Monday, July 30, 2007

eco-operate .:. baggu





Excerpt from DC Los Angeles:

July 30, 2007
Plastic Does Not Make Perfect

Paper or Plastic: The Great Check-Out Aisle Debate.This two-party system stinks. Time to shake it up + cast a vote for Baggu, a new reusable shopping bag available online starting today.

  • weighs only two ounces but holds up to 25 pounds

  • bottom gusset - stands up when packed

  • handles long enough to carry over the shoulder, forearm-style, or by hand

  • eight colors (red, fuchsia, olive, navy, aqua, gray, khaki + black)

  • ripstop nylon - easy to store + maintain

  • mashine wash + hang to dry
Use one for a year and you’ll save between 300 and 700 disposables. Available online at baggubag.com.

Check out it’s not a plastic bag too.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

haiku - holoholo

packed + checking in
um, what? no reservations!?
get us on that plane!

boarded + seated
breathing a sigh of relief
on the plane at last

relaxing, drowsy
my excited boys asleep
OGG to SFO

hurry up + wait
san francisco to boston
hungry. what - no food?!?

logan, finally
buy bus + ferry tickets
snoozing on the bus

cool sea breeze blowing
respite from surprising heat
riding the ferry


sea to shining sea
the end of our journey nears
see? martha's vineyard!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

a hui hou

My boys + I will be visiting hanai ʻohana for a while. We're going to Martha's Vineyard first, then celebrating Auntie's 70th birthday in Merrimacport, MA.

it's all a matter of perspective
The boys are excited because they'll be seeing their calabash cousins + they've never been further than the West Coast. I've already been all over the world for hula, but I don't get excited until I'm actually sitting on the plane anyway - too many details to take care of first!

incommunicado?
Who knows...if I can get my happy little fingers on a keyboard, maybe I'll post some pics or start a travelogue - but if you don't hear from me for a while, it just means that I've finally relaxed + am off having a great time with my boys!

Naʻu me ke aloha, ke Akua pu.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

hulō! hulō!

Hoʻomaikaʻi to Hālau Kekuaokalāʻauʻalaʻiliahi on their outstanding performances at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula Competition on Oʻahu! Nā keiki worked so diligently, as did their mākua + ʻohana, to make this dream a reality.

Read about their journey on my Sissy Luana's website: http://www.thehawaiianlearningcenter.com/morningmanao.html.

Mahalo ke Akua!

Monday, July 16, 2007

never lose hope

It's really hard to still have hope when you're struggling through one of life's darkest moments...when you're fighting to protect yourself + your children, when you're surviving through an ugly divorce, when you're searching for a job.

In the past month, I've had to make a conscious effort to reach for hope, grab on to it + hold on for dear life. But you know what? Although it may have been only the tiniest pinpoint of light...it was always there.

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tunes without the words -
And never stops - at all.

~ Emily Dickenson

Sunday, July 15, 2007

~ qwiki ~

An aunt on my mom's side works on our genealogy. She discovered we're descendants of profound poet Emily Dickenson!

Hope is a strange invention -
A Patent of the Heart -
In unremitting action -
Yet never wearing out.

~ Emily Dickenson

Friday, July 13, 2007

eco-operate .:. replate!





Excerpt from DC San Francisco:

July 13, 2007
Trash Talkers

Maybe it’s time to start talking trash on a whole different level, like SF locals Josh Kamler + Axel Albin. Having observed people leaving restaurant leftovers on top of the nearest trash can (instead of wasting them or letting them rot in the fridge), the professional designers figured it was an idea worth a conversation. So they gave it a name: Replate.

They don’t pretend to have the solution to hunger, homelessness, + food waste, but they’re all for giving, humanity, + common sense. Turns out they’re not alone — the project’s free source posters + stickers (which you can download on their website) are showing up in cities across the country.

They’ve already raised a lot of interesting questions: Should the city get officially involved? Does this really count as activism? + they’re open to suggestions on how to make the movement more effective.

So speak now or forever hold your pizza.

To spread the word, go to replate.org or e-mail leftovers@replate.org.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

boys of summer

Here in Hawai'i, we don't experience the seasons as much as, say, the East Coast. Some people think we don't experience different seasons at all.

i beg to differ
Because it's glaringly obvious to me that we have a summer season + I don't need a change in the weather to tell me so.

here's a clue
My boys are all over each other 24/7. They can't even breathe in the same room without talking trash or gleefully pushing each other's buttons.

speaking of which
Someone should invent a MUTE button for those daily squabbles. In the meantime, though it may sound like it, I know they won't maim each other - so my iPod really comes in handy. I just plug in + tune out.

Because then I can focus more on the JOYS of summer.

Monday, July 9, 2007

gotta have faith

It's a given right? No one likes the stress of being without a job! First, for myriad reasons, you don't have the one you depended on. Second, you have to hunt down opportunities...then set up interviews + pray for the callback or offer.

a leap of faith

I stayed at my last job for nearly four years + the one before that for seven, so I'm definitely not a social butterfly when it comes to employment. However, I made a major career move on April 1 to work with wonderful people + better provide for my family. We'd just started to feel safe + believe in a secure future when my position was unexpectedly, traumatically cut due to budget constraints...so for the second time in four months I had to comb through the classifieds.

keep the faith

We are very blessed to have 'ohana to lean on, but I really hate to depend on anyone. So I prayed...+ I hustled! I got my name out there + reconnected with the very people I'd declined employment with back in March. It's really tough to stay positive when you're stressed about where your next paycheck will come from, but you have to make a conscious effort to keep the faith. Ke Akua has a better plan in mind than anything we could think up for ourselves!

faith-full

I started my new job today; it's also a brand new career. The people are wonderfully warm + 'ohana-oriented. Like my last one, this position will open up exciting new horizons for me to explore. I may have gotten here in a roundabout way full of potholes + speed bumps...but ke Akua has pulled us through once again + we are full of faith in His goodness and guidance. Mahalo ke Akua!

Sunday, July 8, 2007

~ qwiki ~

Dreaming of a visit + want to plan your activities? Or already here + wondering what to do?

start here
http://www.101thingstodo.com/hawaii/maui/index.php - these free magazines are available wherever visitor brochures + guides can be found.

Want an inside scoop?

ask + you shall receive
Contact me by email for honest recommendations.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

ku'u moku, ku'u home

mālama maui
kuʻu home aloha
mahalo kākou

Friday, July 6, 2007

e mālama kākou

ʻAe, Maui no ka oi. Kamaʻāina know it + malihini who visit each year know it. Maui's been voted "Best Pacific Island" for 16 consecutive years + the #2 Overall Destination in the World by Conde Nast Traveler readers.

Let's keep it that way! Spend just a little of your vacation preserving the beautiful place you've come to experience. Make a difference. Help preserve the Maui we all know + love.

mālama maui
The Maui Visitors Bureau has opened the way to a new and richer understanding of the Hawaiian Island group known as Maui Nui – namely, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Maui itself –by appealing to the growing number of travelers who actively engage in learning about a place’s history, its natural resources, living culture, and the ingenuity of its people.

MVB supports the efforts of the many Maui Nui residents and their businesses who work every day to reverse environmental degradation and to hold onto the guiding principles of their unique heritage. These are Maui people who “mālama” — preserve and protect — their unique island home in many ways by:

• Participating in the renaissance of Hawaiian culture
• Working to protect Maui’s endangered native habitats
• Continuing old family businesses and local traditions
• Caring for ancient sites and historic churches
• Growing native plants and botanical gardens
• Creating innovative small farms
• Taking visitors to the heart of the Maui experience, whether by land or sea

MVB showcases Maui Nui’s dramatic history, rich heritage, and precious ecology by creating awareness of the islands’ agricultural, cultural, and natural attractions.


New trends in global tourism show that travelers want to experience the same things most Maui residents value above all – aloha ʻāina or love of the land. This new breed of visitor, typically well educated and well traveled, wants to learn about local cultures, traditions, environmental issues, and agriculture (including the regional cuisine). This type of visitor sees Maui Nui from a 21st century perspective. It is a place to be valued and nurtured by everyone on Earth - not an indestructible “paradise,” but a precious shared resource.

“When we poll our visitors, they nearly always say that natural beauty and local culture are what draw them to Maui,” said Terryl Vencl, MVB’s executive director. “By acknowledging aspects of Maui that are valued and in some cases vulnerable, Mālama Maui supports the ambitions of our people while enriching the experience of our visitors.”

inside the ecology of maui: be mindful of the island's amazing environment
http://www.mauimediacenter.com/mm_ecology.htm

Thursday, July 5, 2007

writer's block

writer's block
wri ters block
wry terse block

on most days i write
but for now i'm stuck so let's
create some haiku

my sweet wild sister
liquid summer sunshine on
her skin like a song

i leave + blossom
watch my slender tendrils grow
see our full bouquet

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

independence day

Let freedom ring
Let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong
Let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away
Let the guilty pay
On Independence Day
- as sung by Martina McBride + later Carrie Underwood

Happy Fourth of July! As you celebrate with your family + friends, please be wise - don't drink + drive.

a beautiful memory
This day also holds special significance for me for another reason. In 1992, it was the day I found out I was hāpai with my first son. When I was a little girl, all I wanted was to grow up to be a mommy, so it was one of the greatest blessings ever.

Mahalo ke Akua.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

speaking of salons...

As I was driving past a salon the other day, I noticed their mani/pedi special. It was significantly less than I normally pay so I thought I'd try it out.

never again
It started out okay; the salon was a nice place to escape the heat of the day. The spa chairs reclined + had massage options. After choosing a summery pink polish, I slipped my feet in the warm, swirling water + was just starting to relax when the workers erupted into animated conversation. This normally doesn't bother me but they were speaking a different language, so since I couldn't join in, I cranked up my trusty ipod + tuned out...

...only to be rudely tapped back to reality. The girl assigned to do my mani wanted to begin right then instead of taking me to a nail station when my pedi was done. Which meant that each time I started to drift into la la land, little miss girlie tapped me for one hand or the other.

Oh-kay. Since I couldn't drift, I read my book. I noticed that the other ladies were cleaning up + counting their money. Girlie picked up her pace, rushing through the rest of my mani.

no-TOE-rious

I have a history of messing up freshly done nails, so I usually put my slippers on before the polish. Well, I forgot + Girlie didn't think of it. After giving me a measly two minutes in front of a fan, she plopped my slippers down + handed me my purse, totally giving me the bum rush. I knew it was a bad idea, but I tried to ease my feet into my slippers + - yep, you guessed it - screwed up my big toe.

When I pointed it out to her, she slapped on more pink polish, not even trying to smooth it out, + sent me on my merry (!) way. Knowing a lost cause when I see it (just an hour too late), I held my tongue + walked out the door.


So here's to the tried + true: http://nailshop.com/.

Because you really do get what you pay for.

Ke Akua pu.



Monday, July 2, 2007

this one's for the girls

Yes, there are a lot of salons out there (more on that later), all promising to help you look + feel better. But to be truly pampered from your beautiful face to your cute little toes, The Nail Shop (http://nailshop.com/) in Kihei is THE place to go. Owner Diana and her crew of talented women know just how to help you put your best face, foot + everything forward.

why yes, i AM a princess

It's so easy to put ourselves last...but when we rejuvenate ourselves, we're better equipped for all the other aspects of our lives. Let The Nail Shop help you channel your inner princess - Helena or Lalaine will help you schedule your treatments.

Susan + Elise specialize in skin care, facials + body treatments. They will carefully wax away any + all (yes, ALL) hair - brows, face, arms, bikini (viva Brazil!) + legs. Want a royal sweep of beautiful lashes? Be sure to ask about their secret weapon!

Don't miss The Nail Shop's specialty: the spa mani/pedicures (Sherri gives my tips + toes the royal treatment). You'll leave completely relaxed, soft + smooth as a baby's - well, you get the idea.

Because it's summer + your little piggies don't want to stay home!

Ke Akua pu,

~ princess mauihulagirl

Sunday, July 1, 2007

just so we're clear

I am keiki o ka ʻāina, a child of this land. I love Hawaiʻi + all that it stands for. I ache for those who have suffered indignities such as loss of land + erosion of spirit. I wholeheartedly support the steps we as Hawaiians are taking to reclaim our ʻāina, restore our culture + preserve our history.

I understand the visitor industry + appreciate how it sustains our economy. Everyone in Hawaiʻi is impacted by visitors in one way or another. I grew up in it - my parents met while working at one of the first resorts on Maui. I've danced in hotel shows/lūʻau since the age of three + worked at resorts, airlines, the hotel association + the visitors bureau. I met many of my dearest, lifelong friends while working or dancing hula. I stop to kōkua those who are clearly lost - the ones in the rental car on the side of the road, poring over the huge map in front of them.

BUT. There are two things I must say:

1. tread lightly
Please be respectful of the hard-working people who carry your bags, check you in, serve your meals, clean up after you + take you to historic places. Don't trample over heiau or sit on lava rock walls that have stood the test of elements + time. Have respect for the sacred sites you visit. Lower your voice, or better yet, just hāmau (be quiet) + soak in the mana. Mālama ka ʻāina - take care of the land - leave each place better than you found it. Don't carelessly leave behind your cigarette butts, bottles, cans, or your baby's diapers (it's happened, trust me).

2. get out of my sunset
Ask anyone. I'm not confrontational or territorial by nature...but when I find an out-of-the-way spot on a big, beautiful stretch of beach to enjoy the sunset, please don't choose the very spot right in front of me to take your family pictures. Don't block my soul-calming view of nā honu coming to visit. Don't climb up the tree right behind me + proceed to talk loudly about why the Bahamas are better, or how ugly you think Kahoʻolawe is (if you only knew its history!). Don't bring all your drunk, smoking dudes with bongos, guitars or whatever + start wailing the only song you know at the top of your lungs...over + over.

Because perhaps if visitors were more aware + respectful, the derogatory phrase "dumb haole" would cease to exist.

Ke Akua pū.