Nuhi/Au Family reunion 2010...

So every two years our Chinese family on my mother's side gets together for a family reunion. This year was interesting because I actually was at the sign-in table greeting family and getting to know a lot of them. We had a family pedigree chart that my tutu made so I even found out who was who and who came from what line.

Each year is different and usually there are activities to go along with the whole reunion thing but this year not to many people signed up for them so we just had the dinner part. Even though there were no activities I found I was more involved and actually enjoyed it, rather than going and thinking..."I'm never gonna see these people till the next family reunion or if I do I'm definitely not going to remember them." I helped make the food, was at the sign in table, cleaned up after the whole deal, helped prep for other things and put my self out there to talk to strangers.

This picture was taken by an old auntie who, I still don't remember her name but if I see her I can say, "Hi Auntie!"

Our family was in charge of the Lomi salmon. So we showed up the Friday before and started chopping away. And we looked good doing it too!

The men prepared the imu....

So we could eat this...

(he's not dead. Just tied up)

So a funny but not so funny story about the little pig who went to "market"...

The boys in the family had caught this pig a while ago and kept it at my uncles house until the reunion time. Well the day before the reunion we had to get the pig ready for the imu. While it's in the horse trailer the men start tying it's legs together to prevent it from running away while it's...let just say "passing". It is the worst sound you will ever hear (maybe I'll post the video one day?) . Anyway the pig has "passed" and has been laying there for about 15 min. with the body in the trailer but it's head hanging over the edge. Everyone is watching this poor thing bleed to death, talking, laughing, taking pictures and for some..tasting the blood which they drained into a bowl (totally disgusting but a good picture/story for my cousins to share with friends in the mainland..I guess). Well a distant cousin of mine...from the mainland... decides he wants to take a picture with this dead pig and proceeds to lie down under the head pretending to taste the dripping blood. I guess the pig didn't like that so up he got and shot out of the trailer running as fast lightning as far as the rope would let him go! Needless to say everyone went running wild, children were left behind to save ourselves and guys were laughing! I guess we ladies forgot he was tied up. Super scary moment but now I can laugh about it.

I had Dezi in my arms when it happened and nearly dropped him. Can you imagine an animal that you thought was dead, throat slit, blood drained and he gets up and runs!

After all that was said and done, from the days before to the late night clean up, then drive an hour home, it was worth it for all the memories we made!