I must say that the Ann Taylor location in Kahala Mall has some excellent reading material. Lots of classics!
Must be there are a few husbands and kids who hang out in the waiting area while wives and mommies shop for clothes.
The popular gas stations run by Costco have a new competitor in Hawaii with the opening of Sam’s Club’s own gas station. Though from the looks of things, I don’t know if this gas station will be around with business like this.
I don’t mind the non-existent lines though, makes gassing up so much faster. 🙂
Just wanted to say thanks to The Counter for giving Hawaii its own Twitter special last night. If you bought two burgers on “Twitter Tuesday” then you’d get either free sweet fries or a dessert.
To beat the crowds, we got there a tad bit early but got the okay that the special would still apply. :) We went with the traditional Counter Burger, my custom creation, a peanut butter shake, and some free sweet fries.
So ono!
And by the time we were leaving, the mass of Hawaii tweeters were congregating for their Counter dinner. And oh yeah, congratulations to Ryan Kanno for being voted the most addicted to The Counter. In his honor, I call my custom made Counter burger “If Kanno Were a Carnivore.”
The Hawaii “cell phone” ban kicked in today, so I did I break the law by changing tracks on my iPod?
And yes, my car engine was running.
I may be okay since the HPD FAQ about this ban mentions this caveat:
A violation occurs when the operator of the motor vehicle holds the device in his/her hand for whatever reason, i.e., changing playlists, adjusting the volume, changing photographs, and watching or shuffling a video
My iPod is “mounted” using a Belkin TuneBase so I don’t actually hold my iPod. Did I just break the law or what?
Can you believe Ala Moana Center is turning 50 years old on Thursday, August 13, 2009? That’s even before Hawaii became a U.S. state!
As part of the mall’s 50th Anniversary, there are some planned events and celebrations including a photo contest where patrons can send in their favorite picture of Ala Moana from the past 5 decades. Selected photos will be displayed at the Centerstage area from August 13-31, and the winner will receive a $250 Ala Moana gift card.
I’m thinking Ala Moana should go super social with this photo contest and really capture the years of the mall. Why not invite shoppers to submit a massive photostream of their pictures online? I’d like to see and remember how Ala Moana has changed over the years, and I think the only way to document that is through pictures from the people. I’d like to see the comings and goings of stores and all the various construction projects the center has seen.
As is, I can barely remember the days of Liberty House, before the upscale shopping and dining of the third floor. I want to see pictures of the bird (or was it monkey) cage outside of Shirokiya. How about pictures of the original Farrells? What was there before the Apple Store? Wasn’t it some kind of luggage store?
It’d be really cool if all these user submitted pictures were organized and overlaid on an online map of the center where viewers could take a virtual stroll through its history in pictures. This would be very intensive to establish and maintain but just think of all the memories!
One other downer is that all the really good pictures would be of the developed type, not digital, making online uploading more bothersome. Too bad Ala Moana couldn’t set up a few kiosks throughout the mall where users could scan and upload their favorite pics.
Seeing all the pictures of old and new Ala Moana would definitely make people remember its place in Hawaii traditions.
I picked up several copies of this icon of Pinoy power, Ben: A Memoir, from Street Kid to Governor.
Even better, I got the leather bound version. Got plans for these…
Some things just never change. There was hope, but I wondered if Windward Mall really had it together. The unfortunate answer is clearly evident after I saw this.
Yes, the Starbucks inside Borders Books at Windward Mall is closing. Can you name another location where both a McDonalds and Starbucks closed its businesses? Signs of a financial deathtrap if you ask me.
To be fair, while Starbucks is closing, a Seattle’s Best Coffee will take its place. And yes, Starbucks does own the Seattle’s Best chain, but still, losing a Starbucks is a blow to Windward Mall’s image.
On Wednesday, there was a strange occurrence in the neighborhood as a film production crew settled in and marked off stretches of roadway.
Had LOST started filming its final season? It couldn’t be since missing were the telltale white trucks and precursory set dressers. Additionally, there were no sightings of Jorge Garcia, Naveen Andrews, Josh Holloway, Henry Ian Cusick, or Sonya Walger. And most obviously, when were there Asian bikers on LOST?
So what was filming in the hills of enchanted Kailua?
Can you believe a commercial for Samsung? Yes, that Samsung, producer of televisions, home appliances, digital cameras, and other electronics. Yet this commercial featured bikers and a bicyclist carrying french bread in a basket. Even I can’t figure out this pulp connection. Somebody at Samsung must love Kailua!
So if anyone sees an upcoming commercial for Samsung set in a residential area with some bikers, please let me know. Thanks! It might look like this (from a reverse point of view. Wow, iMovie 09’s video stabilization feature is awesome!).
Wow, the storied history of the von Trapp family continues to unfold. First I learn that the Sound of Music family really does exist. Then “S” mentions going to college with Sam von Trapp on the East Coast though never meeting. “S” also mentions the Trapp family inn which I am lead to via Twitter.
Lo and behold, the Trapp family is online talking about Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont!
The Austrian-inspired resort looks absolutely fantastic and recently hosted a Sound of Music cast reunion. Do you recognize Kurt (Duane), Gretl (Kym), Marta (Debbie), Brigitta (Angela), and Louisa (Heather)?
There’s so much more to explore on the Trapp Family web site (and blog). And don’t forget to follow the Trapp Family on Twitter (and they follow back).
Made this helicopter from a set of Legos. No instructions, just started building.
After eating some crepes in Kailua, how about going to fly a kite? Was a windy day which helped the Sesame Street friends get airborne, but not the dud Elmo mini kite.
The Elmo mini kite was a dud.
