Every other year, TCA (Taiko Community Alliance) holds a North American Taiko Conference. I went to UNLV in 2015, to UCSD in 2017 and this year to Portland State University in downtown Portland. The workshops and performances are amazing. Mary and I were roommates at a nearby hotel and we just walked over to the workshops at PSU. We’d walk by food trucks with amazing food and had deliciousness at the Saturday Farmer’s Market right next to the campus during our break. We took a trip to The famous International Rose Test Garden, where we enjoyed thousands of varieties of lovely scented roses!
Mary at the International Rose Test Garden
We loved the fresh, juicy peaches and delicious lunch here!
Taiko legend from Sado Island, Chieko Kojima.
Our Odaiko sensei, Isamu Kageyama doing a demo on the Odaiko (large standing drum)
Before the conference, I went a couple days early and spent time with old friends from Hawaii now living in Beaverton, Pam Ferreira and her sister Debby Higa. They took me to Willamette Falls and to lunch.
After the conference, I drove over the state line to Vancouver, WA, to stay with cousins, Jonathan & Heather Steinmann. Actually Jon is the son of my Kimura cousin, Kathy Steinmann, who also lives nearby with her other daughter, Tiffany. I got to meet 3 of cousin Kathy’s children and their families. One son live in Michigan. One night we went to dinner at Kathy’s daughter, Sarah Sherland’s lovely home, with a river and pond in their yard, that Sarah’s hubby, Will designed. I had so much fun meeting all my relatives in the southern WA area.
Jon & Heather have a menagerie at home!
Heather has 4 chickens and a trained cat.
Family dinner at Sarah & Wills home.
Yummy lunch with Kathy & Ron
Faith slept over with me at Heather’s and her sisters visited one day. They are Tiffany’s kids.
We visited the Columbia River, separating WA from OR.
I taught Kathy & Jon Hanafuda
Osso Buco for lunch at Swiss Hibiscus with Kathy and Tiffany.
Martin Wyss was in the kitchen helping Jennie at her Swiss Hibiscus restaurant.
2017 August San Diego and Los Angeles
Mary and I decided to attend the Semi Annual Taiko Conference, this year located at University of San Diego campus. On my flight over to SD, I sat next to Christine Noble and we chatted almost the entire flight and became friends! We stayed at the Country Inn & Suites in La Jolla and rented a car. Since we got there a day before registration, we drove to Alpine to visit my friend Carmen Shagham. She showed us around her estate and all the work she has done in her yard. Then we went to lunch at Montana Grill Café.
Carmen and I are in her back yard.
After a lovely visit with Carmen, we drove to the UCSD campus to register for the Taiko Conference. Elsie was waiting for us, then Lorin and Lovelle came to join us for the Welcome Reception.
Elsie, Mary, Lorin, myself and Lovelle at Taiko Welcome reception.
Taiko Kanikapila-people just jump in and play!
On Friday we had opening session and breakout workshops all day and in the evening we enjoyed a Taiko Concert. We repeated the same thing on Saturday.
I was honored to meet Kristy Oshiro, awesome drummer!
Sunday morning was the closing session. After the closing, I drove down to Coronado Island to meet Mel and Karen Tanaka for lunch and to visit their lovely home on the island. Then I drove to Temecula to stay with Ali Nash. Her hubby is a firefighter in Long Beach so he was gone. We had a nice dinner downtown at Public House.
Mel grew up in Ewa Beach: his family owned Tanaka Store. He and Karin live on Coronado Island.
I stayed in Temecula with Ali Nash. Her sister Heather Bown played volleyball at UH and the US Olympic team.
The next morning, Ali had made me a bracelet with the beach glass that I gave her. Then I drove off to Anza to visit cousin Paola, her hubby Phil and daughter Beca, who was working at a campground on a lake. We hung out by the lake enjoying the sun before heading to the village for Italian dinner at Ferro.
Phil, myself, Paola and their daughter Rebecca at the lake where Beca works for the summer.
On Tuesday, I drove to Los Angeles to stay w/Tom and Margie Hernandez, Kazu’s Dad and Mom. Margie made Nopales-cactus. She cooked chicken, beef, beans, salad and Tom’s sister Rosemarie brought 2 peach pies. We had a feast! The kids all came for dinner and Tom’s brother Angel brought Grandma Hortense. Renae brought her baby, Quetzal, so it was a wonderful family reunion!
I stayed with Tom and Margie Hernandez in Los Angeles. Tom is Kazu’s dad!
Wednesday morning I had to say goodbye and drove to LAX to catch my flight home.
lariyasui 