose home on the North Shore is even farther from his workplace. Though there were periods when he worked on the 10 p.m. news and had to turn around and come back in for an early shoot, I never once heard him complain--not even a little. Because he lives near the big waves he loves to surf and his children are growing up close to nature.

     PBS Hawaii broadcast engineer John Nakahira makes the commute SIX days a week--he has another, part-time, job in Honolulu which puts him on the road an additional day. For this Waialua native, the commute is a given, only mentioned when there's an extraordinary traffic tie-up.

       Too bad about the long drive. Sometimes, I admit, it feels like my address is my car, not the North Shore. But when I see big bright stars, undimmed by city lights and hear the rumble of the surf and drink in the sea breeze, I know I'm home.

Victory for UH Fans

     Okay. So we didn't win the big game tonight. The UH Warriors never found their rhythm, never showed what they could do, against the big fast Bulldog team in the bowl championships.

      But Georgia isn't the only victor. Warrior fans who attended the game also scored and triumphed, by getting there and giving their all. Thousands took lengthy, cumbersome and expensive flights to reach New Orleans. They charmed the city with their fun, fierce support of their team. And  they never gave up. The time ran out but their belief in the team did not.

      The Warriors' only touchdown came late in the game, after a battered Colt Brennan left for the sidelines. It was too little, too late--but did you see the absolute joy as Hawaii fans rose in exhilaration?

      After the loss, former UH quarterback Dan Robinson was interviewed on KHON--and you'd never know from the spark in his eye or the glee in his voice that the Warriors were tasting the bile of a high-profile loss.

       He said the turn-out of the fans was amazing, truly inspiring. And he said the Warrior phenomenon would keep growing, keep building--and this game wouldn't be the end of the dream.

      "Chalk (the loss) up to experience," he said. And put the experience to use, as have the Bulldogs, who are BCS veterans.

       It IS a Happy New Year when we believe and pursue our dream and commit to it. That goes for football players and fans. Never give up.

       We broke glorious new ground. We hit an obstacle. Now we have to keep working. Move another mountain. Use what we have and what we've learned. Build.

        PBS Hawaii's resident sports commentators Jim Leahey and Kanoa Leahey (of Leahey & Leahey) were at the game and are in transit back home. Their regular Wednesday night TV program will have to be a re-run.

        I wonder if they're thinking what I'm thinking.

        So we lost. One game doesn't define us or defeat us.