In keeping with my Tiki theme I feel it's about time to share a Hawaiian story for all my Tiki loving bruddas and sistas. When I was a kid (kindergarten and the first grade) I lived on a Navy Base in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii. I can remember it well because it was amazing. We lived in Navy housing, a duplex, on the top of a dead volcano crater called Makalapa. Living amongst us were huge banana trees and hibiscus plants. I can remember the banana trees because when I wanted a banana my mother would simply say, "go in the back yard and pick a few". The weirdest slimiest creature that hopped around was an enormous frog called a Bufo frog. They were huge and ominus, made a splat sound as they hit the asphalt, and were only around at night or early morning. They were always getting run over by the cars and becoming pancakes. Living in the Hawaiian atmosphere is so much different than visiting for a week. Life and the people are so tropical and fun. Rain is fun to run in and it's warm! In the mid 1950's, the Navy Base at Pearl Harbor was filled with every size ship you can imagine, from Navy tug boats to huge aircraft carriers filled with aircraft. It was bustling with naval movement. All the Navy personnel casually wore kacky short sleeve shirts. Military service life was really kick back and relaxed at the time. At the east end of the harbor, the rusting bases of the gun turrets of the mighty battleship, USS Arizona, were very prominate above the waters of the harbor. A memorial had not been built at that time. Old and forgotten bomb shelters were scattered around the base. They were locked up but they were very spooky and full of tropical spiders. Downtown Honolulu was a great place to roam, shop, listen to local music of da kine (the local Hawaiians), and see beautiful hawaiian girls show us the Hula. You could enjoy raw sugar from the cane sold at the markets. Strolling Hawaiian kamaainas made hats and tropical birds out of palm tree fronds. As a family, we would visit the beach on weekends. I remember the waves being so high and the local surfers riding the waves like they were gods of the wind. Their surf boards were long and sleek, made of wood. The surfers were so tan and buffed. Everyone was so friendly and so very relaxed. I think my parents went to a tropical luau almost every other weekend. My Makuahine (Mother) had a moo moo and my Makua kane (Dad) an Aloha shirt for every occasion. Dad would shimmy up the palm trees, knock down coconuts, split them open, and give us the raw cococnut. He would make pupus (hors d'oeuvres) on a hibachi pot in the back yard. The experience for me was absolutely unforgettable and I learned so much about Hawaii and it's culture. Today I share these memories with my 'Ohana (my family) because to us Hawaii is so much more than a vacation spot. We enjoy the beauty of the islands, the culture, the people, the food, the music, the luau's and the Aloha spirit of the islands.

Kipa hou mai (Come visit again).

Aloha,

Kimo

Kimo's favorite hawaiian cocktail:

BLUE HAWAII

1 oz light rum

2 oz pineapple juice

1 oz Blue Curacao

1 oz Cream of coconut

1 slice pineapple

1 cherry

Blend light rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut with one cup of ice in an electric blender at high speed. Pour contents into a highball glass. Decorate with the slice of pineapple and a cherry.