Happy Aloha Friday, peeps!
Got back yesterday morning after a bumpy eight hour flight from Fukuoka. There was even some excitement when 3 very drunk Japanese gentlemen had to be escorted off the plane right after we pulled away from the jetway in Fukuoka. I guess they were pretty trashed and were causing some problems for the flight attendants so the captain decided to kick ’em off! They were quietly escorted off by security personnel, looking very depressed and embarrassed … what a way to start a vacation, huh?
I want to thank Blaine, Ross, and the Hawaiian Airlines staff for inviting MDNA to perform at their inaugural flight festivities in Fukuoka. After some initial confusion, everything went pretty smoothly and it was encouraging to hear that the first flights to Hawai’i were already full! Fukuoka is a great city and the food is to die for! My last day there was spent shopping and eating (so what else is new?!) … walked over to the Tenjin area to pick up some boxes of Fukuoka’s popular omiyage, Hakata Torimon, a delicate buttery manju (little cakes filled with sweet bean paste) that my office staff really likes. Mark and I then headed over to MOS Burger for a couple of their signature hamburgers and shrimp sandwiches before returning to our hotel to finish packing and check out.
It feels like we’ve been gone for a week … which kinda makes sense because we were in Hilo since last Thursday then immediately left for Japan right after we got back. So now I’m home and trying to get back into my normal routine before the jet lag monster can attack. MDNA performs tonight at Lulu’s and then is off for the weekend, so I’ll be joining my Thursday gang out on the North Shore for a two-day golf outing. A couple of the guys have beach houses out there so we’re planning on staying over Saturday night so no one has to drive back and forth into town. Next week is gonna be another busy one for us … especially with my mom turning 90 next Tuesday! We’re throwing a party for her at her Arcadia residence so the boys & I will be there to perform. The rest of the week will be pretty hectic too, with gigs all the way through Sunday …
And finally, we’ll be heading back to Japan at the end of May to participate in the Hiroshima & Hawai’i sister-state celebration. After that’s finished, we’ll be heading to Yokohama to do a live show at our favorite venue, THUMBS UP, on Saturday, 6/2. This will be our only live show for this trip so please be sure to get your tickets as soon as you can! And for the first time, plans are being made for a special “meet & greet” event the next day, Sunday, 6/3, where we can interact and talk with our fans. We’re also planning to have some special surprises for everyone who attends, so be sure to stay tuned for more details! I’ll be posting them on my blog as they become available …
Aloha, “D”