eat, sleep, shit, sew..

Akihiko Izukura Part I

2012-01-30T10:10:00.000-10:00

Taken from Honolulu Academy of Arts:
"From Jan. 11 to 15, renowned Kyoto-based natural textile artist and fashion designer Akihiko Izukura is working on an installation at the Academy Art Center, which flows from the building's Mezzanine out to the front lawn. The work is view through February 15. Izukura recently did an installation on Shikoku, and his Hawai‘i installation uses some of the same elements."

Cage with Rat

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-10:00

Someone is offering a free "Cage with Rat" on Craigslist. It probably is in the best interest of the rat that it go to a more loving home. After all, this person is giving away the cage with a rat, not a rat with a cage....As if the cage is more important or desirable than the rat?

Ugly Kids Table

2012-01-27T08:02:00.001-10:00

I see some funny stuff on Craigslist.

Are you giving away the table that belonged to your ugly kids or an ugly table that belonged to your kids?

"The Tents"

2012-01-12T14:45:00.001-10:00

THE TENTS MOVIE TRAILER from Marcus K Jones on Vimeo.

The official website for the film.

Also, check out Paula Rath's blog for more info. She got to screen the movie already with Lynne Hanzawa O'neill, who of course is featured in the film!

Surfers & Mermaids

2012-01-07T12:44:00.000-10:00

I haven't posted any fashion related topics for a while now. I think I inadvertently fell away from fashion this past year. 2011 was filled with personal, family, and other matters that took my mind off of such things. 2012 shall be different and I will make time to get back into my sewing room and utilize my Fashion Design background (a.k.a. make sure my Mom and Dad know that their efforts to put me through college was not for naught).

For a long time I haven't had that giddy, exuberant feeling in my chest from watching a mind-blowing collection come down the runway. But I kind of felt that feeling when I saw the Givenchy 2012 Spring Ready To Wear:

Happy New Year - 2012!

2012-01-05T14:01:00.001-10:00

Hello, I'm back! I hope you had an enjoyable holiday season. December happened so fast but all of the festivities and time spent with friends and family were enjoyable and I'm very excited for 2012!

By the way..

I am a firm believer that things happen in 3's. Recently, three things around me have died (to put it so bluntly): my grandfather in September, our orange tabby cat - Mr. Yellow, and my front tooth. I hope not to jinx it but this past week my car has also been giving me trouble. Well, it very well could be about that time to start looking for a new car! We shall see about that, I'm excited, although the thrifty part of me would like to run my Altima to the ground.

During our ordeal with Mr. Yellow, I became acquainted with the Kakaako Pet Hospital. Unfortunately he passed away before I could take him to meet the vet. The doctor and her staff were all so compassionate and helpful about our cat whom they had never actually met, and animals in general. It was rather heart-warming! After learning that our cat didn't make it, the staff at the Pet Hospital asked if we would be interested in adopting a rescue cat that they had been helping to recover from a bullet (bibi gun) to its head. A gentleman had found the cat injured in Kalihi near Lanakila Senior Center and brought her to the Pet Hospital. He has been generous and kind in paying for the cat's recovery out of his own pocket but is not able to keep the cat. The Pet Hospital named the cat "Lani", short for the Lanakila Senior Center, where she was found. So last week, with out much thought or reason, I asked to meet this Lani cat. She was feisty and it was apparent her vision and hearing were impaired. But she was really sweet and playful, not to mention a very pretty Russian Blue color. I asked my Mom if she would want another cat in her life. I was actually doubtful that my Mom would want Lani because she was very sad when we lost Mr. Yellow and I thought she might not want to have to deal with the loss of a cat again. (I know I am making us out to sound like crazy cat people, but we really aren't!) But to my surprise, my Mom said to bring her home. So before the New Year weekend, we brought Lani home to do a test-run. Well, the rest is history and we've kind of fallen in love with this feline. I bought her some catnip toys but she was not interested in them. CJ said, "Our cat is not normal." And it's so true! With her vision and hearing impairments she really is a special cat, funny and charming more than anything. I was talking to my Mom about our rescue cat adoption and she said, "Well maybe the cat is the one rescuing us!" I had to laugh because she's right! It's been therapeutic and fun to have Lani around.

I haven't had a chance to take any pictures of Lani in her new home but here a few shots courtesy of my friend Janice, who is a huge cat lover and came along with me to meet Lani for the first time at Kakaako Pet Hospital.

Shaka Kalikimaka

2011-12-25T13:49:00.000-10:00

Last night I attempted to take a photo of the Christmas tree in bokeh. I clearly need a tripod! Oh well, I tried! Merry Christmas to you and yours. I hope you are all well and toasty and with the ones you love. Peace on earth..

Owwwwch

2011-12-19T10:22:00.001-10:00

I have never been in so much pain and discomfort in my life. I feel like a big wuss saying this because there are people out there with bigger problems. But my tooth and gums are so sore, I even asked CJ to punch my mouth and knock out my teeth. I would be better off. I too feel the urge to punch myself and even someone else's face in. Anything can set me off. It is really bad. It is a deep, dull, throbbing pain. Last night, I even started to cry, really hard. I freaked out wondering if it turned out to be really bad, like a cancer in my mouth. My customer told me this morning that their former UPS guy disappeared one day. When he asked why, he found out the guy had a tooth abscess that he didn't take care of in time and one day, he just went make. What if I need to pull out my tooth? Lucky me, it's my front and center bottom tooth. Fuuuuuck. Well that should be the least of my worries. I think it's because I have been drinking too much soda. The soda fountain here at the store makes it too easy. I have never had a cavity or a tooth issue in my entire life. I guess shit happens. I made a dentist appointment for this afternoon and that hour cannot come soon enough. Sorry for my potty mouth. I feel like I'm going to die.

R.I.P. Mr. Yellow

2011-12-16T14:26:00.001-10:00

Rest in peace, Mr. Yellow aka kolohe aka cat..

Mr.Yellow started showing up at our house years ago. He would beg for food, try to get in our house, claw open the screen door, paw at us in fun whenever we walked by. He was really a nuisance and although he was really playful, his used his claws and teeth so we kept our distance. Then one day he disappeared. Months later he showed up again with a collar around his neck. He was actually much more mellow and tame so someone in the neighborhood must have taken him in. More recently he started hanging out in our patio every day and just being the sweetest old man cat. We aren't certain but think he may have eaten something bad, maybe a poisoned bird, but he was really weak and stopped eating. We scheduled a vet appointment for yesterday at 8am but he didn't make it through the night.

Here he is a few weeks ago, chilling with me in the patio..

Mr. Yellow on Wednesday, the day he passed away..

XXXII

2011-12-09T07:03:00.001-10:00

I just celebrated a birthday last week. I had some family in town to celebrate with and all was mellow, perfect, and well. There are a few more gatherings with friends to be had in the next few weeks too. It can be hard to round up the troops during this time of year what with all of the holiday hoo-hah.

I realized this year that birthdays are not so much about celebrating the birthday boy or girl alone, it's more about gathering with the ones you care about that makes it so fun and celebratory.

Lost But Not

2011-12-06T07:06:00.001-10:00

I haven't forgotten this place. I've just gotten a little lazy in uploading pictures and I've been spending a lot more of my time on my Tumblr page....To see, click here or on the "Inspiration + Smiles" tab above.

And here's some recent random snapshots, some from before Thanksgiving..

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:31:00.000-10:00

Unfortunately I have to work this coming Friday after Thanksgiving Day but fortunately as much as I want to shop the deals, I really have no interest in engaging in any of the madness that comes with it, long lines to get into a store, nor long lines to check out of the store. Although I do hope to drop by the Art and Flea on Friday at Fresh Cafe since I'll be right there for work anyway. But ultimately I'd rather stay home and paint my sewing-studio-room! Oh well, that will have to wait til Sunday.

I don't have any Thanksgiving-y pictures but I'll leave you with these happy fern leaves from the front yard. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

More Krink

2011-11-23T12:57:00.000-10:00

I'll Be In The Sale Aisle

2011-11-21T13:01:00.000-10:00

Snow in Paradise

2011-11-20T12:55:00.000-10:00

Hello, Old Friend

2011-11-18T12:22:00.001-10:00

This orange cat, he used to be very feisty and playful and claw open our screen door, trying to come inside of our house. We fed him regularly. Our patio was his home. But one day he stopped coming around, and that was a sad day.

Some time later, he came back with a collar on. Someone had taken him in and adopted him. He would come by every few months or so.

He decided to show up again recently, still with a collar, but he sticks around all day and night waiting for us to feed him. He's an old man now, at the least, 7 years old. And we can finally pet him and he'll just jump on your lap and purr.

Kids These Days

2011-11-08T10:24:00.001-10:00

I mentioned in a previous blog about my neighbor who has a dog that barks viciously whenever she hears or sees us in our yard, driveway, and garage. She will bark at us when we are walking to get our mail/newspaper, watering the plants, and getting in/out of our car. Sometimes she will come up to the stone wall and show her fangs, other times it will bark at us from their front screen door. It is so excessive and so dreadful. Both hibiscus bushes at the end of the driveway died because my mom couldn't bear to water them any more while being harassed by the dog.

The latest incident with this neighbor happened last week. A young lady (my mom said she looked like a teenager) was watching a young baby play near their front door while the two dogs were in the yard. She stood there with her arms folded across her chest and eyeballed my mom, who was watering some plants, for several minutes while the two dogs were yapping at my mom by the stone wall that separates our houses.

I told my mom that she should have hosed the dogs with water but she said she probably would have sprayed the girl too. Haha, if only! Have you ever seen a soft-spoken, elegant little lady's blood boil? That's my mom when she hears the dog yapping. I truly feel horrible when this happens. On a serious note though, I cannot imagine ever acting like that to any of my neighbor-aunties. If any of the neighborhood kids tried, we would have gotten slapped silly. (One aunty is a retired police officer, another is a school prinicipal! You just don't mess.) It's all just a little sad, really, because this same neighborhood that I grew up in was awesome. Many of us kids were all around the same age and we came around 30-strong, maybe even 40, we ran around everyday until that sun set and we were called in for dinner, we had amazing annual block parties, we dabbled in your typical-kid innocent mischievousness, we played hard, and everyone knew everyone.

But now, with these unpersonable neighbors on one side and these people-who-don't-know-how-to-manage-their-dog-and-need-to take-their-dog-for-a-walk neighbors on the other side, I realize that you just can't get along with all of your neighbors. It's a weird and shitty feeling but I suppose after all, it's been a long time since Mililani was named the "All-American City" in 1986.

P.S. When I have a chance, I'd like to talk to my neighbors and maybe suggest they try this citronella-spraying dog collar which a friend said worked for their excitable dog.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects

2011-11-07T13:09:00.000-10:00

I just tried Sally Hansen's "Salon Effect" nail strips in "Laced Up". I was hesitant to try it because my hands and nails always take a beating and can't hold nail polish for more than a day with out getting chipped. And chipped nails annoy me to no end! I applied the nail designs two days ago with out a top coat finish and it's held up quite nicely! It's supposed to last around 10 days.

The kit comes with 16 nail applications in various sizes. Some of the nail sizes didn't quite fit my nail beds but it's not horribly noticeable. And because I have short nails, I came out with a lot of excess and probably have enough for two more manicures/pedicures. Three applications for $10 is a pretty good deal if you ask me!

Murmuration

2011-11-06T13:06:00.000-10:00

Please click on over to the "VIDEOS" page on my blog and watch the video there with the water spots on the screen. It's that viral video of a "Murmuration" by a gal named Sophie Windsor Clive. You might find yourself watching it like 5 times in a row like I did.

I am spending my Sunday quietly, resting with food/cooking channels on the tv in the background. I feel fine but I have a bit of a head cold and I feel like a faucet -- my eyes keep watering uncontrollably and I have a runny nose.

Also, if you have a few minutes to spare, here is "A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs" which ran in the New York Times. I think I'll go read it again since I'm already teary-eyed.

Oh gosh, and I just remembered that the APEC conference starts this week here in Hawaii. I'm really nervous anticipating the traffic and I hope I won't be affected by it too much! Here's the APEC Hawaii 2011 Survival Guide by Honolulu Civil Beat.

Rotate, Rotate

2011-10-25T11:09:00.001-10:00

This is a rather random topic but I just wanted to put myself out there as a possible jackass by stating the obvious..but it's because I care about YOU!

CJ and I were purchasing new car tires at Costco on Sunday. Two females, probably in their 30's, walked in and were picking out tires as well. They started conversing and confessing their lack of knowledge about tire care: "Yeah, they went tell me to change da tires I guess cuz da ting was worn out. I neva know you had to rotate em! Rotate em? I don't know no females out dea dat know dey gotta rotate da tires...."

(Ok, don't mind my attempt to type in Pidgin. Haven't done that in a while.)

CJ was just chuckling at the ladies, who seemed to enjoy the attention. I avoided all eye contact because I felt shame for their ignorance, and I just stared downwards at one of the ladies' jangly Hawaiian bracelets on her arm. I'm not even trying to stereotype here, it's really what I was looking at. Actually there is nothing to stereotype here. My point here, my friends, is to make sure you all know that you should rotate your automobiles' tires every several thousand miles or several times a year. I don't know much about cars myself but I do know that Uncle Lex and Costco will rotate your tires free of charge when the 4 tires are purchased from them. Fortunately for me, Uncle Lex is right up the road from work so you can find me there regularly. They are very good to me: they are very friendly and professional, their coffee in their waiting lounge is decent, AND they are a drop-off point for glossy paper (magazines, etc.) on behalf of Hagadone Printing Company who recycles it! (Yes, I am a psycho recycler and go through newspaper to pull out all the glossies. It may seem sad that I have time to do this but it's because I think about the children and grandchildren I will have one day and I am THAT conscientous. This is for a whole nother blog post.)

P.S. Here's a nice little article in this past Sunday's "USA Weekend" entitled, "4 ways to cut the cost of car ownership".

Droplets

2011-10-21T17:00:00.000-10:00

I especially love when the rain dumps down and the afterward is eerily still, damp, and gray.

Routine

2011-10-20T07:57:00.000-10:00

RIP Sim

2011-10-15T14:18:00.000-10:00

The older rescue chinchilla that I adopted last month passed away last night. She was such a sweet little violet chinchilla, but apparently had a rough life. We found that she had several broken toes in her front foot, a broken hind foot, a slightly deformed/flattened side of her face, and she was severely malnourished.

For the past month that we've had her, I think she found happiness. She was constantly munching the Timothy Hay and drank lots of water. But yesterday morning, she was showing weakness. And when I got home last night, her condition had worsened and in her last hours, just lay on her side in a blanket in my lap. I would have stayed up all night with her but CJ insisted that we let her rest, as well as us. So we kept her in a box near our bed and we heard her last breath shortly before we fell asleep. This morning we buried her in our triangle garden where we had buried our pet cocker spaniel, Brian, in 1987.

You can rest now, Sim..

Chicken Skin

2011-10-10T17:13:00.001-10:00

With Halloween around the corner, I thought I'd share this story with you, about the spirit of a young 10-year old Punahou boy....

XO

2011-10-08T14:58:00.001-10:00

I have some family in town so things are still a little hectic.

"Pink Simplicity" roses are supposed to bloom in doubles. The plant bloomed like ten at once and I happened to see this one but yesterday my mom said she thinks it's a defective rose bush because they haven't really been blooming in doubles. Maybe I just got lucky to catch this one.

Main Post Office

2011-09-28T08:34:00.000-10:00

I have fond memories of the Main Post Office in downtown Honolulu. My grandpa used to keep a P.O. box there. As a very young girl, he would take me with him to gather his mail several times a week. The memories are vivid like it was yesterday: the anticipation while turning the mail box key, the gorgeous and detailed brass doors all lined up, it seemed like a million mail boxes back then.

Last week, I ran a few errands downtown on foot so I popped into the Post Office. I was glad to see it has hardly changed. Just a few additions like the surveillance cameras above head.

Ilaniwai

2011-09-27T07:33:00.000-10:00

Radishes, Salt, & Butter on Bread

2011-09-22T08:06:00.001-10:00

I finally got around to trying this super-duper easy dish of radishes, salt, and butter on bread using the radishes from the second Oahu Fresh CSA I received last Wednesday. It was the perfect mindless and quick meal to put together and fill me up after a long day at work.

This calls to use the finest of breads, salts, and butter. I just opted to use what I had available in the pantry: Challenge unsalted butter and Kosher salt, and it worked out fine for me. Mines does not look quite as nice as theirs either but for best results, don't forget to serve on a great vintage Disney plate from your past!

I was reading through the comments where I picked up this "recipe" and found a lot of people saying that they grew up eating this summer snack, served up by their grandmothers. Funny thing is that I shared mines with my grandma, and she really enjoyed it too!

P.S. These radishes from Kahuku had a kick to them. So good..I never knew radishes could be spicy! But then again, I've never really taken to eating radishes. But that will change now.

More for Grandpa

2011-09-21T14:56:00.000-10:00

CJ & Mom

Podium Raceway

2011-09-20T07:57:00.000-10:00

Last night CJ and I went to Podium Raceway out in Campbell. I had purchased a Groupon ($25 for 2 adult races) but it expired this past Friday. We went anyway because they were having their Monday night special for the same deal. The manager was kind enough to let us come back anytime this week to use the expired Groupon.

Nitty gritty aside, we had a complete total serious blast! Apparently I had such a great adrenaline rush that I woke up with the same headache from last night, this morning. CJ and I did one race, which is 14 laps around the track. I was blasting the straightaways and hooking all the turns like a mad woman and finished in 9th place....out of 10! Right after the race, I was so parched I downed a whole can of soda. Haha, I really felt like I was going fast but I guess not fast enough! On the other hand, CJ, my speedracer hero, came in 2nd place! I am so impressed and stoked for him. He ranked at the 86th percentile of all, number 6,943 out of 50,639. (I however, ranked at the 18th percentile, 41,557 of 50,639.) We'll be going back sometime this week. Anyone wanna join?

Here are our race results:

Jayp 9th Place
Performance Timing System(PTS) 1144
Ranked 41,552 of 50,645 (17.95 %)
Racer since: 09/19/11. 1st visit, 1st race.
Laptimes (14 Lap Race)9/19/2011 7:16 PM

Spunjah 2nd Place
Performance Timing System(PTS) 1281
Ranked 6,943 of 50,645 (86.29 %)
Racer since: 09/19/11. 1st visit, 1st race.
Laptimes (14 Lap Race)9/19/2011 7:16 PM

One Week Since

2011-09-19T15:32:00.000-10:00

My grandfather passed away, somewhat unexpectedly, last week. I say "somewhat unexpectedly" because while he lived a long 93 years, the turn of events during his last few days blindsided us. It took two days but I am now firm on relinquishing any regrets and what-if's.

The very last sunset of his days

Pupukea

An aster that I planted just bloomed :)

2011-09-14T17:57:00.000-10:00

Had a nice girlfriend reunion over dinner last night. Thank you D, for hosting and making your incredible pasta for us!

Community Supported Agriculture

2011-09-12T16:19:00.001-10:00

I picked up my very first CSA this past Wednesday from Oahu Fresh. Included in the CSA, were Nalo Farms arugula, a Kama`aina Land avocado, a bag of mushrooms from Small Kine Farm, a couple heads of Maunawili Greens hydroponic lettuce,a Pit Farms zucchini and green onion bundle (with roots still attached), and some slicing tomatoes from Green Growers.

I'm thinking about continuing to pick up a CSA biweekly from Oahu Fresh. It works out perfectly since I can pick it up right next door (at Fresh Cafe) from my workplace. The freshness of the produce and the convenience is worth the $20 cost for me.

So far, we've used the veggies in sandwiches, yakisoba, salads, and these baked zucchini fries below. Only one zucchini came in the CSA but yesterday we stopped by the produce tent in Waipio Gentry (across Ka Uka Blvd. from Costco, near Pearl Harbor Federal Credit Union) and found they had zucchini so we picked up two more.

Here is the baked zucchini fries recipe I used. I substituted the bread crumbs with panko because that's what I had available. I made the mistake of removing the skin of the zucchini. I think had I kept it on, it would have been a little firmer when eating. But it turned out fine otherwise and it was such a simple recipe, just my speed.

They Make Great Pets

2011-09-07T16:05:00.000-10:00

I hope that you had a great Labor Day weekend. I actually had the day off on Monday! I can't recall the last time I've had 2 days off in a row! I didn't really get to go outdoors or do anything wild and crazy. We actually kept it very domestic and took on a few small projects around the house like installing a closet in the bathroom and replacing some bathroom fixtures. If I could, I would spend all my time and money at City Mill doing home projects. Serious fun..And definitely showing my Aunty-status! Oh gee..

On Sunday afternoon in the Waikele area, CJ and I witnessed an accident. A golden retriever darted into the street and was struck by an oncoming truck. The truck was going a bit above the speed limit and the dog was not a leash. After being struck, the dog rolled over and quickly limped back to its owner. Surprisingly, the truck driver rolled ahead, stepped on his brakes a bit like he was thinking and hesitating, but then he just took off. He had to stop at the first stoplight so CJ and I were able to take off in our car and eventually catch his license plate. I was sobbing as I chased the prick down, it was kind of pathetic. But it was just so heartbreaking to see this beautiful, playful dog taken down like that.We went back the next day to give the owners our contact information (if they need to use us as witnesses) and of course we were curious how the dog was doing. The owners had x-rays taken and miraculously not a single bone was broken. He was so very lucky!

On a side note..I'm not sure if the owners of the dog can pursue the truck driver, since it involved an animal. They called the police who said nothing could be done but they were going to try to contact them again.

In other animal news..

I am the new mother of two chinchillas! They are older and I believe they are rescues, perhaps from a chinchilla farm. The female violet appears to be possibly blind or with very poor eyesight and quite malnourished as I can feel the bones all over her back although it's not so visible with her fur. I am eager to get her back to a healthy state. She's also a bit timid and shakey. I find myself really enjoying watching her eat and it's made me understand the feeling my grandparents and parents have and the joy they get in feeding me! The male ebony is a bit bigger and seems to be in good health but he has one deformed ear. I believe it may have been caused by over-crowding or maybe he was attacked by something and that's how it healed.

Meet Sim and Simma, named after my original late chinchilla, Simsimma:

More on Mom..

2011-09-01T07:42:00.000-10:00

I love my mom to pieces but I have to say that sometimes she is a little dyslexic which I think is due to her FOB-ness. English is her second language behind Japanese. She cracks me up with some of things that come out of her mouth, like:

Michael George

Gaga Lady

Mick Jaguar

You Become Your Mother

2011-08-30T11:30:00.002-10:00

My mom has about a half-dozen huge psuedo-ceramic pots (they are made of plastic) around the yard. Some are used as planters while some fill up with water from the rain. My mom puts guppies from the fishpond into those with water so that it doesn't become a breeding spot for mosquitoes. She then eventually uses that water to water the plants. Yesterday as she was scooping out water, I cautioned her to be sure she's not scooping up the guppies too. But she said it's ok, there's plenty more in the fishpond. And such is the circle of life I suppose.

Drizzles and droplets somehow from blue skies.

To the brim, it's been raining hard.

Clouds and algae, and other gunk. I could stare for hours.

In addition to the guppies, I suppose my mom calls the shots for these snails. I found this ~~graveyard~~ bucket of shells on the side of the house. Snail no jinsei, at the Park residence.

Fitness Ball

2011-08-26T14:01:00.004-10:00

A couple days a week, I work a 10-hour shift where I spend a lot of time sitting. Recently I started to feel a little weirdness in my back. Also, an article in Monday's Honolulu Star Advertiser freaked me out and reminded me that sitting for too long can be bad and can "take years off of your life"! So I purchased the 75cm Fitness Ball from Sports Authority, STAT.

$30 at Sports Authority, Comes in 55, 65 and 75cm

I'm not implying that this ball is going to solve my sitting problems and prevent any bad effects, but so far I am liking it as my chair replacement. After one day of using it, my legs felt a little fatigued at the end of the day and my hamstrings were a little tight but it felt good, like they had been worked. I'm not so sure if this ball is meant for sitting on for long periods of time but it comes with a hand pump should it start deflating a bit.

At work: My "chair"

While I'm at it, a few other scenes at work from this past week..My old friend Jimmy, probably one of our best customers, prefers his shave ice in a transparent container:

Heleconia from the yard. I remember almost 20 years ago, when we hand-carried a bunch of these heleconia, bird of paradise, and ginger plants on the plane from the Big Island. They are doing well and still thriving.

Bon Odori!

2011-08-25T00:00:00.001-10:00

I took my Grandma to the Mililani Bon Dance this past weekend. The weather was a bit iffy but it cleared up just as we headed out the door although it did drizzle a bit through out the evening.

They were selling shave ice, coffee, dried fruits and seeds, plants, handmade items and trinkets, some White Elephant items, and andagi! The line for the andagi was long but worth the wait! Fresh, piping hot andagi! The chicken hekka and fried noodles were pretty good too.

I overheard that the Manoa and Mililani bon dances are the most crowded. I ran into so many people and saw so many familiar faces in the crowd!

The Obon season is near the end but there are still a handful more of festivities. There is some information/schedule of events here.

Side Job

2011-08-24T13:20:00.001-10:00

Somehow I accumulated four projects in the past couple of weeks. With more than half of my belongings still in boxes from my move, I have no idea why I've decided to take them all on. But I did. So I have no choice but to go head-on into them as painlessly and swiftly as possible. Maybe after September after I've completed some of the tasks, I'll be able to tackle some of the things that need to be done around the house.

If I could, I would spend my days in the garden. I don't have a green thumb but I enjoy weeding and manicuring and the upkeep of plants. I think yardmen do make good money! In fact, we have a yardman just to help maintain our 2-dozen or so manila palms. We pay him a nice sum of cash every few weeks and I hear he always busts out a thick, thick wad of cash from his pocket!

Here are a few things blooming in the garden..

Ain't No Shame In My Game

2011-08-20T13:28:00.003-10:00

One of my regular customers rolls up to buy his cigarettes. He starts pulling out one dollar bill at a time, each of them crumpled up in a ball in his pocket. I just start chuckling, my goofy chuckle.

He provides an explanation:
He: "I think I have enough. I had a rough night....I had a rought night...."
Me: "Yeah well, at least you were well enough to consider having enough for your cigarettes today."
He: "But this is just the last of what I had from a $100 bill!"

It was humorous to me that this typically-quiet customer decided to open up and divulge this information to me today.

And then towards the end of the day, an acquaintance comes in to buy her cigarettes. She blurts out: "Sorry I gotta pay you with my stripper ones."
Me: "Haaaah. This guy this morning paid with his stripper ones too."
She: "No, but these REALLY ARE my stripper ones."

Ok, I didn't know, but I believe you.

Nails

2011-08-17T15:02:00.001-10:00

It's one of those afternoons where I've encountered one asshole after another. So that I won't let it get the best of me, I decided to look at some cheerful photographs to make them go away. (Go away in my head of course, not in real, real life. We need to keep some assholes around to remind us what we've got and how not to act.)

I was feeling nails (I usually don't use that term, "nails" but I happened to have a picture of nails, so.) but now I'm not! I'm sure you will find it evident from the pictures below that food makes me very happy!

B&B

2011-08-15T13:21:00.001-10:00

Where we (used to) Stay

2011-08-12T00:00:00.014-10:00

After a beautiful afternoon burning my backside at Rocky Point, CJ and I had lunch: a sandwich from Storto's for me, and a burger from Kua Aina for CJ. Storto's is always killer but too bad they disregarded my request and included stinking alfalfa sprouts in my sandwich. That stuff gives me gag reflex.

Storto's door all stickered up and the PRIMO guy! And I just noticed some boys' school pictures on it too, haha.

The Ette

2011-08-11T00:00:00.004-10:00

Once upon a time, when we had time on our side, my girlfriends and I used to play out on the North Shore on a regular basis. Yet somehow I had never heard of Kahuku Superette, let alone venture much farther than Sunset Beach or the Crawford Convalescent Home. I think we were too concerned about getting our tan on at Rocky Point or Papailoas and stuffing our faces at Miura's ($2.50 shave ice w/icecream in the bowl), Rosie's (nacho salad and underaged margarita consummation!), or Kua Aina (back when their burgers and fries were the jam! We went there on Sunday and it wasn't the same..)

Anyway, it wasn't until fairly recently that I heard about the Ette's amazing poke through this video posted on Contrast Mags' blog:

So I finally made it out there and this is what I had for breakfast! Who says you can't have poke for breakfast?

One by One

2011-08-10T11:42:00.000-10:00

One of my best friends got married this past weekend out on the North Shore. After the bridal shower on Friday morning, we went to the wedding venue, which was also the beach house her family rented for the wedding week. I was asked to help sew some seagrape leis for the children and bridesmaid.

We spent the whole afternoon relaxing while drinking beers and collecting seagrapes and sewing them up. For some reason it took a really long time to string them. Perhaps because they are tough, hard little suckers to stick with the needle. Plus the kids were playing with them and letting them roll off the table. Oh, and all the chatting and beers might've had something to do with it too. It was one of those perfect afternoons.

Bracelets and anklets for the kiddies

The bride and her bridesmaid/twin sister with the finished product! Don't you think the seagrape lei turned out lovely?

Summer Days

2011-08-09T09:51:00.001-10:00

My brother, sister, and I live on the opposite ends of the island from one another and with our busy schedules and lives, we hardly get to see one another. But yesterday, I got to venture out to my sister's side of the island on the east side. My 3-year old niece and 9-year old nephew are growing up so fast so I enjoy every moment I can with them. I thought my nephew was in the 4th grade but turns out he is already in the 5th grade and just started playing flag football.

The Eternity Beach

Mother Nature, blowing my mind. A banana plant.

All the textures..

It's been scorching hot recently. We had to take matters outside to cool off.

Soba with shrimp

My niece getting to work in some coloring books I gave her. She is a lefty.

From the canopy, where I took a cat nap..

Untied but not Undone

2011-08-03T14:32:00.001-10:00

In my last post I mentioned I would be tied up as I move houses. August has arrived and I am so happy because the moving is over! Now, to deal with the unpacking and settling in.

I found my old diaries and it is humorous and absurd! I sure was an opinionated little girl! Some things never change. I will share some diary entries with you in the near future.

In other news, may I give this unsolicited advice to all:

Do not be ridiculous!
Do not assume shit!

For the past 8 years, I was being ridiculous and assuming shit. My car air conditioner was temperamental from the beginning. It would only turn on if I hit a hard bump in the road (So I would aim for things such as potholes to jolt the damn thing alive. Ridiculous and not good, I know.). Then the power/fan speed 1, then, 2, then 3 stopped working. It would only blow on high speed 4. Mind you, it would blow hot air like a hair blowdryer. Life was miserable. I assumed repairing it would cost hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars because I've heard so many horror stories about the cost to fix an AC. At one point, my grandparents even offered to pay for the repairs but I declined the offer as I couldn't justify paying the imaginary huge bill for cold air.

Well, something in me changed. Actually, it wasn't in me, it is this damned Earth that is heating up; even though some people deny this fact, I can tell you that it certainly is, and those people are just being ridiculous. Anyway, this fine Summer of 2011, I had one too many miserable bloody hot car rides which got to be almost inhumane. I took the car across the street to the AC-fix-it-guy (The very nice Mr. Larry Liu of Norther Auto Air Conditioning). Turns out, it was a $50 electrical part that needed to be replaced, the AC was fine. When Mr. Liu told me the cost, I pardoned myself as I laughed for not doing it sooner and almost punched my own face.

Again, the moral of my story is to go check things out for yourself, don't be ridiculous, don't assume things, you might miss out on something really good!

Crosswalking

2011-07-26T10:43:00.002-10:00

My daily route to work takes me down Bishop Street in downtown Honolulu. I love people watching there so sometimes I don't mind getting stuck at each traffic light. I watch the people and imagine what their occupations are, where they work, observe their clothes, if their shoes fit properly, wonder if they are happy, if they have a nice family, what their hobbies might be..Basically being very judgemental by assuming so many things just by their 10-second catwalk cameo.

Today I was the first car at the Bishop/King stoplight so I got to watch the throngs of people crossing the street. I noticed about five people with a Starbucks in hand. And all five of them looked like work-robots with muffin tops sipping from green straws! Even the slender girl had a muffin top! Oh my god, I swore to myself then and there that I never will be a Starbucks-toting-muffin-topped-robot, ever. As I drink my Royal Mills from a can..

Tied Up

2011-07-24T22:22:00.000-10:00

I've been a bit tied up as I prepare to move my grandparents out of their house tomorrow and as CJ and I move next week. Madness! But not really. Sometimes I imagine us freaking out at the last minute trying to pack our lives up, haphazardly throwing everything into boxes. It's these moments of panic and fear that have helped me clean/pack sporadically and spontaneously over the past several months. I think we'll be okay. We've also decided to forgo offers to borrow friends' muscles and trucks to transport heavy furniture. Instead we've hired a professional moving company because we don't want to deal with it!

I can't wait for the dust to settle..

Planking

2011-07-21T09:45:00.001-10:00

I didn't expect to weigh in on the planking phenomenon here on my blog. But here I am.

This morning I had a terrible dream. I was at the beach and kids were playing in the shore break. All of a sudden, a huge whale's tail showed up in the surface water. Then somehow it was suddenly a shark (you know how dreams tend to have a life of it's own) that was taking this little boy by the leg for a ride. Being a shark, even if only playing, it was still violent. It tossed the kid around, pushing his now limp body around in the water. Then it grabbed the boys head in his jaws and flailed him over, guarantee breaking his neck. I woke up then.

Anyway I think the dream stemmed from this image that I saw yesterday of a boy planking on a whale?

My thoughts on planking? Not much really. It's so 17 years ago, so they say.

Citizen of the Month

2011-07-19T10:11:00.001-10:00

I loved the window displays and decoration in the Anthropologie store at Caeser's in Vegas. The great thing is that all of these projects are so DIY-able.

Sculpted and painted cardboard egg trays

Denim display board and light fixtures

Envelopes!

My Lucky Number is 4 too

2011-07-18T08:11:00.000-10:00

Woke up this Monday morning, checked into my Google Reader, and found this video on Dimepiece' website. It just so happened to be 20 minutes (A bit long but so worth it!), just in time for me to watch and get started on my sewing marathon at 8am.

Here are the Tofo Tofo dancers Beyonce used in her video:

City Center

2011-07-17T00:00:00.005-10:00

I thought I was done sharing my trip pictures but there's this one last batch I forgot. You may recognize this not-to-be-forgotten explosion of watercraft sculpture. It's very cool and all but I don't really care for it in particular because I don't understand how it fits into the theme of The City Center, which I interpret to be very stark, modern, luxurious, and edgy. The names they've given their facilities are likewise: Aria, Vdara, Crystals..There are elements of water like that neat cascading wall of water at the front of The Aria. But just because you have water doesn't necessarily mean you can have boat.

If anyone has an explanation for me, do tell. But really, who cares about my opinion on this anyway? It's built, it's there, and I guess it's at least interesting to look at. Maybe I'm just salty because the Blackjack table at the Aria was brutal!

A game of Chess at Crystals

I just had a revelation. Maybe the jumble of boats indicate what would happen to them after they sailed over a huge waterfall.

Wildflower

2011-07-16T14:27:00.004-10:00

I came across these flowers near Kuakini Hospital. They reminded me of my daily walk home from elementary school where there was the same flower bush at the corner of Lanikuhana and Meheula in Mililani. Although, I just remembered that my brother once pushed me into the bushes and that shit really hurt.

Speaking of Mililani..I am excited to move back to my hometown. But it's noticeable that this little town has grown and changed quite a bit in both positive and junk ways. It saddens me that the three newest neighbors in our cul-de-sac can't even wave a hello and they speed in and out of our street like a terror. When one of the families moved in a year or two ago, they left their car headlights on one evening. It was pretty late at night, around midnight, when my Mom noticed. But she didn't want them to wake up the next morning with a dead battery and no place to go. So thinking she was being a good neighbor, she rang their doorbell and let them know. They straight looked at her like she was the devil for disturbing their sleep then went ahead and turned off the headlights. There was never a "thankyou" or any sign of gratefulness that night or ever. Awkward, ungrateful, unsocialized assholes, I tell you. I miss the good neighbors that once lived there. I'll just keep looking at these super cute wildflowers....

Serendipity3

2011-07-15T00:00:00.005-10:00

Per my cousin's high recommendation, we visited Serendipity3, near Caeser's Palace. I didn't think that we would be making a meal out of it as I thought they just served desserts. But I'm not griping. The dessert and regular menu was all delicious!

While we waited for a table to open up, we helped ourselves to the bar. We ordered their famous Frrrrrozen Hot Chocolate. It was huge and we shared it amongst 6 of us. Yes, 6 of us! It was the precursor to our "real" food.

My crabcake salad with large chunks of avocado and grapefruit (or is that jabong?).

Miniature Fair + Hot Air Balloons

2011-07-14T00:00:00.002-10:00

I always love the Bellagio. I really wanted to just trample over the flowers to sit on this red bench!

Country Folk on the Strip

2011-07-13T09:42:00.001-10:00

Teleport to Las Vegas..

My family typically stays at the California Hotel to accommodate my older relatives who only play the Sam Boyd machines. They do tend to pay out better than the casinos on the strip, in our experience. But this time, we spent part of our stay on the strip, here..

There is no turning back once you've stayed here. There is all sorts of ridiculousness such as the gorgeous view and this..

I tried to tease Steve (Steve Wynn, that is. By the way, according to one of his employees that happens to be my friend, I hear he is a royal A-hole. Why am I not surprised however?) by removing the bag of chips and water bottle for 30-seconds then replacing it. One night my cousin found the water bottle tipped over! For sure none of us touched it. She put it back right away and when we checked out, found that we weren't charged.

My dream job? Taking care of the floral displays at one of these crazy hotels!

So long, Long Beach!

2011-07-12T00:00:00.003-10:00

A sparkling blue lake! Too bad the picture doesn't show the true blue.

Dinner at Shady Canyon

2011-07-11T00:00:00.001-10:00

I beg your pardon in advance. I don't mean to toot my horn but I don't think I can say it with out sounding like I am.

We had dinner at my cousins' home in Irvine. Their home is so grand that we had dinner in their 11-car garage which houses a flat-screen tv and a kitchenette. I will leave it at that.

My Uncle and Aunty once owned a restaurant and catering business in Gardena. Although retired, my Aunty still has her touch and put on a phenomenonal feast for us. And her two daughters, equally as talented as their Mom, whipped up some amazing desserts!

Home-made chocolate covered strawberries. The best I've ever had.

Assorted mochi

Father's Day at the Getty Center

2011-07-10T00:00:00.002-10:00

My Dad wanted to visit the Getty Center during our stay in LA. Being that he was so accommodating and patient to the rest of our wants and needs on the trip, we wanted to make sure he got his day as well.

We arrived at the Getty at around 11am on that Sunday/Father's Day. There was no wait nor crowd to get in. But as we left at around 2:30pm, the crowd had grown and there was a long line of people waiting to get trammed up to the museum.

I highly recommend visiting the Getty, and as early in the day as possible. There is a $15 parking fee per vehicle but no individual entrance fee.

We were a bit short on time so we opted to take the 1-hour tour through the different exhibits. It highlighted some of the museum's popular paintings and sculptures. We also took a moment to view "Fashion in the Middle Ages" and Cuban photography display.

Her beautiful jacket!

The Gardens

My favorite outdoor sculpture. Reminded me of sculptures at TCM back home.

I stalked a very posh Korean family dressed in black.

Felt like Home

2011-07-09T00:00:00.000-10:00

The L.A. gloom burnt off by noon and the pool-side wedding felt just like a wedding in Hawaii..

Uncle on the right trying to intercept..

First dance

Pacific Wing Arts

2011-07-08T00:00:00.000-10:00

The Thai wedding festivities were held in a residential Long Beach neighborhood. A typical suburb with Spanish-style homes, palm trees and telephone wires above head, parked cars on every curb, and a mix of ethnicities on any given street. Up the way, there is a Roscoe's Chicken' & Waffles (Sidenote: which sometimes has an hour-long wait in the mornings!). This area is a bit of a ghetto.

Amidst this bustling neighborhood, we stumbled across a diamond in the rough: a beautiful garden with oversized artwork and an art studio. Being curious, I let myself into the garden and was greeted by Trace Fukuhara, the artist/caretaker/owner of the grounds, called "Pacific Wind Art & Sculpture Garden". This lot was formerly a nursery, which Fukuhara's parents owned.

Solidarity - Strength in Numbers

The artist explained that he was commissioned to create these huge mosaic vases. I can't recall where they would be going..was it the airport or somewhere in downtown LA? They all had a marine theme and he created each mosaic!

Octopus

Thai Wedding Festivities - Part II

2011-07-07T00:00:00.001-10:00

Following the first night of festivities, there was the actual Thai wedding day which consisted of a small parade and ceremony. The family members carried offerings such as fruits, ducks, bowls, and money.

They wore their best Thai silk..

In the meantime, of course there was more Thai food and shots, despite the fact that it was 9 in the morning. I don't know if it's a Thai thing, but their drink of choice is Remy.

Long Beach Pier

2011-07-06T00:00:00.000-10:00

Thai Wedding Festivities - Part I

2011-07-05T11:46:00.001-10:00

My cousin Ryans' wedding included both American and Thai festivities as his new bride is Thai. We were introduced to her family, who flew in from all over Asia and Europe, at a gathering at her families' home in Long Beach. This was the first of two Thai ceremonies.

Through out the evening, there was delicious home-made noodles to feast on. It was similar to Vietnamese pho.

And of course, always-filled cups of something!

Koreatown

2011-07-04T14:26:00.000-10:00

K-town, LA

Food Court

A humongous bowl of naengmyeon! It may not look big but the amount of noodles in this bowl was never-ending! I couldn't finish all of it! All for just $7.

Green Hills Memorial Park

2011-07-03T00:00:00.000-10:00

Pretty Cemetaries

2011-07-02T00:00:00.003-10:00

As a family, we visited the memorials of some relatives while in Los Angeles. These moments are important to me and I'm grateful that we did this. In doing so, we shared and learned new things about our family, some somber but nonetheless vital in our family legacy.

My aunty brought a bucket full of roses from her garden and we pulled some soon-to-fall rose petals off of the pink rose bush to decorate.

Coach Classics

2011-07-01T00:00:00.000-10:00

Net-a-porter has released a collection of Coach Classics, FINALLY! I have literally been on a 4-year hunt for a classic all-leather black Coach replacement for my Mom. I have searched online, at outlet malls, second-hand stores, and seriously, even in China, but to no avail. All of the bags had flimsy lining, too much monogram distraction, too much flashy chrome hardware, or if I came across a pre-owned bag, it didn't pass the clean-enough-test.

I hope that my Mom might take to the selected designs, probably the black field bag if any. I personally kinda want them all!

Prices range from $300-$500 and is worth every penny for it's timelessness and quality!

Peonies and Palm Trees

2011-06-30T00:00:00.001-10:00

Jang Mo Jip

2011-06-29T00:00:00.003-10:00

Our first stop and first meal upon arriving in Los Angeles, my aunty's favorite Korean soup spot in Cerritos: Jang Mo.

A huge bowl of fresh chopped green onion

#1 Mandoo Soup

#4

Being the bad Korean that I am, I can't recall the name of what I ate. I can tell you that it's their #4 bowl, a ginseng soup broth with a whole hen stuffed with sticky rice, a sweet plum, garlic, and chestnuts, oh my god. It was amazing, filling, and perfect for a chill, grey Los Angeles morning.

Note: This chicken in ginseng broth is called: sangyetang. Please pardon my spelling.

Woori Mart

2011-06-28T13:55:00.001-10:00

I made a quick get-away to Los Angeles and Las Vegas for my cousin's wedding and some quality family playtime. I've only been to LA a handful of times, most of which was when I was a young kid with an itinerary consisting of Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, my families' diner in Gardena, and the Candycane Inn.

I'm sure the Korean population in LA was flourishing back then as well but I was too young to notice. I was amazed to see how huge the Korean population in LA is today! Our first meal was an amazing hot bowl of soup at Jang Mo Jip in the Cerritos/Buena Park area. I'll share those pictures with you in the next post!

We also stopped by Woori Mart in Cerritos which made me very, very excited. I absolutely love Asian markets. There is just so much to look at! Also, Woori Mart was playing very dancible, poppy music that made me bop around the store like a nutty person. I highly recommend all supermarkets to play dance music!

Resurfacing

2011-06-26T22:19:00.001-10:00

I'm back from my trip and have tons of pictures and moments to share but I forgot my computer one day and now misplaced my memory stick with pictures. I promise to get my act together soon and get back to regular blogging! In the meantime, I was just organizing some old photographs and thought this was too cute!

I Hope He Finds Gold!

2011-06-14T10:56:00.000-10:00

Twins!

2011-06-07T12:33:00.001-10:00

This wild little tree growing in our yard, Mililani side. Nature constantly blows me away.

Memorial Day Bits

2011-06-03T00:00:00.012-10:00

I just had to use that word "Bits" in my title. All of the bloggers are using that word these days! And these few pictures are exactly that: a few bits of my Memorial Day.

I actually had to work that day but right after, instead of driving home to freshen up, I drove straight out to my friend's house in Kunia. It was better that way because had I gone home, I probably would have just passed out. I would have missed out on all of the great food, company, and a gorgeous sundown. I tried a great ceviche, authentic horchata, french onion dill dip, and some mean chicken from Kunia BBQ!

Old Del Monte Plantation Village

2011-06-02T10:20:00.003-10:00

Kunia Post Office

Succulents

Sunbeams through Waianae mountain range

A ghost may live at this bus stop

Old plantation homes

Here are newspaper articles from the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star Bulletin back in 2008 speaking about Del Monte's 2006 closure and transfer of land ownership from The James Campbell Co. to The Hawaii Agricultural Research Center which has allowed former plantation workers and their families to reside at the Kunia Plantation Village.

Beach Textures

2011-06-01T00:00:00.001-10:00

Morning Light

2011-05-31T12:36:00.004-10:00

I survived Memorial Day weekend. I was able to fulfill all of the commitments I made! Mind you, I made sure some of my commitments were of the leisurely sort. My driving patterns spanned from work and home and Sandys to Kunia.

We went "fishing" (a.k.a. camping) at Sandys on Sunday night and woke up to this..

Free Shave Ice!

2011-05-29T14:43:00.003-10:00

To celebrate Memorial Day and to kick off a great summer, come enjoy FREE shave ice at Kaka'ako Kool.

Memorial Day Weekend
Saturday May 28,11:00am-4:00pm
Sunday May 29, 11:00am-4:00pm
Monday May 30, 10:00am-4:00pm

Tell all of your friends and family!

We are located at:
Kaka'ako Kool
831 Queen Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Check us out on Twitter!

Vibrato

2011-05-27T00:00:00.000-10:00

For the past five years or so that I've lived in town, I would always hear the Friday evening fireworks blasts echoing off the buildings. I finally got a chance to actually see the fireworks! The Hilton Hawaiian Village sets them off every Friday evening at 7:45pm.

Wrecklessly shot a ton of pictures of the fireworks and hoped at least a few would turn out. These are my favorites, and least blurry! :P

Partake

2011-05-26T18:50:00.002-10:00

I am excited for this long Memorial Day weekend. But I am secretly even more excited for it to be over....I am feeling anxious just thinking about the whirlwind it's going to be. It looks like it's going to be a series of work days topped off with Memorial Day barbecues. But who am I to complain!?

Tomorrow, I'll be here:

Matt James takes London!

2011-05-26T00:47:00.001-10:00

Please vote for my friend's brother, Matt James, to exhibit his art in London! When you click on this link, click on the stars located in the top right corner to rate his portfolio. A 5-star rating would be nice! You can vote once a day.

Check out mattjames.org to see more of his work.

A little bit about Matt and his art, taken from his website:

Matthew H. James is a Brooklyn based artist from Honolulu, Hawai'i. He has exhibited throughout the world from Paris, Hawai’i, Miami, New York to Iceland.

“I utilize different artistic techniques to convey different ideas. My interactive sculptures deal with global social issues and the dilemma of empathy. My performance video work looks at the explosion of information in the twenty-first century and how that relates to my role as Father and Husband . My paintings meld concepts stemming from modern scientific imagery and the particle reactions I can achieve by manipulating different polymers.

Though all this work flows the common thread of using the material of the time. the techniques and materials that i use would not be possible during any other period in art. many of the products that I use did not exist 10 years ago.

I feel that it is my role as an artist to express my questions and understandings utilizing the tools available to me now.”

Matt James has exhibited his resin paintings in the gallery at the City Hall of Iceland, during his residency awarded by the U.S. embassy. While there he collaborated upon the film “Homage to la Cicatrice Interieure (The Inner Scar)” with his wife Claire Unabia and Lost Horse Gallery. “Homage” premiered at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and won awards at the Iceland International Film Festival.

The film has had its New York premier at the Onyx Chelsea, where James also has a permanent sculpture installation. The piece was designed in collaboration with Vera Wang and written about in the New York Times.

Matthew H. James has exhibited at many venues and galleries throughout New York City, building a name asan artist who has the combination of skill and modern concepts of the moment, while constantly giving back to the community and world.

2011-05-24T15:43:00.001-10:00

Here's to Long Days of Sunshine

2011-05-16T00:00:00.005-10:00

Summer is right around the corner and I'm prepared with a soon-to-be new hair tone attempt and these easy, comfy Sperry Topsiders!

Thanks for this, J!

Nishhodo!

2011-05-15T17:17:00.001-10:00

Thoughtfully packaged

I wish I could remember all the names..Manju, peanut butter mochi, coconut mochi, lima bean mochi (green), sakura mochi, chichidango with kinako, and the peach-shaped candy is a sugar candy. This all for about $9.

Killaz!

My very favorite, Sakura! I never really knew what Sakura mochi was until I just Wikipedia'd it.

The cherry blossom leaf has a subtle salty taste because it's pickled. The combination is perfection.

Holoku continued..

2011-05-15T00:00:00.000-10:00

And my favorite performances, Kahiko and Tahitian:

Holoku continued..Lots of Plumeria!

2011-05-14T11:53:00.000-10:00

Kahiko

Kahili

Faculty and Staff Dance

Tweaked this picture a little bit..

Ka Punahou

2011-05-13T16:02:00.001-10:00

May Day and Holoku at Punahou have been coordinated and directed by the Eldredge family for as long as I can remember. Dave Eldredge took the reigns back in 1965, followed by his sister Hattie Phillips. With both of their untimely and sudden deaths in the past year, Auntie Hattie's daughters, Lauli‘a and Leilehua took charge of this year's May Day and Holoku programs. The performances, costumes, and storyline were nothing short of beautiful and captivating. I think Uncle Dave and Aunty Hattie would be proud and it's exciting to see that their legacy will be carried on.

Lauli‘a and Leilehua

A tribute to Aunty Hattie

Many more pictures to come!

Kodomo no hi!

2011-05-05T13:43:00.000-10:00

Sunday Calm

2011-05-03T00:01:00.001-10:00

Nobody is Above the Law

2011-05-02T23:22:00.000-10:00

My family is at the dining table eating their dinner. I finish my dinner in front of the tv, walk back to the dining table, and say, "I want to try your mold, Aunty!"

As soon as the words came out, I realized that sometimes I am such a moron....

Breathing Life Back

2011-04-26T13:03:00.001-10:00

Hello. Apologies for the lack of updates. Recently, I just haven't been inspired to blog.

Nevertheless, I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend. While I don't celebrate the occasion, I did have a great family dinner on Sunday to celebrate some recent life battles and triumphs (relating to health) and just our time spent with one another. Krissy, if you're reading this, we missed you!

It was an amazing seafood affair of clams, red snapper, and sashimi. That's my Uncle Charlie, hiding from the camera..

Courtesy of Llamafont.com

2011-04-19T13:57:00.000-10:00

Now Yelping

2011-04-18T21:18:00.005-10:00

For years I had no interest in creating reviews on Yelp. But last week I had a change of heart: I felt the need to leave a 2-star review for a 2-star dining experience and also I had to back up my homies at King Sushi who were given some low ratings. I think it's actually called Sushi King but I prefer it the other way around.

So I opened a Yelp account and threw up a few reviews. If you need a light and brief opinion on something, I might have it for ya. Check me here.

I also included this Yelp widget on the right side-bar there..

Recent reviews by Jana P.

What's this?

More Face Stuffery

2011-04-16T12:40:00.003-10:00

I am still coming to terms with my losses from a few weeks ago. So last night I went to the Nijiya Market by Ala Moana to see what kind of confections might fill the void. They have a decent selection but not as great as I hoped. But I actually hoped they didn't have a great selection either....Contradictory somewhat, I know. But there is a reason! But I can't tell you just yet..Or in this blog post at all actually. Give me a few months.

Anyway they did have Puccho candy, the candy that CJ ate all of! But it's a little different packaging and it feels a little harder than the one I had before. We'll see.

Then while in the freezer/icecream aisle, I saw this young girl explode with joy when she found her favorite *something* was in stock. I was very curious to see what it was. It was this:

Of course I had to try it! It is an Ice Waffle made by Melona and it's a fish-shaped waffle filled with vanilla icecream and a layer of azuki beans. And it IS really good and I really hope our icecream man can get his hands on this for our store! We already carry Melona bars so I'm thinking it's possible. I heard that Genki Sushi and a few other restaurants serve this on their dessert menu.

Picked up a few other candies and I just realized I forgot to photograph some of them as I was got side-tracked eating that Ice Waffle!

Karmin

2011-04-15T16:47:00.000-10:00

This girl is baaaaaaaad.

Built to Last

2011-04-12T09:27:00.000-10:00

Every woman should own a sturdy, red handbag for more reasons than one!

In Bloom

2011-04-11T21:18:00.000-10:00

I think this orchid plant could very well be like six feet tall? Dinosaur orchid!

Jarno Kettunen

2011-04-08T11:05:00.003-10:00