365 Inspirations—319: From the Top of Mauna Kea to the Depths of the Ocean at Kihena Beach

Full moon on top of Mauna Kea

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

— Rachel Carson

There's a full moon above me. Out here in the middle of the ocean, this moon glows like nothing I've ever seen. We were supposed to go to a night concert out at a sanctuary tonight, but we got lost on the winding roads. The moon was glistening over the ocean casting crystals everywhere. I had to pull over so we could stand up on a cliff and feel the roar of the waves smashing against the rocks. I can hear that roar from the room where I type this.

I swam in that ocean today at Kihena Beach, otherwise known as Black Sand Beach.

 The beach is black from volcanic rocks. The power of the ocean nearby can be felt even at a distance, but close up it shakes you. The undertow is strong. I braved it twice on this trip. I got hit by one big wave and then swam out as soon as the wave receded. I floated around out beyond where the waves were cresting and breaking. I was safe out there, the problem was coming back in. I had to swim fast as soon as there was a lull in the ginormous waves that were crashing the shore. I found my opportunity and took it. A wave was coming in just as I was running up the beach.

My husband was hit by a wave and lost his glasses. He struggled up out of the wave and made it to the beach and realized they were gone. He came over to me on the black sand and said,

"That wave took my glasses. I can't see."

Later a woman at lunch said she was happy that the wave only took Yoon's glasses. Apparently the waves out at this beach have claimed a number of lives. I swam out there with dolphins in March while we were on yoga retreat here, but the waves seemed quite tame at that time.

Yoon is now wearing my red retro glasses. Luckily we have a very similar prescription and I wear my contacts most of the time. People have noticed that he looks different and then he has to tell the story of what happened.

Not only is the ocean powerful here, but so are the mountains and the volcano, which is still very active. Lava is still spewing out and over the ocean cliffs here.

Yesterday, we decided to drive almost to the top of Mauna Kea, the highest peak in all of the Hawaiian Islands. There was a point when we had to stop because it required four-wheel drive. Instead of driving up to the tip top, we hiked up a small mountain which gave us a 360 view of the sunset, the full moon rise and the clouds below us. We were above the cloud line and could here a clap of thunder in the clouds below us. It was raining and storming down at sea level, but we were up above the clouds at  13,000 plus feet.

Here are some pictures from that day:

Do you prefer the mountains or the ocean? Have you been to both in one day?

365 Inspirations—277: Gravity, The Movie

"Looking outward to the blackness of space, sprinkled with the glory of a universe of lights, I saw majesty—but no welcome." —Loren Acton 

The Seattle Times gave Gravity 4 stars and even put it on the front page of the paper today. The review said to see it on the biggest screen possible and preferably in 3-D. They called it a 'beautiful, deeply moving' movie.

My husband and I love to go to the movies, so that was our plan after his yoga class. We headed to our favorite movie theater that happens to have our favorite sushi restaurant in the same complex. After cooking at home for a week straight, I was ready for a meal out and a movie.

The sushi restaurant, Tengu Sushi at Thorton Place near Northgate Mall, gives discounted movie tickets if you eat in their restaurant. Eating there saved us almost $5 on our 3-D tickets. My husband also has a Regal Cinema card and often gets free tickets and popcorn for points he's acquired.

Not many people at the theater on a beautiful sunny day in Seattle at 12:40pm on a Friday and that was just fine by us. We planned to go for a three-mile walk around Greenlake after the movie anyway. We also knew that the theater would be packed on a Friday or Saturday evening and we wanted to avoid the crowds.

So now for my review:

The entire movie takes place in space where three astronaunts are working on a space shuttle. It's business as usual up in space and they even joke around with Mission Control in Houston. They listen to country music, do space walks, crack jokes, until they are informed that they are about to be hit with debris that is coming straight for them.

Unprepared, one of men dies on the spot. Ed Harris, played by George Clooney, tries to tether himself to Dr. Ryan Stone, played by Sandra Bullock, but is unsuccessful the first time.

Ryan spins and twirls in desperation as she realizes she is untethered and floating in space with a limited supply of oxygen. In 3-D and with the interesting use of speakers and sound, we feel we are Dr. Ryan and we are also floating in space and feeling her every emotion and mood.

We later learn that there's a deeper reason why she is out there in space. A very sad event in her life is revealed and she struggles with it as she is faced with losing her life.

This is not a loud action film. This is a very silent, quiet, beautiful film and it is really about the main character, Dr. Ryan who is struggling with staying alive and with loneliness out in space. We can feel it and we sense what it must be like to be stripped of everything life-giving—where we are to face only ourselves and our impending mortality.

I didn't find this movie depressing or somber, I found it awe-inspiring. Ryan teeters at the edge of life and death and that edge out in space is so beautiful. It is the space between heaven and earth or this world and another.

I won't tell you how the movie ends...but I enjoyed this movie and the fact that I very much felt like I was there living every moment the characters on the screen were living. This is definitely a new way of seeing things on screen and the director and screenplay writer, Alfonso Cuaron, did a wonderful job.

I give this movie four stars and recommend it!

Have you seen any good movies lately?