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The Drifter Journals

Exploring My Dad's Naturally Grown Flowers & Produce in Kalamaula - Molokai, Hawaii

7/22/2013

26 Comments

 
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My Dad Watering His Backyard "Jungle"
My dad has always had a way with plants. We grew up on acres and acres of land surrounded by trees, shrubs, vegetables, fruit and flowering bushes all planted and cultivated by my father's hand. If anyone has a green thumb, it's him. 
I, on the other hand, never inherited that part of my paternal genes. In all my attempts at trying to raise plants on my own, it always ends up badly. If anyone has a brown thumb, it's me. 

It's because of this that I consistently find myself in awe at my dad's unbelievable ability to take a plot of nondescript land and turn it into a "rainforest". 
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Mix of Fruits & Vegetables Grown by My Dad
A few years ago, my parents left behind the beachfront property that I had grown up on at the eastern end of Molokai, and moved west into town to live on my grandmother's Hawaiian homestead in Kalamaula. 

Kalamaula is known to be a dry and dusty place, the heatbowl of Molokai, where the hot Hawaiian sun bakes the land relentlessly throughout the day. But in just a short amount of time, my dad has managed to take that dustplot of dark soil and dry earth and transform it into his own personal jungle. 

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The following is Part ONE of a photo tour of some of my dad's freshly grown flowers and produce. As you read, you will see that there are stories behind each of his plants. 

Although, in the words of my mom, dad seems to haphazardly toss seeds to the wind and let them grow wild, there is actually a distinct reason for every single plant that he chooses to cultivate.

How Many Different Colors of Hibiscus Flowers Are There?

The hibiscus flower is an iconic symbol of Hawaiian beauty. My grandma always had bushes of these flowers budding in her front yard, ready to be picked and worn behind her ear whenever she felt like it. 

To this day, my dad continues to grow and care for these flowers. He grows several different color varieties, such as red, yellow and pink. There are other colors as well, like white, lavender and black. 

Okay, kidding about the black, but wouldn't that be cool?

Memories of Playing Under Grandma's Mountain Apple Tree

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The mountain apple, also known as the wax apple in parts of Asia, is an indelible part of my childhood memories. Playing under the mountain apple tree at my grandma's house as a child with my cousins and siblings, and waiting patiently to bite into it's sweet, juicy fruit after it ripens is something I still remember today.

Normally, the ripened fruits are bright red and shiny, but the picture above shows them as mountain apple babies which are small, green and inedibly sour if eaten too early. 

Romance and Tragedy: The Mysterious Purple-Flowered Vine

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The story behind this one cracked me up. My mom's favorite color is purple, and on a recent trip to my maternal grandfather's childhood home of Halawa Valley, a remote piece of land to the eastern part of Molokai, my mom noticed this beautiful purple flower growing there.

She asked dad to take shoots of this wild flowering vine and transplant it onto their homestead in town as a reminder of my mom's family memories. 

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Being the quiet romantic that my father is, he brought home samples of this little violet flower to lovingly grow for my mom. 

Little did they realize, however, that this vine was in fact a weed, and that it would quickly take over a huge section of their front yard! 

Now my mom looks down at the purple hued buds with a mixture of nostalgia, romanticism, regret and humor.

The Spiced Up Story Behind Hawaiian Chili Peppers

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Hawaiian chili peppers may look tiny and nondescript, but these little pellet sized babies are deceptively pungent and pack a punch! 

Typically, the fruit are yellowish-green and turn bright red as they ripen. The most common way they are used is to make 'chilipepper water', a regular household condiment in Hawaii usually mixed with shoyu and vinegar.

An alternative and equally as popular use for these peppers, at least when I was a child, is as punishment for little kids who mouthed off, misbehaved or otherwise got out of line. 

Those children with an exceptionally stubborn penchant for cuss-words needed to be extra careful whenever they were around a blooming bush of these bright-red peppers.

Why I Hate Eating Papayas Down To This Day

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Chalk it up to bad childhood memories, but until now the very thought of having to eat a soft, ripened papaya makes me sick. No really. It does.

You see, my dad always had rows and rows of these trees sprouting all over the property. It seemed that with every one papaya I ate as a child, 50 more of their seeds were dried, planted and cultivated to fruition.

Because of this overabundance of freshly homegrown fruit, we were forced to eat one papaya and one banana every day of my childhood life. We weren't allowed to play until we had scraped every bit of rind clean. Seriously. I mean, it was down to the nubbin on the papaya fruit that had to be scraped out and devoured, without exception.

Therefore, overly ripe papayas and I are not on good terms today. 

Green papayas, on the other hand, are perfect for making chicken papaya soup. Just pick it unripened, peel, slice and cut it into fat chunks, then boil in a pot with a freshly butchered chicken, and you have the perfect remedy to a cold or sore throat! 

Check these out to learn more on natural gardening:

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Although my parents have already left behind the land that I was raised on in the countryside and moved closer to town, stepping into the backyard of my dad's hand-cultivated 'jungle' on their new piece of land took me straight back to those childhood days. 

My dad doesn't really say much in words, but every plant he has handpicked and chosen to transplant and grow on his new plot of land reminds me that there are pages of stories in his mind, and each flower that blooms and vegetable or fruit that ripens is his way of sharing with everyone else those stories.

These are just five of my dad's many different varieties of flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees. Please stay tuned for more stories of what grows in my dad's personal jungleland of Kalamaula, Molokai, Hawaii!
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26 Comments
James link
8/1/2013 03:11:15 am

Nice, nostalgic post! But I say leave the homestead and move back to the beach!

Reply
JR Riel link
8/1/2013 08:58:05 am

I said that at first, too! But it's better for them in town. Closer to the friends and work. My dad seems to be really happy now with taking on his own schedule for work and allows him to keep that down to a minimum few days a week, compared to 24/7 out East. I miss the old house, though, for sure.

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Kalei
8/1/2013 02:27:58 pm

I see the Ziploc of poi also made it the picture with the fruits. =P

Dana Carmel @ Time Travel Plans link
8/1/2013 08:14:06 am

Is that a picture of your dad watering his jungle?! How cool! I also really hate papayas. It just has a taste that I've never quite grown to like. By the way, I revived Wanderlust Wednesdays on my blog, so please feel free to link up every Wednesday.

Reply
JR Riel link
8/1/2013 08:59:58 am

Yes, Dana, that's him. Isn't he a keeper? I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't stand papayas. Whenever people hear that they look at me with a sense of disgust and confusion. Good to hear about about Wanderlust Wednesday! I'll be sure to stop by.

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Noel link
8/1/2013 09:07:52 am

The chicken papaya soup, I guess, is called "tinola" in Filipino dish. I don't remember if I even tried to plant any yet, but in our family, my mother has the magic wand when growing plants.

Reply
JR Riel link
8/1/2013 03:26:52 pm

Oh, really? I didn't know that, I hadn't heard that name before. That's very interesting. In Hawaii, I've only heard it referred to as 'sabao' which I believe just means 'soup' in Filipino, right? Which Filipino dialect do you speak?

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noel link
8/1/2013 09:45:11 am

great stories, yeah you have to be careful about what you plant here in Hawaii, it can spread really fast especially flowers that are really vines! Papayas for me are wonder fruit, Christopher Columbus called then the 'fruit of the Angels' because they were known to cure many issues and have post health benefits, fortunately, I love them, but ask me about onions :)

Reply
JR Riel link
8/1/2013 03:29:28 pm

You're so right! And usually my dad knows that stuff, but I think he let sentimentality get in the way and planted it for my mom without really considering it. I'm glad you love papayas, more for you I guess. They literally grew all over the place where I grew up, like a weed. I'll take your onions though, no problem!

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Kalei
8/1/2013 02:26:47 pm

Ahhh... so many changes, I really need to get back there for a visit. I don't share your aversion to Papaya though, I LOVE IT!

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JR Riel link
8/1/2013 03:30:18 pm

Yup yup! The poi is from Uncle Miller, he grew the taro in his lo'i and pounded it himself. Was soooo ono!

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TammyOnTheMove link
8/1/2013 05:56:21 pm

Your dad's garden looks amazing. Does he rent out rooms for people in need of a holiday? ;-)

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JR Riel link
8/1/2013 08:06:03 pm

Haha, maybe if there weren't so many plants taking over the property! But I agree, it's a beautiful place he's turned it into.

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@
8/1/2013 07:39:09 pm

what a beautiful garden (^_^)

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JR Riel link
8/1/2013 08:07:34 pm

I know! He really does have that green thumb thing going on, makes me jealous sometimes. I wish every plant I touch wouldn't die on me, but that's pretty much what happens.

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Estefanía García
8/19/2013 07:15:11 am

Papayas!! yuck! also I cant stand guavas.
Such a cool picture of your dad. much of hawaii's vegetation reminds me of home. maybe cuz of the weather. I've never heard about the mountain apples before tho. I ate some funny fruit in nicaragua people called them water apples. I should research more about it.

Reply
JR Riel link
9/16/2013 02:23:12 pm

Oh, but I love GUAVAS! In fact he had some growing as well, just hadn't ripened yet.

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Estefanía García
8/19/2013 07:18:06 am

Found it! its scientific name is Syzygium malaccense...is this the same as the ones you were talking about?

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JR Riel link
9/16/2013 02:24:21 pm

Yes, that's exactly it! Funny how the same fruit can be found around the world under the guise of different names. It's one of my favorite fruits from childhood memories and I still love eating it today.

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Sand In My Suitcase link
8/29/2013 05:23:46 am

Lovely ode to your father's ability to make the land blossom! Molokai is a very interesting island - we visited it just for 2 days on a Hawaiian Un-Cruise Adventures trip. Hiking to a waterfall in Molokai's lush Halawa Valley was a great experience.

Reply
JR Riel link
9/16/2013 02:26:01 pm

Thanks a lot, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. Funny you mentioned Halawa as that is where my maternal grandfather and his family is from. Their family goes back there for generations! I bet you enjoyed it. Halawa has some of my favorite childhood memories.

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Molokai Mom
9/8/2013 02:42:06 pm

Yes, you're right JR; each plant has a special meaning. For example, the Mountain Apple actually came from Halawa Valley as a Keiki (baby) and grew into this beautiful tree! It gives us fragrant fruits twice a year; in the summer and sometime in October. They are so Yummy! The neighborhood kids love eating it, too.....

Whenever I see it I often think of the many summers when my sisters and I went down to Halawa with our grandpa, grandma and other family members. So much fun!

One of our aunties would always bring her famous baked char siu chicken and delicious carrot cake. So ono! The taro patch, stream, ocean and path to the falls was our playground. I can still see and smell (in my minds eye) my tutu frying up fresh oopu and lena lena pancakes. Mmmmmm Good!

Walking the valley with my tutu and visiting family and friends who lived there was one of the highlights of our summer trips. I can still hear her calling out, "Hui!" as she approached their homes, and they saying in return, "E Komo Mai". As they spoke Hawaiian to one another it sounded so beautiful. The words flowed so gently from their mouths, like music to my ears.

Now they are all gone, but the memories are still etched in my heart and memory.

Hey! talking about the hibiscus......you missed the beautiful pink one. It bloomed not to long after you left. Maybe next time you'll get to see it.

Side Note: The yellow hibiscus with the red center actually came from Kilohana School. The school you attended when you were little. And the yellow hibisicus with the pale pink center actually came from Lanai. It came from the yard of my bridemaid who is still a very good friend of ours.

Enjoy reading your blog. Hana Hou!

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JR Riel link
9/16/2013 02:27:00 pm

Hi, Mom, thanks for the comment. I loved it so much I turned it into it's own post! Congrats, Mom, you are now a blogger. Haha!

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Kimmy @ AfterGlobe link
9/12/2013 01:40:50 am

Love all of the stories that go along with the flowers, plants, and fruits. And the pictures! Does this mean you got a better camera?

Mmm, chilipepper water. I make that and love it! Have to bring chilies home from Hawaii to do it.

Your hatred for papayas, sounds like mine for bananas. If ppl even mention them, it makes me sick. If I smell bananas it makes me gag. I won't even let Drew bring them into the house. My mom gave me too many of them as a child. Eventually I started hiding them under the rug so I wouldn't have to eat them.

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JR Riel link
9/16/2013 02:28:42 pm

Actually my brother let me use his camera in Hawaii. It's a nice one!

Funny you mention your hatred for bananas as I hate them equally as much as papayas. The two of them went hand in hand during my force feeding sessions at the breakfast table, so yes, I know what you mean. Blech!

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Lori link
11/8/2013 01:13:28 am

I feel like my Dad could make anything grow too! I have a brown thumb, because I grew up thinking you can just plant anything and it will grow--that's what my Dad seemed to do.

I can't tell you how many plants I've killed here on the mainland. I can't even grow good tomatoes, and I live in tomato country!

We always had tons of mango, anthuriums, torch ginger, bittermelon, and those squash that grow really big and long--like 2-3 ft. long.

Wow, sounds like a lot of papaya and banana you had to eat! Did you ever get to eat papaya cake, banana bread or banana pancakes instead, lol?

Reply



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    I'm JR. I come from a long line of adventurers, some were nomadic explorers of the sea and others wandering cultivators of the earth. Ultimately, this legacy of drifters has deeply affected my view of travel. Read more... 

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