Lucky Number Leads To Real Angels
Dear Pamela,
Because of my oral cancer, I was forced to retire and move into senior housing. When I saw that apartment 1004 was available, I told my Realtor to make an offer, even without me seeing it. No. 10004 in Korean translates to Angel, and my life has been blessed with many angels ever since. My family and friends, Hawaii Kai church and my Korean church help me with meals, moral support and love. My tea group friends have been angels for the last 20 years. They cry with me, laugh with me and watch over me.
I must recognize the Queen’s Radiation Department team, which has been so helpful. They are angels in white coats.
My neighbors and apartment building manager also are ready to help me with anything, anytime of the day. I thank you all sincerely. I just want to bless the new owner and say how happy I am here being able to watch the sunset from my lanai. I want them to have many angels around their lives, too.
Sarah Kim
Waikiki
Dear Sarah,
As a fellow recipient of the services and care of the Queen’s Radiation Department, I join you in your APPLAUSE. Your friends at Hawaii Kai Church on Lunalilo Home Road want you to know they’ll always be there for you. “Our church is a loving church,” says elder chairman Arnold Goto. “We strive to reach out to people in need. Our congregation has embraced Sarah Kim.”
Dear Pamela, I enjoy reading your column, but little did I imagine I’d be writing to you. Recently, when I was taking my grandsons to school, my car suddenly stalled in the middle of the morning school traffic. As I was getting my bearings, my neighbor, Shannon McMurray, saw us and she kindly offered to take my older grandson to school, nearly a mile away (by then, if he had walked to school, he would have been tardy). My other grandson walked about a block to his school.
Several other wonderful people stopped to offer help: Andrew Aoki, two police officers from the Kailua Station who directed traffic and pushed my car to the side, and Janice Gomes, who stayed with me for almost an hour until AAA came. Janice wanted to make sure I had a way home after my car was towed. A mere “thank you” to all these wonderful people doesn’t convey adequately my gratitude. Bless them all.
Betty Ikehara
Kailua
Dear Betty,
Shannon McMurray says the neighbors in your cul de sac take care of each other. “I don’t usually take my kids to school, but on this day my husband went in early. Betty doesn’t usually take her grandkids to school, but on this day she had to, so it’s fate that we were on that street at the same time. I knocked on her window and asked if she needed help. She was on her phone talking to AAA and her son-inlaw. Since her grandson knows me, I said, ‘Come, Auntie, will take you to school.’ We neighbors watch out for each other.”
Aloha Pamela, My wife and I are here vacationing from Edmonton, Canada. We are in our 60s and decided to do something daring. So we went to Suite Dreams Tattoo Shop in Waikiki to get tattoos. We are so impressed with owner Neil. To begin with, he was extremely polite and courteous, and after we had agreed on our design he started asking us about what we knew of the island. Before long, he had given us multi tips on places to see, good restaurants, as well as several history lessons. We agreed to return two days later to have the tattoos done.
Upon arriving, he had purchased some Hawaiian pastries and gave us some to eat, and sent us home with the rest of the box. After our tattoos were finished, he then gave us maps he had printed off of his computer for places he had told us about. I offered to give him some money for all his help and info sharing, but he flatly refused to take anything. We have gone to many of the places he recommended and have had a wonderful time.
We believe he is an excellent ambassador for Honolulu and deserves to be recognized. It isn’t very often that you meet young people like Neil and his staff who are so proud of their city/island that they want to share it with everyone.
Phil and Gail Barnott
Edmonton, Alberta
Dear Phil and Gail,
Neil Porras of Suite Dreams Tattoo Shop remembers “that friendly couple from Canada who got Polynesian tattoos. I got them to try malasadas from Leonard’s,” he says. “That’s how we are with everybody who comes through here.”
