My last week and a half in London was the most hectic, interesting  and amazing adventure all packed in to one. Last weekend, a few friends and I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain. It all seems like a blur to me now that I’m back on familiar grounds. We visited a bunch of places including Gaudi Park, the Olympic Park, Gothic Town, and Cathedral de Barcelona. Everything was so incredible and breath taking, literally and figuratively. Since we only had one full day there, we tried to pack everything into one day. It was tiring. We went to the beach the next day and I got my tan on…I closed my eyes and imagined Lanikai beach (yes, I’m dead serious) After that amazing weekend, I didn’t want to go back to London and start work on Monday morning!

But nevertheless, I was up again at 8:30am the next morning, putting on my business clothes for our last week of the trip. We went to Buro Happold, an engineering firm that was responsible for the sustainability of the Olympic buildings. Our assignment was to design a poster that educated the people about the sustainability of London’s Olympics. It’s actually really fascinating and impressive what they have done so far, and what their plan for the future is.

The Olympics. Everyone knows it’s the world coming together to participate in different sports. It’s held every 4 years, summer and winter games. But most of us, along with myself, get all hyped up for those few weeks that the games are televised, and after we count how many medals the US has successfully achieved, then that’s it. It’s over. With exactly 2 years left until the London Olympic and Paralympic games, they are working hard to make sure that these games are unlike any other. How? Their target audience and focus is on kids, not the athletes, but kids. They have chosen a color palette that appeals to kids of all ages, and have also chosen mascots to inspire kids to get out and try a sport. If you visit London2012.com, you’ll see what I mean. It doesn’t have the normal, elite Olympic feel that we’re used to. Besides focusing on kids, the Olympic Park is made out of sustainable materials. A great amount of the structures being built are going to be donated after the Olympic games. They are using old materials such as cobblestone, pipes, wood and rubble to create the buildings where thousands of people will enjoy the 2012 games. Along with creating a lasting memory, the park will be turned into a community, where the aquatic center (where Michael Phelps will be competing) is going to become a recreational pool. The Olympic housing will become apartments to help out the families who are in need. This area of London used to be a huge dump, and the homes to hundreds of families who are barely getting by. London’s hope is to restructure east London, and create a community and home for those families. They are the first games to ever put these things into consideration as well as be the greenest games ever. I’ve never known so much or cared so much about any other Olympic games in my lifetime. I am inspired by London’s efforts, and I can only hope that they will pursue their dreams.

After being in London for 3 weeks and working with 3 different offices who are working for the Olympics, I feel a sense of connection to these games, as well as London as a whole. Stepping foot on American soil was so weird to me. I got used to the ways of living in London. I got used to catching the tube everywhere, using public transportation, the British accent, the food, and the busy streets. I could never live there, but I definitely miss it. This was, like I said, one of the most amazing experiences I have, and probably ever will have. If you ever have the chance to visit London, do it. It’s expensive, but worth every penny.

-Keri

I have a super good collection of reusable grocery bags from Foodland thanks to my dad and Gina sending them from HI.  This one here is my fav by far, for obvious reasons.  Be sure to pick one up for yourself or have family send them to you.   Maybe I’ll see ya at a Trader Joe’s and we’ll be using the same bag!

A lot of us can admit that two of our favorite types of food are Hawaiian and Mexican.  After surfing there’s nothing better than a big ol breakfast, carne asada, or Cali burrito and after Hula practice nothing beats bringing the halau over to a restaurant that serves a mean plate lunch.  Those of you stuck on the Rock know darn well that you crave real Mexi food and those of us on the mainland know that Poke galore is waiting back home.  Good thing for us, Hapa J’s just married the two (thus the name Hapa J’s)  and I was invited to the ceremony.  (I’m not stoked on how my food photos came out, so just know that everything taste way better than I made it look.)

Haole J's Black Bean Dip w/ Choke Garlic and Cheese. The "magical fruit" made to perfection.

Coconut Shrimp Tacos w/ asian slaw, yuzu vinaigrette topped with mango sweet n sour.

Chicken Katsu Tacos, nappa cabbage and drizzled with Katsu sauce.

Breakfast Pocho- Scrambled eggs, sliced Portuguese sausage, grilled onions.

Kalbi Kim Chee tacos w/ asian slaw yuzu vinaigrette.

There are plenty more items on the Taco Tuesday menu.  Average taco price is tree (3) bucks and you can accompany that with a $2 Primo Beer or a Li Hing Margi.  Other items on the menu include Ahi Poke Tacos, Kalua Pig Tacos and Tofu Tacos.  I keep telling ya’ll that San Clemente is where it’s at cuz Hapa J’s put them on the map (Musubi Map that is!)

In honor of this Katchi Katchi type menu, let me entertain you with these videos.  (If you’re at work no foget to turn’um down, yeah?):

The class I’m taking is an experimental art class, because they haven’t made the title official yet. What we do is, on Monday, we visit a design office, and they present to us what they do for the 2012 Olympics. Last week, we went to AECOM (they have locations worldwide, including Irvine) and they are in charge of building the framework of the legacy for after the Olympics. They plan on building a community park out of the stadiums, pools, and fields. So our first project was to create a monument to commemorate the medalists of each sport. We had all week to create everything on the Adobe programs, and then go back to AECOM on Friday and present to them. They were impressed with all of our groups, which was great, because we worked 9-5, Monday through Thursday on it!

Finally the weekend. Besides doing working all day, we also went out at night. We went to Camden, Soho, Oxford Circus, and a bunch of other places to walk around and shop. We got to ride the London Eye, which is a giant ferris wheel. The sights were amazing! On Saturday, we went to Kew Gardens which was beautiful. Yesterday, we took a train to Oxford which was even more beautiful!! It is definitely nothing like home. The architecture was gorgeous. We visited the school that Harry Potter was filmed at. Walking around, I felt like I was in the movie, haha.

All this walking around and catching trains and working has drained all the energy out of me. I’m so tired every morning when I wake up, I hardly have time to scarf down toast and a yogurt. But nevertheless, I’m finding time to fit everything in! I miss home though. I find myself saying “I really wanna go to the beach”. And all my friends from home are posting awesome pictures from the north shore and eating delicious plate lunches Don’t get me wrong, London is wonderful, but I could never live here!

I uploaded more pictures. If you want to see anything in particular, or want more people pictures, let me know!! I figure architecture and the surroundings are more interesting

As we all know, Hawai’i has some of the dopest street and surf brands around, and this summer’s lineups are no exception. Check out some of my picks from some of Hawaiʻi’s top street/surf brands:

Aloha Army (www.alohaarmy.com)

Coined as the “tee that started it all”, I keep it classic with the original Aloha Army Bombed Tee in white. Throw this on with a pair of jeans and some kicks and you’re ready to look fly for any occasion.
Aloha Army also carries a bunch of brands such as Restless Kids, Paulele Clothing,  The Trops, and Defend Hawaii, as well as some collabs with icons like Analog and Matsumoto Shave Ice.

Make sure you check out their entire line, and if you want to buy the shirt above, click here.

Fitted Hawaii (www.fittedhawaii.com)

Dubbed the “Tantaran” Kamehameha, this recent release from exclusive Hawai’i-based Fitted kills for two reasons: It sold alongside the “Tantaran” shirt, which is a pop-nostalgia look back into local pidgin, and the color scheme is sick. Super basic, but unique, you know?

Hoo boy, I don’t know what it is about red this summer, but I dig it. This super fresh H Pride that was released with the “Holomua” tank top keeps it clean with a white H sitting on black with a red brim and button.

Fitted’s always been keeping the Hawai’i streetwear game in check with their super exclusive, often in-store-only releases. If you’re looking to rock the crown elsewhere, however, check out their online store.

In4mation (www.in4mants.com) (www.in4mationbrand.com)

In4mation, the Hawai’i-based brand that blew up worldwide, carries everything from surf to skate, from street to classy, local to global. Their Summer ‘10 lookbook contains pieces from their 2010 summer line, and I chose this look to rock. Their classic “hi” New Era gets remixed with a super-clean white tee and khaki shorts. Casual, but still looking good.

To check out all of In4m’s new arrivals, click here. For their online shop, click here. (My tip? At least buy a license plate frame. It’ll keep your car lookin shmoooood)

That’s it for this installment of Summer Steeze, but I know I left a lot of good stuff out. Check back in a few for the next post.

Peace, love, and alohas,

Hey, this was a great time!  Junior, thanks for hosting.  Mike, thanks for putting the event together.  Braddah’s and sistahs, thanks for coming!

After a 10 hour flight and crying babies, I finally arrived in Heathrow, London…only to be welcomed by a rude guy at customs. About an hour later, we arrived at our hotel and met up with the other students and 2 professors who had already arrived. I went picture-crazy as I took what seemed like hundreds of pictures of people, cars, buildings and signs. Thanks to my dad, who bought me a canon rebel xt, I can now be snap happy.

Walking around London is different. Cars drive on the other side of the road (yes, I almost got hit multiple times) And they don’t even stop for you! I’m crossing the street and the car is literally 2 feet away from me, slowly nudging forward, followed by honking. No Aloha over here.

Well, we went on a double decker tour bus today and saw incredible buildings, parks and monuments including London Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben, City Hall, and London Tower. Here are a few pictures from our tour today.

Hope you enjoyed a taste of London!

-Keri

When I first got back to my house in Orange, I began unpacking, which was immediately followed by a sea of tears. This feeling in the pit of my stomach told me I made a mistake leaving home 2 months earlier then I had to. But that’s just a part of growing up..reaching out and achieving your dreams.

I am currently in California at Chapman University, where I attend school. I have to get through 4 days of class before I hop on that plane to London. So why am I going to there anyway? To take an art class for my graphic design major. I’m writing this blog in hopes that there are other people out there who can relate to me in this type of situation. A) Homesick B) Missing my friends and family C) Missing the beach and FOOD. I will be in London for 3 weeks. Then I’ll come back to good ol’ Chapman until December…MAYBE (if my parents like buy me one ticket home). But until then, I’ll be writing to all of you, letting you in on the ups and downs of being far from home. So, follow me, give me advice, and share some news from Joe Moore with me. I’d love to hear all of it. Shoots!

-Keri