you can't get lost in waikiki

(Map found on discounthotelshawaii.com.)

Last May, I visited Waikiki for the first time! Talk about excited! I couldn't think about anything but Hawaii during those long months leading up to the trip! :)

In Waikiki, at first glance, I was a bit weary. It seems almost like a "Little NYC" with all the skyscrapers within a one square mile radius. But after a day or two of walking around and staring at my tourist map, I realized it's almost impossible to get lost in Waikiki. OK ... here's how I got my bearings. There are three main streets in Waikiki. Yep! Just three!

The one that almost everyone will find themselves on is Kalakaua Boulevard, the beautiful avenue running closest and parallel to the Pacific Ocean. Here are most of the hotels and resorts, restaurants and shops, markets and ABC stores, and of course the gazillion tourists from all over the world ... including me! One of the hotels we stayed in on this trip was right off of this street. An unbeatable location!

Then there's Kuhio Boulevard, running side by side to Kalakaua Boulevard, perhaps a block or so inland. Most hotels actually congregate between Kalakaua and Kuhio Boulevards. The famous outdoor International Market has an entrance off of Kuhio also. And yes, you have to visit this market! It's one of the few places where tourists can bargain until their hearts' content. Kuhio is not as crowded as Kalakaua, and so if you want to go out to dinner but don't feel like bumping into too many tourists, pick a restaurant off of Kuhio. There are plenty of good ones to choose from. I even spotted a Vietnamese restaurant!

Last but not least is Ala Wai Boulevard which for me stands for the end of Waikiki since beyond it is the serene Ala Wai Canal. I did a quick reading on the internet and found out the canal was built in 1922 to help drain rainwater coming down from the mountains above Waikiki. And so thanks to the Ala Wai Canal, Waikiki is no longer a swampland full of fish and duck ponds. It's funny that almost every local we talked to mentioned that they're from or live in the Ala Wai Canal area. I guess it's where the tourists drop off, and the real life begins.

Well, that's about it on our brief geography crash course of Waikiki! :) Here's our snapshot of Ala Wai Boulevard with the mountains beyond. We came upon this corner almost daily during our week-long stay on the island. :)

twirling

I've always wanted to do this ... press the shutter button and spin round and round just to see what magic would come out of it. And so this is it! It's amazing what a little point & shoot can do!

In case you're wondering where this was ... we were on a family reunion/vacation in Orlando, and on this particular day ... we had such a blast exploring Islands of Adventures. :)

into the blue

I'm so excited! It's my first trip to Hawaii! :)

We are flying from the East Coast to Oahu with a change of plane in Chicago. The entire journey is almost 12 hours! The airline must be in a big financial bind because there's nothing to eat on this flight unless we can dish out $5 for a box of sandwich or $3 for a box of peanuts. {Sigh}

Here we are ... leaving land and cruising over the Pacific Ocean for the next 5-6 hours! The older I get, the more "chicken" I become about flying. And even though I try to remember that "there's nothing to fear but fear itself," it doesn't help much. Perhaps ... reminding myself that we are going to Hawaii would help?!

It does! :)

paperbackswap.com

Can you believe this? You can swap paperbacks (and hardcovers too) for free! Here's how it works: you post the books you have available to swap; you pick the books you want to read, order them, and voila! In a few days, they'll be at your doorstep ready for your reading pleasure ... at absolutely no cost! And when someone orders one of your books, you send it to that person and pay for the shipping cost (usually $1.48 or so).

If you're a reader and bookworm like me, you'll love love www.paperbackswap.com. What a wonderful, economical way to catch-up on all your reading, don't you think?! Sign up and swap some great books today!

parenting tips

I'm not a Mom but I have a 2 adorable rambunctious nephews so I do feel Mommiehood knocking on my door now and then. Being a parent and knowing the right things to do for your kids is not an easy job. I learn that from watching my little sister these past 12+ years. She's an incredible young Mom. I don't know how she does it!

So for all the parents out there (including my sister), I found these wonderful "Parenting Tips" from Susan & Bill Belfiore, parents of 5 children, in an old issue of Real Simple (February 2002). Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Parenting Tips

• RESIST OVERSCHEDULING. Give peace, family time, and good old hanging out their due. The Belfiore children (5 in all) ride, swim, play hockey, and more, but they spend their weekends at home together.
• SIT DOWN FOR MEALS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. "We get Bill when we can, but the rest of us always eat dinner together," Susan says.
  
• ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE. "The more routine I gave them, the more secure they'd feel," Susan says. So the Belfiores now have breakfast and dinner at the same time each day, do their homework immediately after school, then have a bath and dinner. They get things ready for the next day, then hang out.
• TEACH THEM TO LEAN ON ONE ANOTHER. When they get hurt, they'll want to come to a parent for comfort, but encourage them not to pass up a brother or sister on the way.
• APPOINT AN ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR. That would be Bill Belfiore, responsible for planning trips, coming through with *NSYNC tickets, and rounding everyone up to attend theater or hockey games or to stay overnight at a nearby Marriott and pile into the pool. "It's a simple thing to do," says Susan, "but it's so much fun."
• CREATE MEMORY BANKS. Make a conscious effort to capture memories together. At their last dinner of the summer this year, the Belfiores reminisced about the season. The children had taken lifeguard training, so it became "the lifeguard summer."
  
• HOLD FAMILY MEETINGS. The Belfiores call a meeting whenever any family member thinks one is needed. Everyone has to stop everything and shopw up, no matter what. Meetings have been called for matters as profound as Bill's father's death and as routine as sibling squabbles.
• DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN IN ADVANCE. Last-minute rushing leads to short tempers, so the Belfiores make lunches, lay out clothing, sort and label vitamins and medications, and pack for trips ahead of time.
• ACCEPT SUPPORT. It's hard to meet every child's emotional needs. If a friend or relative can take someone out for some fun, welcome the help.
• EVERYBODY CONTRIBUTES. Since the age of six, the Belfiore children have each had chores, now posted in the kitchen, with individualized notes. ("Ionel: Remember to bring your books home!")
  
• USE AFFIRMATIONS. If there's family difficulty, say to yourself, "We're getting along in a peaceful way." Even if it isn't true at that moment, you can always hope.
  

my afternoon in Stars Hollow

The crazy fan has gone and done it again! Last month while in L.A. for a brief few days, I twisted my friend's arms and made her do another tour of Gilmore Land with me for another unforgettable visit of Stars Hollow. It's our 2nd visit, but the excitement of being in Luke's Diner is still the same for us. Our tour group had 7-8 women ... all HUGE fans of "Gilmore Girls" so we begged our very nice tour guide to let us visit Stars Hollow and as many of its places as we could. He was so nice. He indulged us all! And let me tell ya ... nothing beats sitting at one of Lorelai's and Rory's favorite tables in Luke's Diner! Oh and if you're wondering if this crazy fan will ever get tired of walking the streets of Lorelai's and Rory's ... probably not!
More pics of Stars Hollow to come! Meanwhile tonight ... see you in Stars Hollow on CW @ 8:00PM! Tonight's episode is a "fresh" one!

Gilmore Girls is one of the all-time best family show on TV! It's one of the only two television shows that I must own DVDs of. (The other is Felicity. And that can be another whole subject for this blog!)

the ulterior epicure

I found a great food blog today! Introducing ... The Ulterior Epicure ... and there's even a flickr blog to accompany the food blog too. Prepare yourself for mouthwatering feasts to come once you click on these links is my warning! :)

Happy Friday!

carefree on venice beach

I guess this says it all! Every time I'm in LA, I have to stop by Venice Beach. There's so much "life" in that corner of the world ... and I love it!