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For my family and friends:
These pics include pics from Las Vegas, pics of the Hawaiian food that my mother brought to me in Las Vegas, and a FEW pics that I took at the Kamehameha Schools All Alumni Reunion in Las Vegas which came out okay. I have censored some pics and have not included them here since I know some people who are non-Hawaiian by nationality and/or non-Hawaiian/oiwi by ethnicity who stalk me look here which is kinda creepy and lame.Anyway onto the pics that I took... at least some of them....Pics from Las Vegas:Welcome to Las Vegas:Whenever I go to the Luxor I win. Whenever I go to the California Hotel... I lose. Is there a pattern here? LOLI am very happy with the way these pictures turned out:
Hawaiian food that my mother brought to me in Las Vegas which include dried aku, poke, raw crab, and poi yummmm:Mixed poi courtesy of my mother:* My husband ate the sardines with poi. Why? Because while he Haole and eats poi... he REFUSES to eat raw fish *LOL*
Some pictures that I took at the Kamehameha Schools All Alumni Reunion in Las Vegas:General overview though I took some crappy pics with my new digital camera:Dr. Michael Chun and CEO Dee Jay Mailer:Some keiki in a halau. Their kumu is a 1984 Kamehameha Schools' grad. I'm not sure if I should mention her name though so to err on the side of respect for her privacy... I'm not mentioning her name:I took really bad pictures but the lighting did not help me nor did the fact that I JUST bought my new digital camera LOL
Recap of my assessment of the Kamehameha Schools' All Alumni Reunion:I have so many good things to say but I will just post a few highlights:1. I saw two of my classmates, Keith Fukuda KS '85 and Eric Apaka '85. Keith and I sat at the same table. We were discussing our Myspace and they told me their address. They both laughed when I told them that mine isI LOVE AKU PALU LOLKeith didn't recognize me at all though... which can be good or bad. Nowadays I have FAKE long darkish blonde hair though so that MAY be why LMAO2. Dr. Michael Chun came up to my husband and I and I was thinking, "Oh god please do not walk up to me please?!??!!" LOL I get nervous around HUMBLE people like him but I did end up telling him that he is related to my grandmother and he knew he was through his wife who is a Mossman. I cannot rave enough about him but talking to him made me nervous. Why? Because he INSPIRES Hawaiian children and I am in awe of people who CARE so I get NERVOUS LOL He is warm and kind and an epitome of what I think Hawaiians should be to their own cousins since all Hawaiians are cousins through Wakea, Papa, and Haloa but then what do I know? LOL He was so warm and kind though which I knew him to be. (His wife is a Mossman and my paternal grandmother, Kaimuki Grandma, is related to the Mossmans with Maui roots but sometimes I no like tell people because some Mossmans embarrass me with their arrogance. Sorry.. but some embarrass me. I can't help it.)3. During dinner they had a DVD presentation. Okay I have NO problem with listening but the DVD presentation made me cry so imagine me eating a nice dinner with my eyes swelling with tears.4. CEO Dee Jay Mailer made some incredible points. I was in awe when she mentioned that we can NEVER forget the children out there who are still not being helped. I thought to myself, "Cool!!!!" I can see why she gets high marks from many people because so-called leadership comes from the "top"... down and if she thinks this way then that is so cool. I am also very observant. She dressed "down"... not "above" others. Instead it was Hawaiian casual which I noticed to be a great sign. I am not naive to believe that everyone who has hundreds and/or thousands of lives of Hawaiians IN THEIR HANDS is kind though I am VERY observant and she never ceases to impress me. IMO though... there are still MANY Hawaiian children out there who NEED help. I am not naive about that.5. At the end we sang our school song. There were about 500 people in attendance. Imagine that amount of people in a huge circle with one thing in common in that all of us are children of Pauahi and share that bond. Singing the school song while watching and listening OF COURSE made me cry. Again LOLOf course it dawned on me that only people who have money attended. I HAD to show up though out of respect for my kupuna and for everyone who was kind and compassionate to me when I was super poor.I only attended out of respect for my kupuna both oiwi and non-oiwi who took care of me, fed me, and helped to raise me. If it wasn't for them then I would NOT have attended... but I did. I HAD to and I realize that some people just do NOT understand that.Of course during dinner the DVD presentation did NOT help. All it did was make my cry WHILE I was eating *LOL* To be fair though... I STRUGGLED even though some people do not or REFUSE to accept it or see it in my FACE so watching and listening to certain things hit me hard. Personally it was REFRESHING that the CEO and headmaster reiterated the importance of never forgetting that there are STILL less fortunate Hawaiians out there because far too often some Haves Hawaiians mistakenly think that their paradigm is other Hawaiians' paradigm. Of course some people mistakenly think that "Kamehameha Schools' graduate" and "arrogant" are mutually exclusive. They're not. It's on a case by case basis but as usual it's always the few PILAU who ruin it for the rest of us whether it be for Kamehameha Schools' itself or the Republican party to which I belong... the few PILAU ALWAYS ruin it for the rest of us. Arrogance REPULSES me but as usual it's always the ARROGANT people who ruin it for the rest of us and that's partly why I DON'T like to attend social functions of any kine. That is... I don't like to be bothered... with arrogance LOLHowever when it comes to my kupuna I WILL and DO set my dislike of arrogance aside... even though it is EXTREMELY difficult for me to do so *LOL* It's actually very torturous for me. It's excruciatingly painful but then I stop myself from focusing on the pilau and focus instead of why I am there. (I am there out of respect for my kupuna who cared about me and who cared for me.) Thinking about that reduces the pain a little.Anyway there are more pics at my Spyspace which is now locked so now I can post more pics so that non-oiwi stalkers can't see or read what I write *LOL* Of course in my experience most of the non-oiwi whom I know are cool but there are a few non-oiwi who are lame and stalkerish. It never fails but most of the non-oiwi whom I personally know are cool... like my husband (he Haole) and my cop friend who is a top cop and only works murders (he Haole.) Some people though... dey so rude LMAOLast but not least this is the latest pic taken of me by my husband. However I censored out my face since some people are SO rude and lack manners LMAOIt was about 59 degrees F that day. Brrrr! Note THE Mickey Mouse watch that I won at a hula competition in Orlando... courtesy of my kupuna.Breakdown of what I bought from the thrift store since I'd rather send money to my "causes" before I make:- Vest which was about $4- Leopard print blouse which was about $3- Simple black purse was about $2.50- Black boots which is not shown which was about $4P.S. More personal pics (or some of them anyway) are in my next locked entry here since some people are SO RUDE LOL
(September 2, 1838 - November 11, 1917)
Queen Liliuokalani was the last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian islands. She felt her mission was to preserve the islands for their native residents. In 1898, Hawaii was annexed to the United States and Queen Liliuokalani was forced to give up her throne.
Queen Liliuokalani was deposed by the advocates of a Republic for Hawaii in 1893. She was born in Honolulu to high chief Kapaakea and the chiefess Keohokalole, the third of ten children. Her brother was King Kalakaua. Liliuokalanie was adopted at birth by Abner Paki and his wife Konia. At age 4, her adoptive parents enrolled her in the Royal School. There she became fluent in English and influenced by Congregational missionaries. She also became part of the royal circle attending Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma.
Liliuokalanie married a ha'ole, John Owen Dominis on September 16, 1862. Dominis would eventually serve the monarchy as the Governor of O'ahu and Maui. They had no children and according to her private papers and diaries, the marriage was not fulfilling. Dominis died shortly after she assumed the throne, and the queen never remarried.
Upon the death of her brother, King Kalakauam Liliuokalani ascended the throne of Hawaii in January 1891. One of her first acts was to recommend a new Hawaii constitution, as the "Bayonet Constitution" of 1887 limited the power of the monarch and political power of native Hawaiians. In 1890, the McKinley Tariff began to cause a recession in the islands by withdrew the safeguards ensuring a mainland market for Hawaiian sugar. American interests in Hawaii began to consider annexation for Hawaii to re-establish an economic competitive position for sugar. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani sought to empower herself and Hawaiians through a new constitution which she herself had drawn up and now desired to promulgate as the new law of the land. It was Queen Liliuokalani's right as a sovereign to issue a new constitution through an edict from the throne. A group led by Sanford B. Dole sought to overthrow the institution of the monarchy. The American minister in Hawaii, John L. Stevens, called for troops to take control of Iolani Palace and various other governmental buildings. In 1894, the Queen, was deposed, the monarchy abrogated, and a provisional government was established which later became the Republic of Hawaii.
In 1893, James H. Blount, newly appointed American minister to Hawaii, arrived representing President Grover Cleveland. Blount listened to both sides, annexationists and restorationists, and concluded the Hawaiian people aligned with the Queen. Blount and Cleveland agreed the Queen should be restored. Blount's final report implicated the American minister Stevens in the illegal overthrow of Liliuokalani. Albert S. Willis, Cleveland's next American minister offered the crown back to the Queen on the condition she pardon and grant general amnesty to those who had dethroned her. She initially refused but soon she changed her mind and offered clemency. This delay compromised her political position and President Cleveland had released the entire issue of the Hawaiian revolution to Congress for debate. The annexationists promptly lobbied Congress against restoration of the monarchy. On July 4, 1894, the Republic of Hawaii with Sanford B. Dole as president was proclaimed. It was recognized immediately by the United States government.
In 1895, Liliuokalani was arrested and forced to reside in Iolani Palace after a cache of weapons was found in the gardens of her home in Washington Place. She denied knowing of the existence of this cache and was reportedly unaware of others' efforts to restore the royalty. In 1896, she was released and returned to her home at Washington Place where she lived for the next two decades. Hawaii was annexed to the United States through a joint resolution of the U. S. Congress in 1898 . The "ex-"queen died due to complications from a stroke in 1917. A statue of her was erected on the grounds of the State Capital in Honolulu.
Kahana residents win a stay of eviction
Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Chairperson Laura Thielen announced today that the state will not take any action to evict six Kahana Valley families who are living in Kahana Valley Park, while the 2009 Legislature considers revisions to the law to address this issue. “Although we could not resolve this issue with the six families, we are encouraged it will be addressed during the 2009 legislative session,” said Thielen. “We trust the Legislature will continue to respect the basic foundation of the public’s right to access state parks, keep residential areas separated from the public areas and make Kahana Valley a public park that welcomes and enriches all residents and visitors of Hawai’i.”
Some of the residents, such as Lena Soliven, had been promised leases by the state and had fulfilled legal and financial requirements to acquire those leases. However, an abrupt shift in state policy in March of this year pulled those leases out of reach.
The new policy was prescribed by Attorney General Mark Bennett in an opinion on Act 5, a law passed in 1987 that allowed the land board to issue residential leases in Kahana ahupua‘a. The land had been purchased by the state through eminent domain from a private estate in 1970. Kahana ahupua‘a is an important asset because it contains approximately 80% of the island’s water, and is the beginning of the Waiahole Ditch.
A grassroots victory
Soliven credited the community’s support for the successful stopping of the evictions.
“I truly believe that it was a combined effort,” she said.
More than 200 supporters came to Kahana ahupua‘a before the morning daybreak last Monday to prevent the anticipated eviction. Notices posted by state officers ordered residents to vacate their humble, makeshift homes by 6 am. By 5 am, the perimeter of Ahupua‘a o Kahana park was lined with young and old people from throughout the island, carrying signs and flags, calling for a stay on the evictions.
Next: the legislature
Attention now shifts to the legislative branch. State Sen. Clayton Hee (D-District 23), who won his re-election last night with 10,722 votes—beating his opponent, Republican Richard Fale, by a 2-to-1 margin—has promised to pursue a legislative resolution to the Kahana situation.
Hee and the state senate are on record supporting a new bill for Kahana ahupua‘a. The House of Representatives, by contrast, refused to pass Hee’s previous bills.
That may change in January, however. Attorney Jessica Wooley (D) beat incumbent Rep. Colleen Meyer (R) for the district representing Kahana ahupua‘a, which may make the Democratic Legislature more inclined to support taking action on the Kahana issue.
For my family and friends... because I know some people like make any kine:
Not surprisingly many local people voted for Obama. It never ceases to amaze me how BRIGHT intelligent Hawaiians STILL insist that Senator Obama is good to Hawaiians. He's not.Obama would sign the Akaka Bill WHEN he is president.http://archives.starbulletin.com/2008/01/22/news/story05.htmlThis differs from President Bush who was set to veto the Akaka Bill which will reorganize our land and thus title which will wreak HAVOC on our MO'OPUNA. Mark my words. (Obviously I work in real estate with hopes of eventually becoming a land and title expert in BOTH residential and commercial... but not a greedy, LAME one... because it is the land -- along with water and language -- that gives us life and some people want us dead so that they can have our land. Blunt... I know :P)So for all the Hawaiians who voted for Senator Obama WHEN he sends our keiki to the wolves in Washington DC it IS your fault. I will blame EACH and EVERY ONE of you (LOL)Do NOT blame me. I voted for McCain. In fact when I found out that Senator Obama is now president-elect Obama I was working out at the 24-Hour Fitness at McCarran Airport near Gate D. While on the elliptical watching television coverage I cried not for ME but for the Hawaiian children and their destiny in his hands. Some people would NEVER understand.As for the Kamehameha Schools All Alumni Reunion... oh my gosh. I have so many good things to say but I will just post a few highlights:1. I saw two of my classmates, Keith Fukuda KS '85 and Eric Apaka '85. Keith and I sat at the same table. We were discussing our Myspace and they told me their address. They both laughed when I told them that mine isI LOVE AKU PALU LOL2. Dr. Michael Chun came up to my husband and I and I was thinking, "Oh god please do not walk up to me please?!??!!" LOL I get nervous around HUMBLE people like him but I did end up telling him that he is related to my grandmother and he knew he was through his wife who is a Mossman. I cannot rave enough about him but talking to him made me nervous. Why? Because he INSPIRES Hawaiian children and I am in awe of people who CARE so I get NERVOUS LOL He is warm and kind and an epitome of what I think Hawaiians should be to their own cousins since all Hawaiians are cousins through Wakea, Papa, and Haloa but then what do I know? LOL He was so warm and kind though which I knew him to be.3. During dinner they had a DVD presentation. Okay I have NO problem with listening but the DVD presentation made me cry so imagine me eating a nice dinner with my eyes swelling with tears.4. CEO Dee Jay Mailer made some incredible points. I was in awe when she mentioned that we can NEVER forget the children out there who are still not being helped. I thought to myself, "Cool!!!!" I can see why she gets high marks from many people because so-called leadership comes from the "top"... down and if she thinks this way then that is so cool. I am also very observant. She dressed "down"... not "above" others. Instead it was Hawaiian casual which I noticed to be a great sign. I am not naive to believe that everyone who has hundreds and/or thousands of lives of Hawaiians IN THEIR HANDS is kind though I am VERY observant and she never ceases to impress me. IMO though... there are still MANY Hawaiian children out there who NEED help. I am not naive about that.5. At the end we sang our school song. There were about 500 people in attendance. Imagine that amount of people in a huge circle with one thing in common in that all of us are children of Pauahi and share that bond. Singing the school song while watching and listening OF COURSE made me cry. Again LOLOf course it dawned on me that only people who have money attended. I HAD to show up though out of respect for my kupuna and for everyone who was kind and compassionate to me when I was super poor.I have some pictures. I may post some later.I also hung out at the California Hotel and the Main Street Station with my husband and my parents. I love seeing local people.. but I stayed at the Fiesta Henderson off of 215 because it's off the beaten path as in HIDDEN LOLWhich reminds me when I picked up my parents from Terminal 2 there were some local people paying for parking and I told my dad, "Dad... no worry I get em." I have dark blondish hair so I look VERY Haole. My mom always tells people that I look Haole LOL Well all of them turned around in shock when I spoke some pidgin though HAOLEFIED pidgin LOL When we drove off they all waved at us which was cool. Das local style das why. My mother asked me how I can deal with rude people on North America. She is surprised that I can handle it so she asked me how I can handle it. I laughed LOLLatahs!