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South By EDU

Blessed to have attended SXSW EDU in Austin, TX. South By was intellectually stimulating. It was about epistemology and world views. You don’t go to South By to learn how to reformat a Powerpoint slide. South By is about changing the world. Here are a few of my takeaways:

Mission-Driven
Accomplished people here are so passionate about their calling/purpose. Michael Sorrell said that his university is not a “school,” but a “movement.” Their mission is to end poverty. They are changing their community.

Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes wants to create a school in Guatemala that is so engaging that it keeps kids off the streets. He is up against the drug lords. When asked, “How do you account for different student levels?” he replied, “That’s an American thing. We respect everyone as human beings. We will work with every child.”

Then I thought about our mission at Kamehameha. Our mission is just as noble. We are trying to preserve a culture, a language, and a people. How often do I think about our mission when I’m at school? I bet that there is not a moment that goes by when they are not thinking about theirs…

Parallel Universe
I’ve always suspected that there was a “parallel universe” to these conferences. That the “real” conference starts after 6pm. It was definitely confirmed. Casey Agena asked me, “What are you doing tonight?” I replied that I signed up for the opening party. Casey said, “Me too. And I signed up for five more parties. Wanna come?” I said, “Shoots.” Apparently Google, Apple, etc. were all in town and had these meetups. I didn’t see any of it in the conference listings. Casey said that they’re not officially part of SXSW. They’re not “underground” events, but more like “parallel” events.

Casey introduced me to everybody. I got to hang out with David Ross from DC and Emma Peng from Beijing. David created PBL World. He even paid for my Voodoo doughnut. Got back to the hotel with a pocket full of business cards and a bunch of great memories that I can now barely remember.

The Ugly Stepsister
South By EDU might be the best conference that I’ve ever been to (both before and after 6pm.) That being said, it fell far short of my expectations. I was hoping that it would be more like the SXSW Music Festival. High energy, raw, cutting edge, in-your-face, etc., etc. Instead, South By EDU was an improved version of your traditional education conference. It was “hipster,” but not “gangster.” Wish I could stay in Austin for just one more week…

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POW! WOW! Hawaiʻi 2018

“POW! WOW! HAWAIʻI IS A GATHERING OF CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS THAT ENGAGES WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY IN THE PROCESS AND CREATION OF ART.”

Each February, I look forward to POW! WOW! Hawaiʻi. It’s one of the coolest events here in Kakaʻako. One of the cofounders is a friend who worked at Kamehameha, Kamea Hadar.

After an early lunch at Karen’s Kitchen (baked spaghetti,) I started to explore the neighborhood. Here are some of the new ones…

This one is in the parking lot of the former Fresh Café on Queen Street (currently Waikiki Brewing Company.) POW! WOW! first started at this exact location in 2011.

Here’s a nice backdrop to a Biki Station. This is at the Fitted Hawaiʻi warehouse on Pohukaina Street.

This mural is on Cooke Street near Honolulu BeerWorks. There are also a few new ones across from Mother Waldron Park.

This one is near the entrance of Lana Lane. The artist is from Vietnam. This event truly is a global collaboration.

This one by Tokidoki is in Lana Lane. Lana Lane is where all the action takes place. (Click to enlarge.)

Be sure to visit POW! WOW! headquarters at Lana Lane Studios. You can pick up the passport and some merch here.

Had an amazing time checking out the murals and meeting a few of the artists. Highly recommend visiting. You can also stop by at one of the many cafés in SALT at Our Kakaʻako. Cool vibe there.

This is one event that I will always support…

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Chinatown Honolulu

Looking forward to taking our high school’s Mandarin class on a tour of Chinatown in celebration of Chinese New Year. (I was able to take our @KSEdTech Team on a tour back in 2016.)

Background: I started exploring Chinatown after moving to Kakaʻako a few years ago. What started out as exercise (urban hiking) transformed into a deeper sense of “place.” It’s become my Saturday morning ritual. I believe that Chinatown has the best food in Hawaiʻi. Now I want to share my passion for the sights, sounds, (smells,) and energy of this vibrant community…

History 101: Chinese laborers arrive in the 1850s when sugar replaces whaling as the prominent industry.

Chinatown fires: In 1900, there was the bubonic plague. 7000 people were quarantined. 40 controlled fires were set by the Honolulu Fire Department. One got out of control and lasted 17 days. Only a few buildings escaped the fire and still exist today.

WWII: Chinatown becomes a red-light district… ahem.

Statehood: The tourism boom and the opening of Ala Moana Shopping Center lead to the decline of Chinatown.

Revitalization: Chinatown targeted for revitalization in the 70s by Mayor Frank Fasi.

Today: Modern Chinatown flourishes as a hub for art, cuisine, culture, and creativity.

Parking: People have the perception that Chinatown has no parking and that it is dirty. Let me dispel this by saying that there’s a whole lotta parking. In fact, street parking is free on Sundays (however, not all shops are open on Sundays.) The best parking lot is underground, beneath Smith-Beretania Park (next to the old Empress Theater.) As far as being dirty… hmm…

Currency: The best restaurants here are cash-only, have sticky menus, and no one speaks English (not even the customers.)

Public restroom: The only one is on the 2nd floor of Walmart in the Fort Street Mall.


Chinatown is bordered by Bethel & River Street, and by King & Beretania.

Let’s start the tour…

The Hawaiʻi Theatre was built in 1922 by Consolidated Amusement. It closed in the 80s, but was renovated and reopened in the 90s.

Bozo: The sign and marquee were created by sign artist “Bozo” Shigemura. He was the only one in Hawaiʻi at the time who could bend glass for the neon signs. He created the iconic signs for Wo Fat Chop Suey and Club Hubba Hubba.

The ARTS at Marks Garage is more than a parking lot. It is a gallery and creative space for local artists to collaborate.

Here is the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park at the entrance of Chinatown. Or at least this is what it used to look like before the water feature was filled in due to the homeless in the area. (Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, was educated here at Punahou and ʻIolani.)

Maunakea Marketplace is an awesome place to explore. There’s a huge food court, souvenir stands, and a great open market. You can even find old Kung Fu movies on VHS. Mickey Café has the best bubble tea drinks in Chinatown. Instead of powdered sugar, they grind fresh sugar cane.

After exiting Maunakea Marketplace, cross Hotel Street to Kekaulike Market. Here you can get a Hamachi Poke Bowl from Maguro Bros. Amazing stuff! Along Kekaulike Mall, you’ll find the Ying Leong Look Funn Factory.

Cross King Street to Oʻahu Market, the oldest market in Chinatown. You can find the freshest meats, produce, and unusual things there. I saw hanging char siu, roast duck, live crab, beef tongue, pig heads, dragon fruit, and unrecognizable organ meats. Fong’s Meat Market has the best roast pork in Chinatown.

Chinatown is a great place to try a new cuisine, buy produce, and take pics.

Chinatown has awesome sweets and desserts. The Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery on Maunakea is a landmark. I like the gin dui (black sugar) & mooncakes, and I always go home with a bag of something…

The Chinese Cultural Plaza, built in 1974, is where you’ll find all of the dim sum restaurants. Fook Lam is my favorite. (Locals tend to gravitate toward english names like Legend’s and Empress.) You’ll find the older men playing mahjong on the benches along the river.

Our tour ends here, but read on…

Additional information:

For noodles, my fave place is the Hong Kong Noodle House in the Chinese Cultural Plaza. I usually get the Tossed (stewed) noodle. I ordered this one with pig’s feet. Another great place is Papa’s Café on Hotel, behind the bus stop.

Chinatown has the best pizza in Hawaiʻi. Yes, pizza. Only thing, they’re all in bars. JJ Dolan’s and Bar 35 are renown for their pies.

Chinatown absolutely has the best phở in Hawai’i. No need to go to “Phở Row” on River Street. My fave shops are Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine on King Street and Huang Lan in the Chinese Cultural Plaza. Pictured above is Pho My Lan (Rice Paper) which recently closed.

Desserts! Wing’s Ice Cream has homemade flavors. This one is Raspberry with dark chocolate chip. Of course, Lee’s Bakery has the most amazing custard pies.

It’s comforting to know that there are still places that I remember from my childhood. Char Hung Sut still has my favorite manapua & pork hash. Their best item is their pepeiao.

I especially appreciate the traditional ethnic foods in Chinatown. This is the Bún bò Huế from Kim An Vietnamese Restaurant. It comes with blood cake and pig’s trotters. This is my fave bowl of soup noodle in all of Chinatown.

This is dim sum from Happy Garden (made famous by Andrew Zimmern.) The chicken feet are on the way….

Mei Sum is another good place for dim sum. A good “contemporary Chinese” restaurant is Little Village Noodle House on Smith Street.

Chinatown also has the coolest, trendiest places. The Pig & the Lady is one of my fave restaurants. I also believe that it is the “most important” restaurant in Chinatown. Love the Bánh mì sandwiches with the incredible, crunchy bread. Try the watermelon soda.

Lucky Belly is another fave. I enjoy the Bao sandwiches (pork buns) and ramen here. The co-owner is a KS graduate. They also opened Livestock Tavern across the street.

Chinatown also has a great skateboard park, antique shops, boutiques, tattoo parlors, and tons of lei stands. Chinatown is where the creatives & makers set up shop.

Festivals: The Chinese New Year Street Festival & Parade is THE event of the year. Thousands gather for this amazing celebration. Chinese New Year will be on February 16, 2018. (This year’s festival, scheduled for Saturday, February 10th has been canceled.) Chinatown also hosts First Fridays, art events, and other block parties.

Definitely my kinda place. Find me in Chinatown.

Postscript:

Had a blast giving our Mandarin class a tour of Chinatown. Chinese Opera, dim sum, and a whole lotta fun…

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“THIS IS NOT A DRILL”

On Saturday, January 13th, nearly everyone in Hawaiʻi received this text message. What a terrible, horrible mistake. And now everyone in Hawaiʻi has a story…

We were getting ready for a half-day of professional development at Island Pacific Academy in Kapolei. It was a little after 8am when all the phones went off. We were in shock. My initial reaction was that it was a hack. School leaders quickly ushered all of the teachers into a hallway. Everyone started texting their families. I couldn’t find anything on social media.

I stepped outside and looked up at the sky. What a gorgeous morning. I said a prayer. Then slowly, the reality of the situation began to sink in. I could hear the sirens. From initial disbelief, awful thoughts began to creep in. What a horrible feeling. My common sense (or perhaps my lack of processing the situation at hand) was telling me that this was not real. And yet, what if this is it? What if?

At around 8:30, we received word through social media that it was indeed a false alarm. It felt like forever. The crowd of teachers remained very calm throughout the ordeal. We went on with our event without a glitch. I had to regain my focus to emcee the event and deliver the opening remarks. The event was a success, and we celebrated as a team at lunch.

But this was in fact a “drill” for me. What did I learn? For a split second, I did entertain the thought that this was the end. I was calm. Still, it was a sickening feeling. I thought I would be more at peace, because of my faith. I now have a deeper appreciation for life and all the people I love. Life is a blessing. Life is also an opportunity to make a difference. Considering this a second chance.

LIFE IS NOT A DRILL.

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Ugly Christmas Sweater?

In Hawaiʻi? Not so much. So I rock the not-so-ugly Christmas aloha shirt. Reyn Spooner makes them. I think they’re pretty cool.

Last year, they dropped a Moana design commemorating the movie’s release. I snatched one right away. And after doing a little research on the brand, I discovered that they’ve been issuing a new Christmas Spooner each year under the Mele Kalikimaka label since 1983. (You may be able to find some of their older releases at Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts on Kapahulu Ave.)

The two that I have are from 2013. Now how many Christmas aloha shirts do you really need? I do think you need at least two, in case you have back-to-back Christmas parties.

They’re a lotta fun. Perfect for the party, church, or checking out Honolulu City Lights. Great office attire for the month of December. Always a conversation starter.

The quality (and designs) of the Spooner cloth makes these shirts timeless. Some people have amassed collections. The Christmas Spooner has become a Hawaiian Christmas tradition.

No sweater? No sweat. You can go rockin’ around the Christmas tree rocking a Christmas Spooner…