"Where I live, there are rainbows..."

"Where I live, there are rainbows..."
By B. Wong

I am an 80 year old grandmother of a dozen precious grandchildren ranging in ages from 4 days old to 27 years reflecting a rainbow of ethnic backgrounds – Chinese, Hawaiian, Spanish, English, German, Korean, Norwegian, Italian, and French. I was born in Paradise – in Honolulu on the island of O’ahu when Hawai’i was still a territory of the United States of America.

As a child, I lived on the beach at Paiko Drive, gathering seashells and catching tiny fishes. Every summer was spent on a ranch in Upcountry Maui. My spirit was able to expand by the sea, the sky and the wide-open spaces. There was time for dreaming and watching clouds by day and counting stars at night. I was introduced to the best of Portuguese culinary arts by Godmother Santos who bakes the most delicious bread in her outdoor brick oven. I was also introduced to Japanese cuisine by the Goyas, a family I lived with.

I was fortunate to have inherited the rich traditions of the Chinese, the Hawaiian and the Spanish from my forebears whose adventuresome spirits impelled them to come to our islands by sailing vessels from China and Spain. The Chinese brought their shrine of Buddha and the Spanish, the cross of Jesus Christ.

From the Chinese, I inherited their work ethic, their industriousness, love of study, deference to elders, a reserve, and an appreciation of the creative delicacies of the Chinese cuisine. My father, respected physician, worked 7 days a week for 26 years without ever taking a vacation.

From the Hawaiian, I inherited a love for the aina, for the ohana, family & children (my maternal grandmother cherished each of her 15 children), for the music and dance, for the unhurried way – time to listen, time to laugh, time to talk story, time to relax, time to enjoy simple things in life – ho’omanawanui (after my maternal Chinese grandfather died, my maternal grandmother reverted to her Hawaiian culture – language, dress and food – back to fish & poi).

From the Spanish I inherited a passion for God, a deep and abiding faith and love from His Church. Forever etched in my mind is my favorite painting of Jesus – El Prendimiento by the premier Spanish painter, Goya, which may be seen in the El Greco museum in Toledo, Spain.

From the American, I inherited my educational and spiritual formation. The Maryknoll sisters and priests from the East Coast – mostly Irish, nurtured my soul and brought me into a deeper relationship with God. As a child of 7, I was taught to sing ‘Jesus, Jesus, come to me, all my longing if for Thee’ – a simple hymn that would precipitate a momentous personal encounter 36 years later.

The Ursuline Sisters in Westchester, New York (an order founded by an Italian) completed my Higher Education in Fine Arts and led me into a deeper contemplative life.

An incomparable year at the Sorbonne in Paris, la plus belle ville du monde – an introduction to La Vie en Rose, a taste of the finest in French culture and the culinary arts, as well as the extensive subsequent travels around the world (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Egypt, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, the Samoas, Fiji, Tahiti, BoraBora, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Guatemala, Canada, and the Virgin Islands) enlarged my horizons and deepened my appreciation of all cultures. I was enriched by the best of every culture & since I was very adaptable by nature, it was easy to heed my mothers very wise counsel – “When in Rome, do as the Romans”.

So many people have touched my life and I have been shaped by their love – a love to transcends all cultural barriers – love, beauty and truth are universal, I am eternally grateful from the memories which continue to sustain and nourish me.

Now I have come full circle and am content to live a quiet and peace filled life bless by the sounds of silence in my garden by the Bay in Hawai’i Nui – for I live, there will always be rainbows. Grace a Dieu.






Beautiful vignettes from Mrs. Wong...I am so lucky to reap the benefit of my grandparents doing a favor for a couple of 18 year old girls over 30 years ago. So I share her vingettes that she wrote to help me with a project in college for my mulitcultural education class. I have learned more from her than I ever will in any class.