The night life or lack there of. I visited my site a couple nights ago and there were practically no people. I was there for about an hour around 10:00pm. For the longest time I didn’t see the birds either but then a few stragglers appeared in the distance.

The brick wall.  Everyday I would wake up, walk around the apartment, say hello to whomever was awake and we would all slowly congregate for our breakfast, morning coffee and cigarette while standing on the 3 and a half foot wide 14 foot long porch, connected to the backside of the apartment building.  I would rest my hands on the railing and inhale the fresh morning air of Kalihi. Everyday we sat on this back porch and talked, relaxed, ate, and drank.  our view from the porch was somewhat grey, kind of blockish.  It was a brick wall that stood directly in front of us.  Our view of what would have been a perfect view of one the bays and shipping yards near by.

The house I stayed in was only a two bedroom that had four people already living in it and they were kind enough to take me and kimani in for a week.  It was a tight squeeze but we made it work. Kimani and I would switch back and forth between sleeping on an air mattress in the house or a hammock on the back porch.  I really enjoyed sleeping in the hammock on the porch, it doesn’t get a whole lot better then sleeping outside under the stars in Hawaii, which was one of the reasons the brick wall came in handy.  There was a street light on just on the other side of the building which would’ve shined right in my eyes if the wall was not there.   Listening to the sounds of the city winding down for the night was a very relaxing time. The sound of the wind whipping through the alley and the creeks of the hammock rope became a very soothing sound to hear at night. Police sirens wailing at all hours of the night just became a drone blending in with the cool night air.

When the morning came, it was very noticeable with the change in sound and how it echoed through the alley and bounced off the walls.  Early in the morning, around 4 am when my friend Burke would get up for work i was usually awakened too.  I could hear the steady movement of traffic already heading into chinatown to set up for the day’s grind.  A lot of times I was up early enough to catch the morning sunrise just to the right of the brick wall. There was a little sliver of openness in which you could see the sun coming up from the water, past the brick wall and into the sky to burn off all the cool air from the night.

The brick wall was a thing of imagery. Although the wall had no murals or paintings on its surface, it was an intriguing wall. It was something that you could stare at for hours and continue to make different shapes and objects out of the stains and bird droppings on the bricks.  The longer you stared the more intricate the objects would become.  On one of the days I  sat on the porch for a couple hours with my sketchbook to see what shapes and figures I could make out on the wall.  needless to say, it was an interestingly fun couple of hours.  I have never really drawn images from trying to create them from scratch by stairing at different stains on a wall.

Hawaii has walls throughout its towns and cities that are filled with beauty.  Kimani and I were told by a some locals that an artist named Ron Artis is an artist from North Shore that does a lot of wall murals and art. We were able to get a ride up to north shore one day and we found some of his wall art and thought how incredibly detailed and beautiful the wall murals are but how he can turn a simple brick wall into a priceless piece of art.

there were some days I couldn’t help but imagine what life would’ve been like had that wall not been there.  I probably would’ve gotten much more sunburn, but on the other hand I would have been able to see the ocean from my back porch.   think I can honestly say that I’ve never really had this much interaction just staring at a brick wall with nothing really on it. But I can also honestly say that I kind of enjoyed it, seeing different art pop up before my eyes out of nowhere was a very interesting experience.

Gordie Greenbaum

5/21/15

musical cities

The Winds Of Hawaii

As I walked through the bustling “hub ub”, noise and commotion of this strange environment, it felt so new and far from home. The chatter and pure human energy with which people seemed to have ran through their everyday tasks. The busy block was filled with things that overwhelmed my senses, a great deal of meat displays which carried a salivating aroma through the wind. That along with the warm pungent blistering tropical wind, made me realize how foreign this chinatown environment had been to me, so far away and vastly different from home. The harsh humidity brought heavy sweats and heat, that whipped through the streets and created swells down the deep pacific currents. I breathed in the sweet salty air and faced into the hot island wind. Immersed myself in it, acknowledging this rare opportunity to experience paradise with all my senses. Summer-like weather stays constant, with a consistent island breeze.  Many of Oahu buildings were built with serious consideration of the wind. Not just a mild gust here and there, but a strong steady breeze that  slowly increased.

Kimani and I spent several days walking around a vast amount of Honolulu, Waikiki and other nearby surrounding towns.  We noticed a pattern of short and stalky buildings in parts of the town, that had been affected by strong winds over a long period of time. Over centuries, the island landscape has been honed by humans to best withstand the intense elements that the north shore of Oahu, in particular, has to offer. We experienced one of the most visually stunning island breezes. We saw the rain and vaporous clouds move over the luscious mountain top, that were getting slowly pushed by the wind. As we looked out on the raging sea from our lookout on the  serene white sand beach I noticed how different the wind here affected the waves, it seemed to just toss the water in all directions. We also ran into a stunning piece of modern art downtown in Honolulu that completely captured just how powerful the wind was, able to propel two gigantic pieces of steel, in a way framing, the natural phenomenon of these strong air currents. north eastern trade winds blow through bi annually causing all sorts of varying intense types of weather, one of which being rains that make for the extremely lush and fertile valleys, pineapple plantations, average rainfall in hawaii is between 25 and 30 inches a year.

Wind is also what makes for some of the different types of sports that hawaii is known for, including paragliding, wind surfing, surfing. none of this would be possible without wind, the winds bring in swells that make for the extreme weather conditions and waves that the islands are known for, this appears in such movies as riding giants, where some of the top surfers in the world battle deadly 50 foot waves. it seems hawaii is defined by this type of extreme , and almost fantastical islands. Still part of our country but so far off deep out there in the middle of the abyss that is the vast body of water we call the pacific ocean.

Reflecting on this epic journey now from my comfortable northwest home it seems so far away, so lost in time, or as if my lovely days spent wandering the sun soaked beaches palm trees rustling in the island breeze. Inside the trees of the jungle is where the wind would die down a bit, but as I looked at the tops of the trees I noticed the limbs still moving with a good amount of force.  The floor of the forest was able to experience a moment of calmness with the help of the jungle canopy helping to block out the initial wind gusts.

It was a lot of fun and interesting being  able to experience how the natural winds on the island were able to help influence the outcome of the place and help for the locations of certain buildings, tents, and other structures.  Im very curious now to see what other places in the world are influenced by wind as much as Honolulu, Oahu is.

TRAFFIC JAM IN HALEIWA

On April, 19 Kimani and I took a day trip up to north shore.  While venturing up to Haleiwa for the day, a small town on the north shore of Oahu, I came upon a couple discoveries such as some mural art by Ron Artis, who was an artist and musician that lived in Haleiwa. Also, there was a rally of lifted trucks and lowriders with the Hawaiian state flag trailing in the wind on the back of the trucks.  All of the trucks were parked along side Kamehameha Highway for a long period of time causing traffic to move very slow for several miles.  Moments down the road we pulled over at a breakfast spot in Haleiwa.  As we sat on the deck and ate our food we watched as all the trucks drove by in a line with the flag in the wind. Some of the flags were flipped upside down, representing a sign of distress and a protest towards the American government.  Some locals in the area are not really for Hawaii being part of the United States, and this was just one way of showing it.

I’m not sure exactly what the three hundred plus sovereignty drivers were rallying for, but they sure did put a halt to the traffic.  It was bumper to bumper on the drive up to Haleiwa, mainly due to the large trucks.  It had come to my attention that the government was considering turning the one lane highway into a double lane highway. After talking to some of the locals, I learned that this is one of the ways that the sovereignty group protests.  This was one of the ways the activists in this particular area acted.  After furthering my conversation with the locals I later found out that the kamehameha highway would have a huge negative impact on both the environment and the small town of Haleiwa.

I never got to talk to anybody in the trucks but the locals I talked to told me because the highway is directly next to the Dole pineapple plantation it has a better chance of happening.  One of the major reasons for this is because the Dole plantation has such a large impact on the economy on the island.  The plantation is one of the major tourist attractions on the island, bringing in over a million visitors a year which is a major boost to the surrounding economy. The reason the Dole plantation is a negative in this situation is that because whatever is more beneficial to the economy will probably take place in this region.  Therefore Dole will be the reason that the locals will lose an important part of the town and a lot of their surrounding environment.

Due to the tourist increase at turtle bay, a lot of the sea turtles that come in annually to lay their eggs have started to migrate down to the little town of Haleiwa.  if the construction of the highway started to take place the whole natural cycle of the sea turtle could change dramatically if not end in that certain area which is so close to the road.  One of the reasons i chose to come to this particular region was from talking to other visitors and locals about this amazing experience, therefore by the highway being constructed in this area it will cause a negative impact on tourism for someone such as myself and future tourists coming to the region that can support if not boost the economy.

At the end of the day I was given a lot to think about.  Are Hawaii’s economic issues more important?  Is a little less traffic in a day worth the forced migration of a herd of beautiful sea turtles? At one point while in Haleiwa i had the opportunity to swim with the turtles and to hear nothing but the sounds of the awesome town and nature surrounding it,  Certain things that really stood out were the sounds of the waves crashing all along the shore, the birds sitting in the store fronts, and sound of some street musicians in a near by ally.

Having experienced just a small piece of what the locals are surrounded with everyday, I can understand why they would protest against the highway. Although this conflict is so important to the locals, it appears to be an issue they are fighting alone because there is little to no coverage on the topic.

HONOLULU, HI

Off to honolulu.  In spring quarter I shall embark on an adventure to Hawaii. I will be saying aloha here and aloha there.  When the opportunity came up that I would have the chance to travel to Honolulu in the Spring,  I sprang into action instantly.  I was immediately in contact with my friends Gabe, Missy and David who all  on the island to tell them that I might be stopping down their way in the Spring.  They  were more than happy to lend me a favor by letting stay with them in their home on the island.  I will begin my voyage in mid april and will be in Honolulu for about 10-14 days.  Because I have very little time on the island, Gabe agreed to show me around to places he knows are filled with music, sounds, culture, history and more.  Hopefully having a personal guide of the island will make my field studies a little more easier/accessible.

I have never been to Hawaii.  All I really know about it is what I have seen in movies or heard from music. So seeing the beautiful land and water of honolulu that I have always enjoyed 2nd hand, now getting the chance to experience it all first hand is going to be an awesome time.  While I’m there I will be filming and recording my adventures on the island.  I’m going to be walking through the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets, I’ll strut along the beach picking up sounds of the waves crashing and the surfers and birds gathering in flocks along the water.  I will also be hiking around the forests observing the scenery and sounds of nature on the island. The abundance of wildlife in the forests there are a delight to listen to (so ive been told by my friends who live on honolulu).

My expectations are kind of going off my preconceptions.  I dont really know what to expect exactly but I have a pretty good idea.  My goal when I get there is to get settled in at my friend gabes house and then hopefully start exploring ASAP. I’m not there for very long so I need to try to get to as many places as possible in very little time.  I expect it may be difficult for me to get to all of the places I want to visit while i’m there, but I will definitely try to get as many as I can. I expect my expenses to be somewhat minimal.  I found cheap airfare to Honolulu at about $400 round trip.  I will be living with my friends at their home located just 3 miles from Chinatown and only a couple more miles from the beach.  I expect my longboard will be my main mode of transportation.  I will also have a bicycle there  can use and possibly a truck I can borrow to get to places that are farther away.  My food consumption will be at little cost.  The majority of my meals will be free, for I will be eating mostly at the house I’m staying at.

I’m anticipating this to be a great experience getting to learn more in depth about some of the sounds and culture Hawaii has to offer.  Like I said, I’ve only really gotten the 2nd hand version of what Hawaii is, so getting to go there for myself, I think, is going to be a big eye opener.  I really hope I get to see all the places I want to and film and record some of the architecture and landscape on the island.  Im hoping I will be able to use my friends truck to get the other parts of the island so i can hike and explore the terrain all around the area.  I want to learn how much surfing and the ocean really influence the music of Hawaii.
I am extremely excited to be taking this trip to honolulu, and am lucky enough to have such awesome friends there willing to help me out while i’m there. I also hope to possibly go to a concert or 2 while there. I know of a couple concerts that will be on the island while i’m there but i’m not sure if I will be able to make it.  My friends said they also know of some places where local bands play almost every night, so I will definitely be going to a  couple of those shows.