A hui hou!

I had a lot of fun maintaining this blog over the course of the semester - I hope you enjoyed my perspective and found at least some of my posts interesting. =)

Hopefully I will continue with this blog, but just a head's up that I will disappear for at least a little while, as I finish up my final exams, take care of several things before I fly out of LA, and head back to the islands for the first part of summer vacation.

I can't wait to go home!

This is my laptop wallpaper - a picture I took of Hanauma Bay, which is about 5 minutes from my house

So for now...

A HUI HOU KAKOU, MALAMA PONO

(Until we meet again, take care)

Mahalo! =)

Yet another protest

Protestors gathered at Waikiki Beach yesterday to rally against Kyo-ya Hotels' plan to redevelop the Diamond Head Tower at the Moana Surfrider Resort.

"If they put up big buildings and block access and there's no sands, what's gonna be left for our kids?" asked Scott Naguwa of Surfrider Spirit Sessions, which teaches kids how to surf at the beach.

I understand the protestors' concerns about the tower being too tall and too close to the beach. And they may very well be right about this project.

But I don't agree with the general mindset of not developing Oahu. Yes, we definitely need to take care of our precious environment - but we also need to develop Oahu and keep our economy going strong. The neighbor islands should be kept in their pristine condition. But Oahu is already urbanized, and as the financial center of the state, it can't be like the neighbor islands.

Read more about the story here: Environmentalists rally against proposed beach hotel tower

Salt Making - A Hawaiian Tradition

Today's Honolulu Star Advertiser includes an article about Kuulei Santos, "one of the few Hanapepe salt makers, the dedicated descendents who continue the ancient Hawaiian practice of crystallizing the sea." She started a blog, Pa'akai Farming in Hanapepe, to educate people about this tradition and document her efforts to preserve the area (on Kauai).

I found it fascinating to read about this ancient Hawaiian tradition, something I know nothing about, despite having grown up in Hawai'i. My parents were not born in Hawai'i, so that could be a reason I have never heard of this practice, but I also think that a lot of Hawaiian culture has been lost in general. While I am proponent for the economic advancement of our state, I do think it's important that the Hawaiian culture does not disappear, and those of us without Hawaiian blood were better educated about it. Is it possible to modernize and build up Hawai'i while still keeping the Hawaiian culture alive? I think so...

Check out Kuulei Santos's website, too! Pa'akai: to solidify the sea

Source: Pa'akai Farming in Hanapepe

Hawai'i's economic outlook

Two recent articles have optimistic news about Hawai'i's economy.

Takeaways from Hawaii News Now's "UH economists say Hawaii's economy will grow":

• Overall visitor arrivals expected to increase by nearly 3% this year and 3.0% the next
• State's economy expected to expand by 2.6% through rest of the year
• Personal income expected to rise by 2.1% this year and 2.3% the next
• Factors taken into account include the Japanese economy, energy costs, and oil prices

Takeaways from Honolulu Star Advertiser's "Isle economy seen riding out tsunami":

• Same as above, but also:
• Job growth expected to resume, after 3 years of decline
• Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, says, "In a nutshell, I think we're going to get through this without falling into recession."

I hope they're right. I guess we are very fortunate that this decrease in Japanese visitor arrivals came now, rather than a year or two ago. The timing of the rail project has also helped in providing more jobs.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser