Time to Read: 6 minutes.
While sugar may be the bane of nutritionists and dentists alike, it’s the object of celebration when it comes to finishing off a Punahou malasada.
EDITOR’S NOTE: While I appreciate your reading these posts, this is one occasion where the ten minute companion podcast is a better version. Why don’t you try it out? To listen, click here and select the “Punahou74 volunteers …” episode at the top of the list.
Faced with a bowl filled to the brim with malasada dough, we were laboring.
Grab the dough. Not too much now ’cause if it’s too big it’s not gonna cook. Pinch it free. Make a puka. Slide the dough into the hot oil. Not too high ’cause that oil’ll splash! Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Much like the passengers of
the S.S. Minnow setting off with the Skipper and Gilligan, we were on a three (+) hour tour. Only this adventure was measured by the inexorable drop of the shaped dough into hot oil. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
The mind numbing repetition wouldn’t have been so bad. After all, the conversation of those with whom we were working offered a welcome distraction. (Read about one such conversation under “Punahou74 Super Volunteer below.”)
But there was another distraction. The one that was pounding–loudly–through my head.
Not to say that we are old, but you can safely say that rap music is not a top ten music choice for most of Punahou74. In fact, from discussions around the malasada bowl, it was as popular as the screech of chalk on the blackboard of our Winne Units second grade classroom. Not to say that we were sounding like old curmudgeons, but we were. Three awful hours of … this???
I just can’t believe the loveliness of loving you
(I just can’t believe it’s true)
I just can’t believe the one to love this feeling to
(I just can’t believe it’s true)
But then the music changed.
Sound from, ahem, “our time” filled the tent. We started to relax. Maybe we could make it through the shift after all. Stones. Beatles. The music that was now playing was familiar. And it was all good.
But we hadn’t seen anything yet. Soon we found ourselves going back to the best of 1969.
Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Ah honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Pulsing from the speakers was “Sugar, Sugar,” the bubblegum chart topping pop tune by the Archies.
Talk about easy on the ears! We all knew it. We’d all sung it. That great hook. That irresistible beat. No wonder it sold more than one million copies and went gold! Not something easy to do for a tune that was sung by cartoon characters and wasn’t performed on concert tours.
Doing the Malasada Sugar Sugar
In no time I was lip syncing and rocking from side to side. The malasada dough was suddenly so easy to shape. I could do this!
When I kissed you, girl, I knew how sweet a kiss could be
(I know how sweet a kiss can be)
Like the summer sunshine pour your sweetness over me
(Pour your sweetness over me)
But then it came to me. Sugar sugar. Is it a song about a girl … or a malasada? No wonder it compelled me to work. I was doing the Malasada Sugar Sugar! Time to pour a little sugar on it!
Sugar, pour a little sugar on it honey
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I’m gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
Pour a little sugar on it oh yeah
Pour a little sugar on it honey
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I’m gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
Pour a little sugar on it honey
50 Years Filling the Tent
We’ve been pouring the sugar since our first malasada shift decades ago when we entered the Academy.
Now, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of our 1973 junior carnival effort, we were celebrating our love of the Carnival and showing our dedication to Punahou School and its students.
It was the beginning of the drive to our 50th reunion, a time when there will be much to reflect on what happened, what has changed, and where we stand as Punahou alumni.
And, for just one small shining moment, we were doing the Malasada Sugar Sugar and reveling in the sweetness of the effort. And life sure was sweet.
You make my life so sweet. You are all my candy girls … and boys. (yeah yeah yeah and thank you)
Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Oh honey, honey, sugar sugar…
You are my candy girl…
There has been talk of leaving the malasada tent for another Carnival opportunity. We may never have it so sweet again. Thank you to all who came to work and showed that Punahou74 is up to the task lo these many years traveled down the road.
To see who volunteered and to see how the Malasada Sugar Sugar was celebrated check out the sweet video below.
Punahou74 Super Volunteer
One of the best things about volunteering is having time to catch up with classmates. While I was working in the tent I had the chance to chat with Cliff Halevi who told this interesting story:
After soliciting alumni volunteers, Punahou ultimately decided to limit attendance at the 2022 Carnival to students, parents, faculty and staff. This led to a lot of alumni disappointment but, what could you do?
Unfortunately, Cliff didn’t get the message.
Seems he turned up for what had been the appointed class malasada shift and, looking around, didn’t see anybody he recognized. Undeterred, others in the malasada tent invited him to stay (seems they were short handed) and he did a full shift. Talk about having the volunteer spirit!
So here’s to Cliff Halevi: A super sweet Punahou74 malasada volunteer. Way to go!
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