Aloha shirts, that is.

My aloha shirt of choice is the Reyn Spooner. Timeless, classic, and part of the fabric (no pun intended) of our local culture.

Reyn McCullough set up shop at Ala Moana Center back in 1959. He later partnered with Ruth Spooner in 1961, and the rest is history. I’m a big fan of the Spooner Kloth™ (55% cotton / 45% polyester) since it requires no ironing. (I don’t own an iron.)

Some people have amassed huge closet collections. Me? Small kine…

In Hawai’i, aloha shirts are your standard daily work attire. And especially at my school, aloha wear is part of our work culture. Imua💪

But I’m especially fond of Christmas Spooners. They’re fun, unique, and a big part of local Christmas tradition. I always wear one to Honolulu City Lights each December. Mele Kalikimaka🎄

Spooners are also released in limited editions to commemorate special occasions, places, and sometimes people. This one is for Chinese New Year🧨

OK, OK, but these shirts are premium and can get a bit pricey. How can anyone possibly afford them?

Well, here’s the secret… Shhhh🤫

eBay.

There are great deals to be had! I limit my purchases to around $25. With shipping + tax, it comes out to around $34. The $128 price tag for brand new is way too rich for me🤪

Another option is the Reyn’s Again program where you can trade in gently used shirts for store credit. You can get $20 credit for Spooner Kloth and $15 for 100% cotton. Make sure that there is no fading and that all of the tags are intact. I traded in a few shirts that I hardly ever wore and picked up Kikaida👊

Finally, at the end of the day, you just sometimes need to treat yourself to a little “liquid aloha.” And you know what? Somehow, someway, it always tastes best in a Spooner aloha shirt🤙

Blessed to have gone to Tōkyō for Fall Break. This trip felt different in that I had more meetups than usual, but that’s a good thing! Got to spend precious time with people who mean so much to me❣️

There was a typhoon nearby, but the weather held up. The yen rate was ￥150 per dollar. I got to try Jiro-kei and Ie-kei ラーメン for the first time🍜 I also got to explore new places and ate new things. Of course, the highlight (as always) was the people and the relationships. So looking forward to the next one…

Shohei fan here. And this is my very favorite Shohei Ohtani baseball card (he has tons!) I was in Japan during the Tokyo Series and got to experience a bit of that energy. This card is part of that memory.

“Small kid time,” my favorite players were Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Now as an “old fart,” it’s been Shohei. Part of the affinity is that I’ve been studying Japanese language & culture for more than 5 years now. And Shohei is a national hero. But this blog post is not as much about him as it is about me being a fan.

Shohei started out with the Angels in 2018 as a two-way player, billed as the “Babe Ruth of Japan.” Yup, I was an Angels fan for 6 painful years😖 Nope, never finished reading this book🤣

2nd fave card. 2018 Topps Heritage pays homage to the 1969 set. I’ve been (hardly) working on completing a ‘69 set for over 25 years now🤣 Aging myself, but these are the very first bubblegum cards that I ever bought as a little kid. Simple, clean, nostalgic…

If you remember, Shohei donated gloves to every elementary school in Japan back in 2023. I was actually able to play catch with his glove at Keio Yochisha Elementary in Tokyo last November. The principal was kind enough to bring them out to the playground. Hopefully he got ‘um all back🤣

Only regained interest in the hobby after Shohei joined the Dodgers. Now collecting his Topps base card each year. Fun and inexpensive (except for his rookie…)

Got his first Topps Dodger card from a garage sale thanks to my sis. It’s these stories that make collecting fun & meaningful.

And no collection would be complete without his Japanese cards. These are his 2014 Calbee & 2017 BBM base cards.

Last season he became the first 50/50 player and reached superstardom. (If your face is on ITO EN, you’ve made it!) This is what I was drinking in Japan back in March🇯🇵

This is his 1st Dodger Stadium bobblehead giveaway from last May. I’ve been waiting for almost a year to find a good deal on eBay. Snatched it!

Finally… Never thought I’d be “that guy” to ever wear some other dude’s name on the back of a jersey.

I am him😬

Our Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus had a Japan trip scheduled back in 2020. Unfortunately, COVID happened. Five years later, we were blessed to go and share the gift of aloha through music🎵

I went as a chaperone for a group of 5th grade boys and as a co-emcee (日本語 translation.) A highlight was visiting the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. Grateful for the blessing🙏

Yes, I’m a proud wearer of “dad shoes.” And I’m not even a dad🤣

Definition: The term dad shoes refers to a type of sneaker that prioritizes comfort, durability, and function over sleek, modern aesthetics. I would even suggest that “dad shoes” specifically pertains to New Balance sneakers in the Castlerock Gray colorway.

I have to mention that I got my 574s long before Shohei Ohtani signed his big endorsement contract. New Balance fit my feet best and provided me with the most comfort. I must admit however, that Steve Jobs rocked NB before I even knew…

My very first pair was the (Made in USA) 990v4. I had just moved to Kaka’ako and enjoyed taking afternoon strolls along Ala Moana Beach. I also enjoyed exploring Chinatown on weekends. A great pair of kicks!

But I recently picked up NB’s max-cushion trainer, the 1080v14. My goal is to run (actually walk) the 10k portion next year’s Honolulu Marathon. Although serious runners rock these types of shoes, I kinda look like a senior citizen with foot disorders in them🤣

Finally, I got these 327s for travel since you can really rack up miles on the streets and in the train stations of Tōkyō. This pair wouldn’t be considered “dad shoes” since they are a touch more fashionable. But they have now become my everyday sneakers as I will be wearing my 990v6s on my next trip to Tōkyō🌸

Dad shoes yes, but please don’t call me Otōsan🤣