Goodies from Taiwan!

My friend Olivo has come to visit from Taiwan!

I’m so excited to go out and have fun together!

She brought me SO MUCH STUFF! It’s just CRAZY!!!

On top is Tea and more tea and baguette crackers~ Tea from Taiwan is so good!

Potato chips drizzled with chocolate, shrimp crackers, caramel corn

Chocolate crackers, Egg Sachima, different senbei like snacks! made with black bean, peach, green tea…SO DELICIOUS!

An overall shot of everything.

More shrimp crackers, a bag full of hard candy, Kiki Lala notepaper, bath bombs!

Banana Chocolate Pocky and lots of amazing makeup and creams!

I love Asian makeup! I can’t spend money on makeup because I feel like it is such a waste so whenever someone gets me some I am so excited!

After I picked her up and she got a chance to unpack and rest a little bit we went out for a walk around the neighborhood so she could get her bearings.

I had to stop by Kakaako Kool and get some shaved ice with condensed milk!

Always so delicious.

She had a credit card minimum so I just told the lady to charge me the minimum and that I didn’t need to pick out anything else but she was so nice that she came outside and gave me a bag of white chocolate dipped macadamia nuts that they package there!

After that we went out to dinner. We tried to go to Genius Lounge but it was PACKED! I know it was Friday night but damn! So we walked around for a bit and decided to go to our default place, Fatty’s. I love it there but I was just worried about feeding my Taiwanese friend Chinese food for her first meal here but she liked it there too so it worked out okay.

I had the spicy beef noodle like always. Yum!

Then we went to Yogurtland for some dessert! Yay for cute Sanrio cups! The pink one says ‘Honolulu’ and the blue one on the right says ‘San Francisco’ on it. I kept some of the spoons they gave out too. But I threw the cups away…I’m not THAT crazy. Lolz.

And I put together everything into a little bowl today so we can all share! Yay!

Now it’s time for some football! Let’s go Broncos!

Hawaii Life in Style

My family including my uncle, aunt and their two children came to visit me in Hawaii this week and I actually ended up having a lot of fun with them.

And here’s a picture of me in my cowboy boots at the beach. That’s right, AT THE BEACH. I don’t plan on wearing any slippers or sandals while I’m here so get used to it. I’ve actually had a pretty easy time climbing rocks with these shoes, believe it or not.

We ended up going to Kickin Kajun for dinner and since I love that place, I was a happy camper. Mark and I always get the same thing and it’s always SO GOOD. Yum!

For those of you who don’t know it’s kind of like Boiling Shrimp or Boiling Crab in LA. They bring you your seafood order in a huge plastic bag and you just kind of go at it and make a mess.

This wasn’t our pile of food but my uncle’s. We usually only get the King Crab since we’re not really big Shrimp or Crayfish eaters. But boy was our Crab delicious! MmmmMmmm…

For dessert we went to Menchies but instead of getting Frozen Yogurt I just wanted a waffle cone. Literally.

But we all know I’m a sucker for waffle cones. I can’t help that it tastes SO GOOD! Yum!

And after dinner and dessert we made our way to the beach and had some fun just playing in the sand and chasing little crabs around on the beach.

Aren’t these little buggers just the cutest? I kind of want to make a habitat for them so I can keep them in our place but Mark wasn’t too thrilled with the idea. All he said was, “You’ll forget about it soon”. Hahaha. Oh well. It’s a little hard to make a habitat to keep crabs because most need both sand and water and some actually need both fresh and salt water to survive because apparently fresh water has more protein in the water for the crabs. And it gets a little more difficult because these suckers like to climb and if I don’t want a bunch of crabs all up in my business I need to make sure the lid is AIR tight. But I’m sure these guys would be much happier in their natural home on the beach.

I think I’ll settle for a hamster instead. I just have to wait till Mark’s gone because he doesn’t really want me to have one. But I don’t think I can resist! I haven’t ever gone this long without having a pet! It’s driving me up a wall!!! I just need to make sure I find someone who can take care of my little hamster friend when I go away for the Holidays. I don’t think most airlines allow them on flights so…I’ll ask around when the time comes.

The next day we tried to go to Hanauma Bay but there was no parking and it was too crowded so we decided to go to the North Shore. We went to Haleiwa so we could get some World Famous Matsumoto’s Shaved Ice. Yum! My favorite! And Mark was able to join us on his lunch break too!

So many flavors to choose from! I ended up getting Strawberry + Guava with Condensed Milk and Azuki Beans. It was just what I needed to help me cool down.

(We actually ended up going back yesterday after we checked out some North Shore beaches for some offsite PT for Mark’s company). But yesterday I got Orange + Creamsicle with Condensed milk and it tasted just like an orange cream soda! Yummy!

We also ended up going to get some lunch because my family was still hungry. (Go figure). But Mark had to go back to work. Oh did I mention that my family had (moments before) gone to the Dole Plantation and gotten two pineapple ice creams with pineapple. And they were still hungry? My god! Pineapple ice cream, snacks in the car, shaved ice and then BBQ & Garlic Shrimp!

I ended up getting a bacon wrapped organic Portugese Sausage hotdog without the bun. Boy was it a tasty treat! My family missed out BIG TIME!

This dude was the best! If you’re ever on the North Shore go to THIS guy! Some of the best and freshest meat you will ever taste! VJs, remember that!

Then we went to Shark’s Cove for some good old snorkeling. Next time I want to take a waterproof camera with me so I can take some pictures to share with  everyone.

Boy were the fishes neat. We also got to see a sea turtle which was pretty spectacular. I did get a little claustrophobic at times so I didn’t go out for too long.

Then it was Korean BBQ time with the family! We took them to Sikdorak because we love that place! Sorry I didn’t take any pictures though. I was too hungry to think properly. I could eat at that place every day if I had the opportunity to. Raw meat……

And then we took my cousin to Dave and Busters for a bit and we had quite a bit of fun. All in all I had a pretty good day with my family. More pictures and updates coming soon!

Unique Find: Hawaii

So about a week ago I went to a local Arts and Crafts Festival in Waikiki and it wasn’t QUITE what I thought it would be but I found something pretty interesting that I doubt anyone is going to find anywhere else.

I was pacing in front of the booth wondering if I should jump on a pair or not and I’m glad that I did when I had the chance because I KNOW I would have regretted it otherwise.

These are shorts made out of old rice sacks! And yes they have lining on the inside so I’m not just wearing a sack of rice. They had a bunch of different designs but I HAD to have the ones with the crane on it. It’s just so colorful and vibrant!

They are not only very well made but by including the drawstring tie and the pocket in the back these shorts are actually functional. And surprisingly comfort is not an issue with these shorts like most would think at first glance. And what makes this piece especially unique is that it has the actual brand of rice and the address of the place it was packed for and it is right in the neighborhood of where I am living now, pretty cool huh? They also kept the original stamp that was on the bag notifying buyers of the weight of the rice by turning that into the back pocket sleeve. Simply ingenious!

Does this remind anyone else of that one ‘I Love Lucy’ episode? It was the episode where they were all in France and Ricky played a joke on Lucy by having clothes made out of potato sacks for both Lucy and Ethel. Joke was that a french designer ended up copying the idea and making his own line using potato sacks but by that time Lucy had burned her “original” because she thought she had been made a fool.

They even made a doll out of it.

Not to mention other future designers have been inspired by such fashion trends, whether they made good use of their inspiration or not is up to you.

I’m not saying that I’m going to be a trendsetter or anything like that but I just had to share this neat find with everyone. I love how people are still finding new ways to utilize everyday objects and it’s just amazing!

And I’m pretty sure they were made by the old man who was selling it to me. He had some other pretty cool stuff too…maybe I’ll pick up another pair if I ever see him again.

Now I have something to look forward to…finding unique cultural items that are made on the Island. Sounds like a challenge and I am nothing but excited for my new quest!

C is for Corvette

A view from our hotel room in Waikiki.

I actually haven’t been to the beach yet because well…I don’t really care for the beach. It is what it is.

I bought Silent Hill (The old one) to play but…it freaked the shit out of me early on so….I’m going to return it. Yup. I’m a big ol’ chicken.

But I’ve been watching Mark play Saints Row the Third and I have to say it’s pretty entertaining. He even made a character after me. She looked pretty strange though…her cheekbones were a little too high…but her Russian accent made up for everything.

I also like identifying every car that the cars in the game are modeled after. Most are weird hybrid versions of cars like half Jaguar and half Mitsubishi or half Bentley and half Chrysler. Hahaha. Mark’s been pretty comfy in his wannabe CTS or otherwise known as the “Sovereign”. Pretty close to the original though.

And all the gangsters drive the Rolls Royce and Bentley knock offs.

But that’s not why I’m writing this blog. I started this entry because I saw a classic beauty in the parking lot the other day. Any guess as to what it is?

….

Yup! That’s right! A classic 1973 Corvette!

Sorry for the awkward shots. There were cars on either side so I couldn’t take a better picture. Ugh you should have seen the paint job and those seats! God! They were to die for!

The Chevrolet Corvette or also known as the Chevy Corvette Stingray Coupe (C3) was designed to break away from the C2. It still used the same chassis but the interior and exterior were brand new designs.

And for those of you who are curious here is some background information on the Corvette.

The Corvette is made by Chevrolet which is a division of General Motors and it has been in production for 6 six generations now. The first prototype was a concept car that was debuted in 1953 at the GM Motorama. And I’m sure for those of you who have read my previous posts they will already know that the name “Corvette” comes from a small warship that they used to use in World War II. The warship has been around since the 1650s but the modern Corvette warship that we know now was designed during WWII.

And I’m sure most of you already know but the Corvette is also called the Stingray.

The Corvette that I saw on the street is a 3rd generation Corvette and it was modeled after the concept car the Mako Shark II which was designed by Larry Shinoda in 1961.

I actually really like the naming of cars using an aquatic theme. It not only keeps with the sea theme that the name “Corvette” brings to the table but it also sets these cars apart from the other cars that just name their automobiles after big cats.

Mark was part of a group survey one time and when they asked what they would like their dream car to be named after almost everyone responded that they wanted it named after a big fast cat. Weird huh? I rather have a Shark than a Cougar anyday. UGH MERCURY COUGAR! Gross…

wait I take that back. I’d take a muscle car classic Cougar…BUT only if I couldn’t get my hands on a Shark or a Stingray.

I mean, throughout the years there have been slight changes and improvements to the design along the way but by only changing what is necessary (under the hood & technological advances) the Corvette keeps the feel of being a classic. Chevrolet isn’t afraid to change with the times which is great for both newer and older customers but by maintaining the same body shape and style it makes the car more relatable to a number of generations which helps Chevy keep a steady flow of customers as their business grows.

There’s a reason the Corvette is called the “Mid-Life Crisis Car”. It’s a car that people dream of owning, it doesn’t have to be specific to a certain generation of Corvette or even body style. Corvette just possesses this hold on customers by offering them something old and familiar yet something new to them  to experience. The feeling of driving a Corvette or riding in a Corvette sometimes gives people the same thrill as seeing another one on the road. It’s that connection that Americans feel to an all around classic. This pull to an immediate relief of stress and worry which is replaced by adventures and speed draws customers from all age groups to indulge in the Corvette. And that is why it has done so well for so many generations. There are so many cars that have never survived past the 50s and 60s but the Corvette has proved time after time that there is something to be said about their way of design and marketing. I can only imagine what they will be like in another 60 years.