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Kokua Line
Question: I am looking for the words to the "Twelve Days of Christmas," Hawaiian style, plus a copy of "The Night Before Christmas," also Hawaiian style. Can you help? Twelve Days of
Christmas, local styleAnswer: Check out http://www.melekalikimaka.com on the Internet.
There we found that on the "Numbah One day of Christmas, my tutu give to me, one mynah bird in one papaya tree."
Substitute the following for the traditional Christmas gifts for Days 2 to 12 -- in pidgin, of course -- and you're on your way to singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas (Local Style)": "2 coconut; 3 dry squid; 4 flowah lei; 5 beeg fat peeg; 6 hula lesson; 7 shrimp a-swimming; 8 ukulele; 9 pound of poi; 10 can of beer; 11 missionary and "Numbah 12 day of Christmas the bes', and the bes' stuff always come last.
"Numbah 12 day of Christmas, my tutu give to me, 12 television ... "
According to melekalikimaka. com, the music and lyrics were published by Hawaiian Recording and Publishing Co. and copyrighted in 1959.
Q: We live at 411 Hobron Lane. Can you help us find out what's happening to our mail service? Since our regular carrier retired, our mail service has been chaotic.
Mail is delivered anytime between 3:30 p.m. and after 5 p.m. The worst thing is the number of pieces of mail being placed in the wrong boxes. In the past 3 months, I personally have had my bank statement placed in another box. We don't know where to call. The 1-800 number is no help at all.
A: Your mail service should be much better by now.
Keith Sato, manager of the Waikiki Station, apologized for any problems, saying a new regular carrier has been assigned to your route.
The return of "snow birds" residing at your building has meant an increase in the volume of mail and packages.
"This will mean a later time of delivery," said U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Felice Broglio.
If you still encounter delivery problems, she said you should to talk directly to the letter carrier, or contact Sato or any supervisor at the Waikiki station. Call 1-800-ASK-USPS (275-8777) "and make the appropriate menu selection to reach the station."
Q: Can you find out why the Kaiser Permanente medical plan differs in Hawaii from other states? I pay both a doctor's visit fee for each visit as well as for prescriptions. But when I visit another state, I am not charged for either a doctor's visit or for prescriptions the doctor prescribes and delivers at the clinic.
A: Next time, call Kaiser's customer service number, 597-5955, to get a more detailed explanation.
It really depends on what your plan is, said Kaiser spokeswoman Jan Kagehiro.
If you went to a Kaiser clinic on the mainland, you were extended a "visiting member benefit," she said. "That's why there was no charge for an office visit and no charge for prescriptions. That's just part of the benefit structure."
But the benefits vary from person to person, Kagehiro said.
Coast Guard update
In Thursday's column, we said Kathleen Donohoe was among the high-ranking women officers in Hawaii. She has since left the islands and been succeeded by another woman -- Dee Norton -- as commander of Coast Guard Group Honolulu. Another high-ranking woman with the local Coast Guard is Capt. Catherine Kelly, commanding officer of the Integrated Support Command.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
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