THE KAHALA
2 0 1 1 -2 0 1 2 V O L . 6 , NO .2
December 2011–June 2012, VOL.6, NO.2 OAHKA_111200_cover_mstr_rvsd.indd 1
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C O N T E N T S Volume 6, Number 2
Fea t u r e s
30 Gently, with Sticks
ON THE COVER
The drama of a black-sand beach is captured by photographer Philip Rosenberg at Waipi‘o Valley, Hawai’i island.
The Hawaiian tradition of lomi lomi connects physical healing, spirituality and all dimensions of wellness. In the tradition of his Hawaiian ancestors, Ronald De Soto fashions native woods into V-shaped lomi sticks, adding a new dimension to self-healing.
Story by Thelma Chang Photos by Dana Edmunds
36 Beauty and the Beaches
Hawai‘i is known for its rainbows, but they’re not all in the sky. Volcanoes and marine life have created multicolored beaches with sands like microscopic gemstones. Whether red, green, black, yellow or white, Hawai‘i’s shorelines express nature’s own palette.
Story by John R. K. Clark
44 Tying the Knot, Hawaiian-Style
With ti leaves, Hawaiian salt, calabashes and maile, Hawaiian weddings unite more than the bridal couple. Nature and tradition, hula and ho‘oponopono, deepen and enrich the experience.
Story by Paula Rath Photos by Chrissy Lambert
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C O N T E N T S Volume 6, Number 2
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Editor’s Note
D epa r t m e n t s
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PROFILES: Coming
Dante Camara returns to Hawai‘i and lands in the place he admired as a youth—Hoku’s, where he’s hung his hat as manager.
Story by Jocelyn Fujii Photos by Olivier Koning
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INDULGENCES: It’s
You may want to taste your facial and nibble at your body scrub, but check with your spa therapist first.
Story by Jocelyn Fujii Photos by Linny Morris
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IMPRESSIONS: The
The renowned author from Hawai‘i writes about love of family, love of the land, and the struggles of island life in this excerpt from House of Many Gods.
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EXPLORATIONS: A
Through a single lens in less than an hour, a look at the sunrise from Kahala Beach.
Photos by Dana Edmunds
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TRANSLATIONS:
By Chihiro Kitagawa and Mutsumi Matsunobu
64
Memory Book
Home to Hoku’s
Good Enough to Eat
World According to Kiana Davenport
Morning Kiss of the Sun
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Ed i to r ’s No t e
We celebrate the colors of Hawai‘i: the colors of dawn, of the beach sands encircling
our islands, of the rainbow of fruit that graces our lives with a multitude of uses.
If colors speak all languages, as Joseph Addison once wrote, the pages of this magazine make up a multilingual tome. In this issue we celebrate the colors of Hawai‘i: the colors of dawn, of the beach sands encircling our islands, of the rainbow of fruit that graces our lives with a multitude of uses. And because this is Hawai‘i, we add to the mix the multiple layers of colorful traditions that add richness and texture to island life. Sunrise is the seed of color, the source of light that gives birth to the day. In a sequence of photographs from a single morning, photographer Dana Edmunds offers a minute-by-minute chronicle of the sun rising between Koko Crater and Koko Head. “A Morning Kiss of the Sun,” on page 27, is his paean to the interplay of light and color in a single spectacular sunrise. The ubiquity of color in the island landscape is powerfully expressed in John R. K. Clark’s piece, “Beauty and the Beaches,” on page 36. A respected author on the beaches of Hawai‘i, Clark offers his impeccably researched story and highly magnified views of the rainbows underfoot: colored grains of Hawaiian beach sand, photographed by the late Rex R. Elliott. Elliott was an avid collector as well as a pioneer in sand-grain photography, and it’s an honor to pair his work with Clark’s in these pages. Nature is the most prolific artist of them all, and in “Gently, with Sticks,” Thelma Chang details how Ronald De Soto went from pain to wellness with the help of the forest and the tree limbs he fashions into lomi sticks. On page 30, you’ll see how one man’s painful adventures led him to make these V-shaped tools to help others. “Tying the Knot, Hawaiian Style” evokes the colors, fragrances and meaningful rituals observed in Hawaiian weddings. Hawai‘i is rich with tradition, and while weddings were a western introduction, Paula Rath guides us through the ceremonial touches that honor the ways of the ancients. On page 44, you will see what a Hawaiian wedding can be in the hands of a Hawaiian cultural practitioner. While The Kahala is usually a stopping point for the travelers of the world, there are those who come home to its warm embrace after many years away. Dante Camara, the manager of Hoku’s, tells the story of his return, after 25 years, to the hotel he admired as a child. “Food is love,” he says, and on page 13 you’ll see why. At The Kahala Spa, food is also approached with joy and respect. On page 17 you’ll learn why the spa’s secret recipes are good enough to eat and as fresh and pure as can be. Once again, in the rainbow of fruit, coconut, nuts and oils custom-blended for the spa’s treatments, Hawai‘i’s colors and bounty shine. We hope you enjoy this issue as a prism of island life.
©Dana Edmunds
Jocelyn Fujii
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INDICH collection
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ED I TO R I A L
Chief Creative Officer Haines Wilkerson Design Director Jane Frey Photography Director Susan Strayer Regional Editorial Director Rosie Leonetti Editor-at-Large Jocelyn Fujii Copy Editor Lucy Kim Contributing Writers Thelma Chang John R. K. Clark Paula Rath Contributing Photographers Dana Edmunds Rex R. Elliott Olivier Koning Chrissy Lambert Linny Morris
Add a Touch of Aloha! O A H U
Japanese Translation Chihiro Kitagawa Mutsumi Matsunobu
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The Kahala (Vol.6, No. 2) is published by Where Hawaii, 1833 Kalakaua Ave, Ste 810, Honolulu, HI, 96815. www.mvpislands.com Copyright© 2011 by Morris Visitor Publications. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, in whole or in part, without the express prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility to any party for the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions therein. By placing an order for an advertisement, the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement. Printed in China
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A DV E RT I SI N G
Regional Publisher Suzanne McClellan suzanne.mcclellan@morris.com Regional Vice President Patti Ann Ruesch Associate Publisher Jeff Lum jeffrey.lum@mvpislands.com Account Managers Elizabeth Cotton elizabeth.cotton@mvpislands.com Wanda Garcia-Fetherston wanda@insidemedia.org Bob Kowal robert.kowal@mvpislands.com Advertising Sales (808) 955-2378 EXECUTIVE
President Donna W. Kessler Controller Angela E. Allen PRO D U C T I O N
Director of Production Kris Miller Product Manager Jasond Fernandez Ad Services Manager Daniel Pereira Retouching Jerry Hartman MA N U FACTU R I NG & T E C H N O LO GY
Director of Manufacturing Donald Horton Technical Operations Manager Tony Thorne-Booth Morris Communications
Chairman & CEO William S. Morris III President William S. Morris IV
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Profiles
Coming Home to
Hoku’s
Why Dante Camara counts his blessings S TO R Y B Y J O C E L Y N F U J I I P H O T O S BY O L I V I E R K O N I N G
W
hile growing up in Honolulu, Dante Camara attended Kalani High School just down the street from The Kahala. Slightly star-struck, he regarded The Kahala as a “magical place,” he said, a place for special occasions such as family breakfasts or visits with the dolphins. “I thought that when I got to the point where I was successful and could afford to stay here, that’s what I would do,” he recalled.
In his chic glasses and crisp designer shirt, fresh from a television shoot, Camara cut an elegant silhouette on the terrace of The Veranda. A few feet below, children frolicked in The Kahala’s pools, and the famous dolphins he visited as a youth rested in unseen waters. Nearby, Hoku’s, the restaurant he’s managed for the past two years, was busily preparing for the hotel’s food and wine festival. THE KAHALA 13
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Profile Profiles
“I thought that if I ever moved back to Hawai‘i, this is where I’d like to be.” Camara (above left) sees to the details of managing the expansive dining room, while the seafood flows freely at Hoku’s renowned Sunday brunch.
Much has happened in the 25 years between Kalani High School and Camara’s return to Hawai‘i. The Boston boom, for one. Camara slipped into the culinary stratosphere by moving to Boston at precisely the time when chefs Lydia Shire, Gordon Hamersley and Anthony Ambrose were shaking up the food world and putting the city on the culinary map. The Four Seasons in Boston, where Camara worked, was also in the thick of the movement. The obvious next choice was New York, again with providential timing. First with celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and his avantgarde Union Pacific, then with wunderkind Daniel Boulud and his legendary Café Boulud, Camara honed his craft as gatekeeper in some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants. When 9/11 darkened the skies, he was three blocks away from the World Trade Center. “To me it confirmed how fragile life is, and how you have to embrace and enjoy every moment,” he reflected.
Café Boulud allowed him to live out his childhood dream. “When I worked for Daniel Boulud, I’d come home on vacation to visit my parents, and every once in awhile I would book myself here at The Kahala,” Camara continued. “I’d take the Continental nonstop from Newark to Honolulu, get a car and drive to the hotel. The first thing I would do is drop my bags in the room and scurry to Hoku’s to have dinner. I thought that if I ever moved back to Hawai‘i, this is where I’d like to be.” Hökü means “star” in Hawaiian, and his return was definitely in the stars. When, two years ago, his father suffered a fatal stroke, Camara read the signs clearly. “Even before his passing, I had strong feelings about coming back,” he reflected. “After he passed away, I knew it was time to return.” He’s fully aware of his blessings. “It’s not only working in this beautiful place and doing what I love, but also to enjoy my mother after 25 years away. When we go through this with our parents, after all they’ve given us and how they’ve cared for us, it’s a gift to be able to give back.” With 16 siblings, his mother’s family was a happy tribe surrounded by food, fun and hospitality. “There was always a family event,” he remembered. “It made sense for me to go into dining and hospitality. I’ve surrounded myself with good things, and I think food is love.” With its sparkling ocean view, attentive staff and renowned Sunday brunch and innovative cuisine, Hoku’s proved itself a perfect match for its manager. “It’s a magnificent place, and it changes every hour of the day with the natural light,” he observed. “And some of the servers have been here more than 30 years and have their own following. I knew from when I first arrived that I was moving into their house and wanted to be a part of all this.” Even the legendary Danny Kaleikini, who performed at The Kahala for decades, returns occasionally for dinner with his trademark “Alooooooha,” observed Camara. “We like to feel that our guests are coming to our own house for dinner.” ❀
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Hoku’s
Our signature restaurant features contemporary island cuisine for dinner and Sunday brunch.
sunday brunch
A delicious selection of dishes are served at Hoku’s and Plumeria Beach House.
Plumeria beach house For breakfast, lunch and dinner, enjoy casual beachfront dining on the white sands of Kahala.
the veranda
The perfect spot for afternoon tea, pupus, cocktails and nightly entertainment.
experience Legendary dining
Call restaurant reservations at 739.8888 or, from your room, press Restaurant Reservations
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www.kahalaresort.com
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Indulgences
It’s Good Enough Title to toEat
Come
I
And wait until you see how it feels
S TO R Y B Y J O C E L Y N F U J I I P H O T O S BY L I N N Y M O R R I S
f the skin is the largest organ of the human body, consider the spa your customized fine-dining restaurant, and the therapist your personal chef. Yes, says Travis Kono, “Spa should be like food.” Not just food, but food fresh from the yard, and organic as often as possible. Food with enzymes, antioxidants, Omega-3 oils and the full measure of nutrients to give body,
mind and soul the goodness they deserve. As the former director of The Kahala Spa who recently joined the hotel’s sales effort, Kono has devised a spa treatment program that is, literally, good enough to eat. “If you go to Italy, you want to eat authentic Italian food,” he notes. “If you go to Japan, you want to have authentic Japanese food. Hawai‘i should be no different. We’re a unique destination. If you’re THE KAHALA 17
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Indulgences
It couldn’t get fresher than this. (From left) The treatment calls for customized blends of fresh raw fruit, nuts, coconut and other island botanicals, including raw island sugar, which makes a luxurious body scrub.
going to do a spa treatment in Hawai‘i, it should be authentic, something that causes you to walk away saying, ‘Wow, that was really great.’” Kono’s brainstorm fell right in line with the universal popularity of natural, organic, unprocessed foods. Taking off on his research, which showed that many successful spa products are plant- and fruit-based, he and his team of estheticians devised a program called Island Offerings: Inspiration for the Senses. Going right to the source, the 3 ½-hour treatment calls for customized daily menus of just-picked local ingredients: aloe, papaya, pineapple, avocado, coconuts, Hawaiian salt, ginger, lemongrass, raw island sugar and the full range of botani-
cals, each radiating freshness and energy. With employees bringing fruit from their backyards or from local farmers markets, or even harvesting them from the hotel grounds, it couldn’t get fresher than this. “Oftentimes in skin-care products, you’ll notice ingredients like grapefruit or papaya because they’re great for this and that, and it’s true,” notes Kono. “But often in the distillation process, you lose a lot of the benefits. We realized there’s no better way to get the maximum results from what’s available than to use the products as raw and natural as possible. “We try to support local farmers, and a lot of the items come from people’s yards. We try to keep everything local, and everything we purchase is certified organic.” Upon arriving, the client meets privately with the therapist over a tray of fresh ingredients. They discuss the benefits of each for skin and hair: pineapple and papaya for their enzymes, wonderful for exfoliation, skin lightening and hyper pigmentation; coconut milk for its emollients; avocado for its Omega-3 fatty acids, helpful for holding collagen; ‘awa (kava)
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Indulgences
“I’d like people to realize that there is something special here.” A private nook in natural light does wonders following the treatment.
for its powers of healing and relaxation; raw kukui and macadamia nuts for their natural oils; raw organic sugar, ideal for body scrubs; aloe vera for sunburn; Lehua honey from the island of Hawai‘i for its enzymes and power to detoxify. To make fresh coconut milk, employees gather and grate fresh coconuts and squeeze the flesh through cheesecloth. “We make our own Hawaiian salt,” continues Kono. “Some of it we buy, but for this particular treatment, we like to make it … We take sea water from the beach, put it in a shallow bed, and let it dehydrate. We keep adding to it until it gets to the consistency we want.” The salt, sugar, Lehua honey and raw, crushed
kukui or macadamia nuts make an effective and luxurious scrub that leaves a radiant glow. Kona coffee, freshly ground at the spa, is a popular addition to the treatment when detoxification is desired. Like coconut and avocado, yogurt (the only ingredient that is not plant-based) is useful for hydration and adds a creamy texture. Following an initial body scrub and shower, the yogurt mix is applied and the client is covered with warm towels. “This is so the heat opens up the pores and allows the ingredients to do what they’re supposed to,” explains Kono. A nourishing scalp treatment and luxurious shower follow before the thoroughly relaxed client sinks into a coconut-infused bath. A 20-minute relaxation, a massage, and the treatment is finalized after 3 ½ hours. “It goes so fast,” says Kono. “I’d like people to realize that there is something special here,” he concludes. “There’s really no way to shorten the treatment and offer the same benefits we wanted to create.” While it’s possible to do this at home, he says, you’d have to make the treatments yourself—and that, as we know, is no easy feat. ❀
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Impressions
Profile
Title to Come The World
The Kahala’s Warren Sasaki has an uncanny ability to see things before they’re actually there
According toKiana
Davenport Hawai‘i between two covers
S TO R Y B Y K I A N A D A V E N P O R T
I
n House of Many Gods, the internationally best-selling author tells the story of an island family and the power of forgiveness. Hawai‘i native Kiana Davenport has won multiple awards for her work, which includes Shark Dialogues, Song of the Exile, and the ebooks House of Skin, Prize-Winning Stories and Cannibal Nights, Pacific Stories Volume II. In these excerpts from House of Many Gods,
published by Ballantine Books/The Random House Publishing Group, the enduring love of family and place—aloha ‘äina—is shown in stark relief amid the complexities of island life. And there was history here, many-layered legends. A reverence for the old ways, the good ways. Each town was set apart by a valley, by plains of weedy, rust-red dirt dotted with patches THE KAHALA 23
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Impressions
Mäkua Valley plays a prominent part in Davenport’s narrative as a place the military uses for bombing practice.
“She is a knowing child who vaguely understands that stories have no endings, that they go on and on.”
of taro fields and herds of sharp-ribbed cattle. The soil was coarse and punishing; it was unforgiving and bit back. Still, old tütü men and women planted their taro at Mahealani Hoku, the full moon. And when they harvested the taro, underneath was good. And slogging in the lo‘i, the taro mud, was good. Good for arteries and circulation. Good for hoof-thick fingernails. And they ocean-fished by the dark moon when plankton came, bringing the big fish. And they gave back to the sea what was not needed. And they rested and worshipped according to moon phases. Living by the old Hawaiian moon calendar, honoring their gods, they prayed that theirs would be a good death. That their bones would not lie bleaching in the sun. Here, too, among steep ridges in valley recesses were ancient ruins, sacred heiau, prayer-towers, and sacrificial altars. Here in caves hidden by volcanic rocks, in bags of rotting nets, eyeless skulls watched the land to see what kapu would be broken. And what the gods
The bombs are silent at Mäkua. For several years there has been peace. Nature slowly begins to heal itself. In the soil, roots take hold, seeds swell and lengthen. Folks say they are the seeds of freedom, and that in time winds will blow those seeds and germinate the land. Up and down this red, parched coast, crops still grow, sap still flows. Sounds fill the valleys. The sounds of children growing like plants, rooting and seeding, learning to take care of each other, learning how caring is a holy deed ... Some days a girl runs down Keola Road. At her mother’s clinic she will witness a water birth. On such days she watches midwives gather, and chanters, the solemn errands of women in an eternal dance of birthing and rebirthing. She watches a newborn slide down that ancient seaway to greet life. She hears its cries. Each birth brings new requests for the placenta. It will be blessed and buried, so the child will not be a wanderer who loses sight of home. And, some days the girl, Anahola, sits with her elders, even her grandmother and great grandfather, spinning tales. For, like those before her, she will be a talking-story woman. And even when her elders doze, she continues talking, for the sheer love of it. Small-kid stories of her valley, and her coast whose people, from ancient times, have given themselves to dreaming, and to fabulating. She never quite finishes her stories, for she is a knowing child who vaguely understands that stories have no endings, that they go on and on. ❀
(PREVIOUS PAGE) ©JOE CARINI/PACIFIC STOCK; (THIS PAGE) ©MARK A. JOHNSON/CORBIS
would do. In ancient days, the coast had been a place of refuge for warriors weakened in battles. Here they had hid, tending their wounds, regathering their strength. Here, at night, across the valleys folks still heard those warriors marching back across the land to battle. Some mornings there were giant footsteps.
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Explorations
A Morning Kiss of
the Sun Where the sunrise is a reliable wonder P H O T O S BY D A N A E D M U N D S
E ala e. Arise, awaken. The chant of the morning. The sun is rising in the east. In Hikina, the portal, the eastern gate of the heavens, where the day is born and all things begin. E ala e. E ala e.
T
he sun rises between Koko Crater and Koko Head like a spotlight on the day. The halo of light moves north throughout the year, over the ocean, beyond the palms, and back again to Koko Head, highlighting the wonders of dawn through an ever-changing prism. With its vantage point for sunrise and sunset, The Kahala receives morning as a season in itself. The sun will light up a larger sky.
5:45 a.m. The ocean is a mirror for rainbows and fire. The world lights up in languid, graceful wisps of time. At the easternmost point of some islands, the ancient Hawaiians built temples where they worshiped the sun and observed its movements throughout the year. In the early 1900s, when the great ships of Captain Nathaniel Portlock rounded the point THE KAHALA 27
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E x plorations
Photographed from the same spot between 5:45 and 6:37 a.m. on a late summer morning, the rising sun is perfectly framed between Koko Crater and Koko Head.
of Koko Head, they saw long valleys and a pristine beach. Clearly impressed, Portlock wrote in his journal: “Inviting calm, a plentiful supply of fresh fish, fresh water ponds, and a pastoral setting (that) invited rest and rejuvenation.” A reverent silence. A sky with a voice. A new day has arrived at The Kahala. ❀ See “A Kiss of the Kahala Sun” video on The Kahala Television in-room channel.
5:56 a.m.
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Guava trees are sturdy, with the perfect angles for lomi sticks. 30 THE KAHALA
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Gently, y y, with Sticks
How Hard Knocks Led to Healing
S T O R Y BY T H E L M A C H A N G P H O T O S BY D A N A E D M U N D S
THE KAHALA 31
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Y
ou could say his journey with sticks started when he was a child of seven. “My nickname was ‘Spider’ because I was skinny and climbed trees,” says Ronald De Soto, who used to help the family’s finances by delivering new phone books and picking up old ones before lunch. One day, after making his book rounds, the “skinny kid” climbed a tree and hung upside down on a branch, still munching at the last of his cheeseburger. He said to himself, “Oh no, this branch is gonna break.” Then: an ominous snap. De Soto fell several feet to the ground and fractured his neck. “Mom rushed me to the Emergency Room at Queen’s Hospital,” he recalls. “The doctor said, ‘Any more neck injuries, you could be paralyzed.’ So I started my youth with a fractured neck.” Even with his injuries, the child did not listen. As he grew up and matured during the 1960s and 1970s, sports, especially motorcycle racing, became a family affair for De Soto and his five siblings. Fractured neck or not, he wasn’t about to miss out on the adventure. “My brother, John, was a national motorcycle racer on the mainland, Dad was a flat track racer, and Mom raced stock cars at the Honolulu Stadium,” he notes. In time, De Soto injured both knees at an Evel Knievel Snake River jump in Idaho and hurt them again by jumping off a cliff at Waimea Falls on O‘ahu. “At Waimea, my knees popped out, and I had to have surgeries done,” says the former high school wrestler. “Later on, a speeding Chevrolet Impala slammed into the back of my truck and slid under the back of my vehicle. I suffered whiplash.” The years of living dangerously had taken their toll. By then, in chronic pain, De Soto tried various remedies to no avail, including therapy, biofeedback and Valium. “My neck really hurt,” he remembers.
“King Kamehameha had a lomi stick and passed it on.”
“I couldn’t turn my neck.” It was a serendipitous moment one day when De Soto, enjoying a day at Mäkaha Beach, spotted a Native Hawaiian surfer massaging himself with a V-shaped stick. He asked the surfer if he could try it out. “Sure,” replied the surfer. De Soto placed the hollow V of the stick around his neck, applied gentle pressure, and massaged the area: “When I lomi the spot, my eyes popped open and I felt relief for the first time in a long time. So I asked him, ‘What kind of wood is this?’ The surfer said, ‘Guava.’ I knew I needed one and was determined to make my own stick, lä‘au.” De Soto set out on a quest to learn as much as possible about lomilomi, the ancient and complex Hawaiian method of massage that encompasses health, spirituality and the feeling of wellness. Lomilomi is an intuitive form of massage in which the practitioner’s arms and forearms apply pressure in fluid, rhythmic movements that have been compared to the motion of waves. As a healing tool, the lomi stick may be used in different ways, such as holding the long end and using the short end on the tender muscles of the back or neck. The angle of the V is perfectly proportioned for this application. “King Kamehameha had a lomi stick and passed it on,” he says, of a time when traditional and rare woods such as koa, milo and ‘öhi‘a were used.
RONALD DE SOTO ASKS PERMISSION OF THE FOREST, THEN PICKS HIS GUAVA BRANCH CAREFULLY.
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Lomilomi also speaks to a timeless connection. People the world over suffer from the pain, stresses and strains that are part of daily life. From China, Greece and Egypt to India, Sweden and Polynesia, some cultures have turned it into an art form. “Oooh, my aching back” was, and is, a common refrain of people through the centuries, inspiring different forms of massage therapy to treat these discomforts and other ailments. Similarly, De Soto’s mother, Frenchy De Soto— the colorful former stock car racer, prominent Native Hawaiian activist and then-leader at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs—passed some time-tested guidance on to her children. For one, she emphasized the value of working together as a family, no matter how humble or lofty the job. “Mom was a chief custodian at the State Capitol, and she used to have us kids help with the cleaning,” he remembers. “In the summer of the year I graduated from high school, I worked as a printer in the [state] Senate print shop and earned money to purchase a plane ticket to join my brother, John, in Long Beach, California, to race.” Decades later, De Soto again utilized the guidance of his mother as he trekked through woods familiar since the days of his youth. “My mother taught me to ask the forest for permission to gather the sticks, so it comes naturally when I go to the mountains,” says De Soto, the father of five children. “She taught me to respect nature so I feel connected to the birds, plants and animals. I am no higher than them. I am with them. And I can feel the birds ‘talking’ to me.” Though De Soto usually chooses guava for his lomi sticks, other types of wood may also be used, such as those from puakenikeni, mock orange and lychee trees, he says. After the branches are chosen— De Soto looks for a suitable V in each branch—the wood is dried, and the process has begun. “I try on each stick, assess it, round off the rough edges, sand the wood by hand, smooth it, and apply a finish to preserve the stick,” he says. “The finishing touch is the pule, my prayer that the stick be used to heal, not hurt.” De Soto gained confidence through trial and error and the support of family and friends, who tried the sticks and liked them. “I gave the first stick I ever made to my mom,” he says.
Lomilomi is an intuitive form of massage, with movements like the motion of waves.
Then, in another serendipitous moment, his sister went to a craft fair and took a few sticks with her. They sold out. In time, De Soto was making sticks for the world. At a recent Made in Hawaii Festival in Honolulu, a crowd gathered around a man surrounded by sticks. Gnarled sticks, twisted sticks, odd-shaped sticks, long sticks and short sticks— all with different shapes and knobs. “Find the spot,” he says to a man in his 50s. “Put pressure on the muscle, spread it out. If you apply it to your neck, make circles with one hand. You need both hands to do it. Push down on the neck area.” For the people watching the procedure, De Soto demonstrated his own skill with the lomi stick. “Lomilomi means to push, pull, holding for a few seconds and releasing the pressure until the muscle feels nice and loose. Like your thumb, the different knobs on the stick can be used for massaging certain parts of the body, such as your hands, lower back or under your feet while you’re watching television. You’re only limited by your imagination. Every stick has its own character.” ❀
SOME BRANCHES HAVE KNOBS AND BURLS THAT ADD TO THE BENEFITS, AND EACH BRANCH HAS ITS OWN CHARACTER.
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A RAINBOW OF HAWAIIAN SAND S TO R Y B Y J O H N R . K . C L A R K
GOLDEN SAND IS THE TRADEMARK OF PÄPÖHAKU BEACH ON THE ISLAND OF MOLOKA’I, WHILE AT WAIPI‘O VALLEY'S BLACK
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SAND BEACH ON HAWAI’I ISLAND (OPPOSITE), THE SHORELINE IS BLACK WITH LAVA DROPLETS FROM THE NEARBY VOLCANO.
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caption text goes here Caption text goes here caption text goes here caption text goes here
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BLACK IS THE BEGINNING Kïlauea on Hawai‘i island is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. When it erupts and releases cascades of molten lava into the ocean, the extremely hot lava collides with cold sea water to create violent steam explosions. These explosions create clouds of liquid lava droplets, or black sand. When washed ashore by waves and currents, the droplets, now solidified, accumulate and form the glistening black-sand beaches featured on many a Hawaiian postcard. For many years, until 1990, the two most photographed of Kïlauea’s black-sand beaches were Kaimü and Kalapana in the district of Puna. Reclaiming those beaches in 1990, Kïlauea created a massive lavaflow that overran the shoreline. Today Punalu‘u Beach, several miles south of Kaimü and Kalapana, is the best-known of the island’s black-sand beaches. The small bay fronting the beach is a favorite feeding site for green sea turtles, and to the delight of beachgoers, the turtles often haul themselves out on the black sand to luxuriate in the sun. There are two other types of black-sand beaches with volcanic origins in Hawai‘i. The first are beaches created by the stream erosion of historic inland lava flows. The best known of these is the long black-sand beach fronting Hilo Bayfront Park. The Wailuku and Wailoa rivers transport small eroded lava fragments into Hilo Bay, where the ocean deposits them onshore to form the beach between the two rivers. The second type of beach, while called a black-sand beach, is actually not a sand beach at all. It’s known in Hawaiian as an ‘ili‘ili beach, a shore comprised of tiny black pebbles resembling black sand. One of the best examples is Honoli‘i, home of Hilo’s most famous surf spot, where the Honoli‘i Stream spreads ‘ili‘ili on its rocky shore. Stephen Leatherman, America’s foremost beach expert and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, reminisced recently about Hawai‘i’s rainbow-colored sands and a trip we took to Hawai‘i island. “Black sand beaches are a bit more common worldwide,” said Leatherman, better known as “Dr. Beach.” “I’ve [also] had the pleasure of exploring them in Iceland and some beaches in the Caribbean.” But, he added, “I know of no other place like the Hawaiian Islands where one can see so many different types of sand.”
PUNALU‘U BEACH, HAWAI‘I ISLAND, IS A FAVORITE FEEDING SITE FOR SEA TURTLES. (OPPOSITE) WHEN SEEN UP CLOSE, AS IN THESE MAGNIFIED VIEWS, HAWAIIAN BEACH SAND LOOKS LIKE RAINBOW-COLORED BOULDERS. (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) RED SAND FROM HÖKÜ‘ULA, MAUI; GREEN, FROM HAWAI’I ISLAND; BLACK, FROM KAIMÜ, HAWAI’I ISLAND; WHITE, FROM NONOPAPA, NI’IHAU. VOLCANOS AND MARINE LIFE CREATE THESE COLORS.
(PAGE 36) TOM TILL/SUPERSTOCK/PHOTOLIBRARY; (PAGE 37) ©PHILIP ROSENBERG/PACIFICSTOCK/PHOTOLIBRARY; (THIS PAGE) ©DAVID SCHRICHTE/PHOTORESOURCEHAWAII.COM; (OPPOSITE) ©REX R. ELLIOTT
Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel were co-hosts of NBC’s “Today” show, their producers decided to send them to Hawai‘i. It was the winter of 1991, and the cast and crew spent a week in Waikïkï, broadcasting the show back to the mainland. Prior to their arrival in the Islands, they had identified people they wanted to interview, performers they wanted to showcase, and places they wanted to video as b-roll, or background footage, to highlight the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. One of the categories on their wish list was Hawai‘i’s world-famous beaches. Because I was known as an authority on Hawaiian beaches, an NBC staff member called to ask if I would team up with a camera crew and take them to some of our best island beaches. It was an exciting offer and, of course, I said yes. The volcanoes of Hawai‘i are the master architects and painters of the landscape. Belching lava, steam and earth’s corporeal substances in their volcanic pyrotechnics, they not only shape and transform the land, they create colorful island borders in the form of multicolored shorelines. The call from NBC gave me the opportunity to share what I had learned of these Hawaiian masterworks, and also to embark on a new adventure involving what I most love about Hawai‘i: its beaches. When I met up with the camera crew, I explained that, in addition to the beautiful white-sand beaches they had in mind, Hawai‘i had some unique beaches of green, red, and black sand. Intrigued, they obtained permission to shoot them despite the fact that the redsand beach was on Maui and the green- and blacksand beaches were on the island of Hawai‘i. Allowing one day to visit each neighbor island, we flew first to Maui’s Kahului to charter a helicopter that would fly us to the red-sand beach in Häna. Following the same process, we then flew to Hawai‘i island to visit and film its green- and black-sand beaches. We flew to the island’s county seat, Hilo, chartered another helicopter, and headed off into the district of Puna in the southeast part of the island. The camera crew got great footage and several of Hawai‘i’s famous beaches received national exposure. Although that “Today” show adventure happened 20 years ago, the beautiful colored sand beaches it showcased are still there, each unique and unforgettable.
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GREEN SAND BEACH NEAR KA LAE, OR SOUTH POINT, IS TINTED WITH PULVERIZED OLIVINE FROM THE CINDER CONE ADJOINING IT.
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GREEN + GLISTENING Volcanic activity on the island of Hawai‘i also creates green-sand beaches. Hawaiian lava, like any other type of rock, is made up of minerals and mineral-like substances, one of which is called olivine. Grains of the green and glassy olivine are found embedded in ‘a‘ä, or rough lava, but are also found loose after they’re separated from rock by erosion. When waves and currents deposit large concentrations of olivines on a beach, they add a light but definitely green tint. Green Sand Beach near Ka Lae, or South Point— the southernmost point in the United States—is the most famous of Hawai‘i’s green-sand beaches. It lies at the base of Pu‘u Mähana, a cinder cone formed by an eruption of Mauna Loa. Wave action on the volcanic cone mines olivines out of its seaward face and spreads them onshore, creating a beautiful green veneer. Leatherman says he vividly remembers his first trip to Green Sand Beach. “We walked along the high sea cliffs at South Point and then climbed down the face of the breached volcanic crater to the greenish-black sand below,” he recalled. “I enjoyed picking up the olivine sand grains and putting them into a Ziploc bag. Swimming at this beach seemed a bit strange because the water was so dark. I was accustomed to the clear, transparent emerald waters that characterize most Hawaiian beaches, beaches composed of white coral sand.” A word of caution for anyone who plans to visit: Green Sand Beach is located in a dry and desolate area of the island where there are neither facilities nor shade trees. Be prepared for a wilderness outing. RED + RARE One of my personal favorites is Red Sand Beach on Maui, perhaps the most spectacular of Hawai‘i’s colored sand beaches. At the base of Ka‘uiki Hill, a large volcanic cinder cone on the shoreline of Häna, this beach is unique, a rare beauty. While many cinder cones are found on Hawai‘i’s shores, only this one contains a massive amount of red cinder. As the ocean erodes the cone, the loose cinder collects at its base to form Red Sand Beach. The Hawaiian name for Red Sand Beach is Kaihalulu, which means “roaring sea,” an apt description of the stormy seas that often roll into the
Häna shoreline. The beach is partially protected from the open ocean by a natural lava-rock barrier that creates a small pool for swimmers. The combination of the blue ocean, black lava and red sand paints the water an intense indigo, and the individual colors, plus the green vegetation on the hillside of the cinder cone form a spectacular rainbow of hues. “Reaching Red Sand Beach was also an adventure, which required some care as one has to walk along the steep slope of the volcanic cone to arrive at this splendid beach,” continued Leatherman, noting that the beach is also a favorite of nudists. “I collected a big bag of sand at this beach and swam in the quiet pool of water protected by offshore lava rock.” PEARLY WHITES Each of Hawai‘i’s eight major islands has beautiful white-sand beaches, a major attraction renowned worldwide. These beaches are not just eye candy. As the centerpiece of Hawai‘i’s ocean recreation activities, they’re also where our major resorts are found. The origin of white sand, though, is very different from the colored volcanic sands of Maui and Hawai‘i island. Hawai‘i’s white sands are biogenic, meaning they come from living sources—either plants or animals in the ocean. The plants are primarily coralline algae, while the animals include corals, foraminifera, echinoderms, and mollusks. Foraminifera, or forams, are tiny protozoans with calcite external skeletons. Echinoderms include starfish and sea urchins, and mollusks are invertebrates with shells. All of them live in and around coral reefs, and their fragments are found in white sand. Fortunately for us, this natural process produces the individual sand grains that make up our gorgeous white-sand beaches. “I am also amazed by the different colors and hues of coral sand in Hawaii,” added Leatherman. “At sunset, Po‘ipü Beach [on Kaua‘i] has a golden sheen to it, and the Wailea Beach sand [on Maui] is somewhat reddish in color due to a mixture of coral and volcanic sediments.” So, while visitors may expect to see rainbows in the sky, they may also be underfoot. I think we’d all have to agree that Hawai‘i’s colored sand beaches are among its greatest treasures. ❀
(OPPOSITE) KAIHALULU ON MAUI, KNOWN AS RED SAND BEACH, IS A RARE COVE OF FINE RED CINDER AT THE EDGE OF HÄNA. THE RED SAND IS A PRODUCT OF EROSION, VOLCANIC CINDER, AND WAVE AND WIND ACTION. THE NAME MEANS “ROARING SEA,” A CHARACTERISTIC OF EAST MAUI’S EXPOSURE TO OPEN OCEAN. (THIS PAGE) LANIKAI BEACH IS FAMOUS FOR ITS POWDERY SAND AND MOKULUA ISLANDS OFFSHORE.
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Tying the Knot Hawaiian-Style Say it with a Lei S TO R Y B Y P A U L A R A T H P H O T O S BY C H R I S S Y L A M B E R T
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G
orgeous beaches, ocean, mountains, weather:
It’s no wonder couples from all over the world choose to be married in Hawai‘i. Equally alluring to many is Hawai‘i’s spiritual nature, a quality that is inherently Hawaiian. In precontact Hawai‘i, only the ali‘i (chiefs or monarchs) were allowed to hold weddings. While Hawaiians did not have formal ceremonies to recognize their relationships, the spiritual bonds they forged were lasting and held as deeply sacred. Now, however, anyone—whether kama‘äina (longtime resident or native born), or malihini (newcomer)—can have a Hawaiian blessing and wedding. There are few hard and fast rules for modern Hawaiian weddings. The bride and groom are usually free to select their wedding traditions, such as writing their own vows and choosing the chants and mele (songs) for the ceremony. It all begins with meeting a kahu, an honored attendant, caretaker or pastor, and with ho‘oponopono.
(previous spread) Modern Hawaiian weddings traditionally feature maile lei, offered to the gods in old
Hawai‘i.
(above) Calabashes of native wood, and with sentimental value to the family, are used to hold the wedding rings.
(opposite page, clockwise from top left) Guest rows are adorned with flowers and maile, and
Hawaiian
HO‘OPONOPONO The Hawaiian tradition of ho‘oponopono came to national attention when President Obama talked about it on “Good Morning America” soon after he was elected. As defined by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert, authors of the Hawaiian Dictionary, ho‘oponopono means “to put to rights; to put in order; rectify; to make ready.” Kahu Renee Pomaika‘i, who performs weddings on O‘ahu, described ho‘oponopono as “releasing things that no longer serve a purpose for the couple, so they can be exclusively bonded to one another, and the past [is allowed to] fly free. It is done with great love and forgiveness.” Ho‘oponopono, Pomaika‘i explained, is the universal prayer that is said to release the energetic connections of past relationships or any disharmonies the couple would like to release. She carries out this tradition with the ti leaf, pa‘akai (Hawaiian sea salt) and water from the sacred healing pools of Makapu‘u. She collects the water at Makapu‘u “because it holds memories and vibrations of the past, and Hawaiians use it for physical and spiritual pain cleansing.” It’s important, she said, for the bride and groom to enter marriage with only good and loving energy. “Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it just is. It is my job to respect the energy that resides there, and to clear it of any negativity.” While there are no formal vows during a Hawaiian wedding, all involve ho‘oponopono, as well as a ring blessing, lei exchange and a prayer in Hawaiian.
sea salt is used in the blessing.
The conch shell
is blown at the beginning and end of the ceremony, a fitting touch at the oceanside weddings so popular in
Hawai‘i.
HULA “Hula is used to pay respect to deities and to summon ancestors,” said Pomaika‘i. “It’s another form of spirituality and a way to express ourselves through a movement of the body.” When modern brides choose to dance a hula for their groom, as many do today, who teaches them? People like kumu hula Cathy Ostrem. “You have to understand what the hula means,” Ostrem explained. She once watched a bride dance “Ahulili” at her reception. The song is about a woman who is flitting about, trying to make her lover jealous—clearly not an appropriate dance for the groom, or any wedding. When it comes to hula, appropriateness is critical. Ostrem’s wedding hula favorites are the flower songs, she said, “especially if there
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is a flower that holds special meaning for the couple.” At the top of her list are “Lei Aloha Makamae,” about a precious lei of love; “Pua Hone,” describing the honeysuckle; “Mi Nei,” in which the bride says, “How about me now”; “Pua ‘Ähihi,” celebrating the cup of gold or any creeping vine; and “Pua Lililehua,” which pays tribute to the sage blossom. Ostrem said most brides dance a hula at the rehearsal dinner or the reception, or both. “If you’re going to dance at both, do a different hula each time. I have seen brides dance down the aisle and I don’t recommend it. It’s kind of off-putting.” FLOWERS Michael Miyashiro, owner of Rainforest Plantes et Fleurs and a lifetime
student of Hawaiian culture, said the tradition of lei at weddings used to be dictated by the island from which the bride and groom came. Each Hawaiian island has its own designated flower. For example, ‘ilima is the flower of O‘ahu, lokelani (red rose) is the flower of Maui, lehua represents Hawai‘i island, and mokihana is the emblem of Kaua‘i. Purists like Miyashiro maintain that the covering of a lei, called a pü‘olo, and its presentation are as important as the lei itself. “The covering of a lei with a ti leaf is sacred,” he said. “Presenting a lei wrapped in a ti leaf is a way of honoring the gods by blessing this union.” The lei, he continued, should be presented in the ti leaf because it removes all the evil spirits. “When the lei is in the ti leaf wrap, it’s almost like a child being reborn. When [the groom] opens the ti leaf and gives the lei to his wife, he is giving her part of himself. And when she gives a lei to him, it is blessed with her mana (power or spirit).” Miyashiro’s choice for a contemporary wedding lei is maile, one of five plants offered to Laka, the goddess of the hula, from precontact times. Maile is a native shrubby vine with bark and shiny leaves that emit a pleasing anise-like fragrance. If fragrant flowers are desired, he suggests entwining pïkake, Arabian jasmine, into the maile. One of the advantages of maile, of course, is that it dries beautifully and becomes a memento of the wedding ceremony. And, he added, “The spirits still live on in it.” To honor the energy of the couple, Pomaika‘i always blesses the lei. She said maile is ideal because “it’s very grounding to the couple. It’s appropriate for men and women. We leave the maile open-ended prior to the ceremony to invite the ‘aumakua, or ancestors, into the circle of love.” The two lei are then intertwined, symbolizing the two separate lives becoming one. When ordering a maile lei, be sure to ask the florist the provenance of the lei. To maintain the mana, it should be grown in Hawai‘i. Much of the maile being offered today is from the Cook Islands.
(above) The bouquet contains the colors of spring, while spectators enjoy two features unique
Hawai‘i: lei and sandy feet. (opposite page) The to
symbolic elements of a
Hawaiian wedding include the canoe paddle, clasped as a symbol of balance in a marriage, and of a couple propelling themselves toward each other.
CLOTHING According to Jill Cullinan, CEO of Princess Ka‘iulani Fashions, a com-
pany that outfits many brides for Hawaiian-style weddings, the current trend in Hawaiian wedding dresses is clearly inspired by the Victorian sensibility, While researching clothing at the Bishop Museum, Cullinan found a photograph of a Hawaiian bride in a seersucker dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves, a narrow waist, ruffles, a high neck, pin tucks and lace on the bodice. She believes it was dated around the late 1800s. In the 1930s and into the ‘60s, “The holokü became strong due to the attire the entertainers wore,” Cullinan said. “It became the more formal attire, with a long train, high neck, ruffles that were often off the shoulders. Fabrics were white satin or gauzy voile in layers.” What do Hawai‘i’s brides want now? Many brides, Cullinan explained, opt for “a holokü in a not-too-formal fabric with a tonal print in white-on-white. Princess seams
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are strong, with off-the-shoulder or spaghetti straps. Wrist loops make it different from a lot of other formal gowns.” Grooms often opt for a long-sleeved aloha shirt in a fabric that matches or is coordinated to the bride’s wedding dress—anything to avoid a tuxedo, which looks out of place at a Hawaiian wedding. CONCH AND CALABASH Wedding accoutrements often include the conch shell. Pomaika‘i said her son usually “blows the pü (conch shell) at the beginning of the ceremony to summon the ancestors, and those who have gone before us, to invite them into the circle of love. They are summoned through the vibration of the pü. He usually blows the pü at the beginning and the end to seal the ceremony right before they kiss.” Also pivotal to Hawaiian weddings is the calabash, a bowl of wood, usually a native hardwood and of special significance to the family. Pomaika‘i, who uses a calabash to hold the rings, said it enables her to breathe her hä (breath of life) over the rings, “to share my mana, or my life force, with the couple, and to bless their marriage.” She may also call on the family to breathe their hä over the rings and to offer a silent prayer. Kalona Ortiz, a cultural practitioner who performs Hawaiian weddings and blessings on O‘ahu, uses a ti leaf and a calabash of water to which Hawaiian sea salt has been added for purification purposes. She then walks around the bridal couple to offer a blessing by sprinkling droplets on them. “Sometimes a kahu walks up the aisle ahead of the bride and groom, chanting and offering a blessing of water from the ti leaf,” she explained. Pomaika‘i said many couples choose Hawai‘i for their weddings or vow renewals because “Hawai‘i is the only place on the planet that still resonates love. The rest of the world needs this place.” ❀
A Ti leaves are used to bless the couple, who wear the traditional maile lei, a shrubby vine with the scent of anise.
Hawaiian
- S t y l e We d d i n g
An increasing number of modern bridal couples are choosing a Hawaiian-style wedding. At The Kahala Hotel & Resort, more than 30 have been held, and that number is growing. To begin planning a Hawaiian wedding, start with a wedding coordinator who can put you in touch with a kahu, a Hawaiian pastor. While some Hawaiian weddings are held on the beach, at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and even on or under the water (for hard-core divers or surfers), the weddings at The Kahala are held in beachfront gazebos with views of Diamond Head or Koko Head. There are always memorable moments during a wedding. Kahu Renee Pomaika‘i and The Kahala’s wedding planners shared these: • Imagine a wedding with no rings. When one couple did not receive their rings from New York City in time for the ceremony, Pomaika‘i quickly found two rings made of shells. They served the purpose when it counted. • When ring bearers are tiny or toddlers, it’s easy for a ring to fall off a pillow. At one Hawaiianstyle wedding, the rings were tied to a lauhala
(leaf) pillow to make sure they made it up the aisle safely. • A canoe paddle has been used as a symbol of the couple propelling themselves toward each other. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of balance in a marriage. • Pomaika‘i remembers a moment when “something new” gained new meaning. A bride was so concerned about remembering her vows that she pulled her white iPhone out of her bra to recite them. • During the ceremony, couples often honor their parents with a lei. One Kahala bride chose to do so by leaving a lei on an empty seat for her father, who was deployed in Iraq. She had arranged to stream the wedding via Internet so her father could see it. Unbeknownst to her, he was able to return home for the ceremony. To make it a total surprise, her father waited until the lei presentation to make his presence known. For more information on weddings at The Kahala Hotel & Resort, go to KahalaResort.com/ weddings or call 808.739.8715.
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Hawaii’s largest collection of luxury retailers amidst
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Bottega Veneta Chanel Damiani Diane von Furstenberg Dior Escada Fendi Gucci Harry Winston Hermes Louis Vuitton Neiman Marcus Nordstrom Prada Ralph Lauren St. John Tiffany & Co. & Many More
center hours mon-sat 9:30am to 9pm sun 10am to 7pm AlaMoanaCenter.com ~ 808.955.9517 Owned & managed by General Growth Properties, Inc.
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53 THEKAHALA KAHALA 53 THE
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THE KAHALA THE KAHALA 55
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We surf and stream the Internet. We sail our messages out to magazines and radio. We are New Media, a unique experience, sharing original programming, films and videos with the world. We are Pacific Network.
Experience the Pacific at
pacificnetwork.tv /À>Ûi ÊÊUÊÊ `ÊEÊ7 iÊÊUÊÊ-« ÀÌÃÊÊUÊÊ ÀÌÃÊÊUÊÊ Õ ÌÕÀiÊÊUÊÊ `ÕV>Ì ÊÊUÊÊ-V i ViÊÊUÊÊ ÕÃ iÃÃÊÊUÊÊ* > Ì À «ÞÊÊUÊÊ i> Ì ÊÊUÊÊ >Ì ÛiÊ >Ü> >
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Memory Book
First Stop: Honolulu Hawai‘i’s balmy air, blue skies and smiling faces of aloha proved the perfect welcome for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in October 2010, when she stayed at The Kahala on the first leg of a seven-week tour of Asia and the Pacific. General Manager Thomas Pauly, to her left, and other members of The Kahala team extended a warm greeting. Secretary Clinton had her hair styled at Reve Salon during a window of rejuvenation. And then, as quickly as she arrived, she departed for the East on her important diplomatic journey.
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Apple Store Fendi • Hermès Cartier • Bvlgari Tourneau Rolex by Kaimana Kea Salvatore Ferragamo Tory Burch • kate spade new york Juicy Couture bebe • Marciano Forever 21 Wolfgang’s Steakhouse P.F. Chang’s Waikīkī Restaurant Suntory Okonomiyaki Chibo Five Star International Buffet Senor Frog’s Beijing Chinese Seafood Il Lupino Trattoria & Wine Bar Doraku Sushi The Cheesecake Factory
Three fabulous blocks Kalākaua Avenue from Fendi to Forever 21 More than 100 Shops, Restaurants and Night Spots 10am til torch lights out
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