If you’ve lived in the Kalani community for any length of time, certain little idiosyncrasies about the place inevitably pop up. While there are many to choose from, the one of particular interest that came upon our radar is that of the hardboiled egg. Yes, we are talking about that protein packed, vegetarian friendly option, low-calorie nutritious source of 13 essential vitamins and minerals- the humble egg. Why, you may ask, are we so interested in such a common thing? We will tell you. It is because of the surprising reaction that many ohana members have to one particular form of its cooking- hard-boiling. We noted that among those who have no problem eating eggs cooked other ways, (scrambled, fried or frittata-ed) they avoid eggs as if they were festering, disease-ridden death grenades fired from the butt of a chicken the days they are boiled. To understand this phenomenon, we decided to survey people with one simple question- ‘what’s your beef with hard boiled eggs?’ The results are stunning. What follows are direct quotes from a cross section (by ‘cross section,’ we mean four people. It seemed like enough to represent the entire 120+ volunteer community) of community members revealing much about the mind and the psyche of the Kalani volunteers, each with their own frustration levels:
Corey: Frustration Level:10 Sometimes the shell comes off easily, but when it doesn’t, I get angry. It is so wasteful when bits of egg stick to the shell. On a scale of one to ten in frustration it’s a ten!” (pictured: Corey looking so happy in crushing an egg! That’ll get it de-shelled quickly!)
Betsey: Frustration Level: 6 “Hard boiled eggs make me happy because they are low in cholesterol and you can either eat the white part or the yolk or both if you want to- you have a choice.I guess it depends on what you feel like. They are little capsules of joy for me. I roll them on the table and then peel them. If it doesn’t go the way I want, my frustration level is six, and I pelt pigs with them.”
Todd: Frustration Level: 4 “Normally I would go for a frittata over hard boiled eggs. I do like the taste with a little bit of salt. When I peel a hard boiled egg I take a spoon and cut it in half and scoop out the eggs. If I don’t have a well hard boiled egg and am without a spoon, I have to have running water. I find it a challenge, and have to be very patient when
peeling a hard boiled egg if it’s not done right. I’m used to peeling the egg with the shell, that’s why I cut it off with the spoon and take it out that way, otherwise I need to focus on my patience and prepare for a long meal.”
Joel : Frustration Level: 3 “I like the flexibility of hard boiled eggs. You can pack them for later if you want. I love egg salad. I love the taste, especially with salt. No matter how hard they might be to peel, just show gratitude, because when when was the last time somebody hard boiled an egg for you? Be grateful for the egg, because in some places, that one egg has to feed the whole village, but here, you get your own. You just have to peel them the right way. You have to have the right technique, and it’s nobody’s fault but your own if you don’t. So, what does this incredible edible little hard boiled egg teach us about
ourselves? More than anything else at Kalani,eggs stirs strong emotions. Some love them hard boiled, but some don’t. So be grateful for the eggs however they are cooked. If you have trouble peeling your egg, come see us. We will help you. Or go see the volunteer office, because obviously you have problems.
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