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Dateline, Hawaii. Not today, but early this year. A sunset to remember. Thank you.

Labels: Hawaii, picture

One's Hawaii. The other's Iceland. There's lots of black lava on the two islands. If you've ever been, you'll notice the similarities. Especially, if you go to the Big Island. Little fluffy clouds.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, vacation

We're onto the last days of the Hawaiian Vacation and here's the first one of someone surfing. This shot is just off of Cousin Bob's old, new house. It's right off the breaks in front of Diamond Head.

I took one look at this sight and I wanted to jump right in. It looks like a mellow break. I mean, these surfers you see in this photo are Japanese tourists learning to surf. I guess the break is mellow. I wanted to get out there, too.

Man, I think I'm gonna get a surfboard this summer.

Labels: Hawaii, photo, sights seen, surfing, vacation

Friday night and we go to town.

My nephew, mom, aunt and I spend it wandering around Waikiki. We had planned to walk to Ala Moana several blocks away, but decide against it as the road got dark and the ladies didn't feel like making the trek.

We get some Starbuck's and join the crowd of tourists as they wander around the main drag. We don't get close to the beach, but we do get close to the real Hawaii.

We stop into 88 tees. I'm looking for something cool, but the place is a mad house. Japanese tourists up the wazoo fill the isles and I worry that I can't buy anything because I can't speak japanese. Yet, I don't find anything because the shelves are messy and I don't like any of the hipster tees they sell. The nephew finds some hipster vintage football tees, but for thirty dollars, it ain't worth it.

Behind 88 tees, you can find the seedy side of town -- the porn video palaces. The nephew finds one of their pamphlets. Hoy!

We're lost for a bit before we wander into the Waikiki duty free mall. Again, nothing but Japanese. Up a few floors, we shop like the Japanese tourists, but don't buy anything as this mall is the fancy pants stores. I watch the cute girls go by.

Then we wait. In the cool night, we wait to get picked up to go back west. The cousin comes by later than expected. Our one night in Town is done.

More fun photos to look at on my flickr Hawaii Vacation 2010 Set.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

Been trying to figure out what to blog about to keep up the string of blog posts for the year 2011. I'll hit up the ol' reliable: the Hawaiian Vacation of 2010.

Just looking at these pictures makes me want to go surfing. Face up to the challenge that being in the water with the pounding surf and fellow surfers. I feel like doing it. I feel like heading to the closest break and diving in with a new board. Going this summer. All summer long.

Playing a ukulele. Playing surf guitar. Riding the bike to the beach. All summer long.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, surfing, vacation

We went to the North Shore not to see the waves, but to get some grinds, food. We definitely had to get some shave ice at Matsumoto's. It's a serious foody place. Then we got some more eats at the various other places along the strip. Finally, ending up at the shrimp trucks that seem to have really pricey plate lunch.

All we seem to have done is eat.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

CapitolSwell in ankle deep water. It was cooler out of the water than it was in it because of the trade winds. That's why we soaked ourselves beneath the waves hours every day.

I'm slowly getting through posting pictures from the Hawaii set. This is a picture taken on Thanksgiving. How can you beat swimming in the Pacific? It's better than eating turkey. Of course, we still did that that day.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

After writing up the story about Korean grilles and nudie bars, I had to come back to another tale that will be told about this vacation: the yogurt incident. The accompanying picture is minutes before it happened and is part of the incriminating evidence. If you have been reading my Hawaii posts you'll find this one out of order. Sorry about that, but this story has to be told.

We had to get out of Ko Olina and experience the real Hawaii. We leave the place and go one exit down H1 for something to eat. The Seed, Capitol Swell and I head for ramen. My brother and his family go for kind grinds. We hang out for a bit before we go back.

Capitol Swell initiates the Yogurt Incident. He goes into this "make your own yogurt sundae" place and comes out with a gigantic cup of yogurt. It looks good and I go in for some. I'm quickly followed by my nephew who decides to make his own gigantic yogurt sundae. I take the smaller cup, but pay for both.

At this "make your own yogurt sundae" joint, you are charged by the weight of the sundae. It costs me $13 for the two. You can guess which sundae contributed the most to this bill.

We sit down and eat. Moments later the nephew is done. "The cold hurts my teeth." He's only a couple scoops in and he doesn't want it anymore. That makes me angry. And I berate him about it until he runs away.

He comes back saddened and tries to eat more. His mom packs it up and takes it with us. It remained in the freezer until we left Ko Olina. It was there for the maids to eat or throw away.

Dude still owes me yogurt.

Labels: Hawaii, sights seen, tall tales, vacation

Best story from the vacation...

Wednesday night before Thanksgiving we make it into Town, Waikiki, to see the Bob. We're also hungry, so after he closes up shop at the Mall, we go out in search of food.

"We're gonna go to that Korean barbeque joint next to the strip club."

And we're off. Two cars looking for that Korean joint by the nudie bar. The car I'm in stops at the first Korean joint, nudie bar combo we pass. There's Yakuza hanging out front. This must be the place! In we go.

"Table for 15." "Right, away!"

"Water." "Here you go!"

"What's this button?" "Summon you waiter!"

Five minutes pass.

"Should we order or should we wait some more."

"How many Korean joints next to nudie bars are there in Honolulu?" "This HAS GOT to be the place, right?"

*BRRRRIINNNGG*

"Where you guys?" "We're at the Korean joint next to the nudie bar."

"No you're not. We are." "No. We are."

Sorry, Yakuza Korean grille, we're at the wrong place.

We're in the car and drive one more block over. Here's the Korean joint next to the strip club. Who knew?

But look at this picture. It says volumes about how happy we were to eat yakinuku.

Labels: egg on the face, ha ha, Hawaii, picture, sights seen, tall tales, vacation

This winter is for real. There's several inches on the ground and it looks like more coming our way. Now if this doesn't make you want to go back to Hawaii, I don't know what will.

I had brought my Azusa nendoroid with me to help document where we went. I did because, as an otaku, you do stupid things like that. Bring your doll to work day! Anyhow, I didn't get too many pictures because my sister-in-law kept harassing me about it making me feel very embarrassed. I know that I shouldn't have been, but what can you say about a grown man carrying a doll around?

Labels: Hawaii, K-ON, nendoroid, sights seen, wintry mix

Another picture for your PC desktop. I'm not sure what this one will invoke. Perhaps the turquoise will make you feel calm.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

This picture would make the perfect desktop photo. Don't you think? Here's how: click the picture, visit all sizes, select the largest, download. Install as per your own operating system.

I think I'll install this at work and pretend that I am on the beach.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

Can you make it while living in Hawaii? It is really a beautiful place, but could you make a go at it like our cousin Bob? Is even cousin Bob making a go at it?

But it really is a beautiful place, the fake Hawaii, not withstanding.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

It was all about the food. Visiting Bob was a side effect. Wonderful that it happened during Thanksgiving. More like a coincidence.

There was the usual plate lunches of kalbi short ribs, fresh tropical fruit, roasted pig, and fish, lots of fish. Fresh fish. Raw fish. It's always so good.

Labels: Hawaii, mmm, picture, sights seen, vacation

So you've seen me old school that golf on Kiawah Island. Now fast forward 15 years and see that I can still play. Of course my stupid scoring is still at the same place as it was back in the day. Except I can hit a driver now, but my short game is gone to pot. My iron play was also terrible no idea why.

When we were in Hawaii, we played golf a couple of days. This is the first day of the vacation and we had a fivesome going but we still played in under 4 hours. Thanks god as I hate how long a round takes.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, sports

While it was Hawaii, whose temperature never changes, there was a lot of trade winds blowing. You would think that it wasn't all that bad, but it was. It was a little bit chilly. Getting in the water took a quick jump or a slow ease into. Once in though, it was delicious. We spent every day at the beach or by the pool and the trade winds blowing finally convinced me to get a wind shirt for the water, a pretty little navy blue one from T&C.

More pictures in the flickr set.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

Let's drink. It's the new year, but we've been drinking since Thanksgiving. We needed the drinks considering that it was already 15 hours of traveling and we had not yet made it to our destination. Anytime you travel that long, a beer will taste nice.

More pictures at the flickr set.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

Starting to post the pictures to last year's awesome Hawaiian Vacation. It may take a couple of days because I took close to 600 pictures. I'm gonna curate the pictures and post only the ones I like. I've already posted some of the pictures:
Azu~nyan's vacation.

Check out the vacation Flickr set for all the photos as they get posted.

Labels: Hawaii, picture, sights seen, vacation

I should've been posting more from Hawaii, but who could think about using a computer when you're in paradise? I couldn't do that, but I did keep my travel journal which should go up sometime in 2011. For now, let me write down some recollections that could've been part of a blog post, but failed to materialize.

The flight out is the suck.
Can't you just drop us off here?
Hawaii has more radio stations playing reggae as Jamaica. I presume.
The Big Island looks just like Iceland, except for the palm trees.
There are no plants on the west side of the Big Island, then you go up over Mauna Kea and lushness abounds.
These clubs make me have the same game? Maybe I should hit a driver more often?
Bob is a crazy driver.
This road is painted onto the side of Mauna Kea, then paved, then under construction.
I need Dramamine.
Stars are cool. Wish I could see the Milky Way. Or a galaxy. But that fuzziness in Orion's sword is still pretty cool.
That dude was a star geek.
This lagoon is pretty cool.
That paddle boarder is way out there. So are we.
Is this turtle mating? No. It's getting its teeth cleaned. Or did it just ate that fish?
Snorkeling, meh?
This breakfast is awesome. Eggs sunny side up on rice with some sausage? Over easy with mahi? Yeah it's good.
More fish.
Go to Big Island Candies.
Must remember how to rent a car. Or a van. Or at least something on this island!
Nendoroids on vacation. Nakano!
Is place is the fake Hawaii?
The west side of Oahu is the real Hawaii. Too real.
Can we go to the North Shore now?
Shave Ice!
I can really crank a driver. Never new that.
My iron play is gone. The hell!?!
Eagle! No. Birdie!
I haven't had any fruit yet.
This guy can cook!
A lot!
Lechon! Is awesome.
But it's awesome.
Ramen. No. Sushi. Yes.
Everyone drives the speed limit in Hawaii. When you're in paradise, what's the hurry?
Did I just go to Tokyo?
What kind of crazy tees does 88 Tees serve? Only the Japanese can like them.
Bob has an awesome view. Plus these Diamond Head breaks look smooth and easy.
We need Hawaiian Sun drinks on the mainland.
This hotel is hip.

There's probably more, but I probably can't remember any of it. It was a great time. I wonder how long it will take to get back.

Labels: Hawaii, thoughts, vacation

Party's Over
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

The Hawaiian Vacation is done. I am sad. Back to he daily grind. Can't wait to see all the photos.

Share your memories.

Labels: Hawaii, iPhone, picture, vacation