The Freedom Surf Contest-Hawaii Nose Riding Championships were held May 4 to 6, 2012 in Waikiki.

Champion surfer Linda Benson stopped by the event to wish all the contestants good luck.

Should we change the date that is engraved on the statue of Queen Liliuokalani in downtown Honolulu?

The date on the statue presently reads Queen of Hawaii 1891-1893. These dates reflect the dates she served as Queen. Bill SB 2268 in the state legislature in Hawaii proposes changing the end date to the year of her death 1917. One reason they want to change the date is because they want to acknowledge that she served as Queen until her death. This bill says the 1993 The Apology Resolution from the U.S. Congress “acknowledges that the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through a treaty of annexation or through a plebiscite or referendum.”

One person suggested it would be best to have her year of birth to year of death which would be 1838 to 1917 on the statue.

The statue looks forward at the Hawaii State Capitol and the back of the Queen is towards her home where she lived at Iolani Palace. (Photos by Linda Dela Cruz)

Several Mayors from the League of Cities of the Philippines spent the morning of March 2, 2012 at Pearl Harbor in Hawai’i. They laid a wreath at the USS Arizona Memorial. Eileen Martinez, Chief of Interpretation of the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, lead the tour. Navy Commander Eugene Ramos was on hand to be sure the protocol for laying a wreath was followed.  

The Mayors were at Washington Place signing a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on March 1, 2012. That document established a relationship between the State of Hawai’i and the 122 cities that compose the League of Cities of the Philippines. Mayors from Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island, and Oahu as well as the Governor of the State of Hawaii were at the signing at Washington Place on Oahu. (Photos by Linda Dela Cruz)

This statue of Makua and Kila is in Waikiki by the beach and ocean near the intersection of Kapahulu Avenue and Kalakaua Avenue. The statue is based on a children’s story written by surfer/author Fred Van Dyke.

On some days, there are flower leis on the necks of the seal or the surfer. It’s a great place for a photo! It is a stone’s throw away from other famous statues in Waikiki including one of Queen Esther Kapiʻolani Napelakapuokakaʻe (married to King David Kalakaua) at Kapiʻolani Park, surfer Duke Kahanamoku, and Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole.

The YWCA Fernhurst residence on Wilder Avenue blessed its new community garden on Feb. 23, 2012. The community garden in the backyard lanai are on several raised planters. The vegetables grown there represent the growth of the Fernhurst residents. At the blessing, one of the women who built her life back up after an accident shared her story of how the YWCA helped her blossom. A certificate was presented to the garden’s sponsor - Prudential Locations Foundation.

The YWCA Fernhurst is a place where women can live dormitory style for a maximum of two years. It has a common living room as well as breakfast and dinner served from their kitchen. One room houses two women with a shared bathroom that links to another room of two women. The women could be travelers, neighbor island residents, students and women in transition. Programs include financial education and job placement assistance and access to a computer room. Rates range from $45 a night ($1350/mo.) to $65 a night ($1950/mo.). There are also programs that can offer $15 a night ($450/mo.) to qualified people. 

Fernhurst has been at its present location on Wilder Avenue since 1952. It was located elsewere in 1921.

Ahhh! Going outside to sit down and relax or talk with friends and family is something that can be done on the porch, in the garage, on the stoop, or even on a staircase. Here’s a delightful outdoor porch setting in the heart of Waikiki under a covered garage. One can only imagine what dull or fascinating conversations have happened here. 

Pit-i-tat-tat-tat! Brat-ta-tat-tat-tat! The hammering sound of a shoe being put together right in front of you is mesmerizing - especially if the shoe is just for you. That’s how it works at Island Girl Shoes Company.

You select which style wood heel you want. There is the cut-out wedge or the classic heel. You can try them on for size. Then you choose what color leather and design  you want that goes across your foot for an open toe look.

The company’s tag line is “Create your own shoes in under 5 minutes!”  They can be found at community events or at kiosks in Ala Moana Center in the Nordstrom Wing Mall level or at Pearlridge Shopping Center Uptown.   

The fourth annual Makahiki Maoli Festival was held at Kapiolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii on Feb. 11, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hawaiian games, food, entertainment and booths were all a part of the day’s festivities. The educational group that encourages children in the Hawaiian culture and language, Pūnana Leo o Honolulu, coordinates the yearly event. 

Crafters, and other Pūnana Leo groups also came out to enjoy the day. Click here for a video clip on the Makahkihi Maoli Festival in Hawaiian with English subtitles.

The Brothers Cazimero version of the song Waikiki written by Andy Cummings on one of their CDs is just a delight! It’s always a great show when they perform.

I saw them belt out their best tunes at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I also made it to one of their Christmas Shows at the Hawaii Theater in Honolulu.  

In this photo, the Brothers Cazimero performed at the Road Runner Music Hall at the Dole Cannery just before the holiday season of 2011 with KSSK show hosts Michael W. Perry, Larry Price, and Sweetie Pacarro. 

Here’s a peak at the Honolulu Hale display for Christmas. Honolulu Hale is the city hall in Hawaii. This display is done every year and some of the exhibits change! Santa and Mrs. Claus are always a part of the festivities. Inside the city hall each city department decorates a Christmas tree in the lobby area for the residents to admire.

The words on the scroll in the photo Mele Kalikimaka means Merry Christmas. Hauoli Makahiki Hou means Happy New Year.

A Ford Fellow’s Account of Fellowship, Follow-up and Fun
Part 5 of 5

Saturday, August 13, 2011 

Corky Lee Photo Exhibit and Vincent Who documentary screening

General Motors has a fleet of Buick cars and drivers to take us to the photo and documentary showing held at the Chinese American Community Center. New York based photographer Corky Lee is someone I met when I was in the New York AAJA chapter in the mid-1990s. He had eight photos from a demonstration of the Vincent Chin case on display for this documentary screening. This Chinese American Community Center was also the home of the largest collection of Corky Lee photos as they were donated by one of the local companies as a gift to the center.

This documentary “Vincent Who?” made the point that not many people know who Vincent Chin is or anything about him. Since I saw the original documentary “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” by Christine Choy two days before I was able to understand the point of his film. The “Vincent Who?” film pointed out the importance of what happened to Vincent Chin. The “Vincent Who?” film’s director Curtis Chin is not related to Vincent Chin although their families were friends because there was a small community in Detroit.  “Vincent Who?” director Curtis Chin says people reconnected to a depth of passion and stepped forward to help tell the story.

Photographer Corky Lee said journalists should be a part of the textbook writing community so that textbooks will have a diverse view and lessons. Attorney Rowland Hwang was also on the panel for this documentary. Associated Press’ Paul Sakuma moderated.

Some of us went on a group lunch at Pegasus Restaurant in Greektown as coordinated by Paul Sakuma. While we are waiting for the tables, I sit right down next to famous photographer Nick Ut known for taking the photo of the Napalm girl running with her arms out which got a Pulitzer Prize.  OMG! I’m star struck. I shared with him that I had missed his panel session that I wanted to attend earlier in the convention. Nick Ut is a photographer with the Associated Press in Los Angeles and he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the gala dinner that night.

At the gala dinner there were lots of great speeches and a chance to catch up with all the people that were at the convention. Leadership in diversity award winner Simon Li says do journalism with integrity. Above all it will improve society and life.

After dinner, karaoke night was a fun time to see everyone from the conference all in one place.

The following day, a group cab ride to the airport was arranged. It was supposed to be four people but six people wanted to go so we all agreed to leave in two groups at the same time. Two people decided the night before that they were going to leave at a different time so they pulled out of the group cab ride. Luckily we still had four people left to share a cab to the airport. That was a fantastic chance to meet new people and get to know others a little better. 

LESSONS LEARNED: Study the program and have an idea of what you want to do, be open to suggestions.

LESSONS LEARNED: Bring comfortable shoes so you have the option to wear them.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  Some people may need some time to rest from the experience so give yourself some time to get back into the groove. You may need a week or two or even longer. Others may just jump right back into life as usual. 

Thanks to AAJA Hawaii board member Wes Nakama for sharing with me before the convention how he had previously gone to the job fair, waited on long lines, and interviewed with the job fair participants. One of the pieces of advice he shared that stuck with me was that he interviewed with basically every company there was and the last and final interview he did eventually landed him a job. He also told me to be patient as the hiring process did not happen until later but it did happen and it was a great gig! As he says ‘All you need is one!’

AAJA Hawaii board member Carolyn Lee also shared some good advice with me before the convention about scheduling my career fair interviews for when I had the most energy in balance with the incredibly active socializing activities that happen at the convention.    

My journalism career is a direct result of two things: a helping hand from networking and donuts. As a newbie to journalism I made some of my connections by the donuts at an AAJA critique session in New York City in 1996. Those connections led to my working in Hawaii. I was helped many times and I always do my best to help others and pay it forward. I am hoping those connections I made recently as well as those I’ve made over the years will lead to more great opportunities in the future and even deeper friendships.

Thanks so much to everyone I’ve met! I’m looking forward to helping others as I always have.

Here are other snippets of how the convention went for other AAJA Ford Fellow members. http://aajaford.tumblr.com/