As a “sansei” or “third generation” Japanese American child, my identity was always an internal conflict for me. My mom would talk about how she was forced to take eight years of Japanese schooling yet retained little to none of it, while my dad never spoke Japanese at all. Read more
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare says, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Read more
As children, my sister and I shared a hatred of clowns Read more
Actress Maggie Smith once said, “The time onstage is easier than the rest of one’s existence. Read more
Hospitality has a lot to do with culture. I’m talking about your home culture and the culture of your community. Read more
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The Olympics have always been a miracle for me. Athletes from every country and territory coming together to compete in the name of peace and goodwill, showcasing both the potential of the human body and mind, to triumph over tragedy. Read more
The best thing anyone ever said to me was spoken by a young woman I was training as a server and bartender. Read more
When I was a child, I loved to read and draw. From building blocks to science projects, I loved anything that involved my imagination, and my mother and teachers started calling me “creative.” Read more
One of my first restaurant jobs was in the café of a nightclub, where I cut my teeth holding down the day shift, during which I could sometimes count on one hand the number of customers who would walk in. Read more
A deep feeling of dread spread down the back of my neck, like an icy hand, as I opened up the midnight text from my friend and United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Hawaii Chapter president. Read more
My sister was helping me carry the groceries upstairs to my apartment last weekend, and gasped as she walked through the door, “It’s clean!” Read more
