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!

Forbes Ranks Honolulu as 3rd Safest City in America

Forbes Magazine recently announced 'America's Safest Cities' - and taking 3rd spot is Honolulu, HI.  Honolulu has almost always been classified as a safe city, and I like how Forbes shared their methodology behind the results to help readers understand how they compiled the list.  Another interesting nugget that someone brought up at Blogworld last week was that many media outlets, both print and online, make up 'lists' - Best Places to Live, Best Resorts in the World etc, but don't share the methodology of how they made their decisions. It's important to share this so that people have all the facts!

You can read the complete methodology in the article (link is above).  The Top 10 Safest Cities (according to Forbes) are as follows:
1. Plano, TX
2. Portland, OR
3. Honolulu, HI
4. San Jose, CA
5.Omaha, NE
6. New York, NY
7. Santa Ana, CA
8. Anaheim, CA
9. San Diego, CA
10. Glendale, AZ

Isle Concierge Hawaii

The internet is a great place to discover new products, new ideas, great companies and more. When I can across Isle Concierge in Honolulu, Hawaii, I was so excited and intrigued. Having been a personal assistant in a past life, this company caught my eye, with the services it offers, and the fact that they are located in Honolulu.

Isle Concierge was established to provide support and assistance to busy professionals when trying to manage personal and work-related tasks. They will also work with personal assistants to provide an extension of their services in both a personal and professional capacity. If I was still working as a PA I know that this service would definitely come in handy if your to-do list for your boss is longer than you care to acknowledge! This service is also great for people who perhaps need a hand here and there with managing their daily life tasks, allowing more time for the important things, like family and friends.

Fees for standard services range from $35 to $75 per hour with a 1-hour minimum, with rates determined by the type of service provided. Some of the services offered include house sitting, shopping and fashion advice, scheduling doctor appointments and more. And, if what you need is not on the list of services, you can just ask and it will be done – mind you the list of services is so comprehensive that I think they have it all covered!

For more information on Isle Concierge, visit their website or call (808) 988 7828. You can also send them an email AND they are on twitter: @isleconcierge.

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.

Chinatown

In every major city there seems to be an area known as Chinatown. In Sydney, Chinatown was one of my favorite places to eat Yum Cha (also known as Dim Sum) and to stock up on cheap, delicious Asian groceries. Here in Seattle, Chinatown is part of the “International District”, which incorporates a number of cultures represented in the greater Seattle area. In Honolulu, Chinatown is a tourist destination in itself and worth a visit next time you visit the Islands. Chinatown in Honolulu happens to be the oldest Chinatown in the United States.

Chinatown is the epicenter of Asian culture in Hawaii, and boasts a wide variety of commendable, well priced eateries, including a number of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. Also in Chinatown, you will also find a selection of Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Indian restaurants. Other things to check out include farmers’ markets, gift shops, lei stands and art galleries.

If you want to get the most out of your Chinatown experience, I have a few recommendations to keep in mind:

1. Go early – everything happens in the morning, and you will be spoiled with the selection of produce available, including locally grown fruits and vegetables, Pacific fish, and freshly made noodles

2. Wear comfortable shoes – the Chinatown district area spans over quite a few blocks and there is a lot of ground to cover if you want to see it all

3. Avoid dressing like a tourist – leave your camera etc at the hotel (if you can) – and avoid bright aloha shirts and shorts – because this is such a local area, you will stand out and, I hate to say it, may be an easy target for theft.

To add to my last point – it is a little scary walking around Chinatown but it is totally safe – just don’t go late at night if you can avoid it. Plenty more to see during the day anyway!

For more information about Chinatown you can visit the official website.

Hawaiian Street Names

Hawaiian street names can be difficult to pronounce - those in Hawaiian that is. What emerges from Hawaiian street names is a sense of Hawaiian history, language, land usage, people and culture. The first street names in Honolulu were a mix of English and Hawaiian words, and in 1850 during the reign of King Kamahameha III, the Privy Council adopted 35 street names, and to date, 17 of those original names have survived to this day. Check out the list below - have you driven or walked down any of these streets?

1. Beretania
2. Fort
3. Hotel
4. Kina`u
5. King
6. Marin
7. Mauna Kea
8. Merchant
9. Mission
10. Nu`uanu
11. Punchbowl
12. Queen
13. Richards
14. School
15. Smith
16. Victoria
17. Young


Streets in many Hawaiian communities have an identifiable theme. For example, in Hawai`i Kai, all streets have island place names. In Kahala, they are named after birds, and in Mililani they are named after stars, days and nights.


I picked my top 5 street names and wanted to share the meaning with you - hope you find it informative!


1. Lanipili Pl (Honolulu) - A heavy rain, lasting many days, or a cloud burst

2. Ala Wai Blvd (Honolulu) - Canal. Literally: water path

3. Kuhio Ave (Honolulu) - Standing diagonally

4. Hukilau Lp (Waialua) - Seine (a fish net with sinkers on bottom and floaters on top); to fish with a sciene

5. Kapo Way (Honolulu) - A sister of Pele. One of her adventures resulted in the formation of Pu`u Ma`i (known as Koko Crater)

Oahu

Oahu is the third largest Hawaiian island and is affectionately known as 'the gathering place'. Oahu is the most populated of all the Islands, with the majority of those people living in its capital, Honolulu.

According to the history books, Oahu was the first island to be seen by Captain Cook - the name explorer who discovered Australia. Man did that guy get around - he discovered half the world!

My love of Oahu came from the first time I stepped out of the plane and into the airport - the smell of the air and the humidity that surrounded me was captivating. All I could smell were flowers and the ocean, it was awesome. Before finally moving to Oahu, I had travelled there three times, each time discovering more and more hidden treasures. I know that a lot of people prefer to travel to the other islands, Maui in particular, but if you really want a true Hawaiian vacation you should definitely spend some time on Oahu. There is definitely more to the island than just Waikiki Beach.

My top 5 things to do when visiting Oahu

1. Take an Island Circle Tour - by bus is good but you can do yourself
   


2. Head to Ala Moana Center



3. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay



4. Walk to the top of Diamond Head



5. Watch the sunset from Waikiki Beach
   

I could go on and on about my favorites on Oahu - but here are some pics that remind me and show you what an awesome place it is - not only to visit but to live. Aloha!

Chinaman's Hat

From Here to Eternity Beach

Kalakaua Ave from the Waikiki Gateway Hotel

John near Rabbit Island

Fort DeRussy Beach