I was in Seattle for business meetings last week. But as the saying goes, ‘all work and no play makes Sandra a dull girl.’ Remedy – indulge in Seattle’s cultural delights. The historian in me won the toss, so my first visit was to the Pacific Science Center’s Pompeii: The Exhibition. It’s not the first
Articles Categorized History
HAPA-HAOLE HAWAIIAN MUSIC – A SAMPLING
Hapa-haole technically means half-foreign, or half Hawaiian and half something else. Musically the term refers to a type of music founded on traditional Hawaiian mele with something added. James Revell Carr suggests King Kalākaua sponsored hula ku`i, a new style of hula accompanied by western instruments, including the guitar, banjo, violin, accordion, and ukulele. From
Exploring Genovesa Island, Galapagos
Galapagos Factoids The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles west of Ecuador’s Pacific coastline. Ecuador annexed Galapagos Islands in 1832, three years before Charles Darwin encountered the islands during his service as a naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. To this day, Darwin’s name is the one most closely associated with the Galapagos, due to the islands’
Walking Through Machu Picchu
A first glance, I wondered if I had arrived at the correct mountain top. The entrance turnstiles to Machu Picchu are a few yards away from the Sanctuary Lodge. Once visitors clear the entrance, they climb a short hill and suddenly the ancient city spreads out beneath one of the most famously photographed sites in the
Getting To Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is perhaps the best-known tourist destination in Peru. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and named one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu hosts approximately 2,500 visitors a day. That’s about 300,000 people tramping around the sacred site each year. Last month, I was one of them.
CALENDRICAL TRIVIA
Oh, the joys of winter, especially if the lake freezes. In the 1820s, Jane Austin’s contemporaries frolicked in snow and ice. Clearly these young men are showing off, while the boys in the background focus on their own games. January is the month of Janus, the Roman god who looks both forward and back, supervising
Twelve Days of Gifting
There are nine shopping days left before Christmas Day, UNLESS you subscribe to the ancient custom of celebrating Christmas for twelve days instead of one. That gives you until January 5 to complete your gifting A total of twenty-one days. Of course, everyone expects their presents on December 25th, but if you run late, explain
YE THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
Once upon a time on November 11th, 1620, a ship called the Mayflower dropped anchor at the tip of Cape Cod. The 102 passengers thought they were going to Virginia, but things don’t always turn out as expected. The Pilgrims made the best of a bad situation and built shelters on shore. It was a
BONFIRE NIGHT: The 5th of November
Remember, Remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot! Once upon a time, thirteen conspirators decided to blow up the House of Lords. Known as the Gunpowder Plot and foiled at its source, Catholic sympathizers wanted to kill James
HALLOWEEN WASN’T ALWAYS FUN
Halloween wasn’t always a children’s holiday. It wasn’t about dressing up in funny clothes, wearing masks and/or heavy makeup, and hitting your neighbors up for candy. And it definitely wasn’t fun. All Hallows Eve was a very serious night when the souls of the dead returned, flying through the air to find relatives or enemies
IMMORTAL HELEN
The night before her marriage to Menelaus, Helen joined other young girls to dance and sing on the last night of her youth. In the morning, Helen joined in the preparations for her new adult life. Within the immense palace complex, a massive banquet is being prepared. Accounts of entertainments
QUEEN LEDA’S DAUGHTER
I’m reading an engaging book, Helen of Troy by Bettany Hughes. The author uses ancient literature, modern archeology, and personal visits to ancient sites to unravel the Helen’s myth. Was she a goddess? A slut? A woman with no voice or one who made her own way? Do we judge her too harshly? Have we
Better with Butter
I went to Europe for the first time when I was 19. It was there that I discovered two food products. The first was disgusting white, greasy glob that the purveyors identified as margarine. This was a revelation to me since U.S. margarine was infused with some sort of yellow food coloring. The moment I
THE MANY “FACES” OF LABOR DAY
The symbolism of Labor Day has come a long way from its roots as a day to celebrate the contributions of the men and women who built American industry. For most of us, the day marks the end of summer. Ah, summer, the mythical season of endless days of relaxation. Labor Day marks the return
MOKU`AIKAUA CHURCH: Historic Past, Present Crisis & Unknown Future
In 1820 a company of fourteen New England missionaries with three Hawaiian protégés arrived at Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawai`i. Seven men, seven women – all determined to bring Christianity and American know-how to islands most of them probably couldn’t point out on a map. Two men were ministers; one was a doctor.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Last week the Social Security Administration released two lists: The Ten Most Popular Names for Girls in 2013, and The Ten Most Popular Names for Boys in 2013. The list comes out annually just before Mother’s Day. Choosing baby names can be a nerve-racking experience. Once upon a time, it was a relatively simple affair