Monday, April 27, 2009

Nooooo! The Ming dynasty boat sank! I was on it!


Only while it was safe in the harbor.  This is the BBC report on the sinking of the Ming dynasty replica junk "Princess Taiping". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8020206.stm

I'm glad all the crew was rescued safely.  We went to a talk they gave on how the boat was designed and built.  This is the link to my blog entry when we toured it.  I am sad.http://aloha-adventure.blogspot.com/2009/01/chinese-mariners.html

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

I Love Kailua Town Fair

It was a wonderful day for the I Love Kailua town fair. Craft booths in the explosion of color that is Hawaii.

Representations of the two little islands near our beach were everywhere.

Food booths from local vendors were tasty until I got a stomach ache. A flower sale featured .... orchids, of course!Formerly Famous Amos was at the cookie booth in front of his store, along with his cardboard likeness.
And hula on two stages constantly from 10:30 am to 4 pm.Hula is for everyone -- kids begin at 4 years old and both men and women of all ages continue to dance as long as they want to.
Kailua hula photos
With so many performers, there was a lot of waiting for your turn.Games for kids included bouncy tents, rides, and a climbing wall.The town fair is sponsored by a civic group that will use the proceeds to improve the main road into Kailua.

Shangri La in Hawaii -- perfect setting for talk on "Women in Islam"


This beautiful estate is in Honolulu, right on the Oahu shore near Diamond Head.  It houses Doris Duke's collection of Islamic art.  Yesterday, I went to a talk on "Women in Islam".  Beautiful setting, interesting topic.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

picture perfect day


It was such a nice day at Honolulu harbor today that I wasn't the only one snapping a few pictures.

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Ferns unfurl new leaves


These huge ferns grow in the open courtyard of Sakamaki, the philosophy building on the UH-Manoa campus.  New leaves unroll from the center.  They grow so closely that the leaves form a natural umbrella.
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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hanging at the bus stop with Big Bird's cousin


These stilt birds roam all over Kailua because they live in the marsh across the street from my bus stop.  They aren't very afraid of humans, just annoyed when I get too close.  They stroll away on their long legs, flying reluctantly.

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Sunday, April 5, 2009

bye-bye big boat

Sitting on the dock of the Honolulu harbor, watching the boats sail away.
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Big boat so close!

A cruise ship pulls out into Honolulu harbor in the evenings. I don't know if it does every day, but the past two Wednesdays I've watched it from the bar lanai at Aloha Tower. This week, a young girl and her grandfather got a closer look.