March 2011 Vacation Photos

First Friday

The first Friday of every month is a special evening in Chinatown. We visited with Paul and Faye Zasada, had dinner at Murphy's Pub, walked around seeing art galleries, and listened to jazz and pop at The Dragon Upstairs.

Andrea, Paul, and Faye browse in a Chinese curio shop.

A large dragon on the wall of The Dragon Upstairs.

A jazz band plays before large lighted masks on the wall.

Artwork

I spent several days in early March trying out Jackson Pollock's style for painting.

It took a while to get the technique just right. Thinning the paint doesn't help. Thicker paint is better
because it drips in long strings. If there's a light breeze, so much the better.

After the two smaller ones, I tried a larger piece of plywood, this time with a grey background.

Andrea took this picture of me with the painting, hung outdoors on the rock wall by the Young's house.

Named "#1" in honor of Jackson Pollock. 28 inches by 18 inches, paint on plywood.

Mrs. Young gave us an old iron wine rack which I cleaned and painted.

I painted the fishing float Andrea found at Makapuu gold and red. Then I took it back to the plumeria tree to hang it.

Hanging the ball assembly from a branch.

Andrea was pleased with the result.

Point Panic

We drove to Kakaako March 9th to visit Re-Use Hawaii, the deconstructors, and stopped at Point Panic on the way homme.

Point Panic has a great body surfing break (off camera to the right).

That evening we went to Bluewater Grill for dinner.

Tsunami

A 8.9 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Japan. The resulting one meter tidal wave hit Oahu at 3:21 AM on March 11. There was some damage to boats and slips on the north shore, but the south shore was undamaged.

We went to the UH Federal Credit Union to deposit a check. Andrea ascends the stairs.
Note the art on the wall.

Then we went to UH to go to the bookstore to buy a UH towel, but it was closed that day.
Many businesses were closed due to the tsunami. The inundation zones were evacuated. UH
is above the zone, but lots of residents were affected. Andrea by the Art building.

Andrea took this picture of me at the Art building.

Andrea by the baobob tree at the Art building.

After I swam, I noticed a tidal surge exposing the reef.

It's the lowest tide I've ever seen at Sans Succi Beach.

Many people were at the beach that day.

Two Japanese girls on the beach were taking pictures of each other. I assisted.
Here they posed for me.

Kewalo Basin

Andrea and I went to breakfast at Longhi's restaurant at Ala Moana Center Sunday morning, March 13. Afterward, we walked to Kewalo Basin Park and Ward Center to get a Koa chest for Becky. On the way we met Corey Chang, ceramist Jeff Chang's son, at his art shop in Ward Center.

Andrea ponders the menu at Longhi's. She ordered poached eggs, soft. We shared a great fruit bowl.

We went down to Ward Warehouse and across the street to Kewalo Basin. Nice cat.

At the Diamond Head end of the yacht harbor.

Looking back toward the harbor entrance.

At the Park.

A 2010 statue to a Catholic nun who heeded King David Kalakaua's call for help with leprosy victims.

At the sea wall stairs down to the surf.

Owl statue with island and canoe symbols. The owl was a protector of a Hawaiian warrior.

A body surfer and a board surfer waiting for waves at Point Panic.

The koa chest. Lined with cedar.

Koa chest, lid up.

Expedition to the Kaimana Hotel

On Friday morning, March 18, we took Lenore to the Hau Tree Lanai at the Kaimana Hotel for breakfast.

Andrea puts some quarters in the parking meter as Lenore begins to cross the street to the hotel.

On the way to the hotel through the parking lot.

On the steps to the lobby of the Kaimana Hotel.

Going down to the Hau Tree Lanai to our table.

A great table under the canopy so in case it rains, we won't get wet.

Andrea with the Kapua channel beyond.

Some Japanese tourists got rained on.

Leaving the lobby.

Empty Bowl

That evening, March 18, we went to Empty Bowl Hawaii, a fundraiser to fight hunger. About three thousand bowls from the Hawaiian Potter's Guild were sold, along with containers of soup donated by various restaurants.

We arrived about an hour before the event so we walked around China Town, down Fort Street to the Aloha Tower.

An old naval gun is tempting for make believe dueling, as in Neal Stephenson's novel
System of the World where the choice of weapons is carronades at 200 yards.

The duel lines wrapped around the blocks. We spent about 45 minutes on line.

We got four nice bowls and some great soup (sausage and vegetable and cream of broccoli).

Raku with Jeff Chang

Sunday, March 20 (vernal equinox), we went to Jeff Chang's store in the Ward center and paid 20 bucks each (Lenore too) to do raku glaze and firing of some pots provided by Jeff.

Jeff Chang talks with a student in foreground while students glaze pots in the background.

Andrea and Lenore apply glaze.

Rick and Jeff with the closed kiln.

We went to lunch at Pablo's Cantina upstairs in the Ward Center while the pots are fired.

Andrea talks to Jeff. Metal cans on the right hold sawdust for the reduction phase.

Jeff lifts my hot pot to the reduction chamber.

Looking at the raku result.

Jeff oxidizes white crackle glazed portions with a propane torch while his assistant
Barbara cleans pots in water.

Rick and Lenore look at the results.

Lenore at home with her pot.

Jeff put a handle on mine.

Another view of my finished raku vase.

Jeff also put a handle on Andrea's bowl. We were all pleased with the results.

Kalani Falcons FRC Team 3008

All along in the background we have been mentoring the Kalani Falcons FRC team. The Hawaii Regional FRC was held Thursday through Saturday, March 24^th through 26^th.

On Tuesday, two days before the FRC, we went to the beach in spite of the windy weather.

Andrea also took photographs of the team and field action. Here the team is in the pit
on Thursday with the robot.

On Friday we had lunch at JJ's in Kaimuki.

Lenore, Rick, and Andrea in the pit with the robot.

After the FRC social at the UH College of Engineering, we went shopping at Foodland Farms in
Aina Haina on the way home.

The team with the robot on Saturday. Bryan Silver, lead mentor, is on the right.

Sunday morning we recouperated from the three strenuous days with some yard work.
Andrea shows off her Aloha for Japan T-shirt.

Here's a video of team introductions on Saturday morning.

A Windows media file (HawaiiRegional03.wmv), so you may need
to get a plugin if you are not using MSIE and this is the first
time you have played such a movie file.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com