Leslie Wilcox Blogs

Darkness and Light with Author Nora Okja Keller

     Honolulu author Nora Okja Keller plans a trilogy. But she's taking a breather between novels #1 and #2---and #3.

     Who wouldn't want to stop and smell the plumeria after the difficult themes of the first two books? Comfort Woman  portrayed the pain and shame of Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Fox Girl is also set in Korea and portrays abandonment, abuse, humiliation, redemption.

     These are powerful and fascinating books, more so because the writer is spare in depicting rampant violence. Somehow her restraint hits harder than a graphic telling. Her stories' characters and imagery are the work of a gifted artist.

    If I didn't know better, I'd be tempted to wonder if the author became embittered and distrustful as a result of what she learned and lived with during the course of writing the two novels.

    But here comes Nora, a sunny hapa-haole woman who laughs easily. She's engaged with her children, her husband, her home, and her part-time job teaching creative writing at her alma mater, Punahou School.

    When she writes, it's late at night, when the sociable young mom isolates herself and withdraws into herself, to pull out deep and often dark truths.

     Nora, Korea-born and Hawaii-raised, is my guest tomorrow night (Tues., Sept. 9) at 7:30pm on PBS Hawaii's Long Story Short. 

     She'll talk about her struggle with identity. She'll tell of her Hawaii peers who are her sounding board before she sends off her manuscript to her East Coast publisher. And she'll recall those stories she imagined and scribbled in notebooks while attending Ala Wai and Hahaione Elementary Schools.

      The Long Story Short program with Nora Okja Keller is scheduled to re-air Sun. Sept. 14 at 2:30pm on PBS Hawaii.

Hardship is Good for Something--Building Character

     I didn't write a speech or even draw up a speech outline when I had the opportunity to speak to scores of college scholarship recipients and their parents yesterday at a gathering at the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki.

     That's because I try to keep top-of-mind the lessons I learned when I was the students' age.

     It was a pleasure to be able to see their faces as I spoke to the scholarship recipients. It was a breakfast event, so the ballroom lighting was bright instead of muted.

     The students are all graduates of Hawaii public high schools headed for Mainland colleges, requirements of the Marion Maccarrell Scott Scholarship they won through the Hawaii Community Foundation and Bank of Hawaii.

      Other scholarship requirements: the students must show achievements, at least a 2.8 GPA, character, and they must write an essay showing commitment to world peace.

      The students will be shipping off to college campuses all over the continental U.S.  A Harvard student told me she's taking up nonprofit management; a UNLV student is studying business and economics not to make a killing on Wall Street--but to be able to teach students.

      I congratulated the students on their Excellent Adventure, and concentrated on talking about the "character" part of the scholarship requirement.

      You don't build character by having everything go right all the time. To have character, it helps to experience hardship and learn to be resilient, make good choices, and keep going.

     Once upon a time, I was in their place. A local public school grad headed to the Mainland on scholarship. At the last minute I wasn't able to go--because of a family crisis. Instead of entering USC that fall, I became a waitress at a coffee shop in Waikiki. I had to take another route to higher education and my other dreams. And I have no regrets, because in my case, family came first.

     I wanted the scholarship winners to know that there's usually no smooth or direct route to an ambitious goal. That they might as well embrace obstacles because 1) difficulties are  inevitable; 2) dealing with problems successfully will prepare them to face other challenges down the road; 3) facing obstacles is a good way to get to know yourself; 4) problem-solving for themselves enables them to help others.

    Some of the students stopped by afterward to assure me that when things don't go their way, they'll try not to get discouraged--but instead, see opportunities to build character. 

    Their enthusiasm is contagious. They're energetic and upbeat, ready to equip themselves for the future and excited about shaping the future. I wish the best to each one of them!

"Native Speakers" of the Language of Technology

     With the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s, more and more islanders learned to speak the Hawaiian language. They attended classes and became proficient in an ancient language that had almost gone extinct.

    But the relatively few people alive who grew up speaking Hawaiian in their household (manaleo) could always spot the text-book speakers in a flash. And vice versa.

     Gotta say, that's true of the speakers of today's language of digital media and other technology.

     In the 80s, I used to produce television newscasts, bringing them in on time with a stopwatch and a knowledge of basic arithmetic. Later, when computers were harnessed for newscasts, young producers right out of school played the keyboard like virtuosos, using techniques and codes that did the job faster, while some veteran producers who were raised in the age of computer-less schools hunted and pecked.

      Go to schools in Hawaii excelling in multi-media. (I just visited Waianae High and Mid Pacific Institute's impressive programs.) You'll see "native speakers" communicating like crazy, applying technology as easily as they breathe.

"If can, can" at Waianae High

     Some of my PBS Hawaii colleagues and I took a ride to the Waianae Coast today to talk with L. Candy Suiso, the one-time Spanish teacher who now devotes her time to helping students speak the language of technology. An award-winning teacher even before she got involved in video production, Candy has been pivotal in the creation and expansion of Searider Productions, the largest and most successful high school journalism and multi-media program in the state.

    This is a remarkable achievement, all the more so because the school draws from a low-income rural district and tends to do poorly in standardized tests.

    The program occupies an entire air-conditioned school building, renovated and well equipped with cameras and editing units procured with private grant money.

     Under Candy Suiso, the program has a website http://www.seariderproductions.com, a monthly newspaper, a weekly newscast, public service announcements and more. The students know their turf, and they are capable of telling powerful and exquisite stories, such as the one that resulted in a national Robert F. Kennedy Award. It follows a family of 12 starting a new life in a transitional home after living in tents on the beach. The school also brought home a national high school Emmy Award for a story about canoe paddling as a way of life.

    Students are motivated to work hard, and the creativity flows at Searider Productions. It goes without saying that students must show up, on time, and meet deadlines. There is pride in the excellence of their work.

     "Follow, lead, or get out of the way," is a mantra that Candy uses with the students. She also makes use of the pidgin expression, "If can, can. If no can, no can." Few students in this motivated group want to say they "no can"--and they produce! If they can't, they know to say so, before they compromise deadlines or the product.

     How good are the media students coming out of Waianae? Well, graduate and now-Seariders media adviser  (and media wizard) John Allen III, a product of the leeward coast, has been offered a big job and fat enticements at a top commercial television station, but he's chosen to stay in Waianae and guide students. TV stations in Honolulu want to get their hands on others, but students are opting to go to college and then return to the Waiane Coast to a for-profit start-up, Makaha Studio, populated by Searider alums. Established companies have come calling, to hire Makaha Studios for projects.

    With Candy's leadership, these young people are learning more than media-- they're finding ways to support and invigorate their community. And in doing so, they're an inspiration to the rest of the state.

Grads Getting Together to Invest in Kalani High

     Kalani High School in east Honolulu is one of those schools where it's not unusual for students to return to teach, and for educators to stay put for decades. A current Vice Principal, Laura Ahn, is a member of the Class of '79.

     So it wasn't a surprise to see retired faculty come out in force to support Kalani at its 50th anniversary celebration, a fundraiser to upgrade technology and other features at the public school.

     I didn't expect to get misty, but I did--seeing Ms. Marge Yoshioka, who taught me the basics of French and shared her passion for education every single day; Mr. Al Wills, always willing to help or listen, good-natured as he enforced high standards, who taught me how to drive; Mrs. Jane Nikaido, school sparkplug; Mrs. Miyashiro, teacher who "got" and appreciated my quirky, clever younger brother Tim;  and others.

     Looking around the room, I saw alumni who are leaders, including organizers like bank official Alton Kuioka (Class of '61) and business exec Don Omura (Class of '85). Dan Meisenzahl (also Class of '85) from KITV's morning news was a funny and entertaining emcee and his colleague, 5pm news anchor Pamela Young (Class of '66)  narrated a video recalling Kalani achievements. State Ag Director Sandra Kunimoto, recent National Principal of the Year Gail Awakuni, entrepreneur (and kim chee king!) Michael Irish, building industry execs Dawn Suyenaga and Christopher Lau, former Hawaiian Homes Chair Ray Soon, a table of Honolulu Star-Bulletin journalists, 2008 Hoku Award winner Bobby Moderow, musicians Steve Min and Harvey Yoshioka, notable lawyers like Cori Lau, doctors, engineers, computer programmers and others were there.

     They laughed when Dan Meisenzahl reminded them of teacher Harold Cole wearing a hat with a picture of a clock and and a message: "Time will pass. Will you?"

     Alum and allergist, Dr. Matthew Lau,  summed it up best when he told me, "A lot of grads  have done well for themselves. But what's more impressive is that so many people from Kalani are good citizens."

    It's true--so many decent, caring people who care and who act on their concerns. (Decent, by the way, doesn't mean dull!)

    Even members of the very first graduating class, like Robin Leong who now lives in Vallejo, Calif., came back to invest in Kalani, for the sake of future students.

Toys of Today vs. Yesterday's Playthings

     I checked out the Education Works store at the Dole Cannery Theatres building in Iwiilei and found toys that are the equivalent of PBS Hawaii programming---entertaining and exciting for  kids, with sound learning principles built in.

     However, I'm not going to praise these great new toys over the playthings of yesteryear. 

     Ever ask oldtimers from plantation days in Hawaii what they did for fun as children? Their eyes light up and they describe tops and kites and other  simple toys they made. The other day, while taping LONG STORY SHORT, I asked Senator Daniel Akaka what his childhood toys were. He recalled with relish the elaborate games of strategy he played with his siblings involving...sticks. Reminds me of the time I visited a poor neighborhood on the island of Bali in Indonesia and saw a toddler playing in a mud puddle with a discarded milk carton. No kid ever looked happier.

      Whatever it takes to fire up children's imagination and engage them to think and enjoy!

#1 Skill in the Future: Ability to Ask Good Questions

     A highly regarded author says the single most important skill for the 21st century will be the ability to ask good questions.

      The author, Tony Wagner, wrote The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need--and What We Can Do About It. Educators and leaders of business and community organizations seem to agree: The highest value in college, career and citizenship will be not on what one already knows, but on continuous learning. The focus will be more on exploration, less on retention.

    So I'm glad to see my alma mater, Kalani High School in Honolulu, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a fundraiser--and one of its goals is to bring back a traditional hotbed of questions, the school newspaper.

    I had great fun, and spent many hours working, in the second floor, F-Building home of Kalani's now disbanded newspaper, Ka Leo O Kalani. Mr. Michael Doran was the adviser. He relished those newspaper issues which showed that student reporters had asked good questions and turned the answers into good stories.

     My stint as a Ka Leo reporter was a turning point for me, as my stories got me a free trip, sponsored by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, to a journalism competition in southern California. I won the competition, and a year-and-a-half later, the Star-Bulletin hired me.

     Kalani grad Bobby Moderow Jr. with his newly named Hoku Award-winning group Maunalua is headlining Kalani's 50th anniversary celebration at 5pm Saturday, July 19, at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. Tickets are $200, $150 of which is tax-deductible.

      Besides re-instating the school newspaper, what will the money be used for?

      Good question!

      Outfitting a "21st Century Toolkit"---re-building a Student Center for conferences, workshops, tutoring; upgrading schoolwide technology; and beefing up before-school and after-school activities and outreach programs.

Summer Camp--Not Just for Fun

     The northwest coastline of Oahu, where I live, has three campgrounds within about 10 miles of each other that attract children all summer-long. It's a time of year when the echoes of laughing children float past my home, a time when boisterous camp songs carry in the still night air.

     I asked a couple of the young campers, 6th graders, what the best thing about camp is. Behind them, I could see their camp's "backyard," a gorgeous white beach with pristine blue water.

      Since they told me they don't live close to the ocean, I thought their "best" would have a lot to do with sand and surf.

     Not at all.

     "So much green grass to play on and nice trees,"  said one. The other said, "Having good rules that everybody follows,and everybody gets along."

     Turns out both were attending camp on scholarship. Their home is a  very dense low-income neighborhood.

      I've spent time in their neighborhood over the years, covering overcrowded conditions, stabbings, shootings, child abuse, a gang fight and welfare fraud. Plenty of honest, law-abiding families live among troublemakers because it's where they can afford to live.

     The scholarship donors likely will never know just how wonderful it is for the kids to have a park-like play area and a peaceful routine.

      I believe the positive experiences the children are having will continue to inform them for years as they grow up. The children will summon the memories of inspiring stories, shared confidences, team efforts. This particular camp works on building character.

      The donors don't know these kids from the so-called "Pupu" area of Waipahu, but they obviously know what they need to know:  investing in children is money well spent.

Heartbreak in Haleiwa

     Following up on what I wrote a couple of days ago about the "Summer of Worry" on Oahu's North Shore, where too often we see a deadly combination of alcohol consumption and dangerous, winding country roads....

     On the living room window of a house on Kamehameha Highway, in Haleiwa, is painted: Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive. R.I.P. Fred.

      Heartbreak is so heavy in this Haleiwa home that the family doesn't consider it intrusive to have its view blocked by the grief-inspired message. The family just doesn't want to see others enduring an untimely and unnecessary loss.  

      The house is streetfront Haleiwa, across from the Tesoro gas station, and many North Shore residents drive by.

      Yet another safety message, for a rural community in which a history of funerals and elaborate, well-tended roadside memorials haven't served to remind enough people to stay away from driving after drinking alcohol.

     

Summer Fun and Summer Worry

     There are at least 20 high school graduation ceremonies going on tonight in Hawaii, including one in my community, at Waialua High. It's an open-air commencement exercise, at Toshiyuki Nakasone Athletic Field.

       This is a must-go event for many people in our small town, where there are so many close relationships. In fact, it's the biggest gathering of the year in this area. There used to be other big annual events like the Sea Spree Festival, which folded, and the Hanapaa Fishing Tournament, which scaled back. (Yup, I meant the pun.)

     Once again this year, the sales tents set up outside Waialua High School are offering lei,bouquets, and colorful inflatable tubes for presentation to the new grads. Family members are bristling with cameras. All the ti leaves in town have been picked for good luck.The evening is clear, windless and beautiful.

      Project Graduation will keep the new grads safe from over-the-top partying tonight. Then, spaced out over the summer, families will hold parties for their grad. Even if you're a distant connection--friend's sister's babysitter, co-worker's brother's trainer, you're likely to be invited to a gathering that'll flow from the carport through the house to the yard, with plenty of food and drink.

     And with the summer of parties in this North Shore community comes an unsettled feeling, First, there's the cost of throwing a party, and the added price of attending other parties with a gift. But the biggest summer-long concern is  the spectre of post-party auto accidents on dangerous, winding country roads. Despite a tradition of school lectures and parental warnings, this is a town that has lost many young people to crashes, often alcohol-related.

      So when graduation night comes to Waialua, there are tears of joy, laughter, happiness. And as early as the next morning, the parental good feelings will be tempered with watchfulness, wariness, worry.