Ni hao ma?

Since I learned the word “China,” my daddy has been telling me that China will take over the world. He didn’t mean it literally, obviously, but he did predict, along with many others, that China would become an economic powerhouse in global standards. In anticipation, some smart tourist businesses in Hawaii have started targeting Chinese tourists, who come in preset groups and tours, to set up good relationships with Chinese tour companies. Today, it’s no longer a prediction: China is becoming, if not already is, the strongest nation economically in the world.

We (Hawaii) were off to a good start with the Chinese. In the summer of 2008, the first group of Chinese tourists EVER took their first trip to Hawaii. The Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki, where I interned that summer, received its first group a few days after. It marked a hopeful increase of Chinese in Hawaii. But, the economy crashed, swine flu hit, and other events violently caused the numbers of Chinese tourists to arrive in 2009 to be much less than predicted. Now, after the worst is over, we can begin the long recovery process to heal our economy. China seems like a good place to start.

Taking a proactive approach to our economy’s recovery, Governor Linda Lingle will soon depart for a two-week trip to China to strengthen relations and hopefully improve trade and tourism. Lingle will first target Hainan airlines:

Expected to offer the first nonstop flight service from Beijing to Honolulu early next year. The flights, which will start at one a week but could expand based on consumer demand, could bring more than 10,000 new visitors to the Islands each year.

A nonstop flight from Beijing to Honolulu would encourage many Chinese to make Hawaii their next travel destination, eliminating the hassle of an international layover in Seoul or Tokyo. Another way Lingle will work to eliminate annoyances for potential tourists is with visas.

The governor is also scheduled to meet with Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to China, about potentially expediting the visa application process for Chinese visitors to the Islands and Mainland. The governor may ask for specific interview times for Chinese visitors at U.S. consulates and a process that would make it easier for last-minute travel arrangements.

Governor Lingle has thoroughly covered the bases to make sure it is as easy as possible for Chinese tourists who wish to travel to Hawaii will do so. Of course, it is also important to advertise Hawaii additionally, to encourage more and more tourists to come.

Lingle sets an admirable example with her aggressive approach to economic recovery. In the long run, her trip to China will greatly benefit tourism in Hawaii, the economy, and lives of local residents. As Hawaii begins to make more money through the tourist industry, slowly, more money will be available all around (no more furloughs!). While economic recovery will be, as always, a slow and taxing process, Governor Lingle has given us a running start by improving relations with China.

What can we do to accelerate this process? Keep pushing. As I have said before, being laid back will not help to improve our economy. If “aggressive” actions can’t be taken, at least be safe and smart by saving and cutting back. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, can you? Shoots cuz, we go.

To carry or check?

I’m sure that any and every frequent flyer has noticed the increased number of carry-on bags per flight. With the new check-in fee policies, more and more passengers choose to carry-on their luggage than to pay $15-$50 to check it in. And with understaffed airlines, the hassle of increased carry-ons is taking its toll on both staff and customers.

Is this affecting peoples’ willingness to fly? If there is any possibility of this, perhaps there is another solution that (in particular) local airlines can use to maximize the amount of flyers traveling inter-island. Since there are only 2 airlines that fly inter-islands (after the go! Mokulele merger), and airfare is expected to rise, baggage fees may greatly impact flying.

Ken Richards, a surgeon quoted in “Carry-on Space Scarce Due to Fees,” suggests that airlines charge customers for carry-on bags instead of check-ins. This solution presents the understanding that the airlines’ needs to make money, but also takes the passengers’ comfort into consideration. He observes that businessmen and people who have tight schedules would gladly pay for the convenience of carry-on space, and the fees will encourage people to check-in their one bag before incurring fees. This prevents passengers from getting hit in the head with bags and saves over worked staff from the stress and chaos of passengers fighting for over-head space.

I think this strategy would be effective. Not necessarily in bringing more flyers to the skies, but it would stop people from not flying. At this point in the economy, after one airline merger and higher airfares, airlines should be very careful with all of their policies. Personally, if one airline used this policy, I would choose that airline over one that didn’t. Just food for thought! Shoots cuz, we go.

Breaking the Bach

As a fortunate private school student, I was lucky to grow up surrounded by music. In elementary school we sang, played xylophones, and hit wooden blocks together in rhythm. Middle school followed with more xylophones, ukuleles, and recorders. Soon, I was given an option to join choir, band, or orchestra (I chose the latter). As my passion for the viola intensified, I began joining more and more music groups: school orchestra, chamber music, and finally the Hawaii Youth Symphony (HYS).

It was at HYS that I learned lessons that would last beyond my years as a violist. Besides playing amongst the top young musicians in Hawaii, I was exposed to discipline, passion, and leadership that was unique to the HYS program because of the leaders there. Truly, compared to any other program I participated in throughout my high school years, HYS was the one I took the most from.

Unfortunately, the Honolulu Symphony (and subsequently HYS) has been suffering financially for several years. About to go bankrupt a few years ago, an anonymous donor graciously gave one million dollars to the Symphony, saving it from extinction. Big and small donors alike are giving all they can to save the Honolulu Symphony, and the Honolulu Symphony is doing its part to be smart with the donations.

This recent article shares that:

[The Honolulu Symphony] has canceled a concert on the grounds that the cost of it would return the Symphony to serious financial trouble…The decision may alarm some people but the current board said over the summer it was determined to get the Symphony onto more of a secure business footing.

Let the Honolulu Symphony be a model for us all. In these tough times, it is necessary to cut back, make sacrifices, and hold out until the economy improves. The Symphony teaches us not to spend what we don’t have, even if it’s embarrassing or difficult or atypical.

Some people might argue that the arts, during a difficult economic time, are not worth saving. To that I say nay and will support it with a quote from my HYS conductor, Maestro Henry Miyamura:

You can take confidence from music. You can take anger and love from music. You can take all the meanings you know in music and become stronger leaders, because you are the future of our country.

And by leaders he meant in every field: law, business, medicine, education. By training local students in music, confidence, passion, and discipline, Miyamura was training leaders who would come back to their Hawaii home and improve their communities. So, despite these trying circumstances, the arts (especially education of the arts) isn’t only a beautiful concert this weekend but an investment in Hawaii’s future as well.

Without the Honolulu Symphony, mentors in HYS would be unemployed. Mentors to public school music programs would disappear. Private schools would be the only places with orchestras and symphonies. Music would become an elitist art.

But I have faith that the Symphony will survive, as will our economy if everyone can save and hold out till the end. Be smart with your money, and soon the light at the end of the tunnel will shine around us, and we can get our tans back! Shoots cuz, we go.

Dear Bad Economy, Please go! Home.

A sad dejavu moment in the islands today: the go! Airlines and Mokulele Airlines merger. While not nearly as tragic as the shutdown of the beloved Aloha Airlines, this merger is a consequence of the economy (specifically decreases in Hawaii’s tourism industry).

As with any merger, the new go! Mokulele Airlines will include newly branded planes, some transitional flight scheduling difficulties, more efficient operations, and the worst repercussion, job and pay cuts. Almost 40% of Mokulele employees were furloughed and will not be receiving a paycheck for one to three months, at the end of which only a possibility exists that they will be offered new jobs with go! Mokulele. Many of these employees formerly worked for Aloha airlines.

Remember the saying (or song lyrics, wherever you’ve heard it first): “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”? These are some words of wisdom I would like to offer the employees of Hawaii airlines. Some are beginning to realize this. Joe Kauweloa, former Aloha airlines and Mokulele airlines employee, said:

There’s two strikes against me already so I don’t want to go back to the airlines, I don’t think I want to go back to that field again.

Honestly, to work for Mokulele in the first place was a risk. Founded in only 1998, the fledgling company was trying to fight for a stake in an industry where even the big dogs were flailing. When Aloha airlines went out of business, it was a sensible story for former employees to go to airlines such as Hawaiian and United. And while finding a job wasn’t easy, especially for airlines workers who had no experience other than working for Aloha airlines, I would still question the choice to work at Mokulele.

With this merger, people like Kauweloa are rethinking the airline industry. It’s a smart move. Looking just at numbers, it’s easy to see that the tourist industry has dropped due to the economy and H1N1, and less people coming to the islands means less people flying in planes to, from, and between the islands. Since the economy is unpredictable, it’s hard to tell if we’ve reached the “bottoming out” point in the recession yet. A strong possibility exists that more pay and job cuts will be handed out at go! Mokulele.

Understandably, former airlines employees are looking for jobs with the same unbelievable benefits and pay that they received before. However, and not a comforting solution, the economy isn’t what it was when the airlines were booming. Some people will have to settle for less, cut back in their lifestyles, and make some sacrifices. With effort, diligent job searching, and an open mind, I believe that these people can find a job with more security and stability than what the airlines industry provides.

But to end this depressing post on a positive note, I would like to remind everyone affected by this merger, and who have been affected by the airlines industry, that all the kamaaina are behind you. We understand that these are tough times, especially for you, and we pray for you every day. We hope that you make wise decisions toward the future of yourself and your ohana. Everyone, hold out just a little longer–we will come out on the other side of this recession together. Shoots cuz, we go.

H1 N E 1?

The eleventh person died from H1N1 (lovingly referred to as “swine flu”) in Hawaii. Don’t believe me? It was on the news! But no worry beef curry, we now have a vaccine for the nasty virus. Will that get rid of all the swine flu?

It’s becoming well known that the swine flu is contributing to our flailing economy. The Japanese are the most scared of disease and germs, and because they do not want more cases of swine flu in their country, they are traveling to other places besides Hawaii and spending their valuable money there instead.

This is grimy situation.

So should we really be releasing statistics of H1N1 victims in such public places like on t.v., the newspaper, and the internet? Shouldn’t we try to put this in a top-secret vault for only the most trust-worthy of people to see? Yes, this sounds unrealistic, but we need money and we need it from tourists!

Well, at least there’s a vaccine. And U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the vaccine is safe.

The adverse effects are minimal compared to what can happen when you get the flu.

So, like home sales, the future of our battle against H1N1 is looking up, and with it will slowly be our economy. Keep your heads up, guys, we’re climbing out! Shoots den, we go.

Ono Kine Grindz

I’ll admit, I’m rather jealous of the ono kine grindz being served for lunch at Hakipuu school. The Department of Education recently approved a new Hawaiian lunch menu, and it’s a hit! According to KGMB9 article, “Hawaiian Food in School fro Lunch” (is “fro” a pun, because I don’t get it! Otherwise, oops! Typo!), options include:

Lawalu mahimahi, ‘ulu chicken burger, limu salad, poi, and more.

Wow! I don’t even know what all of those things are, but they sound a lot better than mystery meat. But beyond the obvious perks of this cultural addition to public school cafeterias (including better tasting food, more nutrition, and an awareness of the Hawaiian culture), what I approve in this scenario is BUY HAWAII!

Though the official government campaign no longer exists (see my previous post!), the concept will always be in my mind and in my heart: support local retailers to keep local money in the local economy. The onolicious lunches at Hakipuu are provided by Hale Kealoha Ai Pono, a family business that, in the words of Kaniala Smith (part of the Ai Pono Ohana),

[Wants] to promote healthier living through [the Hawaiian] culture.

Kaniala truly embodies this mission, and said:

As long as they have a smile on their face when they’re finished eating and enjoy what they eat, that’s my favorite part. Just to see people smile.

With a genuine aloha spirit, Kaniala’s food business is definitely a worthy candidate of consumers’ support, just like the other small, local businesses that compose Hawaii’s economy. It’s great to know that we can help support our neighbors and fellow kamaaina while sending our keiki to school. Let’s keep up the BUY HAWAII spirit! Shoots cuz, we go.