Moon Cakes and Tea Time

“The trade winds should be coming this weekend.” It seemed like everyone was buzzing with the news Friday before last. But what does that even mean exactly? Shrug.

For the three weeks prior I’d had my AC on nonstop. In Florida and Texas, we ALWAYS had the AC on, so I was surprised it hadn’t seemed necessary here until that late in the summer.

A quick cloudburst Saturday morning was followed by rushing gusts of wind, dry air, and air that smells different. The thick, humid smell of the nearby marsh was replaced with sea air fresh from the ends of the wide Pacific.

This, then, is fall in the tropics. I immediately made my way to Minamoto Kitchoan at the Ala Moana Center and bought Japanese moon cakes (courtesy of my mom! Thanks for the birthday present adventure!) to have with matcha, or grape-scented black tea from Lupicia. The box came with four: fruit and nut (with grape tea), Earl Grey (with Earl Grey tea), sesame (with iced Lupicia Lanikai tea—feature coming soon). I have one moon cake left.

I opened all the windows and let the sweet air swirl around my house while brewing tea as my kiddos asked, “Mommy, what are you doing? What is that? Can I have some? Can I have some candy pumpkins?”

I don’t need it to be cold to be fall. I appreciate the season’s subtleties: the most tranquil afternoon sunlight, dryer air, windier days, the return of the golden plovers from their summer breeding season in Alaska, the differences in the vegetation.

Would fall decor ever see daylight here? Well yes. Instead of relying heavily on maple leaves, my classic favorite, I’m instead noticing the oranges in the neighborhood plants. Adding a few orange touches to my mostly blue decor brings a sunny fall feeling inside without trying to make the tropics something they aren’t. Scarlet maple leaves—OUT. Bright pumpkins—IN. Red Hawaiian ti plants in aqua and sky blue pots next to a stack of yellow and faded orange books guards the front entry to keep spooky fall ghosts out!

Of course, it’s still warm enough to go to the beach. But the winds have changed!