She weighs in at eight tons, sits 62-feet long and has literally sailed hundreds of thousands of miles in the pacific ocean…Hokulea has officially embarked upon the first portion of her journey around the world. This after sitting in port off of
Sand Island at the Marine Education Training Center for several months getting prepped for her long journey over the next three and a half years. The voyaging wa’a along with her sister canoe Hikianalia will sail to 85 ports, 26 countries
and cover 50,000 miles of open ocean to emulate what our Polynesian/Hawaiian ancestors once did…way finding without instruments. 

With only the stars to guide them Hokulea and her crew attribute much of their inspiration to the man who has been deemed the greatest navigator in human history…Pius “Mau” Piailug, or “Papa Mau” as many would call him. The Micronesian navigator was originally from the tiny island of Satawal and was designated and chosen at the age of 1 as a navigator, a seer of constellations and stars. 

Hokulea’s first navigator in 1976, Mau was a mentor to our current master navigators, and also to the next generation who aspire to be like him. Mau died July 12, 2010, leaving behind a rich legacy and inspiration for many who aim to take his teachings and perpetuate the voyaging culture. Mau’s legacy continues to live on in the youth who have adopted his way finding techniques. And as the Hokulea and Hikianalia begin their worldwide journey over the next couple of years a part of the heart and soul of the canoe and its crew will remain on land, perpetuated in a beautiful and elaborate collaboration mural in Kakaako. 

Artist Kamea Hadar, along with the hands of several others including fellow artist and entrepreneur Ola Rapozo and students from the Pow Wow School of Art and 808 Urban teens, created a large mural of “Papa Mau” inspired by the
world wide voyage. [Located at the corner of Auahi and Cooke Street]

 Today Hokulea’s voyage connects modern day technology with the ancient methods and teachings of discovery. Something similar to discovering the world again through a new pair of eyes. I was inspired to write this blog because of all the excitement and anticipation of this internationally known journey and I also wanted to know more about the motivation behind the Mau mural and the artist who created it. Humor me a bit but the next series of questions and answers with gifted Hawaii artist Kamea Hadar are likened to and also inspired by “Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern-Day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy”. 
 
Here are my “Six Questions of Kamea Hadar” – 

1. What prompted you to create this mural, and why this particular location?  
 This project started when Archie Kalepa, Bruce Blankenfeld and I flew to Palm Springs to speak about Hawaii and its culture. During one conversation with Bruce I joked that if he ever wanted me to paint on Hokulea's sails or on the canoe itself to let me know and he replied that "Actually, you know what? I do have something that you can paint." He explained
that Hikianalia had a hale, or cabin, that they wanted to paint something on to keep the glare down as well as the undersides of new hatch covers that protect the hulls of Hokulea. Along with Keola Rapoza of Fitted Hawaii, we wrapped Hikianalia's Hale with a water pattern that Keola designed. For the hatch covers I sat with Bruce and collected stories of Hokulea's travels around the Pacific to places like Tahiti, Raro Tonga, the Pacific Northwest, New Zealand and Japan. We designed a simple image representing each place and along with the kids of POW! WOW! School of Art/808 Urban painted them on the hatch covers. The kids really went to town on embellishing the designs and the project was a huge success. The hatch cover that I painted represented Micronesia and was an image of Papa Mau. When I posted photos of the piece many people were ecstatic to see him, and those who did not know him were extremely curious. The response was so huge that I knew that I had to paint a mural of him.
 
2. How is this mural different from the others you have painted/collaborated on?  
 
I have never painted a mural of a historical figure before. Usually when I paint it’s a much more personal thing, but in this
case the painting and process came from many more people than just myself. I spoke to members of Mau's family to get permission to paint the mural, and sat with members of the original Hokulea crew who sailed with him to learn about
what he was like as a person and to look through old photos of theirs. I also talked a lot with the younger navigators as well as the kids of POW! WOW! School of Art/808 Urban to see how the next generation viewed him. Overall, the experience was a much longer and more collaborative effort not only in the actual painting of the wall (which includes the background by the kids of POW! WOW! School of Art/808 Urban and Keola's water pattern) but in the conceptual development of the piece. Even though I painted his face, it took a lot of people to really capture who he was on that wall. 
  
3. Take me through the process toward choosing this image and where the portrait comes from?  
 
When looking for reference photos I met with Naalehu Anthony one night who had a lot of amazing pictures dating back to the original voyage. He had an amazing photo of Papa Mau staring towards the horizon with an intense look. The photo immediately spoke to me but I still wanted to make sure that it truly captured who he was as a person. I sat with Uncle Billy
Richards later that night and while he told me of stories about Mau, he mentioned that one of his favorite photos of Mau was one that reminded him of a quote: "To be a navigator, you have to be fierce." When I heard that I showed him the photo that I had chosen and he smiled and said, "That's the one, that's the look that he had that you knew that he would get you home."
 
4. When you're in the process of painting what goes through your mind?  
 
The hardest and most tedious parts of the creative process are the things that go on before any paint gets put up. Things like concept and composition, permission for use of imagery, permission from land-owners to paint their building, collaboration of concept with the community and/or other artists who are painting, hiring videographers and photographers,
pushing press, setting up time-lapse cameras, setting up lights for painting at night, organizing possible sponsors, setting up scaffolds, renting lifts, buying paints, brushes, buckets and other supplies, clearing parked cars and covering/masking other surfaces to avoid overspray/paint damage, etc. The actual act of painting for me is the frosting on the top of the cake. I put in my earphones, tune the world out and just enjoy my music. 
  
5. What did you learn while working with the students and aspiring teen artists?  
 I learned that although things like Hokulea and Papa Mau are so famous, most people and especially young teens have only a vague idea of what and who they are and sometimes not even a clue. My hope with this mural was to bring Papa Mau to the foreground and to be more than a recognizable name or image, but to educate about who he really was and details about his story and contributions. I also learned that things like prom and bus schedules greatly affect painting when you're a teen, something that I seemed to have forgotten.
 
6. What's coming up for you next? 
 May 24-June 3 I am flying to Taiwan for POW! WOW! Taiwan, then in early June Im installing two large paintings in the newly renovated hall of the State Department of Health. At the end of June Im getting married, and then have a gallery show in San Francisco followed by POW! WOW! Israel in September. Full speed ahead. 
 
Hokulea and Hikianalia were slated to depart from Hilo, Hawaii and head to Tahiti, their first international port, this weekend but bad weather conditions have delayed the launch until next week. The ceremonies and traditional blessings will take place on Saurday, May 24, 2014 as scheduled. Kamea meanwhile is headed to Taiwain this weekend as well for the launch of Pow Wow Taiwan – bon voyage to all! 

To track Hokulea’s voyage - http://www.hokulea.com/track-the-voyage/

 Keep up with Kamea Hadar here - http://kameahadar.com/

A touch of top quality has come to the historic town of Kaimuki. The Japanese salon “terra by afloat” has now expanded its business from Japan, Taiwan, Shanghai, Pensacola Street to Waialae Avenue. This second location in Hawaii is known for offering high quality hair care to locals and visitors.

Management and stylists from the brand new salon offered a media preview of the fresh location which opens to the public Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Officials say the concept is slightly different from the original Honolulu space, this new shop is a bit more approachable and is aimed at creating a relaxing environment for clients.

terra showcases the latest in technology, equipment and products direct from Japan. The hair salon is also eager to offer a unique service they are calling a “shampoo bar” for those who are not seeking a specific treatment like a haircut or color.

This new location is not easy to find as the building is new and doesn’t have a sign nor an address posted yet. It’s located nearby popular eateries JJ’s Bistro & French Pastry and the brand new Brew’d Craft Pub, which is the sister restaurant to Real A Gastropub located next to Marukai in Kakaako/Ward. The good news is there is parking at the rear of the building located up an orange ramp on the second floor.

Once you walk into the salon it’s elegant yet chic and stylish. The space itself is small with only a couple of chairs for now for hair services. The owners do plan to expand, but in the meantime they will start off gradually. An installation along the ewa wall is a beautiful layering of blue colored plastic waves. Together they emulate the ocean and offer a nice touch of color to the salon.

The interesting thing about this portion of Kaimuki is its ever changing face and its aging community. But if you look at the surrounding area there is so much life and action to be had. Town restaurant is on the block below and the Kaimuki Community Park is located on the next block up.

Now to the part that everyone looks forward to…the food. The preview was catered by Chef Chai and featured specialty pupus including smoked salmon and cucumber canapes. Chai’s signature seafood/crab cakes and jumbo black tiger prawns along with mini tiramisu and chocolate mousse bars. A generous amount of food for an intimate opening party.

Welcome a touch of class and elegance to Kaimuki town. Prices are comparable to the fine salons in Honolulu.

“terra WAIALAE 10th”

Grand Opening Date: May 21, 2014

Address: 3457 Waialae Ave. #202, Honolulu, HI 96816 

Phone: (808)737-7335

Hawaii residents are known to share aloha spirit, positive energy and to have an extreme enthusiasm for sharing food. Lately, noddle shops have been popping up in every corner as residents appear to have a thirst for hot soup, tasty broth and comfort food from Asia. The latest installment to pop into the Hawaii food scene will open its doors officially to the public tomorrow at Ward Center. Little Sheep, which notably has 300-plus locations around the world started in China and is now in Honolulu.

The hot pot restaurant is known for its bold and fresh flavors utilizing a shabu shabu technique of cooking with an array of different sauces and side dishes. The theme of the restaurant is to inspire people to eat as if you were a Mongol, from a communal table with your soup boiling and ingredients cooking. This is the case here at the old E&O location atop Genki Sushi in Ward. The pots are placed in the middle of the table and the sides include lamb, beef, seafood, vegetables, noodles, tofu and whatever else you fancy.

Sauces are key and there is a sauce bar where you can pick and choose what kind of sauce to add and mix. Various flavors like garlic, soy, sesame, chili, cilantro, onion and other items are readily available at the sauce bar which offers a nice view of the kitchen which is enclosed in glass.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot offers an original flavored broth which is a nice creamy color. It’s a subtle flavor of chicken with a nutty blend of salt and spices. Servers brought out the traditional broth in a yin-yang pot which also showcased the spicy flavor which was riddled with chilies and had a pronounced red color. The spicy broth was full of flavor and not too spicy. At first it didn’t seem spicy at all but then after the warm broth settled into your stomach the kick hits you in the back of your throat, made me sweat a little, but that’s mostly due to the fact that I am not a spicy food kind of person.

We tried the lamb which was a beautiful pink color and wasn’t gamey at all. If you’ve never had hot pot before there are directions on how to cook your food and for how long on the table. It’s pretty easy since you pretty much throw everything into the pot, cook it until it looks brown and/or cooked and eat it with the broth or your dipping sauce or both.

Other treats to include are pickled garlic, seafood balls stuffed with fish egg, scallops, tofu and an array of veggies. There’s lots of other side dishes to try but at this point I was getting full. One thing you have to get is the bread – covered in sesame seeds and nice and crisp on the outside the bread is white and warm and soft, perfect for dipping into the broth and the side sauces for more flavor. I love the crunch of the bread crust paired with the chewy center.

The flavors are delicious and not overbearing. I enjoyed the garden-fresh vegetables and sides that came with the soup. On the table they also offer edamame and a type of kim-chee that was sweet and sour with a kick of chili.

If you are seeking something refreshing and sweet to drink try the passion fruit tea, it’s a bubble tea with various flavors of bubbles in a golden colored tea which is refreshing and offers some relief from the hot broth and the spicy flavors, if you get the spicy broth.

The restaurant is large and offers up a bar as well, the hot pot tables are scattered about the dining room and they also offer a huge private dining room with a very large long table. Grab a couple of friends and get together to enjoy some hot pot sharing – it’ll be an adventure in itself.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot opens Friday, May 16, 2014 at Ward Center 11:30am. 

Island Hopping – Vanna White; Grace Under Pressure 

The flight to Kona, Hawaii is a quick yet majestic one. When you land at Kona International Airport the terminal is reminiscent to the days of old Hawaii with the gate denoted by the grass rooftops and the open air terminal, not to mention the moment you start to step off the plane and realize you’re exiting onto a stair ramp and onto the jetway. Like the good ole days when we would board and exit the planes straight from the tarmac. Your hair would get windblown and your face whipped with sun and those warm Kona winds. Plus you are greeted by a statue of keiki hula dancers welcome you.

Its noticeably hotter and less developed in this region of the pacific because the island is still growing and its evident as you exit the airport as you see miles of old lava fields both to the left and right of the freeway. But, hidden about 30 minutes from the airport and the black rocks is a majestic white sandy beach. Hapuna Beach Park, noted as one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii, and the world for that matter, is almost like an oasis of sorts from the desolate, dry and lava desert-like surroundings that is Kona. 

Imagine this as you step out to view the beach in all its wonder and there are about a hundred people scattered about carrying equipment, holding up cue cards and umbrellas. There’s a huge jib with a camera at the end swooping to and fro and a team of hair and makeup stylists eagerly awaiting a break from the shoot and piercing hot sun.

Well, hello there…it’s Wheel of Fortune! That’s right Pat Sajak and Vanna White are back and they are not alone. Why all the hustle and bustle? And what are they doing might you ask? I can’t say at this time as you’ll have to tune in to the KHON2 news and Wake Up 2day for more details, but what I can tell you is there is an excitement in the air and its coming from the visitors and locals. 

I  am  not a huge fan of Wheel of Fortune, but once in a blue moon I will get sucked in and watch for a few moments. The series that has been on television since 1983 was created by Merv Griffin and has been on the air for just about as long as I have been alive. Notably the stars of the show are Pat Sajak and Vanna White. I have never met either of them before, despite Joe Moore’s close friendship with Pat. I saw the pair (Pat and Joe) in a play a while back and it was enjoyable, although it wasn’t really my demographic. 

Throughout my life I have met many celebrities. As a child growing up on Kauai I used to wait tables and knew Gabrielle Reece, Laird Hamilton, Bette Midler, Craig T. Nelson and many others by name. After moving to Honolulu my time spent as Miss Hawaii and the many years working in the food industry resulted in meeting huge stars including Cuba Gooding, Adam Sandler, Will Smith, Drew Barrymore and the list goes on and on. 

But, I have to say I just met the most down-to-earth and the nicest mega celebrity I have ever come in contact with – Vanna White. Honestly I am not a mega fan, nor do I even follow Vanna’s career or history. I recall seeing her on TV turning the letters and walking back and forth on the WOF stage. I may have admired her smile and beautiful gowns as a child, but I am not enamored with her or anything…but I must admit when we met I got nervous. The butterflies were a good thing though, it added to my day and the overall experience. 

My few moments and minutes with Vanna inspired me to write this blog because she was truly sincere and extremely pleasant and humble. Like many celebrities do she spoke of loving Hawaii, its people and of course the food. Getting to know her was the best part of my experience as I learned she has two children, a 20 year-old son in college and a 17 year-old daughter in high school. She said the first time they came to Hawaii her son would chase around the lizards at the hotel they stayed at. Now the pair are busy with their education and too grown up to come to Hawaii with mom. 

Vanna’s job, although very glamorous seems like a lot of work, especially for a woman who has been up since dawn and has been smiling, reciting lines, walking, posing and taking direction and critique from crews sitting behind cameras and monitors all day and all night long. I asked her “how do you do it and how are you not tired” and she said she just does it. Both Pat and Vanna had to stand out in the hot sun all day with brief moments of relief, outfit changes and refreshments. 

Vanna was just as nice, if not nicer off camera during her downtime, eager to take a moment to get to know the other people surrounding her and greeting everyone with a hello and a handshake. It was inspirational to me to be reminded that it’s so important to always be kind and pleasant to everyone all the time. Even if you are hot, hungry, sweating, tired and frustrated – if these were the feelings she had you would never know it. She let me steal a few moments during her lunch break to get to know her and then again she approached me when they moved locations into Kailua-Kona. 

In the end, it was a great experience to meet someone who has been around the world and is watched by millions of people across the globe. Her poise, grace and politeness shows me that you should always be reminded that no matter the circumstance it’s important to make others feel special too. 

Lastly, I always freeze up when I want to take a photo with someone of celebrity status. I pulled out my cell phone and asked if I could get a picture. I think this is hard for Hawaii folk because we are a bit shy and not very aggressive when it comes to this. Much of the celebrities that visit Hawaii like the fact that we let them be and don’t hound them for pictures. But this was not the case as I took out my phone and put it on selfie mode, then snapped the picture. 

{Wheel of Fortune is looking for contestants – auditions for Hawaii Island residents can be submitted until Monday, May 19, 2014 and Oahu residents deadline is June 16, 2014.}

Kakaako is constantly changing and adapting to its surroundings. As new high rises are being built and storefronts are coming down and then being built back up again…a familiar face returns to Kakaako and he comes bearing food, again.

After launching Taste Table in 2012, the popular pop-up eatery for chefs, bakers and entrepreneurs closed its doors earlier this year. Mark Noguchi, the head chef and mastermind behind the venue that drew thousands from across the globe, opened a private employee café at the Hawaiian Airlines headquarters near the airport called Lunch Box, now he has returned to a public venue with some of his delicacies and treats – Snack Box.

Doors officially opened at #snackboxhi on Thursday, May 1st. The eatery is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-2pm, just in time for the lunch rush. The menu features healthy sandwiches, salad, scones and cookies along with fresh tea, lemonade and coffee.

Located at the new Pad HI (685 Auahi Street), run by interior designer and my friend, Lauren Makk, in the old R&D space – Snack Box is a refreshing alternative to the usual suspects of burgers, fries, hotdogs and plate lunches. Dishes include turkey/cranberry sandwiches ($7), egg salad sandwiches ($6) just like mom made, and my personal favorite – the kale wrap with carrot, cabbage and puff rice ($8).  One of the featured items you will want to take note of is the Salad Jar, served in a mason jar, or without the mason jar, and stuffed full of locally grown colorful vegetables and homemade dressing. Grab the jar, add your dressing and shake it up. Price points are affordable when it comes to this lighter fare of food, but consider the fact that you are eating what was freshly harvested and supporting local farmers and it makes each bite that much better.

Mark Nogochi, or “Gooch” if you know him well, has a vivacious personality with a true love for local products and the Hawaiian culture and land. He is always aware of what goes into the aina and what comes out of it as well. Making sure to adhere to the moral fiber of what is aimed at strengthening our community and our body.

Since stopping by the grand opening, I have been craving the sweet treats – the sprinkle scones and chocolate chip cookies are crunchy, yet chewy and full of flavor. The scones are unlike any other scone I have had before – they have layers of flavor and color, especially with the rainbow of sprinkles found throughout. They are not moist in the middle but they are not dry. It’s an unusual combination that is hard to describe, but I really enjoy the flakiness of the scones. I thought they would be overwhelmingly sweet because of the sugary sprinkles, but it is perfectly flavored with the right amount of dough to sprinkle ratio. The cookies are crunchy and have a generous portion of nuts and chocolate chips.

To wash it all down you can order a specially made Olena lemonade or iced coffee. The lemonade was not named after me, but uses the Olena ginger plant to add a holistic spicy hint to the traditional lemonade flavor that is oh so refreshing on a hot summer day.

Only open Tuesday – Saturday I look forward to venturing back into Kakaako for something fresh, healthy and supports our local economy. While you’re at it take a look at some of the shops that offer furniture, jewelry, succulents and more…support our local businesses and business owners and you support out local economy.

Welcome back to Kakaako Gooch!