THE LEFT LANE
Yao's got Tao — or is it a stretch?
Advertiser Staff
Here's an odd marriage: "The Tao of Yao," a new book about basketball's biggest man, Yao Ming, attempts to make a connection between ancient Chinese wisdom and the 7-foot-5 Houston Rockets center.
Oliver Chin, a San Francisco writer, trend tracker and lifelong basketball fan, marries quotes from philosopher Lao Tzu with the story of Yao's life. He attributes Yao's simplistic speaking style to its roots in Tao philosophy — but it seems equally likely that Yao speaks simply in English because it's not his native language, or because his words are being rendered by the interpreter who is constantly at his side.
Unlike Yao's jump shot, Chin's idea never quite gets off the ground.
Still, the biography is meticulously researched and will interest the phenom's thousands of fans.
Oh, honey! Mac nuts with new coating
Thought you liked your mac nuts plain, until the chocolate, the garlic, the crispies ... and oh, don't forget the toffee ... came along?
Hawaiian Host is introducing honey-coated chocolate macadamia nuts this season.
The candies, coated in pure honey from the Big Island before being dipped in chocolate, were sampled at the Honolulu Marathon Expo recently and are available at Longs, Daiei, Hilo Hattie, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Marukai stores.
'Musubi and Friends' open this month only
A hui of Island artisans has opened a seasonal store as an experiment during December.
Called "Musubi and Friends," it's a little Christmas store tucked away in the oldest building in Mo'ili'ili, 2636 S. King St., on the mauka side, just diamondhead of University Avenue.
The hui consists of Cane Haul Road (Grant Kagimoto), Tutuvi (Colleen Kimura) and Bamboo Ridge Press. Offerings include T-shirts, dresses, sarongs, cards, cookbooks and towels.
As an added benefit, all Bamboo Ridge Press books are 25 percent off.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Information: 398-5392.
