"Dressing A Galaxy"

Ever since I heard this book was coming out I wanted it both as a Star Wars fan and as a costumer (I'm workin' on this!). Needless to say it is everything I had hoped it would be so if you are either of the above go get it! And if you have the opportunity go to Los Angeles to check out the fashion show associated with the book.
Sharon

Halloween Night in Hawai'i

Zach and I carved new pumpkins for Halloween night as the pumpkins we had carved mid-month for the party were quickly colonized by fungi and had to be disposed of after a few days. I carved a Hello Kitty into a small pumpkin while Zach carved Animal (of Muppet fame) into a large one.

Family Connection to Pearl Harbor

My maternal grandfather, Homer Nathaniel Chappell, was stationed on the USS Honolulu during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The pictures above show where the USS Honolulu was positioned in the harbor during the attack. The USS Honolulu was a light cruiser and received moderate damage.

More pics from Arizona Memorial

The first picture is inside the memorial itself. The second is of Zach standing next to an anchor at the entrance to the visitor's center. The third picture is of the USS Arizona Memorial from the visitor's ferry.

USS Arizona Memorial - Pearl Harbor, Oahu, HI

Zach and I went last Sunday to visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Both of us have studied the history of WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor but we were not prepared for the short movie that visitors have to watch before being allowed to visit the memorial itself. Very moving as is the memorial at which you are asked to not speak above a whisper. If you visit Hawai'i, you need to visit the Arizona.

Surf Boards at Sam's Club

You know you're in Hawai'i when Sam's sells surf boards. And there are Star Wars fans who work in the bakery! Check out the Stormtrooper cake!

Puck's Alley

Puck's Alley is a strip mall Honolulu-style as the businesses fill two levels with parking in back and on top. Both the Cocoichicbanya Curry House that I like to eat at and the Halloween Express store are located in Puck's Alley. The bus stop that I go to everyday to catch a bus to campus is right in front of the Curry House and Halloween Express. I try to get the #6 which takes me right to my building but sometimes I'll catch a 4 or the A Express.

More clouds and mountains

1) First Pic: Zach and I were standing at the bus stop on University and we noticed that the mountains were extremely visible so of course I had to take a picture. The building in the middle of the picture with the blue windows is the POST building where I work.

2) Second Pic: Zach caught a really good rainbow Friday evening from our lanai. The view from our apartment never ceases to amaze me which is one thing I like about being here. Compare this picture with the one from the Rain post where clouds completely blocked our view of the mountains.

HardRock Cafe Honolulu, Hawai'i

Zach and I went to a VWR vendor thank you party at the HardRock Cafe on Thursday (Oct. 27). We met up with Mingxiao (see first two pics) and chatted with one of the sales reps for Buchi a company that sells solvent separation systems. The finger food provided was good but the music was a little loud. Mostly we went to check out the HardRock here in Honolulu. Same as everywhere else though inside the restaurant the music was at a pleasant volume unlike other HardRock's where I felt that I was going to be deaf if I sat inside too long.

Pearl from Hilo Hattie's

Zach and I went to Hilo Hattie's to do some Christmas shopping and instead we wound up getting a pearl for me! One of the female associates gave Zach and I each a key to see if one or both of the keys would open up a box. Zach's key didn't work but mine did and I got to pick out a silk pouch containing a surprise. My surprise was a coupon for 50% off a "pick a pearl". The pick a pearl promotion allows you to pick your own oyster which is shucked right in front of you and if there is a pearl inside the pearl is yours for $13.95. Mine was only $7 and turned out to be a really pretty grey pearl. Zach wants to put it in a ring setting that I wanted for my engagement ring at a jewelry store in Athens.

Mushroom Soup and Tinker Bell

The first two pictures are of a dried mushroom soup mix that Zach and I bought at a local Japanese Wholesale Market (think Sam's club) known as Marukai Market. The only English on the package is on the while label. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the directions were not on the white label. They are in Japanese on the package itself. Does anyone know how to read Japanese?
The second image is my new t-shirt from the Disney Store. It was on sale ($9.50!) and they had my size! I had to get it as it had a nicely drawn mushroom on it.

On another note, my hat came from the CocoICHIBANYA Curry House in Hawaii. Good curry. The restaurant is a franchise from Japan and the only US sites are in Hawaii. The only bad thing is that the food is good, cheap and there is a restaurant in walking distance from the apartment. I have to watch my curry consumption.

The Beginning of the Mushroom Trail in Hawaii

Hawaii is home to a culturally diverse population with people from nearly all of the continents and many different ethnic groups. The diversity of cultures is reflected in the food. All different kinds of restaurants can be found around Honolulu and a wide variety of food can be bought at the many farmer's markets in the city. Many species and varieties of mushroom (i.e. fungi) can be bought and eaten more so than I've ever seen before. So being a mycologist and a person who likes to document things, I'm going to document all of my fungal encounters while in Hawaii. Some will be of the edible kind while others will be of the fungi found in the environment such as on a hike. Enjoy the trip!

Rain

Friday night the weather was forecasted to be rainy with sunshine. Well we definitely got the rain part. A tropical depression is moving across Oahu, Molokai, and Maui through next week. Zach got wet coming home from Ala Moana but I managed to get a smile out of him for the camera. The first picture is of the mountain range that is not visible because of the wall of rain and clouds.

Dairy Cows, Hawaiian Hello Kitty and other stuff

Zach and I went to Sam's Club down near Ala Moana to drop off two waterproof disposable cameras at the 1hr Photo. It was tasting day! Lots of free food samples. We tried ahi (tuna), coffee from Kauai and gyoza (potstickers). Good food! Then of course we had to try the free ice cream by the local dairy, Meadow Gold, and get my picture with the Meadow Gold Aloha Cow. We then went to Ala Moana shopping center to see if the pet store had a ballast for Zach's aquarium (didn't have one) and I went to the Sanrio store (Hello Kitty store) and they were having a celebration complete with a Hello Kitty in Aloha wear. Then we went to the bus stop to catch the A Express home and I had to take a pic of the Muumuu Factory. More to come....

Cat TV

I saw this cute cat bank at the rummage sale and for $3.00 he came home with us to take his place on the TV next to Darth Vader. He is an Asian good luck symbol that you find in many stores near the cash register around Honolulu.
Just making sure everyone sees my little buddy next to the cat as well.

Zach and I went out to a rummage sale at a local Buddihst temple. The street sign at the intersection of the road which our apatment is on (Kuilei Street) and University. I also wanted to take a picture of the supermarket which is a 5min walk from our apartment. Kinda expensive so we only go there when we need a few emergency items. The last picture is of my monthly bus pass. $40 a month gets you all the rides you want!

North Shore

Zach and I went collecting on the North Shore of Oahu two weeks ago and after we'd spent three hours in the water of Turtle Bay with finding only one sponge we decided to enjoy ourselves by touring the coast on the way back to Honolulu. Zach spotted a really cool mid-1960s Dodge Baracuda in a handicap parking spot. I took pictures of a nice rocky tide pool area that would be great to revisit for collecting. The nice bay is known as Sharks Cove. Not sure if there are actually any sharks there or not. Zach and I stopped at a beach because of the really neat algae that totally covered the rocky shore. We also got a little rain which made for some nice cloud pictures.

Waikiki Beach at Sunset

Zach and I went down to Waikiki beach one Sunday evening to see the sunset. We got some nice pics of the famous Duke statue wearing leis and of people on the beach watching surfers in the water. There was a surf contest wrapping up as we arrived. And of course a nice picture of the sun setting over the water.

Eating around Oahu

Zach and I went to the famous local eatery known as Anna Millers. Your basic everyday American style food with some Polynesian/Asian influence. The first image shows the dessert area and the short outfits of the waitresses. Good place to eat. I would recommend it to anyone coming to Oahu and looking for a decently priced place that you can take the whole family to for any meal. Zach ordered the local favorite, chili loco moco. Lots of places on Oahu serve this dish and many proclaim their's as the best or most original. I can't speak for either points as we haven't tried it anywhere else but Zach really enjoyed his Anna Millers Chili Loco Moco (second image). The third image is of my chili pot pie. Good chili but the crust was a little to dry and crumbly for my taste. The last two images are of us eating at Hanazen's a nice little bento eatery near Walmart on Keeamoku Street. One image shows Zach holding up a taro roll made from the locally grown taro plant which is basically a starchy root with little taste. The roll was good but more so because of the yeasty flavor than the taro. The second image is of Zach's spicy tuna roll i.e. sushi! I tried it and found it ok. So Gail you can't say I haven't eaten sushi anymore!