Hawaii - Remember when.... (Waipahu, Haleiwa: buy, theater, elementary school)

[leilaniguy]

From the late 80's in Puna I remember the fantastic beach at Kalapana & swimming in Kaimu Bay, both gone now. Party-line phones everywhere. Getting broken into in Nanawale & waiting 2 days for police to show up. Shopping at Woolworth's Hilo, the only place to get cheap stuffs then. No traffic jams then, but the road to Hilo was narrow and scary in places.

[zoa]

I was... 5 I think... and my grandparents took my baby sister & I to Maui...

I remember the strawberry farm on the slopes of Haleakala... picking the strawberries and popping them into my mouth! I got in so much trouble! But the old Japanese lady who lived there just laughed and laughed! I had really red lips and around my mouth was stained red from all the strawberries I ate.

Then we went up to the summit... Granpa driving someone's station wagon. Sis & I kept going from the seat to the back then to the seat and back again! And sis got so SICK! I kinda got sick too (all those strawberries!) but I held it back and watched as we drove into the clouds - I remember thinking this is what it must be like to go to heaven.

We got out of the clouds (they were BELOW us! WOW!) and went to the crater rim.. and I watched as the sun crept up and lit the entire crater floor.... I was just stunned into silence. I remember so vividly the details of the summit and the sun peeking into the crater.


Several years later, I think in the 2nd or 3rd grade... I saw one of those Hawaiian movies in class. I forgot which one (I think was the story of Maui) but I totally remember in one scene, the man in the movie was running across a barren landscape (something about fleeing from the goddess Pele) and then I totally recognized Haleakala.. and got all excited - so excited that I was told to exit the class for I was disrupting the movie!


I never saw that movie again.


Anyone remember those old Hawaiian movies? I remember there was one about the shark boy legend, and yet another about the goddess Pele and here sister. Are they still around? Where can I get them? Bishop Museum? I don't remember.. this was back in the early 70s...

[KoaKine]

I love reading these stories I wish I could contribute but growing up in So. Cal I can only talk about old Calie (wagons, log homes ) . So I will just sit back and read your stories!

[cynmkolohe]

Thanks for sharing! I've only been in Hawaii 10 years. These are stories that I feel honored to be able to hear!!

[zoa]

Here's something to blow you all away....


"Dey when broke down da Fujimura Store...
It's gone, you no seeyum deah no mo!
Dey sed dey going build one shopping complex.
I wonda wot dey going broke down nex'!

Old Haleiwa's changin' so fas -
Why mus' dey always broke down all da past?

Dey wen build up one Mililani town
on top all dat nice pineapple ground...
All da same kine houses, everywhere...
Jus' like nobody even keah.

All of de island changing so fas -
Why mus' dey always wipe out all da past?

Now imagine one city all da way
From Ka'ena Point to Iwilei!
All o da children no can play ova dea -
Wid hotel an' apartment ev'rywhea!

All of da islands changing so fas!
Why mus' dey always wipe out all da pas?

*ukulele*

Dey wen broke down da Fujimura Store.
No can buy shave ice deah no mo.
Dey sed dey going build one shopping complex.
I wonda wot dey going broke down nex'!"
---Chip Hatlelid & Shave Ice - Fujimura Store
----From Home Grown II, 1980


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDLUHLs0NaI


Hmm... "from Ka'ena Point to Iwilei"....
*somber silence*

[solytaire]

Sorry I cant remember the names of all the places I visited..but I just wanted to reflect on Hawaii.

I remember visiting the volcano..I remember riding atv's at the ranch...I remember visiting the pineapple farm where I tried pineapple Ice cream for the first time (mmmm)...I remember hiking up a mountain with my family...I remember going to the Luau..I remember visiting the Pearl Harbor Museum...I remember watching a live show on the street in Wakiki.

I can honestly say that there is nowhere that I have been where I just felt like I was truly in paradise. I think for the first time in my life, I just felt grateful to be alive, and nothing more. That was the best time of my life. Ill never forget Hawaii.

[vinty]

I remember the excitement of watching the cane fires.
Going to the Hanapepe River for o'opu. Plenty family, friends and food.
Going to Oahu for the Crater festival with a round trip airline ticket costing les then $30.
A pau hana was exciting and a time for friends, plus collecting the sticks or shot glasses.
Free real pupus aplenty.
The first electric traffic light in Lihue. They had to put that it was up on the radio because everyone kept driving through it.
Traveling to Lihue on Sundays to go to Kress for waffles.
Collecting rocks for the imu.
Catching Samoan Crabs off the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge (the bridge is now a tourist attraction).
We must remember the past to prepare for the future.

[tortoise31]

How wonderful to hear these stories first hand. I enjoy reading old books and have a small collection from the Hawaii of the 30's 40's 50's and 60's.

I have been born too late!!

and in the wrong place.. {{{sigh}}}

[Ketabcha]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Yeah, Ala Moana was better when it was just two stories. Shopping isn't like it useta be! Arakawa's roosters and ol' man Kilgo and Lex Brodie's ears with his moving sign with the caveman.

"Let's go shop at Arakawa's,
Arakawa's in Waipahu
You will save galore.
Save, save, save, save at Arakawa's
Arakawa's big department store."

[zoa]

OH! OH!

Black snow!

That's what we called itwhenthey burned the cane fields! Especially driving down Kunia Road... would get ashes all over the place... and when it rained was even worse!

There was one time the kona winds kicked up and the blaze got out of control - fire crews from everywhere went to contain the blaze - they shut down Kunia Road (right near the golf course) for almost the entire day!

After the fires die down, we'd go look for left over burnt cane stalks... like eating crystalized sugar ribbons... mmmmmmmmmm and with the burned taste made it somewhat special.


I also remember around burn time all the bugs would flee the fields and invade my grandparent's house (they lived in Old Ewa). Is the ONLY time I saw more than 5 cane spiders in one house during one week! *shivers*