Your Aloha Preview - April - "Springtime Sandbar" - Kaimuki

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Your Aloha Preview - April - "Springtime Sandbar"
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Courtesy of Cloudia Charters Author of Aloha Where You Like To Go?

Walking in Waikiki

With Cloudia Charters

"Springtime Sandbar"

Aloha & Welcome! Glad that YOU can join me for today's stroll through our "Paris in flip-flops!" There's nothing quite like Spring Time in Aloha Town: cool and breezy one day, sunny with ultra-blue skies the next. What's the Hawaiian word for "Smorgasbord?"

 This morning on the beach, I set up for my 7,000th shot of Diamond Head. "How many pictures of her do I need?" I wondered. Then I realized that every season, and every time of day, paints even the most familiar things in fresh and wondrous light. I already have enough pictures of Diamond Head? One might as well say: "I already have a picture of my mother. Why would I want to take another?" Have you seen it lately?

Before there were casual Fridays, there was "Aloha Friday" here in Hawaii. As you may have suspected, the world famous "Aloha Shirt" was invented right here in Honolulu, back in the Thirties. Colorful Japanese yukata fabrics were used first. Then tropical prints were imported from Tahiti and Samoa. Traditional Hawaiian tapa cloth patterns, and Javanese batiks became popular too. Those who know, call Ellery Chun the Father of the Aloha Shirt. A local alumnus of Mr. Obama's school, Punahou and of Yale University (1931) he nevertheless had difficulty finding professional opportunities as an Asian. So he changed the name of his family's King Street dry goods store from Chun Kam Chow's to King-Smith Clothiers and set out to work for himself. Other local companies such as Watamull's East India Store soon joined in the fun. Hawaii artists like Elsie Das were commissioned to create floral textiles emblazoned with local foliage, surfers and hula dancers. Mr. Chun's sister, Ethel, even hand painted her own motifs that were then reproduced on cotton or silk in Japan. Today those vintage "silkies" are worth quite a lot of money! Other classic-era Aloha Shirts were marketed by Branfleet, Kamehameha, and Royal Hawaiian. But only our Mr. Chun had the foresight to trademark the term "Aloha Wear." In 1947 the City of Honolulu began encouraging locals to wear Hawaiian shirts to work during the Summer months. Soon enough it was Fridays year 'round, which were soon enough called "Aloha Friday." Ultimately the shirts became ubiquitous here, no matter the day of the week. Today in Honolulu's downtown business district few of the men one sees on the streets are wearing suits and ties. Of course, the subdued patterns favored by local businessmen for office wear are a far cry from the loud shirts that a visitor to the islands might buy. Companies like Reyn's, Manuheali`i, & Tori Richard, are major producers of the finer sort of Aloha Shirt. Couples walking our sidewalks in bright, matching Aloha Wear might as well wear a sign reading: "Tourist." But that's OK. Our whole economy is based on the visitors, so wear what you like, and have a wonderful day. We're happy to see you! Mahalos to author Alan Brennert for his research on the topic of Aloha Shirts.

And be sure to check out his latest page-turner, Honolulu. You won't be sorry! Reading a historical novel that bears the name of one's Home Town is an unusual experience. Well Honolulu is as good as I could have hoped. This is what they call a "page turner," except that I'm enjoying it too much to hurry. Yes, there's no other place exactly like this place, Honolulu my hometown! Now in hardback.

 You just missed Girl's Day! My parents used to say that every day is "kid's day" but here in Hawaii, we really do have holidays that celebrate children. (Boys Day will be May 5th) March brings Girl's Day or Hina Matsuri, a time when local girls still dress up in kimono to be photographed. This tradition of the local Japanese community is today enjoyed by families from all walks of island life. With roots in an ancient Shinto spring-welcoming ritual, it is the time when Japanese families display a "hina ningyo," or "doll display" in their homes. ("Hina Matsuri," means "doll festival.) The dolls appear for about two weeks, then are taken down on the holiday because it was believed that leaving them out longer might cause the girl(s) to marry late. On boys day (in case your were wondering) a carp flag is flown outside the home for every family male. Sometimes the carp stay up long after Boy's Day like forgotten Christmas lights - no deadline. I guess every day is boy's day!

Maui Realtor Mike Spalding is in his early sixties but his version of "taking it easy" might not match yours exactly. Earlier this month the long distance swimmer, and recent inductee into the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame, set out to retrace the crossing by Kamehameha's flotilla of war canoes of the 30 mile wide Alenuihaha Channel from the Big Island to Maui. All was proceeding "swimmingly." Spalding was in the "zone" beloved of distance athletes when something in the wine dark sea scratched his chest. He realized that the light from his accompanying kayak had attracted a swarm of cuttlefish. A moment later, a 1 inch by 3 inch bite was taken out of his leg, probably by a cookie cutter shark feeding on the cuttlefish. No word on if the little shark spit out the human flesh and said "Phooey." Mike called the kayak over and scrambled aboard, filling it with fresh blood. Cookie Cutters grow to only about 20 inches long, but they possess a serrated row of sharp teeth suggesting the eponymous baking tool. They take a bite and SPIN. Ouch! But Maui boy intends to complete the swim at a future date. No quote from da shark. As for me? Look for me under a ridiculously big straw hat FAR up the beach. . .

Mae West said, ÒLove thy neighbor--and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.Ó Well let me tell you about my neighbor, the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Some people want to live adjacent to a college campus. I live next door to the 12th largest resort in the world. This "campus" boasts the largest number of rooms at any resort in the State of Hawaii with 3,543 total. When Duke Kahanamoku grew up here, folks still called the area Kalia, an age-old Hawaiian fishing village. In the Fifties, the early TV detective show, "Hawaiian Eye" was filmed here. Remember "Cricket" (Connie Stevens) singing to the tourists, and local taxi driver Ponci Ponce playing his ukulele at the curb? Boy you're getting old! ;-) Ah, and Robert Conrad was the young "heart throb" of the show. All of the kitchy tiki paraphernalia has long since been purged. Pity. In the Sixties, industrialist Henry Kaiser, owned the property and prevailed on Buckminster Fuller to build one of his geodesic domes here. I walked past it many many times as long lines of visitors waited outside to be seated within for the dinner show. Today, a fountain with three hula dancers stands on that spot welcoming visitors to Waikiki. The HHV is a small city unto itself. Almost daily, I walk down her beach, through her lobby, past her art, admire her carp, and over-hear her guests speak languages from around the world. From my scow, I mean 'boat' I can see the bright windows of her world-class hotel suites. There's no place like home. . .

It was 50 years ago that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Hawaii Admission Act. One day earlier (March 11) the Senate had granted their "yay." With the expected signature of President Eisenhower it would be up to the citizens of the Territory of Hawaii to vote our assent. A mere 66 years after the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani's monarchy, just 42 years after the old Queen's passing, the Territorial Legislature sat in morning session at her Iolani Palace while Congressional delegate (not representative!) John A. Burns relayed his account of the historic vote by telephone from Washington DC, where afternoon shadows already lengthened. With the final affirmative tally, the Territorial Representatives took to their feet, spontaneously singing the "Star Spangled Banner." Then they sang the Isle anthem, "Hawaii Pono`i." With the future (the Sixties!) and a young President right around the corner, American optimism swept the isles in a tsunami of excitement and opportunism. Of course, many Hawaiian families still cherished elder members who had been born in the waning days of an Island Kingdom. Their feelings must have been complex on that day. On August 21st President Eisenhower signed papers dissolving the Territory and establishing the 50th State of Hawaii. "Us guys stay EQUAL now!" And the jets did bring newly prosperous visitors from the continent, many of them WWII veterans who had forged an emotional attachment with these isles. I still see the hula girl tattoos fading on their tired arms as they sun on da beach with their Midwestern wives. And Pearl Harbor continues to welcome daily visitors from all over the world; Many Japanese visitors pay their respects as well.

Far far away from the brand new 50th State (in every way that places can be distant) lived a very young Me who watched "Hawaiian Eye" and "Adventures in Paradise" on a small, black and white Philco television. It had rabbit ears, I wore Mickey Mouse ears. Longing for escape from the conformity of 1959, I dozed off on the living room carpet dreaming of an endless summer, of no school, of HAWAII. . . But first I had to grow up and move on to second grade. . . ALOHA!

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Kaimuki, Hawaii News Item

Your Aloha Preview - April - "Springtime Sandbar"

Kaimuki, Hawaii
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