A daily mode of blended passion
From the monthly archives:
Yesterday, we took our rabbits to a park and took some photos together.
Mamo continues to grow and likes to play a lot!
Miu is over 5 years old and continues to bite anything in her path.
Mamo and Miu were getting along nicely yesterday afternoon.
Merry Christmas to everyone!
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Once again, our friends got together on Christmas Eve for a Christmas Party at Jerry’s and Yori’s place. Joji and Akiko were unable to attend as they were in California.
We had all sorts of dishes – chicken karaage, roast beef with potatos, rice, fried shrimp and crab cakes, roast pork, chirashi, calamari, soup, chicken kelaguen and creamy crab tomato pasta.
L-R: Myself, John, Kelly, Jerry and Ben. Taku came later prior to this photo.
L-R: Wai, Megumi, Emiko, Yori and Chiaki. Yumi came later prior to this photo.
Ben probably had enough but made sure his fruit liquor was nicely juiced.
John’s proposal or teaching manners to Coco? It was nice to meet up with everyone and enjoy the Christmas festivities. The biggest news was Yumi who is pregnant now. Congratulations Yumi and Taku!! We also had the Christmas bag exchange and more photos are available here. Enjoy.
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Despite the economy, Ruby Tuesday plans to stay open and open 2 more restaurants although the mainland restaurants are closing.
Ruby Tuesday has no plans to close its four Hawaii restaurants, and local franchise owners are moving forward to open in Kapolei and Hilo.
The West Oahu restaurant, scheduled to open in Kapolei Commons in 2010, will be about 5,200 square feet, and the Hilo location at Prince Kuhio Plaza has a target opening date of 2012, said Rick Nakashima, who co-owns the Ruby Tuesday franchise in Hawaii with business partner Ted Davenport.
http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/12/22/daily12.html
That’s a positive news. Some of the restaurants here on Oahu are still doing good. It all depends on how popular as Hawaii’s population estimates for 2008 is past 1 million.
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An inter-island cargo service company, Young Brothers, Ltd., is filing a rate increase with the states Public Utilities Commission.
Young Brothers Ltd. is seeking an average 17.9 percent rate increase to cover $90 million in improvements the firm made over the past three years, as well as the rising cost of doing business.
The state’s largest interisland barge company filed the rate increase request with the state Public Utilities Commission. If approved, the increase will take effect in August 2009, Young Brothers said.
The rate increase would mean higher prices for some goods on the Neighbor Islands and higher costs for farmers shipping refrigerated produce to Honolulu.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081220/BUSINESS/812200326/
Not when the isles are already hurting from the tourism slump. They are going to be hit hard the most.
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The outer Hawaiian islands are experiencing a drastic low level of visitors and tourism continues to decline.
A 15.9 percent decline in visitor arrivals in November plunged the year-to-date performance for the state’s visitor industry to its worst recorded 11-month level and may have put it on track to experience its worst year, in terms of percentage decline, since the Great Depression.
Hawaii’s lagging visitor industry, which has seen its visitor count fall by 10.2 percent through November, may fall below 2001 levels for the year, said state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20081220_isle_tourism_drop_nears_great_depression_levels.html
The article mentioned about the Great Depression which happened back in the 1930′s. Don’t think this is a good way to compare as back then, they only had steam ships and no air travel. I would assume the ships didn’t come here as often like today. But it’s quite saddening to read the decrease of visitors in this uncertain economy.
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The only positive airline news would be Korean Airline which will switch their current 777s to a bigger passenger capacity 747s. All other international carriers are cutting back including Japan Airlines, Qantas Airways and JetStar for the holidays and into the new year respectively.
Korean Air will begin flying 747s to Hawaii on March 1 in response to higher demand for nonstop service between Seoul and Honolulu.
A spokesman for Korean Air said 581 more seats will fly to Hawaii per week, a 28 percent increase over current capacity.
Korean currently flies 777s that seat between 261 and 801 passengers. Its 747s seat between 333 and 384 passengers.
A visa waiver making it easier for Koreans to travel to the United States went into effect Nov. 17, prompting Hawaii tourism and government officials to lobby for higher air capacity.
http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/12/15/daily64.html
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From New York:
NO one in New York has any privacy. But would you be willing to share a bathroom with that guy down the hall to save a buck?
A number of young New Yorkers who want to live alone but cannot afford it have settled on just that sort of compromise: renting a room and sharing facilities like kitchens and bathrooms with neighbors.
Reminds me of the college dorm days… The studios and 1-bedroom in New York range $1,600 – $2,100 according to Craigslist ad. Yikes!
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As General Growth Properties looks to sell its portfolio, A&B Properties, Inc. is eyeing to acquire the Ward Centers which once they had interest.
Alexander & Baldwin Inc. is interested in acquiring Ward Centers from distressed General Growth Properties Inc., according to sources familiar with the situation.
Honolulu-based A&B sought to acquire the collection of retail centers in Kakaako in 2002, but lost its bid to the Chicago-based retail giant, which purchased Victoria Ward Ltd.’s more than 60 acres for $250 million.
At the time, A&B was the second-highest bidder next to General Growth, the nation’s second-largest shopping center owner with more than 200 malls in 44 states. Representatives of General Growth and A&B declined comment.
http://www.starbulletin.com/business/20081216_sources_ab_eyeing_ward_centers.html
A&B Properties, Inc. is a local company which owns and manages over 89,000 acres of land and porfolio of over 7 million square feet. They are one of the biggest and oldest land owners here in Hawaii and deal with many residential and commercial developments as well as agriculture and transportation. Would be nice if they acquire and keep their long business tradition in place.
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If you are ever in Kailua, try out the crepes from Crepes No Ka Oi.
Heard good things about them and they are in a new shop.
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