peterliu47 In Real Life
Over the weekend, I had the great privilege of being involved in the first ever TEDxMaui. Months of planning culminated in a magical day of inspiration. I’m proud to have been a part of such an amazing team of professionals.
See the TEDxMaui 2012 set on Flickr ->
A street party on Maui? You betcha. On the first Friday of the month, Market Street in Wailuku is closed to traffic and practically everyone we know shows up to enjoy arts and crafts, sample an eclectic array of “street food” from restaurants and caterers who have set up shop for the evening, listen to bands and dance in the streets. Yesterday was a little unique in that the Maui County Farm Bureau teamed up with Edible Hawaiian Islands magazine to lauch its agriculture awareness month with the Eat! Wailuku event, featuring food vendors serving locally sourced dishes, and local produce offered for sale, courtesy of Kula Fields.
If you find yourself looking for some local flair on the first Friday of the month on Maui, come down to Wailuku Town. Local folks know how to party!
See the full set on Flickr ->
Ali‘i Kula Lavender, HDR, 8 exposures, artistic rendering.
Ali‘i Kula Lavender, HDR, 8 exposures, artistic rendering.
Ali‘i Kula Lavender held its first first Sustainable Aloha Festival yesterday, dedicated to Ali‘i Chang, founder, farmer and visionary who passed on April 13, 2011. It was a lovely event and I was glad to be a part of it, supporting my friends at the farm and at Slow Food Maui.
I was privileged to be a member of a social media team at last night’s Taste of Wailea event, that also included Dania Katz, Melissa Chang, Jen Russo, Roxanne Darling, Shane Robinson and the Social Media Director of the Maui Film Festival, Sara Tekula. We enjoyed a great evening of tweeting and eating, and sharing this amazing event with our followers around the world.
HDR rendering of he Wailea Golf Course during the Taste of Wailea, Maui Film Festival 2011. 7 exposures, Photomatix Pro 4.0, finished in Lightroom 3.4.1
Taste of Wailea, HDR, 6 exposures. Photomatix Pro 4.0, finished in Lightroom 3.4.1.
2011 Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade & Ho‘olaule‘a, Kamehameha ‘Iki Park, HDR, 11 exposures. Photomatix Pro 4.0, finished in Lightroom 3.4.1
A great time was had by all at the Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade & Ho‘olaule‘a event yesterday. The parade was full of the color and pageantry you’d expect from a tradition steeped in rich history. I had the privilege of being able to witness it from a great vantage point on the second floor of the Longhi’s thanks to my friends Matthew Erickson and Julie Yoneyama.
Enjoy the photos…
Last night, my wife Kathy Becklin and I were invited to a special evening at the Old Lāhaina Lū‘au by our friend Dania Katz. The Friends of Moku‘ula held a fundraiser with the theme He Lei Hulu, He Lei Makamae— a tribute to Akoni Akana, their founding executive director. Our table was shared by friends Chef Jana McMahon, Roxanne Darling, Shane Robinson, Nio Kindla, Kirk Surry and Aimee Singer.
In addition to the great food, the Lū‘au dancers put on a fabulous performance, and we were treated to a special appearance by Keali‘i Reichel along with Miss Aloha Hula for 2009, 2010 and 2011. We even had a lightning show in the middle of it all. It was a magical night.
Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi magazine featured Moku‘ula in their most recent Making Over Maui video:
O'ahu Princess Anela Haina by Jordan Moore
One of the things I love about living in Hawaii is the care that’s taken to preserve and commemorate cultural traditions. The 2011 Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade & Ho‘olaule‘a honors the noble tradition of Pa`u Riding.
The festivities begin on Saturday, June 18 at 9:00 a.m. at Kamehameha ‘Iki Park, in Lahaina, Maui. The parade starts at 9:45 a.m. on Front Street, from Kenui Street to Shaw Street.
Among others, the parade includes:
After the parade, there is a ho‘okupu ceremony at Moku’ula Ahu.
Pa'u Riding
The ho‘olaule‘a (a Hawaiian celebration or festival) includes:
The festivities are scheduled to last until sunset.
If you’re on Maui, don’t miss this one-of-a-kind cultural experience.
To learn more about the Pa‘u Riding, here’s a great video. Thanks to my friend Liza Pierce for posting this on her blog, saving me the trouble of searching for it.
One of my favorite things about the Maui Whale Day celebration is the maze of 36,000 Origami Whales. Each whale is lovingly crafted, decorated and arranged on long strings as a colorful visual statement and memorial of the lives of whales killed since 1986.
See the Maui Whale Day photos on Flickr ->
I grew up in a concrete jungle. Several of them, actually. My dad was a journalist and we moved several times to various cities within Asia. I became self aware in a high rise, and lived in many more since.
When I lived in the California’s Bay Area as an adult, I used to love trekking around in the open spaces with my camera. It’s something I never took for granted. It’s also one of the things we cherish about living on Maui. I’m all for progress, but one of the reasons we’re known as “paradise” is our land still looks pretty.
So when I was asked to live tweet at the Maui Coastal Land Trust’s 10th Annual “Buy Back The Beach” benefit at the Old Lahaina Lu’au this Saturday, I couldn’t say no. It’ll be a great event for a very worthy cause, and there still time for you to get a seat or table if you’re on the island.
Whether we see you there or not, join in on our tweet conversation with the hashtag #BBTB or watch for me me at @PeterLiu47.
In support of #EatLocalHI week, my wife Kathy and I have just been invited to a special ‘Ulalena event on Friday, October 1, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
The show is complimentary if you bring a locally sourced pupu (appetizer) to share for 4-6 people.
Who else is coming?
