60th Cherry Blossom Festival Contestant
Carrie Gemma Chiemi Esaki
Parents: Paul and Charlene Esaki
High School: Kapa’a High School, 2005
College: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, 2010
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering
Occupation: Environmental Engineer
Ambition: To have a positive impact on various communities.
Interests: Traveling to experience new cultures and foods, rock climbing, gardening, enjoying nature, making others laugh
Pound. Flip. Pound. Flip. The steady rhythmic pounding, coordination, and the trust between the person swinging the mallet and the person turning the pounded mass of steamed rice is important for good mochi. Pounding mochi for the New Year brings family, friends, and communities together. Everyone works together to bring countless grains of rice into a uniform product which symbolizes happiness and purity. My family pounds mochi at the end of every year with the help of friends (regardless of experience), using bamboo steamers, wooden mallets and stone mortars, just as our ancestors did. It’s our connection to the past and we will pass it on to the next generations. It teaches hard work and cooperation will yield great rewards, but best of all, we create great memories to both remember the past year fondly and to greet the New Year happier than ever.