K’s friend Rebecca was in town for a couple of days and she wanted to try Nobu in Waikiki for dinner. There was a special menu as it was Restauarant Week in Hawaii. We decided to go with the four course $40 menu. It was pretty good. Though I was still hungry afterwards. And I drank too much sake… but I got to recline in my car seat and drift off into that great kind of sleep that happens when it’s late, someone else is driving, and you’ve had alot to drink but not enough to make you feel dizzy when you close your eyes.

A few days later I went to Town with Ben and Martha and had their Restaurant Week menu. Three courses for $20–an amazing deal. I had the risotto but I had a taste of Martha’s gnocchi and I’m definitely going to get that next time.

In closing here’s a non-related Restaurant Week picture. Pancake special at Cinnamon’s for the month of November, Pumpkin Crunch:

We drive through Waimanalo at least once a week. Our favorite lunch place is there and it’s on the way to my favorite Bikram class.

Our friend Mark invited us out for a hike to the tidepools. We’d never been, so we said yes and followed him right to a spot that we pass every time we go for Keneke’s or I go for yoga. Behind this mountain that we see all the time is a whole swirling scenic world. Not only are there the warm tidepools, but there’s a sweet lighthouse that looks like a pepper mill and Rabbit Island off the coast which is surrounded by water that Mark calls ’sharky’.

I pulled a muscle on the descent but it was worth it.

It’s pretty easy to catch a BJ Penn pay per view fight at any number of sports bars in Oahu. MMA is huge here. It seemed a no brainer that some place would feature the Pacquiao/Cotto fight. Pacquiao is a Filipino National Treasure and outside of the Philippines I’ve never lived around so many Filipinos! I called every place that people suggested I call with zero luck. No one was showing it. Our house isn’t equipped with a digital box so we couldn’t purchase it to watch at home.

At work, K asked a friend on the crew if they knew who might be showing the fight. He put it out on the walkie and K said suggestions came pouring in. As an aside, I wish this applied to all of life’s issues.

One of the suggestions was Giovanni Pastrami in Waikiki. And thank goodness! They were showing the fight and you could make reservations. Of course K and I ended up paying cover charges for four people just so that we could have a table…but it was worth it! Giovanni Pastrami is awesome. The pizza wasn’t so good but then again, it isn’t called Giovanni Pizza.

The fight was so good. And the place was filled with Pacquaio fans. We whooped and hollered and banged on the table which was so much fun. It wouldn’t have been if we were Cotto fans or if we’d had to watch it in Puerto Rico instead of HI….

]]> http://threeonenine.com/2009/11/17/without-a-dream-in-my-heart/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:15:22 +0000 thethreeonenine http://threeonenine.com/2009/11/17/without-a-dream-in-my-heart/

image from T.K.

K’s friends Paul and Tom came to visit us one weekend from NY via Kauai. We grilled lobster tails on the lanai and had it with rice and poke. The World Series was on and we got to see the Yankees go-ahead run before going down to the beach to watch the full moon.

We spent most of the next day driving all over Oahu.  K was working so it was just the three of us.   I’ve come to love driving.  I marvel at how just a few weeks ago I was terrified of driving on highways.  Now, as K predicted, I prefer driving on highways to the stop and go of downtown.  I love driving.  I actually feel markedly happier when I get into my car to head off somewhere.

I had to parallel park with Paul and Tom in the car.  I usually can do it when I’m by myself but if there’s anyone in the car with me I get super self-conscious.  I told them this and Tom talked me through it.  In two turns of the wheel I was in the  spot.  Tommy was singing my parking praises and even talked about taking a picture of it because it was such a perfect parking job.  I smiled on the outside but on the inside I also did a little dance.

It’s been eons since the Hawaii International Film Festival. Thankfully I was able to see more films than I did last year. Two films that stood out from what I saw were Tze Chun’s Children of Invention and Daniel Lee’s Precious.

Along with bringing boat loads of great videos and films HIff also brought friends from far away. My friend Suzi from way back was here with her lovely film Dear Lemon Lima. Suzi and I had fallen out of touch years ago but fell back into an easy rapport. Maybe it has to do with getting older, but I wondered a few times while we were together, how did we lose touch? It took being thousands of miles from where we met to reconnect.

Cinnamon’s in Kailua was the breakfast place of choice for me and whoever would join me during HIFF. It’s currently my favorite: crab eggs benedict and guava chiffon pancakes.

Another funny thing was that The Chinatown Film Project that Karin and I began at MOCA three years ago had it’s premiere outside of NY at HIFF. Karin couldn’t make it at the last minute so I stepped in to ‘represent’ it. It was the first time I’d seen the result of our efforts. I really didn’t know what to expect. But as we watched Wayne Wang’s contribution to the project, I found myself getting emotional. His scenes of Chinatown swept by like waves. The soundtrack and the images made me feel a longing for NYC Chinatown that I never thought I’d feel. I was really proud to be there and to have had something to do with it.

The trailer for CFP:

Hawaii’s Big Island has long been a main attraction of visits to Hawaii. If you’re looking for a resort in Hawaii on the Big Island, Royal Kona Resort in Hawaii is located within walking distance of Kailua-Kona town and offers oceanfront views of the Pacific Ocean of Hawaii.

 Continue reading Royal Kona Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island…

Last week K and I were judges for Showdown in Chinatown, a monthly 48 hour film shootout in Honolulu. They’re partnering with HIFF and MOCA’s Chinatown Film Project to feature this month’s winner as part of an outdoor screening during the film festival next month. The event was great–well organized and well attended. K and I really loved the film that won.

Afterwards we went with Sarah and Anderson to visit DJ ESKAE who was doing a six hour set at a club called Soho. The theme was Neon and it was PACKED. If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed that neon could be such a big draw. I had flashes of being 17 again and partying on Long Island. It was hot, sweaty, and the music was really hard not to dance to.

On a more wholesome note, I started my hula classes last week. So far, it feels like transferring into a school after the year has already started. It’s hard meeting new people when there’s no context for my being there. I haven’t made any friends yet but I love my teacher. She’s a beautiful wacky spirit that dances like an angel. She invited us all to join the more advanced Monday class if we were so inclined. My friend Michelle is in that class and it would be more comfortable for me to know someone but I’m thinking maybe being comfortable isn’t always necessary.

My teacher gave me a pa’u skirt to use for class. Everyone has their own. I tried looking online for a store and one of the first entries was ‘Where to get a pa’u skirt: make it!” Eventually I found an ebay vendor who sold really pretty ones though I think they might be kind of fancy.

This is the dance/song we’re learning. Though obviously this is a professional and I think maybe I’m doing the baby version.

I spent two weeks in my hometown pretending to know how to swim and stuffing my face with as much fish and tropical fruits (mango sorbet with ginger candy shown below) as I could take in.  Unfortunately I couldn’t take you with me and sadly traveling to Hawaii may not be so budget-friendly. Instead, I hope you’ll enjoy this little photo montage of my brief stay in paradise:

Last Sunday we caught the last two hours of the Made in Hawaii Festival. We’d been moving all weekend and almost forgot it was happening. Our new landlady sent us an email reminding us about the festival. We dashed over there before it closed down and walked through the whole thing.

It was pretty much how I imagined it would be. If there was more time and a little less people I really would have liked to explore each booth. There were so many great things like pidgin t-shirts, roasting pan cozies, straw hats, koa wood jewelry boxes, Hawaiian christmas ornaments, local fruit jams, and on and on.

At first I was dashing around grabbing every business card that I could. And then I realized there’s probably a roster of vendors on their site. Even though we won’t be here for next year’s festival, I figure I’ll look up individual companies and explore their wares over the course of this year. There were lots of people there and it seemed like a lot of the popular vendors had sold out. Like the Made in Hawaii Foods mochi strawberries.

It’s a really great event. We came home with a clay coaster that absorbs water ‘magically’, a Hawaiian crest key chain, and poha jam.

It’s not just about Hawaii hotels. I’ll write about things you can do in Hawaii while you’re away from your hotel too! (A blog about only Hawaii hotels could get boring fast.)

Bloggers wanted! I’m looking for other contributors to this blog too. So if you have something interesting to type or say about Hawaii, then get it ready. You can even have your own login/access to the blog. (Exciting.)

Stay tuned.

Steven, aka ESKAE , aka Sarah’s boyfriend does a party at thirtyninehotel called Soul Clap every last Friday of the month.  FINALLY for the first time K and I went.  It was much fun.  Particularly because I got to hang out with my most favorite people here in Hawaii and we got to DANCE.  I can’t believe it took us this long to go.  Great venue, great music.  I wanna go again!

DonorsChoose.org is beyond cool.  For K’s birthday,  his brother gifted him with a donation to the site. The website is a menu of different projects that are in need of funds. K chose a donation of books to a local  grade school which would give them the opportunity to read about a different cultural perspective.  In this case it was the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Revin–the story of  a man’s mission to build a school in Pakistan and how it turned into fifty-five schools.  Yesterday K got a package of cards from the kids.  What an awesome gift!!

The other weekend we met K’s friend Jeremy at the Koko Marina Center’s Starbucks. We were picking up K’s keyboard which he had loaned Jeremy and in return we got a gift bag of organic awesomeness:

Here they are later in our house.  It was like a bottomless bag:

I asked him where he did his grocery shopping and aside from Wholefoods he mentioned a place called Kale’s Natural Food.  He also told us about a website that was a great resource for home remedies. We spent 3 hours at that Starbucks which is a record for me since coming here.

This is currently my favorite thing from the batch.  It’s delicious with oatmeal and bananas for breakfast:

Koko Marina Center is big-time compared to Kailua.  It’s very fancy and has lots of stores like Bubbie’s Ice Cream and a multiplex.  Part of the reason I wanted to check it out was because Laura from Lily Lotus had said that there was a good teacher at Hawaii Kai’s Bikram studio.

We found the studio tucked away on the second floor but it was in session so we couldn’t go in.  I read online that it’s the only bikram place in Oahu that uses infrared heat.  It looks very quaint and clean from the outside.   At some point one morning I’ll drive over there and take a class.

Driving to Hawaii Kai you pass right through Waimanalo and its stunning beach.  I tried to get a picture when we were driving home but this is the best I could get:

Well.  It took me a total of three hours but I walked to Kailua Shopping Center to take a yoga class at Bikram Yoga Kailua.  It wasn’t bad.  The sky is gray today so I can imagine that on a sunnier day the walk would be pleasant.  But I didn’t mind–the street wasn’t busy and I caught up on my Left, Right, and Center podcast.

In all my time doing yoga I’ve always steered clear of Bikram (hot) yoga.  I tend to overheat quickly and I thought the style would be bad for my knees.  Surprisingly, I felt stronger after class.  My knees felt less sore or tender.  I don’t know that that’s one of the benefits of Bikram.  For example, Iyengar yoga is meant to be more rehabilitative and good for the injured.  Bikram, like Ashtanga, always seemed similar in that their suited for people in tip top shape. Contrary to all of that, being hot made my joints more supple.  The class pace is slow and not very intense (except for the sweat pouring off you).  I liked it.  I signed up for the new student offer 30 days for $30.  That’s even better than Open Space!

The format for class is a little weird.  The room is small.  The teacher talks you through the class sometimes demonstrating if you’re having trouble.  But the weird thing is that she uses a headset–as in a microphone.  Like Madonna.  It was funny but it makes sense.  You shouldn’t be struggling to hear the teacher.  The other thing is that you face a full wall mirror the whole time.  I was wary at first but then I liked being able to make adjustments based on how I looked and not just how I felt.

Last night Sarah and i took class at Manoa Yoga Center.  My picture makes it look like a prison complex but Manoa is so lovely.  A very picturesque residential area.  We took class with Ray, one of the owners.  He’s certainly the most experienced teacher I’ve had class with here in Hawaii.  I think we’ll go back again, mainly to take a more intermediate class.

Sarah showed me Punahou School where she, Sean (and Obama!) went to highschool.  There’s a carnival coming up at the school organized by the junior class and staffed by students, alum, and parents.  It sounds so fun- food and rides in Manoa!

This is my last post before Obama becomes President.  After the election my rabid enthusiasm dwindled but in the last few hours I’ve begun to feel emotional about tomorrow.  It’s an exciting time: New Year,  MLK day, the Inauguration, K’s birthday, and then Monday is the start of Lunar New Year–like a categorical clean slate.

Sarah and I have gone to yoga at Open Space everyday since Saturday.  I’m amazed at how easily I’ve been able to relax back into it.  The great thing about Open Space is that the teachers are very present, skilled, and you feel that they really want to help you.  It seems like a good mix of skill levels among the students.  The fact that I can’t say for sure is really a testament to how well they run their classes.  I’m not focused on other people.  I’m comfortable enough to concentrate on my own practice and not feel the self-consciousness  or competitiveness you find in lesser schools.  I miss class with Dharma but this place is very special and I’ll absorb many benefits while I’m here.

I didn’t really understand why the school says it’s in the Historic Arts District of Chinatown but the picture above is Nu’uanu Gallery at Marks Garage one of the storefronts I passed on the way to class.  It was small but had really interesting contemporary work.  Speaking of which I wish I was in NY to visit this: Can. Did.

When Sarah was driving me home the other day she kept asking me where to turn and I just kept yapping away forgetting to tell her how to get to my condo.  I told her it’s because I have this idea that she knows everything about Hawaii.  It seemed natural that she would know how to get me home even though she’d never been there.  Things that Sarah has shared with me that I find interesting:

• Made in Hawaii Expo
• Catfishing at Nuanu Reservoir
• Diamondhead Farmer’s Market
• Mitch’s Sushi

and lucky Mochi for New Year to put on your dashboard.

Finally here’s a video I really liked today.  Happy Obama Day everyone.  I pledge to be more gentle and find ways to help others in whatever way and whenever I can.

Today was my last day being 34.  And if I’m going by NY time, where I was born, I’m already 35.  I was wary of spending my birthday in Hawaii seeing as most of the people dearest to me don’t live here, but it’s turning out alright– like being on a retreat.  At least that’s how I’m trying to think of it.

My first trip back to NY was at the end of November.   I went home because my best friend and mentor was dying of pancreatic cancer.  I was able to spend the last two weeks of her life with her.  It’s not easy to bring up or even think about. I felt that the holidays weren’t going to be festive or celebratory in light of this, and they weren’t.  They were bittersweet and in a way it seems right that I spend my birthday far away from the city that I love and the comforts of home.

With that said, K has been sweet to me all day. We spent it eating good food and taking it very easy.  Tomorrow he’s taking me to my favorite place for dinner:  Sassabune.  Can’t ask for much more than that.

I hoped we’d be able to go to the beach today because it had been weeks since we’ve gone swimming.  Partly because of life issues but mostly because of the heavy rain.  K and I ran errands in the morning and decided to see if the sun would come out in the afternoon.

We had some business at Long’s and while we were looking for envelopes we ended up in the Sanrio aisle.  K pointed out a couple of cute characters and asked me if I’d like them as Birthday Friends.  I quickly said Yes and now have two terribly cute companions highly appropriate for hugging (see photo above).  Outside of Long’s we got a whiff of plate lunch and decided to try and find some.  I mentioned the Indian truck by the post office and K said it looked shady ( I think that’s the unHawaiian in us).  Then I remembered the little tent in the Kailua Shopping Center but when we got there it wasn’t up.  So we settled on some Aloha Salads.  I had the Ono Isalnd Ahi Salad and K had the Tiger Shrimp salad.  My salad reminded me of the furakake at Nico’s.  Not quite as good but very good anyway.  We got smoothies at Lanikai Juice and we ate our lunch at one of the outdoor tables in the parking lot.

I had a Kailua Monkey from Lanikai Juice which really hit the spot–basically a banana and peanut butter smoothie.  It was a fantastic lunch and I enjoyed sitting outside with K despite the cars coming in and out and sitting next to an SUV. It’s funny the spaces people create for themselves.  The outdoor tables at Kailua Shopping Center remind me of my old job.  I used to work at a museum and the first time I visited it for my interview I thought, how do people exist here.  It seemed like an alley way–not an office.  But after going there everyday for two years you carve out a space for yourself and your perspective changes, I suppose in order to maintain your sanity.  That’s what the outdoor tables are like: you look at them and you think how do people sit out here and eat when there are exhaust fumes everywhere and people walking by to get to their cars.  Anyway, despite this I enjoyed it.  It was nice to sit outside in the almost sun and eat a great salad.

After lunch we went to the beach to see if it was warm enough to swim.  It wasn’t.  We walked along the shore instead.  At Kailua beach we normally go to one of two spots, both within a few hundred feet of each other.  Today we walked way down the beach in the direction of Kalapawai Market.  It was strange to see how much of the beach was washed away from the storms.  I’m not sure if that’s normal–but the gnarly roots of gigantic trees were all exposed because of the lost sand bed.

We walked more than a mile down the beach.  We got to the point where the beach curves and is lined with mostly private residences some of which had no trespassing signs.  It was so quiet, smooth, and calm.  I told Ken that it must be like living in a clamshell for those people.  I thought we were going to go swimming so I didn’t bring my camera but tomorrow on my birthday I’ll go take a walk and update this with some pictures.

After being here for four months we FINALLY made it to the Kailua Farmer’s Market this evening.  It was AWESOME.  I was so excited.  I was so impatient as K tried to find parking in the majorly packed parking lot.  I was almost hyperventilating.  K said we must be really pitiful if I’m so excited about going to a Farmer’s Market.  He said I was never excited about the Union Square Farmer’s Market and it’s at least four or five times bigger than Kailua’s.  And my response was does Union Square have this:

or THESE:

There was so much to buy.  We ended up buying some vegan poke, organic veggies, a couple of plate dinners, flowers, coffee, taro mochi, apple bananas, lumpia,  and chocolate syrup.

It was a great day.  And tomorrow I’ll be 35.

Guides of Oahu & Waikiki.com have teamed up to provide a $5 OBAMA TOUR to give back to the community.

$5 Obama Tour

We were on our way to Kauai.  It was going to be our first excursion to one of the other islands. We booked our flights, our car, and our room at the Hanalei Surfboard House.  We were so excited to visit Hanalei Bay and try one of the uber muddy hikes.  We spent one whole day shopping for our trip, picking up clothes we could get grubby in.   K got a great pair of hiking shoes from Nordstroms.  He even put them on at the mall to start breaking them in.

We had to try different places for my hiking shoes and found a great place suggested by the Nordstrom salesperson: Mauka to Makai.  Their inventory was low so I ended up with a decent pair from Sports Authority.

Unfortunately when we got home  K was called into work for the next few days so we had to cancel all of our plans.  Hopefully we’ll be able to go before the holidays.

Instead of visiting a luxurious vacation island, we went to a couple of movies to unwind.  We settled for Journey to the Center of the Earth at the dollar theater. Dollar did you say??? Yes we were shocked. I haven’t been to a dollar movie in at least 10 years.  And I’m not even sure it was a dollar I think it might have been two.  The crowd at Hollywood Restaurant Row 9 was a pretty rowdy crowd.  Lots of locals and lots of kids.  I mean I felt like we watched a show before the actual show.  I whispered to K during the cartoon previews that we could leave at any point if it ended up not being good.

The movie proved to be perfectly fun.  In NY I carefully choose theaters based on the fact that I know it’s a  neighborhood crowd and people won’t be chattering through the whole thing.  I was a little skeptical at Hollywood.  Particularly when an older Hawaiian couple plopped down next to us and started talking right away.  But a quarter of the way into the movie I gasped at a heart racing scene and the portly woman next to me immediately whispered ‘what?’.  I was immediately won over and didn’t mind that they talked through the whole movie.

This past weekend we got to see Quantum of Solace.  Which I loved.  In looking for a theater we discovered Winward Mall in Kaneohe which is so different from Ala Moana.  The mall reminded me of my Long Island roots.  It was fantastic.  We had lunch at IHOP and wandered the mall after seeing the movie.  The highlight for me was the pet shop–very diverse.  I think all pet shops in general are, to varying degrees, not good.  But I’m a sucker for baby animals.  Here is one of my favorites:

Also, note for the future. There was a Leonards Malasadas truck in the Winward Mall parking lot.

Great concern has been rampant about the lack of “Hawaii” in the so-called “Hawaiian” activities, merchandise and demonstrations witnessed throughout the island’s hotels. Such items like leis and bracelets being strung with shells from the Philippines or tropical print bags, dolls and pot holders bearing the status of “Made in China”—even many souvenirs sold to visitors in Hawaii are created in and sold from such places as Bali, Thailand.

As odd as it can be, much of what is offered as authentic “Hawaiian” arts and crafts is actually imported from other foreign countries and guests of the islands haven’t the slightest clue!

As a result, a lot of time and energy has been spent on allowing the “real” Hawaiian culture to stand out and become noticed by all those millions of people who come to Hawaii annually. For much too long, the tendency was to push touristy trends like torch lighting ceremonies, Polynesian dancing revues and flashy hotels—all of which were ultimately lacking in substance when authentic “Hawaiian” cultural experiences were what was really desired.

In 1998, the Kauai Heritage Center of Hawaiian Culture and the Arts opened—a 1,200 square-foot facility with a purpose to educate and create mind awareness for appreciation and respect of the true “Hawaiian” culture. Exhibits in the Center focus on the Hawaiian quilts, hand-carved fishing tools, hula instruments and implements, as well as a vast array of mats, fans and baskets, to name just a few. Most of the artefacts making up the exhibits are treasured heirlooms belonging to Hawaiian families for decades.

The Center also instructs hands-on classes that probe and discuss all aspects of a specific subject, i.e., hula, leaf printing and the Hawaiian language. These sessions also cover lei making techniques along with the sharing of its protocols and customs that span the entire experience— from the preparation of materials to the actual leis disposal.

Realizing that to preserve Hawaiian culture and perpetuate its message is a daunting undertaking, the Center’s goal is not one of just providing an activity exercise but to share information and knowledge so that responsibility is assigned to the participant. Thus, programs are constantly in the planning stages, including work shops teaching cultural insights inspired and motivated by Hawaiian themes. The presenters are artists and practitioners specializing in their specific field of expertise.

Special permission was granted by the owners of the historic Coco Palms in Wailua, heavily damaged in Hurricane Iniki in 1992, to the students of the Center to sketch its structures and lagoons. More lectures will be presented on ancient places of worship and on these lagoons—which were first used as fish ponds by the Royalty.

The Center will also organize cultural excursions, like taking 5th-6th graders to learn about Hawaii’s environment, it’s native plants and about conservation. The group size will be limited to anywhere from 6 to 30 people because of the impact on the sacred cultural sites.

With the advent of new technologies and conveniences, many of today’s Hawaiians have forgotten the value and wisdom of the “old ways”. So, a comprehensive training program aimed at Hawaiian Islands’ visitor industry—hotel employees and business organizations—commenced based on traditional Hawaiian values.

This training program offers 8 hours of instruction covering subjects on healing with herbs, sacred offerings, massage, music, proverbs and poetry.

Perpetuating the integrity of the Hawaiian culture is what the Center is all about. Its goal, in short, is to accomplish every- thing possible to keep Hawaii “Hawaiian”. There is a constant vigil to correct false and inaccurate representations of Hawaiian practices. Both visitors and locals alike are encouraged to discover the “real” Hawaii and not fall victim to activities referred to as “traditional” when in fact, they are “gimmicks for amusement”.

Hawaii Vacation Rentals