Childhood Dreams and Fantasy

Capturing the fun and joy in the eyes of these four girls on a helicopter ride at the Punahou Carnival was absolute amusement for me. Although a bit grainy and fuzzy, it captures the dizzying feeling of games, fun, childhood dreams, and fantasy. If only life was always as simple and fun as a carnival ride.

Rides, Cotton Candy, Candied Apples, Games

 

 Carnivals are always fun with rides, cotton candy, candied apples, and games. Once a year, Punahou School puts on a carnival that brings together the community and people from all around town. I brought my Brownie Hawkeye to take some film shots and if they're any good after development, you'll get a peek.

Five o'clock Shadow

An interesting five o'clock (p.m.) shadow, literally, from a reflection off a building window onto this wall.

Amuse

Chocolate pudding cake at Amuse at Honolulu Design Center wine bar. It was complex tasting with berries, chocolate cake, nuts, whipped cream, and drizzled with it's own unique sauce. Mixing fashionable furniture with fine foods, this wine bar sits between Stages restaurant and the concept furniture design center.

Year of the Dragon

This weekend in Honolulu Chinatown were the new year celebrations with food booths, vendors, and martial arts performers who filled the streets and stages. This little girl was in the spirit of giving a dollar the Chinese lion for a year of good luck. It's the year of the dragon in 2012 which is the end of a lunar cycle. 

Fish and Ducks

Feeding the fish, turtles, and ducks with the kids.

Pick It and It Shall Rain

 

One folklore of the Ala Lehua flower is that if you pick it off the tree during a hike, it will begin to rain. As for this little beauty, no one had to own it and it still rained all weekend. It was the only one on this tree and at full blossom it lured me over with it's bright color.

Horse and Carriage

Although nothing like the long rows of countless horse and carriages in New York City Central Park, Honolulu City Lights has two, and they circle around City Hall for Christmas entertainment. As you can see, there is no line to get on.

A Soggy Day

The weather was rather soggy today with thunder showers and lightning. The rain ceased for a moment then it resumed then it ceased again and then it resumed again. A raindrop hit this puddle yielding this photo.

Passing Shower

Happy Monday! The sun went down and the city lit up. There was a passing shower this evening and the air is cool, perfect for deep sleep. Goodnight!

Ilikai 7:45p.m.

Every Friday evening at 7:45p.m. for the past many years, the Ilikai hotel in Waikiki faithfully launches a firework show. In the summer, the beach is packed with families, children, tourists, and surfers who become mesmerized by the booms and the bangs of the rockets that illuminate the sky and  cityscape. The smell of bar-b-que linger and groups of beachgoers bond with food. Tonight, the crowd was sparse and the weather was cool. Perhaps most were indoors at the malls.

Saint Germaine Bakery

I called to reserve a pumpkin pie at a bakery in Liliha and when I got there, the people before me bought the last one. The cashier then said that the wait was an hour before I could have my reserved pie. So instead of waiting, I went to St. Germaine and bought an ogura cake instead thus, St. Germaine has it for the photo of the day. Check out what an ogura cake looks like by clicking here.

Not a Nova

From a distance I thought that this car was a cracker box Nova then a Pontiac GTO. Moving in a bit, it was a Chevy Malibu in pristine condition. I just love the classic muscle cars. I think that the owner should polish it at least three times a week to keep the glass finish. Nice!

Tonight

Happy Sunday! Tonight was a clear evening without a cloud in the sky. It was a perfectly cool and still evening during the sunset. The ducks, fish, and turtles were not quite ready to close their eyes yet although they were visibly slowing down.

Red Flyer

This retro Red Flyer tricycle was part of bulk pick up and grouped with a bunch of trash. Granted that parts of it was rusted and in pretty bad shape it might have been able to be restored by the right person with the time and tools. It was a heavy tricycle made of steel. The bell didn't work and the wheels didn't turn very freely. This tricycle marks a period when toys were solidly made with metal in the U.S.

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 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.

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!

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.