Kauai History and Luau Celebration
Today’s luaus are still a celebration of life. A time to share traditional foods, enjoy songs and dances of early Hawaii, and to give thanks to family and friends. Commercial luaus are performed at many venues around the island with Hawaiian music of the ukelele, fire dancers, and Hawaiian hula dancers moving with the style and grace of the ancients to the sound of drums and chants. And of course, there is plenty of food. These luaus generally begin at dusk beneath the stars and swaying palms, and include flower or shell lei greetings, mai tais, traditional poi dishes, Kalua Pork, and they also provide eating utensils for the poi.
When Captain Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1779, the Hawaiian people had been dancing hula for centuries. Hula was danced more by men than women as part of their religion. The men and women did not wear grass skirts, the women wore skirts made of kapa cloth, or the men wore a malo (loincloth). Later, when the missionaries arrived in the 1830’s, they were shocked by the open dancing, and it was outlawed. King David Kalakaua is credited with the rebirth of this traditional art form when, in the 1870’s, he encouraged hula practitioners to resume the custom. In this favorable era, hula practitioners merged Hawaiian elements of poetry, chanting, dance movements, and costumes to create a new form, the hula ku’i (ku’i means ‘to combine old and new’). The Hawaiians have been dancing hula ever since.
In the end, luau means feast, and celebration, and nourishment, and life, and music, and dance, and love. It is the true experience of ‘aloha’.
Orchid Phalaenopsis Care
Phalaenopsis (pronounced fayl-eh-NOP-siss) are native to Southeast Asia, and is commonly referred to as the ‘Moth Orchid’. It has a color range that includes white, pinks, lavender, and yellow in both solid colors, and combinations of stripes and spots. Individual blooms can last as long as 3 months.
Phalaenopsis Light
These orchids grow easily in a bright window, with no direct mid-day sun. An east window, or shaded south window is ideal in the home.
Phalaenopsis Temperature
Temperatures for this orchid should usually range between 75 and 85 F during the day, and be above 60 F at night. Higher humidity and air movement should accompany higher temperatures.
Phalaenopsis Water
These orchids should be watered thoroughly and then not again until the media is nearly, but not completely dry. Water is especially critical for them, because they have no major water-storage organs and should never completely dry out.
Phalaenopsis Humidity
Humidity is important to this orchid, with the recommended humidity being between 50 and 80 percent. In the home, set the plants on trays of gravel, partially filled with water, so that the pots never sit in water.
Phalaenopsis Feeding
Fertilize on a regular schedule with a balanced fertilizer. Apply fertilizer at one-quarter strength with every watering. During blooming season you might consider a blooming plant formula with elevated phosphorus levels.
Phalaenopsis Potting
Potting is best done every one to three years in the spring, immediately after flowering. These plants must be potted in a porous mix.
Makai Golf Course Renovations
The Makai golf course originally opened in 1971 featuring lakes, woodlands, and great views of the Kauai coastline. Robert Trent Jones Jr., who originally designed Makai, also oversaw the new multi-million dollar renovation. The project included the reconfiguration of greens, reshaping of bunkers, cart-path work, and upgrading the practice facility. More importantly, the course got new Seashore Paspalum on tees, fairways, and greens. The fine-bladed, saltwater-tolerant grass thrives on coastal golf courses, and provides a spectacular playing surfaces for golfers of all skill levels.
The course also received new pure-white silica bunker sand and an additional 300 yards in length, bringing the par 72 to more than 7,200 yards. There are now four sets of tees and new tee boxes, giving players more options. In addition, Jones added new wrinkles near the greens to create more challenges. The practice facility at Makai Golf Club has also been improved to include two large practice tees, a practice fairway bunker, seven target greens with bunkers, a teaching tee, and a short game practice complex.
The signature 7th hole on the Makai Course now plays to 213 yards from the back tees. It consists of a challenging tee shot over scenic cliffs, onto to a green which is surrounded by brilliant white bunkers, and surreal views of the mountains and Pacific Ocean. In addition to the course changes, the old clubhouse was demolished with plans to rebuild within a couple years.
Troon Golf has been selected to manage the renowned Makai Golf Club at The St. Regis Princeville Resort, and to celebrate the reopening, the resort is offering an “Endless Golf Package” for travel between Jan. 30 and July 1 2010. It includes unlimited golf for two at Makai Golf Club with a minimum stay of five nights required at the St. Regis Princeville Resort. It also includes Callaway rental clubs for two. Rates begin at $610 for one room per night.
Apple iPad
Apple built the iPad to be the best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video. One of the first things you’ll notice about the iPad is how thin and light it is. The 9.7 inch screen (measured diagonally) lets you see web pages one whole page at a time. So whether you’re looking at a page in portrait or landscape, you can see everything at a size that’s actually readable. And with iPad, navigating through the web has never been easier, or more intuitive. Because you use the most natural pointing device there is: your finger. You can scroll through a page just by flicking your finger up or down on the screen. Or pinch to zoom in or out on a photo. There’s also a thumbnail view that shows all your open pages in a grid, to let you quickly move from one page to the next. And because it uses a display technology called IPS (in-plane switching), it has a wide, 178° viewing angle. So you can hold it almost any way you want, and still get a brilliant picture. The powerful, built-in speaker produces a full, rich sound, which makes watching a movie or listening to music even more enjoyable.
- The Multi-Touch screen uses the same revolutionary technology that’s in an iPhone, but the technology has been completely reengineered for the larger surface to make it extremely precise.
- See and touch your email in ways you never could before with Mail. In landscape, you get a split-screen view, showing both an opened email and the messages in your Inbox.
- With its crisp, vibrant display, and its unique software features, iPad is an extraordinary way to enjoy and share your photos.
- The large, high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching any kind of video: from HD movies and TV shows, to podcasts and music videos.
- With the iPod app, all your music is literally at your fingertips. You can browse by album, song, artist, or genre, with a simple flick.
- iPad will run almost 140,000 apps from the App Store. Everything from games to business apps, and more.
- The iBooks app is a great, new way to read and buy books. Just download the app for free from the App Store, and you’ll be able to buy everything from classics to bestsellers from the built-in iBookstore.
- With its expansive display and large, on-screen keyboard, iPad makes jotting down notes easy.
- iPad makes it easy to keep on schedule by displaying Day, Week, Month or List views of your calendar.
- The Contacts app on iPad makes finding names, numbers and other important information quicker and easier than ever before.
- You can use iPad for up to 10 hours while surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, or listening to music.
- With built-in 802.11n, iPad can take advantage of the fastest Wi-Fi networks. And it’ll automatically locate available Wi-Fi networks.
- iPad will also be available in a 3G model, with super-fast data speeds up to 7.2 Mbps. So if you’re traveling, you can still get a fast connection.
Nutrition and Spirulina
Spirulina is a blue-green algae which is believed to be the first form of plant life on earth, nearly 3.5 billion years old. It is the richest source of vegetable protein. It is rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate, vitamin K, biotin, pantothenic acid, and inositol. All this from an alga that measures approximately .0196850394 inches in length. Because of its digestibility and amino acid balance, the usable protein in Spirulina is around 90%. In comparison, an 8 ounce steak is about 22% protein only 15% of which is usable by the body, while Spirulina is 70% protein and 90% digestible. For vegetarians, soybeans in the form of tofu or soy flour are often cited as a high protein source with 37% protein and 25% digestible. That is three times better than steak, but only 1/7th as good as spirulina. In addition, most of spirulina’s proteins are already in the proper form that the body itself creates so there is little energy lost in digestion. Next to water, protein is the most abundant compound in your body, and dietary protein is essential for the maintenance and rebuilding of new cells.
- Many nutrients which protect our bodies are densely concentrated in Spirulina, making it a powerful defense against oxidant stress. This remarkable plant has some of the most powerful protective nutrients of any food to help you stay young.
- Spirulina beta carotene is ten times more concentrated than carrots. So even if you don’t eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables every day, you can get your natural beta carotene insurance from spirulina to support your body’s antioxidant defenses.
- Spirulina is a very good source of zeaxanthin, which is especially good for the eyes.
- Iron is essential to build a strong system (but the most common mineral deficiency). Spirulina is a rich source of iron.
- Spirulina is the world’s richest natural source of protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals. It is the ideal food supplement for weight loss diet.
- It is the world’s richest natural source of Pro-Vitamin A, which helps protect your eyesight.
- Only vegetable source of vitamin B12 to help calm your nerves and fight stress.
- It is the world’s richest natural source of GLA, which reduces cholesterol and benefits the heart.
- Spirulina is the most prolific source of biliproteins (building blocks of the body) known.
- Spirulina gives as much calcium as milk, 15 times more vitamin A than carrots, 3 times the iron of sirloin steak, 2.5 times the vitamin B-12 of calves’ liver, 3.7 times more potassium than rice.
- The 18 amino acids provided by spirulina are in near perfect ratios.
Hulē‘ia National Wildlife Refuge
The Hulē‘ia National Wildlife Refuge is located on the southeast side of Kaua‘i adjacent to the Menehune Fish Pond, a registered National Historic Landmark. The Hulē‘ia Refuge is approximately 241 acres of relatively flat land along the Hulē‘ia River bordered by a steep wooded hillside. It was purchased from the Grove Farm Corporation in 1973 to provide open wetlands for thirty-one species of birds, including five endangered Hawaiian waterbirds that rely on the Hulē‘ia River Valley for nesting and feeding habitat.
Ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt) – The stilt’s Hawaiian name “one standing tall” aptly describes this black and white bird with its long, slender pink legs.
‘Alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian coot) – Prominent in Hawaiian mythology, the coot can be recognized by its white bill and frontal shield, which contrast with its dark body.
‘Alae‘ula – (Hawaiian moorhen) – This elusive waterbird is endemic to Hawai‘i and has a distinct red frontal shield with a yellow tip on its bill and can be seen walking across floating vegetation with its long, un-webbed toes.
Koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck) – Both male and female have orange legs and feet and resemble small female mallards.
Nēnē (Hawaiian goose) – Identified by dark furrows on their cream colored necks, long legs, and reduced foot webbing. Nēnē feed on tender leaves, grasses, and berries.
Twenty-six other species of birds (18 of which are introduced species) also use the refuge. In order to protect the endangered species that live in Hulē‘ia National Wildlife Refuge, it is closed to the public but can be viewed at an overlook maintained by the State of Hawai‘i at the historic Menehune Fish Pond.
