Aloha kakou!

[koloagirl]

Aloha kakou!

Found this forum by accident -- and after "lurking" for awhile, decided to
make the plunge and join in!

I'm kinda boring -- I'm haole (I said I was boring! ), I have lived on Kaua'i for 11 years, I have studied hula for 15 years - I work at the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i doing the torchlighting show (I narrate) which our hula halau does -- I have plenty hula sisters who are my ohana (I am married, but no keiki) and plenty small kids who I'm Aunty to -- gosh, that's about it I guess!


This was a pic of our halau last month doing a version of "Ka Alaula" for a memorial of a dear friend at the Po'ipu Beach Park --- I'm the frizzy haired
haole at the back! Sorry for the big pic --
Well, bye for now -- look forward to talking story with you all!

Janet

[tutusue]

Re: Aloha kakou!

Whatta beautiful photo, Janet. Thanks for sharing it. And welcome to HT. Jump on in. Sometimes the water's cold; sometimes hot; but usually in between!

[koloagirl]

Re: Aloha kakou!

Mahalo Tutusue!

Glad that I found the HT!


Janet

[Pomai]

Re: Aloha kakou!

Howzit Koloa Girl! Good to see a Garden Isle gal join us here at "Da' Jungle".

Last July we visited my girlfriend's cousins who live Koloa. It seems such a Kama'aina town, yet it amazed me when I walked into Koloa's Big Save supermarket and it was PACKED with mostly mainland tourists - I imagine from hotels and vacation rentals in Poipu. Interestingly, the sale prices for most grocery items were on par with Oahu. Also had lunch several times at Brennecke's, across Poipu Beach Park. Great food and view!

One thing's for sure, Kauai is an easy place to fall in love with.

Anyway, enough with my tourism rant.

F-Y-I, there's another board dedicated to Kauai here at The Garden Isle. Some heated issues for sure.

Once again, welcome to HT.

[koloagirl]

Re: Aloha kakou!

Dear Pomai:

Aloha and howzit from the (currently) rainy South Shore of Kaua'i!

You know too funny you talk about our local "Big Save" here in Koloa-- used to be real local kine- like you said "kama'aina" --had a "Kaua'i Kitchens" diner attached to it where you could get fast and cheap plate lunches - also a hangout for the aunties and uncles to drink their coffee and talk story. Was such a nice, relaxing place to shop and you always knew everyone.

But a couple of years ago -- Big Save tore "Kaua'i Kitchens" down, along with the do-it-yourself laundromat along the side -- to put in -- get this -- a "Subway" sandwich place, made to order sushi bar, and more fancy kine tourist items inside the store. Big Save is no longer recognizable to those of us who used to go there to shop. It isn't any bigger really and they totally cater to the tourists - not the locals. Aisles are jammed full of people buying 2 weeks worth of vacation luxuries. I used to go there every week to shop along with my 87 year old Mom....now it is so crowded that I drive all the way to Eleele to their Big Save, which thank God, is still the way it always has been. I don't need 15 types of "Mai Tai" mix and 2 aisles of "chocolate covered macadamia nuts" -- I need toilet paper and da kine!!

Next year I hear they are building a Safeway just down Po'ipu Road in one of the 3 more shopping centers that are planned for our "little" area (they are relocating our local post office and bulldozing the big field across from main Koloa Town to put in a ginormous shopping/retail/restaurant complex with a first -- 350 parking stalls with meters!!! --So far there is only one place with meters on the island and it is just a block by our State Building. I just hope that our local markets like Sueoka Store and Kukuiula Market can hang in there. Otherwise we'll look like every other strip mall in Southern California in no time - people are already starting to call us "Orange County West" - just a planeride away!

Sorry for my rant! You just caught me on a marketing day and the changes in our local area are so huge you wouldn't believe it! We bought our little studio condo 15 years ago for under $100,000 -- now the big "Estates" subdivision they put in right next door to our little condos are being listed for (this from the local paper today)
$3.6 million!!!!! Yeah, plenny local people moving here!

Kala Mai! I try not to be such a humbug about things - I'd still rather live here than anywhere on earth. But kinda hard to see the aina being disrespected by the powers that be -- obviously the mainland developers don't care, but some of the people on our County Council I voted for because I thought they would malama the aina -- the
opposite has happened. This upcoming election going to be interesting -- I'm voting for anyone who says "anti growth" - I don't care who they are!!

Kala Mai - Kala Mai for being humbug today! It must be the rain!

Janet

[alohatim]

Re: Aloha kakou!

Aloha from the north side, Janet!

I am with ya! Don't mind the rant at all. I have only been here 4 years but I am truly sad to see the island changing. We must rant or politicians will not know how we feel.

..and thanks for sharing the beautiful pic!

[1stwahine]

Re: Aloha kakou!

Aloha Janet! I missed welcoming you here at Hawaiithreads.com. My family comes from Koloa, Kauai. My greatgrandparents got married there. I have family who resides in Koloa, Poipu, Omao, Lihue, Hanapepe and I guess now - all ova Kauai.

My fondest childhood memories are summers spent on the islands of Kauai and Maui. Your picture is absolutely Beautiful! Mahalo for sharing!

Two years ago I returned to the Garden Isle for my auntie's funeral. Many changes but still the same attitude and Aloha of a small hometown. Progress will occurr. However, Kauai and it's magic will forever remain.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on the board.

Auntie Lynn