Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! As I walked through my day today, I noticed several pumpkin carving competitions. I thought that this pumpkin was by far the best one out of about two dozen.

The Miss Hawaii Building

I was at the Mcully Zippy's Restaurant ordering their famous chili and a side of macaroni salad when I noticed that there were a few bikers that rode pass every couple minutes. I observed that in the distance was the Miss Hawaii Building where Kaimuki Typewriter Services is located. I believe that they are probably still fixing typewriters that are surviving the digital age so I snapped a shot of the this interesting building, the business, and biker in this intersection for the photo of the day.

Rabbit or Fish Island?

As a young boy, my dad used to tell me that that that island in the distant was called Rabbit Island. I looked at it from every angle and all I saw was a fish. Then one day I saw the rabbit. Can you see it? Click here to see the rabbit on fb.

A Fire Spread Across the Entire Town

Honolulu Chinatown 2011

Honolulu's Chinatown is colorful in more ways than one. The historical buildings were probably built in the early 1900's after it was burnt down starting at the boarder of Iolani Palace on King Street all the way to City Mill in Iwilei. Many of the people who lived in the area were infected with the Bubonic plague. Doctors and politicians believed that it was a disease of poor people and their remedy for it was to burn down the buildings that they thought carried the disease. Little did they know, people were infected with the disease by means of flea bites and because the lower class lived in highly soiled and littered areas (manily in Chinatown) where the fleas thrived, they were targeted as the inferior who were susceptible to the disease. There were high winds on that day that it was decided to set some of the buildings on fire for cleansing and unexpectedly the fire went out of control and it spread across the entire town. This same remedy was also used in Maui's Chinatown and in South East Asia. Click here to view a local vendor in Chinatown.

Art and Flea

Every Thursday evening in the heart of the industrial district in downtown Honolulu off of Queen Street, there is Art and Flea. Vendors selling vintage items, collectibles, handcrafted items, and interesting knick knacks gather to fill the parking lot and the entire space of a local coffee house/cafe', Fresh Cafe'. Twirlers twirl their LED hula hoops, the DJ spins his records, and the people gather to be a part of an exciting and hip mini-market. A youthful and energetic crowd 20's and 30's roam the market in search for unique items. I purchased a domino set that was handcrafted out walnut wood with gold metal inlay for $8. Click here to see today's outtake on facebook.

The Grand Dunk

Fall festival at an elementary school consisted of so many fun events. The grandest one was this dunking booth where the children could splash their teachers. They ran pumpkin carving classes, had a coloring area, there was doughnut on a string eating contest, mask painting, and a lot of sweets. After having a couple of cupcakes, a few cookies, and a doughnut, I was doing jumping jacks and running around.

A Handsome Two and a Quarter Pounder

This handsome two and a quarter pound Kona crab was caught off the waters of Molokai. Big on the shell he was skinny on the meat. I wish I knew how to tell if a crab is meaty or not inside or if it is all armor. Boiled in coconut milk, basil, onions, and some seasoning, the flesh was sweet and it left me wanting to eat another. Click here for another image of this Kona crab.

Night Market Hero

One movie that was selected for the 2011 Hawaii International Film Festival was a Taiwanese film about a community of food vendors at 888 Market. The film, Night Market Hero carried a simple plot with a political overtone, a boy meets girl undertone, and food were mere symbols of their relationships. It left me hanging because the food was not the primary subject and I expected to more shots of exotic dishes thus I was inspired to check out Honolulu's very own 888 Market in Chinatown. Click here to see my dish that I had for lunch for $3.50 no tax on facebook.

Sichigosan

Seven, five, and three or Sichigosan in Japanese are the ages that a blessing ceremony is done. Offering thanks and asking for good fortune is what parents have the Japanese priests bless their children with. The girls and boys all dress up in the traditional kimono outfits. I especially like the bright colors and the ornate designs of the outfits.

The Saturday Greeter

This friendly little fella is a greeter at the Contemporary Museum of Arts every Saturday. To my guess, he's on payroll, has full coverage health insurance, and will collect Social Security.

Red Rain

It began to drizzle, then rain, then heavily, and then it stopped. It then began to drizzle again, then the sun came out, then it rained again. This was the kind of weather we had today.

The People of the Neighborhood Gather

Click here to see other photos from the Makiki farmer's market on facebook

The farmer's market in Makiki gathers every Thursday evening at St. Clement's church on the corner of Makiki and Wilder street. Small in size but big on prepared foods, there are booths that sell Thai dishes, kettle corn, stews, crepes, etc. . . Of course a farmer's market wouldn't be much without fruits and vegetables so with fresh papayas, pineapples, melons, lettuce, onion, and other produce, the people of the neighborhood gather to have dinner, buy produce, and to socialize.

Korean Style Short Ribs

Korean Kal Bi or marinated short ribs is a local favorite dish. Soaked in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, minced garlic, a bit of hot sauce, and freshly chopped green onions, this dish is a winner. Served in Korean restaurants as well as plate lunch restaurants, there is a variety of ways to make it but in general it is seasoned to taste a bit salty and a bit sweet.

"It's a Chopper Baby!"

Butch - "It's not a motorcycle. . . it's a chopper baby!"
When I saw this bike, the memorable quote from the movie Pulp Fiction popped into my mind.

A Mesmerizing Skyline

To the far right beneath the sun's rays is the Waianae (west) coast. The sunset was mesmerizing especially when the sky became a fiery crimson hue under the dark clouds.

Sweaty, Hot-Pink, Sling-a-ma-thing

There were other bodacious undies that hung freely in Papakolea next to this pair of sweaty, hot-pink, sling-a-ma-thing. The weather is warm, the moon was out, and so were the animals!

Public Housing

It's interesting to find what lays below merely by peering over a bridge. Taken at a stream across local public housing, this image depicts the rough neighborhood that I visited and a Hawaii that isn't paradise.

It's Built Backwards

Tripler Hospital is the military hospital that stands at the top of Moanaloa/Saltlake district. The architectural plans were read backwards and thus the building is built backwards according to an urban legend. Furthermore, the architect that drafted the plans was ill during the construction of the hospital in 1907 and when he recovered and saw that it was built backwards, he was so ashamed that he committed suicide. Another rumor about Tripler is that it was painted coral pink because they ordered the wrong color paint. The reality is that the hospital was built correctly according to plans so that the they could harness the wind as it flowed down the mountain. Lastly, the coral pink color was picked out by General Richardson to match the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and to mask the red dirt.

An Axe Head Chopping it's Competitor

Click here to see another view of First Hawaiian Bank on facebook

First Hawaiian Bank is the tallest building in downtown Honolulu. The older building was demolished in the 90s and replaced by this newer bluish mirrored building. The owners consulted with Feng Shui masters to ensure that the energy flow of the bank would be positive. Some say that it was built in the shape of an axe head directing a chop at it's competitor Bank of Hawaii (the building directly across the street). Maybe it's an urban myth but ever since the new First Hawaiian Bank was built, many businesses have failed for almost half a mile behind Bank of Hawaii which is in line with First Hawaiian Bank's feng shui chop.

Poke' a Local Favorite Dish

Click here to see another photo of the poke' dish on facebook

Some may say, "Ewwwwwww, that's raw fish!!!" A local favorite when the fish is cubed and diced and served raw, it is called poke'. Not pronounced poke, but p-oh-keh.  If you like raw fish or are adventurous, here is the recipe that I used:

Ingredients

1. 1/2 lb. of the freshest ahi/tuna, can substitute with marlin (but not quite the same)

2. Dash of sesame oil

3. 1/4 cup chopped green onions

4. 1/2 cup soba sauce

5. 1/2 cup soy sauce

6. Dash of tobasco

Dice the fish into 3/4" cubes. Keep the fish chilled in a separate container. Mix the soba sauce and soy sauce together then add the tobasco sauce to taste and lastly a dash of sesame oil. When ready to serve add the fish to the sauce and sprinkle the green onions on top. Mix the fish with the sauce only when ready to serve or it may ruin the fish.

Vibrant Plastic Sweepers

Click here to see more photos of Chinatown on facebook

Happy Tuesday everyone. Without the colorful dustpans and brooms, this alleyway would be just an ordinary narrow passageway. The Chinatown shop to the right of these vibrant plastic brooms was packed with small medium and large steel bowls, metal strainers with bamboo handles, cleaning supplies, various pots and pans, aluminum stacking steamers, cutting boards, knives, etc... Thus, these sweepers were stored here for space.

H-1 Freeway

Click here to see the outtake of the day on facebook

The not so free H-1 freeway is usually packed with too many drivers and too few roadway. Taken during dinner time, the traffic was kind of thin. It was an opportunity to capture streaks from passing vehicles especially since there was enough bumper room.

Kamehameha Swap Meet

Click here to see more photos of the swap meet on facebook.

The Kamehameha swap meet is open to buyers and sellers three times a week on the weekends and on Wednesdays. There may be a deal on something that may be worthless to someone but a gem to yet another. For sale were yellow ballet shoes hanging on a bike, power and hand-held tools, bright aloha print clothing, mechanical parts mixed with baby items, vintage fans placed next to vhs tapes and glass vases, coconut juice straight from the nut, a section for meats and vegetables, etc... It has been over ten years since the last time I had visited this swap meet and it is exactly the way I remembered it to be less the collectors who had their hands in a little bit of everything.

Across the Ala Wai Canal

Click here to see other photos of the Convention Center on facebook.

Behind me is a one story building that used to be the old World Gym Waikiki in the early 90's. Muscle bound world class wrestlers, strong men competitors, power lifters, pro football players, tourists, students, and even Hawaii's Governor Cayetano visited this open air gym. The view across the Ala Wai canal was an empty lot and around the same time when it relocated, the Convention Center was built and it becoming the new view. Exhibitions, business conventions, dental gatherings, political forums, are held here. The TV series Lost had bits that was filmed at this location as well.

Cliche' Palms Redefined

Click here to see the runner up for the photo of the day on facebook

The sun hung directly overhead behind the stillness of the clouds today, humidifying downtown Honolulu and raising the temperature of the day. Finding a bit of shade underneath these cluster of palms allowed me to cool off before traversing from here to there. Having lived in cold climate before, I empathize with the temperature drops during the Fall season for the rest of northern hemisphere.

Horses Graze in Downtown Honolulu

Click here to see the outtake for today on facebook

Starbucks is located at every corner on earth and here they are with their green umbrellas across the way. Aside from grande lattes, venti mochas, and triple iced espresso, there are a couple of horses grazing across the street. Sculptures made by Deborah Butterfield boldly stand in a perfectly manicured lawn in front of the First Hawaiian Bank building. Public art by famous artists are everywhere to be found in downtown Honolulu.

Makiki Community Garden

Click here to see other photos on facebook

Ms. Shirley, a green thumb gardener at the Makiki Community Garden grows her air plants, flowers, herbs, and other vegetation for the love of gardening. With over a 100 plots in a section of the Makiki District Park, gardeners of all levels water life into flowers such as daisies and roses, vegetables such as eggplant and lettuce, herbs such as basil and thyme, and low maintenance plants such as cactus and air plants.

You've Got Nada?

Mailmen and ladies with their deliveries for the day at Honolulu's main post office.

 What will we do without the U.S. Postal? 

"This is Not a Stone, He is a Man."

Click here to see the other side of Pohaku-Loa of Punahou

The late Glen Grant, Hawaiian historian, author, and folklorist, wrote the Obake Files, Ghostly Encounters in Supernatural Hawaii. In it he tells a story of Pohaku-Loa of Punahou, a "tall, sacred rock nearly five feet tall that stands at the corner of Punahou and Wilder Avenues." When Punahou lands was first given to the missionaries for a school an overseer and his men attempted to dislodge Pohaku-Loa of Punahou to move it to it's proper area but the harder they worked the more it planted itself into the ground. A kahuna was consulted and it was believed that there was a demigod that was living in the stone. The kahuna stated, "This is not a stone, it is a man. He is not to be forced, but coax him and he will go." They prepared an elaborate luau feast for him and everyone was invited. The next day it was asked to move and a very large and powerful chief Paki, wrapped his arms around the stone and lifted it, and to everyone's amazement, the rock moved itself to it's current location. Some years later, Pohaku-Loa was split into two and the other half was taken to Kapi'olani Maternity Home then located on Beratania Street. It then became the property of the Japanese consulate for a few years when the maternity home left. When the Japanese consulate left Beratania Street, that other half was missing." What is left is the above image of the stone with the plaque of Punahou School embedded in it.

Children's Day

Click Here to see the outtakes for 10/2/11 at Honolulu Photo of the Day on Facebook

There were glider planes on exhibition, fancy race cars, teen bands jamming, hip hop dancing, a train ride circling, the governor's mansion for touring, kiddie rides and games, indoor rock climbing, various local foods on sale, and many booths hosted by local companies at the annual Children's Day at the State Capital today. With the sun out and a steady light breeze the weather was perfect for this amazing event.

Locally Owned Supermarkets

In the past few years Star Supermarket said farewell to the islands, Times Supermarket was sold to a mainland company, Longs Drugs Stores was bought out by CVS, and recently Foodland closed it's Hawaii Kai location. It makes me wonder if an era is ending and locally owned supermarkets are becoming a thing of the past. I just hope that Foodland won't throw in the towel completely anytime soon especially since they are the last supermarket chain that is truly locally owned.