Happy Kamehameha Day!

In celebration of Kamehameha Day Native Books: Na Mea Hawaii is selling all books about Kamehameha the Great at 20% off for the entire month of June! Some favorites you might want to look at are Kamehameha the Warrior King of Hawaii by Susan Morrison and Breaking the Blood: Kamehameha Moves the Naha Stone by David Kawika Eyre.

It’s hard to read about Hawaii’s first king as just a man. Stories of his strength and determination have become legends in Hawaii. My favorite is about the Naha Stone, and how Kamehameha, despite being born of different blood, was able to move the giant rock. It’s a hero tale like those of King Arthur, and in fact they’re so strikingly similar that it’s almost eerie. Either way, reading up on Kamehameha the Great is a good experience for people of all ages and interests. Check out this article on examiner.com for more info and links regarding the Naha Stone and legends of Kamehameha the First.

“Duke’s Olympic Feet”: Remembering Hawai’i's first Olympic gold medalist

Following the recent “Parade of Champions” in Waikiki and the tremendous success of our 2008 Olympians from Hawaii, I picked up a picture book about Duke Kahanamoku. Beautifully illustrated with oil on canvas pictures, this book portrays the struggles and accomplishments of Hawaii’s most popular athlete.

The author, Ellie Crowe, recounts how Duke had to prove himself  a worthy competitor and Olympian as an “untrained swimmer”, and captures his love of swimming, surfing and the islands.

The book is slightly oversized with near portrait sized pages. It may be a bit too large for small hands but the colors and the brushwork are engaging for young readers. Since the book is published to accomodate the large illustrations, the vast amount of vertical white space on the opposing pages is filled with text. The long paragraphs may be challanging for very young readers with short attention spans and there are portions of the story which could have been better summarized and some lengthy descriptions, but the memorable character of Duke and the overall theme of the book should make it enjoyable and inspiring to all. Overall, a great book to read aloud with youngsters, but clearly written for an older audience.

A Waikiki “Stay-cation”

posted by M.L. Sanico

Speaking of airlines, and overwhelming travel costs, my family and I decided on a Waikiki “stay-cation” for a long weekend off. The recent specials and kama’aina rates inspired us to revisit old stomping grounds and check out the changes to Waikiki’s landmark locations… some of which we, sadly, have not visited in years!

Just two weeks ago, I serendipitously came across an interesting book on walking tours of Waikiki. Waikiki: Nine Walks Through Time is a brochure sized, spiral bound book, mapping out various “walks” through Waikiki. The trails are varying lengths, so you can do a short walk or something broader to the area, and each trail is different so you never see the same thing twice. My family and I particularly enjoyed the trail outlined along the Ala Wai, it was perfect for an evening stroll–it wasn’t too long, and we were away from the hustle of Kalakaua Avenue.

The great thing about this book, even for local residents, is that it is chock full of history and facts about almost every street and building in the Waikiki area. I learned things that I never knew and I’ve passed these streets and buildings a thousand times! The book includes old pictures so you can see the difference between then and now, short mini-bios of people who influenced the area, and the roles that certain places played in pop cultures past. Learning new things about the places we see everyday was fun for my whole family and prompted many discussions. The most valuable of which were my parent’s memories of how Waikiki used to be… a plate-lunch place here, a novelty store there, swimming at the Natatorium. It was great to hear their stories and feel the presence of the past through their words.

The experience was worth far more than the twelve dollars it cost to buy the book and we plan on using it again for the other eight trails outlined. Some trails take you through Waikiki’s most famous and recognizable landmarks, so the book is ideal for visitors as well. It’s a fantastic alternative for anyone who wants to see a few local and historic sites, get a little exercise, and have fun without spending a ton of money.

If you’d like to peruse other resources for walking tours of Waikiki, I suggest visiting this website. However, the different points of interest highlighted are not as many and not nearly as detailed as those in this book.

On the subject of walking tours, historic or otherwise, Downtown Honolulu is also a popular bet (especially for architecture). Click here to see a special insert that the Star Bulletin did on historic downtown buildings.

Happy trails!

“Wings of Paradise”: Hawaii’s history of flight brings insight to our turbulent times

posted by A. Alba

The culture of aviation has strong ties to Hawaii. Being an island chain isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, air transportation becomes a necessity towards our way of life and Hawaii has served as the fertile soil for the birth of many unique air carriers. Whether through our strong dependence on tourism, visiting relatives on the neighbor islands, or shipping goods throughout the state, our native airlines not only provide us with a vital service but are a part of our culture, our family and our livelihood. Peter N. Forman’s Wings of Paradise: Hawaii’s Incomparable Airlines is the story of these homegrown airlines and the competitive world of the airline business. Of course, you can’t talk about airlines in Hawaii without mentioning the big two: Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines. This is mostly their story, but it’s also the story of the numerous upstarts who challenged their dominance and the many other local commuters who served smaller, niche services and became local institutions in their own right.

The first few chapters were my favorite. They told the story of a young man in the steamship business who had a vision that air travel would be the way of the future. This vision became Inter-Island Airways, the predecessor to Hawaiian Airlines. It was fascinating reading about how they pioneered the concept of commercial aviation between the islands. Air travel was not common back then, so Inter-Island Airways had to slowly gain the public’s trust such as initiating service with amphibious planes which eased the minds of passengers who feared of going down over the water. Occurrences such as a volcano eruption could save you from a financial lull, as passenger counts dramatically rose making airlines scramble to offer customers aerial tours of the volcanic scene. The chapter on World War II is an exciting read, as you get to experience the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent implementation of martial law through the civilian eyes of Hawaii’s first airline.

As a former employee of Aloha Airlines, and one who is interested in the history of Hawaii as seen through the blue skies above us, Wings of Paradise provided me with a lot of insight and interesting material. I was tickled to find that the street I drive down to work every morning is named after famed Hawaiian Airlines pioneer, “Captain Sam” Elliot. Or that Kahului Airport’s funky three-letter abbreviation, OGG, was named after Hawaiian chief pilot, Jim Hogg, who aided the FAA in certifying VOR navigational aids by flying tedious routings at Maui. Naturally I loved reading about the rise of “the people’s airline” as Rudy Tongg started up Trans-Pacific Airlines as a business where local people and Asian workers could feel more at home and provide the people of Hawaii with a distinctly fresh product. Soon, this airline would become known for its friendly spirit as Aloha Airlines. From this point, the book becomes a study of the airline industry as Aloha and Hawaiian engage in cutthroat competition in order to gain market share through price wars, branding, service, marketing and the powerful sway of introducing new aircraft to the fleet. They did not fight alone, as the book details the numerous upstarts who challenged the “big two” by using a low-cost model to compete with lower prices.

Unfortunately, the unwritten epilogue of this story is a sad one. Aloha Airlines closed down its operation on March 31, 2008 after 61 years of service. Finally, one of the “upstart” airlines, backed up with financial clout from Arizona, was able to come and help write the final chapter in this long saga. But knowing the ending to this 61 year old dogfight should not prevent you from picking up this book.

Obviously, this is a must-read for anybody into aviation as it provides a wonderful story of our unique aviation history. It is also a great study into the world of business and economics, as both Hawaiian, Aloha and the rest employed numerous business strategies often with dramatic results. Finally, it provides a nice snapshot of Hawai’i throughout the 20^th century seen through the lens of her native airlines. Wings of Paradise is easy to read and even those who are unfamiliar with the technical aspects will soon understand all the nuances of each airline’s fleet with the descriptive storytelling that Forman peppers throughout the book. Much of the book is told through entertaining and insightful anecdotes collected from former pilots and employees and it is these stories that propel the book forward and provide you with substantial examples that put you in the middle of the flight deck. For these treasures alone, Wings of Paradise is definitely worth a read!

Lili’uokalani: Queen & Author

posted by M.L. Sanico

Hawai’i has inspired many people and some of its most historically recognized authors are also its most influential monarchs. Queen Lili’uokalani published Hawai’i's Story by Hawai’i's Queen in 1898, just before annexation. The overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy is a controversial topic of debate so naturally Lili’uokalani’s book is controversial as well. After publication, her authorship of this provacative and intimate portrayal of Hawai’i's royal history was questioned.

Controversy aside, this book is absolutely enchanting! Read about the monarchy, Hawaiian government, society and culture–all through the eyes of a queen who lovingly describes her land and people with inspiring detail. This book reminded me of a regency novel, similar to Jane Austens popular stories of Edwardian life, only more heartwrenching because of the real life political turbulence that provides the conflict of her story. It has the same vibrance and grace but with an underlying sadness in its language and imagery.

Perhaps the greatest testament to her skills as a writer and to her unique voice, is the honor of being recognized as one of history’s greatest female authors. You can read an electronic version of Hawai’i's Story by Hawai’i's Queen at the site below, A Celebration of Women Writers. She is in great company there.

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/liliuokalani/hawaii/hawaii.html

If you’re interested in learning more about how the book itself was written, and why her authorship has been debated, the following essay is a great place to start. It was written by a University of Hawaii professor who studied Queen Lili’uokalani’s diaries extensively. Queen Lili’uokalani kept several diaries from 1896 through 1897. These diaries, along with her memories of childhood, were used to compile the manuscript for her book.

The Diary of Queen Lili’uokalani

“Hawai’i's Party Food” equals elegant pupus!

posted by M.L. Sanico

It’s my inaugural post and I thought I’d start with something we consider a priority here in Hawai’i… food!

Food is an important part of our cultural identity here in the islands–the only place you’ll find such unique multi-ethnic concotions as Spam Musubi and Poi Mochi. Ohana is also important and we express our love for each other through food and celebration. Holiday dinners usually include sushi, poke and lumpia in addition to the traditional western fare because we just gotta have variety! And since everyone brings something, even if you tell them ‘no need’, you inevitably wind up with an ecclectic mish-mash of yummy things.  

Cookbooks are among Hawaii’s most well known contributions to the world of publishing and I thought I’d take a look at one of the recent releases.

Hawai’i's Party Food by Muriel Miura is the perfect book for anyone wishing to jazz up some of our local favorites. The recipes are quite innovative but some of them are not meant for novice home-chefs (like myself). What’s best about this book is that it really covers the gamet. All ages and palates will find something to enjoy so don’t let the section titled “Canapes and Sandwiches” intimidate you. The directions are clear and the pictures are gorgeous! The book as a whole is well produced, colorful and just the right size for the kitchen!

I tried my hand at the “Stuffed Cocktail Puffs” with crab filling on page 46. After some questionable “puffs” came out of the oven I finally conceded defeat. Apparently I did not put enough vigor into the “stir vigorously” directions. But all was not lost! Since I live in a multi-generational home, I handed over the apron to the real cook in the house…my father. He had no trouble whipping up the crab stuffed puffs and even had some ideas of his own (the man loves Japanese curry, and I’m convinced he plots to put it on everything). So luckily, the house was spared my soggy “puffs”.

If you’re interested in local recipes Muriel Miura is the author of several popular local cookbooks such as Cookies From Hawai’i's Kitchen which I have had my eye on for awhile.

Also, here is one of the best resources for local food and pupu recipes I’ve been able to find: Lindy’s Ono Recipes Blog is awesome! Get ready to be hungry just reading it! Not to mention the enticing pictures (warning: this site has A LOT of them! ).

http://www.lindysonorecipes.com/