All posts tagged: Hawaiʻi

Weekly Small Pleasures (#10)

Published by

1) Prince – While classmates were going crazy for Madonna and Mariah Carey, Prince was the one artist who was continuously present for the major milestones in my life. Even though his artistry was usually perceived as eccentric, his musical genius was undeniable. With his sudden passing, I dug out his CD’s this past week and relived my life, captured through his music. Mahalo, Prince. 2) Spending Time with the Parentals – I flew to Honolulu on Tuesday to go to doctor appointments with my mom and when we were done, we escaped to Pearlridge for lunch and a bit of shopping before heading over to the airport. Although I can be happy being with them anywhere, the hospital is becoming the norm, so getting out is always a good thing. 3) Friends – If you don’t know by now, I have the best friends. I don’t have a lot of them, but the ones that I do consider my closest friends, know everything about me and continue to stand by me and make me laugh. …

Weekly Small Pleasures (#1)

Published by

I stumbled upon the Weekly Small Pleasures blog event on fellow blogger Mani’s A New Life Wandering. Although I’m late to the party, it’s exciting to have the opportunity to reflect upon and post about things that make every week special. Mauna Kea – I took a trip to Kona yesterday to pick up replacement contact lenses from Costco, after 2 months of being forced to use glasses. On the way home, I popped in a new pair and the first thing I saw was Mauna Kea. Beautiful. ʻŌlena Tea – My friend Miles gave me a box of ʻōlena (turmeric) he harvested from his garden and I’m so excited. Nothing wrong with the processed powder, but using fresh roots are way better, so after sharing my stash, I cleaned, grated, and froze the rest. Now, I have a cup of tea every night before bed. In addition to its long standing ayurvedic benefits, the root is also used in Hawaiʻi as a tea/tonic for maintaining overall health. Kainoa’s recipe: Add boiling water to a teaspoon of grated ʻōlena in a mug. After a minute, add a slice …

Weekly Photo Challenge: Now

Published by

I am meekly standing amongst all that is Kūkaʻōhiʻalaka, in the mist that drenches you without you even noticing, and welcoming Kānehoalani. I am still in awe of Ke Ala Polohiwa a Kanaloa two nights ago and especially during this particularly rainy season of Lonoikamakahiki. It’s kapu hua, so no ritual. I just needed to press the “reset” button this morning and get back to basics. There’s really nothing more basic, and profound, than slowing down to witness and drink in the beauty happening around us every day. May you all have a magical holiday season. … in response to Now Some interesting reads: Kino Lau: Finding the Spirit of the Divine in the Ordinary World Moon Phase Project Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (of particular concern for cultural practitioners)  

Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy Place

Published by

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Happy Place.” As you’re very well aware, I love flying. Going somewhere I’ve never been or taking a quick jaunt to Honolulu for a meeting means getting on a plane and breaking my routine. Most times, I need to fly from Hilo to Honolulu to transfer to planes going anywhere, so when I do, I try to find a window seat on the left side of the plane. As the plane travels along the coast of Hawai’i island, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa bid me farewell and wish me luck as I leave home on a new adventure. On my way home, I find a seat on window seat on the right side of the plane and without fail, they are the first to greet me. They’re a welcome sight, particularly after long flights and layovers and when they first come into view, I can exhale because I’ll finally be home in 10-15 minutes. 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Change

Published by

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Change.” Advanced roadways and high speed internet connect us, but how connected are we if we are cruel to each other and disregard those less fortunate? I miss the slower, gentler Hawaiʻi, when striking up a conversation with a stranger didn’t seem burdensome. I’m an optimist… in the end, love and nature will surely prevail.

Home Sweet Hilo

Published by

I’ve only lived in three places my entire life: Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hilo, and Hilo has been my home for most of it. Despite being on opposite ends of the archipelago, Kauaʻi and Hilo are connected through Hawaiian myth and hula, and maybe that’s why I never felt like a stranger here when I first moved over. If you’d like to learn more about the ancient land divisions that comprised Hilo, please visit this great Sig Zane article Hilo One (pronounced “OH-neh”). If you don’t understand Hawaiian, you’ll need to scroll down for the English translation. In the meantime, enjoy these lovely clips of the place I call home from an extremely talented and local videographer.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring!

Published by

Share a photo which describes what spring means to you. The light during today’s late afternoon hike at Puʻu Huluhulu was absolutely magical. Spring is here! Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring! | http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/spring-2/

O is for Obon

Published by

Obon season in Hawaiʻi is special. Bon dances are so prevalent here that every summer, an exhaustive calendar advertising every single bon dance in the islands appears in newspapers and blogs. Local communities, regardless of religious affiliations, descend upon their neighborhood hongwanji to engage in fellowship, to enjoy the food, and to participate in honoring ancestors. It’s a pastime that’s been around since Japanese first immigrated to Hawaiʻi. Growing up on Kauaʻi, my family went to the neighborhood hongwanji and Jodo mission just for the food. Dinner consisted of teriyaki sticks, flying saucers, and saimin. Oh, the comfort foods of home and the season. Although bon dances are a tad different here in Hilo, the feeling of walking into a space, seeing the yagura, and people dancing around it, makes me feel at home. These days, I love dancing the night away to the beats of the live ensemble. I don’t know all the dances, but one day, I will. April is the start of the A to Z challenge. Check out other blogs participating in this challenge at: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure

Published by

After a decade of saving money and being indecisive about style, this lauhala hat found me two years ago. I had fallen in love with it, even before the staff at Kimura Lauhala Shop in Holualoa mentioned that the hat was made by a master lauhala weaver, Aunty Josephine Kaukali Fergerstrom, who was named as a Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi in 2011. One of these days, that hat will be passed on to someone in my family and I hope the next owner will treasure it as much as I do. Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure | http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/photo-challenge-treasure/

Stranded, but Happy

Published by

You’ve been kidnapped and given a choice: would you rather be stranded on an island, dropped into an unknown forest, or locked in a strange building? Being held captive and awaiting escape or rescue might be different from starting a life somewhere new, but given this hypothetical scenario, I would hope to make the most of the situation and live comfortably. It’s not a surprise that I would choose to be held captive on an island. I already live on one and am much more familiar with an island lifestyle than any of the other possibilities. Hawaiʻi Island, my home, is one of the most ecologically diverse in the world. Beaches? Of course! Forests, grasslands? Yup and yup. The environment is part of the reason why I continue to be in love with this place. There is room to breath. There is room to roam. And there is room to grow. Hawaiʻi Island is geologically young. It’s still covered by lava and soil is in the beginning stages of being created for most of the …

Happy Hilo 2014!

Published by

Hilo is the first city in the Hawaiian archipelago to greet the new day with the rising of the sun at Kumukahi, but the word “hilo” refers to other things in Hawaiian culture. The phase of the new moon is named Hilo, marking the beginning of a new lunar cycle. It’s also a style of lei making that involves braiding and binding different plants together to create something be given and worn with love. We have each considered Hilo to be our home at some point in our lives and it’s where Holoholo Girls originated. Our friendships were forged here and it continues to host our ongoing evolution. Because of its many beautiful connotations of new starts and the constant weaving of lives together, we would like to wish you a Happy Hilo 2014. From our homes and hearts to yours, we wish you and your loved ones health and safety in this upcoming year and that it will be filled with new adventures and opportunities for growth.

Try Wait?

Published by

Write about whatever you’d like, but write using regional slang, your dialect, or in your accent.  Try Wait? (Translation: Please hold on a second?) **cell phone ringing** Wrong Number: “Hello?” Local girl: “Who da hell is dis’? Wrong Number: “Excuse me?” Local girl: “No even try, ‘kay? I know who you…” Wrong Number: “I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong number.” Local girl: “Oh, I don’t have a wrong numba’. Dis’ Chelsea, hah? What, Kawika stay wit’ you?” Wrong Number: “No, my name is Michelle, not Chelsea, and who’s Kawika?” Local girl: “No ack’, kay? I know as you, Chelsea. You stay talk all good English so I get tr-own off, but I rec-a-notice yo voice. You work da drive-tru at Taco Bell so you can make nice voice if you like… You bettah tell Kawika he bettah get his ass home pronto.” Wrong Number: “I’m hanging up now. Please don’t call me again.” Local girl: “Chelsea, if you hang up on me, when I see you again, you gonna get it. And you …