I was in Chinatown this afternoon helping to set up a group ceramics exhibit that I'm participating in at Louis Pohl Gallery. I didn't have much time, about 30 minutes, to walk through a few blocks of Chinatown and take photos.

Yesterday I spent another 3 hours cruising Waikiki, and this is what I saw. Well, a little of what I saw.

It was a hot and humid day yesterday in Waikiki, but August and September are usually our hottest months. Still, it was great walking around early in the morning and taking photos of anything that interested me.

My favorite way to get to Waikiki is to take the H-1 Freeway east, take the King St. exit and then take King St. down to Kapahulu. The drive down Kapahulu ends at Waikiki Beach and I usually park at the Honolulu Zoo. I didn't have much time today, so I spent about 30 minutes walking down Kapahulu about half a mile north of Waikiki. 

I've lived in Hawaii for 27 years and I'm always finding new places to enjoy on Oahu. Yesterday I went to Kaiona Beach Park for the first time with my family. Beautiful place, good snorkeling, perfect for keiki (children). 

Friends of ours have a daughter getting ready to leave for college soon and they sponsored a concert by three well-known local musicians to raise money for her tuition. It was held at another friend's house that's perfect for a concert: a shaded lanai for the musicians and their equipment just in case it starts to rain, and a large grassy area where all of us can sit. It was a pot luck with all of us bringing local favorites such as poke and Korean barbecued chicken. The musicians played three hours straight without a break, playing popular local songs as well as many of their own compositions. It was a magic night, one of many we've had like this in Hawaii.

Last Friday I went to Soto Mission in the morning to take some photos after everything had been set up for the Bon Dance that would start that night and before the crowds made it hard to move around. I also stopped at another Buddhist temple on the way and took some photos there as well.

I'd heard that St. Peter's had jazz vespers every Thursday night but I'd never gone until this past Thursday. I had a friend who was an English prof at the University of Hawaii who had retired last year and moved to North Carolina. He was back for a visit and asked if I'd be interested in going and I said yes. The jazz ensemble that plays each week is made up of a singer, a saxophonist, a bassist, and a pianist. You can find out more about the group on the following: http://www.stpetershonolulu.org/jazz-at-st-peters-thursday-evening-service.html 
I was surprised by how good the group was and especially how good the singer was. Between sets there were Bible readings, prayers and a very short homily. Afterward, we shared a meal of homemade soup (three kinds and all good), artisanal bread and salad.

Last Friday I went to two Bon Dances, the first at Jodo Mission and the second at Soto Mission, both in Honolulu and about a ten minute drive from each other. On the way I ran into some other photo opportunities that I'm including here. I'll include the Soto Mission photos in the next blog.  

I happened to be driving down Nuuanu Ave. in Honolulu yesterday when I noticed that Hsu Yun, a Chinese Buddhist temple, was decorated in ways I hadn't seen before. I decided to park the car and see what was going on. It turned out that two marble statues at the foot of the temple had just arrived from China and were being dedicated that morning. Unfortunately I didn't have my Fuji camera with me, just my Canon S120, but I enjoyed taking photos and exploring the grounds.