Tuesday, March 23, 2010 was Free Pastry day at Starbucks. Did you get yours? Here’s what I saw on my way to get a free pastry.
Stuck behind a school bus that made several stops, and yes, legally both lanes of traffic must not pass.
As expected, there was a line at Starbucks, pretty short though.
At last, my free pastry (coffee cake in the bag) with the purchase of a bold coffee in my OG Starbucks traveler’s cup.
It finally dawned upon me after attending the various social/new media sessions at Unconferenz 2010. New media as well as old or traditional media is about trust, plain and simple. Attendee Todd Ogasawara might have said it too mentioning the term “Trust 2.0,” but it just didn’t sink in at the time. All these “new” social networks and tools are about building trust, and the eventual success of eBay was used a prime example. After adding seller and buyer ratings to increase the trust level of its service did online bidding really flourish. The lesson is the better and faster you can establish trust, the more successful your community (and business) will be.
This same dynamic is at work in many instances knowingly or not. At Hawaii startup, Peer News, owner and eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, is using his previous experience to incorporate trust relationships in the forthcoming news service. At Unconferenz 2010, Peer News editor, John Temple talked about Peer News and its direction.
Also at the social media sessions was Jared Kuroiwa, formerly of KGMB9 and Hawaii News Now. While he provided great insight and retrospect of his past industry, his presence reminded me of this post, Trusting KGMB9. At the time when the Hawaii television news industry crumbled, KGMB9 stood above the rest in my view. Trust was at the core of this. Through Jared’s social media strategy, I trusted KGMB9 and all its voices. Most of those voices, sadly, have gone silent, and I quietly wonder about the trustworthiness of the new news conglomeration.
Taking a step back, I realize that my reasons for attending Unconferenz were based on trust.
Trusting that Burt Lum and Ryan Ozawa would put together a great event leading to great discussions and trading of ideas for Hawaii tech enthusiasts. Thanks guys!
The Bishop Museum’s latest exhibit is Circus! Science Under the Big Top which allows guests to take part in circus activities. Kids and adults can balance on a high wire, dress up as circus characters, learn about sword swallowing and body contortionists, identify circus animal turd, and yes, even perform acrobatic flips in mid-air. Take a look as I do some flips…
Dudes, the safety harness is kinda uncomfortable in all the wrong places but hey, it’s for safety right? Doing a back flip isn’t too hard but is disorienting as your world suddenly whips around. Doing a front (head first) flip is another story. It’s harder, but I’m not sure if it’s a mental or physical block. Throwing yourself headfirst makes you automatically want to correct your balance and pull back, and physically, you need to get your legs over the top so you can rotate all the way. I got stuck halfway around on my front flips to the disappointment of the watching kids.
If you want do flips at the Bishop Museum, be ready to wait. Since there’s no time limit for this ride, it can take awhile. After a few minutes suspended and flipping in the air, I did feel nauseous but was much better after coming down and drinking water. Bouncing and doing the flips was a a surprising workout, breaking a sweat after my session.
Head on over to Circus! Science Under the Big Top, and let me know if you could do a front flip.
The CPK in Kailua is no longer an express ASAP version. After some remodeling to expand the outdoor seating, the restaurant is now a full blown CPK featuring the full California Pizza Kitchen menu.
If you haven’t tried it yet, get the new Hamburger Pizza. It tastes surprisingly like a Big Mac. The kids love it.
Here at KCC checking out Unconferenz 2010. Cool discussions and trading ideas.
Took a very short staycation at the renovated Sheraton Waikiki earlier in the month. The main draw is the Helumoa Playground, featuring swimming pools, water slides, a waterfall, and hot tubs. Most parts of the playground are shallow so kids can easily play around. Even though the weather was chilly, a dunk in the hot tubs quickly warms you up.
The remodeled hotel is nicely done also featuring the adults-only infinity pool, a Peets Coffee, and the buffet-serving Kai Market. All in all, fun times, and we’re definitely going back!
Oh yeah, the staycation pictures are here.
While the Froyo Wars is in full effect, the battleground over the Hawaii cereal market is only starting out. There’s Scrambled in Windward Mall and now on the Leeward side, there’s Cereal Remix.
To give these cereal cafes a fair shot, I had to try it out, hitting up the recently opened Cereal Remix. I opted for the steel cut oatmeal for a heartier meal instead of the sugary breakfast cereals. The 16-oz Mini goes for $4.25 and is filling enough after adding the toppings. For my hot oats, I sowed honey, azuki beans, strawberries, blueberries, mango, brownie bits, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and some brown sugar. The azuki beans were a winner along with the fruit. The Reese’s and brownie bits somehow didn’t match thought I hoped they would. The mango was kinda funky tasting, what a bummer. I also tried a sprinkle of li hing powder, but that combination is definitely not for me.
So overall, Cereal Remix was a worthy experience that you have to try for yourself. Honestly, I’m not sold on this cereal cafe concept especially during these tough economic times, but I do wish Cereal Remix future success.
Oh yeah, what I didn’t like was paying for parking in the Newtown Square. Since I ate in the store (with its 3 seating capacity), I took awhile longer and paid $1.50 for parking. $1.50 along with a $4.25 bowl of oatmeal? That’s a turnoff.
Looking for more about Cereal Remix? Check out this video…
Went to the Honolulu Festival for the first time. Lots of stuff to see and games and crafts for the kids. Besides the $5 parking fee at the Hawaii Convention Center, the event and activities are free, even that ride on a Segway.
Some pictures.
With the contract buyout of Coach Bob Nash, the UH Men’s Basketball team is officially looking for a new Head Coach. Who could that be? Here are some mentioned, speculated names.
I admit that I am piqued by Reggie Theus. He is a known name who brought about a WAC resurgence at New Mexico State then abruptly left to coach the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. While Reggie Theus would definitely have a short term impact on UH’s program, I think the anticipation of his departure would bug me. Is he staying? Is he committed? What’s the next thing he’s jumping to? Besides, I doubt the Stan Sheriff Center can accommodate the debonair duo of both Reggie Theus and Artie Wilson.
Who do you think could be the next Head Coach for the Rainbows?
Thanks to Dave Reardon for his insights.
