New Football Coach for University of Hawaii

If you need a list minute Christmas gift for the football fan in your house - how about this awesome T-Shirt? Former UCLA offensive coordinator and local Hawaiian boy, Norm Chow, has been named as Hawaii's new head football coach. Get this shirt to show your support!

Price: $25 at Butigroove
Photo courtesy of The Cat Dish Blog

A Christmas Tradition in Honolulu - Honolulu City Lights

Every year the Honolulu City Lights display for Christmas is worth checking out in downtown Honolulu. This year’s City Lights theme is “Holoholo Holiday,” which means“just for fun.” In addition to the beautiful Christmas tree, the 21-foot shaka-flashing Santa is next to lei-draped Mrs. Claus, her toes cooling in a fountain pool fronting Honolulu Hale (Oahu’s city hall). Nearby, menehune-style elves and a much larger-than-life snowman and his family are in place and ready for the holiday season.

The lights will be on display through the month of December.  If you are staying in Waikiki, the easiest way to get there is via The Bus. Board any of the buses listed below from Kuhio Avenue, heading away from Diamond Head, and ride to Beretania and Punchbowl streets. Disembark at the first Bus stop immediately after Punchbowl. Walk down Punchbowl Street to King Street and cross Punchbowl Street to Honolulu Hale.

- 2 School Street-Middle Street
- 13 Liliha-Puunui Avenue
- Route B - CityExpress! School Middle
- 42 Ewa Beach

You can also pick up some cute holiday decorations to take home with you too!

 
 
 
 
 
For more information please visit the Honolulu City Lights website and enjoy the show!

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

It's Been a LONG Time...

It's been a substantial amount of time since I last wrote on my blog.  I could give you all the excuses in the world (been sick with a cold, been travelling for work, busy with my family yada yada yada) but as a reader you aren't really interested in that.  I hope that most of you visit my blog to read about Hawaii and with summer now here in the moment, I can't think of a better time of the year to head to the Islands and enjoy all they have to offer.  Summer in Hawaii is the best.  There's so much to do, and its hot hot hot.  Actually, I am still contemplating a summer trip to Hawaii as I don't think I can wait until November for the next one.  Fingers crossed.

While I was sick and doing other things besides blogging, I did make a great soup in my new Le Creuset Stock Pot that I was kindly sent as a gift from my friends at CSN Stores.  I have the photos to share once I get back home (currently I am blogging with Gogo Inflight Internet on a plane to Chicago).  Be sure to look out for the photos of the soup and maybe even the top-secret recipe in the coming weeks.

July 4 Celebrations on O'ahu

Happy July 4 to everyone! While it may seem strange that I am Australian and I am getting into the American holiday spirit - I think its important to embrace the traditions of the place in which you reside. July 4 is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Typically, people celebrate by having BBQ's, parties, picnics, going to the baseball, and with fireworks. I am not a big fireworks fan, for a few reasons:

1. The noise

2. The mess

3. The danger

4. The effect they have on animals

However, I anticipate a night of fireworks where I live and if you are in Honolulu, why not head to Ala Moana Center’s annual Fourth of July Celebration, where they have it ALL (ok, I don't think they have baseball)!

Live music at Ala Moana’s Center Stage will start at 12 noon today. At 5 p.m., Hoku Zuttermeister, Natalie Ai Kamauu, B.E.T., Pali and other contemporary and traditional Hawaiian music acts will take over the shopping center's ocean-facing parking deck for a concert leading up to the evening’s fireworks. The fireworks show is one of the 25 largest displays in the U.S.begins at 8:30 p.m., launched from three platforms at Ala Moana Beach Park, which is across the street from the mall (and where John and I got married!).

If you want more information head to the Ala Moana Center website. Have fun and most of all, be safe!

Back in Seattle - Back on Natalani

Merry Christmas everyone! After a very stressful week I am finally back in Seattle and ready to write again on Natalani. The weather in the Pacific Northwest has been nothing short of terrible, and its weeks like this that I try not to look out the window, and just dream of Hawaii instead. Don't get me wring, a white Christmas is certainly a change of scenery from Sydney and Hawaii, but being trapped in the house is no fun.

I have a few more days of vacation and then its back to the grind. I am looking forward to 2009 as I have set a lot of blog related goals, so be sure to check back often about all things Hawaii!

Honolulu City Lights

Every year downtown Honolulu gets a visit from Santa and his Hawaiian friends at the annual Honolulu City Lights Celebration. 2008 marks the 24th year of this tradition, where you will see the many wonderful characteristics and uniqueness of the people of Hawaii and their island home. The theme of the lights this year is "Ku'u Home - Our Home" - where Honolulu is highlighted and displayed as a special place where diverse cultures intertwine, where history blends, and where the Spirit of Aloha is embraced and shared with families, friends and visitors.

The City Lights Celebration will continue now through the end of December, so if you are heading to the Islands for the holidays, be sure to head downtown (in the evening for the best look) to witness this special display. For more information visit the website.