SATURDAY SCOOPS
Take respite in a cup of tea

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Tea at 1024 owner Michele Henry pours tea for her daughter Steffine at Henry's downtown Honolulu tearoom. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

It means breaking away — even for just a few moments — from her role as a healthcare compliance manager and mother of two active preteens. It's a chance to treat herself among girlfriends, said Makishima, 45, of Kane'ohe.

"I'm not one to get my nails done or spend a lot of time doing a lot of personal things to take care of myself, but when you go to tea, there's something about feeling pampered," Makishima said. "You sit there, you feel relaxed and it's just a very lady-like, relaxing, charming atmosphere."

A tearoom also is the perfect place to slow down after the insanity of a typical workweek, said Nikki Yasutake, owner of Winterbourne Tea Rooms in Honolulu.

"Everybody's always in a hurry," Yasutake said. "But you just cannot hurry tea."

Tearooms such as Winterbourne and Tea at 1024 — both open on Saturdays — can offer that relaxing escape. Afternoon tea service can range from about $13 to $23. While tearooms of yore may have required a certain amount of tea-time protocol, the etiquette today is much more relaxed, said Michele Henry, owner of Tea at 1024, in downtown Honolulu.

Henry offers some basic tips — for novice tea drinkers, men, women and children — on how to properly have afternoon tea at a tearoom:

Casual dress is acceptable. "Any dress is appropriate," Henry said, be it casual attire or Sunday best.

Customers won't be turned away because of what they're wearing, "but it's kind of fun when you do make it a special event and you do get dressed up because you don't have very many opportunities to do that," she said. Tea at 1024 patrons are even offered feather boas and hats to wear during tea time.

Know your accouterments. Don't be overwhelmed by the tea accouterments, or accessories. Here's the standard ware you'll find at the table: teaspoon; tea caddy, used to rest the spoon or tea bag; teacup and saucer; teapot; tea strainer for loose tea; sugar cubes in a sugar bowl and tongs; and a creamer.

Don't ask for cream. The creamer at the table will hold milk, Henry said, because milk goes with tea, while cream goes with coffee. "The sugar and the milk go in first, and then the tea," she said.

Also, when stirring, try not to clink the teaspoon against the teacup. After stirring, place the teaspoon on the saucer or tea caddy.

Pull in that pinky. If you're sitting at a table, leave the saucer on the table and just pick up the teacup, Henry said. And forget extending your pinky, like you see little girls doing at tea parties. "It's just not really part of proper tea," she said.

Look over the menu. Along with tea, you can expect to be served little sandwiches, scones, small pastries or fruit, which are usually presented on tiered trays or stands.

Remember, it's a social, leisurely affair. "The people that you're with, the conversation that you have, those are all very important parts of enjoying tea," Henry said.

Dog lovers, or weaponry buffs doing a samurai theme

Dog lovers, rejoice! The Hawaiian Kennel Club's 139th and 140th All-Breed dog shows bark it up 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. today and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. tomorrow in the exhibition hall. More than 400 dogs — 71 breeds — will be judged each day. But leave your pal Snoopy at home: Only dogs registered for the shows will be allowed inside. Admission is $5 general, free for kids 12 and younger. 591-2211.

Gun/sword enthusiasts, take note: "The Last Samurai" is the theme of a Hawaii Historic Arms Association show featuring a kendo exhibition, displays, collectibles, sword-polishing demonstration and antique and modern firearms. Just don't expect Tom Cruise to show up. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow in the Hawai'i Suite. Admission is $4. 942-8664.

Waikiki weekend is parade central

• The Prince Kuhio Commemoration Parade — with bands, marching units, car-cades and trolleys — begins at 5 p.m. today at Fort DeRussy, going along Kalakaua Avenue to Kapi'olani Park. 473-6216.
• The 10th annual Honolulu Festival grand parade begins at 5 p.m. tomorrow at Beach Walk and continues along Kalakaua Avenue. This is the culmination of the festival, which expects to draw tens of thousands of attendees (300,000 last year) and has some 5,500 performers and artisans from Japan. honolulufestival.com, 596-3327. (Last year's parade is pictured at left.

Size up clouds, see how ocean was formed with Dr. Seawater

Dr. Seawater's zany science lab continues for the next two Saturdays at Maui's Ocean Science Discovery Center. The programs, for those in grades 2-5, impart fun and useful scientific information, a la Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Today's topic is "Clamoring Clouds," all about those billowy things that float across the sky. The March 13 session is "Birth of an Ocean," with a magma experiment and stuff to know about ridges, trenches, plates and moving continents (yow!). Look for more Dr. Seawater programs in the coming weeks.

Kids get to don lab coats and goggles, too. Each session, 9:30-11 a.m., is $15. (808) 244-8391.

Donate items today to abuse shelters

Yes, it's Saturday, and that means taking the kids to hula lessons, Boy Scouts, swimming or karate, and doing grocery shopping, laundry and yardwork.

Can you squeeze in some time to do a good deed for others? Donate women's and children's clothing, games, toys, books and small household items to abuse shelters in Hawai'i. The Soroptimist clubs, dedicated to improving the status of women, will collect the donations — and cash, too, if you so choose — at three locations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today:

• Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki.
• Mililani Town Center.
• Times supermarket in Kailua.

This project, dubbed Saturday of Service, will help individuals in crisis, many of whom escape abusive homes with only their clothes on their backs.

'School of Rock' at Sunset tonight

Also tonight, Hawai'i's first "American Idol" finalist, Jordan Segundo, will help launch a public-service announcement about protecting Hawai'i's waters. And he'll sing a sample of songs from his CD due out this spring.

Sunset on the Beach begins at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with food booths and entertainment; the films hit the screen after the sun goes down, about 7:10 p.m. Admission is free.

Learning about Hawai'i Literacy

Learn all about literacy as Hawai'i Literacy shares information about its programs and recruits volunteers each Saturday this month. Here's the schedule:

• Today:10 a.m.-noon, Barnes & Noble, Kahala Mall.
• March 13: all day, Ala Moana Center's community booth.
• March 20: all day at Borders, Ward Centre.
• March 27: all day at the State Public Library.