Book Review: Moloka`i

I mentioned in my review of Honolulu that I had been reading Alan Brennert's previous historical novel, Moloka`i. I finished it about a week ago, but have been distracted by the inclement weather here in Seattle as well as the usual holiday craziness.

Published in 2004, Moloka`i tells the story of a girl named Rachel who is diagnosed with Hansen's disease (then referred to as "leprosy") at age seven and send away to Kalaupapa, a peninsula-colony on the island of Moloka`i for quarantined patients and their caretakers.

As he did in Honolulu, Brennert quickly creates vivid back stories for each of the characters while staying closely connected to the psychology of Rachel. The novel spans decades, as Rachel grows to be a teen, a young woman, a wife, and even briefly a mother in a bittersweet chapter of her life. Being one of the settlement's healthier patients, Rachel outlives almost all those who become her family. This provided her with an oppressive amount of time to reflect. As her father was a seamen, Rachel held on to the constant dream of exploring the world -- the world outside Hansen's disease.

I found Moloka`i to be more painful to read at times, as its elegiac subject matter resonated emotions within, ranging from pure melancholy to utter rage at the injustices of the situation. Ultimately, I was a bit more affected emotionally by the story though I found Honolulu a bit more hopeful and inspiring.

In both cases, Brennert shows a clear talent for understanding women and their desires. Both his heroines were at once strong, struggling, unsure and nothing shy of human. Brennert also underlines certain themes in both novels, including ideas of entrapment, injustice and deferred gratification in the eye of mammoth obstacles.

I highly recommend reading both novels. This one brought me back to my own time on the ethereal island of Moloka`i. We were there just one week back in 2006, but it definitely struck me as having mana like no other place on Earth. With that comes a deep linger....

Book Review: Honolulu

I recently had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of Alan Brennert's new historical novel, simply titled Honolulu. It is the follow-up to Brennert's Moloka`i, his first foray into Hawaiian historical fiction (I am reading this right now, and will eventually post a review of it, too).

Honolulu is a harrowing tale of overcoming one's destiny, thwarting convention and ultimately living out the dream that is at once American and Hawaiian. It is the story of Jin, a once shunned Korean girl named "Regret" by her parents for not being a boy and destined to a life decided on her behalf. She would wed a man chosen by her family, become a wife and mother, and never learn to read or leave her quarters of the house.

But Jin had other ideas. As a young girl at the turn of the century, she found a piece of a book that had blown into her yard. She made her brother read it, and she began teaching herself how to read. Constantly longing for an education and life of purpose, Jin one day learned of a place called Hawai`i, where everything was beautiful and the streets "paved with gold." She and her best friend began flirting with the notion of becoming picture brides. It was their only ticket out of Korea, to a new life. While her family frowned upon her idea and her father shunned her for learning how to read, Jin simply could not stay trapped.

Of course, Jin's journey would not be so simple as an immediate marriage into the American dream. She and the other picture brides would quickly discover that the handsome and ostensibly prosperous men who chose them were much older than their pictures would illustrate, and most were plantation workers. Worst, though, was Jin's husband's appetite for violence. After fleeing her doomed destiny in Korea, had she traveled all this way only to find a lot much more devastating?

From here, the novel finds its strongest footing, and assuredly moves through Jin's inspiring decisions that define her future, and her life. Along the way she befriends prostitutes, gets cozy with police officers, becomes an enterprising seamstress, and finds true love and fortune in a land that becomes intertwined with her new identity. One particular part of Jin's story I found moving involved her confronting her own prejudice against the Japanese, who had ripped her native country from her people. During the Depression, she befriends a Japanese woman and tentatively begins to help her, despite her own misgivings. It is a slow process, but over time, Jin comes to her own realization that it is no longer about Korea or Japan...they are all Hawaiians now.

Not without tragedy, Honolulu is a fundamental testament to the possibility of creating your own life by never extinguishing that fire crackling with dreams, determination, and resiliency.

At the end of her story, Jin reflects on her new home: "Hawai`i has often been called a melting pot, but I think of it more as a "mixed plate" -- a scoop of rice with gravy, a scoop of macaroni salad, a piece of mahi-mahi, and a side of kimchi. Many different tastes share the plate, but none of them loses its individual flavor, and together they make up a uniquely "local" cuisine. This is also, I believe, what America is at its best -- a whole great than the sum of its parts."

Jin reunites with the other picture brides in Honolulu, and they begin meeting on a regular basis, and eventually form a kye. A kye is essentially a pot of money that each member contributes to, and periodically requests to draw from it. Everyone votes, and decides if this is a reasonable use of the funds. From these funds, each of the women is able to lead a better life. Businesses are started. Real estate is purchased. Jin leaves behind her family in Korea, and with it much of the old ways. In Hawai`i, though, she makes her own family and has experiences one could only have in those great Pacific islands.

In times of unprecedented uncertainty in the world, I cannot convey enough the value in reading this novel. Jin found that in Hawai`i the roads were not paved with gold, and life would not be without major obstacles. Yet, she found a way to survive and in the end, made her own version of Paradise. The idea of 'Paradise as Possibility' should resonate with anyone still feeding that crackling fire.

Big Island-Big Island

We have come across yet another Big Island resource!

The site "Big Island-BigIsland" is quite impressive, with a daily-updated blog, information on sovereignty, accommodations, restaurants, politics and island life in general.

Check it out!

Healthy Hawai`i

According to the 19th Annual State rankings put together by various groups, Hawai`i is the second healthiest state in the Union. With the availability of fresh seafood and produce, and wide range of outdoor activities, we are far from surprised. Maika`i!


The full article is here.

2008 Winter Pineapple Classic

We first posted about this on October 5th.

This past Sunday we ran in the Pineapple Winter Classic, a 5K run with obstacles in Seattle's Magnuson Park that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What separates this from just any other run for charity? People dress up in Hawaiian-themed costumes! We saw face-painted warriors, hula girls and plenty of hibiscus-inspired teamware.

Our team name was "Mele Kalikimaka," (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian) and we wore bright red shirts with our team name and Santa hats.



Some of the obstacles proved to be quite challenging, including ducking down into barrels, scaling walls and the mighty monkey bars that proved to require intense upper body strength.



According to the WPC website, turnout doubled from last year. We had a blast, and when times got tough we'd just remind ourselves of the luau and beer garden near the finish line.

Our friends Jerry and Warren greeted us as we made our way to the final leg, and we all enjoyed a refreshing brew in the beer garden. An entire hangar had been convereted to a luau setting, complete with real sand, a volleyball net and a stage where entertainers performed traditional Hawaiian music. Our friend Gary Medeiros was one of them!

Because of our late start-time (12:40), there wasn't much in the way of food left by the time we hit the buffet line. However, we were able to scarf down some noodles and salad before hoofing it back to our car.

The weather was gorgeous, making the run all the more enjoyable. Running with family for a great cause, with the rewards of Hawaiian culture? Not too many better ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Aloha!

Music & Food in Georgetown

Last Saturday we ventured down to the Georgetown neighborhood, to the Kaua`i Family Restaurant. Our friend Gary Medeiros was performing with Auntie Manu from 11am-2pm. We stopped in after running some Saturday morning errands for some `ono breakfast and mele.

Gary plays the ukulele and sings the male falsetto. He is quite good! He and Auntie Manu make a great team, and we found out they will both be performing at the luau celebration after the Pineapple Classic Run we're doing on November 16th at Magnuson Park. And the Kaua`i Family Restaurant is catering. What a preview!

I had the standard Hawaiian breakfast (eggs with rice and Portuguese sausage) while Dan went for the loco moco w/ spam. We were both pleased with the low-priced and hearty plates, but the star of the meal had to be the bag of malasadas we snagged right as we ordered. Malasadas are a Portuguese donut - basically like a donut but 100 times better! The restaurant only serves them on the weekends and they sell out quickly. In fact, we saw many folks just coming in to order a bag of them to go. We took the rest home and ate them the next day.

The performance was lively, as the two sang many Hawaiian favorites including Iz's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." At times some of the patrons got up and performed an impromptu hula. It was fun to watch.

It turns out Gary and his partner are part of a halau with Auntie Manu that meets on Sundays, informally, so we are going to try our hands - er - waists at hula soon!

We unfortunately forgot the camera.

Tomorrow night we are headed to the Open House/sneak preview of the holiday line at the Hawai`i General Store and will hopefully remember to snap some pics to share.

Big Island Video News

There is a new site featuring video news from the Big Island. Check it out! Another great resource from the folks on Hawai`i Island!

Big Island Video News

New Editor for BI Weekly

Last week it was reported that Kristine Kubat, founding editor at Big Island Weekly, was resigning after 23 months at the helm.

One week later, a replacement is announced. It will be interesting to see which direction the paper takes!

From this week's issue:

Stockton named Big Island Weekly editor/GM
By Staff Report
Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:09 AM HST
Jed Stockton, a veteran journalist who has worked the past five years at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, is Big Island Weekly's new editor and general manager, replacing founding editor Kristine Kubat.

Stockton starts Nov. 13.

"Jed knows his way around a newspaper, and he understands the fundamental mission of Big Island Weekly," Publisher Geoff Schumacher said. "I am confident Jed will preserve the best of what Big Island Weekly has done so far while introducing new elements to the mix."

Stockton started working in the journalism field in 1993 at the Denison Herald in Denison, Texas. Later that year, he moved to a larger newspaper south of Denison called the Sherman Democrat in Sherman, Texas. In Sherman, he worked as a reporter, editor, photographer and designer.

In 1998, Stockton took a job as the health editor/features editor with the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, Conn. He moved to the Dallas Morning News as a business copy editor and designer in 2001.

In November 2003, he became a copy editor and designer at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

"Big Island Weekly will continue to be a publication where island voices are heard," Stockton said. "Every issue of this publication will have something new, interesting and informative. Community input is essential and I can't wait to meet everyone and hear what folks have to say. Big Island Weekly will continue reporting on the issues that matter to Big Island residents. My door is always open."

Kubat resigned last week after two years at the helm. Schumacher is serving as interim editor until Stockton takes over.

"Rest assured, Big Island Weekly will continue to exemplify the objectives of an alternative newsweekly," Schumacher said. "I believe Stockton is committed to afflicting the comfortable and questioning the conventional wisdom, as well as delivering the best arts and entertainment coverage on the island."

Big Island Weekly and the Hawaii Tribune-Herald are both owned by Stephens Media LLC, based in Las Vegas.

High Surf in Kaua`i Ends in Tragedy

Apparently three tourists have died on Kaua`i because of the recent high surf.

Pineapple Classic

At a costume party earlier this year, we heard about an annual 5K race where people dress up in Hawaiian-inspired costumes and navigate an obstacle course. We were sold!

It turns out the Winter Pineapple Classic is just in its third year, as it began in 2006, guided by the vision and kokua of Eric Cox. Eric's son Brody was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after his 2nd birthday, while Eric's wife was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Both have endured a tumultuous battle with the deadly and debilitating disease, but are now in remission and hoping for healthy futures.

In just two years, the event has raised $280,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This year the goal is to add another $250K to the worthy cause.

We'll be joined by two of my sisters for a team entry. If entered by Nov 3rd, registration for a 4-party team is just $43.75 per person. Additional fundraising is encouraged, but not mandatory to participate. The event takes place November 16th, and is followed by a luau complete with performances and a beer garden!

More information can be found at the web site linked to above.

Big Island Quarterly

Check out the very first issue of Big Island Quarterly, a new on-line magazine all about the Big Island!

Speaking of which, we recently booked lodging on the Big Island for next June/July. Can't wait! We'll be staying 3 nights at the house we were married at in Hilo, and then moving to a lesser expensive, but still gorgeous-looking house in the Kapoho area of Puna for 15 nights.

Still need to work out our first 3 nights in Hololulu. Looking at a cheap hotel within walking distance of the sights we are interested in (Bishop Museum, Zoo, `Iolani Palace, etc).

Now that the Seattle rainy season is officially underway, having a trip on the books is a beacon of light!

10 Years for Hawai`i General Store

At the Live Aloha! Festival, we were invited by our friend and lei-making instructor to the Hawai`i General Store's 10th Anniversary Party. Wow, 10 years of bringing aloha to the Pacific Northwest.



Festivities began at 8:00am with eggs, rice, portugese sausace, coffee and juice. Also recording live was the Hawai`i Radio Connection. They interviewed owner Gail Stringer on the origins of her sweet little shop, and how it all came to be. The short of it is that one day Gail wanted to buy a friend a lei to cheer her up. She looked and looked, and realized a fresh lei in Seattle was none to be had. So soon after the store opened, and realizing she needed to sell more than leis it became what it is today: gallery, music emporium, travel agency, party pitstop, crackseed corner and of course THE PLACE for leis in Seattle.



In these tough economic times, it feels all the more victorious to celebrate a small business reach the decade mark. And what a special business it is.

My first time on Hawai'i as an Adult

One night in early 2003, I left my yoga class and headed to a (now defunct) art gallery for an opening hosted by 'Gay City'. I knew some people going, and decided to swing by before grabbing dinner and going home.

That night at the gallery show, my friend Gary asked me if I wanted to stay for free in Hawai'i. He'd rented a house that was incredibly cheap, and had already booked his flights and a rental car. I just needed to get my own flight, pay a bit if I wanted to use the car, and handle incidentals like food and drink. It was a bit unlike me, but I went for it - and even scored a seat next to him on the NWA flight. So in April, we flew to Hawai'i.

Our final destination was the Big Island, at a house in the Puna area, but we had a long layover in Honolulu. So we grabbed a bus to Waikiki beach and sipped some cocktails while watching the hordes of people sunbathe, play frisbee, and otherwise frolic. It seems a bit packed, but the drinks were good and it felt good to be in the sun after a long Northwest winter.

When we arrived on the Big Island, it was already very late - so we had to find the house in the dark - during a rainstorm. As we made it to the Kehena area and turned up the street, we found the roads were covered in toads. Big toads. Bigger than your fist toads. Hundreds and hundreds of them. Gary did his best to not hit any, but there was really no way to move the car without doing so. We finally got to the house, unpacked, and settled in.

The rest of the week was a wonderful blur of laying on Kehena beach, driving into Pahoa to get groceries at the natural food store, renting movies at the video store, sipping Coronas, and going on day trips to the Kapoho tide pools, to various waterfalls, up to Volcano, and into Hilo.

It was truly a paradise, and I fell in love with it. Hawai'i became the meter stick by which all the other islands had to be measured up to, for better or for worse.

And that's how my love affair with Hawai'i began.

And interestingly enough, that night at the art gallery was when Gary introduced me to a guy named Dan... who I later married... on the Big Island.

Live Aloha! Festival: A Success

Auwe! It's already been almost two weeks since the 1st Annual Live Aloha! Festival at Seattle Center.

What a gleaming success. Angela & Danny were the consummate producers - everything ran smoothly and the people just kept coming! One food vendor ran out of food three hours into the festival while the other had to stop to stock up.



We went with plate lunches from Pacific Island Grill (based in Federal Way,WA). `Ono! I had the bbq chicken and kalua pork. Washed it down with a tasty tropical iced tea.



After our lunch, we enjoyed some of the hula and mele. People were pouring in all day long. The Center House was indeed brimming with aloha!



Later we took a lei-making class, taught by our friend Kiapu from the Hawai`i General Store. We learned how to make leis from ti leaves. One trick we learned: use your toes! The juice from the leaves makes it kind of a messy craft, but the result is beautiful. The class was so full, we had to sit on the floor.

Before our volunteer shift began at the Information Desk, we had to get a shave ice. I went with lilikoi while Dan tried a li hing mui/lilikoi mix. It was a perfectly sunny day, and sitting on a bench eating our shave ice made it feel almost like being in Hawai`i.



We met some interesting folks working the info desk, including our new hoa aloha (friend) Gary from Waianae.

We look forward to next year's festival, and hope the Seattle Center FESTAL committee gives us the whole weekend and inclusion into the regular programming. Live Aloha Mau loa!

Distance Learning Courses

One day this past year while flipping through the Northwest Hawai`i Times I came across an advertisement for A'o Makua, a program offering on-line, distance learning courses in Hawaiian language and culture.

The courses are very inexpensive ($25 and $20 if you are a returning haumana), and they offer generous incentives. For the the first course I completed in February, I received a poster and a biography of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. That course, "Mo‘okū‘auhau - He Inoa ‘Ala" explored the various naming practices in ancient Hawai`i and asked us to consider the modern implications of how we use names. I found it very interesting, and I did find myself pausing to reflect on the importance of a name and how naming a child might influence his or her journey.

Two weeks ago I started on my second course: ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i - Ku‘u Wahi Noho. This is actually the third of a three-part language series and deals with words and expressions one would use to describe his/her hometown/place of residence. Because I have been studying on my own through the 8-CD series put out by Topics Entertainment, I am not completely behind. I do think it would be wise for me to return to the first two classes at some point, though.

A`o Makua uses various platforms to teach and share information. There are audio presentations, video recordings, power point presentations, matching games, quizzes and interactive games. There are also discussion boards that receive frequent traffic, and the instructors offer individual feedback through both message boards and recordings.

Whether you are looking to increase your awareness of Hawaiian culture or ready to dive in and learn the language, A`o Makua offers a time-efficient and affordable way to learn from your own home!

Sharks on the Big Island!

Sharks are shutting down beaches on the West side of the the Big Island. Read about it here.

Event: Live Aloha! Festival Sunday 9/7 in Seattle

Another yahoo group

I forgot to mention this one as it had been mostly inactive the past several months. But there has been a flurry of recent activity, with some people sharing photos and information. This group is more discussion-oriented, as opposed to the NW Hawaiian group that is primarily event listings.

There was a very nice post yesterday about welcoming people into Hawai`i in the spirit of Aloha...something we like to hear as we often fight the guilt of not wanting to take from the land that was taken away. But in most cases respect for all aspects of the islands goes a long way with the locals.

Check it out!

Hawai`i TV Show

From Bill Nahalea, via the NW Hawaiian mailing list. Bill and Gloria are huge contributors to the local Hawaiian scene here in the PNW. In addition to their television show, they also host a web site (see link below) and organize the annual Kalama Days of Discovery. We have yet to make it down for the event, as we always seem to be out of town. It sounds like it's been a soaring success, and we are eager to be around for it one of these years!

The Hawaii Showcase Television Magazine has
Reached an agreement with KLTV Communty Television
that reaches a viewership of the entire Cowlitz
County Area.

CastleRock, Kelso, Longview, Kalama and Woodland

Our Hawaii Showcase Television Magazine will reach
A Television Reachership of Over 100,000 Weekly!

Offically The Hawaii Showcase Television Magazine
Will be on the Comcast Cable Schedule in September
2008..'STAY TUNED!!!

But Continue to Watch Our Hawaii Showcase Television
Magazine on Thursdays at 7:30pm(LIVE) Channel 29/77
And Streaming LIVE WWW.SCANTV.ORG (AND A REPEAT TV
SHOW AT 1PM)NOW AIRED TWICE A WEEK!

And Other Our Contemporary Hawaiian TV Show in Hawaii
saturdays at 7pm(Taped)"THERE IN THE ISLANDS TELEVISION
MAGAZINE On KWHE TV CH 11, 14, 23, 24(Oahu, Maui, Hilo
Kona) WWW.THEREINTHEISLAN DS.COM

TT PRODUCTIONS SEATTLE AND HAWAII! Promotes Hawaiian
Contemporary Hawaiian Programming "ON CABLE-INTERNET
AND BROADCAST AND WORLDWIDE!!

NOW! WATCH HAWAIIAN PROGRAMMING 4 NIGHTS A WEEK!
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------
SEATTLE ON SCAN TV THURSDAYS AT 7:30PM & FRIDAYS AT 1PM

HAWAII STATEWIDE KWHE TV SATURDAYS AT 7PM

COMING SOON! IN SEPTEMBER KLTV CH 22, 24, 12

Mahalo To All My Loyal Supporters and Television Viewers
During Our 8 Years on the Television Airwaves.

Mahalo,
Bill Nahalea
Producer
Sales, Marketing, Promotions, Publicity

Gloria(Napua) Fujii-Nahalea
Co Producer/Administra tion

www.alohaislandtrea sures.net
www.tornadotelevisi on.bigwebpages. com

Books about Hawai`i

For the past year, I have almost exclusively read books about Hawai`i. Whether they be about travel, history, indvidual's memoirs, language, food or local culture, I have devoured them.

I first ran into some difficulty finding books about Hawai`i beyond the travel guides, but I've learned how to narrow down searches on amazon and also have discovered a few gems at the Hawai`i General Store in Seattle and Basically Books on our trips to Hilo.

I put together this list, with links to the amazon page for purchase and more information. I'd recommend all of them, and have included a few words on each.

Travel

Ultimate Kaua`i Guidebook, Wizard Publications - The "Bible" series of Hawai`i guidebooks, often known simply as the "blue book." Wizard does a marvelous job, using locals to write about the islands and offering great money-saving tips.

Kaui Underground Guide, Lenore & Mirah Horowitz - We used both the blue book and this one for our trip to Kaua`i and found both very useful. This one had some great restaurant reviews. The two worked well together, as there was different information in each guide.

Big Island Revealed, Wizard Publications - Again, the ultimate source for Big Island travel. Never leave home without it. And you can access their website for updates, or web-only reviews.

Pocket Guide to Lana`i, Marcia Zina Mager & Dennis Aubrey - Lana`i is such a mystery to me, and this helped me gain a sense of what it has to offer for the traveler. The Wizard series does not include Moloka`i or Lana`i, but rather includes bits of information on them in Maui Revealed. It's actually hard to track down travel books exlusively on Lana`i!

Exploring Historic Hilo, Leslie Lang - A pictorial with descriptions of old Hilo town. A great way to connect to the town before visiting, or after you've returned.

Food

Best of the Best from Hawai`i, Gwen McKee & Barbara Moseley - We use this one all the time. Favorite recipes include the scallops with oranges and shrimp curry. Yum!

Big Island Of Hawaii Restaurants And Dining With Hilo And The Kona Coast, Robert Carpenter & Cindy Carpenter - Just got this one in the mail, and look forward to checking it out to see what we've missed!

Chefs of Aloha, Island Heritage Publishing - Picked this one up at a bakery/gift shop on the Big Island. The hearts of palm salad recipe is terrific!

History

Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands, Dr. Phil Barnes - I've read this 3 times. It's just as the title suggests - concise and quickly gets you up to speed on the history of the islands, mostly from unification on. The author also owns the vacation house we stayed at in Puna! I refer back to this one often, for dates or a refresher.

Nana I Ke Kumu (Look to the Source) volume I, Mary Pukui, E.W. Haertig, Catherine A. Lee - I just finished this one. It is written in an encyclopedic format and outlines various ancient Hawaiian terms and the rituals/beliefs attached. It is designed for the Case Worker working with Native Hawaiian clients to better understand their cultural perspective.

Ancient History of the Hawaiian People to the Times of Kamehameha I, Fornander - Just started this one yesterday!

Biography/Memoir

No Footprints in the Sand - A Memoir of Kalaupapa, Henry Kalalahilimoku Nalaielua - A beautiful tale of a man who simply would not let disease and banishment stop him from living his dreams.

Olivia: My Life of Exile in Kalaupapa, Olivia R. Breitha - A similar story, though slightly more angry in tone.

Hawai`i's Story by Hawai`i's Queen, Lili`uokalani - The biography of Hawai`i's last Queen and Royal Sovereign. Details her trips to Europe, her struggle to retain the Monarchy and ultimately her imprisonment.

Pauahi: The Kamehameha Legacy, George H. Kanahele - A product of the Kamehameha Schools, a quick biography of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, whose generosity made the entire school system possible. Interesting insight into an amazing woman.

Aloha Niihau/ Oral Histories, Emalia Licayan; Virginia Nizo and Elama - I read much of this on Kehena Beach in Puna. Three different accounts of life on Ni`ihau - then and now.

Language

Learning Hawaiian Language at Home, Kahikahealani Wight - Comes with a CD. Haven't spent much time with this one yet as I have other CDs I'm learning from (Topics Entertainment)

A Pocket Guide to the Hawaiian Language - A nice introduction to the Hawaiian language

New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary: With a Concise Grammar and Given Names in Hawaiian, Mary Kawena Pukui - Good reference to have around. We use it often.

Local/Moving to Hawai`i

So You Want to Live in Hawaii: The Guide to Settling and Succeeding in the Islands, Toni Polancy - Some call it too negative, but it's more of a wake-up call for the starry-eyed Mainlander who dreams of packing up and embarking on a lifestyle of fun, sun and mai tais without considering the greater realities of life on the 50th state.

Family Traditions in Hawai`i, Joan Namkoong - Discussion on the various cultural practices of the people who make up the islands, including Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Tongan. Holidays, birthdays, weddings, and funeral traditions are described.

Fiction/Folklore

Hotel Honolulu, Paul Theroux - This one doesn't have a whole lot to do with Hawai`i, other than its setting but anyone who knows a bit about the culture will get a kick out of the characters, the Pidgin and the politics they discuss. Also just a good page turner!

La'ieikawai , Dennis Kawaharada - Story of twin sisters who are separated at birth. Hawaiian mythology.

Magazines

Hana Hou - the magazine of Hawaiian Airlines


Hawai`i Magazine

Upcoming Polynesian Festival

Thanks to Gregg Porter for posting this on the NW Hawaiian mailing list:

More details will be forthcoming, but I wanted to start confirming
the rumors that have been floating around --- there will be a four-
day festival of Hawaiian music, hula & culture on Washington State's
Olympic Peninsula at the beginning of October.

The Olympic Festival of Polynesian Arts and Culture will be centered
on workshops by acclaimed musicians Keoki Kahumoku, Herb Ohta, Jr.
and Sonny Lim. The workshops will be held at The Inn at Port Hadlock;
there will also be connected events at The Upstage Theatre &
Restaurant in Port Townsend.

Events will begin Thursday, October 2, with an opening celebration
concert; there will also be a lu`au on Friday night, a jam session on
Saturday night, and a closing concert Sunday night. Workshops will be
held during the day on Friday, October 3 through Sunday, October 5.

There will be a special lodging deal at The Inn at Port Hadlock for
workshop attendees; information on workshop, event and lodging prices
will be announced shortly, and registration will begin August 15.
This event is co-sponsored by Hawaii Music Live, The Inn at Port
Hadlock and Discovery Arts.

More details will be posted in the near future at
www/hawaiimusiclive.com

Childhood Memories of Hawai'i

As my first official post, I thought I'd start at the very beginning of my Hawaiian adventures - my first trip to Hawai'i.

I was 3 years old, I believe, when my Dad brought the whole family on a business trip to Honolulu. While he did service calls, my Mom, sister and I spent the days exploring. At least that's what I'm told. I have very few memories of the trip, being so young at the time. Most are memory 'snapshots' - incomplete, blurry pictures from moments of the trip.

The first thing I think I remember of the trip is the Honolulu Aquarium. I remember a pool outside the main building, with some sort of marine mammal inside. I recall being able to walk down some steps to an underground viewing area, where you could watch the seals or dolphins or whatever they were from under water. I also remember the inside of the aquarium being cavernous, and believe I recall seeing an Opah - either stuffed or a real one.

My second memory is even less clear. It's of watching a hula performance in a courtyard below us, and I'm looking through bars, like a railing or something. I think I also remember falling asleep there, though I'm not sure.



And the last memory is the one captured in this photo - of sitting on top of a boat with my sister, sorting through clumps of rock and coral and seaweed, looking for crabs and things. I distinctly remember seeing the little creatures crawling around. This picture (and the memory) were on a glass bottom boat trip we all took together (that's my sister smiling for the camera, my Dad in the cowboy hat and mustache, me in the blue shorts, and my Mom's behind the camera). I could swear my Dad was scuba diving during the boat trip, and was one of the people bringing stuff up for us to look through - but I think that's concocted from other stories of this trip or other trips heard throughout the years, and is most likely a composition of multiple experiences.

The most talked about moment of the trip, however, is something I don't remember at all. Apparently, I decided to walk into the deep end of a swimming pool. I just walked over, stepped in, and sank to the bottom, making no attempt to swim or save myself. From what I'm told, this happened at the hotel pool while my Dad (a former lifeguard) was at work, and my poor Mother can't swim. I guess there was a guy sitting by the pool but he made no effort to help. My sister, just a few years older than me, jumped in and pulled me up to the top of the water, saving my life.

She later became a life guard.

Beach House in Moloka`i

In late November 2006, we traveled to the little island of Moloka`i. Moloka`i is home to only about 7,000 people, and has the largest Native Hawaiian population outside of Ni`ihau. We flew into Honolulu and then connected on a very tiny airplane into the Moloka`i airport, which is six miles northwest of the main island town of Kaunakakai.

We then got in our rental car and drove east about 25 miles, to the 19 mile marker (19 miles east of town) to the house we found through internet searches. Called simply "Moloka`i Beach House," it proved to be as welcoming and tranquil as we had hoped. We spent six glorious nights there, enjoying the large backyard and private beach. At the time there were only three hotels on the island: Hotel Moloka`i, The Lodge at Moloka`i Ranch (now closed) and the Kaluakoi Hotel/Resort. We ate lunch at Hotel Moloka`i and had both a lunch and dinner at the beautiful Lodge, but were glad to have chosen the beach house.

Driving to town took about 30 minutes so we'd try to stock up on groceries every few days. For the most part, our routine was to cook breakfast and dinner while venturing out for lunch. Kaunakakai has two grocery stores, a liquor store, post-office, organic market, library, ice cream parlor, dive shop, an awesome bakery, a few restaurants and some galleries and gift shops. Not a booming metropolis, but essentially all one needs.

Downtown Kaunakakai



The house has plenty of space, making it a very comfortable place for us to spread out. While we didn't need three bedrooms, we've found that vacations homes with more than one bedroom often have more living space and we really appreciate not feeling like we're on top of one another since we tend to spend a lot of time just relaxing at the house.

View of house from backyard:



Front of house:



Kitchen/dining area:



Main living room: great for napping, reading, gazing out at the sea



Backyard around sunset - that's Maui in the background!



Gazebo in backyard - great for morning coffee or cocktails



Moloka`i is a special place, and this house was just perfect for us. While in a residential neighhorhood, we never saw the neighbors and felt like we had a decent amount of privacy.

More to come on our adventures around the island, including snorkeling, touring an old sugar plantation, exploring the west side of the island (which is mostly closed now) and the Moloka`i Museum.

Other Hawaiian Resources

There are a plethora of resources out there on the web that we use quite often in gathering information about Hawai`i.

One of our favorites is this site we stumbled upon earlier this year: Hilo Living www.hiloliving.com

A family relocated from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley to sleepy Hilo town and document the changes in their new daily lives. The site also links to two different blogs, includes news updates, picture galleries and a calendar of events going on in the Hilo area.

Staying on Hilo, worth checking out is the newly re-styled www.downtownhilo.com. The site offers insightful information into the town's history, attractions and also features a community discussion area where people chat about their recent trips.

The Big Island Weekly is the Big Island's weekly, free alternative paper. It covers issues such as local politics, environmental concerns, upcoming art exhibits, the island music scene and includes a thorough calendar of the week's events across the Big Island.

On a more local front, the Northwest Hawai`i Times is the on-line version of the free monthly paper. It tends to be a month or so behind so we usually pick up the paper at one of the drop locations (Delite Bakery on Beacon Hill, Uwajimaya, Hawai`i General Store, Northshore Hawaiian Barbeque are a few places we've found copies). However, this is a great option when you want to find something in the archives, like that recipe for Okinawan sweep potato pie!

The NW Hawn Calendar is a yahoo mailing list, groups.yahoo.com/group/nwhawncalendar with over 300 members. This is a must if you want to find out about all the Hawaiian music events that go on in the Northwest area. This list has fairly high traffic with two or three messages a day, largely centered around music and hula.

Another great source for Hawaiian music and hula is Pacific Mele. In addition to listing concert dates, the site features interviews with the artists and links to their own web sites.

Local retailers also sometimes offer special events or workshops, such as the Hawai`i General Store in Wallingford or Island Life in SoDo. Both are terrific places to shop for Hawaiiana and island-inspired decor, and are staffed by knowledgable kanaka full of aloha! The Hawai`i General Store also houses a travel agency, specializing in trips to the islands and partnered with Hawaiian Airlines. Several of our wedding guests used this service and were quite impressed with the competitive fares, helpful tips and friendly service.

These are just a few, and we'll post more as we stumble across them. So, hele on, warm up those browsers and show your kokua!

The Best Mai Tai in Seattle

It's Friday so let's talk about Hawai`i's most celebrated cocktail: the mai tai. There is much debate over both the origins of the mai tai, and the exact recipe. Both Trader Vics and Don the Beachcomber claim to have invented the tropical wonder. One thing is certain, though: the drink originated in California, not Hawai`i. However, as tourism began to soar with the advent of airplanes, the drink quickly became synonymous with Paradise.

All in the name of research, we've sipped our way through many variations of the drink that in Tahitian means "good." The most standard recipe calls for orange juice, pineapple juice, orgeat, lime juice, grenadine, light rum and dark rum. However, some mixologists choose orange caracou over the OJ while others go with a different type of juice altogether. The real "juice," though, is almost always light rum mixed in with a float of dark rum on top.

We can rave about Don the Beachcomber's famed delight that we've had at the Royal Kona or delicious buckets of aloha at Honolulu Airport's Stinger Ray's, but today we shall comment on those more accessible to us. Here we will rate four version of the institution known as the Mai Tai right here in our hometown:

1. 'Ohana - Ohana Mai Tai 8.00
Bacardi Light Rum, Amaretto, orange and pineapple juices, a dash of grenadine, and a float of Myer’s Dark Rum.



We've only been to `Ohana once and we'll get into the food and service in some future post. As for the mai tai, we were not very impressed. In fact, it's our least favorite on the local scene. Too much grenadine and not enough rum made for a lingering, saccharine taste. The Amaretto in lieu of the orgeat is a nice touch if done correctly, though, and we've been inspired to start doing that at home.

2. Hula Hula

Their menu only says "A Blend of Rum & Juices Create this Native Delight." Hula Hula is a relatively new establishment in Seattle's Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. Again, we have only been here once but were impressed with the layout and decor. They even had surfing videos playing behind the bar and the bartender was incredibly friendly.

This one rates fairly high, and deserves an honorable mention. It wasn't too sweet, or toxically strong and the flavors were fresh. Third place, but definitely one to keep on the radar.

3. The Islander

Rum, Apricot Brandy, Crème de Noyeaux, Lime,
Passionfruit, Pineapple Juice, Myer’s Rum Float (8 bucks)

We go to The Islander fairly often, as they have great food, outdoor seating and a wicked drink menu (be careful!). Their mai tai is a bit of a departure, using apricot brandy instead of orange juice and Creme de Noyeaux (an almond liquer) instead of orgeat or amaretto. They serve them in nice tall glasses, and they disappear rapidly. This is one of Seattle's best happy hours all around and home of the second best mai tai in town.

4. Luau



That brings us to the big kahuna, numero uno (or quattro in this list). Hands down the winner for best mai tai in Seattle is Luau Polynesian Lounge in the Green Lake neighborhood.

Kaha Mai Tai
Bacardi Silver, Meyers Dark rum, guava nectar, pineapple juice, Grenadine and the Kaha secret...$6.40

Maybe it's the guava nectar, maybe it's the secret ingredient or perhaps it's the Noon-6pm happy hour when you can suck them down at 5 bucks a pop...this masterpiece is one we always come back to (though Dan G. is currently addicted to their Pina Coladas and that is another post entirely).

We find ourselves at Luau more regularly than any other spot in town, and we don't live very close. Aside from the drinks, the food is `ono and the staff is usually brimming with aloha. We'll be talking about this place often.

Happy Friday. Drink up! A hui hou!

Kaua`i: Beginning overview

We spent six blissful nights exploring the island and just relaxing at our hotel. Some highlights included a guided tour up the Wailua River (the only navigable river in all of Hawai`i) to the Fern Grotto. It's a popular spot to get married.



We also got to go inside the grotto!



We also hiked down to some beautiful beaches, Donkey Beach and Secret Beach.



The beaches in Kaua`i are pristine, and private.



We also saw Waimea Canyon, which was quite breathtaking.


As were the Wailua Falls.



More to come on our hotel, spouting horn, some tropical gardens, the shave ice and some 'ono grindz!

Welcome to our Hawai`i Blog!

This will be a place where we can share our Hawaiian adventures - whether they be on the Islands or here in the Pacific Northwest. Lucky for us, the Seattle area Hawaiian scene is thriving with a number of restaurants, music venues, stores, festivals and a monthly newspaper dedicated to all things Hawaiian in relation to those of us living here in the PNW.

In March 2005, we took our first trip to Hawai`i together. Dan G had been twice before: once to Oahu when he was just three years old, and once in 2003 to the Eastern side of the Big Island with a friend.

After doing some research, we decided on Kaua`i. It being Dan D's first trip to the islands, he wanted to see a less-traveled spot. We stayed for six nights in the Radisson Kaua`i hotel/resort (now the Hilton) in the own of Lihue, which conveniently is where the main airport is located. It was a very short drive to the resort, which was laid out beautifully against the Pacific Ocean with its own private (but not swimmable) beach.

After checking in, we wandered down to the pool area for the Manager's happy hour (free mai tais, beer, wine from 5-6pm!). Sitting there sipping the tropical libations, hearing the faint sound of the ukulele against the waves crashing and looking just feet away from the deep blue sea...it was a turning point. The beginning of our now 3-plus year love affair with the archipelago that is the most isolated land on earth. We'll talk about our 6 nights on the Garden Isle more in further posts, and share pictures.

It wasn't until late November 2006 that we returned to once-named Sandwich Islands. This time we decided to check out the Friendly Isle, Moloka`i. Tourism isn't as rampant on Moloka`i, often referred to as the most "Hawaiian" island. With only three hotels to choose from, we decided to rent a house instead. We loved it! It is now our preferred means of lodging, though we still enjoy a few nights in a hotel here and there.

In future posts, we'll share pictures of the marvelous house (right on the beach!) and all the treasures Moloka`i has to offer.

In the Spring of 2007 we became engaged and it wasn't long after that Hawai`i was decided on as our destination. That October we traveled to the Big Island (a favorite of Dan G's) for 10 nights. We first hit Kona for 3 nights in a hotel and then drove to the Puna region and rented a house for 7 nights. It was on this trip that we found the site of our wedding! More on this trip to come...

And then, of course, we come to June 2008. We flew back to the Big Island, this time in reverse of our previous trip. We spent the first 5 nights in Hilo and the next 5 nights in Kona. We were married June 15, 2008 at the Falls at Reeds Island, the location we fell in love with last October. It was a spectacular trip, a beautiful ceremony and solidified our lasting aloha for these islands (and the Big Island in particular). We'll be back soon, probably next Spring or Summer and hope to increase our stay to three weeks.

This blog is dedicated to sharing our love of all things Hawaiian - the food, the culture, the music, the ecology, the history, the people, the language, and the way of life known simply as aloha that continues to inspire us.

Mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua a Kipa hou mai!