Posted on April 2, 2012April 18, 2012

Europe Trip Day 10: The King & the Mayor

On Friday, we visited the Royal Palace. It’s where King Juan Carlos lives. It was an incredible tour with interesting things to see. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside the palace. We also checked out the Royal Armoury.

We took a bus tour around the city. Madrid is filled with fountains.

We had lentil soup and really nice pork chops for lunch.

We were given 3-hours of free time at Puerta del Sol.

There were cafés, shops, street performers, and street vendors.

We then walked over to the Plaza Mayor. This used to be the main square in Madrid.

Just outside of Plaza Mayor, we had our tapas dinner at the Pub La Mazmorra. It was great fun. There was live music and the sangria was flowing….

For dessert, we had chocolate churros. It was alright….

This was our final night in Europe. We didn’t want it to end. We took the Metro back to our hotel.

For more Spain photos, click here.

Posted on April 2, 2012April 4, 2012

Europe Trip Day 11: Time to Say Goodbye

Today was the last official day of the EF Tour. We gave a heartfelt mahalo and bid a fond farewell to Javi at the airport.

Javi made the trip great for us. He will be a lifelong friend….

We then had a 9-hour flight to Dallas. The Holiday Inn Express was by far the best accommodations on the entire trip.

By this time, everyone was craving a steak. Texas was the perfect layover destination. Here’s my rib-eye from the Saltgrass Steak House.

We had a 2-hour layover in Los Angeles, and then an evening flight back to Honolulu. It’s nice to be back home.

And it’s nice to have your dream come true….

Posted on March 17, 2012

TEDxYouth@Punahou

Attended the TEDx Youth event at Punahou this morning. It was an amazing event. The student coordinators and advisers did a spectacular job!

They provided a social media station in the lobby of the Wo International Center. The social media team did a great job of tweeting and posting (Facebook) throughout the day.

Even the lunch was great. Food was provided by Michi’s “Cooking Fresh for You.” Everything tasted fresh and delicious. They set up a poke bar with yummy ingredients.

But enough about food. The student presenters were all amazing. They shared their ideas, hopes, inspiration, and their life stories. I also met a lot of wonderful people today. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part. Mahalo.

Posted on March 16, 2012March 17, 2012

Song Contest

Attended the 92nd annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest, “Ho‘ōla Lāhui, Ho‘oulu Pae ‘Āina — Vibrant People, Thriving Lands.” The event is held at the Blaisdell Arena, just across the street from my condo. Song Contest is one of our most beautiful and cherished traditions.

Before the show went live, Dr. Chun greeted the crowd and received a standing ovation. It was a very heartwarming moment. We had great seats in the loges. We sat directly behind the sophomores. Mahalo Kumu Joy for the ticket!

The highlight of the event is always the Hō‘ike. This year’s Hō‘ike was a tribute to Princess Pauahi. It was another “chicken skin” moment. I truly enjoyed being at tonight’s event. So proud of our students! Congratulations to all. Here are the results from tonight’s competition….

Imua.

Posted on February 18, 2012February 18, 2015

POW WOW Hawai’i 2012

Attended tonight’s opening of POW WOW Hawai’i at Loft in Space x Fresh Café. “POW WOW Hawai’i is a gathering to celebrate culture, music, and art.” Its mission is to engage the broader community in the process and creation of art. Local and international contemporary artists have been painting murals on walls and buildings in the neighborhood of Kaka’ako this past week.