Standing Into Danger: March 2023

Friday, March 31, 2023

Ulīʻulī Inspired

This week I found some information about the lovely sand face I shared last week.

Sand Sculpture

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

The face was part of a gorgeous sand sculpture in the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki.

Sand Sculpture

by Sandsational Sand Sculpting

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

Instagram

The Royal Hawaiian asked Sandsational Sand Sculpting

to make a sand sculpture featuring the ulīʻulī,

the feathered gourd rattle that is used as an instrument in the Hawaiian hula.

Ulīʻulī (red and yellow) with ipu heke ʻole (hollowed gourd percussion instrument)

and pahu drum (upper left - Hawaiian Hula Drum)

Native Intelligence

Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī

Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2023

The result is the most beautiful sand sculpture I've ever seen:

Here the Hula Dancers Hold the Ulīʻulī above Their Heads

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

A Closeup of the Hula Dancers

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

The ancient style ulīʻulī was made from the ipu gourd or coconut shells.

Three or four evenly-spaced holes were made around the gourd, about a quarter of the way down from the top.

A bigger hole in the apex of the gourd was used for cleaning out the gourd

and partially filling it with small shells, pebbles, or seeds.

Fiber from the pandanus leaf or ti plant was run through the holes,

tied, and wrapped in place to form a handle.

The "pouf" at the end of the handle was trimmed and decorated or left alone.

Only one ulīʻulī is used in the ancient style hula. (Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi)

The Met: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889

The Met

Today the ulīʻulī is typically made from the calabash fruit or Spanish tree gourd.

The seed of the ali`ipoe (canna lily) is preferred.

A wooden dowel is glued into the apex hole, a disk is attached to the dowel,

and feathers decorate it.

Hula dancers quickly rotate the ulīʻulī back and forth in their hands

or strike them against a hand, shoulder, or thigh.

The gourds are never hit together.

In the modern style hula two ulīʻulī are used. (Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi)

Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī

Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2023

Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī

Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2023

When I saw the ulīʻulī sculpture in the Royal Hawaiian,

I was fascinated by the beauty and the detail of the sculpture.

It was hard to believe that it was made of sand!

A Closeup of the Hula Dancers

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

Sandsational Sand Sculpting has been creating sand sculptures

around the world since 1996.

It's team of creative professionals have backgrounds in

industrial design engineering, fine art, performance art and marketing.

Jill Harris and 2010 World Champion Thomas Koet not only do commercial sand sculpting,

they are known and respected worldwide for the magnificent sculptures

they make in premier master sand sculpture competitions.

Jill and Thomas at Work

Many people are curious about how sand sculptures stick together

and last a long time even outside in the weather.

If you've ever built a sand castle at the beach,

you know that it collapses as soon as the water reaches it.

My brother and I had lots of fun building sand castles with deep moats when we were kids.

We took great delight in watching the water fill the moat,

then swallow our castle as the tide rose.

For answers to how to build sand sculptures that last, I went to the website

of the World Sand Sculpting Academy (WSSA) in The Hague.

When building a sand sculpture you can only use sand and fresh or sea water.

Beach sand typically doesn't work because the sand grains are rounded.

River sand is needed because the grains are angular

and the sand contains some silt and clay.

These river sand features allow the sand to stick together.

Sculptures are built in two stages: compacting and carving.

In the compacting stage, sand is placed into a wooden form and mixed with water.

The sand is compressed layer by layer, by hand or with machinery.

Once the top of the sculpture height is reached, the wooden forms are removed,

and the sculptor(s) can begin carving.

Ted Siebert, Lead Sculptor of The Sand Sculpture Company

Flickr ~ Abraham Puthoor ~ License

A number of factors go into how long a sand sculpture lasts:

sand quality, weather, location (outdoors or in), and climate.

Sculptures like the ulīʻulī inspired one inside the Royal Hawaiian can last for years,

as long as they are not touched.

There is a lot more information at the WSSA website.

A Closeup of the Hula Dancers

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

Here's a video I took at the Royal Hawaiian Center

of hula dancers performing with pu'ili bamboo sticks.

I only have still photos of the hula dancers using the ulīʻulī.

You Tube

Hula Dancers perform with the Ulīʻulī

Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2023

Thanks for asking me to find out more about the photo I shared last week.

I learned a lot, and you know I love to learn!

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date and Nicole's Friday Face Off.

See you on Wednesday, April 5th for the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Take care!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be on

April 5, 2023 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, March 24, 2023

Something is Better Than Nothing!

Google

"Something is better than nothing!" I'm sure I say this at least once a day.

I had given up hope about getting a post completed this week.

I still haven't gotten around to visiting everyone who commented on last week's blog.

My apologies ~ I'm so sorry!

I've been slammed. Certainly overwhelmed.

And then I reminded myself that something is better than nothing.

So here goes a shorter post.

Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date theme this week is Complementary Colors.

2×3 grid of squares colored with the primary and secondary colors of the RYB color model.

Each tile has an ellipse colored complementary to the square that it’s in.

Wikimedia

I've grown up with the traditional RYB color model.

This model designates three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue,

and three secondary colors: green, purple, and orange.

The complementary primary-secondary pairs are:

red-green, yellow-purple, and blue-orange.

The complement of any primary color is made by combining the other two primary colors.

For example, red's complementary color is green,

and green is made by combining blue and yellow.

Combining all three primary colors makes a black or gray color.

Moses Harris, in his book, The Natural System of Colours (1776).

In a color palette, complimentary colors are two colors directly across from each other.

For example, red and green are complimentary colors.

Wikipedia

Primary Colors ~ Red, Yellow, and Blue

‎⁨Daniel K. Inouye International Airport⁩, ⁨Oahu⁩, ⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨USA

January 18, 2023, 2023

Secondary Colors ~ Green, Purple, and Orange

Bird of Paradise

Pixnio

Here are three photos illustrating complementary colors:

Red and It's Complement Green

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

Yellow and It's Complement Purple

Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

March 13 2023

Blue and It's Complement Orange

Part of a Painting: Cereus Flower and Fragrant Lei

by Frank McIntosh circa 1930s

Matson Navigation Company Archives

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

For Nicole's Friday Face Off I'm sharing a beautiful face made of sand:

Sand Sculpture

Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

February 27, 2023

Hopefully, this week will be less hectic and chaotic for me.

I plan to do much better getting around to visiting everyone.

Have a great week! Take care!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be on

Friday, March 31, 2023 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, March 17, 2023

Mai Tais and More at the Hideout at the Laylow in Waikiki

Whenever I'm in Waikiki the first place I want to go

after we've checked into our condo or hotel is the Hideout at the Laylow.

Over the years Terry and I have been just about everywhere in Waikiki.
I have sampled many, many mai tais.

In my opinion, you can't beat the mai tai at the Hideout.

The Quintessential Hawaiian Drink ~ a Mai Tai

The Hideout, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

January 10, 2023

At the Hideout for Happy Hour

February 20, 2023

At the Hideout for Happy Hour

February 20, 2023

A Pretty Orchid

January 30, 2023

Just Before Opening at the Hideout

January 19, 2022

Yes, the Original Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian and

the Beach Bar at the Moana Surfrider have awesome mai tais,

but for taste and value, it's the Hideout Terry and I return to over and over.

We like to sit at the bar rather than at a table,

because it's fun to talk to the friendly bartenders,

and we split a Happy Hour meal, usually the Mainlander,

which is a Wagyu beef hamburger with American cheese,

lettuce, tomato, onion, and a house sauce with a side of fries.

At the bar we can relax, enjoy our drinks and meal, and listen to the music.

The Mainlander with a Side of Fries

January 10, 2023

One of the Nightly Musicians at the Hideout

January 16, 2023

Garnishes at the Ready

March 9, 2023

Another favorite Happy Hour meal of ours is the Island Greens,

a delicious salad that fills a craving for something healthy.

Island Greens

January 10, 2023

Watching the bartenders mix drinks is entertainment as well.

Happy Hour is from 5:00 to 6:00 pm every day of the week,

and the bartenders serve up lots of mai tais and other drinks during that busy hour.

Jeremy Making Multiple Mai Tais and Other Drinks

February 5, 2023

Jeremy Making Multiple Drinks

February 5, 2023

And if you're like me and can only handle one mai tai,

you can follow it up with a great mocktail:

Laylow "Virgin Style" Mai Tai."

A Delicious Mocktail: Laylow Virgin Style Mai Tai

January30, 2023

One of the Nightly Musicians at the Hideout

January 27, 2023

Jeremy Making Even More Mai Tais

February 5, 2023

Makayla Preparing a Cocktail

February 5, 2023

Makayla and Jeremy at Work

February 5, 2023

One of the Nightly Musicians at the Hideout

February 5, 2023

Erwin helps Jeremy behind the bar. ~ More Mai Tais in the Works!

February 5, 2023

Clouds Tinted by the Setting Sun

February12, 2023

Erwin helps Jeremy behind the bar.

Other staff members garnish the mai tais and deliver them.

Hideout, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

Taylor, Another Great Bartender!

Hideout, Laylow, Waikiki, Hawaii, USA

Every night different entertainers provide a mellow musical ambience,

rain or shine.

A Duo at the Hideout

February 7, 2023

There has been a lot rain in Honolulu in recent days.

That barely slows things down at the Hideout.

When the rain comes down, out come the umbrellas.

Sharing an Umbrella at the Hideout

February 16, 2023

Sharing Umbrellas at the Hideout

February 19, 2023

Makayla and Aaron, Another Great Bartender!

February 16, 2023

One of the Nightly Musicians at the Hideout

January 27, 2023

The Hideaway welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds.

It's a mellow, relaxing place with great food, drinks, and music,

and it has lots of friendly guests you can strike up a fun conversation with.

Perhaps we'll cross paths at the Hideout sometime!

Terry and I

January 22, 2023

I had planned to publish this post on Friday, February 24th

for Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date theme "Drinks."

Unfortunately, I decided to test my one mai tai limit

at dinner with friends in another restaurant.

I had two mai tais.

Not a good choice.

I made it back to our condo before the second drink slammed me,

and there was no editing or posting on the evening of the 23rd.

For Nicole's Friday Face Off I'm sharing a few more faces from the Hideout.

Focusing on Mixing a Drink

March 9, 2023

Enjoying the Music

January 22, 2023

Putting on the Finishing Touches

February 5, 2023

Concentration

February 25, 2023

Busy, Busy, Busy at Happy Hour

February 16, 2023

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀

See you next week! Take care!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be on

Friday, March 24, 2023 🤞

Pages

Friday, March 31, 2023

Ulīʻulī Inspired

Friday, March 24, 2023

Something is Better Than Nothing!

Friday, March 17, 2023

Mai Tais and More at the Hideout at the Laylow in Waikiki