Maui Tacos Baby!!

To my utter shock today, while walking around the Fashion District, I ran into a Maui Tacos restauant.  After talking to a Chinese woman who identified herself as the owner, I realized there are other Maui Tacos in the US besides those in Hawaii - supposedly 31 franchises! The menu looked really familiar.  I told her the Hookipa burrito was my favorite.  After learning I'm living on Maui currently, the owner immediately asked if I surf - no I dive. Then she asked if I was a vegetarian as the Hookipa lacks meat. No again. :)

 Honestly, NYC was the LAST place I ever thought I'd run into one of these restaurants...  Hey, to the Maui Tacos restaurants actually on Maui - this franchise serves alcohol!

For more info on the Maui Tacos' franchise deal: Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Aloft Over The Pacific

Getting there is half the fun right?  Taken on the overnight flight from Maui to LA, Canada Dry was shot at ISO 3200 - the limit of my D40 - in really dark conditions.

This Delta widebody  had video screens in every seatback, which was great because we could just watch movies or TV shows for FREE!  Interesting because the the TV's were touchscreen and one of the entertainment features was a scrabble-like word game where you tap out words searching for various letters. Well, the young woman behind me got really into the game and after 15 minutes of woodpecker-like drumming, I actually turned around and told her to "tap lighter!"

Needless to say, she was embarrassed, but hey - I need to sleep here!

Big Apple Bound

I'm going to NYC for a week.

I'm taking the red-eye tonight from Kahului to LA to Newark.  I used to study, live, and work in Manhattan, so it will be nice to go back to visit family as well as to do some work.  Anyways, having been away from city life for many years now, simply packing for the trip was very eye-opening.

First of all, I'm completely amazed by how many pairs of shoes I need to bring to live and survive in a metropolis like New York.   I have to bring FOUR pairs of shoes!  From left to right:  running shoes for well, running and working out, dress shoes for work and evenings, casual hip day shoes for the day, and semi-athletic/casual day shoes to mix it up.  Because you know the people I will meet and reacquaint myself with actually care and pay attention to what I put on my feet, how often I wear said stuff, and if I wear the same stuff more than two days in a row.

This is what I wear in Maui 90% of the time for all occasions.

On sale for $10.99/pair.


OK, I just covered what goes on my feet.  How about the other stuff?  The stuff that pretty much covers my entire body except for my head and hands, and all the necessary accessories in between.  I really had to do some digging to get this stuff out of the closet.

Note the assorted ties - varying in color, fabric, and texture - as well as the shiny cuff links in God Bless America colors, and the even shinier wristwatch that's thin enough to slide under a shirt cuff (sorry Suunto D4).  Why do the socks have gold toes?  Because that's the brand.  So my feet go in the socks first and then into the shoes.  Got it.  Also, I need a lint brush.  I foresee lots of ironing (no starch please), preening, and hours of grooming.

What I wear in Maui 90% of the time and takes literally 9 seconds to put on eyes closed with the accessory.

Suits?  You mean I have to wear another layer of clothing on top of the first layer I already put on with the silk noose around my neck?  Yes, jackets are required, sir.  Note two suits for various occasions.  The top suit is European and Continental, with subtle pinstripes, three buttons, sculpted midsection, and side vents.  The bottom suit is what George Bush wears - conservative Brooks Brothers, two button, roomy, and center vented, as if I was a riding a horse.  They both need pressing badly by the way.

Believe it or not, I do wear a suit in Maui.  In fact I wear one daily for work.  Two piece, made-to-measure in 5mm Sheico neoprene, and nylon lined on both sides, from Elios, of Italy.

So, I will morph from Maui Observer to Big Apple Observer for a week.  I will bring my camera...let's see what happens.  Stay tuned!

Mother Earth Day Festival

I live in the town of Haiku.  It's a quiet, funky little town on the north shore that is normally quite placid.  On Mother's Day though, we were treated to a gathering of a certain demographic of town-folk for 8 hours of celebrating Mother Earth.

This annual event took place at the Studio Maui.  From food vendors, to music, to lectures, and all sorts of free-thinking presentations, this festival radiated energy and vibes.

For more info:  Mother Earth Day

Baldwin Beach Bunkers

I went to Baldwin Beach on the north shore early this morning to get some shots of the rising sun.  On both ends of the beach lay two WWII-era pillboxes apparently used by the US military as part of amphibious landing exercises in preparation for the campaign in the Pacific.  You can also find a pillbox on Big Beach on south Maui.  It's interesting because I never really paid attention to these pillboxes until now -  no wonder tourists can visit more places in a week than residents do in an entire year!

Here's the view from inside the above pillbox looking out.  You can see crescent-shaped Baldwin Beach to the left and the West Maui mountains in the background.  

I found this guy while strolling to the other end of the beach.  :) 

Here's the opposing pillbox at the other end of Baldwin.

Phantasmal Flyers

Like I've said before, there are all kinds of people living here on Maui.  If you cruise around the North Shore, you will find advertisements for various services and businesses.  If nothing else, these flyers are entertaining.  You can find bulletin boards full of these ads at Mana Foods, Veg-Out, and the Temple of Peace just to name a few.

Hawaiian Hula Girls

I'm not talking about the stick on dashboard hula doll that sways back and forth as you cruise down the highway.  I'm talking about genuine hula dancers in Hawaii - actually Maui.  These are not the ones you see at a luau either.  We're talking community based, family style hula entertainment.  Instead of say, cheer practice, these girls perform hula on the weekends in public for their family and friends.

I caught them waiting to go on stage as they were prepping and chatting amongst themselves.