Atari Space Invaders - On Ice

yeah, bring on some old school fun!

Best Private Masseuse - Allie Tanahara

Allie Tanahara is precise, conscientious and present in her art. When you're treated by her, you feel as though the hour is stretched into two.

As you start your massage with Allie, she instinctive reads your body and is able to choose the perfect type of massage best fit for your needs, often inter-mixing different European and Asian traditions. She knows when to power through a deep seated knot, when to apply less pressure to sensitive muscles, and when to soothingly balance your tense body into a state of relaxation.

Her touch is soft yet firm, and though she stands petite and sweet, the power and strength of this professional is not to be under estimated.

A one hour massage with Allie currently runs $55. She runs her private practice out of a chiropractic office in Kaimuki, and comes with experience of having worked at the Kahala resort spa for many years. She is certainly my favorite and I can't go a month without seeing her.

The Scoop:
To book a private appointment with Allie call: 808.223.6408
Location: 3566 Harding Avenue, Suite 100 in Kaimuki

(Or book her at the Kahala Resort at 888.288.5637)

For more on Hawaii spas see: HawaiiSpaFinder.com

The Spiritual Process of Writing

As a writer and creative, I found the eloquent words of the NYT best selling author to speaks insightful truth about the historical, artistic and spiritual process of writing.

Jake Shimabukuru - Ukulele guru

Wow! No wonder he's is a local favorite. Jake is a contemporary ukulele-ist who infuses old world Hawaii tradition with a contemporary rock and jazz style, expressed with passion from a heart, spirit and soul of a true bluesy artist born with a talented pair of quick stringing fingers. {How's that for a one sentence description?}



I grew up listening to Latin music by way of my dad and whatever CDs he'd play in the car or on the kitchen radio. I appreciate that Jake crosses the Americas for inspiration for this unexpected cultural twist:



And then he comes home again with the national anthem. LOVE this rockin' Hawaiian flavored ode to the U.S.A. Has got to be my favorite rendition:


So I'm convinced that I've got to see this guy live...at least once in my life.

For info on his tours:
www.jakeshimabukuro.com

Free Coffee Bean WiFi Codes

Good at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf only in Hawaii, you can use these codes for a free hour of WiFi time:

74c815bd27
ccf3e318c9
cfd457b89f
2a2ea34e54

First come for serve, of course. Codes can only be used once and at non-Hawaii Kai locations.

"First Fridays" - Honolulu's Art Scene

One of my favorite things to do on the island as a local, is attend Honolulu's "First Friday" events. First Fridays are a collaboration of artists, galleries and local residents who come together to celebrate the artistic culture of the city. All galleries and public museum charge free admission, and folks fill the streets (very popular actually) and set aside the whole evening to gather for the area's largest art scene in the revitalized Chinatown district.I love the arts--and in every medium and form. I love visual arts, the culinary arts, performance art, music and soundscape, media arts...and the art of living itself. As such it is no wonder that I love Honolulu's "First Fridays." I love seeing and knowing that the city has a vibrant, albeit hidden underground art community.
I also enjoy seeing the variety of people who attend the monthly event. It often surprises me to see how many people come out for this event. The celebration begins at 6pm, attracting business professionals coming straight from work. It is a predominately a late-20s to late-40s crowd but because the arts crosses age and generation the event attracts a growing crowd outside this parameter. Attended by mainly local and residents on the islands it's still a hidden find for tourists and visitors.Mark's Arts Garage often has live art demonstrations that correlate with their monthly changing exhibits. I remember when Jon, Andy and I couldn't get over a deathly glass blowing demonstration--a disaster waiting to happen. Four artists were blowing glass on a tiny sidewalk corner--with poles so long they could either hit an onlooker or each other. That was entertainment in of itself. Mark's hosts sculpture, painting, photograph, multi-media works and has nightly stage performances as well including spoken word among others.

For wine lovers, head to "Hsad" which offers free glasses of wine at each month's events. Just purchase a wine glass for $5 and bring it back every First Friday for a free refill every time. Popular restaurants in the area: Indigo, Epic as well as some SF-like lounges like thirty-nine hotel and those next it to (i think, it's been awhile).

Favorite Galleries: Marks Art Garage {first and last photo}, Chinatown Boardroom {two photos above} (for my Heather Brown art), and my favorite corner one (which I can't think of the name right now).

http://www.firstfridayhawaii.com

MIT's Sixth Sense

Technology. One day we can be like Tom Cruise in the movie, "Minority Report." Here's MIT's (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) latest invention which gives you a technological "sixth sense."

{Around the 5 minute mark on the clip things starts to get fun. And I like the ideas at 6:48 to the end. Enjoy!}

{Courtesy of TED.com. Check out the site if you don't know about it. It's great!}

Honolulu Family Festival 2009

Held at Ala Moana Park, this carnival features entertainment, games and fun carnival rides. What's great is that you can even buy classic foods like hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy at traditional styled carnival food wagons. The rides still scare me (are they really safe?) but the laughter of youth and adults alike make it a fun evening. Held Thursday through this weekend.

More Info:
http://www.honolulufamilyfestival.com

Hibiscus

I was cleaning out my closet and I came across a transparent bag with an item carefully wrapped between sheets of white tissue paper. I opened it and smiled.

It was a small gift I bought for myself before one of my departing flights from Honolulu.

Inside the tissue paper was a lithographic print of a red hibiscus flower. Something to remind me of my time on the island. It was a macro photograph focused on a strong stem jutting upright with effortless assertiveness, yet separating itself from the delicate petals that fell downward. {The piece is by photographer John DeMello, not shown here}
When I first arrived in Hawaii, I remember praying on bed one day when a particular vision came to mind. It was an image of a colorfully winged butterfly that landed on a hibiscus. It was so striking and clear that the image stayed with me for some time.When I later talked about the image with some church friends I came to find that the hibiscus is the State Flower of Hawaii. Stained glass butterfly wings had been a symbolic image I had seen in a striking dream a couple years ago, and taken together, the butterfly landing on a hibiscus had come to represent a period of rest and healing for me in Hawaii. The vision was a beautiful gift of things to come.As I unwrapped the layers of tissue paper in my hands, I paused to reflect on the many ways I've grown and changed because of my faith to fly and live across the Pacific. As I now decide where in my home to place this lovely lithographic image, I look forward to being re-reminded time and again of the on-going gifts of Hawaii.

{In the vision, the butterfly never flew away nor left the flower. It landed. And stayed.}{top photo by mckenna7773}