Koa'e Kea Reunion...

we;d 

We'd been invited to a reunion of the flight attendants (DC-3) for Hawaiian

Airlines.  Our dear friend, Te Moana, is an "ex Lexie" and 

the aunties were going to be part of a "recreation of the

Hawaiian Room show".

cute little centerpieces

every place setting had a sheet of Hawaiian Airlines stickers.

Hawaiian is celebrating their 85th year this year, so there

was a slide show showing the early years.

 Got to see friends that I don't get to see very often...Roy!

they held a drawing for all kinds of door prizes.  

They announced the last one and it was a coffee table book

about the history of Hawaiian Airlines and it was signed by Hawaiian

Airlines president, Mark Dunkerley.

I said that I'd love to win that (especially for Terry)...

 well I did!!  There was also a dvd of the interviews that were used 

in writing the book!  So excited.

Te Moana re-created a mini "show" like in the Lexington Hotel.

The girls from Aunty Lei's studio were the dancers...they even brought

up some of the pilots from the audience to learn a hula.

our dear friend, Te Moana looking as beautiful as ever.

A short clip of the "Ex Lexes" dancing the finale "To You Sweetheart Aloha".

The clip is from Hula Preservation Society.  Maile has worked so hard to bring

the story of the Hawaiian Room to the public.  

It Was Hurley...

During the boarding of my flight home, I looked up just in time to see

this guy...

I posted it on IG with a quite catchy hashtag...

"he was LOST, but he found Hawaii 5-0"

It was Jorge Garcia or "Hurley" from LOST.

We'd actually met him once at Hardware Hawaii in Kailua.

He went to SCHS with Geoff and remembered him.

I'm sure there are other famous people who are also on my flights, 

but this really was exciting because I loved that show so much and

watched it all the years it was on.  

I'm glad he's back in Hawaii because I know how much he loved it.

Merrie Monarch~A Different Year...

this year's Merrie Monarch for me was different in so many ways...

the biggest difference was the hotel.  In January, DeeDee got a call from our

other hotel (that they'd been staying in for probably 20 years) that all rooms were cancelled!

Luckly Dee Dee got us rooms at another hotel, thank goodness.  One bad thing was that

it was double the price!  So I decided not to get a car and fly into Kona to visit my friends.

A few weeks ago I tried to get a car, but there were none to be found, oh well...

I'd forgotten how pretty and mystical it is to fly into Hilo.

The first thing that you see is the volcano above the clouds,

then dropping below the clouds to see the Hamakua coast, is something else.  

My hula sister, Anne now lives in Hilo so she came to pick me up at the airport and

we went to lunch at

Hawaiian Style Cafe...

we should have shared this sandwich (I had the other half for dinner)

Hawaiian Airlines was running the free shuttle again, so that was great

Day 1 is the Miss Aloha Hula and the crowds are crazy.

Glad our seats are in the same place.

I didn't take my good camera this year because there had been a lot of 

publicity about "... only professional photographers would be allowed to use cameras with

lenses.  Without a permit your camera would be taken away..."

I didn't want to chance it, so I became one of those people that I said I never would...

taking pictures with an i pad!

Oh well.

so the first long night ended with a new Miss Aloha Hula being chosen

and she was beautiful.

(Merrie Monarch photo)

Day 1 is over and onto Day 2...

Fly Hawaiian...

we only fly on one airline, Hawaiian.  Actually haven't flown anything else for 

many, many years.  

Hubby is one of their Platinum members.

I'm a gold member and we both have gotten the "TSA Pre" on our 

boarding passes.  Not that I fly that much, but I guess they do keep track.

Since I only take a carry on (we have all the necessities at the MH), I don't

spend a lot of time in the lobby, but it is nice.

after going through security, and maybe the lounge, I get on the Wiki Wiki shuttle

to the gate. It can be either 24, 25 or 26. Then I wait.  I'm always happy when

I see the plane waiting…we'll leave right on time.

I was wondering if some day they're going to re-do the retro-looking light fixtures at these gates.

Yes, I do love my early boarding!

I have one of the "official" Hawaiian Airlines blankets and

I really do use it.

when I get to LAX, I call my ride when I get to the gate and it's off to SC.

So noisy here!

return trip, go through the crazy security at LAX.  

every time the "TSA Pre" has been different and I can't

figure out if they really don't know what they're doing or they change

the rules all the time.

back to my early boarding

this last trip there was a problem with the air conditioner and all the power shut down

while they were boarding.  

Not Good.

The Captain came out and explained that they were trying to fix it.

My friend, Grace a FA for Hawaiian was texting me and she also said that

we didn't want to get off and have to go to another gate…delay of about 2 hours if

they do that.

We love Hawaiian Airlines.

Hubby flies so much on the same route that they know him.

He sometimes has to fly other airlines on the mainland for business and always

says how different Hawaiian is.

Hawaiian Airlines, the true spirit of Aloha.

Treasures...

these two living treasures are gracing the cover of 

Hana Hou!, the Hawaiian Airlines inflight magazine.

We knew there was going to be an article, but were so happy

to see them on the cover.

I'm glad that they're being honored lately, so that people can

see how wonderful they are.  

Miss Alama is as beautiful now as she was in the 1950's when she

graced this album cover.

They both still teach

in their hula studios (old style name).  And can put the 

fear of God into me, even now.  I can hear Aunty Lei counting to her students and

all Miss Alama has to do is give us "that look".    It makes climbing those

31 steps worth it.

Puanani and Leilani Alama,

true Hawaiian treasures!

For the love of hula,

I love you both...

Off...