Published by Rod at November 13, 2007
in Events.
Yup, Christmas is almost upon us. But wait! Thanksgiving hasn’t even arrived yet! What does that mean…? It means that it’s time to start preparing for…
Wait for it…
…
Black Friday.
That’s right. Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving. The busiest shopping day of the year. The day that stores ridiculously slash prices to lure you into their store. The one and only day of the year that the Apple store actually has a sale. Most stores open at the break of day. CompUSA opens at midnight. Last year, my daughter and I went to the CompUSA sale. We spent 1 hour hunting down the goods. Then we spent 2 hours in line waiting to pay for our goods.
Here’s a tip: Go to the sale with a friend and have them stand in line immediately when they enter the store. By the time you find your goods, your friend might be close to the registers.
If you want Da Scoops on how to get a head start on Black Friday, check out Blackfriday.info. At Blackfriday.info, you can find out about sales ahead of time or even secret, unadvertised sales. Plus, you can subscribe to it to receive alerts when new sales are added. Wal-Mart has already started Blackfriday a few weeks ago. Acer laptops sold for ~$425 each.
Found another Black Friday site here.
And then there is The Official Black Friday 2007 Site.
So if you want to avoid the masses, check out these sites. Maybe you can get your Christmas shopping done before the turkey is even carved.
Loochoo Nu Kwa: Children of Loochoo
Workshop on Okinawa’s music and dance as connected to its history and culture
Click to download the flyer
When: Saturday, August 25
Registration: 4:30 p.m.
Workshop: 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where: Jikoen Hongwanji Hall, 1731 N. School Street, Honolulu
Presented by Ukwanshin Kabudan, sponsored in part by Young Okinawans of Hawai`i
This workshop will help you to understand the importance of music and dance in the history and culture of Okinawa. You will also hear the urgency to preserve and perpetuate the Ryukyuan traditional legacy as presented by Norman Kaneshiro, Eric Wada, and the Ukwanshin Kabudan members who have just returned from an emotional visit to Okinawa. If you have ever wondered about what it is to be Okinawan, or how you can strengthen your identity, this presentation will help you to understand.
The Annual Pan Pacific Festival is this weekend at various locations around Oahu. Check out the schedule and visit your favourite cultural demonstrations. There seem to be concentrating on outdoor events this year.
Summer months in Hawaii are synonymous with obon season: humid summer evenings, eating shave ice and spam musubi under the light of the chochin lanterns, enjoying the fellowship of friends and dancing around the yagura into the well into night. If you haven’t attended a bon dance, I urge you to take a few friends and check it out. You may find a new hobby to occupy your summer weekends!
Click here to download the 2007 bon dance schedule! I also have links to my photo galleries featuring pictures from previous years’ obon seasons here.
Mark your calendars and make plans to be at Magic Island on Memorial Day for the annual Lantern Floating Ceremony or “toro nagashi.” I have never been to this event, but am hoping to be able to make it this year to take some photos of the beautiful lanterns floating on the gentle waves out to sea. This event kicks off the obon season in Hawaii, which typically runs from June through Labor Day when the last bon dance of the season is held at the Okinawan Festival. I hope you’ll be able to join the hundreds of islanders who will gather along the shores of Ala Moana Beach Park to honor the memory of their departed loved ones.
This upcoming Memorial Day, May 28th, the 9th Annual Lantern Floating Ceremony will be held along the shores of Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park on the island of Oahu. We invite the general public, as well as non-profit organizations, cultural groups, high schools and colleges to participate in this solemn and enriching event. The public may also make consolatory prayer requests from 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Magic Island on the same day.
The Lantern floating is a time-honored Buddhist rite originating in Japan and conducted in order to pay respects to our ancestors and comfort the spirits of the deceased. During this Toro-Nagashi, or “lantern offerings on the water,” candle-lit lanterns are individually set afloat on the ocean and are said to ferry spirits “from the shore of delusion to the shore of salvation.”
These lanterns carry our heartfelt prayers for victims of wars, water-related accidents, natural disasters, famine and disease, as well as for our loved ones and ancestors. It is through this that the sincere prayers of everyone are united… prayers for a future in which harmony exists among all people regardless of differences between race, religion and culture.
Monday, May 28th, 2007 ~ Memorial Day
Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park
Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Website: lanternfloatinghawaii.com
FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE
Schedule:
Before event from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
After event from 8:00 pm (depending on traffic)
Location:
Hawaii Convention Center (see map)
Handicap shuttle also available at the “Port Cochere” ground floor entrance.
Parking entrance is on Kalakaua Avenue.
Published by Rod at April 28, 2007
in Events.
Hawaii’s one and only anime convention - Kawaii Kon. After only 2 years, they’ve outgrown the Ala Moana hotel and it’s now at the Hawaii Convention Center.
But hurry, you already missed Friday and Saturday so Sunday is your last chance to check out the vendors, artists, and most of all - the cosplayers.
Sunday’s hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
1 day pass: $25
Hanging out in the lobby just to snap pictures of cosplayers: FREE!
Looking for something to do on Sunday, April 29? The Bead Gallery is hosting a Charity Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
When: Sunday, April 29, 2007
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: The Bead Gallery Courtyard
250 Ward Ave. #200, Honolulu
For more info check thebeadgallery.com
Join us for baked goods, jewelry, beads, ceramics, handbags and a super silent auction! 25% - 100% of the proceeds are donated to the Kapiolani Breast Health Center.
Stop by and find great gifts for your mom, favorite graduate, or prom princess — or even a little something for yourself. You can learn more about the Center, talk story with a breast cancer survivor and receive a small gift with any canned good donation which will be given to the Food Bank. All for a good cause!
The “mochi lady” of Happy Hearts Mochi will be there, too. Check out her website and place your order! See you there!
Looking for something fun to do with the family tomorrow? Check out the 