Leis

Graduation is coming up! For those of you who haven't been around for one, here's a hint: bring lei's for your graduating friends. It's a great way to show love and wish them luck.




I have a friend that uses dental floss and a sewing needle, you won't even need to make a trip to Wal-Mart!

Mo-vember

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health.

Don't forget to go on Movember.com to complete your online registration:


November 1st is the day to officially start growing so make sure you get your wife or girlfriend's permission early. This time you can tell them it's for a good cause. Good Luck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z31uz4jeURU

Incase you didn't notice...

Subway is OPEN!

Vans Triple Crown

This is the graphic from this year's triple crown, one of my favorite events of the season! Not only is it awesome to watch the best surfers in the world shred awesome waves, surf competitions are exciting events all around; a real part of the North Shore culture that anyone can participate in (even if it is just to work on your tan).

The competition has three legs (thus 'triple' crown):

Reef Hawaiian Pro in Haleiwa will go off between Nov. 12-23

O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach from Nov. 24-Dec. 6

The Billabong Pipeline Masters at Banzai Pipeline Dec. 8-20

Don't miss it!

Shark encounter!

Not to fear, this shark encounter was on purpose!

You can do it too.

http://www.sharktourshawaii.com/index.php

The tour leaves from Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor and lasts two-hours, starting at 7:00 am. Tours are available throughout the day. Shark Adventures uses a custom 32-foot Anderson boat with a swim step on the transom, or back, of the boat. Tours are limited to six persons, so there is no overcrowding. Masks and snorkels are also provided on the vessel "Kailolo II". "Kailolo" means water crazy.

The boat travels offshore from Haleiwa approximately 3 to 4 miles. Once you get to the area, the shark cage is placed in the water and floats at the surface. The water is a cobalt blue and visibility is approximately 200 feet or more. You can actually see the sharks come up from the deep.

While on this tour, you will have the opportunity to see not only sharks, but Hawaiian Green Sea turtles, dolphins and humpback whales, depending on the season.

I strongly encourage you to bring an underwater camera because you will be able to get some of the best-possible Hawaiian shark photographs of anywhere.

Pumpkin carving!

And I thought the cat I carved into a pumpkin last year was great...

Not only did this Wisconsin man grow and carve this pumpkin into a canoe but, according to BBC, he christened it with another small pumpkin! And then he rowed it 150 miles in eight days, for kids with disabilities!

My Hero.

Pick your own pumpkins and carve them into whatever you like here on Oahu!
I found this pumpkin patch online and it looks like a gem:

alounfarms.com

There are tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, food, games and fun for everyone. Aloun Farms and their sponsors are dedicated to educating and sharing agriculture and its potential here in Hawaii. Go spend a family (or friends) day in the country and visit Aloun Farms, located at: 

91-1440 Farrington Highway, Kapolei, HI 96707.

Aloun Farms Kapolei Pumpkin Patch 2008 is open to the public on Saturday & Sunday, October 18, 19, 25 and 26, 2008 from 9am to 5pm.

Parking is $3 and pumpkins will be priced according to individual size. Cash only. No checks or credit cards.

Movies!

Ok, so renting a movie isn't the most original idea in the world, but since the movie theater in Laie closed, I have been thinking...

There are so many options as far as getting movies goes in Laie.

The most obvious:


The most convenient:


there is a movie renting machine at Foodland and one in the Aloha center, too!

The most free:


And if these places cannot fulfill your movie needs, Net Flix delivers to Hawaii surprisingly quickly!

Got Malasadas?

Morning or night, there's nothing like a hot Malasada.
It's like a Portuguese donut rolled in sugar or cinnamon sugar. You buy them plain or get them filled with haupia, chocolate or custard. This truck is often located in the Foodland parking lot, but not always... so get 'em while they're here!

The truck will be here:
This week!!
November 3-8
December 8-13

Kava Roots Cafe

There is a little place on the north shore just past sharks cove where people gather to enjoy each others company while eating and drinking authentic Hawaiian smoothies and "acai bowls".

The name of the place is "Kava Roots Cafe", it has a very comfortable feel to it with its distinct style.

Here is the address and phone number:

59-059 Pupukea Rd, Haleiwa, HI

(808) 638-5282

Watch this video filmed and edited by Mike Schoneman for more information about Kava Roots cafe and what you can expect by visiting.

MOPED Rentals in Waikiki

This is probably the easiest and quickest way to see just about everything you can see in Waikiki in one day.

One Saturday morning, I woke up and went into Waikiki with a bunch of friends and we all rented mopeds for a day full of adventure and fun.

We were able to get around very quickly and see a lot of the south side of the island on mopeds. The cost is anywhere from $30-$40 per person on one moped or scooter. Most moped rental places open around 9am and require that you return the moped by 5pm.

I personally rented from "Hawaiian Style Rentals". They were very nice and they gave us a discount because I was with eight of my friends. You'll need to have a current driver's license and a credit or debit card for payment. They will go over the safety instructions with each person, assess damage already done to the moped and log it, so when you return they'll know exactly how much damage was previously there. Usually, they'll give you a full tank of gas, which should last all day, and each rider is required to fill it back to the level it was when they received it. Also, each moped will come with its own lock.

On our adventure, there were, in total, 27 of us riding around town, so safety is very important. There were a few crashes, no one was seriously hurt, just scrapes and bruises. You should always ride close to other riders so, if any problems arise, someone will be there to help.

Overall, this is one of the funnest things that you can do on the island. I would recommend it to anyone. I loved it!

These are some links to websites where you can make reservations to rent a moped:

www.paradisemaui.com/rentals/index.html

www.mopedsdirect.net/rentals.htm

I love...

Banyan Trees

They are so fun to climb on!


and swing from


Or take a rest in

These trees can be found all over Oahu, but be careful, ants love them too!

The tree, the legend:

In Hinduism, the banyan tree is considered sacred and is called "Ashwath Vriksha." God Siva as Dakshinamurthy is nearly always depicted sitting in silence under the banyan with rishis at His feet. It is thought of as perfectly symbolizing eternal life due to its seemingly unending expansion.

Oh, what's in a name?

The name was originally given to F. benghalensis and comes from India where early travelers observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by banias, or Indian traders. In the Gujarati language, banyan means "merchant", not "tree". The Portuguese picked up the word to refer specifically to Hindu merchants and passed it along to the English as early as 1599 with the same meaning.

By 1634, English writers began to tell of the banyan tree, a tree under which Hindu merchants would conduct their business. The tree provided a shaded place for village meetings or for merchants to sell their goods. Eventually, banyan came to refer to the tree itself.

Ka'ena Point

Ka'ena point is the northwestern point of the island, I went there last weekend with some friends.


Ka'ena apparently means "the heat" in Hawaiian, SO TRUE. If you go, which you should, bring water and be sure to wear your tennis shoes! I wore sandals... big mistake.

The point has been a Natural Area reserve since 1983, and it's beautiful! You can hike around the point to the West side, explore the lava rock, we even saw a monk seal! ( I have also heard that you can rock climb out there... though that's not my area of expertise).





You have to drive pretty far to get here, it's behind Haleiwa. You can't drive your car all the way to the point, although some maps make it seem like you can. It took us about an hour and a half to walk the flat road to the reserve, but if your car has 4 wheel drive you may be able to drive that far. Set aside some time for exploration and REALLY bring water!

Skydiving

So I guess skydiving doesn't really qualify as something to do "On the island" but if you are looking for something absolutely amazing to do, I highly recommend it.


Skydiving is a very dangerous activity but if you are looking for a thrill...
oh, and don't forget to ask to borrow a jumpsuit. I think it really adds to the experience.

For more info go to hawaiiskydiving.com.

The cost is usually 225$ but there is a 100$ discount for students with their id card!