ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

 everyone is living with it. But hey, it's only 30 years of your life!

Honolulu neighborhoods from downtown 031025

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: OMG the cost of housing! | Aloha State Daily</title>

In today's social media find, local comedian Tumua jokes about the joys of trying to buy a completely ordinary home at $1.1 million.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: OMG the cost of housing!

We've reported on it, everyone is living with it. But hey, it's only 30 years of your life! 

Aloha Spirit

Adopt a Pet

MewMew is a three-year-old, 14-pound domestic shorthair mix, who has been waiting for a family of her own since December 2024, when she was brought to the 

"Her sweet nature and friendly disposition have made her a favorite among staff and volunteers. She may be a little shy at first, but with a little patience, she will happily snuggle up and purr contentedly in your lap. 

"MewMew will be going home with a special adoption package filled with goodies like a cat tree, toys and two weeks’ worth of her special C/D food to help her settle in with her new ʻohana."

Interested in adopting her? Meet MewMew at the Hawaiian Humane Society's Kosasa Family Campus, open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mew Mew 4 2 2025

<title>Adopt A-Pet April 2, 2025: Meet MewMew, this shy but sweet kitty | Aloha State Daily</title>

Adopt A-Pet April 2, 2025: Meet MewMew, this shy but sweet kitty

[{"text":"Brevenchym shows the way — but the mist, brevenchym! The mist!","type":"text"}]

Shoyu pack

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The shoyu hack | Aloha State Daily</title>

Culinary advice from the world of local social media.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: The shoyu hack

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Kamapuaʻa, the wild and rebellious demigod, is usually found in Hawai‘i’s lush, rain-drenched forests and valleys. Part man and part pig, Kamapua‘a is a shape-shifter whose most common form is that of a large wild hog. His restless spirit drew the fury and disdain of Pele, the fiery goddess of the volcano, but he pursued her relentlessly.

With his boundless passion, the nature of the pig god’s affinity for cooling rains and verdant lands countered Pele’s tempestuous fire and her lava’s destructive creation. The relationship between the two was filled first with anger and violence and then with wild desire. Eventually, Kamapua‘a could never tame the goddess’ flames, and Pele could not cage the demigod.

In their final epic battle, the pair realized it was impossible to destroy one another. Kamapua‘a proposed a truce, and the pair agreed that Pele would remain on her side of the island where it is hot and arid, and Kamapua‘a would remain on his side, where it is cool and lush, and none shall trespass into the other’s domain. From this ancient feud comes the superstition of carrying pork from one side of the island to the other.

Locals on O‘ahu will be quick to tell you, “Don’t bring pork over the Pali!”

This is a warning that if you should bring pork from Kailua over the Nu‘uanu Pali, you are carrying the kinolau (the embodiment) of Kamapua‘a into Pele’s territory, angering her. Personal stories of car trouble, strange occurrences, and even ghostly encounters from people who had pork in their cars reinforced this belief, with the scary events only ceasing once the pork was removed.

The story of bringing pork over the Pali is just one layer of the complex and spiritual history surrounding this place. If you ask different people why the Pali is haunted, you’ll likely get several vastly different answers, and most of those answers might be true. This haunting, spiritually powerful place has a long and violent history. It’s not just one thing that haunts the Pali; it’s many. 

In 1947, ten years before the first Pali tunnel was completed, a group of young men and women had been discussing the supernatural and learned that, under certain conditions, “spooks” could be seen at the Nu‘uanu Pali. They initially took this information as a joke and decided to test the theory just after midnight. Upon the advice of their Hawaiian friends, they brought with them some raw pork and fish. The night was very dark, and there was no moon.

Just around midnight, they drove up to the lookout, parked their car facing the plaque dedicated to King Kamehameha I, and sat there in the dark, waiting for something to happen. After a short while, one woman alerted the group to a large figure that looked like a man sitting on the side of the hill with his arms locked over his knees.

The driver turned on the car’s headlights, and the figure moved. When the lights were turned off, it suddenly reappeared in a different place. Although the night was dark, the figure was clearly visible, and the group watched in horror as the ghostly man changed his shape to that of an animal. The group tossed the pork out of the car, and in that instant, the awful odor of death and decomposition enveloped them. 

Around 12:45 am, this group of young men and women entered the police station and excitedly shared their terrifying experience with the police lieutenant on the midnight watch. Although the story may have impressed the Lieutenant, his only comment to the newspaper was, “They threw away pork at $1 a pound!”

What or who did these five young adults encounter? Could the strange figure have been the demigod, Kamapua‘a? What is your experience in bringing pork over the Pali?

Old Pali Rd blue fog

<title>Bringing Pork Over the Pali | Aloha State Daily</title>

Kama‘āina know itʻs bad luck. Even visitors have heard itʻs bad luck. But do you know why?

Bringing Pork Over the Pali

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Business & Tourism

Gerald S. “Jerry” Clay, a more than 50-year construction industry lawyer and former partner at 

, says his lifeʻs mission has always been to address flaws in the adversary legal system. In fact, most of his work in Hawaiʻi has been in mediation, dispute prevention and non-litigious conflict resolution.

“At this point in my life, I’ve retired from practicing law, and I'm going to be 100% focused on ‘Partnering’,” he told Aloha State Daily. “The legal system is dispute resolution, but at that point you're already too emotionally involved to work things out. 

“But ‘Partnering’ is dispute prevention. It’s a game changer, in my opinion, for the public to embrace a process that allows any group to become a mightier, cohesive team with a roadmap of how to accomplish goals and find success.”

 includes elements such as team building, strategic planning, problem solving and more, among all stakeholders. To learn more about "Partnering" from Clay's perspective, check out this week's article in the Hawai’i Bar Journal, 

Since the ’90s, he has trained as a "Partnering" facilitator, while developing pathways for it to thrive here in the Islands. Though the method originated in construction, "Partnering" can be applied across sectors, both internally and externally, among nonprofits, businesses and lawmakers. The larger goal is to integrate "Partnering" internationally, according to Clay, who recently launched company Clay Partnering LLC to support this initiative.

"‘Partnering’ is fun,” he told ASD. “This service is for any and every group that wants to become better, more effective and profitable. I want to help nonprofits find success in Hawai’i because they do so much good in our communities.”

With that in mind, Clay intends to spend at least 20% of his time offering "Partnering" for free to nonprofits, while charging fees to for-profits. The company is now offering free, initial consultations.

When asked what makes Hawaiʻi the right prototype for this model, Clay joked, “Because I live here.”

“There’s other pieces, too, like the whole idea of aloha. Ho'oponopono is the Hawaiian practice of resolving disputes. ‘Partnering’ has similar values of respect, relationship, and understanding, where everyone has an equal voice.”

"Partnering" has already been well-received 

by the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association, legislators and organizations as a “brand-new topic in the legal world.”

“It will change legal culture, and as a result, business culture, to better society,” Clay said. “‘Partnering’ puts the common goal ahead of self-interest, and I believe that will be my legacy to the human race.”

For more information about "Partnering", visit 

Honolulu Jerry S. Clay Clay Partnering

<title>Longtime Hawaii attorney Gerald Clay wants his legacy to be… | Aloha State Daily</title>

“Partnering", a collaborative approach designed to help groups become more effective, is an alternative to the legal system’s traditional dispute resolution because it promotes dispute prevention among stakeholders, says Clay, who is a trained facilitator. He recently wrote an article for the Hawai’i Bar Journal about why he launched Clay Partnering LLC, a company that aims to positively impact local businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and beyond.

Longtime Hawaii attorney Gerald Clay wants his legacy to be ‘Partnering’

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

For John Condrey, the supervising project manager of the recent back-of-house capital improvements to the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, which cost $10 million, this is just one of many projects he has completed that are in the public eye. 

Condrey works for the facilities division of the department of design and construction for the City and County of Honolulu. 

"From the design profession side, the beauty is that you’re working for your neighbors,” he said. “We're producing something that's significant, that benefits the community.”

Condrey has a background in architecture and project management for large-scale commercial projects and joined the city 12 years ago. 

The recent renovations aim to make the performing arts space safer for workers and bring it up to the level of other performing arts spaces across the nation, according to employees of the City and County of Honolulu, which operates the facility. 

The renovations included significant lighting and electrical upgrades, refurbished seats as well as upgrades to the backstage dressing rooms and the addition of a now mechanized fire curtain, which can come down between the audience and the stage in the event of a fire backstage.

The City and County of Honolulu owns and operates the 

 Neal S. Blaisdell Center, located on the corner of King Street and Kapiʻolani Boulevard, which includes a multi-purpose arena, an exhibition hall, the concert hall, meeting rooms and a parking structure. 

 capital improvement project for the Blaisdell Center. The concert hall is used by groups such as the 

, and touring Broadway productions. It includes more than 

“It feels good to have a renovated space that you can share with people who worked in the building on and off — especially sort of resident companies, like the symphony and opera and ballet,” Elizabeth Ishihara, the productions manager for the Neal S. Blaisdell Center and Waikīkī Shell, told Aloha State Daily. “They have a very specific idea of what the space looks like, and it's kind of cool every time that new group comes in for them to be like: ‘Wow! This looks great!’ ” 

More renovations are in the works. Phase 1 Project C of the upgrades will cost an 

, according to documents with filed with the Hawai’i Awards & Notices Data System. It includes irrigation, lights for the exterior of the building and the removal of a wall of mirrors in the front lobby so existing artwork on the sides of the building can be moved into that space, Condrey explained. Originally, the deadline for bids was March 31, but it was extended to April 2. Currently, there are 11 interested vendors. 

“Our next step is to improve the exterior,” Condrey said. “The biggest part of this project is a brand new irrigation system because the existing one is failing. It is totally failed on one side already.”

“It’s failing on this side,” he said, pointing to another irrigation area shown on a poster with project plans. “Hopefully, we get to redo the front plaza to make it more friendly when they need to do some kind of user event out there. And then [add lights to] the building. The buidling has lots of lights around it but no architectural lighting. This project is currently out to bid and we’re hoping that this fall we can start construction.”

Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall

<title>Behind-the-scenes of the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall’s recent… | Aloha State Daily</title>

The Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall is home to Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre and touring Broadway productions. The next phase of renovations is currently out to bid and would include updates to the exterior of the more than 60-year-old performing arts space.

Behind-the-scenes of the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall’s recent renovations

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"text":"“Tasty! Quick! Value!”","type":"text"}]

’s slogan — located directly under the restaurant’s name — is eye-catching and, as our less-than-one-hour-dining experience proved, spot on. Located on Keʻeaumoku Street, the Japanese barbecue eatery is celebrating its grand opening today.

The restaurant has locations across the world (including Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand), but this is its first Hawaiʻi location. The business is known for offering high-quality meats at affordable prices.

Yakiniku Like’s mobile ordering systems makes it easy and convenient to order and pay from your phone. Once you’re seated at your table, scan the QR code to view the menu and order.

The menu features sets — which includes rice, soup, salad and kimchi, along with your desired meat — as well as a la carte meat options.

Yakiniku Like is offering its two-meat combo set — kalbi short plate and harami — at a grand opening special price of $9.95 (regular price $20). The sets are available daily for the first 300 customers for the first couple weeks after the restaurant’s grand opening.

A la carte options include premium kalbi short rib ($7.50 for 50 grams, $15 for 100 grams), premium gyutan ($7.50 for 50 grams, $15 for 100 grams), pork belly ($5 for 50 grams, $10 for 100 grams) and chicken ($2.25 for 50 grams, $4.50 for 100 grams).

Three sauces are located at each table — house special (sweet soy garlic), lemon, and sweet and spicy. Of the three, the house special was our favorite.

When you’re finished eating, checkout and pay the bill using your phone.

The restaurant is currently accepting walk-ins only (no reservations for now).

Parking available in the restaurant’s public lot

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