Browse Month: March 2009

The sun came out!

mommy's feet

My Mommy’s feet enjoying the Maui sun and sand.

After a few days of cloudy skies and rain, the sun came out on Monday and it was gorgeous! We all headed out to finally get some color on our skin.

mommy at the bar

We went snorkeling in the morning and the parents joined us at the beach and at the barefoot bar afterward.  The water was a little chilly but warmed up with the sun.

puffer fish

Can you find the puffer fish?

I got some photos of the fishies but it wasn’t a completely clear day yet so I would have to try again another day. The really cool part of the day was when we could hear the whales and dolphins singing under the water.  It was a little creepy at first, then really neat-o, and then it just became really loud!  Still very cool though…

sunset

In the evening, the clouds rolled in again but made for a pretty sunset from our balcony.  For dinner, we drove through a downpour to Sansei for some tasty sushi.  Then it was time to go to bed early for the sunrise at Haleakala Crater.

Disconnected

Dude, lost my phone at the beach…at night…searched and searched with no luck. Don’t be surprised if a sea turtle crank calls you.

Aloha from Maui!

view

view and jes

Hi! We have been in Maui for about 2 days now the weather has been much warmer than O’ahu but still sprinkling a bit now and then.  We got upgraded from a Garden Room to a Deluxe Ocean View Room and the view is amazing from the 9th floor!

balcony

Brother and Joy also got upgraded and their balcony is close enough for us to pass drinks to each other.

daddy

The parents arrived yesterday (Sunday) so after hanging out at the pool, we took them to the Maui Ocean Center.  I saw a bunch of whales on our drive from the airport to the hotel on Saturday afternoon but they didn’t come out for us on Sunday.

shark

It was fun going to the aquarium with my mom since she doesn’t swim and doesn’t get to experience the ocean and its creatures like we do.

mommy and fish

She was fascinated by all the different fish and wasn’t shy about telling certain ones how ugly they were.  Pretty funny.

Today the sun came out and we’re off to Black Rock for some snorkeling.  Yay!  Laters…

Catching Up

tea

On Friday afternoon, I got to catch up with an old friend.  Yoon has been living in Hawaii for about 7 years now and it’s so fun to hang out with her again.  In the afteroon, we had Afternoon Tea at the Moana.  We spent about 2 hours sipping tea and enjoying the mini sandwiches and pastries.  The pot of tea was constantly refilled the whole time and they didn’t rush us out even though we were the last ones done and they were getting ready for the dinner service.

Yoon

In the evening, we met up at Lulu’s for some bar food and drinks and to listen to Manoa DNA, which is a local cover band made up of a Dad, and his two sons Nick and Alex.  They are one talented family with a very rich sound and lots of energy.  Yoon was so excited to share her favorite local band with us and we were certainly not disappointed.

cousins

Afterward, we went over to Duke’s to meet up with Brother, Joy, and the cousins.  It was fun to just sit with them, relax, and laugh about random stuff.  It’s rare to have everyone together at once so this was definitely a special day.  I wish my family and friends were always this accessible to me.

Married!! Woo!

Married!

Brother got married today and I gained a little sister.  At 8:45 am there was a light sprinkle and then the sun peeked out at 8:55.  We got the ceremony started and the ceremony was over by 9:05.  It was short but very sweet.  It was also one of the most intimate weddings I’ve ever attended (almost 40 guests) and it was perfect.  Joy looked stunning and Brother was a ball of excitement.  In fact, he couldn’t sleep very well the night before and decided to start his day at 4:30 am.

Group

Jump

We spent 9:05-10:00 am taking photos with the sun shining bright.  Then, at exactly 10:00 am, it began to rain and it was just in time for Brunch to begin.  Nice timing!  My mom said she prayed for some sun until 10 and she got it!

Brunch

Brunch was inside The Veranda, overlooking the ocean, and was complete with mimosas, eggs benedict, and just about every breakfast item you could imagine.  I gave a stirring speech that managed to get Brother teary-eyed along with my cousins sitting in the corner of the room.

Family

This is certainly a happy day for us Chimmys and Chammys.  🙂 Yay!

Ah…

lava flow

Above: My lava flow; Below: Jes checking out the view

Waikiki

Crackberry camera did a pretty good job!

Aloha from Waikiki!  Jes and I arrived at noon today and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on a nice refreshing beverage.  The weather is very pleasant today with a nice tradewind, less humidity, gentle sun, and occasional sprinkles for a nice cooling effect.  We did a little shopping for stuff to wear for tomorrow’s wedding and met up with the family for a bit.  Jes is taking a nap, Brother is relaxing in the courtyard with Joy, and I’m just watching the sunset from our balcony.

dusk

Yoon was kinda enough to pick us up from the airport and helped check us in to the hotel at a special Kama’aina rate.  On top of that, with Jes’ SPG membership, they upgraded us from a city view room to a partial ocean view room.  Score!  Anyway, it’s nice to finally be on vacation and in the presence of family that I don’t get to see very often.  Let the festivities begin!