This summer, I explored the sky and space with my students in the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Curriculum Research and Development Group (CRDG) Summer Program. I can’t tell you how much fun we had!

Although our four weeks together passed all too quickly, we learned so much about weather, flight, and space. In our weather unit, we studied the history and importance of tracking weather, air pressure and its effect on weather, how clouds are formed and how to predict the weather from studying different types of clouds, and severe weather. The students made weather instruments and used them to record and analyze data, and they worked in groups to write, video, and edit newscasts about severe weather. Justin Fujioka, a meteorologist from KITV news, came to our class to talk with us about weather instruments, tides, and severe weather. During our flight unit, we studied the parts of a plane and the four forces of flight. A friend of mine, airplane mechanic Rick Nakamura, did a fantastic presentation for the students that really brought these concepts to life. The students also designed and flew paper airplanes to test how modifications on the plane affected how far they flew. They made a variety of flying gadgets with Dr. Gadget (an amazing Manoa resident who I’m saving for another blog topic!), and created tennis ball contraptions in groups to show their understanding of drag. In our space and exploration unit, the students learned about the vast universe and our own immense galaxy. To end our unit, the students learned about rockets, and then built and launched their own rockets at Sandy Beach Park.

Our most valuable learning experiences actually took place outside the four walls of our classroom. I want to share with you the amazing field studies that we participated in so that you can visit these places with your family. I guarantee that you’ll all learn something new!

• The Pacific Aviation Museum- We learned about World War II and the aircrafts that flew throughout our history. We also tried out computerized flight simulator to test our flying skills!
• The Pacific Aerospace Training Center- it was so interesting to find out more about how pilots are trained and how airplanes fly! The students were able to view, sit in, and even control (on the ground) working airplanes! The students had another chance to fly in the training center’s highly interactive flight simulator
• Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station (I couldn’t find a website- the link is to a wikipedia definition of the site with photos)- though the drive up to this site was a little scary for me (I’m not big on cliffs or steep, narrow roads), it was such a unique site. It is where the Air Force monitors satellites as part of the U.S. ballistic missile defense program, and we were able to see the huge antennas as well as an incredible view
• The Windward Community Aerospace Lab and Imaginarium (Planetarium)- we enjoyed hands-on exploration in the lab with Science related toys and gadgets, and then experienced an interesting and interactive trip through the solar system in the Planetarium show
• The University of Hawaii campus- what a resource! We visited the National Weather Service, where we learned about severe weather in Hawaii, as well as the Department of Planetology, where we learned about the Milky Way and beyond.

You can see photos of our experiences here. There were so many photos that I couldn’t choose just a few! After four weeks of studying the sky and space, all I want to do is learn more! Anyone know of other places I can visit?

Hidden away in the greenest part of Manoa Valley is the Wai’oli Tea Room. The eatery serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea in a quaint and peaceful atmosphere (though the birds also love the place and may fly in to join you if you choose to eat outside).

A few Saturdays ago, my friends Stacie, Shannon, and I decided to splurge a little and meet for tea (“formal” tea is on the pricey side). Stacie, the tea veteran of the group, suggested Wai’oli Tea Room for its reasonable price, convenience, and flexible tea times (not to mention the yummy food and teas they serve). You can have “afternoon tea” at Wai’oli anytime between 10:30am-3:30pm with 24-hour notice for $18.95 per person.

I’ll let the photos below speak for our experience. I’ll just say that it was definitely worth the splurge!

Here’s Stacie and Shannon in front of Wai’oli Tea Room

Love the old fashioned, sweet feel that the outdoor seating offered

Our beautifully prepared-for-tea-time table was ready for us and set the tone for a relaxing experience. I loved the complimentary handmade cinnamon ornament!

Soon after we sat down, our waitress brought over the tea cart. The cart contained over 24 varieties of tea! Our waitress was very knowledgeable, and she explained the different types of teas and encouraged us to take in their scents in order to help us choose which ones we wanted (we each got to choose a different tea). I chose the fruity peaches and ginger tea, Stacie chose a Valentine’s blend with a hint of chocolate, and Shannon chose a Jasmine tea. We enjoyed sharing the teas (though I think each of us liked the one we chose the best).

Here’s our tea being carefully prepared- there were free refills offered as well (though we didn’t need any- you can only have so much tea in one sitting!).

We were then presented with our “special treats” to go along with our tea. The tea menu rotates monthly, and it was so nice to be surprised with these delicacies. We ate our way from the bottom tier to the top. The bottom included delicious blueberry cream cheese scones and pound cake served with two flavored whipped butters. The middle layer included a fresh and flavorful vegetable roll, chicken salad on guava bread, salmon spread, and a mini quiche. The top (which we enjoyed even though we were all quite full) was a celebration of sweets made by Wai’oli’s pastry chef. There were fresh fruits, a chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate fruit cake, and a light chocolate and lemon cake. Yes, it was a LOT of food (one of each treat mentioned above for each of us)!

The Wai’oli Tea Room also has a small store that sells their pastries, teas, and specialty items such as tea sets, ornaments, jewelry, and soaps

Even though I’m not really a tea person, I’m now soooooooo into tea time! Any of you out there have a favorite tea time place? Share them here!

Wai’oli Tea Room
2950 Manoa Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808)988-5800
Monday-Friday Lunch: 10:30am-3:30pm
Weekend Breakfast: 8am to noon
Weekend Lunch: Noon to 3:30pm
Afternoon Tea: Daily wiht 24-Hour Advanced Reservations

I always love hearing from people who read this blog. For a long time, it was only my mom and husband commenting (and I thought, reading my blog), and it’s still such a great surprise to get a comment from someone new! Last week, I got more than a comment… I got an e-mail from Mr. Richard Fassler, an active resident of Manoa (and the proud father of Kim Fassler, who writes for the Advertiser and whose writing I’m such a fan of!) who coordinates the Lower Manoa Neighborhood Watch Program and maintains a beautiful garden on McKinley Street for the neighborhood just five (walking) minutes away from where I grew up. Here are excerpts from his e-mail:

Thank you for commenting in the past on our Lower Manoa Neighborhood Watch garden on McKinley Street. As you may know, the garden was started years ago as a Neighborhood Watch effort after a group of students rampaged through the ‘hood, throwing eggs at people and houses. Well, I called the police and they were apprehended. As penance, they agreed to some “community service”: assisting in putting in the garden…taking out the heaviest weeds and bushes…that sort of thing.

Before, it was a place where people parked their cars at the base of an enormous lava rock wall. It was scruffy, dirty and unsightly. Today, the garden serves as a source of pride for neighbors, and also a meeting place for persons who would like a quiet chat, or dog-walkers who come by the dozens every evening. At Christmas, the garden is a focal point for our “Light Up McKinley Street” activity, which is now approaching a decade. Accompanying the lighting up of almost every home on the street is a block party, which brings neighbors together in the spirit of the holidays.

So, what’s happening at the garden now? Well, I have roughly 100 stalks of corn growing, for those who have never seen corn in anything but the picked or canned state; a bunch of apple bananas setting; some papayas; kale, which I don’t know what to do with; various special hibiscus; and a low-water cactus garden. What’s not to like?

When I am out-of-town, the neighbors pitch in to water or cut the grass. It’s very much a community effort, although not a “community garden” in the City-and-County sense, where everyone has a piece of the plot. Nope, I call the shots and try to keep some uniformity. Folks around here have told me the garden has never looked so good as June 23, 2008.

I invite all of your readers to come by for a visit, with or without canine. I’m usually up there watering (a hose is stretched 100 yards from my house), and I would be happy to show Manoa Valley residents around. Maybe they would like to start a garden in their neighborhood, too!

I decided to take Mr. Fassler up on his offer to show me around the garden, and I arranged to meet with him on Tuesday evening. Although I have passed by and appreciated the garden thousands of times, its beauty seemed particularly special to me on Tuesday night. Perhaps it was that I took the time to notice the details of every plant, or maybe it was that I was with the person who took great care to make sure that those details were beautiful. But there in the garden, I saw more than the plants- I saw the dedication and pride of neighbors, and the welcome embrace and peacefulness of our neighborhood. The photos below do not do it justice, but I hope that in some small way they’ll help bring you those feelings, too. And may it help bring you to the garden!

This sign hangs in the garden

Here’s Mr. Fassler with the sweet corn he grew (check out all of the stalks!)

Can you see the big bunch of apple bananas growing?

Love the color of these plants!

These bright, colorful flowers were planted to welcome people to the neighborhood

Aren’t these beautiful?

The very first blog I wrote back in March of 2007 was about the people in Manoa, and how proud I was to be their neighbor. I thought of this as Mr. Fassler said something to me that really moved me- “Being a neighbor is one of the joys of being a human being.”

Mr. Fassler, thank you for reminding us that being a neighbor is more than simply living next to someone- it’s welcoming each other into our homes and watching out for one another, and it’s nurturing the place where we live and the relationships we form. See you in the garden!

Here’s my attempt at resurrecting an old blog idea I had months ago by writing a new “Manoa and Makiki Favorites” blog this week. My plan is to write about one of my “Favorites” in Manoa or Makiki about once a month… favorite place to grab take-out, exercise, or have a special dinner (send your ideas for topics!)… and ask you to add your favorites to mine. I figure that way, we’ll get to know our neighborhood (and each other!) a little better!

My favorite “little spot to shop” is a gift shop on the second level of Manoa Marketplace called, “Green Time.” The shop, originally opened about a year and a half ago as a café that also sold specialty items, was transformed five months ago into a full gift shop. Although I miss the shop’s tea, I love that it now has more room to display all of its unique items.

So why is it my favorite little spot to shop?

• Green Time is very serene and leaves me with a peaceful feeling (even after spending money!)
• The owner is very sweet and extremely helpful in helping you find that perfect gift. She also thinks of us, the consumers! She told me that she recently was able to lower prices on items in Green Time when she struck up a deal with the companies shipping them by purchasing the items in larger bulks. Rather than keep that extra money she was saving, she made her items even more affordable for us, knowing that we are all need every break we can get!
• The unique gifts (perfect for a girlfriend, mom, child, or new parents) that you can pick up here are hard to find elsewhere and really irresistible!

Just check out some of the items in Green Time! Every nook and cranny holds sweet treasures!

The gift shop’s located on the second floor of Manoa Marketplace, right above Island Manapua

Look through the door window- isn’t it already charming?

The sign outside the store announces its specials- these are great ones!

Here’s a display of Precious Moments- my mom used to collect them so there’s a special place in my heart for these sweet ceramic figurines

Wouldn’t these make great gifts for that friend who already has everything?

I fell in love with these large plush rugs (or are they stuffed blankets?). The owner told me they’re her top selling item, and customers swear by their ability to get babies (and pets!) to sleep peacefully. You have to feel them to believe how soft they are!

These made-in-Japan “cakes” are actually towels!

Here are the zoo of stuffed animals that open up to flat, comfy pillows

Here’s my own stuffed pillow bear from Green Time, given to me by my student, Ke’alohi. His home is my bed- I’m one of those big kids who loves to hug a stuffed animal every once in a while!

What’s your favorite little spot to shop in Manoa and/or Makiki? Share it here!

Green Time
Manoa Marketplace
2752 Woodlawn Dr. #5-213
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808)988-0588
Mon-Fri (10-6)
Sat (10-5)

This will be a potpourri of summer topics since I’m feeling a little scattered today. Feel free to jump in to this summer pool of conversation!

On ending the school year…

What can I say but I already miss my kids? This year’s was a really special group of children and parents, and we grew a lot together. And as much as I’d hope they’d remember the novels we read, they types of rocks that make up our Earth, and the names of the native plants and birds we studied, what would make me really proud as their teacher is to know that they’d remember my most important lessons… to keep asking questions and searching to find answers, that reading can open worlds and that writing from their hearts can inspire themselves and others, to listen to and respect people, and to always work hard, be positive, and try their best. I’m looking forward to hearing about their continued successes as they enter a busy and exciting fifth grade year!

On my summer home…

For the next month, I’ll be teaching a Sky and Space summer school course for fifth graders at the University of Hawaii’s Curriculum Research and Development Group (CRDG) summer program. Although I felt a little out of my element this week while preparing my new curriculum in my new classroom, everyone I’ve met involved with the program have been wonderful. I’m looking forward to an exciting summer as we explore weather, flight, astronomy, and space!

On my summer tips for students (I think all teachers say this)…

*Read, read, read! Check out your local library for exciting summer reading programs. My step-son, Kainalu, signed up at Manoa’s library this past week, and is especially motivated to keep reading by the weekly prizes (awarded for reading at least one book per week) and fantastic drawings.
*Keep practicing those math skills you learned throughout the school year so you’re ready to go next year!
*Keep a journal about the things you see and do this summer- then you’ll be set with lots of topics to write about when school starts
*Play a lot (enjoy the sun- with sunscreen, of course!)
*Have fun! You deserve it for working so hard during the school year!

On things for kids to do this summer…

Kai is enrolled in summer school at Nu’uanu Elementary School, and I know he’ll learn a lot there. He just finished participating in the annual UH men’s basketball camp, which he loved.

Always one of the highlights of the summer

Aside from enforcing all of the “academic” tips listed above at home with him, we’re looking for lots of ideas on how to play and have fun this summer. Any suggestions? Know of a good family movie that’s coming up? Games to play? Parks to visit? Hikes to go on? You get the idea… let me hear ‘em!