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🙏
…is fashion. Haha! That’s kinda unusual here in Hawaii, mainly due to our climate. We’re a t-shirt, shorts, & slippahs culture. But this interest is really an offshoot from traveling. Travel has made me more conscious and intentional about what I wear.
But the actual beginnings took place way back in 2005. After joining KS, my buddy (and manager) “D” helped me do a makeover. I wanted to invest in myself, and totally changed out my work wardrobe.
It started out with shoes as the foundation. And it had to be Alden. At the time, it was scary expensive. Looking back, it’s been a sound and rewarding investment.
One brand that I got interested in was Ralph Lauren. (Got this sport coat for 帆花’s graduation.)
So much so, I got a denim jacket, a flannel shirt, chinos, shirts, and a bunch of other stuff.
And I especially like RRL, although it’s outta my league. RRL (called “Double RL”) is Ralph Lauren’s western style clothing line. I got this work shirt, a sweater, and a sweat shirt all secondhand on eBay.
I also got interested in Japanese denim. This is Momotaro Jeans from Okayama.
And also in mechanical watches. Of course, Seiko. “Timeless.”
But my favorite piece of clothing is actually the overshirt. This military shirt is from a Japanese brand called A Vontade. I picked it up at the Beams Store at AMU Plaza in Kumamoto. Also have this navy chore coat from Polo.
Not a fashionista by any means. Haha…
But it’s not a bad thing to wanna present the best version of yourself, at least once in a while…
I had the privilege of accompanying Kaʻāmauloa Pathway’s visit to Keio University & Affiliate Schools on November 19th-20th. The purpose of the visit was to establish an exchange program based on the SDGs. My role was as a guide / “interpreter” / video documenter.
It was a whirlwind 2-day business trip, but we had an amazing time visiting with the students, teachers, and administrators. We went to Keio Yochisha Elementary, Keio Chutobu Junior High School, Keio Girls High School, and the Keio University Mita Campus.
The visit was a huge success, and I’m looking forward to the future & potential of this collaboration. お疲れさまでした。
Went back to Tōkyō during Fall Break. This time, I wanted to explore the 下町。 Shitamachi literally translates to “downtown” but refers to the retro-towns on the outskirts of Tōkyō.
Spent most of my days in shōtengai and evenings in izakaya. Best part was meeting up with my cousin and my language partners who have become good friends. I also got to check out some of the autumn festivals. The luckiest highlight was seeing my close friend from Kumamoto who just happened to be in Tōkyō on a work trip. 楽しみ！Hope to be back soon…
After an absence of 5 years due to the pandemic, our KS EdTech Conference finally relaunched! It was held on June 4th-5th at the Blaisdell Center, and it was a blast! Got to be the morning emcee and donned the “Wings of Innovation.”
We collaborated with HSTE to bring back Edcamp Honolulu as our pre-conference event. How cool is that?! It was great seeing all the familiar faces and reconnecting with great friends.
The energy this year was amazing! Keiki Breaks opened our conference with street dancing.
We added a few new wrinkles to this year’s conference including Dj Jem spinning the music🎵 and having food trucks outside🚚 It was a nice treat!
One of the overall highlights for me was the participation of the Kaimukī High School W.O.R.M.S. Club. Very inspirational kumu. Here is the list of the other sessions.
I was also able to give a presentation on language learning and tell my personal story in the format of a TED Talk.
There was a great vibe and great moments throughout the 2½ days. This impromptu jam sesh consisted of former KS Designer Gavon, Abe from The Ukulele Collective, and Kona and Cory from our AV Dept. Check out Twitter at x.com/ksedtech for more. #KSEdTech
Love the friendly, intimate, cozy feel of our conference. Learned a lot and had an amazing, amazing time. See you next year!
Alan Tamayose 