ART AFTER DARK – DRAGON THUNDER – Bhutan Exhibit

ART AFTER DARK – DRAGON THUNDER – Bhutan Exhibit

Big applause to the Honolulu Academy of Arts PR folks; they sure know how to put on a good event. ARTafterDARK, a premier event happening from 6 to 9 p.m. on most last Friday’s of the month draws attention to the Academy and its featured exhibits. We’ve never not had a good time at ARTafterDARK.

Show up, get food, get drink, see the exhibit and usually a lot of friends, and wander the beautiful grounds to see what is set up in every corner to entertain you. Then, dance to popular music in the open air courtyard at the Academy. The strict ending time of 9 p.m. is perfect—time to go off and hit the town, or, if you’re tired after a work day, head home.

This particular ARTafterDARK, entitled Dragon Thunder, featured the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and exhibits from the region. The monks, in colorful robes, helped out with the event—painting surfboards with regional designs, demonstrating Mandala sand painting, and ancient Buddhist dances.

Cost of date: $10 cover charge (free for members), $4-7 per plate of food, $4-6 drinks

Do’s and Don’ts on this date: Plan to be surprised and entertained. Stay near the main courtyard at the start of the event if you want a good view of the entertainment. Or—hit the food booths while everyone else crowds to see the entertainment. Don’t fret the early closing time; this is a great ice breaker for the start of your evening.

Website: http://www.honoluluacademy.org

WAKEBOARDING DATE—HAWAII WATER SPORTS CENTER

WAKEBOARDING DATE—HAWAII WATER SPORTS CENTER

(In Koko Marina Center in Hawaii Kai)

There’s no better place to learn to wakeboard than the placid (okay, sometimes) water of East Oahu’s Hawaii Kai Marina. And there’s no better teacher than Cormac and his protégé’s at Hawaii Water sports Center at Koko Marina.

This is a great date if you don’t mind making a fool of yourself in front of your date. Although wipe outs can give you something to talk about and Cormac promises you will stand and succeed at wakeboarding (we did)!

If you can’t stand the thought of a “face plant” or manage to schedule a massage for the following day, you might want to try banana boat or tube riding—getting pulled and bounced around behind the boat. Many happy dates knock their heads together this way (a recent survey suggests they survive longer relationships).

This date isn’t complete without a stop at one of Koko Marina’s restaurants. We recommend Kona Brewing, where you can watch others about to partake in water play. And where you can watch a full moon rise above Koko Head on the right nights.

Cost of date: Wakeboarding $49

Do’s and Don’ts on this date: Board shorts might be nice. Don’t worry about big fish; there aren’t any. Take a change of clothes if you plan to dine in Koko Marina afterwards.

To see the full on board wakeboarding lesson go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0nHR3ubdmo

Phone: (808) 395-3773 • FAX: (808) 375-1433

E-mail: info@hawaiiwatersportscenter.com

Hours:
Open 8:30am - 5:30pm Daily

Web Site: http://www.hawaiiwatersportscenter.com/

OKONOMIYAKI CHIBO

OKONOMIYAKI CHIBO
(In the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki)


If you want to freak someone out by showing them fish flakes that move around and look alive on top of pizza, this is the place to go. Your date may be impressed.


A traditional pizza-like dish originating from the Kansai region of Japan—specifically Osaka—Okonimiyaki consists of a fried batter and cabbage cake along with various ingredients. In this case—lots of garlic, shrimp, fish, and vegatables. Okonomi means "what you like" or "what you want," and yaki means "grilled" or "cooked"; thus, the name of this dish means "cook what you like."


You’ll feel like you’re in Japan as your chef—no matter what ethnicity—speaks Japanese and artfully handles knives as he/she makes your pizza to your liking. Side dishes like tofu spinach or bacon corn round out the meal in a tasty way.






Cost of Date: Okonomiyaki $14, Teppanyaki filet $23

Do’s and Don’ts on this date: Do order extra extra fried garlic. Yum! Do have mouth wash on you if you expect to meet or keep your date that night. Or the next day, for that matter.

Website(Japanese): http://www.chibo.com/shop/shop_detail.php