Happy New Year! 2010!

Lara Karamatsu, Richard Karamatsu, Laraine Karamatsu, and Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu on the early morning of New Year's Day 2010 in Kapahulu.

I spent New Year’s Eve with my family and relatives in Kapahulu from 7:30 P.M. to 1:30 A.M. on December 31, 2009.

On New Year’s Day, January 1, 2010, my parents, sister Lara and I attended the Jodo Shu New Year’s service at 10:00 A.M.  We prayed to my Karamatsu grandparents and ancestors.  We bought omomori for ourselves, cars, homes, and office.  Then we went to Diamond Head Memorial and prayed to my Sakai grandparents and ancestors.  About 12:30 P.M., we went to Izuma Taishyakyo to be blessed by the reverends along with thousands of other people.  We bought more omomori there as well.  We had dim sum for lunch at the Chinese Cultural Center.

Tonight I will spend more time with my parents and sister Lara at my parents’ house in Pearl City.

I have a slight cold, the first in several years.  I have never been sick more than one day since the Spring of 2002.  I hope my health stays strong like this for 2010 and beyond.