Extra! Extra! President-Elect Obama’s Christmas Visit
According to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin report on an Associated Press release, President-Elect Barack Obama’s family, along with families of several friends, will go Kailua side of Oahu for a Chistmas visit.
Exact dates are not available, but the accomodations are said to be three makai (beachside) multimillion-dollar homes. Lagoon-style pool, palm trees, white sand, and surfers, included.
Way to go President-Elect Obama! What you’ve been through in the last two years, and what lies ahead after you take office,you deserve a beautiful place to catch your breath.
Some folks might take exception to Obama’s visits to the paradise islands of Hawaii (this will be #3 this year), but for him it’s like returning home, just like Clinton would be returning to Arkansas or Bush to Texas. And, of course, sadly, one of his visits was to see his dying grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, for the last time.
For the uninformed, President-Elect Obama was born at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, and was a 1979 Punahou School graduate. I’d say he feels right at home in Hawaii. Ain’t it great!
OK, because It’s been a very long time since I’ve posted, you might have forgotten about my two little features that I try to include in each post: "News Flash" and "Fun Facts About Hawaii". So, dang it, here they are.
News Flash: Orbitz has some deals for travel to Hawaii ending 12/31/2008. Hey! It’s not too late!
Fun Facts About Hawaii: South Point of the Big Island of Hawaii is the most southern point in the United States (sorry Florida). Think about it.
Aloha A Hui Hou
Emergency Notice for September Oahu Activities
If this post seems to be propelled by caffiene controlled text … you’re right! Holy Gopher, it’s all about September, and September is already here!
OK, let’s get to it.
Big Bash! HAWAII FOOD & WINE PARADISE
No, that’s not a misprint. "Paradise" is the operative word here. I’ll have to admit I’m not attending due to the lack of a certain vital ingredient … MONEY!
Anyway, the event is from September 11th through the 13th, in and around the Kapolei area (all the way out H1 to the north).
I’m giving away the farm here, but I want to get the news out, so unleash your wallet and read this. And if you need a roof over your head, here’s some possibilities. A couple of the lower priced properties are sort of doggie, but I’m not going to say which ones, ’cause they know where I live!
Let’s hustle along here.
Hawaiian Quilts for Visiting Quilters
If you’re going to be on Oahu between September 13 and 21, and are a quilter, or quilting fan, be sure to Visit Kahala Mall for a major quilting event. Kahala Mall is at 4211 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Hawaii’s Master Quilter, Carol Kamaile (Kah my leh) will be displaying her designs as an important part of Kahala Mall’s "Shop with Aloha" event.
This is a big event in honor of Aloha Festivals, and features live entertainment and demonstrations that celebrate the arts, music and culture of Hawaii, past and present. If you’re new to Hawaii, this is a great way to get plenny Hawaiiana all in one place.
Oh, and did I mention it’s open to the public and free of charge.
QUILTING DEMONSTRATIONS AT KAHALA MALL Saturday, 9/13 10am-2pm, Sunday, 9/14 10pm-2pm, Wednesday, 9/17 5pm-9pm, Friday, 9/19 10am-2pm, Saturday, 9/20 10am-2pm; and final day, Sunday, 9/21 1pm-5pm
AND THAT’S NOT ALL. During this awesome event, you’ll be treated to a prestige fashion event where you’d normally pay big bucks for admission.
Here it is.
Hawaiian Monarchy Collection … Fashions from Hawaii’s Golden Age.
Imagine. The royal clothing of Queen Kaahumanu (Kah ah hoo mah new) , who presided, for all purposes, as the Queen Regent of Hawaii from 1820 until 1832; Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who envisioned the Kamehameha Schools; and many, many more.
This elegant fashion show is limited to September 13 only at Center Court of Kahala Mall at 2pm.
OK, here’s a link to the Honolulu Advertiser article that tells all about this very special "Shop with Aloha" event.
Aloha a hui hou
Hawaiian Jewelry … Now or Later?
Later is good, after you arrive at your Hawaiian Island of choice, but maybe now would be smart, too. Look for a great tip on this later in the post.
[Apprentice Blogmaster Note: If you've been back to this blog, and the news seemed to be stale, that's because IT WAS. My blog platform and I have been in serious dispute as to who runs this outfit. Especially about pictures I want to display. Not the kind of pictures, but where they are displayed, and if they'll be displayed at all. Well, we'll just see about that.] 
OK, on to the Jewelry Department. Hawaiian jewelry runs the gamut from beautiful natural necklaces to island style gold and silver. For this post I’d like to concentrate on natural jewelry.
Kukui Nut Lei (necklace)
The Kukui lei (layee) on the right is an elegant example of Hawaiiana. Kukui leis, in very old Hawaii, were worn only by the ali`l (ahlee`ee), or royalty. In modern times they symbolize good luck.
You’ll find these nut leis in a variety of treatments. All the way from ground and polished to completely natural. Here’s an example of a lei with several different styles of the nut. The shells are called Opihi (oh pee hee) and the little seeds are from the Koa tree
The Kukui nut comes from the Kukui tree (duh!), a native tree of Polynesia. The tree was actually brought to the Hawaiian Islands by the early voyages from the south. So jewelry made from the nut is very much steeped in Hawaiian history.
Natural jewelry, especially leis, is not a gender thing in Hawaii. The lei to the left is mine, and I used to wear it to work every day as a tour guide/bus driver.
Kamani, wiliwili, and goat’s eye are common materials for leis. Of these, the red seeds from the wiliwili (weelee weelee) are probably the most impressive. I don’t have a good picture of the finished lei … and didn’t feel right about … er … ahem … borrowing one. When your in Hawaii, and in a quality gift shop, ask about a wilwili lei. Also, standby for sticker shock.
Ni`ihau Shell Lei
Speaking of sticker shock, the Ni`ihau shell lei is another pricey item, but well worth the money.
Why so expensive? Mostly due to shortage of the pinkish shells and the meticulous care taken to create the lei. That, and because they are only made one place in the world … the Island of Ni`ihau in the Hawaiian chain. The pictue on the right shows a choker and a 3 strand lei. There are fake knockoffs, so insist on proof of authenticity.
Newsflash: For some temporary killer deals on Hawaiian jewelry hop on over to
hawaiistore4u.com/Hawaii-Store/Jewelry-and-Watches This is the "now" part I was talking about earlier. OK, OK, it’s my site, but regardless, there’s some real bargains lurking there.
Fun Facts About Hawaii: The capitol of the State of Hawaii is Honolulu on the Island of O`ahu.
Honolulu= Hono looloo
O`ahu= Oh ah hoo
Aloha a hui hou
Aloha Airlines History
As a passenger carrier is just that … history. And, also, a big hunk of Hawaiian history. On March 31, 2008, 11 days after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Aloha Airlines flew its last scheduled passenger flight , Flight AQ 261, from Kahului, Maui to Honolulu, Oahu.
If your connection to Hawaii wasn’t very strong, the announcement of Aloha Airline’s demise probably didn’t arouse your radar, or at the most only raised a “oh well, another airline bites the dust” thought.
For many citizens of the State of Hawaii, and expatriates, it was a sad day. Aloha Airlines and bankruptcy had been flirting with each other for several years, so it wasn’t any big surprise locally when the final flight was announced. But that didn’t make it any easier for the airline’s employee’s and their families. Of the 3,482 employees an estimated 1,900 retained employment to continue the cargo and ground services divisions … which are up for sale.
Aloha Airlines was founded by publisher Ruddy Tongg and his partners as Trans-Pacific Airlines. According to aviation historian Peter Forman:
“When Aloha first came in, they were responding to the prejudices of the time. They created an airlines that a person of any ethnicity could fly on and feel equally welcome. There are many old timers who still support Aloha for this reason.”
In the old days of Aloha Airlines, it was known as “the Peoples Airline,” and that feeling pretty much stuck through it’s history. Old timers tell of good times on the flights, with Flight Attendants (they were called Stewardesses in those days) serving pineapple juice, singing Hawaiian songs, even dancing the hula and playing the ‘ukulele.
And the equipment got improvised, too. When the airline still flew the unpressurized DC-3s, holes were put in the fuselage so that passengers could poke a camera through and take photographs. That’s called “island ingenuity.”
Bruddah, I’m going to miss Aloha Airlines. It always seemed they took off and landed a little faster. Kind of a hot express; didn’t fool around much taxiing to the terminal. I think when all the security measures hit the terminals and airlines there were a few folks who “make grumble,” but that was kind of universal.
So, if there’s any good stories out there, and you care to share them, we’ll do a little post with snippets of your stories. Be patient with me, ’cause I’m not the swiftest of formatters. We’ll call it Aloha Airlines history II.
Mahalo nui loa Aloha Airlines for all the great years of service. Tanks, eh.
If it looks like there’s a little raindrop sized puddle on your screen, it’s just me.
Aloha a hui hou