Smart?

In 2005, I welcomed a group of 11 people from Japan and took care of their staying and transportation on Kauai.   They stayed at Coconut Beach Hotel (currently Marriot Courtyard) and they were due to perform Japanese songs and play at Senior nursing homes and Koloa Jodo Mission.

What I did for them was to rent a big van (12 passenger-van) and asked our member to take suitcases to hotel.   After their checking-in, I drove a big van to take them to nursing homes and our temple.  It was no problem but on the next day, I had a trouble.  I forgot the reason why, but I couldn't get help from my wife and members for transportation.  

Then what I needed to do for them was to take 11 people to the airport after sightseeing.  At the same time, I needed to carry 11 suitcases to the airport.  Although van was big, its trunk was so tiny to carry only a few suitcases.   So I definitely needed somebody's help or needed to ask taxi to carry at least suitcases. 

Of course, it should have been easy if I made them to wait at the airport while going to pick up suitcases from the hotel.  Or I could just ask taxi to bring suitcases to the airport.  But of course, I didn't want my guests to waste time and spend extra money.  Instead of asking taxi, I thought and thought the most efficient way to carry both 11 people and 11 suitcases with minimum budget and time. 

Then I had a good idea.  "What a smart Sensei am I!" I talked to myself, when I found a way.

What I really did was,

1.  I asked the hotel to keep all suitcases for several hours after checking out.

2.  I took 11 people to sightseeing.

3.  I dropped them off at the Wailua Marina for the Fern Grotto Tour.

4.  While their going to the tour, I went to the airport parking to get my car (at that time a church van) which I parked there.

5.  I parked a big van at the airport parking and instead, I picked up my car and drove to the hotel.

6.  I picked up all their suitcases in my car and went back to the airport parking.

7. I parked my car with suitcases at the parking and picked up a big van again to drive to the Wailua River.

8. I picked up 11 passengers with a van and went to the airport.

9. I dropped them off at the airport near check-in counter and went to the parking.

10.  I picked up my car which had full of suitcases at the parking and drove to the place where I dropped them off.

11.  Return suitcases to them and say Good bye and Aloha! 

They were so impressed when they saw my car full of suitcases.  Most people expected to wait a long time at the airport for their suitcase to come.  But I came back so soon because I took a car from the airport parking.

I was so relieved when I sent them off.  This was like a moment when I solved a difficult equation.  Then I proudly talked to my wife about this event and asked if I was so smart.

But my wife was, maybe, smarter and told me, "No, you are not smart.  You just made a simple story to be more complicated." 

Now I think she was right.