Hawaii Day 2 (Honolulu, HI): Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, A Memorial and Time At The Beach

Today started out at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. This is a must visit for us every time we come out here. We were there super early because we had early afternoon plans. A lot of the vendors weren’t set up yet and the swap meet staff were still setting up some of the stalls. It’s crazy how fast they set these up. It’s mostly gazebos and tables. They have a group that drives around in a utility van and drop off whatever the vendor requests and another group that follows and sets up almost as fast as the drop off happens. I hear the Stadium is going to be demolished and the swap meet is moving somewhere else. I have no idea when this is going to happen or where it's going to relocate to but I did get this information from TikTok and everone knows that everything on TikTok is true.

After the swap meet we were supposed to meet up for a memorial for a very close friend of the Halau but there was a little bit of trouble trying to establish a place and time to make it happen. While the parties involved were organizing we grabbed a quick lunch at ABC and met up with the rest of the group.

This was the first time I’ve attended a memorial like this and it was beautiful.

After the memorial we went to the beach so the haumana could make lei for the festival that they’re performing at later this trip. I was able to play in the water and relax for a bit.

We did a quick dinner before picking up one of the last members to arrive and headed back to the hotel so everyone could finish their lei.

Today was a very long day. Tomorrow is a workshop day for the the group. Workshop days are intense.

Hawaii Day 1 (Honolulu, HI): Aloha!

Today we arrived in Hawaii! This is the annual trip that I take with my mom's Halau every year, Normally my sister joins us but this year she didn't.

Today has been a smooth travel day like most of our other travel days. On our way to the airport we picked up one of my mom's hula sisters and we got some snacks at a Chinese bakery.

Once we landed we squeezed me and 4 other Halau members and all their oversized luggage in a mid size SUV. It was tough but we made it happen. We had luggage in places luggage shouldn't be. We were crammed in there so tight that if we were to get into a minor fender bender we'd all be ok because nobody was moving anywhere.

After we settled in we met up with the Halau members that were already here and headed to Liliha Bakery. The food here was pretty good. We stopped here a few times on a search for long johns-- the pastry, not the garment. This is the first time I've sat down and ate here.

Tomorrow's going to be a busy day so I went to the ABC Store, grabbed a poke bowl for breakfast, took a shower and went streight to bed.

Hawaii Day 11 (Honolulu, HI): The last day

 Today was our last full day in Hawaii.

We booked a tour around Oahu that was pretty fun. My sister and I have already been to a few of these places but my mom hasn't and there's a few places that I feel should have been on the itinerary. It was an all day tour that started at 7:20 in the morning and ended at about 3:45 with a short lunch break

Most of the tour was spent on the north shore. On the way out we stopped at a few sightseeing spots and snack spots. Lunch was at a shrimp stand and we stopped by a few dessert places and the tour ended at the Dole Plantation. We were given a narrative and some history but this tour seemed more "shopping" focused that other tours we've been on. 

We're going to spend the rest of the day packing and getting dinner. I have a gig to head to tomorrow night as soon as I get off the plane. I still have to figure out a way to make that work. 

This trip has been a lot of fun and a trip that I look forward to every year. Hopefully I'll be able to come back again and again. I got to go to a lot of places on the North Shore that I haven't been to yet and there's a whole lot more of this island to explore.

Until next time Hawaii, 

A hui hou

Hawaii Day 10 (Honolulu, HI): Another shopping day again

Today we went out to check out the Costco then Chinatown and stopped at a few spots along the way. We've found a few Japanese thrift stores out here. They're pretty cool, have some interesting things and tend to be a bit higher end. There prices are a bit expensive so it wouldn't be beneficial to buy things there unless it's a rare or generally hard to find. Not everything there is worth the premium. 

The Costco out here is just like any other Costco so there isn't much to report there.

Last time we went to Chinatown there wasn't much going on because we got there pretty late. This time we also went a little further in. There's a lot of grocery stores and herb shops like San Francisco's Chinatown but not a lot of gift shops. It seems like the only spot to get asian food out there is a food hall. Most of the restaurants seem to be pubs and american food.

We're going to a 7-11 and the Ala Moana mall later.

Tomorrow's our last day out here. we'll be going on a tour around Oahu.

Hawaii Day 9 (Honolulu, HI): Another shopping day

Today we started out at 1-2 Buy, a store that imports Asian snacks, then we went to T&L Muumuu Factory and H Mart because they were in the area. It's easy to get sidetracked and go off to another store because it's close and end up somewhere far away not knowing what time it was because you lost track of time and you forgotten how far you walked. This area has a midtown feel about it. H Mart was a big deal when it opened in the bay area and I think we found the snack shop on Tik Tok. The H Mart cafe is amazing! They have a Giovanni's Shrimp spot!

We made our way to Don Quijote and grabbed a few groceries and things for lunch, went back to the hotel to drop our groceries off and back out to Ross. My mom takes forever at Ross.

After Ross we did a little shopping and decided to grab a haupia pie from the McDonalds. The pie's out here are fried and so much better than the ones back home. The first McDonald's only had apple pies so we walked to the other McDonald's down the street. All they had were apple pies too so we settled for the fried apple pies and headed back to the hotel.

I'm going to go out for a couple drinks in a bit so we'll end things here.

I think tomorrow is going to be another shopping day

Hawaii Day 8 (Honolulu, HI): Shopping day

Today was a shopping day. We headed out to the Ala Moana mall and went to the Long's, Walmart, Sam's Club out there

The Coach store out here lets you buy the tags that they put on their bags and customise them. Some of the characters that are available to put on the tags are only available out here. My mom and I got one and I put my name on mine. They weren't as expensive as I thought they'd be. They wrapped the tags in tissue paper, boxed and bagged them. That must have cost more than the product itself. 

Getting around those stores took up most of our day. We could barely fit what we bought in our bags. 

The stores out here have items that are unique to Hawaii. The Sam's Club has Hawaiian snacks, the Walmart has a "gift shop" section with Hawaiian souvenirs and snacks and the Long's has Hawaiian snacks too. 

It's getting pretty late out here so we'll probably grab dinner at Marugame and head to bed. 

We don't have anything planned for tomorrow

Hawaii Day 7 (Honolulu, HI): Performance Day

Today was a performance day for the halau they had rehearsal in the morning and a performance at the workshop later that day.

Rehearsal was at a hotel garden. It was pretty cool. A lot of people watched and cheered from the balconies. A group also came down to watch but we were already packing up.

The performance was absolutely gorgeous and the food was good. the sun was setting as the event was wrapping up and it was a perfect ending to a series of workshops. This was a ticketed event and a lot of people came to watch. 

After we got back my mom and a couple of her hula sisters grabbed their lei and scrap foliage to release back to the ocean. On our way out we passed by a rock formation, Kapaemahu. Kapaemahu is a four rock formation that pays tribute to the four Mahu that brought the healing arts to Hawaii from Tahiti. 

Tomorrow we're switching hotels again. After that, it's practically a free day