Halloween in Waikiki

Last Friday was Halloween. We had a bunch of trick or treaters in Waikiki throughout the evening. Halloween in Waikiki has become a tradition. I would like to share the event with you through some of the pictures I took.

Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki starts to hustle and bustle from around 7:00 p.m. on Halloween night.

Quite a few people in patriotic costumes. Could be because of the Presidential elections this year.


Funny.



The ghosts, goblins and ghouls. Always popular. Scary or funny?



Medusa!


Adorable.

Family of trick or treaters. Is that Tarzan’s Family?




Representing Japan.

Baka Tono…translated to “Simple Lord”, simple like in not too smart.


The battery mascot. The “keep going and going” bunny.


Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.


The Flintstones, Fred and Wilma! Who are these two?


Some sexy costumes. Sexy cupid with her bow and arrow. Check out her shoes.


Simple but original. Swan couple.


Halloween Cupcakes. Yum!


Chucky the Pumpkin



Folks really enjoyed themselves, partying down Kalakaua Avenue. Thank goodness the next day was Saturday!


This is what you have to look forward to if you’re visiting Hawaii during Halloween. It’s so much fun, you don’t want to miss it!

Honolulu Festival Foundation

Chinese Zodiac Animal Figurines, a tradition of the Honolulu Festival

 
The Honolulu Festival will be celebrating its 15th year in March 2009. It has become a tradition for the Honolulu Festival Foundation to give away Chinese Zodiac figurines to those who come first to the Hawaii Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
This has become such a popular tradition that many people line up before opening time to collect these figurines each year. There are twelve animals that represent the Chinese zodiac and each year the figurine is different based on the Chinese calendar. As you all know, much of the Japanese culture has been influenced by the Chinese culture and this is true about the zodiac and astrology.
Legends and mythology are a big part of Chinese culture and Chinese Zodiac. The twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac calendar are the rat, buffalo (ox), tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. There are a few legends as to how this came to be. One of the more popular legends is that Buddha invited the animals to participate in a race. The prize was a coveted position on the Chinese Zodiac calendar. The first 12 animals to cross the river would appear on the Chinese Zodiac calendar in the order in which they completed the race. The story tells of how each animal was able to finish earlier than the others. It is quite interesting and much of the characteristics of each animal are used to explain the personalities of people born in the year of that certain animal.
2008 is the Year of the Rat and this is a picture of the figurine that was given away for the 14th Annual Honolulu Festival.


2009 is the Year of the Ox and this is what we will be giving away.


I have been collecting these ever since I have been part of the Festival. I’ve collected four so far so that means I need to get eight more! However next year may be the last year since we have been using this as a promotion for eleven years and the twelfth will complete the cycle. Shucks!

This is what it looked like at the Hawaii Convention Center on opening day a little before 10:00 a.m.



It gets pretty hectic as the doors open!
 
Please come and join us the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival and try to come before the doors open at the Hawaii Convention Center to collect your Year of the Ox figurine. It might be your last chance. Aloha.

Honolulu Festival Foundation

New designs for Honolulu Festival eco bags

As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, we are in the process of setting up online shopping for Honolulu Festival logo goods. Soon, we promise. But in the meantime I would like to introduce some of the new designs for our eco bags.




These examples are just a few of the designs that we have created.
We are planning on having different designs, colors and sizes. So what do you think, have you found anything that suits your fancy?


We are planning on using these eco bags as give aways for our special promotions as well. Don’t forget we will be giving away prizes at our Ennichi Corner for game winners at the Hawaii Convention Center during the festival and these eco bags will be part of the prizes.

We have also designed some T-shirts to go along with these bags.

Pretty neat! Please look forward to our online shopping program. Aloha!

Honolulu Festival Foundation

Splendor of China Part 4 Beijing Art Performing Group and China National Performing Arts Group

Here is the final section of Splendor of China. I hope that you have enjoyed it. This part is about the performing groups from Beijing that came from far away to entertain the people of Hawaii. Such splendid performances, what a treat!

First of all, the Chinese harp. The selections were contemporary. It was quite unique to hear western style music played on the traditional Chinese harp.

A magic show from Beijing. The comical entertainment got the audience to laugh.


And…the world famous Changing Face Magician!

I was really looking forward to this performance.

The magician blows fire and smoke.

　
He moves quickly and changes his mask one by one, scary ones too.
　
And he does it in a blink of an eye and it appears as though he is not even touching the masks at all!

I wonder how he created this illusion?


He appears to resemble a Kabuki actor. And then…all masks are removed!


The audience clapped and cheered.

The show lasted about fifteen minutes. Sure wish it was longer.

The next act was an acrobatic duo with a comical flair, a tragedy about a spoiled princess and monk.

Here goes the bratty princess ordering the monk to do acrobat with a candle on his head.

Hesitant at first, the monk proves to the princess that he is good.

Then the princess pushes the monk to do more difficult moves…and he succeeds.
　
The audience laughs at the facial expressions of the monk as the bratty princess orders him to do more.

The princess makes the monk blow the fire from the candle on his head without using his hands.

It was a very cute and funny skit.

This concludes my report on Splendor of China. I hope you enjoyed it. Of course the best thing to do is mark your calendars for October 2009 so you can personally attend the annual festival. The variety of activities was very entertaining. And as always, experiencing the culture of China was not only educational but enlightening! Aloha.