Greetings from the Clubhouse

I wake every morning with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy. I am so deeply honored to be entrusted with this opportunity as your clubhouse resident caretaker.

I spent my elementary school years here on O`ahu, in the 1960s-70s, before our family moved away to Buffalo, New York (brrrr!), where my father was a professor of Physiology at University of Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). On Turtle Island, I’ve lived in New York, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and most recently, Detroit, Michigan. I came back to Hawai`i in 2021, so I could be closer to my son, daughter-in-law, and their children in Ewa Beach, and also to be closer to my daughter and son-in-law in Kea`au, Hawai`i island.

Above photo: Peggy with granddaughter, Coco Malie

Since my return to my childhood home, I’ve been striving to reintegrate to this special place. I’ve been educating myself on Hawaiian history, cultural wisdom, and spirituality that I never really learned as a child. Hiking is one of the activities I love, because it viscerally reconnects me to the `aina. With every footfall, I communicate with the life around me, receiving grace, and valuable information, if I am paying attention.

Here at the clubhouse, I am learning the plant and animal life, as well as cycles of the moon and stars. I call the house “Anole Mansion,” in honor of the lizards that call the building home! Here in rural Waimanalo, it’s impossible to totally separate human and more-than-human life. Sure, I have to clean up after the brown and speckled anole and occasional green gecko, but they also help me by keeping the insect population down.

I’m getting to know the plants and trees, when, where, and how much to water. I’m harvesting rainwater from the barrel, and integrating the plants I brought over. I look forward to more gardening, food growing, composting, and eating from the land.

In my first days, I reached a deal with the ants, by warding them off with a vinegar and water spray. They have every right to live outside, but I’ve been firm with them about not settling indoors. I talk to the rooster and the mynah and pigeons. I’m trying to talk the rooster into waiting at least until 5am to start crowing, and encouraging the pigeons to find other places to roost besides our roof eaves.

On mornings when I don’t have to rush off to teach a class at Iyengar Yoga Silent Dance Center in Ka’imuki, or accompany my 2 year-old grandson to `ohana preschool, I walk to the beach to watch the sunrise. I oli and pule, incorporating both Hawaiian and Korean traditions. In the early morning, the moon is often visible, and I’m learning mahina teachings and culture. I’m familiarizing myself with the neighborhood and other sunrise rituals. We nod our good mornings, and sometimes pause to chat.

I’m enjoying getting to know some of you who drop by the house. This is an opportunity to connect beyond the large group settings and events of HTMC. Please take advantage of this wonderful setting, enjoy the beach, and our showers. Feel free to use the kitchen.

I know this is going to be a transformative year for me at LPMC. I’m extremely disturbed by the violence in the world, especially in Gaza, but also in Syria, Congo, Sudan, Ukraine, as well as the assaults on our rights and basic needs in the USA. I take every opportunity to speak out against injustice, and I hope you do too. At the same time, I receive deep nourishment and protection from the `aina. My soul is replenished every day by the mountains, oceans, winds, rains, and more. Every day I receive an enormous dose of awe.

I look forward to communicating with the HTMC community regularly and will write again soon.

With much aloha,

Peggy Gwi-Seok Hong

(A note on my name: Many of my friends know me as Gwi-Seok, which rhymes with “Lisa.” However, since moving back to Hawai`i and meeting so many new folks, it’s been easier for many to remember “Peggy.” I will answer to either, no offense taken.)