Lucky we live HI

There's a phrase you hear a lot on this island. And after spending some time here it makes a lot of sense. 

Lucky we live Hawaii 

Yes I have to go to work. Yes I have to everyday chores like grocery shopping, laundry and washing dishes by hand. But when I'm not doing those things, I get to pretend I'm a tourist. 

This weekend felt like an extension of my vacation from last week. On Saturday I went sea kayaking. We took rental boats out to a little island off shore of Lanaikai, Mokulua. 

On Sunday I went on a 3+ hour hike through a beautiful wooded area that eventually overlooked the island I was on the day before, Hahaione.  

Check out some of the pictures:

This lovely panorama shows the second Moke as well as the sea kayaks lined up on the shoreline. 

Don't be fooled by this posed shot... I had no idea what I was doing!

After all that paddling we deserved to sit back on the sand and relax. 

This hike was different than many of the others. We spent most of the morning under the shade of trees, some of them similar to the pine trees of GA. 

The hike also featured what I called "obstacles". There were roots, slippery pinecones and slopes that required a rope to maneuver up and down. 

The best part of the hike? The reward of the beautiful vista once we reached the top of the mountain. 

Luckily we were able to get a group shot that included the amazing view. 

After this busy weekend I'm refreshed, ready to go back to work and definitely feeling lucky to live in Hi. 

And now for the pic of the week:

This was a log hanging near the trail. What you can't see are all the little ants crawling on the bark. 

Mahalo!

Island lifestyle

This week was extra special. I got to share HI with my Mainland BFF. I wanted to show her the best Oahu has to offer so I visited all of my favorite spots. Although I had been to all these places before it was interesting seeing them through a new person's perspective. 

All visitors that come and see me start their trip off with Mai Tais, pupus and a sunset at the Moana Surfrider. 

To expirience some of the islands history we stopped by the Punchbowl War Memorial. I found a plaque that I've never seen before. This made me think of my Gpa (I sent both grandparents a text to let them know I was thinking of them). 

Valentines day on top of Diamondhead means a cheesy photo shoot. 

This was a great week to visit since Chinatown was full of excitement celebrating the new year!

This was a new scene for me. It was my first time to the Leeward coast with the gorgeous sunset at the lagoons. 

 Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay...one of the best spots in Hi. 

Hiking to the Lanikai Pillboxes on a weekday morning is a whole new expirience. . . Very relaxing. 

I've eaten at Cinnamons before, but never Cinnamons at Ilikai and never had the guava chiffon pancakes. Yum-o. 

Overall a chockfull week with lots to see and do. And now only two more days until the weekend ;-) 

Here's the pic of the week:

 I'm showing of the "guns" while hiking Diamondhhead. 

Mahalo!

B-E-A-utiful

When you stop and look around, the world really is a beautiful place. This is especially true when you live in HI. This week I found myself taking the time to enjoy all the beauty around me. 

On Sunday I got to expirience the best the island has to offer. The sky was blue. There was a slight breeze. And I got to join a group of friends for an amazing hike. With nothing more than a little internet research and directions stating "first hike to the puka, then keep going", we found ourselves hiking from the Makapu'u Lighthouse to Deadman's Catwalk. 

The hike followed the coastline with gorgeous views of the beaches and reefs. 

Here's the infamous puka mentioned in the directions. 

We hiked that whole ridge!

And our reward was the view looking over Deadman's Catwalk. 

On Saturday my focus was on making something beautiful. I took a class on washi chigiri-e, Japanese paper tearing. In the class they provided us with supplies, taught us the technique and guided us through our first project. 

Here's my finished product. The instructor told me my creative touches were "interesting". 

And of course the class was more fun because of the excellent company. 

And a week focusing on beauty wouldn't be complete if I didn't focus on myself. I spent Thursday evening with my friend (who happens to be a hair stylist). She pampered me, gave me a new look and helped me to feel beautiful. 

 

The top pics are the work in progress. The bottoms pics are the two different ways of wearing my hair: sleek vs. wavy. I love it. 

And now for the pic of the week:

I love this group shot at the Makapu'u puka. 

Mahalo!

Festival Season

Festival season was always my favorite time of year in Atlanta. When describing it to my Hawaiian friends I jokingly state it's the period between March and October where every weekend is filled with wine, beer, art and food. 

Right now winter is starting to feel like the Hawaiian festival season. A couple of weeks ago I was celebrating the New Year at the Japanese Cultural Center, this weekend was the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebrations. 

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar so it's on a different date every year. This year the official date is February 19th though the festivities seem to be going on all month. 

Eat the Streets is a themed food truck event that occurs the last Friday. This month featured Chinese food, noodle dishes and a lion dance. Sadly my options for Chinese food were pretty limited, since every truck chose to use pork. Haha. 

Check out some pictures from the evening:

It isn't New Year without a lion dance!

I got a plate of garlic shrimp, mac salad and rice. More Hawaiian than Chinese, but still ono. 

The one "Chinese" special I was able to enjoy... dragon fruit lemonade. Check out how my drink matches my shirt that matches my glasses ;-)

And now for the pic of the week:

Mahalo!