January 2012
121 posts
Il Gelato in Hawaii
“Everyone in Germany is addicted to gelato,” and, “Hawaii is great, but there’s no good gelato,” says Dirk Koeppenkastrop of Il Gelato. That’s pretty much all you need to know about why a German guy is making gelato in Hawaii. And two things worth knowing about his gelato: all his flavors are remarkably creamy and one of them, the hazelnut gorgonzola flavor, is just remarkable, utterly rich and...
December 2011
140 posts
Come to the NYE Party of the Year
Aloha Tower will transform into a mega block party on New Year’s Eve, as Roadrunner, Power 104.3, Krater 96, Island 98.5 and Star 101.9 present the Bud Light Party of the Year.
This huge celebration takes place from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., with 10 stages of live bands and 30 DJs spinning everything from 70s, 80s and 90s hits to hip-hop to classic rock . One tickets gives you access to all venues,...
'The Descendants' Author Kaui Hart Hemmings Talks...
With her book The Descendants, Kaui Hart Hemmings put the lie to mainland Americans’ postcard image of Hawaii by allowing tragedy and, more insidiously, the mundane to run amok in paradise. She described singularly beautiful and exotic islands populated by people both defined by and inured to beauty and exoticism. In short, she created a portrait of the Hawaii where she grew up and where she...
Cameron Crowe: Life is a zoo… and little moments...
MANILA, Philippines – He has given the world “You had me at hello,” and “You complete me.” He’s taken viewers backstage at rock concerts where people who were almost famous find redemption—and themselves—in rock music and doing the right thing. But Cameron Crowe isn’t done delivering uplifting stories.
Crowe’s trademark of warmth, humor and humanity is at the core of the life-affirming “We...
Katy Perry Spends Christmas Day Splashing Around...
Katy Perry celebrated this year’s Christmas under the tropical sun of Hawaii. On Sunday, December 25, the “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” singer was caught on camera showing off her curves in a skimpy two-piece bikini as she took a dip in the ocean and soaked up the sun on the sand on the island of Kauai.
Taking a break before performing two concerts in Asia in mid-January...
2011-2012 Honolulu & Waikiki New Year’s Eve...
If you’re looking for a New Year’s Eve Event in Honolulu or Waikiki this 2011/2012 we have the best list of parties, dinner, fireworks, and general festivities that will keep you ringing in the new year in style. Hawaii is one of the best places for New Year’s Eve.
There are plenty of bars, clubs, restaurants, and beach parks that are having good events. We’ve got our event calendar full, just...
Obama Hits Popular Snorkeling Spot During Vacation
HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama and his family are spending a warm and sunny afternoon at one of the most popular snorkeling spots on the island of Oahu.
The Obamas arrived at Hanauma Bay Tuesday afternoon after a scenic, 40-minute drive from their multimillion-dollar rented vacation home on Kailua Beach.
Hanauma Bay is a favorite destination for the Obamas during their annual Christmas...
Obama's Mother Ann Dunham Exhibit at East-West...
Through Her Eyes: Ann Dunham’s Field Work in Indonesia is an exhibit at the East-West Center honoring President Barack Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, an anthropologist who worked in small villages of Indonesia. The exhibition includes photographs taken in the field during her time in Indonesia, as well as lectures and films.
Visit the link below for more details, and learn about various...
Arts Briefs 12-23
Volcano Arts Center requests masks for February fundraiser
February marks Volcano Arts Center’s eighth annual “Love the Arts” fundraiser on Feb. 11. The theme of this year is “Carnevale di Venezia: Under the Hawaiian Moon.” In service to the center’s mission to promote, develop and perpetuate the artistic and cultural heritage of Hawaii’s people, the...
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Best Way to See Lava in Hawaii – Lavakai Boat...
This might be the best way to see the recent lava flow that’s happening on the Big Island of Hawaii. We should note that we haven’t been on it, but the video and reviews that are coming back are pretty awesome.
Now, you can do like we’ve done previously, walk across the long expanse of the lava fields, hot and dangerous, of Volcanoes National Park, or you can just take a boat there. That’s...
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Hawaii Artist Esperance: An Aritst in Hawaii
Esperance is one of the growing number of artisits in Hawaii.
Let’s face it, Hawaii is certainly art in itself. The scenes, the ocean, the people, the flowers, the food all lend themselve to be show-cased. And who better to do this than a Hawaii Artist.
Esperance paints from the heart. He feels and he uses his painintg to express that rare emotion that has bubbled out of him. He then uses hos...
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TEA PLANTS FIRST INTRODUCED OVER 100 YEARS AGO
Tea was first introduced to Hawaii around 1887. Since then, unsuccessful attempts to commercialize Hawaii grown tea production on Kauai and in the Kona region of the island of Hawaii were attributed to the high cost of production in Hawaii compared to the lower costs in other tea producing areas. This is a recurring problem that faces most commercial crop production in Hawaii. In the late...
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Innovative Food Waste Recycling Project Launches...
Throw To Grow, a new food waste recycling program based in Honolulu, HI, has launched a Kickstarter campaign. The company hopes to raise $15,000 to fund its innovative research project as well as an educational program aimed at teaching kids about how waste can be transformed into energy.
— Daily Crowdsource
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Hawaiian Style Chili Company
Hawaiian Style Chili Company can be found at several Farmers’ markets throughout Honolulu, Hawaii. My parents and I spotted them at the Honolulu Farmers’ Market, held every Wednesday at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall.
— Aaron’s Food Adventure
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Senator Finds Government-Funded Food Waste Far...
As Eater reported this week, some politicians believe this country is awash in food waste. But this isn’t the stuff in the garbage — it’s the way we pour money into building restaurants, promoting American food products abroad, and encouraging the purchase of local foods.
Every December, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) puts a Wastebooktogether to highlight 100 examples of the...
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Park passes make perfect presents
The 2012 edition of the federal Interagency Recreation Pass and the annual Hawaii TriPark Pass are now on sale — just in time for the holidays.
The new interagency pass provides access to recreation opportunities at national public lands managed by four Department of Interior agencies: the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation,...
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Honolulu Academy of Arts: rare paintings from...
If you’re on Oahu over the next week or so and you’re up for a bit of art appreciation, Honolulu Academy of Arts maintains a roster of fascinating exhibits and events. Offerings in the late December lineup range from an exhibition showcasing Chinese high ideals in painting to a Japanese film series focused on campy fun. High ideals: Masterpieces of Landscape Painting from the Forbidden...
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Seasons Eatings
Have a Maui Christmas with feasts cooked by top island restaurants
Who wants to slave over a hot stove when it’s, well, hot outside!?
For those of you who would prefer to head to the beach, frolic in the surf and enjoy a Maui Christmas, note that island chefs are preparing a host of feasts - from brunches to dinner buffets.
Just remember to make reservations as soon as you read this, as...
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Native Hawaiian Art Series
These cultural traditions have been passed down generation to generation in the Kualu Haupu family. As a family member, Kaeo Bradford started practicing these traditions in her early childhood. Handed down by knowledgeable Kupuna, Kumu-Loea-Kahuna, these traditions continue to be practiced with relatively little changes in the family.
— Kauai Community College
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What A Global Flavor Map Can Tell Us About How We...
There’s a reason why Asian dishes often taste so different from the typical North American fare: North American recipes rely on flavors that are related, while East Asian cooks go for sharp contrasts.
That’s the word from researchers at the University of Cambridge, who used a tool called network analysis to chart the relationship between chemical flavor compounds. They did it to...
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Giving away rice for the holidays is nice
Everyone loves rice in Hawaii. Steamed. Stir-fried with vegetables. Heaped in bowls. Two scoops on the side with macaroni salad. We’ve all lifted our chopsticks to this popular grain. All year round, the needy and hungry people of Maui crave it.
This Christmas, the all-suite Fairmont Kea Lani Maui resort in Wailea is not just decking the halls, it’s opted to give back to Maui’s community with a...
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Chow Time Shirt Stirs Up High Demand
After the University of Hawaii at Manoa announced it chose Norman Chow as the new head coach for the Warrior football team, local store Butigroove unveiled a new line that seized the moment.
Amy Timas was one of the first to walk in to the Honolulu store to snag a bundle of “Chow Time” shirts, fresh off the printing belt.
— KITV
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Working Overtime
For decades Bill Maher has pushed the boundaries of political satire with TV shows like “Politically Incorrect” and his current “Real Time” on HBO. Maher is also a bestselling author, his newest book, The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass.
— Honolulu Weekly
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New restaurant: Opal Thai ditches the truck
You can take the guy out of the truck, but you can’t take the truck out of the guy, I say to Opel Sirichandhra when he comes out of the kitchen to take our orders. About a month ago, he sold his popular food truck, Opal Thai Food, and moved into a space in Haleiwa Town Center, under the same name (and yes, his name is spelled Opel, but his business is Opal Thai). No longer a two-person...
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Nuns: Prayers to Marianne, Hawaii soil cured woman
The second Vatican-authenticated miracle in allowing a nun to soon become St. Marianne Cope involves the healing of a New York woman who had an infection destroying her organs, nuns from her religious order revealed for the first time Tuesday.
A bag of soil containing Marianne’s bone fragments from the Hawaii peninsula where leprosy patients were exiled was pinned to Sharon Smith’s...
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Obama goes Christmas shopping
Home alone at the White House, President Barack Obama headed on an impromptu Christmas shopping trip Wednesday with first dog Bo, searching for some holiday cheer despite the latest stalemate with Congress.The president’s wife and daughters already are on the family’s annual Hawaii vacation, leaving him behind to negotiate with Republican lawmakers to keep payroll taxes from going up...
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Update: Lobby Bar at The Modern Honolulu
In the Waikiki Edition/The Modern Honolulu business explosion aftermath, some of the talented people involved in establishing the bars left, including bartender Sam Treadway and executive chef Kaleo Adams. Curious about the food and drink post-transition, I checked in at the Lobby Bar. Luckily, all is still well. Tim Rita, formerly of the Halekulani, now manages The Modern’s bars.
—...
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Kapi’olani Community College Farmers Market:...
There were so many tourists and locals that Kapi’olani Community College Farmers Market felt like a farmer-filled Mardi Gras. Of course, New Orleans has nothing as scenic as Diamond Head, the famous volcanic crater that serves as the backdrop for the sea of farmers market stalls.
Dean Okimoto is a third generation Hawaiian, with a grandfather who farmed above the University of Hawaii and a...
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We Waste a Lot: Take the “No Food Waste Challenge”
We Americans waste nearly 40 percent of edible food in the U.S., says the NRDC. One group is working to change that.
Founded in February 2008, nonprofit Kanu Hawaii supports personal change and group actions using a combination of custom-built web tools, social media, and be-the-change messaging. Kanu Hawaii’s e-newsletters often encourage environmental and health-friendly lifestyle changes,...
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Christmas every week: Kula Fields
I had been following Maui’s Roxanne Tiffin (@KulaFields), not really knowing what her company was all about… or that she was located on Oahu, as well. One day, she suggested I try one of Kula Fields‘ Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes so I could see what the process was and get a sample of what was inside.
Kula Fields is different from other CSA boxes in that they deliver to your...
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The Year in Volcanic Activity
Out of an estimated 1,500 active volcanoes around the world, 50 or so erupt every year, spewing steam, ash, toxic gases, and lava. In 2011, active volcanoes included Chile’s Puyehue, Japan’s Shinmoedake, Indonesia’s Lokon, Iceland’s Grímsvötn, Italy’s Etna, and recently Nyamulagira in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Hawaii, Kilauea continues to send lava...
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Kokua Way -- Events help celebrate the spirit of...
Merry Christmas to all.
Christmas Eve Service at Hilo Coast United Church of Christ in Honomu come one come all. You are invited to celebrate the season at a 7 p.m. candle-light Christmas Eve service at Hilo Coast United Church of Christ in Honomu, Saturday, Dec. 24. The service will feature scripture readings intermingled with traditional carols. Led by the Rev. Linda Petrucelli, the service...
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Mililani High School cheerleaders win national...
Mililani High School’s cheer squad has something to really cheer about following a major victory on the mainland.
This heroes’ welcome was fitting for the new national cheerleading champs.
The Mililani High School Varsity and Junior Varsity teams both took first place at the American National Cheerleading competition in Las Vegas, Nevada.
— Hawaii News Now
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Hawaii Vacation: Michelle Obama Brings Daughters,...
While President Obama was stuck in Washington on Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama was in Hawaii introducing daughters Maliaand Sasha to the wonders of organic farming, Aloha style. Joined by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass, Mrs. Obama took her girls for a visit to MA’O Organic Farms in the Waianae area, according to Honolulu chef Ed Kenney, a board member for...
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Jennifer Aniston & Justin Theroux's Hawaiian Pad...
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux live in the lap of luxury when they are on vacation in Hawaii! The lovebirds stayed at a private estate that cost them $7,000/night! With breathtaking views of the ocean and surrounding greenery, Jen and her guy must have had the most romantic stay when they went over the summer.
— Gather
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Blogs Party pics: Paul Oakenfold
Christmas came early for house/trance music fans in Hawaii, as Paul Oakenfold, one of the biggest names in the electronic music scene headlined OOSpot’s Saturday Night Sessions concert Saturday at Sea Life Park. The Grammy-nominated British trance DJ and producer, known for his numerous remixes throughout the ’80s, ’90s and the current decade, brought out a big crowd of all ages. Also spinning...
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Singer Jack Johnson grants boy’s Christmas wish
Surf-folk singer Jack Johnson brought some Southern California sunshine into the lives of a 6-year-old Children’s Hospital Boston patient and his family yesterday, fulfilling the boy’s foremost Christmas wish by giving him a private webcast concert and calling him “a very brave boy” for battling a rare heart defect.
Speaking via Skype from Santa Barbara, Calif., Johnson, a father of three young...
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Observatory's 100th
January 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and the Volcano Art Center is helping celebrate.
VAC will feature an exhibition titled “Observation/ Inspiration” from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Jan. 7-Feb. 19. The show features artists who gather inspiration from the volcanic activity at Kilauea, including Catherine Robbins, Tim Freeman, Alan Fine and...
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Planning Chef Mavro’s winter menu
Chef Mavro launches his winter menu tomorrow, and I got to take a peek behind the scenes to see the thought process in selecting the wine pairings. Every season, when the restaurant changes its menu, the staff (and a few others) gather to taste the dishes and wine pairing nominations from the sommelier team.
The selection process is done by committee, and everyone is given a ballot in which to...
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In Paris, Maori Works That Blur the Lines of Time
“Maori – Their Treasures Have a Soul,” an exhibition of Maori native art and artifacts at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris (37, Quai Branly, 75007; www.quaibranly.fr, through Jan. 22), is an opportunity to see national treasures that rarely leave New Zealand.
The Quai Branly show, direct from Te Papa Tongarewa national museum in Wellington, presents the case that, aesthetically and...
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Pope certifies miracles for two U.S. saints
A 17th-century Native American woman who cared for the sick and elderly, and a Catholic nun who worked with lepers in Hawaii, are on the verge of becoming the newest American saints, after Pope Benedict XVI certified miracles due to their intercession, the Vatican announced Monday (Dec 19).
The decrees concerned Kateri Tekakwitha and Mother Marianne Cope, both of whom had been declared “Blessed”...
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'Layaway Angels' make their way to Hawaii Kmart...
A giving trend that started on the mainland has spread to Hawaii.
Over the last three days at the Kmart store in Iwilei, several anonymous donors have come in and paid off the layaway balances of complete strangers.
— Hawaii News Now
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Introducing Closet Trader, The Fun Way to Recycle!
Calling all compulsive shoppers on a budget…introducing Closet Trader, Hawaii’s newest way to trade the unwanted items in your closet for treasures at minimal or no cost to you.
How does it work? Sign up free online and post photos and descriptions of your never worn or gently used items on Closet Trader, and instantly buy, trade, or make an offer on other members’ inventory. Why buy new...
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Living ukulele
Brittni Paiva was a whiz kid for so long it may be difficult to grasp that she’s now an adult.
At 23, she’s a Hawaii music industry veteran, with four CDs under her belt and a fifth in the works. Her upcoming album, expected in March, is being produced by jazzman Tom Scott, a three-time Grammy Award winner who’s served as music director for both the Academy Awards and Emmy...
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Showdown in Chinatown: A year of winning films
It’s been a good year for Showdown in Chinatown. In 2011, the local independent filmmaker showcase saw more Showdown graduates, people who have never written a script or picked up a video camera, get enthusiastic about the filmmaking process and win the competition. Even with all the big-budget films being shot in Hawaii this year, the little guys got a chance to shine too.
The energetic...
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Olympics, Hula Highlight East West Players' THREE...
East West Players (EWP), the nation’s largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, continues its 46th Anniversary season, themed Languages of Love, with the mainland premiere of THREE YEAR SWIM CLUB by Lee Tonouchi. This production will be directed and choreographed by Keo Woolford. The cast of the...
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Aulani Disney Resort and Spa — Hotel Review
The Aulani’s opening in August was one of the biggest resort openings in Hawaii in years. With 359 hotel rooms, 460 time-share villas and 21 acres, the Aulani purports to tell the story of the islands through art and cultural programs (Aulani is Hawaiian for “messenger of a chief”). The resort features works by native Hawaiian artists (Aulani says it has one of the largest collections of...
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Georgia O'Keeffe's visit to Hawaii
Unless you happened to see their 1940 debut in New York, or their exhibition 50 years later in Honolulu, you’d be forgiven for not knowing that iconic artist Georgia O’Keeffe created 20 paintings inspired by her time in Hawaii: white ribbons of waterfalls plunging down lush, green clefts in fog-shrouded valleys, feathered Hawaiian fish hooks bobbing in pale turquoise water, tropical...
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Lavish New Year's Eve experiences
Hey, big spender. New Year’s Eve is coming up fast, but there’s still time to think about an unforgettable getaway to usher in 2012.
Maybe this is the year for the trip of a lifetime or perhaps you’re looking to be somewhere out of the ordinary when the clock strikes midnight.
If so, here are six luxurious itineraries that require deep pockets, but will set the tone for an...
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Kenneth W. Bushnell Is Displayed In The Ranks Of...
Stanford Who’s Who proudly announces the addition of Kenneth W. Bushnell to the exclusive ranks of premier professionals as a result of his exceptional effort in education and the arts. Throughout his brilliant professional career, Kenneth has consistently demonstrated the vision, dedication and diligence necessary to be considered among the best.
— International Business Times
