AN OLFACTORY DIARY (INSPIRED BY PERFUME)

This weekend, keep track of the odors you smell. This is a challenge in being observant and mindful.

1. Log at least 10 scents from your weekend. Write what you smell (how can you identify it? what are the characteristics?)

2. Log WHERE and WHEN you captured the scent.

3. Identify if you have any memories about these smells (do they trigger specific memories?) OR the mood that they inspired.

1) Nail polish

At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, I smelt the chemically smell of nail polish, coming from the kitchen of my house. The smell was very strong because all the windows were closed and the AC was running. Whenever I smell nail polish I imagine my dad telling me and my sisters to open the windows or paint our nails in our bedroom because he has a strong scent, and is able to pick up smell easily, especially nail polish.

2) Plain (non-honey) soggy cheerios

At 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, I smelt soggy non-honey nut cheerios in a bowl of milk, coming from the kitchen of my house. Whenever I smell a bowl of soggy non-honey nut cheerios I remember the first day I brought a bowl of soggy non-honey nut cheerios in milk, with blueberries inside to school and my friends told me how they could smell the soggy gluten free cheerios.

3) Ahi tofu patty

At 1:20 p.m. on Sunday, I smelt the fishiness and onion of ahi tofu patties from Tanioka, coming from the kitchen of my house. Whenever I smell ahi tofu patties, I remember the first time I tried ahi tofu patties from Paina Cafe, that my older sister suggested that I tried some of it from her plate. That's one of the moments in my life where me and my older sister would bond over our favorite foods.

4) Hair spray

At 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, I smelt the sweet chemical hairspray around my head, in a hair salon in town. Whenever I smell hair spray, I go back to when I was in pre-school and I would be in the dressing room watching and following my two older sisters and the other hula dancers around. When I was in the dressing rooms with them, I would always smell hairspray. Hair spray in a way is part of my life.

5) Lemon fish

At 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, I smelt the fishiness and zesty lemon smell of lemon fish, in the back of the ballroom of the Koolau ballroom. Whenever I smell lemon fish I think back to my mom and I making lemon salmon for the first time, for a family dinner.

6) Chocolate

At 9:15 p.m., on Saturday, I smelt the warm and sweetness of chocolate filling up the back of the ballroom of the Koolau ballroom, as the lids of glass candy jars were opened. Whenever I smell the scent chocolate I go back to the times where my family and I would make big fires on the beach when we would go camping at North Shore.

7) Gummy bears

At 9:15 p.m., on Saturday, I smelt the sweet fruitiness of the gummy bears filling up the back of the ballroom of the Koolau ballroom, as the lids of the glass candy jars were opened. When I smelt the scent of gummy bears it put me in the mood of having a relaxed and lazy netflix or movie, where you sit down and binge watch shows and movies, and you eat all the sweet and salty snacks there is.

8) Peanut butter filled chocolate M&Ms

At 9:15 p.m., on Saturday, I smelt a salty peanut and sweet chocolate scent of the peanut butter filled chocolate M&Ms of the gummy bears filling up the back of the ballroom of the Koolau ballroom, as the lids of the glass candy jars were opened. When I smelt the scent of peanut butter filled chocolate M&Ms, it put me in the mood of those times during the year when you try to have a healthy snack, but you also want dessert or something sweet, so you mix salty and sweet, healthy and non-healthy foods together. For example: homemade chex mix made with: pretzels, peanut butter filled chocolate M&Ms, cheese balls, and raisins.

9) Body Odor (BO)

At 8:30 p.m., on Saturday, I smelt the stinky, musty, and pungent smell of body odor (BO) all around me, filling up the air of the dance floor, in front and center of the ballroom of the Koolau ballroom, as sweaty people (including I) were squished together, dancing back to back. When I smelt the scent of body odor, it put me in the mood of being tired and wanting to relax because the heat and smell of BO made me realize how sore and tired I was from dancing, so it made be want to step aside and get some fresh air and relax for a while.

10) Rain

At 4:30 p.m., on Sunday, I smelt the sweet, musty and earthy smell of the rain surrounding and hitting others and I, as we danced hula outside on the Mid Pacific football field, in Manoa. When I smelt the scent of rain, it didn't put me in a mood, but it transported me in the moment I was in. I felt, smelt, and heard all the hula dancers around me, mother nature as the rain fell upon my skin, hair, and clothes, and the mana (power) that was all exerted and received.

11) Pikake

At 7:00 p.m., on Sunday, I smelt the sweet flowery scent of the pikake flowers strung into a beautiful lei, sitting on the shoulders of Kumu Lanakila sitting in front of me, as gusts of wind blew through the opened doors of the Mid Pacific cafeteria. When I smelt the scent of the pikake lei, I became happy. I don't know why exactly, but I love pikake, and just in general, flowers.