Suits: Online Find

Express Mens has suits and I found a grey one.  Not sure what you guys think of this one? 

Jacket- $228

Pants- $98

Vest-$88

Total: $414....... the banana one is less than this... although, they might be onsale now in the store?

Suit hunt #2

Ryan, Sean, Zac and I went to H&M at the beverly center in LA to see what they have.  They had some reasonable suits for cheap but they seemed to be out of most sizes.  We found this one which was a grey with pin strips and total coast of jacket, pants and vest is $100. So its a steal but the quality is really questionable and it would be hard to find everyones sizes since odd sizes are in each store.  So far, I'm leaning towards Banana Republic....

Flights!

Hey guys,

So, the time is getting closer and closer.  I've been checking periodically for tickets on expedia, orbitz, cheaptickets, and airline sights.  The cheapest I've found so far is for $435 roundtrip through Delta.  It looks like the airfares are going back up so, I suggest you buy your tickets soon.

If you are in the wedding party, we will be leaving a week early to relax and prepare for the wedding. This means your places to stay will be reserved from March 28th to April 5th.  You guys can arrange to buy your tickets for the same flight (or around the same time) that way it will be easier for me to pick you up, since I live about 45 min away. 

For those of you who want to rent a car for your stay, please arrange that with your flight.  

I usually rent from a cheap place called V.I.P. 

It doesn't have the nicest cars but they run great.

Suit hunting and invitations....

Today me, Ryan and Jen went around looking for suits for the groomsmen.  We went to H&M and there was a darker grey pin striped suit with a vest for a steal but we were bummed that it wasn't the color we were looking for... We also took a look in Zara and they had a grey suit but the fit was a little big and long on Ryan.  Our next stop was Banana Republic which we found a stunning light grey suit.  It was made of this incredibly soft and thin material perfect for a hawaiian wedding but the only draw back is that it doesn't have a vest. There is a picture of Ryan trying it on, above.

So, the search continues... 

We also worked on our invitations today and have made incredible progress. So, be expecting to get one of those (pictured above) in your mail box!

Well, thats it for now... 

Things to do in Hawaii: Bargain Shopping

People automatically think: Ala Moana Shopping Center when they think of shopping in hawaii.  And yes, Ala Moana has variety and stores that you would normally find in all malls across America.  The Apple Store....Louis Vuitton....Chanel....Abercrombie and Fitch.  But when your on a vacation, why would you want to pay more for things when there are cheaper alternatives.  

Waikele Outlet Shopping Center

I used shop there all the time.  Its an outlet mall.  They have Sax Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, BCBG...Coach....True Religion... Vans... and over 50 other stores. Its just a great place to get deals.  

So before you spend hundreds at Ala Moana, check out Waikele Outlet first.  They might just have what you are looking for without burning a hole in your wallet.  

Salvation Army and Good Will

Hawaii isn't up to par in fashion.  People just don't really care nor understand fashion.  So, its seriously a gold mine at the salvation army and good wills.  My friend found old pair of Levi's that are worth like $500.00 and he bought it for 3 dollars.  Now, there are people that come to stores and are vintage clothes buyer and buy all the cool things out but they usually don't venture past Honolulu.  So, if you are in dire need of a cheesy aloha shirt on a budget, this is your best bet.  

Savers

This is also a great place.  Its located in Honolulu and its huge so it'll take you a while to go through everything.  I believe I bought an old cassette recorder there for less than 5 bucks.  

Ward Center

This is right down the road from Ala Moana.  They a couple of really cool stores.  I believe my friend just opened a second store there called KICKS/ HI .  This is for guys who are obsessed with cool shoes.  They have other little boutiques that I can't remember the names to and there is also a Nordstrom Rack.  There is also a Dave n Busters, restaurants and a movie theater.  

During the weekend, this place is a nightmare.... tons of people in line for movies, eating out... etc. 

There's other mall but they pretty much have the same things as Ala Moana...

Things to do in Hawaii: Indigos

This place is amazing both for food and nightlife.  I've been there numerous of times to eat and the food is heaven.  Its mostly asian inspired foods, a lot of thai, japanese, hawaiian foods.  Actually, when i was looking for pictures to post, I found that LOST had also used this spot on various seasons.  They have a great bar with tons of selection.  

I've also been to Indigos after hours.  They have two rooms going all the time with good house, hip hop, indie music.  This is where I saw Deerhoof play within arms reach of me.  I also met Diplo and M.I.A before she became famous there. 

Its a fun place to get a martini on happy hour.

Happy Hour Tues-Friday 4-8pm 

over 30 martinis for 4 bucks

beers 3 bucks

Things to do in Hawaii: KARAOKE!!!

Karaoke is part of the culture in Hawaii.  I've gone to birthday parties at karaoke places, Christmas parties where the host has a karaoke machine! There's just something about it that makes you happy inside.  When I was 12, I had this interview to get into a private school and the interview wasn't going too well, until the principle asked me what I like to do for fun.  I shyly said, "sing".  His demeanor completely changed and he proceeded to say that he said he respected that and said that it stood out from the many interview answers because he said, singing is a form of outward expression that tells everyone how you feel.  And he said that its scientifically proven that singing causes you to be happy, it send seratonin? or something like that causes the brain to trigger a happy mood. I dunno if the principle was full of crap or what but I believe it  because of Karaoke. Its ridiculously  fun.  I mean, friends that are usually shy and soft spoken even let loose when they are belting out cheesy songs.  Its great.  I always thought the rest of the world knew this...?  If you've never done it, you must and what better way than to do it in paradise?

Top Best Karaoke:

Krazy Karaoke    

This is the place that we went to on our trip in '06.  They have about 4 to 5 private rooms that fits about 8 people in it.  You get 2 mics, a couple of song books with codes in them that you punch into a remote control for the tv.  This is a mellow place with good prices and is the closest one to my house.

Karaoke Hut

This place is amazing.  They have both rooms and a lounge with a full bar and booths.  They also have in the lounge, pool tables, darts and video games.  So, if you are on a waiting list for a room, you can chill and hang in the lounge, watch people sing, get a drink and play a pool game.

This is in Honolulu. A far drive but well worth it. 

Karaoke Room 2

This place is okay.  Its usually good if you going with a ton of people.  Because they have a room that fits up to like 14 people i think? 

This is Honolulu by Ala Moana Shopping center.

If your going for a more open karaoke and arent shy to sing in front of people you dont know, then Sansei is the place.  Its a sushi bar that turns into a karaoke lounge after hours.  The sushi is good there but its a bit on the pricey side.  

Things to do in Hawaii: Golf

So, I've done some research on Golf Courses.  There is one 20 min from my house at Turtle Bay Resort but its expensive.  They charge you $136 (at the least) for a course and you must book at least a day in advance. I checked out their website and now am remembering all the times I've driven by it, that its not a bad looking course.  Its almost right on the beach so you'll get a view of the ocean while you are playing.  So, if your willing to splurge, its only 15-20 min away...

For the pake' ( pake': is a term used in hawaii to describe tight wads, poor/broke, cheap ass. pardon my language...e.g. I am pake' to da max! Translation: I am super broke!) Anyway...

for a cheaper alternative golf, I recommend Millilani Golf Course.  Its about 30 min inland away from my house. The course is okay,  I think its about $99 dollars regular but if you go during twilight hours it can be as cheap as $25.00.  And if you wanna walk the course instead of using a cart, its even cheaper....$15.00!!! And I love this place because the driving range is really fun and for a basket of balls its only $4.00!! With these prices you could stop off at Wal- Mart after a game or a session at the driving range and buy local slippers!! 

Things to do in Hawaii: Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch is this giant ranch (obviously) that many movies have been filmed at... Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor... and even Ryan's favorite TV series, LOST.  ( If you are a LOST fanatic like Ryan, here is a site I found of all the locations on the island that they filmed at. I must admit, its kind of cool!)  

This ranch offers many tours you can do, one is horse back riding,  a bus tour...etc...but the one that is most appealing to me is the ATV tour.  haha.  It looks so much fun to ride around such open space and pretend that dinosaurs are chasing me! Anyway, here is the link to Kualoa Ranch.  

I think for an hour its about 65 bucks for the ATV which takes you to all the movie sites and all over the huge ranch.  

I love Google Earth

Doing all this blogging and research has made me so pumped!!!

and so does this image....

Things to do in Hawaii: Glider Rides

Glider rides are so fun and well worth whatever money you pay.  You seriously feel like you are flying... floating.  Anyway, there is a place near my house that has both Skydiving and Glider Rides.  The sky diving is expensive but the gliders are affordable.  

Here is the link to: Honolulu Soaring

Pidgin 101

This cracks me up because it is so "Hawaii". I am such a haole now and have forgotten some of these terms.  ahhh, hahaha. When I'm with my friends and they talk like this....its oooover.