Quintessentially Hawaiian

Waikiki Beach. While many visitors to Hawaii complain that Waikiki is way too crowded, there are many others who love to be in the thick of things. Waikiki is the place to walk on the beach, people watch, have a sunset drink, try surfboarding for the first time and shop, shop, shop.

ABC Stores. Speaking of shopping, you'll find most of the things you need and more at the ubiquitous ABC Stores.

Aloha shirts. The most trendy aloha shirts are sold by Tori Richards and Reyn's. Reyn's made the faded look chic with its reverse printed shirts. You can also buy aloha shirts for a good deal less at the Flea Market at the Stadium. It's open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Hula. The hula tells a story so the dancer must be a good storyteller. This song tells it all, "Lovely hula hands, graceful as the bird in motion".

Ukelele. The hula is only complete when the dancers are accompanied by a trio of singers, one of whom plays the ukelele.

Duke Kahanamokou. The father of modern surfing. Duke is never without a lei, another quintessential Hawaiian piece.

Surfboard. If there' a surfing legend, there are surfboards for legends in training and all wave enthusiasts.

Shave ice. This 4th of July look is a strawberry, lychee and piña colada concoction. Matsumoto's in Haleiwa is listed in many Oahu guidebooks as the place to pick up the best shave ice on the island.

Malasadas. While malasadas were introduced to the islands by the Portuguese settlers, they are truly the local sweet treat. Leonard's malasadas in Kapahulu has both plain and filled malasadas. You can choose from haupia, custard, or chocolate fillings. They also have malasada trucks around the island of Oahu.

Saimin. This is no ordinary cup of noodles. It's full of flavor and comes with your choice of meat or toppings. Zippy's Restaurants serve regular or large bowls of saimin starting at $2.60.

Bento box. There are many to choose from. You can pick up a salmon, mackerel, sashimi, or sushi bento box, among others. Take it to the beach and eat lunch there with friends or eat dinner while watching the sunset. These boxes are from Shirokiya, 2nd floor at the Ala Moana Mall.

Hawaiian sunset. Sitting on the beach watching the sun dip slowly down the horizon. What a way to end another beautiful day in Hawaii!

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* I haven't forgotten about SPAM. I just need to take a photo of it.

Images by Charie

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

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