FLUX No. 5 Women

“By appropriating male apparel and enabling women to wear it, Yves Saint Laurent transferred the attributes of power from one sex to the other.”

– Pierre Bergé, former chairman of the YSL couture house. French couturier Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized women’s wear with le smoking , a man’s tuxedo adapted for a woman, which he first presented in 1966

SUITED-UP AT THE WAIKIKI EDITION | 58

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON YOSHINO

Extreme shoulder pads and oversized suits become remnants of the past. In this issue, FLUX gives its take on the word “empowerment” with perfect fit jackets, layered textures, and a gorgeous neutral palette ready for Spring 2011. Get suited-up! A fashion editorial at The Waikiki EDITION featuring menswear for women.

Original sketch of Tuxedo, Fall-Winter 1991. Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

“Having children was a really important part of who I am, in part because I admire my own mother and all the strong women that came before me.”

- Mari Matsuda

SUPER WOMEN | 36

BY TIFFANY HERVEY & LISA YAMADA

They may not be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they can raise a family, find success in professional life, and still be poised doing it. And that’s pretty super. Featuring Noelani Love, Mari Matsuda and Allison Wong.

MEN ON FIRE | 42

BY SONNY GANADEN

Borrowing intelligently from indigenous and Western practices, thinkers in Hawai‘i are reimaging the concept of manhood.

WOMEN’S WORK | 48

BY MARGOT SEETO

With different cultural backgrounds and reasons for getting into the business, the parallels that can be found between today’s hostess bars and strip clubs and the 1940s prostitution business in Honolulu are eerily similar. From strippers to madams, we take a glimpse at Honolulu’s skin industry, from World War II to today.

FLUX GUIDE TO SURVIVING FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS | 53

A survey with 50 local women noted the biggest hindrances to genuine, long-lasting female friendships were jealousy, competition, insecurity, and lack of honest communication. If women understand the reasons behind their rivalries, can they create a better world, for themselves, and the men who live with them?

Super woman and William S. Richardson law professor, Mari Matsuda, shown at her home in Mā noa, wearing a dress she stitched herself.

EDITOR’S LETTER MASTHEAD

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS

WHAT THE FLUX?! | 16 IS BEAUTIFUL?

LOCAL MOCO | 18

THE LIFE OF A … MIDWIFE

DECONSTRUCTING ... | 20 DIAMONDS

FLUXFILES : FASHION | 22

TEE TEE BAR

FLUXFILES : FASHION | 24

ACID DOLLS

FLUXFILES : MUSIC | 26

DJ ANIT

FLUXFILES : ART | 28

BRUNA STUDE, GALERIE 103

TECHNOLOGY | 32 THE TECHNOLOGY OF TONING

GREEN ENVIRONMENT | 34 PHOTOVOLTAIC

FOREIGN TERRAIN | 74 ISRAEL

OPEN MARKET | 72

ABROAD & LOCAL

IN THE KITCHEN | 80 WITH BEV GANNON, GANNON’S RESTAURANT

6 RANDOM QUESTIONS | 82 STEPHANIE GILMORE

Cindy King, owner and designer of Acid Dolls, shown in her boutique in Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

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READERSHIP

WHERE DID YOU PICK UP FLUX?

HOW MANY ISSUES HAVE YOU READ IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS?

WHEN PICK UP FLUX, I READ:

 0 to 2 articles

 3 to 5 articles

 6 or more articles

 Cover to cover

IN COMPARISON TO OTHER LOCAL PUBLICATIONS, FLUX IS:

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 No noticeable difference

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HOW DO YOU PREFER TO READ A PUBLICATION?

 Online

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MY FAVORITE ARTICLE WAS:

MY LEAST FAVORITE ARTICLE WAS:

IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, FLUX HAS INFLUENCED ME TO BETTER MYSELF OR MY COMMUNITY:

 Yes

 No

HABITS

IN THE PAST 30 DAYS, I WENT SHOPPING:

 0 to 2 times

 3 to 5 times

 6 to 10 times

 10 or more times

IN THE PAST 30 DAYS, I DINED OUT:

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IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAVE TAKEN THIS MANY TRIPS TO THE NEIGHBOR ISLANDS:

IN THE PAST 2 YEARS, HAVE TAKEN THIS MANY TRIPS TO THE MAINLAND US:

IN THE PAST 3 YEARS, HAVE TAKEN THIS MANY TRIPS TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY:

IN THE NEXT 1 TO 2 YEARS, PLAN TO PURCHASE OR LEASE A VEHICLE:

 Yes

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I PLAN TO PURCHASE THIS MAKE OF VEHICLE:

TOC ONLINE

Want to find out more about the looks featured in our fashion editorial? Creative director Ara Laylo dissects each look from head to toe, explaining the concept and interplay between feminine and masculine, hard and soft.

OKOLEHAO AND SEX IN CHINATOWN

Chinatown in the 1940s was a playground for many of the servicemen stationed here in Honolulu. Tough prostitution was technically illegal, as was alcohol, these could both be found readily and quite easily in the redlight district. Find out more on our website about the scenes drawn on the above souvenir map, which was given to servicemen as a souvenir for their time in Hawai‘i.

Read our full interview with Mauiresident Rebecca Walker, who was named by Time Magazine as one of the 50 most influential leaders of her generation. She is the editor of What Makes a Man: 22 Writers Imagine the Future.

SHOW US YOUR WORLD!

Captured something interesting while out and about town? Share your world with us. Upload your photos to the FLUX Hawaii website for a chance to be featured in our Reader Photo section.

For more information go to www.fluxhawaii.com/submit-photo

MANIFEST

Tis issue is dedicated to my mom.

Who defines what it is to be a woman. My mom, who was voted “Most Cutest” in Central Intermediate School’s “Hoss Elections,” and yet has shown me that beauty is defined by a selfless heart, not outward appearance. Who taught me about compassion, giving every moment of her spare time to the elderly or the poor in spirit, or the just plain poor. Who has shown me what it means to work hard and to take initiative; my mom is the only woman that I know that will stay up until 2 a.m. and be up a few hours later at 6. Who knows the meaning of humility and can just as easily eat canned tuna and rice as she can the finest five-star rated restaurant. Mom, you were always too nosey, but I know it’s only because you cared. You weren’t always punctual – I now understand that this is because you were always busy serving others – but you were always there. But most of all, mom, this is for you because you have taught me unconditional love; that even when I did things that broke your heart or disappointed you, you only held me ever tighter, even while tears ran from your eyes. You, who loved a man, our dad –an alcoholic – in what I can only imagine to be some of the saddest points in your life. “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

~Lisa Yamada

FLUX HAWAII

Lisa Yamada EDITOR / PUBLISHER

Ara Laylo CREATIVE DIRECTOR

INTERNS

Geremy Campos

Joel Gaspar

ADVERTISING

Scott Hager

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & ADVERTISING scott@FLUXhawaii.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Gloria Baraquio

Kathy Y.L. Chan

Sonny Ganaden

Tiffany Hervey

Jon Letman

Sarah Ruppenthal

Margot Seeto

Tiffanie Wen

IMAGES

Matthew Alvarado

Alyssa Anders

Liz Belfor

Bishop Museum

Alberto Bresson

Solomon Enos

Galerie 103

John Hook

Dana Paresa

Mike Pooley

Miya Yamaoka

Aaron Yoshino

ILLUSTRATIONS

Nicole Naone

CREATIVE

Landon Fidele, RyanJacobie Salon

Dulce Felipe

Almond Joyce

Multimedia

Matthew McVickar

FLUX Hawaii, P.O. Box 30927, Honolulu, HI 96820. Contents of FLUX Hawaii are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. FLUX Hawaii accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. FLUX Hawaii reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors and omissions and may feature same on fluxhawaii.com, as well as other mediums for any and all purposes.

FLUX Hawaii is a quarterly lifestyle publication.

Diana Yamada. Senior portrait, 1965.

Aloha from Lahaina!

I adore FLUX! Mahalo for your real voices. I’d like to share two of my new videos regarding solutions to homelessness, as well as a revolutionary, high-tech educational initiative called the Makalani Initiative. It’s fun (think video gaming) then call me and let’s talk story about my story idea for FLUX that empowers young entrepreneurs right into action, right now, big time. Oh, and can you have Margot Seeto come over to Maui to interview me for the story? I too am a Libra and am very picky, and have a big crush on her. If I were 30 years younger, she’d be in trouble. Let’s talk soon, eh? For a walk on my wilder side, enjoy my video encounter with Kragon the dragon (shows #14 and 15): www.youtube.com/ user/happinow44.

David Alan Norris

President, Billy & Billy Applied Research/ Education (BARE) Associates.

We thoroughly enjoyed your video featuring Kragon the dragon. We encourage everyone to check it out.

Whoops!

You recently wrote an article on myself, along with three other entrepreneurs, in the COMMODITY issue article, “Just Do It: Hawai‘i’s Progressive Self-Starters,” where you erroneously stated I went to Kaimuki High School. I went Kalani High School, you buggah!

Sincerely,

Brandon Reid Owner, The Manifest

Our sincerest apologies, Brandon. We know how sensitive people are, especially here in Hawai‘i, about their sense of school spirit and personal pride. I know I always get annoyed when people mix up the high school I

went to. I always say, “HBA,” then they nod and say, “Ohhhh, HPA … Do you know ... ?” I mean, I can see how people might get that one mixed up, but Kalani and Kaimuki? Our bad, they sound totally different. Go Falcons!

Making it work.

I just have to say your recent fashion spread, “Hawai‘i’s Design Commodity,” was absolutely stunning. How refreshing to see local fashions that are well tailored and much more than stretch jersey. The artistic talent flourishing in Hawai‘i rivals that of Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo and Paris! It’s time we have an outlet that shows it!

Alyssa Williams Yoga Instructor, Kaimuki

NICOLE NAONE

Women are … Potent.

Women are not … Men

What is most desirable in a woman? Clairvoyance.

Who is the most inspirational woman you know? Coco Chandelier.

What was the most important thing your mom taught you? Aplomb.

As a model that doubles as an artist, or maybe an artist that doubles as a model, at just 23, Nicole is talented beyond her years. She’s one of those girls that girls love to hate. She’s got beauty and actual talent. An extreme pleasure to work with in front of the camera and on paper, Nicole just “gets it.” No complaining. No drama. Though don’t mistake her docile nature for cowardice: Get in this girl’s face and she “jus go lick ’um.” She’s currently refining her artistic craft as a sculpture major at the University of Hawai‘i, M noa,

MARGOT SEETO

Women are ... Surprising.

Women are not ... The weaker sex.

Who is the most inspirational woman you know? Asian-American activist Yuri Kochiyama, who’s been a hero of mine since college.

What was the most important lesson your grandma taught you?

A story comes to mind of my maternal grandmother who rode for miles on a bicycle in the middle of the night while very pregnant as part of her journey in escaping communist China. Her family was scattered across the world during this escape process but was eventually reunited. Tis teaches me that no task is too difficult in light of accomplishing what you think is right.

Channeling the determined spirit of her grandmother, Margot went through a great many lengths to track down leads for her story on the women in Honolulu’s sex industry. She can write the hell out of music, but her investigative prowess really shone through in this issue. Margot currently serves on the board of the Asian American Journalism Association, is the music editor at Hyphen magazine, and is a bartender at Mercury Bar.

MIYA YAMAOKA

Women are … Complicated. Women are not … Simple.

Who is the most inspirational woman you know? My mama.

What was the most important lesson your mom taught you?

Do whatever makes you happy – enjoy life.

In the fifth grade, Miya was obsessed with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Ben Davis, but now she’s more obsessed with photos. You may have seen Miya late nights lurking around Chinatown. She’s that tiny Asian girl with the tattoos, who’s usually carrying a camera just as big as her. That’s because she’s the face behind partyyyface.com, who, along with fellow nightlife fiends questhero and kowai kowai, have been documenting Honolulu’s underground urban circuit. So watch how you sit, stand or fall while out and about. You just may be labeled as that partyyyface with her ass in the air.

PHOTO BY AARON YOSHINO

AARON YOSHINO

Women are … Fetuses that ended up with two X chromosomes.

Women are not … Easily explainable in six words or less.

What is most desirable in a woman? Intelligence, integrity, self-confidence.

Who is the most inspirational woman you know? Mom.

What was the most important thing your mom has taught you?

My mom taught me confidence, which is the foundation that sits under everything I do every day.

Between his full-time job as a computer administrator for the state and a nightlife photographer for Honolulu Pulse, we don’t know when Aaron has time to sleep. He’s contributed to nearly every media outlet in the state, and it’s easy to see why. His diversity of style and ability to capture anything from high fashion to the urban streets of Chinatown make Aaron continually one of our go-to guys. He never takes himself too seriously, but is seriously clutch when it comes to photography.

THE MERCURY BAR

THE ONLY CHINATOWN BAR NOT

LISTED IN HONOLULU

MAGAZINE

THE MERCURY BAR

CHAPLAIN LANE AND BETHEL M-F 3PM-2AM / SAT 9PM-2AM

WHAT THE FLUX ?!

IS beautiful

ACCORDING

TO AX3BATTERY. COM, AN ASIAN LIFESTYLE WEBZINE, 95 PERCENT OF KOREAN STARS HAVE GOTTEN PLASTIC SURGERY.

In an interview with CNN, Korean pop star Rain, who recently broke into the US market with Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin, said at first he was turned away by agencies in the US because he didn’t have a Western enough look, particularly the double eyelid. Still, he refused to go under the knife.

Typically in Asian cultures, being “beautiful” is equated with looking more Western: rounder eyes, a shapelier nose, bigger breasts. Where once cosmetic surgery in Asia lagged behind the West, it has now turned into a booming industry. In Taiwan, one million procedures were performed last year, double the number from five years ago. In South Korea, teens as young as 14 opt for “eye jobs,” and surgeons estimate

that one in 10 adults have received some sort of surgical upgrade. Top clinics in Japan can bring in $100 million a year for noninvasive procedures. With the percentage of Asians in Hawai‘i higher than anywhere else in the United States (38.8 percent compared to the U.S. average of 4.6 percent, according to the recent U.S. Census), let’s take a look at some the ways Asian women typically alter their looks.

Approximately 75 percent of all Koreans and 50 percent of all other Asians are born without the double eyelid crease.

One of the most common procedures Dr. Shim Ching, a plastic surgeon at Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery Inc., performs is double eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty. “It’s one of the most common surgeries in the world,” he says. “The Asian ideal is for a fairly larger eye, and this procedure will make the eye larger, appear more open, and look longer.”

“I always wanted bigger eyes ever since I was little. When I was growing up I used makeup to make my eyes look bigger. I decided to get the eyelid surgery because I didn’t want to keep wearing heavy makeup that would take forever to apply. Basically I wanted to feel better about my looks without all the makeup.”

– Shanna Wong

“Compared to 10 years ago, I would say the plastic surgery industry has really changed, but I think it’s more because of our popular culture here. It’s become so much of what we see in media, on TV shows, a lot of movie stars and models are more forward about getting surgery, so I think it’s just become more accepted generally.” – Dr. Shim Ching

If you’re Asian and you’ve ever tried to find a good pair of sunglasses, you’ll understand why rhinoplasty, a surgical nose lift or nose reshaping, is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries not just in Hawai‘i but in the rest of the world as well.

“In Asians, we typically raise the bridge of the nose to make it appear higher, which is very different from Caucasian women, who typically make the nose smaller,” Dr. Ching says.

Charice Pempengco, in preparation for her role on Glee, underwent Thermage and Botox treatments to make her naturally round face more narrow.

IMAGE BY DANA PARESA

LOCAL MOCO Te Life of a Midwife

TEXT BY TIFFANY HERVEY | IMAGE BY MIKE POOLEY

“I remember thinking, wow, I cannot believe a human just came out of another human,” says Cindy Stein Urbanc, CNM, MSN, MPH, recalling her first delivery as a midwife. “There were three people in the room and now there are four.”

Cindy is a certified nurse-midwife on O‘ahu who has been attending births at home, in birth centers, and in hospitals on three continents since 1994. She currently works at Kaiser Hospital where she is one of six midwives who work in labor and delivery alongside physicians.

“I started as a home-birth midwife, and even though I had attended hundreds of women, it was a shock to see how different things were in a hospital. Ultimately, I realized my job was to bring the elements of home birth to the hospital setting.”

Utilizing a midwife denotes a natural birth, in which a pregnant woman moves through her contractions rather than being confined to a bed. (“Once an epidural is administered, the woman cannot eat or drink – not even one sip of water – so if it’s a 12-hour labor, that’s just miserable.”) During labor, Cindy says position changes, walking, and continuing to eat and drink are encouraged.

Women giving birth naturally can opt for two different methods. The first is in a squatting position, or vertical birth, where the baby naturally slides down with the help of gravity. The second is in water.

“‘Aquadoulas’ are portable hot tubs that can be set up in any room,” Cindy says. “They are large enough that women can labor in them, and if her partner brings a bathing suit can also be in there with them.”

By the 18th century, medicine had become a predominantly male industry and surgeons asserted that modern science was better than the “folk” medicine administered by midwives. Some texts say midwives were targeted in witch-hunts for their highly specialized knowledge and skill in assisting in birth, contraception and abortion.

In 1900, 95 percent of births in the United States took place at home. In 1938, half of all births took place at home. By 1955, less than 1 percent of births took place at home. It remains that number today. No one knows for sure what caused the decline of midwifery in the United States, but since the beginning of time – from ancient Egypt to the Roman Empire – midwives have been integral in prenatal care and birthing. Today, midwives attend more than 70 percent of births in Europe and Japan. Yet, in they United States they attend less than 8 percent. The United States currently has the second highest newborn death rate in the developed world.

“Sometimes women are afraid and want to be in the hospital near a doctor, but I think most times this fear arises because of all the messages sent to them in society, or they are not educated on pregnancy and delivery, or they are not confident that

their body is capable of birthing without intervention,” says Cindy.

At Kaiser, Cindy says midwives among the physicians has resulted in increased patient satisfaction, a lower C-section rate, a lower episiotomy rate, and much more one-onone education for women so that they are informed of their choices and confident in their body’s ability to birth. Typically midwives in hospital settings do more high-risk deliveries than in home practices because a surgeon or OB/GYN is already on hand.

“I originally wanted to be an artist or wedding cake decorator. I was afraid of needles and had never even babysat before I had my own baby, but I started going to births as labor support for friends. And I think midwifery just found me. To be a midwife, you have to be comfortable sharing the best and most joyous moments with people as well as the tragic and tough times. Above all, you have to know that it would be unimaginable to ever NOT be a midwife.”

“I thought, wow, I cannot believe a human just came out of another human.” Cindy

Stein Urbanc, one of six midwives at Kaiser Hospital.

DECONSTRUCTING Diamonds

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A DIAMOND: THE 4 C’S

Cut : Mined, rough diamonds are converted into the brilliant sparkling gems through “cutting.” Because the cut of a diamond will greatly affect the diamond’s brilliance (how much light is reflected) this is one of the most important factors when buying a diamond. A poorly cut diamond will not be as luminous. The Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) rating for cuts are Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.

Clarity: This is determined by the amount of flaws or “inclusions” on a diamond, which can impair the light passing through a diamond and affect its luminance. The highest rating is Flawless F1, then moves down the scale from Internally Flawless to VVS1 then VVS2, to VS1 and VS2, then down to SI1 and SI2. Anything after this and flaws become visible to the naked eye.

Color : The highest rating for color is D, which is considered “colorless.” A D-rated diamond can be 25 times more expensive than a K-rated diamond, which will be more yellow-tinted.

Carat : As the carat weight of a diamond increases, so does the value and rarity, although two diamonds of equal weight can vary in price due to the cut, clarity and color.

Blood Diamonds?

In 2003, the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme was introduced to ensure diamonds were sourced from conflict free regions, making the presence of blood diamonds almost non-existent today. Most rough diamonds come from Russia, Africa and recently India and Canada, and then are cut in Israel. Depending on where the diamond is sourced from, it will exhibit different shades of white or yellow.

Colored Diamonds

Trace elements can produce colored diamonds (nitrogen, for example, creates a

yellow diamond and boron creates blue), but because naturally colored diamonds are rare, a technology called High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) treatment can create diamonds in all hues of pink, yellow or blue and more.

In November 2010, a 24.78-carat “fancy intense pink” diamond was sold at Sotheby’s for $46 million, making it the most expensive price ever paid for a jewel.

Moshe Hakemolo, who is the vice president of the Diamond Syndicate, the largest wholesale diamond company in Hawai‘i for the past 37 years, was consulted for this article. He received his first diamond – an earring – from his grandma when he was 13, although turns out, someone pulled a fast one on grandma and sold her a cubic zirconia. He’s been selling diamonds for more than 12 years and estimates he’s sold 6,000 diamonds since. He no longer wears diamond earrings.

No, it’s not what you think …

Rona Bennett, left, and Lan Chung in their newly opened T-shirt boutique, Tee Tee Bar.

REINVENTING THE TEE

Tee Tee Bar

On a recent trip to Chinatown, I run into a local business owner. “Where are you rushing off to?” I ask.

“Titty bar,” he says without cracking a smile.

“What?”

“Tee Tee Bar,” he says again, this time enunciating.

Oh, right.

I had heard about the new T-shirt boutique that popped up next to Fighting Eel a while back but didn’t know much about it. All I knew was that it carried some unique brands that I had never seen anywhere else. Then I found out Tee Tee Bar was the newest project for Fighting Eel designers Rona Bennett and Lan Chung. It was, essentially, Fighting Eel’s younger, spunkier brother.

With the steady success of Fighting Eel’s signature, buttery-soft modal and versatility of style, Bennett and Chung saw an opportunity for a new venture after moving into the expansive street-side location that was to be Fighting Eel’s chic, new flagship store.

“We always try to think of new ideas,” says Bennett, “that’s the fun part of the business for us. We always wanted to create a space that’s almost like a family T-shirt shop. This isn’t a space specialized just for the hipster or surfer or skater, this is a place

where everybody can go and get shirts.”

Bennett takes the work out of finding cool artistic tees by scouring the Internet and fashion blogs so that you don’t have to. She handpicks the shirts especially for the store. There’s Palmer Cash’s “Hug Me I’m Hairy,” “Pure Source” by Lighting Bolt and the ever popular “Mucho Aloha” shirt by Pidgin Orange, which is “just Hawaiian enough,” Chung says, for tourists and locals alike to enjoy. While the store specializes in men’s and children’s tees, Bennett is slowly expanding to increase Tee Tee Bar’s women’s selection.

And while the store continues to see increasing clientele, there are, as with any new endeavor, growing pains, like assessing how many shirts to order, or figuring out that women want looser-bodied tops with interesting silhouettes, and bigger guys are looking for XXL.

“I think our success stems from the fact that we’re not afraid to change,” says Bennett, “because a lot of people when they have an idea, they stick with it, like this is my concept, and I’m going to make it work no matter what. Lan and I are very flexible. We’ve learned through business that if you’re going to fail, you fail quickly, move on and figure out what works. There’s no ego involved.”

That mentality is also how the two remain business partners, as well as good

friends. Not only do Bennett and Chung work together, but they also lived together at one point for nine years. “And we haven’t killed each other yet,” Chung chimes in. Any female would say this is nothing short of a miracle. Although they first met in the second grade, it wasn’t until Bennett applied for a job at women’s retailer Arden B. did the two reconnect.

Despite moving out as roommates, getting married and a 1-year-old baby for Chung, they still travel around the world together for inspiration. “You have to see what’s out there, because you can get stuck in a rut,” says Bennett. “For us, as soon as we go someplace there are a million ideas popping in our heads. The world is saturated, everything is everywhere, but there are still a lot of good concepts you can translate to work here in Hawai‘i.”

So whether it’s a tee, a Balinese-inspired boat tour, or a Parisian-style crepe stand, Bennett and Chung are sure to reinvent whatever comes next.

Tee Tee Bar is located at 1131 Bethel Street, next to Fighting Eel. Follow Tee Te Bar on Twitter @teeteebar.

Don’t let

fool

her cuteness

you, Cindy King is a design machine, creating everything a girl needs to get glammed up. Shown in Acid Dolls boutique in Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

UNLEASHING THE CUTENESS

Cindy King, Owner/Designer of Acid Dolls

She was only 3 years old, and Cindy King would sneak into her mother’s closet and drawers to play dress-up. They lived in Taiwan then. One day, she asked her mom, “When you die, can I have all of your clothes and jewelry?” A cute question coming from a little girl … it was clear then that Cindy was in love with fashion.

Today, at age 29, Cindy King is the founder, owner and designer of Acid Dolls, a Hawai‘i-based, urban fashion line that says cute, sexy, fun and edgy. Walking through her new boutique at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, you can find pieces that are bold, artistic, simple, and just plain hot. It’s apparel for the 21st century girl who can’t be put in a box.

Cindy herself is a blend of cultures. She was born in Taiwan, raised in Hawai‘i, and now continues to travel to Asia a few times a year. Acid Dolls is a product of what Cindy sees in fashion: East meets West, with an island flair. This is why the boutique does so well in the heart of Waik ī k ī , where tourists from the world over can buy a trendy outfit from Hawai‘i that isn’t a mu‘umu‘u.

While many of Acid Dolls manufacturers are now in Taiwan and China, the company did not start out like this. Early in 2003, when she first released the line with former partner Ceci Kim, the two fashion design students from UH Mā noa made clothes by hand for friends, fashion

shows and small local shops. After two years of juggling constant orders, college work and part-time jobs, the girls needed a break.

Ceci moved to the mainland, and Cindy took a full time job doing accounting at her aunt’s travel agency. In December of 2008, she felt it was time to bring Acid Dolls back. With the help of her business savvy sister Wendy and the financial support of her mother, Acid Dolls opened an online store. That year, in 2009, Cindy sewed all the clothes herself. The sisters traveled to Taiwan together in search of the right manufacturers, and after long, exhausting hunts at various shoe shows, they finally found the one. Meanwhile, Cindy joined forces with celebrity stylist and socialite Crystal Pancipanci to promote the name of Acid Dolls. Crystal’s company Panci Style produced the Acid Dolls’ debut at the Honolulu Design Center in August 2009, entitled “Fashion Unleashed,” a red carpet gala event. Dozens of media showed up, and the event was well covered on local TV, newspapers, magazines and social networks.

It was after this event that the property manager of Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center contacted Cindy. They loved her styles and the fact that she was a local designer, and they wanted Acid Dolls in their mall. Cindy wasn’t exactly ready to open her own retail store, but Royal Hawaiian

gave her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She signed the lease late that year, and immediately friends, family and fellow artists poured in to help design the store, build shelves, assemble fixtures, paint walls, hang clothes and decorate mannequins. After about 14 days of incessant work, the first exclusive Acid Dolls store was ready for its grand opening in January 2010.

It’s been a successful year in Waik ī k ī , so I ask Cindy, “What’s next?”

“Of course, another fashion show,” she says, “but I would also like to open up a men’s shop, obviously not called Acid Dolls! But as for Acid Dolls, I’d like to see it become a top shop where exclusive designers can feature their limited editions. For me, it’s all about collaboration. I’m inspired by other artists.”

For the latest in cuteness, check out Acid Dolls at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, 3rd Floor or visit www.aciddollshawaii.com.

DJ Anit can get hyphy in and out of the box. Shown at Crazybox, where she’s the resident DJ from Thursday through Saturday, along with Compose and Eskae.

THE LADY OF ‘TATAKUN’

DJ Anit

It would be difficult to picture DJ Anit, also known by her given name Tina Viernes, in any other occupation than a DJ. Naturally filled with a contagious energy, it’s hard not to smile upon meeting her. That’s the kind of energy that one person needs to keep a whole club full of partygoers moving. And if you know Tina’s first name, it doesn’t take long to figure out the origins of her DJ moniker. (It’s “Tina” spelled backwards for those of you who still can’t figure it out.)

Tina’s passion is her work. She’s ambitious to want to obtain a Las Vegas DJ residency one day, but she doesn’t seem coldly calculating in fulfilling her career goals. It’s more like her genuine love for music and DJ-ing drives her toward a lifestyle that would naturally lead into something bigger and better.

At only 24 years old, Tina is already a veteran DJ, having begun scratching vinyl at age 14, thanks to friends DJ Yogurt, Revise and Compose, among other locally big-name DJs. “I was just messing with turntables, and I ended up liking it,” Tina says, modestly. Her mother also was pivotal in her development as a DJ, as she was the one who bought Tina her first set of turntables. “My mom is awesome,” she says with – what else? – a smile. Tina also credits DJ collectives Nocturnal Sound Krew and Architechs for being supportive and welcoming of her. Of note is the fact that when she does work with Architechs, Tina

is the only female DJ. As for her equipment, Tina switched from vinyl to Serato a few years ago, with hopes of learning Ableton soon.

Starting off as largely a hip-hop DJ, it was spinning internationally in places such as Singapore and the Philippines that expanded Tina’s taste and repertoire. “It’s not always about hip-hop … internationally it’s about house and electro. I didn’t want to be this one type of genre,” she says. Since then, Tina has been branching out, adding R&B and hype music to her DJ vault, making her own mash-ups and remixes. Afrojack, A-Trak, Cut Copy and Diplo are among her favorites artists now, but Tina is open to all kinds of music, swapping with friends and obtaining her own musical finds daily. “I collect music every day. I just want to keep my music up to date. I don’t want my sets to be boring and redundant,” says the diligent DJ.

While at the University of San Francisco from 2004–2008 as a management major, Tina obtained regular gigs at venues such as Poleng Lounge, Club Six and Skylark, all the while DJ-ing at The W Hotel whenever visiting home in Honolulu. Tina is not sure if the venues knew she was underage at the time, but it’s clear her skill surpassed any thought of how young she was. For someone who instantly builds a great rapport with the audience, who would have cared? “I react toward the

crowd, I feed off the crowd. I’ll freaking dance with the crowd,” she says. With this spontaneity comes the fact that Tina never puts together a set before a gig. “I go by the vibe and the sound,” she says of her inthe-moment decisions that seem to always work (and work it).

A residency at The Waikiki EDITION’s Crazybox from Thursdays through Saturdays affords Tina the full-time DJ lifestyle – and she’s loving it. “I play different genres at Crazybox. What you hear at Crazybox isn’t like a regular nightclub. It’s just awesome,” she says. People can also hear Tina’s mixes on Da Bomb 102.7 FM on Saturday nights, and if that isn’t enough for you, look forward to a couple of mixtapes DJ Anit plans to put out this year.

To keep up with DJ Anit, follow her on Twitter @anit808.

Croatian-born underwater photogra

pher, Bruna Stude, shown with her gallery “assistant” Brolie, at Galerie 103 in Kaua‘i. Tom Lieber’s “Sounding” shown left.

SURFACING ON KAUA‘I

Bruna Stude, Galerie 103

Raised in the Croatian port town of Split on the Dalmatian Coast in the 1960s, Bruna Stude’s earliest memories are of the Adriatic Sea. Her first ambitions, Stude recalls, involved water.

“My goal, when I was little, was to dive underwater from one end of the harbor to the other. I never got to the other end, but I never stopped trying. I sometimes feel I’m still doing it.”

As a child Stude was taught to appreciate all art forms. “My grandfather was an artist, my sister’s a classical ballerina and a lot of my family is in music.” When she was 10 Stude got her first camera and began photographing her dog, her family, and anything else that caught her eye. In her late 20s, Stude left Split and became a crewmember on boats that took her around the world several times over.

Exploring the world’s seas, Stude began taking underwater pictures, a subject that has become her hallmark. For Stude, living afloat for the better part of 17 years, mostly in pursuit of “someplace warm,” al -

lowed her to photograph marine life in the Galapagos, Micronesia, the Caribbean and the Red Sea, to name a few.

When Stude and her partner Carter Corey sailed to O‘ahu in 2000, she realized she’d found the islands she’d been dreaming of since childhood — a place with endless summer. “I always wanted to live somewhere you could swim year-round.”

In 2002 Stude dropped her proverbial anchor on Kaua‘i, where she began exhibiting her photography in a Hanap ē p ē gallery, but when it closed, she and fellow artists found themselves without a venue. Fortuitously, a new retail space called Kukui‘ula Village was recruiting new tenants. For Stude, this was her chance to open her own gallery — Galerie 103.

Amongst Kaua‘i’s small, but vibrant art community, Stude saw the potential to showcase accomplished artists from Hawai‘i and elsewhere. Works by William T. Wiley and H. C. Westermann were suddenly available to a growing body of collectors and viewers on Kaua‘i who valued a

class of art beyond stock “island art” found in souvenir galleries.

Since July 2009, Stude has been owner, curator, and director for the 2,400 square foot space, which looks and feels more like a gallery one finds in Los Angeles or New York City than in a neighbor-island resort retail complex.

Galerie 103 is divided into two spaces: the main gallery where large works are exhibited, and an adjacent smaller annex Stude calls Galerie+, which features smaller format works and sculptures, objects and art books representing the artists Galerie 103 has shown.

Before opening the gallery, Stude already knew most of the artists who have exhibited at Galerie 103 save for one — Tom Lieber, a north shore-based abstract painter whose paintings are found in collections on both coasts and in Europe, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim in New York City, The Tate Gallery in London and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Mac James, “Baitball,” 2009 Oil + graphite on canvas over veneer, 64 x 96 inches

When Stude finally met Lieber, she says he taught her many of the ins and outs of the business of running a gallery.

For Lieber’s part, he praises what he calls Stude’s “keen sense of finding the best of anything and everything, from art to lighting to books” in order to create a “rewarding experience for discriminating viewers.”

Besides working with top Hawai‘i artists like Doug Britt, Christopher Reiner and others, Gallerie 103 is, for Stude, a vehicle for challenging misconceptions about art in the islands. Hawai‘i offers so much more than simply a beautiful setting for artists to depict. Hawai‘i has become, Stude says, “a center of conceptual awareness and critical debate, especially for environmental issues.”

One project in which Stude has combined her own talents as a photographer

with a fellow Kaua‘i artist was in making the short film Love Sharks which captures the natural enthusiasm and affection children exhibit for the ocean’s most fearsome creature as inspired by Anahola artist Mac James’ “Ikaika” exhibition.

Through the artists exhibiting at Galerie 103 and her own photographic studies of the ocean, Stude fosters a love of the arts, teaches the importance of marine environments and, perhaps just figuratively, gets a little bit closer to the other end of the harbor.

Visit www.FLUXhawaii.com to check out Love Sharks.

Galerie 103

2829 Ala Kalaniakumaka Kukui‘ula Village Visit galerie103.com for more information.

Margaret Ezekiel Solo Exhibition: “Procession”

Galerie+

Rosa Silver

On display March 3 - April 30, 2011

Margaret Ezekiel, “Awakening” 2010 Charcoal on paper, 30 x 44 inches

THE TECHNOLOGY of Toning

TEXT BY JENNY FIT

The newest innovation in workout apparel says you can have your cake, eat it, and still look great in skinny jeans, without hitting the gym. Burn calories while you sit! Tones while you shop! From footwear to underwear, we analyze the technology of toning products available in the marketplace.

SHAPERS

Although popularized by Skechers in 2009, toning shoes are now available from brands like New Balance, Reebok and Easy Spirit and available in a wealth of colors and styles. Probably at least one person you know now owns a pair, be it a slipper, athletic shoe or sandal.

TECHNOLOGY :

Toning shoes start with the soles. These soles are deliberately unstable so that to stand or walk in these shoes, you must engage more muscles than when using regular shoes. Reebok, whose shoes utilize balance-

ball inspired technology commissioned a study by the University of Delaware and found that electrical activity increased by 28 percent in butt muscles and 11 percent in hamstring and calf muscles when using Easy Tone shoes rather than traditional walking shoes.

Does it work? A recent study by the American Council on Exercise found that toning shoes don’t work your muscles any more than regular athletic shoes and may also put you at higher risk of injury. Although, in my experience I have noticed that I become fatigued quicker when wearing toning shoes versus regular athletic shoes. I don’t know if that means my body is working harder because of the shoe, but I do know I’d rather workout in shoes that make me look and feel good, instead of feeling self-conscious for having big waffle-like stompers attached to my cankles.

RECOMMENDATIONS :

Skip the toning shoes and go with something you feel confident, sexy and comfortable in. You’ll push yourself harder when you’re in shoes that are fly. Interestingly enough, Nike has refused to buy into the toning shoe hype, saying they have not created a toning shoe because they don’t believe in it.

SPANX

On the heels of the popularity of toning shoes, companies have started creating all sorts of toning clothing, from toning tanks and pants to even hosiery and socks.

TECHNOLOGY :

Toning clothing falls into three categories: undergarments, compression garments and workout clothing. Toning undergarments, like Shapercise, can be worn all day under your clothing. It utilizes resistance technology, with resistance bands placed directly in the garment that demands an “additional muscular effort when walking or moving, which consequently strength -

ens and tones,” according to their website.

Compression garments, like Skins, are “body-moulded gradient compression performance equipment with built-in BioAcceleration Technology, or as Charlotte Anderson on iVillage puts it, “these pants are tighter than liquid latex but without all the fun colors.” Compression garments are meant to increase circulation and blood flow while you’re working out to enhance performance and decrease muscles soreness felt after intense workouts.

Workout clothing not only can help you smooth over your lovely lady lumps, but according to Fila, can increase muscle workout by 50 percent. Reebok too utilizes “Resistone” bands to create resistance as you move. There’s even toning socks. So now your feet can get a workout too! According to Toe Sox, their “unique five-toe design allows the entire foot to perform naturally, encouraging toes to separate, which activates the muscles in the feet.”

You be the judge of that one for yourself.

Does it work? Most consumer reviews state that toning undergarments are so tight that you would be better off just buying a girdle. In compression garments, while the BioAcceleration technology did help to alleviate muscle soreness post-workout, at more than $100 a pop, you might just opt instead for toning workout clothing. I tried Fila’s toning pants and found they were comfortable and made me look one size smaller.

RECOMMENDATIONS :

I would recommend Fila’s toning tights. They were flattering, and were tight enough to make me think my muscles were working harder even if they really weren’t. The best thing about these garments is that they prevent that unflattering back fat, bra overhang and the dreaded muffin top that arises from too-tight leggings.

Conclusion : Clothes won’t curl for you, although if it gets you in the gym, go hogwild. Confidence breeds a higher propensity to workout, which breeds a healthier, hotter you.

GREEN ENVIRONMENT

Photovoltaic: Light at the End of the Tunnel

TEXT BY SARAH RUPPENTHAL | IMAGE COURTESY RISING SUN SOLAR

Right now, as you flip through the pages of this magazine, a massive oil tanker is slicing through the choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean, bound for the Hawaiian Islands. This oil tanker, and others like it, will embark on a 2,500-mile voyage twice a week or more for one reason alone: to quench our ever-increasing thirst for oil.

It’s possible that someday, this weekly odyssey will be all for naught, but today, that is far from a reality. Arguably, Hawai‘i could be the poster child for the clean energy movement. With its profusion of sunshine, heat and wind (and let’s toss in hydroelectricity and geothermal energy while we’re at it), the state is a shoo-in for energy sovereignty.

Therein lies the paradox: With so many resources at our disposal, why does Hawai‘i continue to earn the dubious distinction of having the highest electricity rates in the nation? Not to mention, the state relies on imported oil for nearly 90 percent of its energy needs, despite a pledge made in 2008 by Gov. Linda Lingle to generate 70 percent of our power from clean energy sources by 2030. This, ostensibly, gave the proverbial green light to renewable energy

providers to kick our imported oil habit, which hasn’t happened yet. But there is a ray of hope (literally), as the state’s solar industry is gaining ground. To many, it’s a no-brainer: In a sun-drenched state like Hawai‘i, harnessing the rays of the sun via a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system is a sound solution to a rather expensive problem.

Even so, PV largely remains in the dark, especially when it comes to policymaking, as solar providers often encounter hurdles when it comes to tying into the utility grid and, consumers face a number of restrictions imposed by the utility company.

But one Maui company is determined to shed some light on the status quo and revolutionize the way we use power. Rising Sun Solar & Electric, based on Maui’s North Shore, has emerged as a voice for PV and a frontrunner in Hawai‘i’s burgeoning solar industry.

Ten years ago, two surf buddies, Brad Albert and Matias Besasso, discovered they shared the same dream: to bring clean, reliable and affordable renewable energy technology to homes and businesses throughout the Maui community and beyond. But it wasn’t easy. Starting up a solar energy

company in a competitive marketplace that had not quite absorbed the concept of solar power posed a unique set of challenges, but today, Besasso and Albert’s dream is a reality, a living testament to the power of the entrepreneurial spirit.

So, how does PV work? It’s easier than it looks once you come to realize that the sun offers so much more than a killer tan and a healthy dose of vitamin D. Best of all, it will save you a decent chunk of change – oh, and save the planet in the process. The good news is you don’t need to be a science whiz to jump on the solar bandwagon – spend a few minutes with Albert (or visit Rising Sun’s Website at www.risingsunsolar.com) and you’ll see the light, so to speak.

Despite all of their success, the two friends haven’t lost sight of their initial order of business: to reduce the human ecological footprint on our planet. So far, Besasso and Albert have taken strides toward achieving this goal, and will hopefully inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Now that’s a bright idea, isn’t it?

Solar installation at Kihei Lutheran Church.

“Since the world is only changing slowly for individual women, that means we have to change internally, give ourselves limits.” – Professor Mari Matsuda shown with her son Paul, husband Chuck and daughter Kimi.

SUPER WOMEN

Mari Matsuda, Allison Wong, Noelani Love

TEXT BY TIFFANY HERVEY & LISA YAMADA | IMAGES BY JOHN HOOK

Is it true that children will ruin your life?

A recent cover story in New York Magazine, “All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting,” which examined the relationship between raising children and happiness, woefully summed up research on the topic: “As a rule, most studies show that mothers are less happy than fathers, that single parents are less happy still, that babies and toddlers are the hardest and that each successive child produces diminishing returns.” It’s all enough to make any guy or gal thinking about having children go sterile.

And if you’re a woman with a career? Forget about it. You’re likely to work long hours, spend less time with your children and spouse, and more likely to forget about why those darn kids ever made you happy in the first place because you’re too busy thinking about getting them to soccer/ piano/baseball/hula/taekwondo practice on time, while stirring the spaghetti and changing the litter box, as you bounce your third child on your hip.

But here’s the glimmer of hope – because there is one – shining every so faintly through the impossibility of the current strain of thought: It’s possible. More than that, it’s purposeful, which inevitably leads to happiness and fulfillment. That New York magazine article goes on to cite Martin Seligman, a psychologist and self-help author with seven children of his own, who says that “happiness is best defined in the ancient Greek sense: leading a productive, purposeful life. And the way we take stock of that life, in the end, isn’t by how much fun we had, but what we did with it.”

Here we feature three women who are, despite what all the studies say, happily doing the extraordinary. They may not be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they can raise a family, find success in professional life, and still be poised doing it. And that’s pretty super.

MARI MATSUDA

Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i, Mā noa Mother of three

“Cuban dance is like salsa, but I think it’s hipper than salsa because you have a little more of that backbeat. Everyone lines up in a circle, and everyone’s doing the same thing, and you keep going round and round in a circle until they call ‘switch!’ The moves are swift, and the music is good .”

I’m sitting in Professor Mari Matsuda’s office at the William S. Richardson School of Law at UH Mā noa, and she’s explaining to me the technique behind Cuban dance. It’s one of the things she does, she tells me, to be kind to herself. “You know, for women I think we’re so socialized to do for others all the time that it can become easy to lose yourself, then when you get depressed or angry, hostile, passive aggressive – whatever – you’re not that much use to the people around you.”

Like most women, Mari switches roles as quick as she changes Cuban dance partners. Only this time it’s at the call of those around her. She goes from mother to lawyer to professor to activist on a daily basis and is physical proof that you can possess both a highly impactful career and have a family. “For me the question was not, ‘Is it possible?’ For me, the question was, ‘Is it possible not to do it?’ She pauses to take a sip of tea. Then articulates, quietly, thoughtfully, “For some people, they can cross off one of those things – either career or family – at least for a big chunk of their life, but for me, that was not possible. Having children was a really important part of who I am, in part because I admire my own mother and her mother and all the strong women that came before me.” She contemplates our plantation history: “It’s not like the women in our background had a choice to work or not. They worked and had kids, sometimes right on the side of

the cane field. You know, the babies right there beside them in the basket!”

Just as important as having children, though, was advancing social justice and equal rights. She is gracious when she recounts moments in her career she is most proud of: becoming the first tenured female Asian American law professor in the United States while teaching at UCLA’s School of Law; being invited by South Africa’s supreme court at the end of apartheid to help interpret a new constitution for the country; being invited to the White House for a reception for leaders in the Asian American community; having authored three of the 10 most-cited law review articles according to a list compiled by a Yale Law School librarian.

“Now here’s what’s not possible,” she says. “It’s not possible to be a good mother as a patriarchal society conventionally defines it, and to be a first-rate professional, as a patriarchal society defines it – at the same time. … So we need to readjust our ideas of what it means to be a good professional and a good parent. You are not going to be able to make the Halloween costume, bake the cookies from scratch, show up for every school event, and run your professional life the way most businesses expect you to run it if you’re going to rise to the top. And since the world is only changing slowly for individual women, that means we have to change internally, give ourselves limits.”

In fact, just a few nights before, Mari faced one of those tough decisions that every parent, who’s also a professional, inevitably faces. Her 15-year-old son Paul had a basketball game at the same time one of her students was giving an important presentation on islamaphobia and homophobia. She had to make a choice. She chose to see her son’s game, then immediately dashed over to the University to hear the second half of the presentation, Paul still in his basketball jersey. “Chuck’s out of town so if I don’t go, Paulie has no parent at the game,” she explains. “You can survive that, but at some point you have to say, sometimes the kid deserves to have their perspective taken.”

As much as Mari and Chuck are involved in their kids’ lives, the kids are also very much intertwined into mom’s and dad’s. Kimi, 16, and Paul regularly attended demonstrations in Washington D.C. against police brutality or anti-war and gay rights demonstrations, where 10,000 people piled

into the streets, all simultaneously standing up for what they believed in. (Mari’s oldest step-daughter, was already an adult when Chuck and Mari were married.) There were days when one of the kids was sick, and because she couldn’t find childcare, Mari had to bring them into her classroom. “So they would be sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag, while I’m teaching on torts.” Ultimately, though, what Kimi and Paul got to see through it all was a wider world, a unique set of experiences that have resulted in two of the most well-adjusted teenagers this author has ever seen.

Still, Mari acknowledges that parenting is not easy. “A lot of it is just physical, and you’re not sleeping, and you’re just trying to survive. Get up, go to work, pick up the kids, make sure they’re fed, give them a bath, all that.” Because of the stresses that arise when raising children and juggling careers, Mari says that it can become easy to forget why you were ever attracted to your spouse, “when mostly, what you’re doing is using your partner as someone to do half the work. And if they’re doing less than half you get pissed off.

“I don’t think it’s possible to make a lifetime partnership with someone and raise kids together and not have conflict. Pain. Work. Everybody gets pushed to the breaking point, and a lot of people don’t make it past because you do forget to honor and value the individual you chose to make a life with when the weight of everything else is pressing down on you. … But if the love is there, at the end, you look at each other, and you say, all that work we did, it makes the love deeper and stronger.”

ALLISON WONG

Executive Director,

The Contemporary Museum Mother of two

It’s 7:15 p.m. at the dinner table in Allison Wong’s house and Cameron, her 11-yearold son, is still talking about Scott Yoell’s sculpture installation at The Contemporary Museum’s Biennial exhibition. “So how many do you think there were, mom?” he asks again. “A hundred? A thousand?”

Allison smiles when she realizes she doesn’t know the answer to her son’s inquisitive question, even though she is the executive director of the museum. “You know what?” she tells Cameron, “I don’t

think we ever asked him. So that’s a very good question.” With them at the dinner table are also Allison’s husband Thomas and their youngest son Evan, who’s 8. You wouldn’t guess by the calm scene at the dinner table now, but Allison’s day actually started in a flurry 13 hours before. Up at 6:15 a.m. Breakfast, then pack lunches. Drop off to school at 7:30 – Cameron to Punahou, Evan to Noelani Elementary. Dash home, wash dishes, start a load of laundry. Note to babysitter. Arrive at The Contemporary Museum 8:30, 9:00 if she’s running late. Meetings to attend, schedules to coordinate, exhibitions to plan. A call from Evan’s school saying he’s sick at 11 a.m. Missed meeting with client at TCM. Pickup the boys at 2:30 p.m. Soccer at 4:00. Soccer ends at 5:30. Cook dinner. Eat dinner. Homework. Bath, bed, story, lights out for the boys at 9:00. Catch up on emails, Facebook updates and newsletter blasts, logistics, strategies. 11 p.m. Sleep. “Then we do it all over again.” It’s a packed schedule that any mom/ professional might be familiar with. (Mari Matsuda outlines a similar day.) “It is a juggling act,” Allison says of balancing career and family life, “so sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. I think, though, as long as you are always completely honest to yourself and to your partner and to your family, you can definitely find that balance.” But, she clarifies, “it’s not always easy.”

Allison’s ascent into the art world began from early on. With art collectors for parents, Allison would frequently go gallery hopping with her father. Though she says she’s not artistic by nature, Allison always knew her future lay somewhere in the art world. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland, which historically is a college for women only, and worked as an intern (unpaid) at both The Honolulu Academy of Art and The Contemporary Museum. Eventually TCM asked her to stay. She was promoted to the curator for TCM’s First Hawaiian Center space, where she worked for 10 years before she moved to Fine Arts Associates as an art consultant, then to the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts where she was the director of the art in public places program. All that to say, she experienced the gamut of the art world: “I went from non-profit to for-profit to government, so it really gave me an outlook on how our state is structured in the arts.”

“Can I do it? Will I have the time? Can I put 110 percent into it? … But I decided to take a chance and make it work.” –The

Contemporary Museum executive director Allison Wong, with sons Cameron and Evan and husband Thomas.

“I make my own schedule and my own money – I feel like I’m happier because I am a single parent.” –

her son Aukai.

Jewelry designer Noelani Love shown with

Although many in the art world would consider the position of executive director a dream job, Allison’s decision to accept was not an easy one. “I was on the fence forever about it,” she recalls. “I had to ask myself, ‘Can I do it? Will I have the time? Can I put 110 percent into it?’ … But I decided to take a chance and make it work.”

Though she finds herself away from her family more than she would like (at exhibition openings and social events for the museum, traveling to other states and countries for work), Allison still finds a way to be involved in her children’s lives as much as possible. Somehow she finds time to manage being PTA and classroom president, to chair silent auctions, to participate in school fairs and song festival.

Allison says the most important thing in managing the precarious balance between work and family is “having a partner that’s supportive. … So yeah, he can make home lunch and get all the boys’ things together,” she says of her husband, who works as a contractor. “And eating together. I just celebrated my 40th birthday, and we went to Tokkuri-Tei. Tat’s one of our favorite spots, along with shabu shabu, which is both of my boys’ favorite. Oh, they love it! And they love cooking.” I guess what they say is true: A family that eats together stays together.

NOELANI LOVE

Entrepreneur/Designer, Noelani Designs Single mother of one

Meeting Noe at the beach is easy. We set a vague time and surf break, and then I show up and look for pink. For some reason she is always dressed in pink. As a successful local jewelry designer, Noe has fabulous taste, but her personal pink obsession has always been an entertaining quirk. Today, I’m almost blinded by a blur of varying shades of hot pink coming toward me on the bike path. Noe’s two-year-old son Aukai is nestled in front of her, gripping the handlebars of the bike, screaming, “Hi Auntie Tiffomeeee!”

This isn’t how it was supposed to be. Noe and I had big plans when we moved into a little house on the North Shore a few years ago. This was not a scenario either of us dreamed of. What was it John Lennon

said? “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.”

Noe and Aukai are both beaming and giggling as we ride to drop him off at preschool. I remember the day she moved out of the house with him in her belly; the day he was born; all the days between then and now when it all seemed so big and overwhelming. The truth is, Noe embarked on being a mother the way she does everything: with grace and constant refinement. I’ve watched her make tough decisions out of integrity rather than fear, and the results are increasingly rewarding.

“I feel like I’m happier because I am a single parent,” Noe says. “There’s more freedom and not as much conflict since I only have to consider my needs and Aukai’s. I make my own schedule and make my own money. I call on my friends and family a lot for support. I couldn’t do it without them.” She lives and works from her home studio on the North Shore, which means she gets in the car maybe three times a week. “It’s such a great community up here.” She adds, “We help each other. There’s not much hustle bustle. We don’t care about going to the movies or going out. We have the beach, and we’re happy with that.”

Beyond the bronze appeal of her Hawaiian-Chinese-Scottish-French-English mix, Noelani Love has that sparkle – that special look of someone who is living a purposeful life. While becoming a single mom has definitely lit a fire under the entrepreneur to accomplish career goals much faster, she has always been passionate about what she loves and wanted to do from an early age.

None of her success thus far was in a business plan per se, but constantly striving to be a better version of her self is at the core of what makes her prosperous. Had she a plan, she probably wouldn’t have planned to be a single mother at 25, but she wouldn’t change a thing. She would have envisioned having her own store, but selling at Hale‘iwa Farmers Market on Sundays and stocking her jewelry in 15 local boutiques and 11 stores nationally and internationally has worked out just fine.

The jewelry, made of rock, precious stones, shell, wood, and sustainably grown mother of pearl, embodies the natural ele -

ments that inspire Noe. The designs, each named after a different girlfriend or customer, reflect a woman’s curves and Mother Nature’s fine lines. The pieces truly emphasize skin tone and face shape in a way that gives each woman an inimitable glow. And just like the natural forms they emulate, the pieces are timeless.

“It’s all a dream come true,” Noe says of her life and style. “I represent a dreamer’s lifestyle, just always being loving, improving yourself and the world around you, standing up for what you believe in, and owning your power.” She believes that each design she makes holds energy, not just from the natural materials, but because she is crafting each piece with the intention of empowering women to feel beautiful. “I put love into every piece,” Noe says. “I think when women put it on they can feel that love and in turn feel beautiful.”

Noe’s clientele is really part of her ‘ohana, as each paying customer becomes a friend, because she listens to them and uses their feedback to evolve her craft. “I’m never satisfied with feeling comfortable,” she says. “I know there’s always something to be done to be better.”

Noelani Love is an artist, business owner and single mother who surmounts her daily challenges with the simple belief that everything is going to be fine as long as she remains grateful and committed to growth. “Constant gratitude and a positive attitude – that’s what keeps me going,” she explains. “I have to just roll with it all and be appreciative because there’s a blessing in every challenge if we choose to see it.”

“Kama Puaa,” is a demi-god who usually appears as a handsome man, but takes the form of a boar when his brutal desires to destroy overcome him.

MEN ON FIRE

Borrowing intelligently from indigenous and Western practices, thinkers in Hawai‘i are re-imaging the concept of manhood.

TEXT BY SONNY GANADEN | ARTWORK BY SOLOMON ENOS

Let me just say this first, knowing just enough feminist theory to begin with a disclaimer; I realize that writing about gender from a straight male perspective could really get me in trouble. Considering we have it a lot easier in this culture, there are things men shouldn’t say about women and power. Dudes aren’t (usually) the gender known to internalize a world that places so much worth on feminine youth and beauty. Seeing the world from this Y-chromosome-tinted perspective means to some extent we are incapable of true understanding. As bell hooks, the American author, feminist and social activist, notes, “Any coming to critical consciousness simply heightens the reality of contradictions … To focus on them is to expose our complicity, to expose the reality that even the most politically aware among us are often compelled by circumstances we do not control to submit, to collude.”

Evolving concepts of gender and the reality of contradictions bring up uncomfortable questions. How do you go “there” without being introspective about the variety and novelty of ways men tend to disappoint the women in their lives? Or the easy ways it is to be complicit in patriarchy and objectification? Yabba Dabba Doo she looks good in that dress; am I colluding? Supposing that most guys lack the critical thinking, things can get a little confusing even for those of us raised by progressive women and after-school Oprah to cringe at the B-word. Tere’s nothing worse than knowing just enough of MacKinnon’s post-marxist feminist theory to ruin a perfectly boring relationship or a pleasant night of drinking. It means the politically aware among us are living that heightened reality of contradiction as we decide what to wear tonight, where to be, and who to show up with.

For men, being complicit in misogyny means never really getting it. It also means a lifetime of that thousand-yard stare from powerful women, the one where she’s just waiting for you to say something stupid.

Old models of masculinity that include patriarchy and sexism do not prepare boys for a world where women will increasingly hold the same power cards as men in personal and professional arenas, where leaders are more cognizant of the role emotions play in making decisions. For some thinkers, a major hurdle of true equality is and has been the way men see themselves: as competitors, warriors, providers – or losers for not being competitors, warriors, or providers. We’ll have to go there, as the problems of sexual equality on a global power level remain the same. It is an unfortunate truth that the major religions of the world still consider women as an inferior form, and the vast majority of decisions being made in politics and the economy are made by men. Troubled parts of the world continue to use rape as a tool of war and violence against women as a means of social engineering that can only be described as fucked up. Not thinking about it contributes to the problem.

As we venture into the 21st century, thankfully American culture is changing towards something almost resembling gender equity. Even Jay-Z, known a decade ago for the “Big Pimpin’” masochistic energy of the golden era of hip-hop, has eased his conceptions of power and women. He can be heard discussing his autobiography on NPR, explaining away the objectification in his earlier work as having more to do with his immaturity at the time than it did with sexism. That growing up poor in America’s particular style of capitalism means many emerging artists are young and have never had real relationships. So it’s no surprise that what comes out of the hip-hop generation is boasting, something insincere to provide the illusion of power in a culture that for many won’t give you any unless you take it. It might have taken a few albums, but the bikini and cheap champagne yacht party of “Big Pimpin” is slowly being replaced by the much sexier “Venus” and “Mars.”

Kane, the god of fresh water, in the form of Kanemilohae, seeking Lohi‘au’s spirit off Ka‘ena Point.

From Hi‘iaka epic.

In Hawai‘i we have a culture that borrows much of its normative values outside of American pop culture. Here where women paddle and swim from island to island and run corporations, kids take their cues as much from chubby Jawaiian crooners as they do from rappers. Hawai‘i has been ahead of the curve in gender politics and cultural equality for some time now. Locals and tourists know this place produces strong women; we learn quick that it was a queen that last ran the Hawaiian Kingdom, and that Roosevelt grad Yvonne Elliman was the real disco queen. In 1965, while the continent was tripping over the notion of civil rights as fundamental rights, Hawai‘i elected native daughter Patsy Mink to Congress. It was Patsy Mink who famously pushed through legislation that prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions, giving generations of American women the opportunity to pursue achievements in higher education. It was women who ran for office, represented clients, led labor movements, and made Hawai‘i a more equitable place. We have much to learn, but just as much to teach the world regarding how to raise boys in a community that aims to be fair.

----

I first met Professor Ty P. Kawika Tengan at a controlled burn on Christmas Eve, at the prefabricated faculty housing complex behind the University of Hawai’i at Mā noa. The young professor presents very much as a regular local guy in shorts and aloha print shirt, replete with a smile and an easy demeanor. That Christmas behind the town houses, a cohort of similarly untenured professors dug an imu at the edge of the tended communal lawn abutting Mā noa stream as their kids chased each other under the trees. In the shallow pit they engineered a small, smoldering ziggurat of dense wood, only a few feet high and lined with river stones, oriented to use the wind that famously sweeps through the valley as a natural bellows. The men wanted to get it hot, then regulate the pit to cook everyone’s meat and vegetables perfectly. Within minutes of ignition, the fire crumbled the top of the pyre and revealed a mesmerizing swirling blue flame, a tight and controlled burn of aggressive heat, the lapis color of the summer ocean.

That fire looked like it could melt anything. Hot enough to alter the composition of an idea in a crucible fueled by the trade winds. There, I learned of the professor’s work, from a not-so-regular local guy who is helping to redefine manhood in Hawai‘i from an indigenous academic space, like an intelligently designed cooking pit, merging indigenous concepts with Western knowledge to create a better system.

In his 2008 book Native Men Remade , Tengan describes the practices of the Hale Mua , an organization of Hawaiian men striving to develop a cultural foundation for men to become strong leaders and community members. He writes from his personal experience as a participantobserver and academic. As Tengan describes, “Many indigenous Hawaiian men have felt profoundly disempowered by the legacies of colonization and by the tourist industry, which, in addition to occupying a great deal of land, promotes a feminized image of Native Hawaiians (evident in the ubiquitous figure of the dancing hula girl).”

The Hale Mua focuses on the fighting arts and philosophies of warrior hood, struggling over Hawaiian identity with their bodies. In the first few pages, Tengan describes standing atop Pu‘u Keka‘a, a cliff on the southwest shore of Maui now the site of a Sheraton Hotel parking lot. There the group performed a ceremony; and in an act about both spiritual dedication and gender performance, jumped into the crashing sea several stories below.

Later in the book, Tengan vividly describes the sham battles the group engages in at Pu‘ukohola, the site of a heiau (temple) historically consecrated in the death of warriors on the island of Hawai‘i. The group trains physically for months in preparation for battle. Wearing traditional malo and armed with spears and clubs (that are padded), men from opposing groups battle each other with the very real possibility of physical injury. Tengan describes that “having suffered American political occupation and subsequent racial, political-economic, and cultural transformations that characterize the colonized, displays of bravery and courage in the sham battle brought respect, honor and mana to the lands, communities and culture n ā koa represented.”

‘Aikapu , a religious and political set of laws that enforced gender segregation,

were inherent to the Hawaiian way of life prior to the consolidation of power under Kamehameha in 1810. In the years following the creation of the Kingdom, as the once thriving indigenous population was tragically ravaged by Western disease, new models of gender were brought from foreign shores. The missionaries may have helped bring about the end of punishing girls and women for eating with men or eating the wrong food, but with their introduction of a mercantile capitalist economy and Christianity they instituted a different type of gender acculturation. In the American context of men owning and controlling property, we have forgotten how large a category “Property” once was, including land, water, slaves, children and women. Interestingly, it was men’s work to dig the imu and cook the food.

It is with these competing histories of inequality that the men described in Native Men Remade rework the conception of masculinity. What is striking in describing the book is that it comes off as a simple, if admirably decent academic critique of an indigenous practice. The book however is no straight genre exercise for ivory tower academics or an undergrad taking a Women’s Studies course to fulfill his major requirement. It is a loving critique, the craftsmanship a wonder. That writing about a bunch of guys sitting around talking and figuring out their place in history, reminds us that it is possible to find freedom when one jumps off that tourist-filled cliff and dives deeper.

As Tengan describes the Hawaiian experience of re-imaging masculinity, he shows non-Hawaiians what it means to decolonize the mind. As in the case of the Hale Mua, much of that work for men must be done through our bodies, as sometimes words don’t have the same impact as, well, an actual impact. This physical connection to masculinity isn’t meant just for the Raging Bulls, and may in part explain why mixed martial arts is booming on the islands. If one were to rank the most famous Hawaiian men in the American conception, it would likely include Kamehameha, The Duke, Don Ho, Iz, and BJ Penn rounding out the top five. Guys that wouldn’t dare step foot in a ring have no qualms wearing a

For some thinkers, a major hurdle of true equality is and has been the way men see themselves: as competitors, warriors, providers – or losers for not being competitors, warriors, or providers.

T-shirt proclaiming fandom for a fighter from Hawai‘i island who marches out to “Hawai‘i ’78” and (usually) proceeds to beat another guy senselessly. There’s something visceral about physical power, and if appreciated and utilized, is a way to be brave and courageous without declaring ownership over another.

For other thinkers in Hawai‘i, the question of masculinity continues to be a complex and personal one. It’s not widely known that superstar feminist writer Rebecca Walker lives on Maui. I should preface that with a whirlwind curriculum vitae to explain why it’s a big deal. Rebecca Walker is in much demand as a speaker, making waves as she tells young ambitious women something of a shocker coming from a feminist: that if a family and babies is what you want, you should plan your life accordingly. She has edited several collections of essays, and is often introduced by way of her mother, Alice Walker, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and activist, most famous for her novel The Color Purple . Despite the New York Times articles that described their only somewhat imperfect family, both Ms. Walkers represent a legacy of intellectual struggle against the historical oppression of racism and patriarchy in America. For the last several years, Rebecca and her family have lived upcountry, on the slope of Mauna Kea on the island of Maui, a lush and spare landscape worlds away from the contentious American cities she describes growing up in her 2000 memoir Black, White, and Jewish . She also happens to be beautiful in that hapa way that Hawai‘i both breeds and beckons for.

Rebecca Walker graciously made herself available for an interview for this little publication. As the editor for a collection of essays in 2004 titled What Makes a Man , she wrote, “It occurred to me that my son was being primed for

war, was being prepared to pick up a gun. The first steps were clear: Tell him that who he is authentically is not enough; tell him that he will not be loved unless he abandons his own desires and picks up a tool of competition; tell him that to really be of value he must stand ready to compete, dominate, and, if necessary, kill, if not actually then virtually, financially, athletically. If one’s life purpose is obscured by the pressure to conform to a generic type and other traces of self are ostracized into shadow, then just how difficult is it to pick up a gun, metaphoric or literal, as a means of self-definition, as a way of securing what feels like personal power?”

The recent tragedy in Arizona echo the sentiment in her question. But Rebecca Walker’s in a different place now. When asked what, if any, the differences are in raising a boy on the slope of Mauna Kea versus in the progressive yet potentially violent northern California neighborhood she lived in when she wrote those words, she explained, “It’s hard to tell the difference personally. I was co-parenting in the States a few years back when I wrote the essay in What Makes a Man . Here, there’s a lot more fluidity. I don’t get the sense that the culture is oppressing boys in the same ways. There’s less judgment.” Further, “I lived in Berkley when I wrote that essay, and he went to school at the BerkleyOakland border, so it was progressive on one hand. But for him I think it was hard figuring out what it meant to be a boy. He was raised by two women, and there surely could’ve been more male energy in the house, with all that goes along with that. There were some things that I think don’t get addressed in that environment like female bullying. It’s complex and there should be more discussion about it. A lot of it has to do with class, and I think it should be raised in schools.”

Just like everywhere else in the world,

humankind’s relationship to these islands has been largely defined by men killing and oppressing others. It was men that politically united the islands by pushing fellow warriors off a precipitous drop on the Pali. It was aggressive businessmen that used the labor and land of others to farm and harvest sugar, at once instituting an economic base and a western capitalist system. It was men that brought the strongest military the world has ever known to these shores, historically aiding in the ouster of a Kingdom and continuing to train for foreign wars. It was men that created law, and put women and land in the same category.

Certainly not all hope is lost for the men of these islands. Despite the brutal history, if we look closely at things, we realize that masculinity has already changed significantly in the last few generations. Even the strongest military in the world now accepts the truthful sexuality of its enlisted members. We tend to take for granted these events when they slowly unfold before our eyes as the stepby-step nature of these sorts of cultural changes tend to minimize the shock when taken incrementally over the years. The modern warriors of the Hale Mua, and the countless men who have quietly worked toward peace on these islands have proved to us over and over again that it’s possible to be a lover and a fighter, and that the male conception of conquest can be an inward experience.

About the Artist: Solomon Enos is a native Hawaiian artist born and raised in Makaha Valley on O‘ahu. Solomon is best known as a muralist and illustrator, and his experiences have shown him in concrete ways the way art, the land and the people can all take care and inspire each other. For more information visit www.solomonenos.com.

From

Kauakahi is the graceful dancer and ‘Ainako is the massive, but dim-witted warrior. Kauakahi wins the fight, emphasizing grace over strength.

the Hi‘iaka epic.

WOMEN’S WORK: FROM STRIPPERS TO MADAMS

A glimpse at Honolulu’s skin industry from World War II to today

TEXT BY MARGOT SEETO

Ten

Honolulu’s Chinatown was a bustling red light district in the earlier part of the 20th century. While it was commonplace for Chinatowns in major U.S. cities to be ghettoized and laden with brothels and gambling and opium dens, the onset of World War II and the location of Honolulu as a military hub elevated prostitution in Honolulu to the most lucrative city in its industry for all of those involved. From the prostitutes themselves, to their madams, to the Honolulu police Vice Squad who collected taxes and payoffs, to the doctors who charged prostitutes higher fees for routine exams and morphine shots, money washed over the industry with every new wave of servicemen.

In the small area bordered by Beretania, River and Hotel streets, about 20 brothels existed. Spaces across the street from the present-day Little Village Noodle House were known as the Camp Rooms at 1126 Smith Street and the Rex Rooms at 1145 Smith Street. A few doors down from the Loft Gallery and Lounge was the Senator Hotel at 121 N. Hotel Street. Close to the old Mei Sum restaurant location was the Anchor Rooms at 57 N. Pauahi. With mostly Chinese building owners and mostly white madams from the mainland, each brothel could make a net profit of $25,000 a month. And this was in the ’40s.

With the usual rate of $3 per customer for a three-minute appointment, combined with 16-hour workdays, prostitutes could make $300 a day. However, one-third of earnings would go to the madam for her cut as well as to pay legal taxes and illegal payoffs. There were also additional fees to the madam for room, board and laundry. Some prostitutes were kept in debt

this way, while others were able to save up enough money to eventually open their own brothels, on the condition that their madam and the police chief approved. Given the fact that it was hard for women to leave the industry due to both the ill reputation society put upon them and the difficulty in escaping the semi-imprisoned lifestyle, it was more feasible to move up in the industry rather than to move out of it.

One prostitute-turned-madam was Jean O’Hara (her full married name was Betty Jean O’Hara Norager), an educated, Chicago-born woman who was a prostitute and madam from the age of 17 to well into her 30s. Her 1944 expose, Honolulu Harlot , was an attempt at revealing the corrupt system that kept prostitution (what she referred to as the “White Slavery Racket”) a strong part of Honolulu’s economy. According to her account, white prostitutes and madams from the mainland would go to San Francisco in order to get to Honolulu. The Honolulu police had a receiving station at the Blaisdell Hotel on Fort Street. Other women would get into Honolulu by signing up as wives of defense workers to land jobs, then deliberately get fired and move into working in brothels.

With the prospect of fast money and fine jewelry came a laundry list of rules that kept prostitutes almost as indentured servants. There was an early curfew, prostitutes could not frequent certain beaches or establishments, have a steady boyfriend, own a car or property, marry service personnel, visit friends, or make calls or wire money to the mainland without the madams’ permission first, among other restrictions. Prostitutes were also not allowed to work in Honolulu for longer than six

In the small area bordered by Beretania, River and Hotel streets, about 20 brothels once existed. View of Hotel Street at Alakea Street, 1942.

Photo by Ray Jerome Baker, Bishop Museum.

Tese women are nearly impossible to access and feared even by boyfriends of club employees. Tey require a woman to be a tough, strong-minded ‘queen-bitch,’ and so it draws out a very select personality type.

months at a time, lest she get to “know too much,” according to O’Hara. Prostitutes then had to stay away for a year before being granted permission from Police Chief William Gabrielson to return to Honolulu to work for another six months.

With such tight restrictions on prostitutes, the attitude of madams toward their employees could have varied from maternal to viewing employees as property. In her decades of experience in the mainland’s and Honolulu’s red light worlds, O’Hara wrote that Honolulu’s madams in particular “are greedy. They are money hungry, and they drive their girls to the breaking point.” Some madams would gain control over their employees by getting them addicted to drugs, and prostitutes would pay $10 for a morphine shot in order to numb themselves and work longer hours. Were the madams like plantation overseers during antebellum slavery in the United States, treating their own kind with harshness in order to mitigate their own lowerclass standing in society?

On the other hand, in what other industry could women make so much money? While there was no formal union for madams, they would confer with each other to lessen the harsh consequences put upon them by the police. In one conversation with her madam, O’Hara recalls her saying, “Jean, the pay-off is so terrible here, and all of us Madames got together to see if we could cut it down a little. That is why I don’t want any of the girls to mention their takes in front of the Vice Squad. It will get back to them, and then the heat will be on and we will have to pay twice as much as we have been paying.” While this type of agreement was to protect the madams’ finances, it also protected the prostitutes from having to pay more to their madams.

O’Hara addresses the old prostitute saying of “The woman always pays, but I’m going to make the men pay me.” After her years in the business, she argued “it doesn’t

work out that way,” saying prostitutes paid with self-respect, higher doctor fees, health and body.

Tere was a crackdown on prostitution after the release of O’Hara’s book, but the legacy of Honolulu Chinatown’s red light history has not been forgotten.

Now

The neighborhood is more known now for drug addicts and homeless right alongside the gentrification process seen in new art galleries and classy bars. While Hotel Street’s red light legacy can be seen in the Club Hubba Hubba strip club sign that still remains after its closure in 1997, some areas known for female prostitution have moved neighborhoods and sometimes moved underground, in the case of massage parlors. The massage parlor prostitutes are a different class than street prostitutes, many with their own pimps who drop them off and pick them up for work. The related industries that have blossomed in the past few decades are hostess bars and strip clubs, with some better-known areas for these clubs being along Ke‘eaumoku and Kapi‘olani, as well as in Kalihi and Waik ī k ī

While in the legitimate institutions, it’s offensive to conflate dancing and hostessing with prostitution, the perception of those industries being the same are enforced by more unscrupulous clubs that do promote prostitution, along with the lapdance law that defines prostitution as contact between dancers and customers – even touching of the face or shoulder counts as an act of prostitution.

The ethnicities of Honolulu’s ladies of the night (and morning and afternoon, in some clubs) are mostly no longer white women from the mainland. Strip club employees come from a diversity of backgrounds, and the myriad of hostess bars are mostly run and staffed by Koreans, with

some Vietnamese and Japanese-run and staffed institutions as well.

Stewart Shirasu, co-owner of O‘ahu’s premier gentlemen’s club, Club 939, says, “I think there is a cultural tradition of acceptance of hostess bars, probably coming from a mixture of the geisha traditions in Japan and sex work in Southeast Asia brought back by the military.” The prevalence of Asian hostess bars combined with the high military presence on the island echoes military camp towns in parts of Asia, where the areas immediately surrounding U.S. military bases are laden with strip clubs, sex shows, hostess bars and prostitution opportunities.

Mama-sans: Te new madams

Because of Hawai‘i’s strong cultural ties to Japan and the geisha legacy in hostess bars, women who run hostess bars and strip clubs are often referred to as mama-sans, or mamas for short. According to Shirasu, most of these nightlife institutions are owned or run by women. He says, “The manager often acts as a pseudo-mother for the girls who work at these places, and they of course are more comfortable with a female boss.” Mama-sans can leverage a maternal relationship with their employees, building a rapport that would be difficult to obtain in a different boss-worker dynamic.

Some mama-sans have the ability to instill fear in a grown man with one glance. And it’s that steel will that is the source of mama-sans’ success and maintenance of power. Shirasu is straight-forward about the general reputations of mama-sans when he says, “These jobs require a woman to be a tough, strong-minded ‘queen-bitch,’ and so it draws out a very select personality type.” These women are nearly impossible to access and feared even by boyfriends of

club employees.

For many of these women in Hawai‘i, after having escaped war-torn Vietnam or political turmoil in Korea during the 1970s, these women needed a source of income to support their families, with possibly immigration status or language barriers limiting other job opportunities outside of hostess bars or strip clubs. Raymond*, whose aunt owns a few hostess bars on the island, says his aunt and her husband divorced soon after coming to Honolulu in the early ’80s. “She didn’t know too much English. She couldn’t get a job anywhere else. Her friends got her into it here. ... I guess it was the only option.” She started off as a hostess herself and eventually got into business with a few other women to own several hostess bars. Shirasu adds to the list of reasons why Asian women become mama-sans: “One major reason why mama-sans in Hawai‘i exist is pure economics. This type of job is one that requires no education, and no background check, and of course can be very profitable. It is also a cash business, so they don’t have to report a lot of income. It is probably one of the few jobs for women that allows them to be the boss without having to compete against men.”

Raymond says that a handful of women will get together as business partners to own a club or several clubs. Each woman will take over the lease in name every few years, but the same group of women who run the club will not change. While the establishments are women-owned, Shirasu says the women usually “were either loaned the start-up money by organized crime or given the start-up money by a sugar daddy.” Some female strip club owners started off as hostess bar owners, then bought into strip clubs.

With hostess drinks usually starting at about $20 ($40 in some places), most owners take 25 to 50 percent of each drink. Hostesses choose whether their drinks are normal-strength, weak or with no alcohol. A night can make a hostess $100 to $5,000, with the average being about $500 to $700. On some nights, a hostess can leave with up to $10,000. As some men take a liking to certain hostesses like girlfriends, many will buy expensive gifts, which is commonplace. As for the prince charming ideal of being whisked away by a rich, charming customer, Raymond says that it actually happens often, like with a

lot of his aunt’s friends. If hostesses quit and want to return, there is usually no consequence, at least at Raymond’s aunt’s establishments.

The Asian nationals who work at the hostess bars sometimes get into the states on student or tourist visas. Some employees have become American citizens and travel from hostess bar to hostess bar, sometimes from state to state, “just to stay fresh,” says Raymond. Hostesses usually live either with the mamas or in mamaowned apartments. “To be a mama-san at a hostess bar means you need a ‘stable’ of hostess girls who will follow you from bar to bar. ... Usually, like a pecking order, the most dominant hostess girl will save enough money or be sponsored by a sugar daddy and will open her own bar, pulling her friends and co-workers to work for her at her bar,” says Shirasu.

With different cultural backgrounds and reasons for getting into the business, the parallels that can be found between today’s hostess bars and strip clubs and the 1940s prostitution business in Honolulu are eerily similar.

In her words: Employee rights, freedoms and perspectives

Dancers’ unions, like at the Lusty Lady in San Francisco, are rare. However, even without a union, employees at the major strip clubs on O‘ahu have an autonomy rarely seen in most jobs. Dancers can work when they want, as long a shift as they want. They can choose between dancing and hostessing. In some places, dancers keep all of their stage tip money, but must give the club a cut of private dance and hostess money. However, not all clubs operate the same way.

Alana* is a U.S. citizen who dances at a smaller strip club on the island and has also worked at one of the bigger-name strip clubs. At her current club, dancers have to pay a fine to come back to work after quitting, depending on if the manager likes her or not. The amount varies from situation to situation, but she has had to pay $500 in the past to return to work, but thinks it was worth it. At the club where she works, dancers give the establishment a flat fee cut per night, with the amount being higher on the weekends. Dancers make about

$200 to $500 a night.

She and her fellow dancers have gotten arrested at the same time in a police sting under the lap-dance law, even though the undercover cops “actually did have fun.” She recounts how one officer said, “‘Show me more.’ I said, ‘That’s all you get.’ He was trying to get more out of me, but I don’t do that.” Unfortunately, the arrests happen once or twice a year. “It’s ridiculous,” Alana says. “I think women have a choice what they want to do. It’s not prostitution if you dance … guys come in, try to grab you, try to talk dirty to you. Don’t take it personally or you can go crazy.” On the other hand, Alana says there are “a lot of normal guys who respect you. They think it’s beautiful when we dance.”

Alana has a college degree and is saving up for graduate school. She’s tried conventional office jobs before and felt as if she didn’t make enough money to live in Hawai‘i, travel and go to school, so she dances by choice. But she realizes, “I am different. A lot of women have children and they have to have this job to survive. A lot of them have education and they have had other jobs. But they found this one to be what they want. … There’s a lot of different life stories there.”

She has no interest in managing or owning her own strip club one day. And while she defends her occupation (“There’s nothing bad or wrong about it.”), she also says, “I’m thinking about quitting again ... I don’t want to work here for a long time. I see it’s just life. Some people judge it .... I’m not proud of it, my mom doesn’t know about it ... [but] I love dancing ... I’m trying to make the best of it.”

In the dancers’ changing room at RockZa, which also doubles as the women’s restroom, there is a sticker on a locker door that once again refers to making men pay. While O’Hara’s 1940s sentiment does not support that principle, there still seems to be that universal belief about the power of women’s roles in sex and sex-related work that time cannot suppress.

Regardless of where you fall on the judgment spectrum on the stripper, hostess and sex work industries, this women’s work is hard and will always thrive.

*Name changed to protect identity.

FLUX’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY

NICOLE NAONE

“God forbid you be an ugly girl, ’course, too pretty is also your doom, ’cause everyone harbors a secret hatred for the prettiest girl in the room.” – Ani DiFranco

It is said that if women, who make up 51 percent of the world’s population, are able to get over their petty, jealous, cat-fighting ways, we could quite possibly take over the world! Or at least be more represented in management positions, receive equal wages as our male counterparts, and have healthier, fuller relationships with both men and women. (Despite the Equal Pay Act in 1963, which abolished wage disparity based on sex, women still earned only 77 cents on the male dollar in 2008.)

Professor Susan Shapiro Barash, in her book, Tripping the Prom Queen: The

Truth About Women and Rivalry , says that female rivalry begins in “women’s insufficient options. … In a world where there simply isn’t enough to go around, women compete. … Whether we’re talking about the shortage of good men, the scarcity of women at the top of the financial tree, or the impossible pressures on women to remain perpetually youthful and beautiful, it seems clear that female success is still elusive for most of us. Although we may be able to achieve more than was possible for our mothers and grandmothers, the glass ceiling and the unrealistic standards for fe -

male beauty still hold us back.”

In an effort to see how this rivalry affects female relationships here in Hawai‘i, FLUX surveyed more than 50 women, who all recounted stories of both heartbreak and laughter with friends, sisters and colleagues. Hands down, the biggest hindrances to genuine, long-lasting female friendships were jealousy, competition, insecurity and lack of honest communication. Maybe, if we can figure out the reasons for our rivalries, we can collectively create a better world for ourselves, and the men who live with us.

Do you have many female friends?

The answers for this question ranged from zero to 15+.

Those who said they had only a few female friends stated these reasons:

“It’s hard to find women with common interests AND who won’t judge you for being you (too dramatic, too judgmental, kind of mean and selfish, and sometimes too gossipy).“

– Jill E.

“The answer is really simple: girls = drama.” – Juliann C.

Still, others reported extreme closeness with gal pals:

“The friends I made when I was 19 years old are still my closest friends I have today at 24. They are my sisters. When they go through pain, I go through pain. When there is extreme joy, we all feel it. When you have a

Have you ever gotten into an argument with another female?

“One argument was because – surprise, surprise – I found out one of my girl friends was talking shit about me. Basically I chose not to resolve that one. I guess if you really value the friendship and feel it’s worth it, you do whatever you can to make it work again.”

– Candice N.

“There was a time my boyfriend began falling for another chick. Although she didn’t do anything directly against me, I played my girl card and got passive-aggressive about it. You know, talking shit and avoiding her, when I should have been taking it up with him. I feel like that’s something girls do sometimes – go after the wrong person. That’s probably the cattiest I’ve even been, and I’m a little disappointed that I reacted that way.”

– Bridget M.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten into any heated arguments, because women are generally so passive-aggressive, but it’s more of females always trying to one up each other, especially at my work. Even with co-workers who I consider my ‘friends’ it can get like a shoving match to gain new clients, who knows the most people and has the most connections.” – Victoria C.

“I’m not even sure what the argument was about, but she was in my wedding and then stopped talking to me after it. I didn’t even know she was mad at me until months later. When I tried to apologize, via snail mail, I got a letter back saying I was being a drama queen. I

rough day, they just get it. No apologizing. No embarrassment.” – Allison A.

“I don’t have a whole lot of close girl friends, but the ones I do have I can always totally be myself around. We laugh, we cry, we share embarrassing stories. I can reveal things to them that I wouldn’t even tell my spouse.” –

Lissa W.

asked what I did. I never got a response. Years later she asked me to be Facebook friends as a way to make-up. I added her, kept her as a friend for a few months, but deleted her after I realized she was too scared to talk to me face to face. I haven’t seen or talked to her for nearly five years. I just moved on. I guess she did too.” – Laura S.

“When I was in the fifth grade, I hosted a sleepover at my house. I just remember being cast as the outsider, by all of the girls. I don’t even know what I did, but that memory is still really vivid in my mind. Everyone was having fun in the pool. Only, I was floating quietly off in a corner of the shallow end. I remember hoping someone would notice me, and pull me into the group, except no one seemed to notice, or if they did, they didn’t care. It’s like they were all holding hands in a circle that they wouldn’t let me join. Now I wonder were any of those girls ever really my friends, or were they using me for my pool?” – Emmy Y.

What is the biggest hindrance to longlasting, genuine friendships?

“Trust. Girls seem to have a hard time trusting each other. Some girl is always screwing over another girl or someone she knows. Hawai‘i is so small. If you fuck over one person, probably 20 other people will hear about it and form opinions about you without even knowing you!” – Jesse N.

“Too much self-centeredness. Lack of honesty.” – Suzanna K.

“Competition. Many of my female relationships (especially in the work place) have been affected by competition. Usually one female feels threatened by the other female and rather than discussing the issue or deciding to cooperate, a weird, communication-less animosity ensues, which is frustrating as hell.” – Kelsey W.

“Probably getting a boyfriend, getting married or having kids. You just go in completely different directions and disconnect.” – Jennifer B.

“Jealousy, insecurity, envy.” – Gloria B.

“Ego, shame, broken-heartedness that leads to confusion and isolation and self-sabotage (on both parts).” –Trisha L.G.

“Sometimes people just grow apart. As humans, we are constantly changing, ever evolving. So it’s safe to say we aren’t necessarily the same people we were five to 10 years ago. So maybe we don’t align as well with our college buddies as we did when we were getting wasted and staying out until 4 a.m. Same as any relationships. Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart. I saw a huge girl fight the other night. I was at my high school reunion, and this one girl confronted another girl about a rumor the other had started in freshman year

of high school. Girl one was going off on girl two in front of everybody, calling her a bitch and saying that she ruined one’s high school experience (which she probably did). The girl that made up the rumor probably deserved to be called out nine years ago, when the situation occurred, but now we are all adults, and she is a completely different person than when she was 15. She is no longer a heinous bitch. I actually like her now.” – Bridget M.

“Back talk. Girlfriends can vent. But don’t talk shit. Words hurt.” – Tiffany H

Female Rivalry vs. Male Competitiveness

“Female competition tends to be total, extend ing to every detail of a woman’s life. … While men are cutting each other out of deals and potential clients, they’re usually not also looking at who’s gained weight, whose kids are failing geometry, or who’s having a bad hair day. Women’s competition, by contrast extends simultaneously into all realms.” - Professor Susan Shapiro Barash, Tripping the Prom Queen

“It’s ingrained in most girls, who grow to become women in the United States, to look better, act smarter, and to be prettier than any other girl in the room. Just today, I was thanking my lucky stars that I didn’t have the “man-hands” my young co-worker has. I mean “man-hands” are fine on men, but on her, heck no. They made me happy I had big boobs; because if I did happen to have “man-hands,” my boobs would distract from them.” - Laura S.

Define friendship:

Having someone that you can trust with anything, that will be there for you no matter what with unconditional love, but is strong enough to call you on your bullshit and positively challenge you about your decisions, attitude, life situations and future. – Rachel P.

I have also found some wonderful examples of female bonding – within families, between friends, among colleagues. In these positive instances, I found that they key was for women to have realistic expectations, of themselves and each other. When we stop demanding totally, unconditional support; when we accept our loved ones’ differences as well as similarities; when we own up to our own rival-rous natures; and when we confront problems rather than ignore them, we can create extraordinary bonds that nourish us throughout our lives. – Professor Susan Shapiro Barash, Tripping the Prom Queen

“The rule of friendship means there should be mutual sympathy between them, each supplying what the other lacks and trying to benefit the other, always using friendly and sincere words.”

- Heart of the Buddha

What should you do to maintain long-lasting female friendships?

“Talk about dreams and ambitions. Support and motivate each other in ways you can’t with male relationships.” – Jill E.

“Forgive when needed.” – Cassie-Ann C.

“Give and take, but mostly give and try not to expect anything in return. Those that are true to you will be there whether you expect it or not.” – Jane C.

“The best thing to maintain a genuine female friend is open communication. There have been things I’ve said that made my close girlfriends cry, and they’ve said things that hurt my feelings as well, but if your close girl friends are not completely honest with you, then who will be?”

– Jermel-Lynn Q.

“Genuine female friendships starts with self-respect. If we ladies are honest within we can output the same into our friendships.” –Jazminn Y.

“Don’t give up on a person you really love –often when someone acts in a truly selfish, cruel, desperate way, that is when they need you most. Don’t exact revenge no matter what she’s done to you; you’ll only regret it. Also, it’s true that what goes around comes around – just because she wronged you, doesn’t mean that you have to wrong her too.” – Trisha L.G.

“Don’t be high maintenance. Ugh. I hate high maintenance friends. What a pain in the ass. Don’t be passive aggressive. Don’t be a bitch. Don’t bang their boyfriends (or fiancée, or husband or father …)”

– Bridget M.

“Patience, forgiveness and love. No matter what anyone says, there are no secret rules to live your life. If two women in an awkward situation can sit down like adults and hear each other out, that truly is a strong friendship.” – Loreal P.

“First, recognize what you appreciate in that woman. Second, analyze if they are as good a friend to you as you are to them (and vice versa). Third, realize that some friendships have life spans and enjoy the friendship for as long as it lasts but recognize when the end might be near.” – Nicole M.

NICOLE : White tux jacket and pant, Robert Rodriguez. Scoop tank, Helmut Lang. Both Neiman Marcus. Bootie, Vince Camuto, Nordstrom. Hat, stylist’s own. JUSTINE : Camel blazer, shirt, tie, all Club Monaco. White pant, Piazza Sempione, Nordstrom. Oxford, Cole Haan, Nordstrom.

JUSTINE : Plaid wool blazer, shirt, tie, all Club Monaco. Black pant, Piazza Sempione, Nordstrom. NICOLE : Blush rabbit fur, Diane von Furstenberg, Neiman Marcus. Plaid pant, belt, Michael Kors, Nordstrom. Necklace, Club Monaco.

JUSTINE : Metallic jacket, Diane von Furstenberg, Neiman Marcus. Tank, Alexander Wang, Nordstrom. Pant, Club Monaco. NICOLE : Beaded tunic, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Nordstrom. Legging, Helmut Lang, Neiman Marcus. Hat, stylist’s own. Her own shoe.

NICOLE : Tank dress, Elizabeth and James, Nordstrom. Legging, Helmut Lang, Neiman Marcus. Shoe, Jeffrey Campbell. Necklace, Tasha, Nordstrom. Sunglasses, RayBan. Head wrap, stylist’s own. JUSTINE : Lace top, stylist’s own. Leather short, and legging, Club Monaco. Bow headband, Cara, Nordstrom. Oxford, Cole Haan, Nordstrom. Belt, Nordstrom.

JUSTINE : Blazer, Leith, Nordstrom. Shirt, Alexander Wang, Neiman Marcus. Tie, Club Monaco. Pant, Piazza Sempione, Nordstrom. Oxford, Cole Haan, Nordstrom. NICOLE : Rose bud jacket, Diane von Furstenberg, Neiman Marcus. Shirt, silk pant, both Club Monaco. Shoe, Jeffrey Campbell, Nordstrom.

LEAVE IT TO THE LADIES

Why the other half needs to be utilized to broker peace in the Middle East.

TEXT

BY TIFFANIE WEN

It is the slowing of the car that wakes me. “Do you need some shekels?” I ask my new Israeli boyfriend in a still half-asleep state, assuming we’d come to a toll. From my deeply slouched position in the passenger seat, my feet crossed at the ankles and resting on the dash, I open my aviator-clad eyes just in time to notice the Israeli soldier manning a machine gun atop a 20-foot watchtower, and I quickly sit up in a more respectable position.

There’s no need, he tells me, “They just want to see your face and hear you say shalom .” And this is exactly what happens. The whole interaction is so routine and efficient that my heart barely has time to speed up before it starts to slow back down again.

In the summer issue of FLUX, I wrote about traveling through Ecuador, and relayed how I surfed on the coast, blithely unaware of indigenous groups protesting for water in other parts of the country. Indeed, I’ve found that it is totally possible (if not actually recommended) to be ignorant of the political events occurring around you while traveling in a foreign country. But the Middle East is entirely different.

Midway through my first trip to Israel, a country that is smaller than my native state of California, the checkpoint that we pass through is located near Metzoke

Dragot on Route 90, along the coast of the Dead Sea and just east of the West Bank.

We’d come from the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv, home to Israeli industry and skyscrapers; the place where young people flock to in their early 20s, can have anything at any time and can party until breakfast on any given day of the week. The city is also blessed with the beautiful and hotel-lined Caribbean coast, where Israelis, Americans, Europeans and even Asian tourists compete for space to play matkot , known to us as paddleball, on perfectly soft white sand.

And yet, even in Tel Aviv, there is a palpable sense of conflict and reminders of the seeming inevitability of war. Cruising down Route 90, I am reminded of the daily procession of Black Hawks that fly over Gordon Beach in Tel Aviv as they make their way back to the base north of the city.

Driving along the border of the West Bank on our way to the vacation destination Eilat, I can’t help but bring up the current peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, initiated by President Obama, and the ongoing dispute over the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank. My boyfriend, an officer in the Israeli Air Force, has differing views from me, and we discuss the desires of the vari -

ous political parties on both sides, debate over the best possible solutions, and try to gauge how far Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, are willing to go for peace.

More recently, after negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians suspended, I found myself brainstorming possible topics for the Women’s issue of FLUX, and wondering if women could have made a difference in the failed attempt or could make a difference in future negotiations.

Carla Koppell, director of the Institute for Inclusive Security, argues that during the 2007 Annapolis Process, then Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel Tzipi Livni and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice created the culture of peace. “They created the only technical group that was focused on looking forward – which was, how do you create a culture of peace once you have a peace agreement? It was also the only group that reached agreement. So you had women proposing a group that was looking long-term and was seeking issues of long-term reconciliation and peace building,” she says. “Often, what you need is something positive to build on, something you can point to where you are agreeing.

The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, according to tradition, is where Mohammed ascended to heaven and Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac.

Women’s march. Still from Budrus.

Because Livni and Rice were able to reach consensus, it provided the potential foundation for greasing the wheels of the entire negotiations.”

Another more grassroots example of women coming together to work for peace in the region is illustrated in the new documentary film Budrus , which chronicles the efforts of a Palestinian community leader to save a village on the border of the Separation Barrier, a physical barrier that separates Israel from the West Bank. It’s not until the leader’s 15-year-old daughter Iltezem gets women involved, however, that the non-violent movement really begins to take shape.

“One of the keys to the success in Budrus was the fact that women really took such a prime role in the non-violent effort,” says Ronit Avani, an Israeli peace activist and producer of the film. “Iltezam was the first person to step in front of a bulldozer and to literally stop construction of the barrier in her village. Her courage in that moment was something that galvanized the community. More and more women

joined and very quickly women were at the forefront.” Ultimately, the village, led by Iltezem and her father, managed to unite Palestinian factions and Israelis towards a common goal, an achievement that many assumed was not possible.

Jihan Anastas, a Palestinian peace activist who works with the International Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli Peace, puts it more bluntly. “I do believe that if it was up to women, we would have had peace years ago. When we go back to negotiations, it should be done on an eager basis, on true principles of making peace. For this, women need to be involved.”

Koppell agrees. “What I think is needed is a negotiating processes that better leverages forces for peace in the region. And that’s women and other groups among Israelis and Palestinians. If you look at the public opinion polls, they show a majority of people in the region want peace. There needs to be a process that begins to leverage those voices before any real progress can be made.”

“I do believe that if it was up to women, we would have had peace years ago.

FORGOTTEN PROMISES IN HONG KONG

“Diamonds are about perfection and clarity and wealth and sex and death and immortality. Tey are a symbol of everything that’s eternal, but then they have a dark side as well.” – Damien Hirst

To inaugurate the Hong Kong exhibition space, Gagosian Gallery will present Forgotten Promises , an exhibition of new paintings and sculptures by Damien Hirst. In recent years, Hirst has developed his familiar iconography - the skull, the diamond and the butterfly - to explore fundamental ideas about existence. His work highlights the duality that lies at the heart of human experience, from our inexorable struggles between life and death, beauty and decay, desire and fear, love and loss.

The exhibition also includes a series of brilliant diamond cabinets. “For Heaven’s Sake” (2008, shown left) is a life-size human baby skull cast in platinum and covered in 8,128 pavé-set perfect diamonds: 7,105 natural fancy pink diamonds and, on the fontanel, 1,023 white diamonds. This spectacular memento mori was cast from an original skull that formed part of a nineteenth-century pathology collection that Hirst acquired some years ago. “For the Love of God” (2007), a life-size cast of a mature human skull in platinum covered in diamonds, is currently on display at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

Forgotten Promises will run until March 19, 2011.

For Heaven’s Sake 2008

Platinum, pink and white diamonds

85 x 85 x 100 mm

Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates (c) Damien Hirst and Hirst Holdings Ltd, DACS 2011

LANI KAI IN NYC

Q&A WITH JULIE REINER, OWNER OF LANI KAI

Can you tell us a bit about how you got started in the cocktail world?

I started out working as a cocktail waitress in Honolulu at age 18. I was really drawn to the service industry, I have been working in it steadily since then. I bartended in college, and then in San Francisco, and finally in NYC starting in 1997. When I moved to New York, I got a job managing a small lounge in the West Village. I began to take a more culinary approach to cocktails, putting out seasonal menus using all fresh ingredients and house made infusions and syrups. I was quickly noticed by the press for the drink program that I created, and I found myself in article after article about my drinks. I realized quickly that gourmet cocktails were not the norm in New York … and this was a city where everything had been done.

How did you go from Hawai‘i to NYC? I left Hawai‘i to go to college. I attended Florida State University where I was a communications major.

Any favorite drinks on the current menu?

My current favorite is our Mai Tai! It is just such a delicious drink; it’s tough to beat it... it brings me right home with the first sip.

Who came up with the poi doughnuts, they’re fantastic!

Our chef, Craig Rivard created them, he wanted to incorporate poi somewhere on the menu. They are a staff favorite!

What’s it like being a woman in the maledominated cocktail industry?

I’ve been doing it so long that it doesn’t faze me. I just focus on my work and do my thing.

– Kathy Y.L.

Chan

MISSED CONNECTIONS IN NYC

New York City is a place where people are literally colliding with each other all day long, crossing paths and making eye contact briefly, but the interactions are usually fleeting if not fear-filled. In a city where everyone is on the run and on defense, meeting new people can be difficult. Brooklyn resident Sophie Blackall, a children’s book illustrator, has been using infinite source material from Craigslist’s “Missed Connections” section and Chinese ink with watercolor to create whimsical and vulnerable images from ads that read more like contemporary poems:

Monday, September 13, 2010 m4w, 25

i kicked myself all the way home for not saying hello maybe you’ll see this and let me take you out i was reading d h Lawrence

A book is in the works and will be a great collection of these profound interpretations and expressions of the love, loss, regret, and hope in modern urban life. Look out for the printed collection, You Probably Won’t Read This: A Year of Missed Connections, or go to her blog: missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com.

– Tiffany Hervey

TREND BLACK SWAN

If you haven’t seen Black Swan yet, just understand this: Do not be afraid to channel your dark side. For all the fearless divas out there, pair a short feather bolero over a sheer dolman-sleeved tunic for a balanced but dramatic effect. Continue the mood by wearing leggings with cut-out mesh panels tucked into a military boot. And let’s not forget a big black woven leather bag to carry all your whips and chains.

Trend look pulled from Bamboo Sky, 401 Kamake‘e Street, (808) 5918003, www.bamboosky.com

ON KRISTEN:

Feather Bolero by Miracle $66

Black Sheer Dolman top by Freeloader $32

Mesh Panel leggings by Evil Twin $99

Layered Crucifix necklace $54

Shoes by Seychelles $143

Gold cuff w/ black flower gem $48

Large knot/braided silver necklace $24 Black rhinestone ring. $12

TREND BOLD COLORS

It’s easy to get stuck in black and white ... so why not add a little kick to your outfit with bold, colorful accessories? Try adding a statement belt (like the one featured) and build your look by pulling color from your statement piece. Add playful earrings, a cobalt blue bag, orange cutout shoes, and you’re ready to walk the runway ... or to Safeway!

Trend look pulled from Bamboo Sky, 401 Kamake‘e Street, (808) 5918003, www.bamboosky.com.

ON KRISTEN:

Maxi Dress by Mink Pink $52 Belt $32 Hat $28

Shoes by Seychelles $98

Cat-eye Sunglasses $10

Earrings $12

Large-beaded necklace $28

Multi-colored cuff-bracelet $34

Marc Jacobs Spring 2011

POW WOW HAWAI‘I

“The beauty of art is most commonly enjoyed during its final stage. All the blood, sweat and tears happen behind closed doors. However, that is where the real grandeur lies. The process. Imagine for a moment a gathering of internationally renowned artists in one place. A place that will allow them to do what they do best: be creative. We give them the tools, the space and the freedom to paint for one week. During a period of six days, we make that process open to the public, allowing them full engagement and interaction between the artists and their audience. They witness the creativity in its entirety and become an essential part of the artists’ process. It’s about the breaking down of those closed doors and making art accessible. Seeing creativity happen from beginning to end.” — Pow Wow Hawai‘i

Between February 16 and 19, six local and international artists came together at Fresh Cafe’s Loft in Space to explore their own processes of creating art: 123KLAN, Will Barras, Wu Yue, Meggs, Jasper Wong and Kamea Hadar. In its second year, Pow Wow 2010 was launched in Hong Kong by Kalani High School grad Jasper Wong, and is based on the Native American celebration of minds, bodies and spirits. Produced in conjunction with [cwsk].

NALU

KAI LODGE, MAUI

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The Nalu Kai Lodge offers the best in Maui North Shore vacation rentals. Centrally located in Paia Town, Nalu Kai is within walking distance of a variety of restaurants, unique shopping experiences and sun-drenched beaches. Under new ownership and recently remodeled, it has served as the affordable vacation destination of thousands of visitors to the North Shore of Maui since the 1960s. The Lodge boasts a courtyard surrounded by bamboo, which includes a Tiki bar and barbeque facilities, a secondfloor sun deck with views of the ocean, a waterfall and pond with adjacent outdoor shower, and free Wi-Fi. Each of the eight available rooms is bright and cheerful and includes a private bathroom, minifridge, closet, CD player and ceiling fan. Simple, affordable and spotless, Nalu Kai will be your home away from home in the heart of Paia.

Nalu Kai Lodge 18 Nalu Place Paia, HI 96779

808.385.4344

www.nalukailodge.com

OPEN MARKET

ALL DOLLED UP

Looking for a dress to wear for that special occasion? Why not have Acid Dolls create a custom-made dress especially for you? At Acid Dolls, they offer not only a full collection of fashionable ready-to-wear apparel, handmade shoes and stylish accessories, but they can also create a one-of-a kind dress for your special occasion. From proms and anniversary

dinners to your big wedding day, they can work with you to custom make a dress to make your day even more special. Check them out in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and let them doll you up!

Acid Dolls

Royal Hawaiian Center Level 3, B-building, B303 808.387-9682 www.aciddollshawaii.com

STEVEN AND WILLIAM LADD: 9769 RADIO DRIVE

The Contemporary Museum presents Steven and William Ladd: 9769 Radio Drive, the first solo museum exhibition for these Brooklyn, New York-based artists. The current exhibition includes references to their parents, grandparents and siblings, and 9769 Radio Drive, referenced in the exhibition title, is the address of the home in St. Louis in which they grew up. Their sculptures initially take the form of towers of handmade boxes, which are shown open in the exhibition to reveal dazzlingly elaborate sewn and beaded interiors that could be interpreted as fanciful landscapes. Together Steven and William Ladd have forged a body of work that exists in a nexus of text, drawing, sculpture, installation, performance, craft, design and fashion.

9769 Radio Drive

January 28 – May 8, 2011

The Contemporary Museum 2411 Makiki Heights Drive www.tcmhi.org

NOELANI AT HALE‘IWA FARMER’S MARKET

Freshly churned butter and locally-harvested honey. Glassblown vases. Fresh cut slices of soaps made right here in Hawai‘i. Savory crepes. Smoked marlin. Nestled among all this and more, you’ll find jewelry

made by Noelani Love at the Hale‘iwa Farmer’s Market. Her delicate pieces provide unique, island-inspired jewelry of highquality materials, handmade on the North Shore of O‘ahu. Each piece of jewelry is individually created with love and infused with aloha. Find Noe every Sunday in the heart of Hale‘iwa from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

OPEN MARKET

SHOW US YOUR TEETEES!

Have an idea that would make a great T-shirt design? Well let your inner artists shine, and show us what you got! From now until March 15, TeeTee Bar will be running a T-shirt design contest. Eight finalists will get their artwork displayed at The Manifest from April

DE-STRESS YOUR FACE

Can’t afford plastic surgery?

Afraid of lasers? But still want that youthful, dewy glow? The HydraFacial is just the ticket. It’s a serum-based skin resurfacing facial for all skin types that will deep clean, hydrate, exfoliate and rejuvenate in one calming treatment. No matter what the season, the HydraFacial can give you flawlessly beautiful skin.

Summer

The perfect treatment for thirsty skin after a pool party, a beach getaway or just a day in the sun, restore hydration to your skin and shield it with antioxident protection with this treatment that will cool, refresh and renew.

15 to May 15. The winner, who will be chosen by public vote and TTB management, will get their T-shirt design printed, five T-shirts with their winning design, and a $200 cash prize!

For more details, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/teeteebar.

MARTINI NIGHTS AT BAMBUTWO

Starting in February

During the day bambuTwo is the downtown place for coffee, sandwiches, pastries and salads. Here you’ll find students and business folks hard at work, enjoying the free Wi-Fi. Starting in February bambuTwo will be THE place to chill Wednesday

FALL

Recover from sun-damaged, summer skin. Reduce the appearance of hyper-pigmentation and brown spots caused by excessive sun exposure. This cooling, refreshing and hydrating treatment will comfort assaulted skin and protect it with antioxidant ingredients.

WINTER

Brighten up dry and dull skin. Immediately restore hydration to your skin and shield it with antioxidant protection, all in one invigorating treatment.

For a beautiful glow, make your HydraFacial appointment with Maggie at Pure Skin by Maggie.

Pure Skin by Maggie 808-358-4697 pureskinbymaggie@gmail.com www.facebook.com/pureskinbymaggie

nights. Presented by Tantriq Entertainment, they’ll feature DJs and musicians for a night of chill, downbeat music. Raise your glass knowing the week is half over and enjoy a tasty martini featuring premium vodkas like Skyy, Three Olives and 42Below. Under $5 all night. bambuTwo 1144 Bethel Street Mon–Sat 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. www.bambutwo.com

Bev Gannon, one of the founding chefs that established Hawai‘i regional cuisine, alongside the likes of Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi, shown on the lanai of her newest restaurant, Gannon’s.

A WOMAN OF TASTE

Award-winning Maui Chef Bev Gannon stirs the pot in a man’s world.

TEXT BY SARAH RUPPENTHAL | IMAGE BY MATTHEW ALVARADO

You know that circus act – the one where they keep the plates spinning? It’s an acrobatic feat that begs the inevitable question, “How’d they do that?” It’s also an appropriate analogy for the day-to-day rhythm of Maui’s own culinary legend, chef Bev Gannon.

As chef/owner of three restaurants (Hali‘imaile General Store, Joe’s Bar & Grill and Gannon’s Restaurant) and Maui’s longest running catering company (Celebrations Catering), Gannon’s schedule

leaves no doubt that she can certainly take the heat – both in and out of the kitchen.

“It’s definitely a balancing act,” she says with a self-assured smile. “I’m in constant motion … but that’s the nature of the beast.” That may be true, but one thing is for certain: Gannon has tamed this proverbial beast, transforming it into a thing of beauty.

Since her debut as a caterer on Maui more than 20 years ago, the world-class

chef has earned no shortage of accolades. Appearances on the Food Network’s Best of, The Food Hunter and Food Network Challenge, NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s Early Show, as well as the Discovery Channel, (where she was named one of the “Great Chefs of Hawai‘i”) are just a few of the honors she has received – an amuse bouche, as they say in the culinary world. So, how does she keep all of her plates spinning? No, it’s not gyroscopic force.

Gannon says her recipe for success is simple: equal parts ambition, perseverance and plain old good luck. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate,” she admits, “and whether it’s luck or destiny, I’ll never know for sure.”

With a reminiscent smile, Gannon recalls that once upon a time she never imagined she’d pursue a career in the culinary arts. “I never thought this is what I’d be doing,” she says. But a mundane nine-to-five office job led her to crave something different.

Soon after this gastronomical revelation, Gannon hopped on a flight to London, where she attended the inimitable Le Cordon Bleu, sautéeing and pureeing alongside the likes of Marcella Hazan (the White House’s first female chef) and Jacques Pepin.

That’s when she cooked up a plan to move to Maui and start a catering company. It was a gamble that was certainly worth taking. “I’m so happy I listened to that little voice in my head,” she says. “This is what I was supposed to do.” That little voice soon crescendoed, and today she is one of the nation’s most prominent female chefs.

And that’s exactly what sets her apart

from the rest. Gannon – who defies tradition in her lime-green chef coat, a bold contrast to the standard white – represents the feminine genius that is increasingly scarce in an industry bubbling over with masculinity. In a world where women (whether you hate to admit it, you know it’s true) are expected to possess an intrinsic ability to cook, there are only a precious few who own and operate a kitchen – at least, outside of the home.

But like other game-changing female food luminaries (think Julia Child, Nigella Lawson and Rachel Ray), Gannon is an exception to the rule, paving the way for other women to spice up this predominately male dominion. “It’s a classic example of survival of the fittest,” she says, “but it is what it is.”

But she also won’t hesitate to dish out some food for thought. “It’s not as easy as it may look,” she cautions. “It’s similar to working five full-time jobs, and if you plan on having kids, it can be incredibly difficult, since my restaurants are like my kids.” Gannon has no reservations when it comes to admitting that the feverishly paced, high stressed (not to mention, hot)

working environment of a professional kitchen can be physically and emotionally demanding. Add that to familial pressures, and things could very well start to boil over. Regardless, she encourages all aspiring female chefs to follow their passion. “When the going gets tough, you get tougher,” she says. “If you believe in yourself and work hard, anything is possible.”

So, what’s next on the menu for Maui’s top chef? Gannon says she intends to spend more time with her husband, Joe, while continuing her personal – and professional – campaign: promoting healthier lifestyles for Hawai‘i and beyond.

And does she plan on cooking at home anytime soon? With a beguiling smile, she responds, “I suppose every now and then.”

For more information about Chef Bev Gannon, visit www.bevgannonrestaurants.com.

KALUA PORK AND LOBSTER

SPRING ROLLS

Ingredients:

2 c kalua pork

1 c lobster meat

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

2 c green cabbage, finely shredded

4 green onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp garlic-chili sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

Peanut oil

16-18 spring roll wrappers

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Lay out six spring roll wrappers, positioning each of them with a point facing you. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (to make the filling) and mix well.

Place two heaping tablespoons of the filling across the bottom of one wrapper, approximately two inches above the point. Fold the bottom up over the filling and fold in the sides toward the middle. Put a dab of the cornstarch mixture on the top point. Starting at the bottom, roll up to form a tidy bundle. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. Cover and chill for at least one hour. In a heavy saucepan, pour in peanut oil to a depth of about one inch and heat to 375 degrees. Add two spring rolls and fry, turning with tongs to fry evenly, for 1-2 minutes, until crisp and browned, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

6 RANDOM QUESTIONS

Stephanie Gilmore

TEXT BY LISA YAMADA | IMAGE BY JOHN HOOK

Stephanie Gilmore, the four-time, back-to-back world champion on the Women’s ASP World Tour, gets out of her bikini and boardshorts at The Surfer Poll Awards at The Turtle Bay Resort.

Stephanie Gilmore has a lot to brag about.

(Not that she ever would. Her nickname isn’t Happy Gilmore for nothing.) At just 23, the Australian-born pro has managed to achieve something no other surfer in the history of surfing has ever achieved: four back-to-back world titles. Watch it Slater, she’s gunning for you. She started stand-up bodyboarding at 9, bought a surfboard for $15 at a second-hand furniture store, and the rest, as they say, is history. We caught up with Steph at the Rip Curl girls house – where the only thing hotter than the view of Velzyland were the surfers inside – as she was getting ready to head off to the Surfer Poll Awards at Turtle Bay.

Do professional surfers ever get scared of big waves?

Yeah! Well, I do. I don’t know about the other girls. Coming to Hawai‘i and knowing you have to surf big waves can be quite daunting, and knowing you have to go out because it’s competition, even more so. I haven’t grown up surfing really big waves on shallow reefs. Because where I’m from,

in Australia, it’s smaller and sand bottoms. Then you get to Hawai‘i, and it’s a totally different playing field.

Your perfect wave would be:

It’d be a right-hander. No, actually it would be an a-frame peak, but it would be really, really long. It would be reef. And it would barrel on the takeoff, then there would be enough room to do lots of turns, then it would barrel again down at the end. And it would be warm!

What has been your proudest moment?

My first year on tour, people were saying I could win the world title. That seemed a bit crazy, but then I thought, why not go for number one straight away? Then when it happened, it was like a relief. I was proud I actually lived up to the hype. So that or, I think, finishing high school.

What’s your favorite song to play on the ukulele?

“Michelle” by the Beatles. I play the guitar, but I actually started on a ukulele, just

strumming like crazy because I thought I was ripping – probably thought I was Jake Sh-sh-shima-ba-ku—how do you say his name? Shimabukuro? My sponsor Rip Curl just bought me an 8-string ukulele. It really sounds like a harp, really resonates.

Why did you pick Marc Jacobs to wear to the Surfer Poll Awards tonight?

I been thinking about the Surfer Polls and about what I would wear, because it’s just bikinis and high heels right? But I found this dress. It’s sort of like a one-off piece, something that you’re going to have forever. It’s a beautiful crochet. It’s not really “Hawai‘i” I guess, but I love the classic, really high neck and long sleeve.

What advice would you give females out there?

I’d tell them to be patient and to never underestimate yourself. Dream big, because I can prove that dreams will come true.

Buying locally and eating seasonally helps to preserve our connection to food and support the local economy. Here are some local Hawai‘i farmers we are delighted to support:

Evonuk Farm, Maui Cattle Company, Robb Farms, Twin Bridge Farms, Ho Farms, Paradise Flower Farms, Ali‘i Kula Lavender, Otsuji Farms, Kumulani Farm, Coca Farms, Kahanu Aina Farm, Rice Farms, Kanoa Enterprises, Ma‘o Organic Farms, Kumu Farms, Ono Organic Farms, Waipoli Hydroponic Greens and Anuhea Farm.

Liliko‘i grown in Kula, Maui

MAUI MALL

70 E. Ka‘ahumanu Ave.

Kahului, HI 96732

808.872.3310

KAHALA MALL 4211 Wai‘alae Ave.

Honolulu, HI 96816

808.738.0820

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