A1

While we were on Moloka'i, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. The island is so remote and local that we didn't have a signal for most of the trip. We had no idea that there was a tsunami coming towards us (thankfully there wasn't). Mark and I were camping near the beach when we were woken up by two police officers with flashlights telling us we had to leave because a tsunami was coming. Insane!! The sirens hadn't gone off yet at this point, so we were both in a sort of daze. The sound of the siren is something I don't think I'll ever forget...I felt like we were going to get bombed, as if we were in the middle of a war. So bizarre. We ended up moving to the middle of a giant field up near Maunaloa, and slept there until the morning. No one really talked about the "aftermath," or what could have been, so it was sort of business as usual on the island. It wasn't until we got back to O'ahu that we realized the damage in Japan was so much worse than we had anticipated. You can really feel that isolated in Hawai'i. Amazing and really unfortunate at the same time. I'm not sure what to make of our fortune. This is the second major natural disaster that I have been affected by where I have managed to come out unscathed. Is this some sort of masochistic trend? Possibly.

Halawa Bay. Unreal!

Part III up next...

M3

Yikes. Already the end of March and only three posts! This month has been a little hectic I guess. March consisted of: the beginnings of a consistent happy hour (yes!), a trip to sun and back, insane natural disaster #2, an emergency evacuation adventure, fears for grad school, new website biznass, apartment hunting, and being sick. Not too exciting...I'm not sure how all my time passes these days, but somehow it's the end of March and I still haven't finished the small creative projects I set out to do a few months back...

I've set up a tumblr page to help me photodump without committing to making a facebook album or a million blog posts. It's a much better way to organize, share and archive my own image library of things that are of interest to me. You can follow me here: \\/\// 

Sooooo I went to Hawai'i again for just over a week to visit Mark. It will probably be my last time on the island for a long time. Maybe until the end of the year, or the next. It was super sad to move all my things out of the apartment, and I don't think it's really sunken in yet that I've sort of closed a door on living there for a while. I finally got to see my friends Chrissy and Mika, who I spent endless hours and days with while I was in Copenhagen. Crazy reunion half way around the world! The week went by really quickly this time. I didn't get to see half the people I wanted to, but we did, as always, pack in a lot of activities for 8 days. Mardi Gras street party, Painted Highways show, Ka'ena Point hike, North Shore surfing, Makua Beach camping....Waiola shave ice!!!

Mark and I decided to take a trip to another island, and chose Moloka'i since neither of us had been previously. We flew on a small Cessna over there (about 40 minutes flight) and had no one else on the plane! It was like we had it specially chartered for the two of us :) It was an awesome way to start our 3 day trip, which was just enough time to see the island end to end. I got my dose of 4x4 action, which was soooo great. I was born to drive a Jeep. Yup. Part I of the trip:

Part II to come!!

M2

Going back to da aina tomorrow :) Happy Friday!

D5

Jordon shared this on facebook and it is just soooo sweet. The fact that it can be done and made to look so easy, and with such grace, is mind-blowing. Leave it to the pros to show how humans can navigate this part of nature. Beautiful.

Wish I was in Hawai'i now to see the waves like this. Cheeee!

Kelly Slater, you god.


Laniakea 12.08.10 from Hawaii DV on Vimeo. Type ks10 to view it.

O15

I went for a nice little ride today while the sun was still out. Finally! The bike is totally smooth and co-operative, but the straps will take some getting used to. I'm most likely going to change out the grip tape, and a few tweaks on the brakes. I can't really fuss with it too much now, but maybe in the future. This little guy is still waiting to be taken downtown...next week, I hope. I still need to buy a new lock, and it seems that Kryptonites are going for more than what they were selling for over 2 years ago. For the SAME model! I don't understand it. Plus, with the HST added, I will essentially be paying for another bike off craigslist for the cost of a lock. Ridiculous. I understand the safety that comes with a Kryptonite versus any other generic lock, but I am just shocked by how much they're going for here. Maybe it's an indication of the market here in Toronto. I bought a small Kryptonite lock in New York for $70. And that was already on the more expensive side. And like I said, that was over 2 years ago. So I guess Toronto has a lot of catching up to do...

The bike is most likely made after the 1980s, when all Miyata bikes had their names written in full rather than numerically. The higher the number, the more elite it was. The range began at Ninety. Thus, mine is a low-end touring bike. But I'm very happy with it! My bike in Hawai'i is also a Miyata, but a One Hundred model and bright periwinkle. Beautiful colour. This red one is Miyata No. 3 for me! I think I will name it Charlie. Seems appropriate.

My bike in Honolulu, minus the kickstand:

This frame is actually way too large for me, so the seat has to go all the way down. I'm fit more for a 54cm frame, and I'm quite sure this is a 57cm one. It took a lot of getting used to, and I had to change the location of the brake levers because they were just located in the wrong place...the drop bars are a little too aggressive for my riding habits. As much as I would love to provoke ignorant drivers, keeping a head on my shoulders is more important. There are few extremely useful bike lanes in Honolulu that I'm aware of, and their idea of a bike lane on a busy street is putting up a sign that says "Share the Road." However, these streets are barely flanked with curbs. So where do we go? Cyclists must essentially ride more aggressively to assert their spot on the road. While many might think that Hawai'i must be bike haven, riding on the local streets in town is not that fun when there is a lot of traffic, or buses charging around you. Toronto is not the only city that needs a better policy on bike lanes.

Oh, and did I mention how disappointed I am about Rob Ford winning the election? I hope those that voted for him kick themselves later down the road when they realize their meager savings on the Vehicle Registration Tax actually went to Ford's hilariously unrealistic plan for the TTC aka KFC BUCKET FUND aka NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. I can tell you that I am distracted and angered by the grease on his face, and the fact that I couldn't look into his eyes when he spoke during his election win. How can I respect someone like that? You know, at least Mel Lastman had a more likable personality.

Okay, all stupid comments aside, how can I possibly respect someone who clearly doesn't ride a bike in Toronto to work but can decisively comment that bike lanes are superfluous; and is also the same person who holds the idea of owning your vehicle more precious that preserving the environment? His "stop the gravy train" mantra really is not about Toronto's future, or even about how to use money more wisely. The counter-intuitive idea that spending money can lead to better results doesn't always resonate with tax payers, and I am well aware that David Miller did not necessarily try his best to prevent taxes from rising. But...then what? What vision does he have for a new way of living? Expanding the TTC is not a realistic solution, and getting rid of streetcars will kill a part of Toronto's identity. Does he really think he knows Toronto that well? How many times has he even been to Chinatown, or Kensington, or any of the lower income housing projects? Or even Finch Station? The other North Korea? Does he even know that exists? Does he even know what it's like to take the TTC, every single day? Does he know that it is possible to commute by bicycle 12 months of the year if you wanted to? Probably not. And even if he did, he doesn't seem to have cared to do the research as to how existing infrastructure can be re-purposed and integrated into corridors of higher efficiency that can accommodate all commuters. Is owning your vehicle a human right? Ford seems to think so. There is room for a solution, there always is. I will write a post soon on bicycle commuting and why Ford should suck it. Honolulu should really look at him as a prime example of ignorance and refusal to foresee imminent lifestyle changes to protect the health of our city. We will be watching you, Ford. Every stupid, ignorant, racist thing you say will be broadcast for everyone to hear. Game over.

Now I feel like I just ruined this post.

Leaves are just so nice in the fall. These were taken just around my block. Toronto, October 2010.

O12

Small snapshots of another half. Home life in Honolulu. O'ahu, September 2010.