“There were 10 of us from KKV’s accounting team at Ala Puumalu Community Park at Salt Lake (Chan, Uyanga, Jonathan, Bonnie with her baby girl Ivana, Cherry, Jack, Chimgei, Maria and Ogi). We played tennis, walked at the park and then had nice international potluck, sharing our cultural food from Mongolia, Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong and other. Some of our team members woke up at 6am to cook home-made dishes. We played team building and board games together and laughed a lot. We had fun and appreciated getting the game prizes KKV provided.” Uyanga Batzogs
Van Nakashima organized a group visit to Chinatown. Included were: Dr. Moe Hla, Mui Kong, Sara Bauer, Dyan Bautista, Myra Shindo, Aprilei Ramirez, and Berty Arias.
“Van took us on a walking tour of Chinatown so we could learn the best places to get Chinese herbs, fresh produce, best fish & meats, and the yummiest restaurants. She asked everyone what we were hoping to buy and took us to the appropriate vendors. It was a wonderful day of sharing personal cultural stories and traditions, people watching, and laugher. We learned about the different sections of Chinatown (For example, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, etc.). Thanks to Mui, one highlight for the team was visiting the statue of Sun Yat-sen, where we learned about his revolutionary impact on Chinese history and his relationship to Hawai'i. At the end, Van organized lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant called Phở Quê Hương. We ate great food and rested our bodies after a busy morning. Finally, Van took some of us to visit her brother’s art shop before we headed home.” Sara Bauer
“We mostly did shopping. I learned where to buy fresh made egg noodle, tofu, and rice noodle rolls. It was fun to do grocery shopping with co-workers. In Chinatown, we were not co-workers, we were mothers, grandmothers, housemates, or significant others. We bought food for our family and loved ones. It was interesting to see the other side of our co-workers.” Mui Kong
Elizabeth Aten mailing out Christmas gifts to families in Chuuk and later went strolling in Mililani Woodlands☺
Josh Kim getting his hands dirty working on his car engine.
KKV’s Dental team met at the National Cemetery of the Pacific to visit the Dr. Breese memorial. Left to right: Francisca Otoko, Ophilia Chiren, Lilibeth Acosta, Phayvahn Keunkham, Maricar Bagalay, Lilibeth Acosta, Elizabeth Tolentino, Levina Balbuena, Joanalyn Tangara, Melanie Kaaihue-Yoshida, and Sheila Aseret.
KKV’s Dental crew at the Halona Blowhole Lookout. Left to right: Ophilia Chiren, Lilibeth Acosta, Levina Balbuena, Joanalyn Tangara, Phayvahn Keunkham, Francisca Otoko, Maricar Bagalay, Elizabeth Tolentino, and Linette Quiambao.
KKV Staff Retreat 2021
We held our annual retreat on October 29. Like last year’s retreat, the event was non structured. We asked our staff to take the day off, relax, nap, laugh, eat, spend time with their families and friends, whatever makes them happy. Different this year was that KKV had a few staff who generously offered to lead COVID-safe outdoor activities. Many thanks to the Retreat committee led by Michael Epp and including Diena Peterson, Aprilei Ramirez, Rona Mangayayam, Diane Evans, and Raily Kansou. Kaiulani Odom and Puni Jackson helped order the goodies in the gift bags. We owe a big mahalo to the Hawai’i Potters Guild for donating ceramic bowls so that everyone could have something handmade and special. Rona’s son Mark John did the beautiful graphic design for the t-shirts.
Toni Agustin from KKV medical organized a pickleball clinic at Kaimuki Park. Left to right: Dr. David Derauf, Joel Tome, Jared Christenot, Phil Rasca, Diane Evans, Angelica Agapito, and Toni Agustin. “We had a lot of laughing and some very competitive points! Strong pickleball talent in this group. Aterward, we ate so much dim sum our stomachs were exhausted.” Diane Evans
“It was so much fun! Let’s do it again soon.” Angelica Agapito
Pictured here: Michelle Coloma, Julie Balisacan, Margaret Peebles, Maricel Shirai, Aljon Mamac, Aisa Benigno, Josephine Hidalgo, Maria Calapini, Lovely Aguilar, Angelica Asidera, Angelina Agor, and Jodel Rona.
“One of the perfect mornings happened! It was a beautiful sunny day and we started our day at 7:00am, heading to the windward side of O’ahu. We ate breakfast together by the beach and took a catamaran tour on beautiful Kaneohe Bay. From the boat, we could see the spectacular mountain views of the sacred Kanehoalani Mountain, the highest peak of the Kualoa ridge. We got lucky and saw sea turtles. We had a little rain but this didn’t prevent our trip from being very enjoyable adventure, It was a very surreal experience for everybody. Thank you KKV for giving us this opportunity!”
Nabin Oli spent time with his family getting ready for the big Halloween event.
Dental: The crew met Christina Lee at Haleiwa where she took them kayaking down the river for an hour on two-man kayaks. Lee and Gordean Kaluahine paddle boarded with Sheila Aseret. They guided them up the river and on the way down the kayakers raced to show off their team work skills. The group then made a barbecue lunch. For most of the group, it was their first time kayaking.
