Members of New Hope in Action

Loraine worried that her leaning cement wall might someday fall and hurt her elderly neighbor. So a few members of the New Hope Ministry spent their morning today helping to demolish the wall in preparation for a new one to be built next week. See more "before" pictures on Tish's blog. It humbled me as I witnessed these men as they toiled in the rain and mud in this most unselfish act of service.

Battle at Kruger

Lions attack a baby buffalo in the 2007 video Battle at Kruger. If you think it'll be too gruesome for you, watch my awesome video below instead.

Kona Greeting

Sorry for the dark footage, but I think this is the best I could do with my phone video. I'm liking this videography stuff so now I'm seriously thinking of investing in The Flip.

I Got Da Menu!

Wouldja believe this is from the "No Pikcha" place!! The other day I felt like eating some Soon Do Bu so I asked Korean-speaking coworker Julie to put in the order for me. She also asked for a menu, and I couldn't believe it when Julie said the woman said okay. When I went to pick up my order, she gave me this laminated menu! It's actually an old one, so the prices aren't accurate. I think you gotta add on about another buck or so.

My New Cell Phone Does Video!!

I totally can't believe it . . . it's just a phone . . . how in the world?

Here's the Amazing CQ, Da Girl with Da Powah!

My New Cell Phone

I needed a new phone so I went to the Radioshack near my working place and chose this one. It turned out that Wendell needed to designate me as an authorized purchaser in order for me to buy it myself, so he said he would just pick it up at the Hawaii Kai branch. I thought it was sooo neat, very small and narrow. It fit perfectly in my hands.

My very first conversation using it went like this:

Me: Hi Les, I got a new . . .

Les (softly): What?? I can't hear you, you're cutting off . . .

Me: Wait Les, I can barely hear . . .

Les(softly): Hah? Hello, hello . . .

Me: Where's the part I'm supposed to put by my ear anyway? HELLOOO!!! HELLOOO!!

Les (softly): What? I can hardly hear you. Hello . . .

Me: How do you make this louder? LES!!! HELLO!!

Les: *click*

So I go home and I tell Wendell, "I don't like my new phone. I can't hear." He goes, "Whaddya mean you can't hear? You put the ear part by your ear and you listen. I don't know what you're talking about." I say, "I can't hear and Les can't hear me either. I don't like it. Can you return it for me? Where do you want me to put it?" He points to the chair. Could've been worse. He could've pointed somewhere else.

So we went back to Radioshack the next day, and I got this phone instead.

It slides up. I love it. AND I can hear good.

Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant

We had dinner last night with my dad's side of the family, the Kihara's, at the Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant.

The first course was Seafood Tofu Soup. It was really good and actually had a lot of shrimp, but by the time I realized that I should be taking pictures, this was all that was left of the soup.

This was the Shrimp and Chicken in Potato Basket, and again I almost missed the photo op. The people on my table (mostly my family) had to shout, "Hurry up, he's gonna bust up the basket!"
Sea Bass with Choi Sum. I was almost not gonna eat this 'cause "I don't really care for fish". I have to officially state now that that's not the case anymore. I must like fish now 'cause this was really good.
This Sizzling Beef was very tender and very tasty. I small-kine burnt my tongue 'cause it was kinda "sizzling" . . . duhhhh.
I think everybody loved this Crispy Chicken, especially the high-cholesterol crunchy skin part 'cause boy that went in a flash.
This is the Sweet and Sour Pork Chop. This was the only dish that had a few pieces left for us to "take home". Everything else got demolished.
House Special Noodle had that skinny-kine noodles that I like.
And finally the Almond Float, the perfect refreshing ending to an excellent meal.

Cheesecake Factory

Yesterday we went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Leslie's birthday.

I killed time (35 to 50 minute wait) by checking out the remnants of a wedding on the Royal Hawaiian Hotel grounds.

The dessert showcase.

Here's Nat enjoying her smoothie.

This is the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes ($9.95). Very, very good.

Fried Calamari ($9.95). Very good.

Seared Tuna Tataki Salad ($15.95) Also good. I think I don't hate raw fish any more.

This is Leslie's Garlic Noodle with Chicken ($15.95). I tasted some of the pasta and it was good, but Les said the chicken was dry.

This is my Pasta Carbonara ($13.95). It was just okay - the most boring of all the dishes.

Oh my Gawwwed ono, this is Anne's Shrimp with Angel Hair ($17.95). This is what I'm ordering if I ever get to go back there again.

This was ono too. Kathy's Crispy Chicken Costoletta ($16.95)

Brandee's Kobe Hamburger (something like that). Bran said it was good.

Natalie's Big Five Pizza ($11.95). Can't go wrong with pizza.

This is the Carrot Cake Cheesecake with Pineapple Glaze Topping. It was good but . . .

when you go there order this one: The 30th Anniversary Cake. IT IS DA BOMB!

Any Guesses?

This is at the corner of Bethel and Merchant. Do you know what it is? Okay, not Erick and Tish shooting. The other thing.
According to author Sheila Sarhangi in her awesome book Honolulu Then and Now (see my previous Old Hawaii post) it's one of two cannons reportedly taken from Fort Honolulu (Fort Honolulu?) which were used by post office visitors as horse-hitching posts!!