Brudda Bu and Auntie Napualani enjoy da poi, in Pana`ewa, Big Island of Hawaii, April 7, 2008!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hilo for Merrie Monarch 2008, and the lovely Merrie Monarch Parade
Hilo is enchanting. It's particularly special during Merrie Monarch. During 2008, everything was perfect: Pele was active and seemed to approve of everyone's plans, the rain fell at night to make things fresh, and the dancing was fabulous. Below are some favorite pictures of Hilo, especially of the folks getting ready for and then watching the parade, and some of the excellent free dancing and skilled crafts people and other sights available during Merrie Monarch week.
Our favorite adventure: Making poi for Dawn's wedding
Here are some pictures to share of a day we spent near the forest of Pana`ewa, with the delights of making poi with Auntie Napua, Uncle Ken, Dawn the bride to be, Uncle Peter, Auntie Flo, Chad, Chad's young son, and Craig and Amy 'helping'. Mmmmmmmmmmm! Fresh poi!
Kalapana, Kilauea and Halema`uma`u
Down the road from Hilo, on Tuesday, we arrived with our friend Laurie at a favorite spot to drink some `awa near the ocean and to meet friends to see the volcano. What a wonderful surprise, a halau was there to share their pre-competition relaxation at their kumu's cousin Robert's house. We loved hearing Puna, the halau's musicians, and others celebrate, and listened to a song that is very special to us personally, Holei. We appreciated Uncle Willie's `awa choice and felt very lucky. We admired the astonishingly beautiful and graceful young dancers of Halau ka hikina o la la lani in their yellow t shirts, enjoying kanikapila and hula.
Later on that night, what fun to ride in the back of a big truck over to the volcano viewing area by the ocean and hike down to see the big steam clouds and the red glow from the lava and at times, the hot streams of molten rock spilling over the lava front, into the ocean, creating new land.
Later on that night, what fun to ride in the back of a big truck over to the volcano viewing area by the ocean and hike down to see the big steam clouds and the red glow from the lava and at times, the hot streams of molten rock spilling over the lava front, into the ocean, creating new land.
Rural Hawaii and Maui
Here are some pictures of rural Hawaii and rural Maui, and below some notes
What do we remember from our trip
Tuesday April 1
The fun of flying to hilo with halaus in t shirts and performers like Richard hoopii and na pua grieg and oh wow about aloha airlines going broke. Getting to Hilo,enjoying how the staff at a hotel like uncle billy’s are all remembering laurie. Our
adventure at uncle Robert's. Getting tasty `awa in plastic cups, two for five. Getting to go with Pauline in her boyfriend's 6 pack truck to lava passing all road boundaries because of locals, watching red glow rise as night gets darker and stars come out
Wednesday April 2
Laurie showing us her friends house up near Moani ke ala (the source of kimo henderson ula); on the river, a rich red mahogany home, overlooking the white rapids, seeing a dark cave opening in the lava on the far side. Shopping, at Sig Zane, at the civic center and other crafts fair sites. Seeing great leis, of many kinds. Seeing the aunties and their hats, many hats, many flowers, but especially some bright golden yellow in fabrics and flowers. Every possible hairpiece and fresh floral decoration for your ead. Serious pahu shoppers. Feeling a bit awkward next to the slogans of the Hawaiian Force, advising us haole and other invasive species to go home. Craig getting to buy a hat from Aunty Elizabeth lee the master. Me getting a nearly holoku, a brown dress with pikake pattern and bright hawaiian royalty color yellow piping, when else do you get to wear a dress you can swish?
Wednesday night the free night at Merrie Monarch. The surprise of the great music and great sights in the Edith kanaka`ole stadium. The terrific open air view from section K of mauna kea as the sun shines down, and the feel of soft breezes. Aunty napua says she can detect the delicate scent of the dancers flowers as the wind blows it to her. The incredible gift of the opening with halau o kekuhi. Watching kekuhi kanahele carefully pick up the mana laden costume shreds on the floor. The naughty 3 aunties, auntie mapu and 2 others, danging to Napua Greig singing, ' Oh you sweet thing' by Lena Machado.
Thursday april 3
The thrill of the ATA surprise coming so close on the Aloha surprise, the magic workings of the coconut wireless (thank you Pua!), phone calls and web arrangements and sharing being 'stuck' with many friends from the Bay Area (great to see you all there). Shopping relaxing. Halau of kumu ceballos just doing their hula on the Civic Center stage, laughing and given their all, even when the recorded music started skipping.
The tasty food in hilo, like Cafe Pesto's `ono `opakapaka salad and seared raw ahi salad, and the bentos, and the Garden club's semi-thai delights, and omelets at uncle billy's, and the Poke wagon, and getting Korean kalbi at the international market
The great fun of watching Miss ALoha Hula MM on TV at Na Pua, Ken and Dawn's house, with a great group and great commentary by Ken and by Kimo. Wow. And the ads. Kau Inoa; and, also, "There's only one Hawaiian airline" - now that's for sure!
Friday april 4
Getting to see the volcano, from hidden overlooks, being part of the crowd as a dancer from the Lim family halau does honor and gives ho`okupu to pele, running into performers Kenneth Makuakane and Brickwood Galateria and watching the national parts rangers making leis from yellow ohia flowers and grey succulent leis then having the parks rangers and others dancing I kona with lovely old auntie in wheelchair.
Hilo food at Pestos mahimahi salad
Friday night kahiko, craig getting to be happy and astonished at the marvelous energy of being in the stadium. Craig being thrilled to be on TV. Getting an up front lesson in how a hula dancer can stay so poised when her top drops. Coining a new word, Boobdar. The electricity in the crowd when AHA comes on.
Saturday the incredible hilo parade. The preparation. The hilo march. Hanging in a reconstructing hilo building. The pa`u princesses. The incredible treat of the musicians. The rich costumes of the auana.
Sunday April 6 sitting in Hilo, feeling the lightness in the air, hearing the chirping birds. Breakfast at Ohana café, bathroom with linoleium walls dolphin mirror and 3 stacked Kokohu rice sacks. Came down to uncle ken napuas place, he was hefting pipe sections up to bring down coconut leaves, a few coconuts came too, we had fresh coconut juice. We drove to Kalapana, hiked across the sparkly swirling grey lava, past the small sand beaches on the headlands, small house structure in memory of kalapana, had poke and seaweed salad, we had awa at the bar, met Herman and son and dtr in law. Music of halau private party
Drove the red road, to where the tide keeps you from arriving in
Back to the house, love her decorations, picture frame around basket
Dinner at the girls house
Late night watching merrie monarch
Morning, drive to pana`ewa forest, Hawaiian homelands, uncle peter pua and wife flo pua and son chad, made poi using spoons or knives to scrape off the dark outer skin and the lolo parts, then grind then eat. Yum. See pictures ofhouse
Back to hilo, crab cakes at pesto, late evening hike with linda and new puppy roxie to Akaka falls
Studio: like bali
Tuesday April 8
Up to honoka`a, auntie Grace talking stink about hotel Honokaa owner arnel, you know she was a seargeant and I’m not in the army. The way you talk stink: when we bring up her name casually without a positive or negative then auntie pauses, sees yes we know her, shrugs makes face, waits for us to confirm that we are not in allegiance with her, then tells us the dirt. You know, on the way to church, she come right up to me and she say this morning, I counted 23 chickens. What are you going to do about them? Well first of all auntie how you have the …. To say ‘my chickens’. How these my chickens. These are our chickens. You get off your ass and you get a trap. Whooo, next time she gonna say these are your mosquitos
Auntie grace likes the following CDs
She has a locally made uke, says HOA on the top
What do we remember from our trip
Tuesday April 1
The fun of flying to hilo with halaus in t shirts and performers like Richard hoopii and na pua grieg and oh wow about aloha airlines going broke. Getting to Hilo,enjoying how the staff at a hotel like uncle billy’s are all remembering laurie. Our
adventure at uncle Robert's. Getting tasty `awa in plastic cups, two for five. Getting to go with Pauline in her boyfriend's 6 pack truck to lava passing all road boundaries because of locals, watching red glow rise as night gets darker and stars come out
Wednesday April 2
Laurie showing us her friends house up near Moani ke ala (the source of kimo henderson ula); on the river, a rich red mahogany home, overlooking the white rapids, seeing a dark cave opening in the lava on the far side. Shopping, at Sig Zane, at the civic center and other crafts fair sites. Seeing great leis, of many kinds. Seeing the aunties and their hats, many hats, many flowers, but especially some bright golden yellow in fabrics and flowers. Every possible hairpiece and fresh floral decoration for your ead. Serious pahu shoppers. Feeling a bit awkward next to the slogans of the Hawaiian Force, advising us haole and other invasive species to go home. Craig getting to buy a hat from Aunty Elizabeth lee the master. Me getting a nearly holoku, a brown dress with pikake pattern and bright hawaiian royalty color yellow piping, when else do you get to wear a dress you can swish?
Wednesday night the free night at Merrie Monarch. The surprise of the great music and great sights in the Edith kanaka`ole stadium. The terrific open air view from section K of mauna kea as the sun shines down, and the feel of soft breezes. Aunty napua says she can detect the delicate scent of the dancers flowers as the wind blows it to her. The incredible gift of the opening with halau o kekuhi. Watching kekuhi kanahele carefully pick up the mana laden costume shreds on the floor. The naughty 3 aunties, auntie mapu and 2 others, danging to Napua Greig singing, ' Oh you sweet thing' by Lena Machado.
Thursday april 3
The thrill of the ATA surprise coming so close on the Aloha surprise, the magic workings of the coconut wireless (thank you Pua!), phone calls and web arrangements and sharing being 'stuck' with many friends from the Bay Area (great to see you all there). Shopping relaxing. Halau of kumu ceballos just doing their hula on the Civic Center stage, laughing and given their all, even when the recorded music started skipping.
The tasty food in hilo, like Cafe Pesto's `ono `opakapaka salad and seared raw ahi salad, and the bentos, and the Garden club's semi-thai delights, and omelets at uncle billy's, and the Poke wagon, and getting Korean kalbi at the international market
The great fun of watching Miss ALoha Hula MM on TV at Na Pua, Ken and Dawn's house, with a great group and great commentary by Ken and by Kimo. Wow. And the ads. Kau Inoa; and, also, "There's only one Hawaiian airline" - now that's for sure!
Friday april 4
Getting to see the volcano, from hidden overlooks, being part of the crowd as a dancer from the Lim family halau does honor and gives ho`okupu to pele, running into performers Kenneth Makuakane and Brickwood Galateria and watching the national parts rangers making leis from yellow ohia flowers and grey succulent leis then having the parks rangers and others dancing I kona with lovely old auntie in wheelchair.
Hilo food at Pestos mahimahi salad
Friday night kahiko, craig getting to be happy and astonished at the marvelous energy of being in the stadium. Craig being thrilled to be on TV. Getting an up front lesson in how a hula dancer can stay so poised when her top drops. Coining a new word, Boobdar. The electricity in the crowd when AHA comes on.
Saturday the incredible hilo parade. The preparation. The hilo march. Hanging in a reconstructing hilo building. The pa`u princesses. The incredible treat of the musicians. The rich costumes of the auana.
Sunday April 6 sitting in Hilo, feeling the lightness in the air, hearing the chirping birds. Breakfast at Ohana café, bathroom with linoleium walls dolphin mirror and 3 stacked Kokohu rice sacks. Came down to uncle ken napuas place, he was hefting pipe sections up to bring down coconut leaves, a few coconuts came too, we had fresh coconut juice. We drove to Kalapana, hiked across the sparkly swirling grey lava, past the small sand beaches on the headlands, small house structure in memory of kalapana, had poke and seaweed salad, we had awa at the bar, met Herman and son and dtr in law. Music of halau private party
Drove the red road, to where the tide keeps you from arriving in
Back to the house, love her decorations, picture frame around basket
Dinner at the girls house
Late night watching merrie monarch
Morning, drive to pana`ewa forest, Hawaiian homelands, uncle peter pua and wife flo pua and son chad, made poi using spoons or knives to scrape off the dark outer skin and the lolo parts, then grind then eat. Yum. See pictures ofhouse
Back to hilo, crab cakes at pesto, late evening hike with linda and new puppy roxie to Akaka falls
Studio: like bali
Tuesday April 8
Up to honoka`a, auntie Grace talking stink about hotel Honokaa owner arnel, you know she was a seargeant and I’m not in the army. The way you talk stink: when we bring up her name casually without a positive or negative then auntie pauses, sees yes we know her, shrugs makes face, waits for us to confirm that we are not in allegiance with her, then tells us the dirt. You know, on the way to church, she come right up to me and she say this morning, I counted 23 chickens. What are you going to do about them? Well first of all auntie how you have the …. To say ‘my chickens’. How these my chickens. These are our chickens. You get off your ass and you get a trap. Whooo, next time she gonna say these are your mosquitos
Auntie grace likes the following CDs
She has a locally made uke, says HOA on the top
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