A Year in Waipahu

  Scene from one of the rail's two stops in Waipahu One of the more interesting subjects on the island of O`ahu is the new rail.  Ostensibly designed to connect the leeward (west) side with the windward (east) side, there have been ... ahem ... some challenges along the way.  The rail is still being built, with a new end goal, and shifting priorities based on funding. What makes Waipahu's participation unique is that Waipahu was the experiment.  It was the first part of the rail built in the middle of a town. I think it has worked out well. The only problem now is ridership.  People here are used to the convenience of driving.   As a former resident of the Boston area, I lived through "The Big Dig." I understand how such projects can hit unforeseen challenges.  But like it did with Boston, I understand this kind of project could -- eventually -- transform O`ahu for the better. Coda It is worth noting that O`ahu used to have a widespread rail syste...

  from last night's performance Last night, I went to see an artist I've been dying to see for years.  Taimane was playing at a free event at the Ka Makana Aliʻi mall in Kapolei.  This mall is just down the road from Waipahu. I've been following Taimane since she first debuted.  Even when I was living in Michigan, I put her with Jake Shimabukuro in the `ukulele stratosphere.    Jake & Taimane She did not disappoint in person.  Taimane had just returned from a European tour, and was "glad to be home."  It showed. So much fun. Taimane grew up with a love for Classic Rock, and likes to shred.  One song that made me smile was her "Beethoven & Led Zeppelin" medley.   She played "Matcha Latte" last night, and it made me smile.  Check out her music video here . Taimane has become world famous, and even has her own Tiny Desk Concert .   Still, after seeing her perform and interact with the crowd, she is staying t...

Review from 2019 Song: Kaopuiki Aloha  The second song off the self-titled first album by Hapa (1993) was immediately a favorite of mine when I heard it in my first weeks living in Hawai`i and listening to KINE radio. It became my theme song for all journeys, first on the islands, then New England, Southern California, and Michigan. Full of mana (power and spirit), the song blends my two cultures: inherited Midwestern and adopted kama`aina. There is the driving heartbeat of my white/black origins perfectly mixed with the soothing peacefulness of Hawaiian music. Hapa means “half” and this song brings two worlds together- all without words. I owned my spiritual identity in Hawai`i, and it has stayed at my core. This song speaks to who I am- a blend of cultures alive in spirit. Listen to the song HERE .

The well is a symbol of Creation & the breath of life, as in John 4 Review from 2019 Song: Traffic In the Sky “Traffic in the Sky” is a song by by Jack Johnson from the album On and On (2003). In just three minutes, JJ covers a multitude of illness: Environmental, social, political, consumption, and spiritual. The spiritual is the main illness, a reckless breathless pursuit of who-knows-what. This probably comes from JJ’s culture. Since breath was considered mana (sacred), it makes sense that everyone in consumer society is breathless to the point of destroying the very existence of the planet (the well), all while looking up at “traffic in the sky.” Listen to the song here . August 1, 2025 Additional Commentary: Despite his enormous global popularity, Jack Johnson is a "local boy" at heart.  He grew up on the North Shore of O`ahu.  Read more about his roots here . Johnson has put a lot of effort into environmental restoration and preservation on the islands a...