November 27, 2006

Off to China

South China Trip

Tomorrow I leave for a 16 day trip to China to (as I tell it to Lily and Jacob) make movies, take pictures, and draw maps, which is actually what I tell grownups too. Click on the map over there >>>

to see some of the places we're headed to.


The head of the Anthro department at the Museum is leading the trip and fortuantely he's born and raised in China so he'll be the local guide. Unfortuantely, he's from Beijing and can't understand the local dialect so our guide will require some local guides of his own.


There's gonna be lotsa driving and even a plane flight within China. The site has been deemed so important that they've entirely enclosed it making mapping quite civilized. But they still don't have anything more accurate than a tape and compass map so it's time to kick it up a notch (or seven).


The culture whose spread 7000 years ago in China is known as Hemudu, and there's already a pretty cool museum just down the road from our site (that we are of course going to visit) that is built next to another important site with reconstructions and everything - take a look here if you want it in English or here if lotsa Flash animations and untranslated Chinese don't scare you off (slow loading).


Down below you can see some recent pics from Thanksgiving - I'm thankful for a table that can seat more than 4 - thanks ET ! Also some shots from a recent surfing outing, a trip to maui, and pictures of Jake's new P-38.

Teamwork
Surfing family portrait
Ready to hit the beach
Stoked
No tricks - Lily stands up on a stationary board
Kim + bottle of wine = ?
Jake, U. Kunane, A. Bobbie, Kim, Tutu Kane, Lily, Fiona and Auntie Heidi's arm get ready to dig into Thanksgiving
Sally's new look

November 24, 2006

Bouncer slide fun
Closeup of the imaginary Navy P-38
Jake's new Lightning
Checking the landing gear
Making the vroom sound
On the train with Sally Sparkle II
Cool shades
The girls on the train
On the train with Uncle Jacob
Kaanapali sunset
Making friends at the hotel
Psyched to be flying
Shinkansen!
Arigato Mama-san!
Thanks Mom!

November 09, 2006

Shameless Plug and Halloween



The Bishop Museum Press just got their first copies of our new edition of Pacific Island Names. The above is a comparison of the previous editions maps and the new ones...maps by me on the new one.


I'm inordinately proud mostly because it was a helluva lot of work, not that we're breaking any new ground. About 40-50 maps with HUNDREDS of labels and THOUSANDS of islands....glad it's over and very nice to hold it in my hands finally.


So if you need to know where to find (and yes they are real names) Blup Blup, Rat, Ngerekebesang, Yalewa Kalou, or Bikini (pronounce bick-in-ee I think), you NEED a copy of Pacific Island Names. Might not be in your local Border's but you can always use the Museum's website....


Enough with the shameless plug.


So Halloween was insane. Ma'ema'e goes full out, no holds barred for everybody's favorite pagan holiday. Nearly every kid, teacher, and staff were in costume and since the school is convenient to town, lots of media were there too. We got to see Lily on two different channels.


The two weekends previous we spent over at Dave and Kristen's creating the Carport of Terror 2.0 (see last year's CoT here) and on the big night.....?


TRAFFIC HELL.


Instead of slogging for an hour to get to Dave and Kristen's only to have to then turn right around we did the obvious. Went to Bishop Museum and waited in line for an hour at Treat Street....and then went straight home.


Didn't get a chance to don my costume, but the kids were happy and still gnoshing away at candy two weeks later.

Princess, witch and pilot
Score!
Lily gets on TV
Fairy Princess Nalah
Ma'ema'e Halloween Parade
Ma'ema'e Room 25
Captain Jake and Tutu Kane
Lily helping Tutu Kane at the Holiday Faire
Cinnamon girl
Uncle Burke enjoys a cup of expresso while Lily & Jake do some arts and crafts