14. Grad Party: Stari Nakano

Stari Nakano holds a piece of chocolate cake in each hand; she will serve it to the guests of her Surprise Grad Party. 

Stari's presence has knit her community together... not only at her party, but for the 17 years since her birth. Sure, the cake is great, but it's this girl's fluid, easygoing nature and aim-to-score humor that makes this Sunday afternoon decision easy: We have to go to Stari's Grad Party.

I've never been to a mainland grad party, but Hawaii ones always seem to ebb and flow the same beautiful way.

First, all the kids and aunties come together to decorate the (usually) outdoor or community center event. Then the aunties get together in the kitchen to prepare all the food. GRINDS! Then the kids start piling in and the graduate gets showered with leis up to the forehead. The party consists of memory-sharing and embarrassing stories about the grad. It always, always ends with cake. 

Stari is pronounced Star-ee like Van Gogh's Starry, Starry Night. 

She's cute, she's fun, and she cruises like a true island girl. Her family and friends gathered round to give their sweet farewells to Stari as she embarks on those "future endeavors". In this case, that means enrollment at San Diego's Point Loma Nazarene University's Fall 2008 semester.

Major: Undecided

Age: 17

Hometown: Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawaii

Rocks the: Heiresses

Interested in: San Diego Fashion

Worried about: Paying for College

Hopes: To keep her island roots even on the Mainland

Favorite Quote: "Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights sure do make a left"

Good luck to you Stari on all those FUTURE ENDEAVORS! 

Crush loves you and welcomes you to the family.

Love,

CG Amy 

13. Maui Feet: 5 Minutes of Wireless Internet

Maui Feet

Shades of brown

Create a sound

That's similar to something round

Mix it up with something green

We've just created a perfect scene

For barefoot babies

And woman-ladies

For dreded hippies

Those daytime trippies

This place was home

A place to roam

Inevitably 

Consistently 

The bittersweet taste

Of dark chocolate laced

With Goodbye-Hello

Everywhere I go

Below my knees

I carry these

Maui Feet

Shuffle, Repeat

by: Amy

p.s. This was written in 5 minutes while internet connection was at its best. I have been a vagabond in a place I used to call home for the past week. No consistent bed, but always a place to rest my head. I'm an emotional wreck on the inside, but mostly a happy/nostalgic wreck. Time's up. Over and out.