http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Franco/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Franco en-us Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:08:10 +0000 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:08:10 +0000 Seems like in the past few years festivals of all types have been dominating the Honolulu Calendar Activities. Basically it was just those of certain ethnic groups who settled in Hawaii during the late 1800rsquos and early 1900rsquos along with the indigenous Native Hawaiians who celebrated Kamehameha Day and Aloha Week. The Chinese of course with their Chinese New Years Japanese with the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Honolulu/blog-296399.html El diez de Mayo no special holiday as far as I know. Just the day the Local Filipino Community in Hawaii happened to pick for their Annual Fiesta in the Park. The Parade started at ungodly hour of 8AM. Sorry donrsquot have any photos for you on this event. When I finally arrived at the Park a Escrima or Kali demo was going on with guys in Kendo Armor battling each other with a pair of stic http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Honolulu/blog-276371.html A couple of weekends ago was the 14th Annual Honolulu Festival. Though itrsquos in itrsquos 14th year here admittedly I know very little of the origin and the purpose of this Festival and only started taking interest during the last 3 years.From what I can gather it seems to be sponsored by a major Japanese Airline. The Convention Center is rented out for Cultural Performances by visiting http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Honolulu/blog-264919.html The people of Hawaii can be described as racially diversified though the population of the mainland U.S. is beginning to appear so too. However though the racial makeup of the rest of the U.S. seem to be predominately Caucasians Blacks and Hispanics and a minority of Asians in Hawaii is seems more to be East Asians Southeast Asians Hawaiians and other Polynesians Caucasians including His http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Waimanalo/blog-241197.html Holiday Season in Hawaii. No Snow no White Christmas no Problem. As reported in last years Blog complete with photos titled O Come All Ye Bruddas The City spares very little expense and effort to convert our City Hall Complex into a Winter Wonderland with mammoth statutes of Santa Claus Frosty the Snow Man and Family and various Christmas Scenes. On top of this the tree lighting ceremon http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-234721.html A Thai celebration was held this past weekend at the Kapiolani Park across from Waikiki Beach. Though Thais are a small minority in Hawaii their presence is well felt here as Thai Restaurants are plentiful and prospering in Hawaii. Having been to other states and countries I know they are also popular there. Not surprising it is my favorite ethnic cuisine and I love cuisine from almost any c http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Waikiki/blog-218925.html A few weekends ago The Foster Gardens celebrated itrsquos Hundredth Anniversary with entertainment and free admission to the Gardens. Also many speeches were made praising the founder Mary Foster for her visionary and progressive actions especially for a woman living during that era. Many of the trees there were huge in girth and tall almost giving the impression they could be about 500 year http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Honolulu/blog-210258.html Aloha Week started off with a Floral Parade this past Sat. and coincidentally a Thunderbird Airshow in the afternoon. From what I read a while back the origin of Aloha Week was commercial rather based on any ancient Hawaiian tradition. Since September and October was a slow season for tourism the tourist industry cooked up the concept of Aloha Week to draw tourists to Hawaii during the 1930 or http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Honolulu/blog-203238.html Under The Ryukyuan Sunhellipthey glanced back at their motherland perhaps for the very last time as they boarded the ships bounded for the scorching pineapple and sugar plantations of Hawaii over a hundred years ago.The past weekend the descendents of these Okinawan immigrants celebrated their 25th Annual Parade and Festival in Waikiki. The event has grown so much they could no longer use t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Waikiki/blog-199050.html This past weekend a festival called ldquoThe Great Hawaiian Folk Life Festivalrdquo was held on Sat. and Sun. at the Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. Also held was a Parade through Waikiki which I was not able to attend to honor Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole a popular Hawaiian Prince known as the Peoplersquos Prince who instituted the Hawaiian Homestead Act which enables needy Native Hawaii http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-143020.html On the evening of March 31 a fire broke out in a Unit 2 units away causing mostly smoke damage. So the past 3 weeks were spent cleaning vacuuming scrubbing washing etc. to remove the odor so I could finally move back in. After 3 weeks I was able to accomplish pretty much was I could to make the place livable and not a day too soon as the 23rd Annual Hawaii Pacific University Intercultur http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-151407.html The Answer Is The Byrds of Paradise Lost Baywatch Hawaii and North Shore.Question Name a few shows that were filmed at North Shore on Oahu Which is incidentally the topic of this Blog covering about a 30 mile length from the historic and colorful town of Haleiwa in the west to Turtle Bay Resort in Kuilima to the east. In between are mostly residential homes and agricultural industries in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-162511.html King Kamehameha Day was celebrated over the past weekend with a Parade crafts fair and entertainment in the park. Though a Highway that goes completely around the Island of Oahu is named after him as well as a large prestigious school and a statue of him is erected in a prominent location downtown I have to admit I know very little about him. We were really not taught much in schools in my da http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-168687.html The Eastern Seacoast on the island of Oahu is what probably most people elsewhere may imagine what Hawaii looks like with itrsquos tropical greenness slow unhurried lifestyle and miles of beaches and seacoast. As one exits the Likelike pron. Likay Likay Hwy. from the Wilson Tunnel it may seem to him like he just entered a Juraiassac Park. The first town one enters along this scenic coa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-166117.html This past Sunday evening the streets of Waikiki looked more like the streets of Kyoto Seoul Naha or Hong Kong as the 28th Annual PanPacific Parade took place. The event is a Japan sponsored function to promote friendship culture exchange and fun between Japan and the Local cultures. The previous morning there was another parade through Downtown and Waikiki honoring King Kamehameha See Prev http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Waikiki/blog-169953.html The 6th Annual Korean Festival was held at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. According to the MC there are approximately 40000 Koreans in Hawaii not a very large number or maybe about 5 of the local population. They first arrived in Hawaii during the early 1900rsquos to work on the Pineapple plantations. It seems as if only during the 1980rsquos another large wave arrived who pretty much maint http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Honolulu/blog-186038.html If yoursquove been following my journal for the past 6 months yoursquod probably agree that the island of Oahu has earned the title of the above. From the American Indian PowWow in the Autumn the multiple Christmas shows the nightly Hula and Polynesian performances nightly in Waikiki the Chinese New Yearrsquos 3 week celebration the Mardi Gras and just this past weekend a 2 day Honol http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/Waikiki/blog-138151.html Is situated the Town of Wahiawa and 5 miles to the south her much younger sister Mililani. This past Sunday I needed to go to Schofield Barracks a large military Army installation located about 20 miles north of Honolulu. After taking care of business I decided to take a stroll around the town of Wahiawa located about mile outside the gates.The smallish town of Wahiawa was founded by a gr http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-134507.html February turned out to be a month of Festivals Foods Friends Folks and Fun. The smoke from the fireworks and Lion Dances of the 3 weekend Chinese New Year celebrations had barely cleared and then again the streets of Downtown Honolulu were being blocked off for another Block Party this time for the 7th Annual Mardi Gras. A Mardi Gras in Honolulu you may ask Well probably many here like http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-131990.html Well itrsquos the Year of the Pig or Boar of the Year 4704 for most of the Chinese around the world. This means a month long celebration comparable to Christmas Thanksgiving and Mardi Gras rolled into one to the Western World. Time for friends and families to visit with each other bringing small gifts serving snacks and foods to guests with many symbolic meaning behind them having fire http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Oahu/blog-128133.html