Saturday mornings, 1/14 and 21/12

Almost every Saturday morning since mid July 2011, TW and I we walk and enjoy our time together.  Usually we go around Diamond Head - believe or not that is 4 miles.

However these past 2 Saturdays, I drove to different locations and with our cameras we enjoyed taking pictures.

Saturday, Jan. 14:  

The lagoon at Magic island...

 Near by...

Saturday, Jan. 21
Maunalua Bay...

Not sure what you are looking at, it is the shadows.

 Diamond Head is in the background

 Halona Blowhole Lookout...

This area is known as Eternity Beach.

TW- I look forward to Saturday mornings.

This evening I also posted: Shooting with Nancy

Shooting w/ Nancy, 1/16/12

Shooting with Nancy and Richard - first stop: Mokuleia.  This fisherman was gutsy but he apparently knows the water.

No pictures were taken while we were at Haleiwa  (we enjoyed a delicious Mexican lunch and also enjoyed shave ice at Matsumoto's).

Later we went to Makapu'u Makai Pier.  They didn't attend the shoot we had with Eyes of Hawaii.  These pictures look like it was day time.  However the following were done between 6:31 - 7:09 pm.  It was fun manipulating the settings in our cameras to get these effects.

Festivities in Chinatown, 1/14/12

There are many stories as to the order of the 12 animals that make up the Chinese Zodiac.  No matter which story one wants to believe, this is the order of the animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.  

There are also 5 elements. There is a Yang and Yin for each of the 5 elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. wikipedia/Origins_of_the_Chinese_Zodiac

This year it will be the year of the Dragon Yang Water.  The following year it will be the Snake Yin Water. 

Although, I took many pictures of the parade, I decided to share just the dragons and lions which were interspersed through out this wonderful parade.

The dragon is supported by poles. "...Some of the patterns of the dragon dance are "Cloud Cave", "Whirlpool", T'ai chi pattern, "threading the money", "looking for pearl", and "dragon encircling the pillar". The movement "dragon chasing the pearl" shows that the dragon is continually in the pursuit of wisdom…" wikipedia/Dragon_dance

 Usually a dragon is not fed but this one was and everyone ran up to feed it.

 On display at the Cultural Plaza is this Dragon Boat - used during the Dragon Boat races in July.

 "...Lion Dance is performed accompanied by the music of beating of drums, cymbals, and gongs instruments synchronise to the lion dance movements and actions. The recent development of an application played on iPhone/iPad/iPod touch to play lion dance instruments has contributed to the evolution of how people can play lion dance music…" wikipedia/Lion_dance#Music_and_instruments

 Along Maunakea Street, there were many food vendors.

Jian Dui!

 "Jian dui is a type of fried Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour. The pastry is coated with sesame seeds on the outside and is crisp and chewy. Inside the pastry is a large hollow, caused by the expansion of the dough. The hollow of the pastry is filled with a filling usually consisting of lotus paste (蓮蓉), or alternatively sweet black bean paste (hei dousha, 黑豆沙), or less commonly red bean paste (hong dousha, 紅豆沙)."

 Cultural Plaza was another area of festivities.

 I marvel at Chinese Calligraphy and requested my Chinese name.  (Usually you can choose from a list of Good Luck Wishes.)

Wasn't that fun SWW, P and Nancy?