Hawaii’s Instaweek: Messin’ with Session, Ramen Burger and Bruno Mars Scams
We thought the big news this week was opening day of the Hawaii Legislature‘s 2014 session. But that was nearly overshadowed by New York’s ramen burger. Honolulu residents waited in line for longer than it would take to register to vote for a bite of the Big Apple burger.
to buy the culinary curiosity at in Kakaako, mostly because the burger’s inventor, Keizo Shimamoto of New York, was there to cook. We’re the first to admit we can’t cover everything, but we’re pretty sure that burger would need to be lined with resalable gold for us to wait three hours for it.
And then there was session. Plenty of people took plenty of photos of all the pomp and circumstance. However, this year was considerably more subdued, both inside the State Capitol building and outside, lacking the usual protest groups, musicians and entertainers.
“It’s too skimpy now and lacks that festival carnival atmosphere which characterize our Hawaii,” said one of our readers on Facebook. “No music this year, just lots of yak yak yak.”
Hawaii’s social media sphere also blew up with the news that hometown hero, Billboard superstar and Grammy-winning artist Bruno Mars is planning two shows in Honolulu in April, just in time for the Blaisdell Center’s 50th anniversary.
Already the hype train has produced some predatory scammers. So much so, that the about the scams. Tickets don’t go on sale until Feb. 3.
Monday, Jan. 13
On Kauai, the other shoe in the GMO debate dropped, as for its passage of a pesticide and GMO oversight law, formerly known as Bill 2491.
The Associated Press reported that from law firms who had been following the controversy, reigniting the GMO debate in the social stratosphere.
"Bill 2491 is sound..threat of a lawsuit by industry interests should not prevent.."
— elizabethzenWrites (@elizabethzen)
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Who needs the Super Bowl? Bruno Mars, who opens for the big game next month, is coming to Hawaii.
A key part of his story is that he was an Elvis impersonator in Waikiki. It explains a lot about his now-famous swagger and pop-friendly hooks that throw back to a bygone era of music.
Picture my mum took of Bruno Mars when he was 8 in Hawaii
— Lee ☺☺ (@LeeBoylan11)
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Opening day at the session. Some of my friends from the mainland wondered what the big deal was, since all “opening day” really means is that our local leaders get back to work. But for anyone who’s covered session, opening day in Hawaii comes with a lot of smiles, festivities and leis before the bickering and grandstanding begin.
Besides the lawmakers, some advocacy groups turned out to make sure their issues get attention.
Those include , who’s partnered with the Unite Here Local 5 hotel union to demand fair wages. Minimum wage is likely the hottest topic this year, and the still-growing organization is .
Dozens of folks were pounding poi, but it wasn’t the typical Native Hawaiian demonstration. Instead, the poi punders were filming a local independent documentary, “,” which connects the starchy cultural food staple to the perpetuation of Hawaiian values.
Hawaiian groups 'are here and watching' @ opening.
— Anders Lyons (@ALyonsKuliana)
Did I mention that opening day was festive? You’d think it was Christmas or something, particularly with the food spread that was courtesy of the House Judiciary Committee.
Follow the hashtag #hileg, which has traditionally been reliable for updates and photos from sessions past.
Speaking of food, here’s that other huge event from Wednesday — the arrival of the ramen burger. People actually stood in line to eat this thing.
Although born in Brooklyn, the ramen burger concept is a good fit for Hawaii, since the state is great at making — and eating — ramen and burgers.
This is Keizo Shimamoto in the middle, the burger’s creator. The Huffington Post in August.
This Instagram video illustrates pretty clearly the madness (or silliness, depending on your view) that was the backdrop to the three-hour wait.
Friday, Jan. 17
I’ll end this week’s post on a somber note.
Kauai native, 32-year-old Daniel Gray, has been a nightlife promoter and club owner in Honolulu in recent years. He currently owns Next Door, a fixture in the Chinatown bar scene. Just last month, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. You can read his story on .
On Wednesday, Honolulu’s nightlife industry gathered for a fundraiser hashtagged #Rage4Daniel at Next Door. If you know him or are sympathetic to his battle, you can find out more information on the .
I’ve known Daniel for several years. It’s sad to see him become part of the news, and hope to see him off the headlines and on his feet soon.
Rage on Daniel. This too shall pass.
