Can You Spot the Honu?
Can you spot the turtle sunning itself at Laniakea Beach (aka Turtle Beach)? Click on the image to enlarge.
hawaii
Got My Juicies
It’s been a long journey for the Kickstarter-powered Juicies project. Started in 2011, Juicies goal was to bring colorful cables made out of recycled materials to the iPhone market. The colors were delicious, the price was right, and hey, Laurens from Hawaii was behind it all so why not back this project?
Then there was a string of manufacturing delays that Laurens explained in detail. Then Apple moved from the de facto 30-pin dock connector to Lightning. Juicies persevered with production and allowed backers to change cable types to a USB extension or a micro USB cable.
After a long wait, here are the results.
Love this display.
The box design deserves some attention and credit as well. No fuss, no muss but good looking.
What’s in the box is minimal and looks made out of recycled materials as well.
At long last, my Juicies cable in lime green. It was either green or orange, but I thought the green was more vibrant. Actually, the pink and purple colors had a good sheen on them as well.
Thanks Laurens! Oh yeah, he may have extra cables to purchase for the holidays.
Kamehameha Highway Decorated No More
Back in March 2011, I was enthralled with the newly decorated Kamehameha Highway in the Pearl City area. Only this week, my obtuse power of observation noticed that all the decorations are gone. I don’t know when it exactly happened, but I kinda miss the garish display.
Restaurant Week at Roy’s
Enjoyed the Restaurant Week promotion at Roy’s. Well, dining at Roy’s is always a treat, but a great meal at a great price is even greater.
Is This Spice Racist?
Rummaging around at a grocery store, I came across Noh, Foods of Hawaii, spice packets. They feature flavors for Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, and other ethnic palettes.
But for their Filipino Adobo Mix, they showcase this image.
I don’t get it. Why do other spice packets show pictures of prepared foods while this one shows a Filipina?
What’s NOT Popping at Windward Mall?
Despite all the action going on at Windward Mall, there is something that’s not popping. Sadly, the Star Advertiser is reporting that longtime mall tenant Marukai is closing its doors in early 2013. Yeah, I can’t believe it either, and I didn’t realize they were there for 10 years.
No matter your reason for being at Windward Mall, you had to stop at Marukai just to see what was there. How else would you know that Oreos are an international snack?
Not only are Oreos world renowned, but did you know they make a great instant latte drink.
And when regular canned coffee drinks are just not cutting it, where else can you find the Boss Rainbow blend?
Seriously, it’s this kind of uniqueness that makes Marukai a must-visit store. But alas, soon there will be no more as the death knell known as store-wide clearance sales empties out Marukai’s uniqueness.
Without Marukai and Don Quijote, where do Windward residents get their Asian items?
What Else Is Popping at Windward Mall?
So Windward Mall is popping during the Holidays, and you know what else is popping at the Mall? Sports Authority.
No joke, this Sports Authority is a contender. Well, yeah, it’s new, but it’s so nice. It’s spacious, and the lighting is great, especially the lights on their shoe displays – mesmerizing.
Open only for a few weeks, the store is still well stocked with all kinds of sports goodies. Couple this with grand opening coupons, and you got yourself a prime shopping environment.
Let’s hope this Sports Authority location can keep up the momentum post Holidays.
What’s Popping at Windward Mall?
What’s popping at the best shopping mall on the Windward side? The Holidays is what! Yup, yup, now that October is over, and the Holiday season has begun, Windward Mall is in the mood with its Christmas decorations adorning its halls.
Even the snow blowing Christmas tree is there (though not yet blowing snow).
The snow don’t blow until after Santa’s arrival on Saturday, November 17.
In the meantime, listen to modern day Christmas carols and wait for new shops like Charlotte Russe to open for gifts for good girls (and bad ones too).
Gotta Love the Civil Simplicity
You have to love Civil Beat’s display of the 2012 poll results. So clean and simple with a clear view of the information.
The coverage of the Star Advertiser isn’t bad but relies on a slider to navigate between the various results.
At least the Star Advertiser removed that obnoxious advertisement they had in 2010.
Holiday Gift Guide: Board Shorts from Crazy Shirts
Yep, if you don’t already know but Crazy Shirts has more than just shirts. Oh, I do love their shirts (designs and dyes), but they have great shorts as well. Check out these Surf Fin Eco HydroPrint Board Shorts.
Fashionable even when you’re not at the beach and even cooler, the shorts’ design patterns changes when wet. A great gift for an active Dad.
And to be on the up and up, I’m now an affiliate for Crazy Shirts, but I wouldn’t be if I weren’t a fan. 🙂
Starbucks Kaka’ako Now Open
Starbucks Kaka’ako has been open for business for a few weeks now but is celebrating its official grand opening today, in fact right now! If you visit between 12pm and 1pm, you’ll receive a free tall beverage.
While you’re there, you can check out this store’s unique decor. Every Starbucks has common design elements, but you do see differences from store to store. At this Coral Street location, you’ll see a mix of industrial and natural designs. The floor is concrete with divits and discolorations but features many in-ground electrical outlets, especially alongside the window seating.
There are a number of window-side stools and higher bar stools and tables for patrons. There’s a single elongated table in the middle and a few comfortable chairs near the front entrance. It seems Starbucks doesn’t want you getting too comfy and camping out for long durations (that’d be you UH medical students 🙂 ).
The best accent of this location is the wood bar facade and countertop. There’s a wood “brick” appearance topped off with a dark wooden counter. This adds organic naturalness that contrasts the hard concrete.
Oh, don’t mind the napkins. I guess they ran out of the Starbucks logo-ed ones and had to settle for generic. Opening day issues I guess.
While no Starbucks in Hawaii is a Clover location, I could see this spot featuring the Clover one day. And it just struck me that like the tall exterior of this location, there are lots of tall, skinny elements inside the store. The tables and stools emphasizes a more vertical space if that makes sense.
One last note – don’t forget that the Holiday drinks are now available – Peppermint Mocha Frap, Gingerbread Latte, and the Caramel Brulee Latte.