Tropical Rain, Topical Mayor

Waves at Hideaways

The patter of raindrops on the roof aroused my attention this morning. I had awakened earlier with the omnipresent wild chickens who begin their serenade before dawn.

The scents of tropical precipitation crept through the open screen door into our bedroom. A dull grey curtain of moisture obscured the view of the verdant mountain tops, my daily first signal for weather.

Rare are the days when the pointed mountains stand clear of clouds, when they form a two-dimensional backdrop of dark and light whose edges are so exact you might separate the mountains from the sky with the blade of a knife.

Yin-yang. Land-sky. One defines the other.

This morning, however, the mist is dense. It hides the pyramid shapes of burst ancient volcanoes. Yet conditions change rapidly.

Guy Hagi, the TV weather guru who wears a coat and tie, every day, regardless of the dynamic Pacific Ocean fronts, announces that today we will experience, once again, "the best weather on the planet."

He calls this morning's rain a "pocket shower." The satellite picture shows small, amoeba-like yellow blobs floating over the island chain as if they were disappearing fish swimming in the sky. Here and gone.

Weather wise, living on an island is a game of hide and seek.

A story in today's The Garden Island -- Kauai's very own town crier -- informs readers that Mayor Derek Kawakami is making national news. He is featured in an Associated Press story that no doubt will reach most English language news sources.

The elected leader of our tiny island has been at the forefront among the Hawaiian chain for initiating quarantine and curfew standards. In addition to his civic duties, the mayor is the subject of a series of homemade videos entitled "Stay Home Kauai" popular, locally, on social media.

The five-minute videos, shot by the mayor's wife, Monica Kawakami, are designed for "breaking up the boredom."

The videos show him baking in the kitchen, attempting to make a mask, performing dining-room table tricks, exercising and dancing. He's very lively and entertaining. A whole lot of aloha.

The original idea came from Monica, a school teacher, who was exploring ways to keep school children engaged. The mayor's sometimes zany antics on video has caught on with islanders, with a message of "be yourself," we're all in this together.

Despite his and many others' efforts to raise spirits and maintain self-governance of practicing social distance and wearing masks in public, an incident recently in Hanalei is worrisome.

A friend reported that he was standing in line at a take-out restaurant next to a couple of young women in swimwear. They were not wearing masks. They were talking about their recent arrival on the island.

"Aren't you supposed to be in quarantine?" they were asked.

"We're not into that," they said.

If they should turn out to be carriers of Covid-19, the island community will likely be, of necessity, "into that" for an extended time. It begs the question: Are some so self-centered to think that their personal wishes are more important than the rest of us.

On a small island that has for the most part acted responsibly, it feels like a slap in the face.

I would hate to see the mayor's diligent efforts and good humor be thwarted by a couple of airheads who aren't into it.

See link below for Kauai Mayor story.

https://www.thegardenisland.com/2020/04/27/hawaii-news/mayor-a-national-celebrity/