Need a Job in Waikiki? Forever 21 is Hiring!

Fashion retailer Forever 21 is holing a three-day job fair this week to hire more than 200 employees for its much-anticipated Waikiki store at Royal Hawaiian Center slated to open in November. For those not familiar with the store, the store is aimed at teen/young adults, and priced accordingly.  They have some amazing bargains - but beware, you get what you pay for and I don't expect my purchases from there to last any more than about one or two seasons!

The company is conducting open interviews this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., at Royal Hawaiian Center’s Level 4 Nightclub and Ultralounge. They are looking for retail managers, visual merchandisers, cashiers, sales associates, stockroom workers and housekeepers.

Forever 21’s three-level store next to The Cheesecake Factory (my favorite)  at Royal Hawaiian Center has been under construction for almost a year. The space previously was to be the location of Hilo Hattie’s flagship store but those plans fell apart when the company filed for bankruptcy last year.
The Los Angeles-based Forever 21 also has stores at Pearlridge Center and Ala Moana Center. The Waikiki location will be its largest in the state.

**Image Courtesy of Forever 21**

Hawaii Five-O - Casting Call!

Alohaupdate.com announced on their blog that this weekend, there is a casting call for the new CBS series Hawaii Five-O! Saturday August 28 CBS will hold an open casting call for extras to be on the show and fill the streets!  I want to go!

The casting call will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Aloha Tower Marketplace and the show is looking to cast people of all ages, races and backgrounds for upcoming shoots. Many of these roles will also be speaking parts!  OMG!

If you can bring a headshot photograph and a resume great, but its not a necessity - just be sure to bring your ID. According to the casting director, you don’t need a film or TV background to get cast. If they like your look, you will be cast!

Hawaii Five-O premieres on with a sneak preview on Monday September 13 at Sunset on the Beach at Waikiki. The CBS network premiere will be Monday September 20.

What is NonstopHonolulu.com?

A team of former Honolulu Advertiser employees who produced Metromix Honolulu for the newspaper’s website has created a website that covers food, events and nightlife on O'ahu.  This is a great resource for locals and visitors alike.

NonstopHonolulu.com launched today with photo galleries, restaurant reviews, party pictures, event listings and blogs, with a similar look and feel to Metromix Honolulu.

The new site will include many former Metromix Honolulu personalities, including Tracy Chan, Melissa Chang, Mari Taketa, Catherine Toth and Edward Morita. NonstopHonolulu.com will be cross-promoting with partners Hawaii News Now and InsideOut magazine.

You can follow the team on Twitter too: www.twitter.com/nonstophonolulu !

**Photo Courtesy of NonstopHonolulu.com**

Hawaiian Party = Hawaiian Playlist

My friends over at Lei Chic Hawaii shared a great Hawaiian playlist yesterday in preparation for Admission day. Admission Day or Statehood Day is a legal holiday in the state of Hawaii and is celebrated annually on the third Friday in August to commemorate the anniversary of the 1959 admission of Hawaii into the Union.

Here's the perfect Hawaii playlist to celebrate; more info can be found at http://www.leichic.com/

1 . “Kihei Town,” by The Throwdowns

2. “HI-808,” by Blue Scholars

3. "Two Weeks In Hawaii," by Hellogoodbye

4. “Honolulu,” by The Deadbeats

5. “Hawaii,” by Meiko

6. “Honolulu,” by Tassho Pearce a.k.a. Emirc

7. “Hawaii,” by David Singer

8. “Chinatown,” by Black Square

9. “Hawaii (Brian Wilson),” by The Queers

10. “Hats Off To Hawaii,” by The Kung Fu Monkeys

A New Maui Luau

The Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the south side of Maui is adding a luau to its plethora of activities. The “Te Au Moana” luau celebrates the island of Maui with contemporary songs and hula.

The luau show is to be held at the resort every Monday, Thursday. Friday and Saturday evening starting at 4:30 p.m, where guests will witness the unearthing of the imu, or underground oven, used to steam a whole pig for the traditional luau dish of kalua pork and be offered a buffet of luau staple. The hour long show will follow the dinner. YUM!

Kamaaina rates (rates for residents of Hawaii) are $75 for adults and $38 for children (6-12 years) with free admission for children under 5 years. Regular prices (for visitors to Hawaii) are $98 for adults and $53 for children (6-12 years).

A luau (in Hawaiian, lū‘au) is a Hawaiian feast, featuring food such such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer and with entertainment such as Hawaiian music and hula. Among people from Hawaii, the concepts of "luau" and "party" are often blended, resulting in graduation luaus, wedding luaus, and birthday luaus.

In addition to this luau in Maui, O'ahu offers many different luaus, including the Waikiki Starlight Luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which I am planning on going to later this year.  I'm looking forward to the food and to learning more about Hawaiian culture in general.  Another good Luau option in on O'ahu is Paradise Cove, although sources tell me it is not as authentic as others on the Island.

Anne Klein at Waikele to Close

A great place for outlet shopping on O'ahu is Waikele Premium Outlets. It's about a 30-40 minute drive from Waikiki but the shopping is cheap, and there are some great brands to choose from.  However, just announced is that women’s apparel retailer Anne Klein is closing its only Hawaii store at the Waikele Premium Outlets on August 27. This is part of a retail improvement plan for the brand, and is one of the 200 under performing stores that they are planning to close nation-wide.

Anne Klein has fewer than a dozen employees at the Waikele outlet store, and rumor has it that Waikele Premium Outlets is close to securing a new tenant for the soon-to-be-vacated space; let's hope it's an improvement on Anne Klein!  Any suggestions for what's still missing at Waikele?

Did Someone Say Coffee?

One of my favorite things in the world is coffee.  And thankfully, coffee is plentiful in Hawaii.  Did you know that Hawaii is the only state in the US that grows coffee beans?  If you get a chance, next time you visit Hawaii try and purchase some Kona Coffee - but only the bags marked 100% Kona coffee - there are many different coffee labels that claim they have Kona coffee in them, but many have 10% or less so you have to read the fine print.  The difference between 10% and 100% is substansial.

What's your favorite way to drink coffee?  I personally love espresso coffee, but there are so ways to prepare coffee, depending on your type of coffee maker. My husband prefers the drip variety, but in Australia, we are very spoiled when it comes to coffee, and drip coffee is not something that is a standard in most homes.

I just had my morning coffee from Starbucks (hey, cut the jokes, I like in Seattle) and am ready for a productive day thanks to the two shots of espresso I just ingested.  Yum!

Craft Brewers to Buy Kona Brewing Company

Craft Brewers Alliance Inc. announced on Tuesday that the company will acquire Kona Brewing Co., building on a long-standing relationship. Portland-based Craft Brewers is planning to pay $13.9 million for Hawaii's largest brewery.

At this stage, there are no major operational changes planned as a result from the most recent deal. Kona will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary and continue to own and operate its brewing facilities in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

More information about Kona Brewing Company can be found on their website.  If you haven't tried any of their fine beers, be sure to check them out - the Longboard Lager is my favorite.