My rela­tives on Maui are probably going to the grocery store and asking if they have day-old bread. The answer is probably, “No, the best we can do is three or four-day-old bread.”

The reason is that Aloha Airlines, which shut down passenger service a couple of weeks ago, also closed down its cargo service between Honolulu and Maui.

Aloha was estimated to carry 85 percent of non-postal freight between Islands. So now, Oahu bakeries are shipping their products to Los Angeles and transferring them to Maui-bound flights.

In total, one bakery in Honolulu shipped 36,000 pounds of baked goods daily to Maui and the Big Island via Aloha.

It is said that postal service will also feel the effects of Aloha’s shutdown, but I guess my mail to my relatives won’t be affected going directly from Ellay.

Oh well, I guess the toasters will be going full blast on Maui with their three-and four-day-old bread.

On second thought, maybe if my relatives will phone me, I can use UPS or FedEx and they can get their bread directly from Los Angeles.

===

Read about the Manzanar gather­ing in the news section of the Rafu the other day and was impressed by the number of people who turned out for the event.

One of the features of the gathering was the performance by a taiko group. Seems like nearly every event being held by Japanese Americans these days includes taiko entertainment.

It kind of peaked my curiosity. Just when and how did taiko suddenly become so closely associated with Japanese Americans?

Heck, during our days in camp I don’t think anyone could supply an answer if the question, “What is taiko” was asked.

I guess I’m not too much of a taiko fan.

I recall last year when the sumo tournament was held at the Mandalay Hotel in Vegas, a taiko group played for about 20 minutes prior to the start of the competition.

Kind of got to me so I left the arena until they stopped banging on their drums.

One of these days if I attend an­other event where taiko is featured, I’m going to ask some of those in at­tendance what they think about taiko entertainment.

===

Got an invitation to attend a lun­cheon being held in J-Town last Mon­day. Among those on the invitation list, I was told, was fellow columnist Wimpy Hiroto.

Since I don’t get many opportuni­ties to sit down and chat with Wimp, I thought the luncheon would give me the opportunity to catch up on “what’s happening” with him these days.

Unfortunately, I was told that Wimp couldn’t make it so I bowed out, too.

I’m not too keen on driving into Little Tokyo these days. The reason is that finding street parking is almost next to impossible. I drove around the block about three times before I got lucky and found someone moving out of one parking meter.

The reason for this parking mess, I would assume is that many of the parking lots are now being converted into sites for new buildings. The one on the southwest corner of Second and San Pedro is a classic example, as is the one at Alameda and First Street.

I think the lack of parking is going to be more harmful to the future of J-Town than any other factor.

Right now, fees for the parking lots aren’t too bad but as time passes and more new structures are built, parking will become a major problem and should jack up parking fees at the existing lots.

Yeah, I guess we can all take the bus into J-Town if it becomes necessary.

However, I am sure the fee for bus­ses will also get blown up.

===

As mentioned recently, a reader canceled her subscription to the Rafu because of my column, which she said I rehashed the same old thing over and over.

Hey, on some issues she may be right. So, in putting in the following letter, I hope it’s the last mention of the origin of fortune cookies. Carolyn Takeshita wrote:

“From time to time you have men­tioned and wondered about the origin of fortune cookies. Many people have responded from their personal knowl­edge (Umeya Company), or from memory of stories they have heard.

“Now there is some information by Yasuko Nakamachi, a folklore and history graduate student at Kanagawa University. Ms. Nakamachi has done some research and even has a photo of an old wooden mold that was used to make the cookies at Sohonoke Hoyokudo in Kyoto, Japan. Her re­search shows information on the use of fortune cookies in Japan in the 1800s. She also writes about the transfer from Japanese to Chinese use. The article was printed in the Honolulu Star Bul­letin 4/23/2008, but written by Jennifer Lee of the New York Times.”

Carolyn said she made a copy of the article and will send it to me so I can inform my readers.

Thanks, Carolyn. I will appreciate it very much if you can mail it to me.

===

I guess this is one of those items which can be said is often overlooked because of the small type used in many newspapers.

However, it’s probably a historic happening about a Japanese American college football player being taken in the recent National Football League draft.

His name? Haruki Nakamura who was drafted by the Baltimore fran­chise. He’s a 5-10, 190 pound defen­sive player and kick returner.

The irony of his being picked in the draft is that he was never mentioned during the past college football season. If he is good enough to attract the at­tention of pro teams, he must have had an outstanding season in 2007.

Hopefully, we’ll hear more about him during the 2008 pro season.

===

As we turn the calendar over from April to May, I was overwhelmed at how busy my schedule is going to be.

One of the events I am looking for­ward to in the coming month, will be driving up to Lancaster for the dedica­tion of a monument to honor Japanese Americans who played a key role in the development of the Antelope Valley City. That will be on May 17.

Glad I was able to give some public­ity to the event as pointed out by reader, Asako Ota who posted my column on the project in her restaurant and many people who saw it became interested in the dedication ceremony.

Asako kiddingly added, “I won’t mention the name of the restaurant because I don’t want people to accuse you of trying to get a free lunch or something.”

Gee, is my reputation as a free­loader that widespread?

Oh yeah, Asako kind of inflated my ego when she added, “My Mom likes your column and she will be 88-years-old next month. You keep her laughing with all your jokes and your trips to Vegas.”

Maybe if I said my trips to Vegas are a joke, she will double up with laughter.

===

Well, I’m glad I’m not the only Nisei who doesn’t want to be catego­rized under the blanket term, “Asian American.” Reader Tosh Nakamura added this opinion:

“I find it somewhat amusing that when it suits their purpose, Chinese Americans are quick to masquerade/hide behind the generic banner of Asian Pacific Americans.

“I especially resent when such mas­querading might mistakenly include Japanese Americans. For that and other reasons, generally speaking, I categorically reject the blanket term, Asian American.”

Thanks, Tosh. I wish I could have expressed it as well as you did.

===

It didn’t make it as a top story in the media as did the wild shootout in Tijuana last week in which a number of persons were killed, but a Japa­nese National named Hiroshi Kato, a vice president of a fishery company, was found murdered in Mexico near Ensenada.

There was a time when I used to visit Tijuana frequently, especially to play horses at the old Caliente race track there.

However, as the atmosphere changed in the Border City, my visits became more and more infrequent.

I guess I can say I haven’t been to Tijuana for at least 25 years now.

Ironically enough, when I had visi­tors from Japan or Hawaii, I used to recommend to them that if they wanted a taste of Mexico, Tijuana was a good place to visit.

My friends and relatives from Ha­waii used to enjoy going to Tijuana, buying souvenirs from the venders who set up shop on the streets.

One thing we never did, however, was to dine at the restaurants there.

If we wanted Mexican food, we came back to Los Angeles and went to one of the many places found locally.

Don’t ask me why we never dined in Tijuana. Maybe it was the atmo­sphere.

===

It is a well-known fact that Japanese women have the longest life span of any other nationality. Their average is 85.8.

On the other hand, Japanese men averages 79.0 years.

A recent study revealed why Japa­nese women live longer than men. Two words: Smoking and drinking.

Sixty percent of Japanese men smoke as compared to only 15 percent of the women.

Japanese experts say that the differ­ence may be reduced because more and more men are quitting their smoking and drinking habits.

The other factor may be that you don’t find too many “fat” Japanese women.

Of course, that may change because it is reported more and more Japanese women are becoming interested in sumo.

Heh. Maybe one of these days we’ll see such sumo names as “Joseinoya­ma” or “Butanoonna.”

===

As a media person, I do get numer­ous invitations to events but most of the time I don’t know if I am being invited as a guest or just another “pay­ing patron.”

As an example, I received one the other day addressed: George Yoshi­naga, Columnist Rafu Shimpo.

That would seem to suggest that in exchange for publicizing the event in my column, I am being invited as a free loading guest.

However, in opening the envelope I couldn’t find any indication that the invite was a “freebee.”

On one page was a “fill-in” para­graph which read, “Yes, I would like an individual seat at $325 per seat.”

The event is the 99th Anniversary Dinner and Gala Celebration of the Pan American Society on June 25.

It’s difficult for me to respond and ask if the invite is a freebee or if I am expected to pay $325 to attend.

I don’t want to sound that cheap.

===

Yeah, I pled guilty to always talking about my advancing age.

Maybe a bumper sticker I saw on a card can explain my position more clearly. It read:

“The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age.”

===

Then there is this laugher about growing old:

A guy says, “I quietly confided to my friend that I was having an affair.”

His friend turned to him and asked, “Are you having it catered?”

That my friends, is the definition of “old.”

===

Nothing like an old newspaper to keep me pounding on the keyboard.

Yas Saito dropped off a copy of the JACL’s Pacific Citizen. The first thing which caught my eye was that Gwen Muranaka was the assistant editor of the PC.

No need to tell Rafu readers who Gwen is. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of our publication.

The date of the PC being mentioned was Sept. 1,1995.

It is the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II edition. The headline on top of Page 1: “Reflections on War.”

I looked around to see if there was an article with Gwen’s byline, but couldn’t find one.

On the other hand, I did see her cartoon on Page 2 entitled “Small Kid Time.”

Even after 13 years, it made me laugh.

Of course, there was a column by the late Bill Hosokawa, under his well-known title, “From the Frying Pan.”

By the way. I haven’t seen any recent edition of the Pacific Citizen. Is it still being published? Maybe I’ll give Harry Honda a buzz. He was the former editor of the publication.

===

Earlier in today’s column in men­tioning the parking situation in J-Town I said I could take the bus into Little Tokyo.

The fare from Gardena to L.A.? It’s 50 cents one way for senior citizens.

Well, James Yokota in his Gardena Memories which he sent to me a while back, I noted that in the late 40s, it was 15 cents. I can’t even imagine 15 cents for a bus fare.

However, thinking back to that era, I remember I used to take the “P” car, the streetcar which ran from Santa Monica to East Los Angeles from uptown (now Koreatown) to Little Tokyo for 10 cents. And if you purchased tokens, you could get three for 25 cents.

Another bit of interesting memory from James is the Japanese phrases our Issei parents used in addressing the Nisei’s conduct. Maybe some of you still remember.

There was u-ru-sai (pain in the butt); da-me (no good); mot-tai-nai (wasteful); ba-ka (stupid) and men-do-ku-sai (troublesome).

Another bit of Gardena trivia pointed by James rekindled memories for me. He wrote:

“Remember when there were two local newspapers, the Gardena Valley News and the Gardena Tribune, each published twice a week? Now there is only the Valley News and it’s published once a week.

I remember the Tribune because I wrote a column for them twice a month. Heh, heh. Maybe that’s why they folded up.

Come to think about it, I wrote a column for three other newspapers which are no longer around.

Hummmm. Is it just a coinci­dence?

The papers in questions were the Crossroads, Shin Nichi Bei and Kashu Mainichi.

===

With the price of gas driving up the cost of everything, here’s something which might interest people especially those who love ice cream.

This coming Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Baskin Robbins is selling ice cream for 31 cents a scoop. It’s a pro­motion to raise funds for America’s firefighters.

Sounds pretty good to me, although I have to stay away from ice cream if I want to maintain my “high school weight,” especially since they used to call me “fatso” when I was going to high school.

===

With politics hanging heavy in the air these days, let me conclude today with a political laugher:

President Bush, First Lady Laura and Dick Cheney were flying on Air Force One.

George looked at Laura, chuckled and said, “You know, I could throw a $1,000 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy.”

Laura shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I could throw ten $100 bills out of the window and make ten people very happy.”

Cheney added, “That being the case, I could throw 100 ten dollar bills out of the window and make a hundred people very happy.”

Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his co-pilot, “Such big shots back to here. Heck, I could throw all of their butts out of the window and make 56 million people very happy.”

_________________________________________

George Yoshinaga writes from Gardena and can be reached via e-mail at horsesmouth2000@hotmail.com. Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.