Hawaii - Remember when.... (Waipahu, Kailua: loan, to buy, movies)

[zoa]

The Exchange!
Goes round round round
and down down down
in the tum tum tum
Makes your mind
go yum yum yum
for an orange juice called Exchange!
---Orange juice jingle.. hehe... strongly associated with Checkers & Pogo.



Sky Slide!!!! By Gems in Waipahu (I heard there was another one in town but never went to it).
The sky Slide was a 3-story slide you rode down. It was a huge treat on the weekend...
--Go to Gems for shopping
--Play on Sky Slide
--Go to the Sunset Drive-In (sneaking in 3 kids in the trunk) for movies



Remember the Kam Drive in BEFORE it went double screen? And the play ground... and the swap meets were so much better than the Stadium's one.. you found TREASURES there... not touristy stuff.


The Pearlridge Liberty House beauty salon... was the best on the island.. and the older Japanese ladies there would really pay attention to what they were doing with your hair and makeup... is where I learned about certain make-ups and skin treatments... is why now my skin is just about flawless! One even introduced me to the "streamline" bra.. and how to REALLY fit a bra and why it is so important for "haole girls" to pay attention to what bra they wear to avoid sagging later in life.

Without their pearls of wisdom... I'd look more about 50 than I do 30! ^.^

[melaniej65]

There was Kiddie Land in Ala Moana- lots of rides for kids and after we would go to Farrell's for a sundae.

There were a couple of pony rides outside of Haleiwa that were so much fun!
The sky slide (I do not remember WHERE it was in town -I was just a kid!) was terrific...except when your skin happened to leave the mat and you got burned on the hot surface.

Ooh, ooh! The glass bottomed boat!!!!

[vinty]

I remember the Hanapepe Theater and the kung fu movies were always about fuedal lords flying at each other. These guys flew, and I mean flew high. The theater only sold shave ice and boiled soy beans outside. We all took anykind food inside and it was o-kay. The theater was boarded up so long ago.
I remember going camping at the beach with all family and friends on the weekends without fear. That was so long ago. We Didn't use to lock our doors. There was a trust between all of us in Hanapepe.
Thanks for mentioning the cane spiders. Yes, there were more around burn time, and as I would watch the fire I would silently prey to Pele for their demise(just kidding). Back then those suckers were gargantuan, faster then the speed of sound and when they spring towards me I would become completly unglued.
And the **** fights where you could buy anything, bet on the birds, shoot craps, buy food, whatever, it was all there.
Ending on a good note, I remember in Hanapepe collecting Hayden Mangoes, bananas from the trees that were just eveywhere and not on anyones place. There were a few places that were fenced and the people would let us in. We never took more than we needed as to give chance to other people. Sometimes we would travel to places that had choke Wild Mountain Apple trees and pear trees. Every other day one group would go Saltpond and dive, so always had plenty fish. As one person put it, "It's the end of an era"






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[CAVA1990]

I only lived there a year (in Maui) but I can remember my wife and I being the only people on Makena Beach after having driven a dirt road to get there.

[Afishwithabike]

The 1970s saw the establishment of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Its mission was to show that ancient open ocean navigation techniques without instruments could be done. It was a time of revival of hula, canoe building, paddling, and knowledge that had been lost for generations.

It was also the time of sadness. Eddie Aikau's heroic efforts and loss at sea during one of the voyages coined the phrase you see on bumper stickers today "Eddie would go."

I spent a lot of time at the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization in town. There were hula lessons from Miss Ku'ulei, art classes, arts and crafts...it was just a good place to hang out. Everyone was welcome. When I see Polariod shots (who takes Polaroid pictures anymore?) of me dancing hula, it brings back good memories of making ti leaf skirts and plumeria leis that we put together ourselves. On the weekends, I hung around McCully Library near the old Stadium Park. I would go through entire sections in the children's section. One summer I finished reading all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries. The library had a contest for most books read. I remember getting something for my efforts. The librarian for the children's section was this lady who had a 60s hairdo complete with the type of big headband and bell bottom pants that women wore in the 70s. She was a great librarian though. She would read books to kids at story time. She would be really animated. A different voice for each character. I had to hang around the library or Big Brothers. We didn't have Nintendos, Xbox, internet, cell phones, iPhones...and you didn't see the number of overweight/obese kids you do these days. You had to be active in those days if you wanted to have fun.

[clcrisler]

As an Air Force brat, I spent 6 years in the 1970s at Hickam. I remember going to Ft. Derussy and swimming out to the floats. Thinking we were so cool. The adults drinking Primo beer. I remember eating Yick Lung, manapua's, watching Wrestling Hawaii (Steve Strong, John Tolos, Sammy Steamboat, Lord Blears, The Francis family (Ed, Billy, & Russ). Uncle Mikey and KKUA, C&P after school everyday, May Day performances in elementary school. Does Pearl Ridge shopping center still have the International Kitchens (probably was just a typical food court)?

[HankDfrmSD]

I remember:

*************************

Mike's Broil Your Own Steak.

Corner of Beachwalk and Kalaukala.

$3.95, including the salad bar.

*******************

Martin Denny, playing at Don the Beachcomer's, at the left entrance to International Marketplace.

[bongo]

In the early '80s I was living up in Kokee. In February I backpacked out to Kaulau by myself & got caught in a storm. After almost getting swept down at the rope crossing, I made it out to Kaulau. Everyone out there was in survival mode. A native Hawaiian with his girlfriend hiking in sandals dug a trench around my tent for me & caught crawfish for all of us to eat with cajun spices on them. Some half-naked wild folks living back in Kaulau brought a ferrell goat & roasted it under the overhanging rocks. Then the coast guard came out in a helicopter with food supplies. Oh to be young & foolish again.

[vinty]

Thank-you Afishwithabike for reminding my freinds and I of the Hokule'a and the Hula of the 70's. Eddie Aikau is the Hokule'a. Remembering caused me to gasp as tears rolled down my face. I am proud to know Eddie Aikau in memory - he will always be with us.
After "The Kind" outlawed and banned the Hula the warriors took it underground, and continued the ancient practice of lua. But it was'nt until the early 70's that many of the male hula halaus began to come forth and claim their art.
On another note; most of the kids I knew did not have overweight issues as I see so much of it these days. Back then we were always outside playing, at the beach, in the trees, everywhere.

[LUNCHBOX84]

when I was a kid, I was blessed to be able to visit Hawaii. I went as the guest of my freind and his family. I lost contact with the family and I was very young so I can't rember which Island we were on. One of the things I do remember is that the hotel we were in had a clear moat or pool around it and there were dolphins in the pool. Can anyone tell me which hotel that was and what Island? Is it still there? Thanks It would have been around '84

Lunchbox