Lika’s Log

Union Station ~

The clock inside Union Station ~

Looking down the street in front of the Union Station. The old building on the right is The Phoenix Park Hotel.

The Phoenix Park Hotel & The Dubliner an Irish Pub.

The Sun Trust Building. It an old little triangle building. Its my view out my window along with the National Guard Museum.

Entrance to the National Guard Museum.

Ua pau fo’now.

I remember bits and pieces of photography class. Way way back in the day of 35mm film and developing it by yourself in the lab. Back in the day ofSpilling fixer or woteva da chemicals on your jeans and making’um holey. I think its those days of photography class and black&white photos that has attracted me to “shadows” or still life in general. LOL

Shadow 1 - The Courtyard

Shadow 2 - The Vines On The Rail

Shadow 3 - Bouganvillas

Shadow 4 - Vines Between Tree

Shadow 5 - Oh this doesn’t have a shadow. But I like this picture. I call it “Trees Between Trees.” LOL Because its trees between trees. DUH?

Shadow 6 - What time is it? LOL

I could really get into this photography stuff. Actually the camera does it, I just press the button. Don’t need to mess with any developer either. hehehe

Festivals are for kids. Big kids, little kids, young kids and old kids too. You know how alot of kids now days catch a bad rep and respectfully so cause some kids are ugly and you wonder who raised them. But lets not go there right now.

A lot of times its not the kids choice to participate in dance class. With Polynesian/Local kids I think its part of the culture. Its a no brainer, as Polynesians dats wot we do yeah. You cannot have anything Aloha, anything Polynesian without song and dance. Oh, grindz too but dats a given wit everybody. Well maybe not da finger sandwich peoples doe. LOL But I digress…

The following are pictures of a bunch of kids that danced at Aloha Festival. I think they are with Tausala from Mesa, AZ. I was watching/taking pictures from behind the stage. The front was way to crowded claustraphobic for me. So I stood behind the stage taking pic-chas.

Da boys waiting for there turn to go on. The did a Figian dance (I think).

Rear view of kids dancing. The leaves were used like an implement/weapon. They were really cute.

Dancing a spear dance. But they no had spears just sticks.

All the dancing and singing takes time and practice. I’m sure others in the family dance and sing too. Its a family affair. But these should be very proud of their heritage and talents. I think it shows in their performance that they are proud and talented. At least they doing some constructive as oppose to destructive, yeah.

This is one of my favorite pictures that I took. The kids were just playing on the hill.

Juss cute yeah. Ua pau fo’now.

The theme for this years Arizona Aloha Festival was: Flowers of the Islands. You can’t think Hawaii without the thought of all the pretty flowers. The colors and scents are embedded in every locals mind I think, as why us get homesick. No can see or smell flowers - for free. Remember when you could smell the airport lei stand before getting there. When you think AIRPORT LEI STAND, don’t you think of all the smells of the leis. Hhhmmmmmmm

One of the sponsors of the Arizona Aloha Festival is Aloha Airlines. They have a big booth and they bring in fresh flowers. I heard somebody brought poi too, but it was for the vendors. So there was ukupila flowers around the festival especially around the 3 stages. I should have taken more pictures of the flowers but I guess I was totally distracted by all the peoples. LOL

This is my favorite flowa picture that I took. Close up of some proteas, da pincushion flowa.

Here’s some Bird of Paradise and da kine, are they called heleconias?

Real or memorex. This is at one of the vendors booth. They look really really real. Too bad no moe smell. I bought one small plumeria for my desk. From www.donotwater.com

I just notice that the plumerias I bought is in this picture. See the middle tier of flowers towards the left, there’s 2 bunches of plumeira in a coconut shell. thats the one I bought. It was Sunday 4pm closing time and it was discounted. Woohoo I scored.

Close up.

These are my favorite. I told NT - you should put one sign, No pick flowas. She was laughing: yeah no, no broke da branch. LOL This was taken early in the morning when everyone was still setting up. The flower plants stand about 3 to 4 feet. They look really real & pretty. It makes you smile to see this kine in da desert of Arizona. I want one for my house, at least I know I not going kill’um.

Thats all da flower pic-chas I did. Ua pau fo’now.

True story: Couple of years ago I’m at my cousins house in Phoenix fo’eat; and a bunch of guest show up. My cousin yells “EH YOU grew up in Ewa hah?” I yell back, “yeah Fernandez Village.” The guy who came in looks at me and holds up da dog tag on his key chain. I go get my key chain, I hold up my dog tag. Us crack up. Gotta be Ewa yeah. It turns out; cause you know small world, he’s my olda sistas classmate.

OH, da dog tags: back in da day early 60’s think Bay of Pigs la dat; peoples tawt Hawaii would get sneak attacked again. Well they - da big peoples I guess - figgahed out if us get bombed going be day time, da kids in school da parent stay hanahana. So Ewa School sold dog tags for da kids, for 25cents you could order a dog tag and on it it has your parents name & your address. Some people put blood type or allergic to something or asmatic woteva. But small time we all wore our dog tags. AND we had bomb drills regularly. Duck unda da desk and cova yo’head. I’m serious.

The following pictures are of The Gerald Toki School of Kali. Kali is probably better known as Escrima, Filipino martial arts. You know using da two sticks kine. Escrima is really the Spanish given name, Kali is an ancient Filipino/Indonesian form of martial arts. There are also different styles and systems of Kali. The following are pictures from the demonstration they put on at Aloha Festival.

Fighting wit da sticks. Did you know dat da sticks are just substitute for da bolo knife or any weapon? Duh, I didn’t know dat. I just tawt dey beat yo’ass using sticks. Its really to disarm a person with a weapon. You know Filipinos and dey cut cane knife yeah. LOL

This is a picture of two sisters that practice Kali. They are the cutest thing and they look like they having so much fun. I watched them last year too and they are always fun to watch.

Here the girls are sparring with a partner. I think the guy in the blue & red sash is da Fahdah. I’m not sure. The bolohead guy is Gerald. He’s tall as me. Ok he’s taller. My cousin always told me, if you in one fight; you want Gerald by your side. *L* I think he became MASTA of his art form cause he got tired of all da Ewa bulls humbugging him.

Doing katas:

Students & Guru:

The schools logo:

If you go to youtube.com and search Arizona Aloha Festival 08 & Kali you will see these demonstrations being done. Check out da sistas, dey just cute.

Ua pau fo’now.

The Arizona Aloha Festival is held every year the 3rd weekend in March. Its been going on for about 15 years? Give or take some; long time doe. It started wit one stage, now get tree(3)! The Festival is held in the downtown Phoenix area; an area called Heritage Square Park and the Science Center. Its like a block from Chase field where the Diamondbacks play ball. In fact thats where most cars park. $10.00s! Scarey yeah. Its considered a “free family even in Phoenix.” Well hello if they charged admission no one would show up. $10 for parking is far from free yeah. But as da City of Phoenix yeah, as how dey make dey money.

This is the Rosson House. Its a museum, I think. LOL I’ve never been in it cause gotta pay. Why I going look at Victorian stuff and when get all da vendors and stages to go look see free, yeah. This was taken wen I first got here so people are still setting up. We had to be there at 8:15 for a opening ceremony run thru. This was taken before 8AM.

You see all the tents as all part of the food court. So if you was there, you would inhale and smell hulihuli chicken. I standing like on the second level of a parking structure taking these pictures. The picture below as taken afta opening ceremony so was pushing 11AM I think. Oh and da lines for grindz, long you know….

OK now this is way way across da ada way. LOL This is the Lathhouse Stage. Thats where we danced. We were grateful for this stage because it is shadey. Last year it was 100 degrees, serious kine and us had burn feet from da astro turf on da stage. So this stage was cool. Literally and figuratively.

Ok so I think the above pictures are looking north? Towards my left anyway. LOL The following pics are looking south den? Looking right. Woteva. The tallest structure you see is part of the Science Center Museum. The parking structure in the back ground is part of the Chase Ballfield. On da ada side of dat parking place get Chase Ballpark.

Also to the very right is da Marketplace Stage where had da opening ceremony. No can see cause of da trees and the angle yeah. The pic-cha above is before all da peoples wen go come stay go. LOL

Nobody stay yet but me. This is looking down where all da vendors are set up.

This down da ada side. Eh, whose shadow dat? The Shadow shopper…..

I get plenny moe pics to blog. Ua pau fo’now.

Well I took ukupila pic-chas at Aloha Festival. Ok if I’m in the picture, then I didn’t take it. LOL Obviously. It was either Daughta, Son or DH. But I enjoyed taking pictures. Especially still life. LOL Um’cause it doesn’t move. I am having a hell of a time downloading’um doe, is it me or da bucket. You know da photobucket. Dat bucket. Anyway I will do little by little cause, its taking fo’eva and I don’t have patience. Attention deficit, I go do something else kine.

Opening ceremony. 100 Ipu heke’s? 60 or 70 maybe. There are people on the stage, behind the stage and up on the hill. It sounded good. I know its one manini picture but you get the idea. Do you see me? LOL I’m in there some where. I’m not telling. hehehe

This is me and my friend CH. No tell her this pic-cha is in here cause she might open up a can of whoopass. LOL But look how pretty her ipu is. Its painted by one of her cousins I think she said.

This is a “closer” look at Opening Ceremony. We did Liliu’e. Try look in da middle. LOL Unco has one ipu heke tall as me. No joke. Bugga is one serious natural true bass. It sounds real awesome.

This is our group dancing MIHI AU IA OE. It a Tahitian aparima. Real pretty song. Go youtube and search it and I think you’ll be able to hear the song.

Ms Thang ~ LOL Do I look like a Sole? Yeah and proud of it. hehehe The flowers are pretty huh? Obviously I didn’t take this picture. Its all about composition huh? I took a photography class in college. But it was black & white, play with chemicals develope your own kine.

Dancing Ka Loke:

Dancing Pua Hone:

Our finale. Dancing Ua Mau:

K~dats it. Ua pau fo’now.

We have a camera at work. So I started messing with it. Oh yeah I’m suppose to learn how to use it. I have an assignment to do. But first I gotta learn how to use’um, right? Right.

I finally started to “play” with the camera. Read bits & pieces of the manual. Took the SD card out, got prints made & a CD. Deleted all da stuff on it. Then I started to take pictures. Walked around taking pictures of flowers and stuff. Tried to be artsyfartshy and took pictures of shadows. LOL

Using the SLR Digital is like using a REAL camera as oppose to my Kodak Easy Share 310. Remember REAL cameras. Big, black, kinda heavy, detachable changable lens etc. Yeah that kind. Here’s my new toy I’ve been playing with at work.

It is a Pentax SLR Digital K110D! Sweet huh? I enjoyed walking around the building acting like I knew what I was doing. Need to do more reading and stuff. The CD that comes with the camera won’t load into my work computer and I’m wondering if I can load it on to my home computa. I’m bringing home the camera this weekend. I got permission to use’um at Aloha Festival. I’m so stoked, I get one REAL camera fo’take pic-chas wit.

To me the pictures I took with the SLR Digital IS way moe nice, sharpers then my EasyShare. I was looking at Ebay & Overstock.com for prices on the SLR Digital and whoa, its outta my league. I love the feel of this camera. That REAL camera in my hands feeling. Get plenny bells & whistles and I don’t know what half of’um mean but hey, just set it on automatic. LOL

I wanna seen if I can download pics of the SLR Digital so I can compare it to pictures I’ve take with the EasyShare. The picture below is taken with the EasyShare. I also took the same picture with the Pentax. The Pentax look way nicer. hmmmm What is it, da pixels or wotevas. Anyway maybe when I figure out how to down load the Pentax in here you’ll see what I mean.

I’m excited about using the camera at Aloha Festival. You know, THE COLORS, kalakoa! I need to get a picture of me in my kekepa & kehei. I look so authentic. Authentically momona. LOL

I was charging my cell phone at work. Something I rarely do. But either I forgot to charge it the night before or my battery is not holding a charge. Oh yeah the phone is couple of years old and I just might need a new battery. But anyway…………. I forgot my cell phone at work.

So tell me how dependent have WE become on cell phones? LOL

So I’m driving home and wondering what time is it? (Oh yeah I don’t wear a watch cause I have a cell phone, usually LOL) I reach for my phone and its not there. Searching the bottomless pit of a purse and nothing. Ok must be in my jacket pocket, which is in the back seat. No biggie. Then the light bulb, late reaction memory cells kicked in…. NO, its at work charging! Well duh.

I should panic. But I didn’t. BECAUSE I have a work cell phone. AND a Tracfone, you know one of those prepaid ones. I’ve had the Tracfone since before regular service family plan kine. I just have it in my purse and its not turned on. Nobody calls that number. BUT when I loose/can’t find my phone; especially in the house, I grab my Tracfone and call myself! How lolo is dat? LOL Hey it works. I find my phone ALL the time.

I have a cell phone that was issued at work. The only person who really calls it is my boss and a couple of lawyers looking for my boss. Then again I’m usually with my boss during work hours so I rarely use my work phone. I do use it as an alarm clock though. hehehehe

A lot of times on weekends I don’t take my purse and if I forget my phone. I’m totally disconnected. I think cell phones have given us/me this false sense of security that we can call anybody anytime. There are people who constantly have a cell phone in their ear, go figure. We don’t keep a land line. There is no reason to and we don’t have small kids in the house so really no need. Everyone has their own cell phone, right?

Wrong. My sister & BIL have not reached the cellphone phase yet. Auwe. Kona as why. My niece is still trying to get them to both get a cell phone. Maybe this year they will give in. LOL

When I don’t have my MAIN cell phone, I feel like I’m missing something. So I come to work this morning thinking there will be all these MISSED calls. And guess what? Not a one. Nobody called me. Duh, go figgah. False sense of security I tell’ya. *L*

We/our hula group is gearing up for our major gig of the year; Arizona Aloha Festival. www.azalohafest.org

I have to do 5 numbers and I have 4 changes. Three of’em in a row. That throws me off. I hate the rush rush change bit but there’s a lesson in there somewhere. I dunno. We are doing one otea & one aparima. The otea has some serious timing issues, especially in the end. Either we’re ahead or behind, I dunno I must not be counting right. The aparima we are doing is a beautiful song; Mihi Au Ia Oe. Its a song by Andy Tupaia, a Tahitian dude.

If you told me years ago that I would be performing in Aloha Festival, or performing hula at all anywhere; I woulda said, “gittouttahea.” I take hula as an exercise class and as a connection to home. For me its not about performing per se. I wish I could rememba moe so I could dance moe but da truth is I have a really hard time remembering. So I have to do it over and over. Some choreography is easier then others. To me simpler is better. Oh cause its easier for me.

I think if I had to dance “These Islands” today, I would have to go watch youtube first. LOL

Hula: In telling the story, the hands speak, the heart sings, the smile show the joy, the eyes show the love. The hips bring the grace, the feet are the rhythm and punctuation. In glowing strength and harmony, the body transcends its physical boundaries to become the music.