A Swedish sailor, known as “Diamond Head Charlie” raised his daughter alone here–his Hawaiian wife had died four months after childbirth. He served at the station for thirty years, until his death in 1907.

Diamond Head, Oahu

My grandfather, “Pépère,” is eighty-three years old.  We call him “Pep” for short, and the nickname suits him…he’s in better shape than I am.  A couple of years ago (and I do mean only a couple), while vacationing in Hawaii, he climbed Diamond Head on Oahu.  Now, Pep is a smart guy, with lots of common sense and life experience.  On that climb, however, he made a very common mistake for a novice (or overconfident, as the case may be) hiker: he didn’t bring enough water.

It all worked out okay for Pep, don’t worry.  He made it to the top, where some nice folks commented that he was by far the most senior person they’ve seen climb the volcanic crater.  But when he tells the story now, he puts a lot of emphasis on how hot he was and how he regretted not bringing more than a teeny little water bottle. 

You see, kids, he didn’t follow Rule No. 5:

You’re Not Ghandi: Pack Food and Water

Not packing enough food and water is a common mistake, even for experienced hikers.  It’s very easy to over- and underestimate your water needs.  If you’re new to hiking, you don’t have any frame of reference as to how much water you’ll need.  If you’re new to hiking in a particular climate, particularly one that is hotter/drier/more humid than you’re used to, you can’t use past experience to guide you.  If  you are an experienced hiker, you can sometimes get overconfident (which usually leads to not packing enough water instead of packing too much).

The same is true for food.  As an experienced hiker, there are times that I just want to head out on the trail and not take the time to pack anything to eat.  Having found myself hungry on the trail, however, shaky from exertion and wishing I had at least a Powerbar, I know better.  Remember that while hiking you’re going to use up more energy than while sitting around — and maybe even more than your normal workout routine.  You won’t usually find (thank heavens) a convenience store at the top of the mountain where you can replenish your supplies, so plan ahead. 

Wait, wait.  I know you have questions.  Go ahead.

But, Her Side, I don’t want to have to carry too much!  Water is heavy!

Sure, but being dehydrated is worse than carrying a little extra weight.  And it will get lighter as you go (and drink it), or you can empty some out if it becomes clear you’ve overestimated your needs.

I’m only going to a hike for a couple of hours.  Do I really need food?

Yes.  You should have something, even if it’s just some fruit or a couple of granola bars.  After all, look what could happen on a simple hike.

Will I ever be able to refill my water while on the trail?

Sometimes.  On the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon, for example, there are water stations at intervals of the trail into the canyon (which is a darned good thing because it is HOT there).  If you have a water purification system, you might be able to refill from nature (of course, that requires packing the water purification system, so…).  You can usually find out whether there are opportunities to refill before you go.  However, I wouldn’t skimp on the water anyway, just in case.

I was thinking if I didn’t drink too much water, I wouldn’t have to use the facilities — or lack thereof — while on the trail.  I think peeing in the woods is icky.

Get over it.  This isn’t a reason not to bring water or keep yourself hydrated.  Stop being such a wimp.

Fine, I’ll pack extra water.  But how do I know how much I need?  And is there an easier way to carry it?

There’s no mathematical formula that I can give you to tell you how much water to bring.  I can tell you that it’s always better to have too much than to not have enough.  Don’t despair, however.  You can, in fact, make it easier to carry.  Get yourself a hydration backpack.  Those things hold liters of water (usually plenty for a day hike, even in the heat), and aren’t difficult to carry because the backpack sits comfortable on your back.

Now, if only I had written this post before Pep climbed Diamond Head…

© Her Side of the Mountain, 2009.

Our Hawaii trip ends in Waikiki, home of surfers, worldwide tourists, especially Japanese and Jetsetters.  Our stay was in a hotel at the end of the beach whose front faced Diamond Head crater and sided Waikiki Park, home of the Honolulu Zoo. As can be expected in a large city the apartment was small, but the owner had made excellent use of every inch, included was a Murphy bed, one of the many well thought out and attractive appointments.  The apartment and the 10th floor rooftop sundeck that faced Diamond Head on one side and the ocean setting sun on the other  would have made it easy to lounge around the hotel all day but….

We did venture out into the sunny crowded beach, spent a day at the zoo, roamed the many miles of lavish stores on Kalakaua avenue, and while Ann got stuck in Macys I hiked Diamond Head crater.

Although the Ukulele music was everywhere the weather was the best part. Sunny in the 80’s with a good breeze. Being from NY we wanted to stay longer but decided to come back in the future during a NY winter.

Great 28-10 Win over the Broncos. Kudos to Carter for stepping up big for Clark, Polamalu is everywhere. Big Ben got bigger after his interception. Ward gets 2 more TDs. AND yahoo the Steelers have a running game, what a spin move Mendenhall has.

LA Explored has been in Hawaii for a spell, where the island waves and breezes quelled all industrious intentions, and an all-media sabbatical prevailed.  Aaaahhhh.  Given that Los Angeles is the closest big city to the 50^th state, is it fair to post a few vacation images?  I have always wished we were even closer, but as someone pointed out to me, it takes no more time to get there than driving to San Francisco, or to Mammoth (about five and a half hours).  We took Delta, which dings you $20 each way for each checked bag, but sort of makes up for it by providing personal entertainment systems, which rock. I caught up on movies I’ve missed – including The Soloist, which is a very L.A.-centric movie about the friendship between L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez and a gifted, Julliard-trained but mentally fragile street musician, Nathaniel Ayers, who was homeless when they met. It stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. I liked the movie because it was very realistic about the causes and challenges of homelessness, and while this made it less than a fairy tale, it also made it more worthwhile.  For comic relief I watched some of The Hangover, but we were landing before they even got to Vegas.

Not the boat I stayed on, but close to it.

We spent the whole time on Oahu, which was a treat because we had time to really explore it.  The weather was tropical – sometimes sweltering. For the first week, I lived on a sailboat in a marina in Honolulu.  It was on the airport side, and giant planes flew overhead regularly, which sounds like a minus but was actually kind of thrilling.  Waking up early to see the morning light on the water and having coffee on the deck was great – and the best part was when we actually took the boat out on the ocean, sailing past Waikiki and Diamond Head.

Our skipper reefs the mainsail.

The boat, a 42-foot ketch, is the full-time residence of my friend’s son Roman, who’s just starting his marine biology studies at the University of Hawaii and is already a DJ at the college radio station.  When he learned that I’m an entertainment journalist in L.A., he wanted to know if I’ve ever met Snoop Dogg.  I can’t say that I have.

When my husband was able to join us, we moved to a vacation rental near the beach in a little town called Waimanalo, which is on the windward side of the island, reached by taking an extremely scenic drive along the coast from Honolulu of about half an hour (you pass the big snorkeling bay, and the beach where From Here to Eternity was filmed).   Billy – known in the blog world as The 99 Cent Chef – was thrilled that the main street of this tiny town featured Keneke’s, a plate lunch stand that draws people from all over the island.  I was more impressed with the beach, a nearly deserted five-mile stretch of white powder and heavenly water, just a short walk down the lane from our house.   We swam and kayaked, and among other highlights, hiked Diamond Head (surprisingly strenuous, but with a dazzling payoff), hiked Manoa Falls (Jurassic Park-like), explored Chinatown (great tip: the happy hour at art gallery/scene bar thirtyninehotel, with artisan cocktails and live music on the sultry rooftop lanai), went to a Wailers concert (Bob Marley music) at the Waikiki Shell, learned about Hawaiian history and natural history at the fantastic Bishop Museum, and poked around on the North Shore, where we snorkled with the huge green sea turtles at Turtle Beach, ate from the shrimp trucks (I think Macky’s is the best) and sampled the shave ice at Matsumo’s grocery. 

The beach at Waimanalo.

Behind the counter with the shave ice guy at Matsumoto Grocery.

Out front, Matsumoto shave ice mecca on North Shore.

I wish I could go on reminiscing, but the real world waits

Hawaii Theater in Chinatown – Film Festival opening night.

Beach at Waimanalo, looking south.

impatiently.  Enjoy the pics!

… To write the foreword for Diamond Head guitarist Brian Tatler’s autobiography, Am I Evil?

it will be available through www.diamond-head.net at £16.95

Aussicht vom Diamond Head auf Waikiki

Er ist DAS Wahrzeichen Hawaiis schlechthin: Der Diamond Head.

Der Diamond Head ist ein erloschener Vulkan, der sich östlich von Honolulu erhebt. Sein Krater kann erklommen werden und bietet am höchsten Punkt eine bezaubernde Aussicht auf Waikiki und das Umland.  Eigentlich ist es eine Schande, dass wir fast zwei Monate gebraucht haben, um den Diamond Head zu erwandern. Aber letzten Samstag dann endlich: Flipflops wurden gegen das einzige Paar feste Schuhe, das ich hier besitze, eingetauscht, eine Wasserflasche eingepackt und losgewandert.

Leider hatten wir nicht daran gedacht, dass mittags um 12 nicht die allergünstigste Bergwander-Zeit ist, weshalb der eineinhalb stündige Aufstieg schon eine schweißtreibende Angelegenheit war. Der touristisch gut ausgebaute Weg führt im Inneren des Kraters entlang, der mit  trockenen Büschchen, vertrocknetem Gras bewachsen ist.

Aber die drei Schweißtropfen rentieren sich bei der Aussicht allemal.

After a fun day on Maui, it was time for more venturing around Oahu. As we made our way towards the South Shore, our first stop was at the far east side of Waikiki at Diamond Head, the world’s most famous volcanic crater. As we walked along 3/4 mile path to the 760-foot summit, we witnessed sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and also the heat, as we got off to a bit of a late start and the sun was out in full force. Since this is typical south Florida weather, I was used to it, but C-Lo wasn’t too crazy about it. Once we got to the top though, it was well worth it, as the view was incredible. With great views of Waikiki and the ocean, plus a breeze to cool you off a bit, we weren’t ready to go back down anytime soon. But we eventually did the descending hike, and continued on our way towards the southwest section of the island.

Next up was a relatively unknown and hidden place that I had read about called the Spitting Cave of Portlock. It took a little while to find it, but once we did, we didn’t want to leave. The layered rocky coastline above the maginificent blue water made for some interesting walking about, and the views were some of the most spectacular we’ve seen so far. As we watched the pounding surf smash against the cliffs causing explosions of white water and mist, we happened to notice on the far side off in the distance a bunch of people scaling the cliff walls. Turns out, they were filming a stunt scene from the popular show, “Lost”. Today was the stunt rehearsal and tomorrow was to be the actual filming of it. Apparently another couple had also read about this wonder, as we chatted with the Canadians and tried to figure out what was going on on the cliffs. This was such a welcome relief to the Diamond Head heat, and we were about to experience more relief and beauty at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

The crescent-shaped body of water was a marvel to view from above and even more spectacular once you got into the refreshing water, where we snorkeled and saw many cool and colorful fish. Being my first time ever snorkeling, I didn’t do so great, as I had a hard time figuring out the breathing part. Who would’ve thought breathing could be so hard, but I kept wanting to breathe out of my nose instead of just my mouth. Luckily, C-Lo’s done this before and knew the

secret, so she really had a great time surveying the different marinelife. We both ended up with unwelcome souvenirs from here too, as the sharp rocks in the shallow water sliced her hand and cut the bottom of my foot. But it couldn’t stop us from totally soaking in this treasure as we could not get over how absolutely beautiful this place was. We felt like we were on a movie set (apparently, we really were at Portlock). The only thing that could’ve made this better, besides not injuring ourselves, would have been purchasing an underwater camera to take pictures of all the beautiful fish. Since we had to turn the snorkeling gear in before too late, we headed off up the coast to see the Halona Blowhole.

Instead of going right to the main lookout, we pulled over just before it next to a Japanese fishing shrine, where we ventured out onto the rocks to get a fantastic view of the blowhole. It was certaining ‘blowing’ away as the crashing waves let off some pretty impressive spouts. We then went to the lookout, where we were much less impressed with the view and apparently the blowhole decided not to show off for us anymore. That really blew!

The sun was slowing starting to go down so we continued north to Makapu’u Point. We hiked up a paved trail to a 650-foot summit and lookout platform, where just down below was the Makapu’u Lighthouse, a short little lighthouse overseeing the ocean and several small islands. C-Lo was too tired to make the trek all the way up, as the long day was starting to catch up with her. So I caught up with her on the way down, as we enjoyed the grand sunset over the mountains.

Hood Zone: King of the Jungle

In a move which many in Birmingham, let alone the entire music industry, call the coup d’etat of this century, Universal Artists, International’s Joe Stern-McGovern and Shaka of Shaka Productions have somehow managed to ensnare the elusive big cat, the man eater of idle prey, the king of the jungle, Hood Zone of the industry’s rap and R&B notorious Hood Zone Productions fame.

A young man by any account of relativity, Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions was born into this world a prodigy of unique distinction. The heir to a long blue bloodline of the musically inclined, Hood Zone of Hood Zone Production’s recently departed father was a renowned keyboard player whose claim to fame includes a stint as a player for the legendary, Temptations.

According to industry phenom himself, Joe Stern-McGovern, who is reportedly juggling a current 3 way circus in the form of a rumored buy out by EMI, Sony/BMG, or the large conglomerate of Time-Warner, Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions is the key element on the chessboard introduced at precisely the right time.

Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions: The Signing

Embroiled between giants in a bold contest for the sale of the century, Joe Stern-McGovern has played his hand, pulling an ace from his sleeve in the calculated and brilliant signing of the elusive, Hood Zone of Birmingham, Alabama. With a single checkmate move, Joe Stern-McGovern has moved from stalemate to certain victory in this battle of modern day industry trench warfare.

It is reported that unbelievably, the largest signing of this decade to date went down in the center of Birmingham, where Shaka of Shaka Productions fame, Joe Stern-McGovern, and the modern day savior of the urban game, Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions, met at a fast food joint of all places, where they dined on apple turnovers and sweet tea with ink pen at the ready.

Hood Zone: Nothing Less than Success

Down to earth, the trio was above the usual pomp and cirmcumstance that would usually accompany such a monumental occasion. Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions, the common man’s white knight, and black knight to the naysayer, was dressed in simple black and adorned with what was reported as black headdress. Although each of the three held enough power to level destinies, dynasties, and the idle idol, their junta was casual, civil, and yet the singular signing of the century.

What does the future hold for Hood Zone one asks? Why not simply ask the destiny of surefire success, as by its very definition, Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions implies glory and untold fortune by name and reputation alone. Is Hood Zone the crown jewel and king to pawn’s move in today’s game? The question is rhetorical and needn’t be given a second thought. His mastery of whichever genre Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions chooses to perform, as well as his adept managerial skills and concern for his fellow man, have earned Hood Zone a ranking at the top of what many consider an extremely cutthroat business at the very least.

Hood Zone: Can't Touch This

Money, money, money…does anyone have a spare wheel barrel for rent? As the single by FAM Boy$ and blood brothers, Dem Hard Headz of BFG fame, as well as Christian of Christian Levi fame’s smash single, Dis How Money Sounds implies, it’s a player’s world, and Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions refuses to rest on his certified laurels as monster publisher of ASCAP, continuing to cash in on every opportunity the market presents the contemporary Stephen Hawking with.

If you’ve ever wondered what the future looks like as it stands before you, if you’ve ever asked yourself what is the source of genius, if you’ve ever pondered the notion of the artistic sublime, look no further than Hood Zone of Hood Zone productions.

Hood Zone: An Unstoppable Force

Kudos must be given to Joe Stern-McGovern and Shaka Productions of Universal Artists, International, especially in these times of economic hardship, as the trio which now includes the genius of Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions promises hope on the horizon of the lost, weary, and yearning music lover and general consumer.

What is the solution? Where did genius begin? Who will save the game? Who rules supreme and uncontested? Hood Zone of Hood Zone Productions. Bow down mortal fools to his capitalistic genius, his artistically shrewd intellect, and yet open and humble nature. Lesser gods of the distant heavens, humble yourselves as Joe Stern-McGovern and Shaka of Shaka Productions bring a king before your eyes.

Hood Zone and Shaka: It's a Done Deal

Hood Zone of Hood Zone, there can only be one!

Tonight’s walk began as a downer. I was quite listless after a dismal and disappointing performance by our UH Warrior Football team against LA Tech today. And so I really had to struggle with my inner self to get on the move. Well long story short I finally did.

As I approached Magic Island, I noticed the clouds were extremely light, appearing almost feathery in texture. At that moment my depression seemed to dissipate with a hunch that the sunset could be a spectacular one. Peering upward, my down-in-the-dumps feeling quickly turned into anxious anticipation and excitement. Rich magnificent dazzling colors began to fill the expansive sky as the sun sank slowly toward the horizon.

Of course not wanting to miss the Kodak moment, I quickly got camera in hand.

And instantly, it dawned on me that our Lord has a great sense of humor with impeccable timing when blessing us! Especially, when we/I least expect Him to!

So here is a handful of His Blessings for everyone to enjoy:

Orange Yellowish Hue at Sunset, Ala Moana Beach - Oahu

Clouds on Fire at Sunset, Ala Moana Beach - Oahu

Keawe Like Flames at Sunset, Ala Moana Beach - Oahu

Waikiki's Diamond Head Against Pinkish Blue Backdrop at Sunset, Ala Moana Beach - Oahu

Tonight’s adventure began at Ala Moana Center before heading to Ala Moana Park.

As I crossed the street to begin my evening walk, I wondered with a kids excitement what hidden treasures awaited me. Actually, a more appropriate descriptor might be “Unnoticed Treasures” instead. Unnoticed, simply because these treasure are really in plan view and just slightly beyond normal focal length or distinct vision. That said, as I walked, I kept eyes peeled wide open for unnoticed treasures, similar to those found and described in my previous entries entitled: “Out of Sight Out of Mind “and “An Ant’s Perspective.”

Not to far from the crosswalk entering the park, I came across my first treasure, a unique and yet beautiful weed flower. One I’ve never seen before or noticed. It was all by itself, surrounded by grass with a kind of pinkish violet color tones. To me, it appeared to resemble pink coral. Upon carefully getting the right angle, I continued on.

Pinkish Violet Colored Weed Flower

My next treat didn’t come until I walked on to the sandy beach. Tide was pretty low and much of the surrounding coral that would normally be submerged was visible. I guess this treasure would be more properly classified as “hidden” vs “unnoticed” since it is normally under water. After closer examination, it appeared as some sort of algae or seaweed, slimy in texture and lime green in color.

Lime Greenish Algae or Seaweed (ogo)

My third treasure came  approximately a 1/2 mile later, almost at the very end of Magic Island. Resembling what looked to me like a minature hybrid carnation and gardenia flower,  I was again astonished by it unique beauty. While this is definitely another new find, I must say that I found or should say “noticed” these in an area where they were in total abundance.

Regardless of what I refer to this post as…I can almost hear the Lord saying: “if you want to see, you have to look. And likewise, if you want to hear Me, you have to listen.”

Whitish Carnation Gardenia Like Weed Flower

Awww I guess we did end with a Life Lessson:-) too!

Click for vacation details!

Everything about Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel is fun and full of life—from the urban-Hawaiian beach theme in the lobby to the vibrant tropical colors of their guest rooms. They are directly across from the most scenic section of Waikiki Beach, so you can get to your favorite spot on the beach with ease.

Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel offers its signature “Breakfast on the Beach” every morning. You can sit down to enjoy breakfast at your leisure, or take it with you on the go in a take-home souvenir cooler bag. Most rooms have full or partial ocean views, and some offer private lanais where you can relax and enjoy the scenery. All guest rooms at Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel include mini-refrigerators and large flat-panel TVs.

Your Oahu vacation might include:

• Hawaii’s Polynesian Cultural Center — located in Laie, Oahu, about an hour’s scenic drive from Waikiki — is the top paid Hawaii attraction and a “must see” Hawaii activity.
• Frolicking at world-famous Waikiki Beach during the day, and then going out for a night on the town in cosmopolitan Honolulu. For a spectacular view of the city meeting the ocean – and on a clear day of neighboring Molokai to the east – hike up Diamond Head, the world’s most famous dormant volcano.
• Visiting Pearl Harbor to pay your respects at the USS Arizona Memorial, a stunning tribute in white floating like a bridge above the hulk of the sunken battleship.
• Catching a glimpse of parrotfish and green sea turtles at Hanauma Bay, an inlet bursting with tropical marine life. Don’t worry about bringing your snorkeling gear; you can pick some up at the rental shop on the beach.
• Watching the best surfers in the world navigate the giant waves off the North Shore, site of the sport’s most extreme competitions. You might even want to take a surfing lesson yourself. And don’t forget to stop off in nearby Haleiwa, where you’ll find charming eateries and surf shops, and even some refreshing, world-famous shave ice.
• Getting to know the rich historical and cultural heritage of the island through its many art galleries, theaters, and museums. The stunning Iolani Palace, for example, will transport you back in time to the days of Hawaii’s last ruling monarchs.

Traditional Hawaiian culture is alive and well on Oahu – freshly made lei, the grace and beauty of hula, a timeless luau under the stars. This is the Aloha spirit, and you’ll find it all around you here. You’ll also discover that Oahu is a rich tapestry of many cultures and backgrounds. This can make dining here an especially eclectic delight, as you choose from traditional Hawaiian, regional Chinese, Japanese sushi, elegant Pacific Rim cuisine and much, much more at Honolulu’s many restaurants.

Enjoying and appreciating God’s awesome creations while on an evening walk, I wondered…is there really a difference between Summer and Fall in Hawaii? Please enjoy these PICs and you be the judge:

Famous Diamond Head from Magic Island Park Ala Moana, Oahu

Golden Bronze Yellowish Setting Sun Off Magic Island Park Ala Moana, Oahu

Reddish Orange Setting Sun Off Magic Island Park Ala Moana, Oahu

Wave Exploding Against Breakers Off Magic Island Park Ala Moana, Oahu

THREE episodes from early Eighties regional music show Look! Hear! have been returned to the BBC archives.

Look! Hear! Three episodes featuring bands such as The Beat have been returned to the BBC.

Look! Hear! was a  teen-orientated music show that screened on BBC Midlands between 1977 -81. Along with reports on what was hot in the worlds of entertainment and fashion, Look! Hear! featured a number of influential bands.

The three returned episode are from the eight-part 1980 series and fill the only archive gap in the programme’s entire run. They were loaned to BBC producer and Doctor Who Restoration Team member Paul Vanezis by former Look! Hear! presenter John Holmes, who co-hosted with fellow Radio Wolverhampton DJs Ann Butler, Liz Cotton and Chris Phipps, and punk-pop icon Toyah Wilcox.

The recovered episodes feature important groups from the 2-Tone, melodic rock and heavy metal movements. Details are as follows:

The recordings were made directly from the quad TX masters before the tapes were wiped and are, according to Paul Vanezis writing on the Missing Episodes forum, “in very good playable condition on VHS”. They have now been transferred onto high-quality video.

Here are two performances by Diamond Head from the recovered episode four:

Brute Force isn’t just a tune by the late, great Rory Gallagher. Nope, it’s also a state of mind. At least it was back at the arse end of the seventies / early eighties, when I was accumulating my musical juju.

Back in them days, it was a constant struggle for oneupmanship amongst the ranks of the motley crue of rattletag rockers I surrounded myself with. We were young and poor, but that didn’t mean we felt any sympathy for the bloke with the wrong number of rows on his studded wristband. No, mockery was where it was at.

Simultaneously, in a pre-internet world, the pages of Sounds and Kerrang! (pre-Kerrap! daze) were full of exotic sounding bands from farflung glamourous locations like Stourbridge and Mansfield. They were all allegedly metal, but who was good and who was bad? And so we would be lured by an advertisement for a compilation album, purporting to contain all these exciting new bands, but without the hassle of sending postal orders off to some nonce in Wolverhampton.

For these records were available in Woolworths at suitably priced RRPs! Oh, yes. A number 9 bus trip to the East End of Princes Street, and the world was mine, all mine!

And so it was that “Brute Force” cane into my life. Now, to be fair, it started off pretty well, so don’t get all excited thinking that this initial sample is a foretaste of what is to come. For the likes of Prowler and May West are just around the corner. However, for a good 15 minutes, this was the greatest record a teenaged Mr H had ever heard.

MP3 one – Diamond Head – It’s Electric

MP3 two – Fist – Brain Damage

MP3 two – Raven – Let It Rip

Aloha! It’s about time I gave the blog world a taste of the islands, no? But first, I’ll give you some context.

This past weekend I spent Chez Bargiel in Kailua with the Sophster & Co. We hiked up Diamond Head with some of Trine’s fellow AFS-ers (Trine is the Norwegian AFS student staying at Sophie’s house).

Clearly the Italian student Alessandro and I were ready to attack the hike, as you can see by my game face.

The view was absolutely gorgeous.

After the hike we sun bathed and enjoyed the surf at a beach nearby until our stomachs growled. Enter Ono Hawaiian Foods, a popular restaurant in Honolulu.

I loved the sign out front. No huhu guys!

Hawaiian food centers heavily around poi, which is made from Taro root. Here is some information (thanks Wikipedia!) on the taro root:

• Taro (pronounced /ˈtɑroʊ/) is a tropical plant grown primarily as a vegetable food for its edible corm, and secondarily as a leaf vegetable. It is considered a staple in oceanic cultures. It is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants.^[1] In its raw form the plant is toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate,^[2][3] although the toxin is destroyed by cooking^[4] or can be removed by steeping taro roots in cold water overnight. Taro is closely related to Xanthosoma and Caladium, plants commonly grown as ornamentals, and like them it is sometimes loosely called elephant ear. The name “taro” is from Tahitian or other Polynesian languages; the plant is also called kalo (from Hawaiian), gabi in The Philippines, dalo in Fiji, seppankizhangu in Tamil, chembu in Malayalam Arvee in Hindi and Karkalo in Nepali.

Poi is made by mashing the taro until it is in liquid form. Water is added during mashing and before eating to achieve the desired consistency. Poi was a sacred daily staple of the Hawaiian diet, as it was believed that taro was the original ancestor of the Hawaiian people. When a bowl of taro was uncovered all conflict among the family had to come to a stop.

The menu highlighted the benefits of taro:

I loved this sign outside. The Poi-fect food!

We couldn’t help ourselves, and while waiting for our food we may have indulged in a little huhu (get your minds out of the gutter!)

Note the water stains from my bikini underneath!

I couldn’t wait to dig in to my first Hawaiian meal. I ordered a la carte, as the combination platters had at least two meat dishes each and you could not make substituations. I still got plenty of food!

This was a Hawiian sweet potato. I loved the purple color! I thought the potato was very dense, which may have been due to the cooking method, and I really liked the texture. Or maybe I was just telling myself the taste was different than an orange sweet potato? Anyway, in the background is a bowl of poi. Poi is definitley an acquired taste, but I enjoyed it! When you order you have a choice of freshly made poi or day old poi, which has more of a fermented taste. Those new to poi should try freshly made, trust me the taste is still very strong! It can be eaten as a kind of gelatinous soup, but usually you dip your food in the poi, as I did with my sweet potato and Lomi salmon.

What looks like salsa in the small bowl was actually my Lomi salmon. I expected a hunk of salmon and kept trying to get the waitor’s attention to bring my salmon until he informed me that I already had it on the table. Whoops. It was kind of like a salmon ceviche and it was delicious, especially when dipping forkfuls into the poi. Pictured also on the table are pork and rice with raw onion accoutrements.

 Check out Ono Hawaiian Foods’ website for an idea of more traditional Hawaiian dishes.

I loved the decor of the restaurant, the walls were plastered from top to bottom with pictures from over the years. Blast from the past.

If you want muscular thighs, apparently surfing is key.

I think these Hawaiian chicas are rocking the high thigh line bikini bottom.

I also enjoyed taro in the form of an English muffin on Sunday morning with a side of the Honolulu Advertiser’s Sunday comics. The taro English muffin is available in Hawaiian Costcos. So maybe I can’t find Fage at the Costco here but I do have access to taro! Honestly the muffin didn’t taste much different than a typical English muffin, but I loved the purple color.

I also used an apple banana in my breakfast.

I loved the cute size. The texture of an apple banana, which is very common in Hawaiian supermarkets, is a bit firmer and dare I say, a bit sweeter than the typical banana.

I topped my taro muffin with peanut butter and sliced banana.

The breakfast of American champions, Hawaiian style.

I’ve also had other delicious (albeit not traditional Hawaiian) eats lately and a great run that I’ll recap later. Hope everyone had a great weekend and (for those who care) enjoyed the latest Gossip Girl!

A toute a l’heure!

Maya