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Camp Erdman

Blessed to have been a chaperone once again for our annual 7th grade camp. Each of the three KMS teams participates in a 3-day camp at Camp Erdman in Mokulēʻia for team building. It’s especially important since many of the 7th graders have come from different schools as well as the neighbor islands. Unfortunately, we were not able to stay overnight due to scheduling conflicts. We participated in day camp activities such as Group Challenge and the Odyssey Ropes Course.

The Odyssey is the one experience that the students never forget.

We ended the camp with a 6-mile hike to Ka’ena Point. I joked that it was sooo hot, we didn’t go on a hike. We were deployed….

Everyone had a good experience and made friends. I did too. Imua.

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TEDxHonolulu

Attended TEDxHonolulu today with two of my colleagues from school. Had an amazing time! The theme was City 2.0, and it was held at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Ko Olina. It was all about creating a better community and a brighter future. Here is the post of my highlights on my edublog.

This was my first visit to Aulani. At first, I wondered why the event wasn’t held in Honolulu….

But it was a really nice venue for an event such as this.

Even the food was great. Another highlight for me was meeting student representatives from TEDxYouth@Punahou. Looking forward to their event next April.

I especially loved TEDxHonolulu’s taste in art…. haha. This series of photos was taken at a TEDxHonolulu Salon event as part of the Inside Out Project.

The event was absolutely amazing and inspiring. There were so many great speakers and great ideas. The person who summed up the day for me was Natalie Ai Kamauu. After delivering a stunning musical performance she said, “To make a better future, we just have to be the best that we can be. Then our children will say, ‘I want to be just like her, or just like him….'”

Amen.

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Aloha Week 2012

Walked over to the Waikiki Ho’olaule’a block party tonight. Had a blast! Met up with a couple of coworker buds. The Ho’olaule’a is a part of the Aloha Week festivities.

And it was jam-packed! There were four stages, food tents, and vendors lined up along Kalakaua Ave. The Giovanni Shrimp line must have been an hour’s wait. Here’s a pic of Stage 1 which was sponsored by The Fish FM. It was amazing to hear praise & worship music on the streets of Waikiki.

This hula hālau is from Japan. The Moana Surfrider made for a nice backdrop.

Had the braised ox tails for dinner. So ono. Had a great time with great friends. Aloha….

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Beaching It….

Today was a beach clean up day for our middle school. Each of the six teams went on an excursion to a different beach around the island. The team that I was assigned to went to Kuli’ou’ou Beach Park in Hawai’i Kai. Our task was to remove invasive limu from the bay.

We walked over the flats at low tide around Paiko Lagoon and were greeted by families who live along the bay. There we met up with Mālama Maunaloa, a non-profit organization that is leading the restoration efforts. They set up stations to teach our students how to identify invasive species. They also gave a presentation on the history, causes, and successes.

Our students did a good job in removing over a thousand pounds of limu. We learned that the limu is used for composting. It is definitely a win-win solution.

We walked back during high tide. I held my iPhone up over my head and prayed for the best….

We ended the day by visiting an organic farm that uses the limu for compost. This farm is thriving!

I think our students had fun today as well. Imua….

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Saturday Morning Walks

 

What started out as exploring my neighborhood of Kaka’ako has turned into a Saturday morning ritual. This post is part 2 of my earlier entry on urban hiking. I could very well be turning into a “senior citizen,” because I really enjoy my walks through Chinatown.

I start down Kapiolani until it forks into King Street. I walk past Five-O Headquarters (haha, the State Courthouse.)

I turn up at Fort Street Mall, and then left on Hotel Street.

The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park next to the Hawai’i Theatre marks the entrance into Chinatown.

I love Chinatown. Chinatown is Honolulu’s version of a marketplace. There is so much to see here. You will find the freshest meats, vegetables, and seafood. I usually come home with a slab of char siu or a bag of lychee or mountain apples.

Today I had pho from Phở Huong Lan in the Chinese Cultural Plaza.

For my route back home, I usually walk through the historical section of Honolulu. One of my favorite buildings is the Kumu Kahua Theatre on Merchant Street. I believe it used to be a post office back in the day.

You will find courtyards with cafés and really nice views along the way.

My favorite building of all is the old Royal Brewery on Queen Street. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Today, I continued home through Kaka’ako.

You never know who you might run into there.

Another great Saturday morning….