DUMPLINGS, CURRY AND HURRICANES

Day 66 of the Lower Puna Eruption, and a Star Advertiser poll of:

What do you think about people who persist living in Kilauea's lava zones?

• B. Foolhardy; leave already (268 Votes)
• C. Mixed; both A and B (119 Votes)
• A. Admirable; takes grit, determination (32 Votes)

**********

Well, my wonderful life continues, and, as mentioned yesterday, I did find my way to Fook Lam in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza for Shanghai Soup Dumplings.  My photo report, beginning with Sun Yat Sen, where I strolled by my Blue-bar Pigeon, which was having lunch with a friend.

  

He was the founding father of modern China and graduated from Iolani High School when the campus was located where I now live.  Fook Lam, a BYOB restaurant, is to the right.  My first stop was to purchase a $1 can of Rolling Rock.

I was fortunate to get the best seat in the house, my traditional table.  Here you can view real-life theater occurring with drama and intrigue.  I ordered crispy scallops dim sum, which was only tolerable.  However the sidewalk show of contraband being fenced grabbed my attention:

Best as I could figure out, belts, towels, frozen Alaska crab legs and other assorted items:

Then came the Shanghai Soup Dumplings.  I brought my personal bottle of Courvoisier Cognac:

Wonderful.  I remembered I had a container of beef curry that I took-out from 15 Craigside, so I pondered on how best to enhance it for my dinner last night.  On the way home, I noticed this two story building to the left adjacent to Oahu Market.  I recall that among my worst moments in childhood were walking up those dark stairs, my breath immediately overpowered by the smell of a dentist's office, and suffering though assorted pains.

I went to Hiro Fish Market, a shop that will not be around much longer.  I thought about barracuda, but settled on chu-toro (fatty yellow fin tuna):

Then for dinner, the curry with what I applied to improve it:

Yes, again Japanese wagyu beef fat, the piece of chu-toro, Koshihikari rice from somewhere in Japan, and a very expensive bottle of sake.  However, inside was something else.  One of the dinner tables I join specializes in more cost effective sake in these impressive containers, for to bring the whole carton would be somewhat embarrassing.

Why the potato?  By the time I got up to get the curry, others had taken all the potato pieces.  One of the disadvantages of eating in a cafeteria.

Fried the fat with small chunks of potato, added the curry, plus some spinach, I also got from the salad bar, and had a great lanai meal:

-

A short tutorial about ocean storms:

• Atlantic basin: June - November
• North- East Pacific basin: Late May/early June - Late October/early November
• North- West Pacific basin: Occur all year round. Main season - July- November
• North Indian basin: April - December
• South- West Indian basin: Late October/early November - May
• South- East Indian/Australian basin: Late October/early November - May
• Australian/South- West Pacific basin: Late October/early November - May

Also:

STRENGTH: A storm gets a name and is considered a tropical storm at 39 mph (63 kph). It becomes a hurricane, typhoon, tropical cyclone, or cyclone at 74 mph (119 kph). There are five strength categories, depending on wind speed. The highest category is 5 and that's above 155 mph (249 kph). Australia has a different system for categorizing storm strength.

ROTATION: If they are north of the equator they rotate counterclockwise. If they are south, they rotate clockwise.

In the North Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf this year:

Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sara
Tony
Valerie
William

In the Pacific:

Aletta
Bud
Carlotta
Daniel
Emilia
Fabio
Gilma
Hector
Ileana
John
Kristy
Lane
Miriam
Norman
Olivia
Paul
Rosa
Sergio
Tara
Vicente
Willa
Xavier
Yolanda
Zeke

Central Pacific (meaning a storm that originates close to Hawaii):

Akoni
Ema
Hone
Iona
Keli
Lala
Moke
Nolo
Olana
Pena
Ulana
Wale

Most of these severe ocean storms occur in the Western North Pacific and South China Seas.  Here, it gets complicated, for:

The Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Tokyo - Typhoon Centre will assign a tropical cyclone a name from the list followed by a 4-digit identification number (in brackets). Names on the list will only be given to tropical cyclones of tropical storm strength or above.These names are used sequentially. That is, if the last storm of the year is Cimaron, the first storm of the next year is Jebi.

Why complicated?                                      I                                           II                                         

Cambodia China DPR Korea Hong Kong, China Japan Lao PDR Macao, China Malaysia Micronesia Philippines RO Korea Thailand U.S.A. Vietnam Cambodia China DPR Korea Hong Kong, China Japan Lao PDR Macao, China Malaysia Micronesia Philippines RO Korea Thailand U.S.A. Vietnam

Damrey Haikui Kirogi Kai-Tak Tembin Bolaven Sanba Jelawat Ewiniar Maliksi Gaemi Prapiroon Maria Son-Tinh Ampil Wukong Jongdari Shanshan Yagi Leepi Bebinca Rumbia Soulik Cimaron Jebi Mangkhut Barijat Trami

Kong-rey Yutu Toraji Man-yi Usagi Pabuk Wutip Sepat Mun Danas Nari Wipha Francisco Lekima Krosa Bailu Podul Lingling Kajiki Faxai Peipah Tapah Mitag Hagibis Neoguri Bualoi Matmo Halong

Nakri Fengshen Kalmaegi Fung-wong Kanmuri Phanfone Vongfong Nuri Sinlaku Hagupit Jangmi Mekkhala Higos Bavi Maysak Haishen Noul Dolphin Kujira Chan-hom Linfa Nangka Saudel Molave Goni Atsani Etau Vamco

Krovanh Dujuan Surigae Choi-wan Koguma Champi In-fa Cempaka Nepartak Lupit Mirinae Nida Omais Conson Chanthu Dianmu Mindulle Lionrock Kompasu Namtheun Malou Meranti Rai Malakas Megi Chaba Aere Songda

Sarika Haima Meari Ma-on Tokage Nock-ten Muifa Merbok Nanmadol Talas Noru Kulap Roke Sonca Nesat Haitang Nalgae Banyan Hato Pakhar Sanvu Mawar Guchol Talim Doksuri Khanun Lan Saola

I won't even try to explain the above.  See that I?  Columns continue for II, III, IV and V.  I can go on to the rest of the oceanic world, but it gets even more complicated.

There are four ocean storms of relevance today.  In the Atlantic:

About beleaguered Puerto Rico, Beryl has already been downgraded into a tropical storm.  However, Tropical Depression 3 will become Hurricane Chris, and hopefully only move northeast up the Eastern Seaboard and not make landfall over the USA.

In the West Pacific, Typhoon Maria is a Category 4 at 145 MPH, with the eye projected to pass just south of Naha:

Fabio, which was headed for Hawaii, has fizzled.

-