Google’s homepage is now available in the Hawaiian language. But for the time being you’d have to do a bit of searching to find it.

We recently read that the homepage interface of the World’s most popular online search engine was available in olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language). A good thing, we thought. But when we clicked to Google’s language tools page we couldn’t find Hawaiian among the offerings on a “Use the Google Interface in Your Language” list.

Among familiar languages such as Italian, Spanish and Japanese were lesser-known tongues like Basque and Occitan. There were even odd dialects such as—we’re not kidding—Klingon and Elmer Fudd. All ready to change the face of our Google interface. But no Hawaiian.

Was Google’s Hawaiian translation lost in translation?

Not quite, said Keola Donaghy, a professor at the Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He should know. Donaghy spent more than 100 hours of his own time converting strands of text on Google’s homepage into Hawaiian as a volunteer translator.

Turns out the translation of Google’s homepage for use in—so far—more than 125 languages has been dependent on volunteer translators like Donaghy who simply wanted to see their native language represented.

“It’s our mission to ensure the (Hawaiian) language stays contemporary,” said Donaghy. “To ignore modern technology would suggest that our language doesn’t belong.”

The biggest challenge for Donaghy with the project turned out to be translating modern Web jargon that had no Hawaiian equivalent. For example: how to translate words like “download” and terms like “World Wide Web” and “URL” into Hawaiian.

Donaghy buckled down and thought logically, yet creatively.

The Hawaiian word kele—which translated to English means “to sail” or “to reach by sailing,” for example—seemed the ideal word to substitute for “browsing” or “searching” the Web.

Other Hawaiian words Donaghy used to replace English ones included:

Hawaiian Word(s)	English Translation	Google Interface
hooili	to land upon, to load	to download
polokalama kele punaewele	web sailing program	Web browser
punaewele puni honua	spiderweb, fine-meshed net	World Wide Web, Internet
kaomi	to press down, to squeeze	to click (on a mouse)
nanaina	general appearance, view	interface
loulou	to link or hook together	Web link

As for that missing Google interface translated to Hawaiian? Donaghy said that it’s up and running, but Google engineers are still doing some final tweaking before a “Hawaiian” link is added to Google’s language tools page. Word about Google's Hawaiian language homepage was leaked prematurely after Web surfers found work-in-progress versions of it on the Web.

Google representatives told Donaghy that the Hawaiian interface should be available as an official language tools option “sometime this week.” Google did not confirm an exact date. But you can see the Google homepage in Hawaiian now by clicking here.

So far, only Google’s search interface and navigation text have been translated into Hawaiian—not individual search results. Will these Web pages eventually be translated as well? Donaghy doesn’t rule out anything in time.

In fact, he’s already working on translating other Google services such as Gmail and online word processor Google Docs into Hawaiian.

“It sends a message that Hawaiian stands alongside European and other major languages,” said Donaghy.

 

Honua Kai Resort & Spa, the newest lodging property on Maui’s Kaanapali Beach, is offering a 50 percent off rate special on select rooms for fall season vacationers.

The seven-month-old condominium-resort property recently announced half-off published rack rates in its Ohana, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suite categories, for stays between Sept. 1 and Dec. 12, 2009. Daily rates begin at a low of $200 for Honua Kai’s Ohana category resort-view suite.

All suites in the deal feature fully-equipped kitchens, including refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, microwave and washer/dryer.

For more info on Honua Kai Resort & Spa suites and amenities, or to book the fall 50 percent-off deal, click here.

Located on 38 acres of oceanfront property on Kaanapali’s North Beach, Honua Kai Resort & Spa opened the first of two-planned guest- and resident-buildings in January—the 318-suite Hokulani. The resort’s second building, the 310-suite Konea, is scheduled for an early 2010 opening.
 
 

The National Weather Service lifted storm watches for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Oahu at 11 a.m. (Hawaii time) as Tropical Depression Felicia began dissipating on its pass through the Islands. The former hurricane and  tropical storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression earlier in the day.

At 11 a.m., the National Weather Service was reporting that Felicia had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, and was located about 120 miles east of Kahului, Maui, and about 210 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, Oahu. At that time, the storm's movement had slowed down to 9 mph.

A tropical storm watch for the Big Island of Hawaii was canceled at 11 a.m. Monday.

Forecasters said Felicia could still produce localized heavy rains and gusty winds on Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Oahu today and Wednesday as its scattered remnants pass south of those islands. Felicia's effects on Hawaii weather, however, are now expected to be significantly diminished.

If you’re in Hawaii now or planning to be in the Islands in the next couple of days, click the below links for regularly updated National Weather Service forecasts detailing Felicia’s continuing weather effects on each of the Hawaiian Islands.

• Big Island of Hawaii (Hilo and east side)

• Big Island of Hawaii (Kailua-Kona and west side)

• Kauai (Lihue, Kapaa, Poipu, south shores, east shores)

• Kauai (Hanalei, Princeville, Kilauea, Waimea, Napali)

• Maui (West Maui, Lahaina, Kaanapali)

• Maui (Central and East Maui, Kahului, Wailuku, Hana)

• Maui and Lanai (Wailea, Makena, Lanai City)

• Molokai (Kaunakakai, Kalaupapa)

• Oahu (Honolulu, south shores, east shores)

• Oahu (Central Oahu, North Shore, west shores)


 

Tropical Storm Felicia continues to weaken on its slow course toward the Hawaiian Islands.

At 5 p.m. (Hawaii time), the National Weather Service was reporting that Tropical Storm Felicia had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, and was located 210 miles east-northeast of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, and 375 miles east of Honolulu, Oahu. At that time, the storm was moving west at 10 mph.

Updated forecasts have Tropical Storm Felicia’s center following a course that would take it just north of Maui and directly over Molokai on Tuesday afternoon and evening, as a tropical depression. From there, Felcia is expected to follow a course through the Kaiwi channel separating Molokai and Oahu, then pass just south of Oahu and Kauai on Wednesday.

A tropical storm watch is currently in effect for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Oahu. A tropical storm watch for the Big Island of Hawaii was canceled at 11 a.m. today.

The National Weather Service expects that Felcia will further weaken overnight from a tropical storm (max. sustained winds of 39 to 74 mph) to a tropical depression (max. sustained winds of 38 mph or less) before reaching Maui and Molokai.

Felicia is expected to be completely past the Hawaiian Islands by 8 a.m. Thursday.

Felicia's gradual weakening was exactly what weather forecasters predicted would happen to the former hurricane as it moved from warmer Eastern Pacific waters to cooler waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. At peak hurricane strength last Thursday, Felicia was a Category 4 monster clocking maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.

UPDATE, 8/11/2009: Click here for HawaiiMagazine.com's Tuesday, Aug. 11 update to this post, and National Weather Service forecasts detailing Felicia's expected weather effects on each of the Hawaiian Islands through the week.


 

Welcome back, Hawaiian Hall!

The Bishop Museum’s 120-year-old exhibit space is getting a grand reintroduction to the public this weekend, celebrating the completion of three years and $16 million worth of renovations.

Renovations, which began in 2006, marked Hawaiian Hall’s first major overhaul in more than a century. Built in 1889, Hawaiian Hall is the Bishop Museum complex’s first and oldest building. A bustling metropolis has grown around its Kalihi acreage over the last century, but Hawaiian Hall's classic three-story Victorian-era stone façade remains a prominent Honolulu landmark.

Hawaiian Hall also remains one of Bishop Museum’s most popular exhibitions spaces, displaying a substantial portion of the museum's 1.3 million-item-collection of Hawaiian cultural artifacts. The hall’s newly renovated interiors represent the state of the art in museum design, but two major elements of the renovation involved the installation of modern conveniences usually taken for granted.

Subdued LED lamps now replace the natural light that, while unique to the building’s aesthetic, was not ideal for long-term artifact conservation. And a modern air-conditioning system, replacing Hawaiian Hall's natural ventilation, was fitted into building’s century-old framework for preservation purposes and visitor comfort.

We’ll detail more of Hawaiian Hall’s new features and take you on a tour of the building here on HawaiiMagazine.com in an upcoming post. But if you’re on Oahu on Sat., Aug. 8, or Sunday, Aug. 9, stop by Hawaiian Hall’s grand reopening.

Weekend festivities kick off with a reopening ceremony, Saturday at 7 a.m,, featuring a procession of museum staff, royal societies, alii trusts, Hawaiian civic clubs, hula halau and community members at the Bishop Museum gates. Performances from hula halau will precede the customary untying of maile lei that officially reopens the building.

Hawaiian Hall will then be open from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. on both days. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a series of lectures in the hall will gather Hawaiian scholars and artists to discuss various topics including native Hawaiian art and artists, and history of Bishop Museum and Hawaiian Hall.

Also on both days, the Bishop Museum’s Great Lawn will host an arts market and entertainment stage, the latter featuring performances by a who’s who of contemporary and traditional Hawaiian musicians.

Click here for a complete schedule of the weekend’s Hawaiian Hall reopening festivities, more information and admission prices.

Watch the below for a look at the scope of Hawaiian Hall's makeover.


 

Paia, that hip little beach town on Maui’s north shore, has a lot going for it. It’s the windsurfing capital of the world, with nearby Hookipa Beach Park.  Its plantation-era buildings now house a dozen reasonably priced restaurants, some 40 locally owned surf shops, boutiques, antique stores, jewelry shops, coffee shops and gelaterias.  It even has a Buddhist stupa personally blessed by the Dalai Lama.

The whole town has an international, New Age, funky, surfer, beachy feel.  The sort of place where you might find Willie Nelson and friends jamming in a local bar.

What Paia has not had for decades was some place to stay.  It’s only a hop, skip and jump from Maui’s Kahului Airport, but it’s an hour or so by car from the big resort strips in Kaanapali and Wailea, meaning for most visitors Paia was a day trip or a stop on the road to Hana.

Now, however, the Paia Inn has been renovated and reopened by a graphic designer with roots in the hotel business.  Like Paia itself, it’s small (only 12 units, including one 3-bedroom house and another 2-bedroom beachhouse).  And like the town, it’s a bit funky, a bit New Age and a lot stylish.

It’s also seriously beachy.  Baldwin Beach Park is, like all Hawaii beaches, public, but the Inn has access to a secluded cove of it just steps away through private property. There are beach chairs,towels, beach bags, all provided.

What Paia Inn really has going for it is comfort.  Although the upstairs rooms are small, in the manner of buildings built in the 1920s, there’s a pleasant living room with chairs, books, magazines, board games, an iPod playing world music and a computer station where I am currently taking advantage of the free wireless.

Downstairs there’s a full lanai with tables and chairs, in case you’d like to get takeout from any of the restaurants just steps away.  Each morning, the Inn stocks the lanai with coffee, oatmeal and muffins from Anthony’s, the coffeehouse across the street.

The Inn is sunny, bright and filled with art.  The staff leaves a handwritten note in every room, saying that if there’s anything they can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask.  And then they’ll drop a few local apple bananas and some candy on your nightstand, in case you need a quick pick-me-up.  There a plenty of little luxuries, including some of the most comfortable beds you've ever slept on.

The second night, when we returned from a long day working on an upcoming article for HAWAII Magazine, my traveling companion said, “When I walk in here, I start to relax.  It’s like coming home.”

Paia Inn, 93 Hana Highway, Paia, HI 96779, (808) 579-6000.  From $189 to $499 nightly.

 

We gave his personal assistant our advice. Then we waited.

Sort of waited, anyway, to see if Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome would stop by any of the photo op spots we recommended on our HawaiiMagazine.com list of the Top 5 Hawaii places the ceramic icon to all-things-travel-related should visit.

The online travel agency’s pointy-headed mascot has been on a tour of the Islands this past week after voters in a Travelocity online poll selected Hawaii as the latest locale he should visit on his “Summer of Possibilities” publicity tour.

Sadly, on the final day of the gnome's Hawaiian vacation yesterday, we found that our dwarvish fellow traveler had elected to check out only one location on our Top 5 list: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.

No worries, little guy. A visit to Iao Needle on Maui would've been sweet. But, perhaps, next time.

Still, the Roaming Gnome and his small entourage of handlers did manage to take in a good number of sights on their week-long tour of the Islands. We’ve been following along, and thought we’d share some of our favorite Hawaii shots from the Roaming Gnome’s Facebook photo albums.

Just queue up some Hawaii music on your computer for an apropos soundtrack and enjoy the slideshow below!

A hui hou, R.G.! Malama pono.
 



 

HAWAII Magazine reader Dinah Herrera e-mailed us for some help with a favorite Hawaii dessert:

Can you get me the recipe for the chocolate haupia pie at Anna Miller's restaurant?

You ask. We answer.

Chocolate haupia pie is something of a dessert institution in the Islands.


A chocolate haupia pie combines the popular dessert with rich chocolate and fresh-baked pie crust for an even more delectable dessert.

For the first 15 years of my life, I resisted the idea of a cake for my birthday, opting instead for the rich chocolaty coconutty goodness of chocolate haupia pie.

Oh, the flaky crust, the fudge-y chocolate pudding filling, the haupia rendered rich and creamy, and the whipped cream topping! Having chocolate haupia pie was as exciting as the first day of summer vacation.

In Hawaii, you can order chocolate haupia pie at a variety of locations, including your favorite, Dinah: the open-24-hours-a-day coffee shop Anna Miller's Restaurant in Aiea on Oahu. One of Hawaii's longstanding favorite purveyors of the pie, however, is Ted's Bakery, on the drive to Oahu's famed North Shore surf spots.

Ted's is a great place to stop for a local-style plate lunch and a slice of fresh-made pie before a day at the beaches. Chocolate haupia is just one of several varieties of pies baked up daily at Ted's. Oahu-based Times Supermarkets also stocks Ted's Bakery pies and other brands of chocolate haupia pie to satisfy the sweet tooths of folks who can't make it to the North Shore.

We couldn't procure Anna Miller's chocolate haupia pie recipe for you, Dinah … or Ted's Bakery's recipe, for that matter. Both recipes are kept under lock and key. But give the chocolate haupia pie recipe we found (and modified a bit) a try and let us know if you think it compares.

Click on the next page for the recipe.
 

What’s the first smart move in a down economy for a luxe Big Island of Hawaii resort after completing 15 months of renovations at a cost of $40 million? If you’re the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, it’s enticing folks into experiencing your newly revitalized property with a $1,000 resort credit.

Make a reservation for a minimum four-night stay between Aug. 15 and Sept. 30, 2009, and you’ll get a $1,000 credit towards just about anything you can do at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. The list of stuff you can apply your credit to is certainly tempting—spa treatments, ocean activities, golf, dining, room service, and as the resort’s Web site boasts, “Anything you can charge to your room.”

Can’t finish off the entire $1,000 worth of credit on the above extras? The credit will be applied to your account anyway when you check out.

A deal this good usually has a catch, and here’s the catch for this one: There’s only a select list of room categories the deal applies to—all of ‘em ocean-view rooms, which go for anywhere between $775 and $2,850 a night. The Four Seasons Hualalai’s lower-priced garden view rooms—as low as $595 per night—are not eligible for the credit deal.

Still, it's a pretty good deal for a vacation at a resort that has consistently placed among the top-ranked hotel properties in the world since its 1996 opening.

Those brand new Four Seasons Resort Hualalai renovations mentioned above? They include:

• 20 new one- and two-bedroom suites, all newly-furnished, with larger lanais and 180-degree views of the ocean.

• An expanded 28,000 square foot Hualalai Spa—more than double the size of the original spa—offering treatments in both an open-air tropical garden setting, or temperature-controlled indoor setting.

• An expanded oceanfront pool deck.

• A redesigned inside-and-out Beach Tree restaurant, bar and lounge with more ocean views and a menu by new Chef de Cuisine Nick Mastrascusa inspired by fresh, locally-procured ingredients with Italian, Californian and tropical influences.

For more information on the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai $1,000 Resort Credit Deal, or to reserve a room, click here, or call (888) 340-5662.


 

Four massive cranes now tower over the palm trees at the 21-acre West O‘ahu site of the new Disney Vacation Club Resort Hawaii.

Concrete’s been poured for the foundations.  But building 350 hotel rooms and 480 multi-bedroom vacation “villas”—not to mention spas, pools, restaurants, banquet spaces and kids clubs—takes time.  At the moment, there’s just a vast, dusty, busy construction site, surrounded by a green fence.

“We’re magic,” says Disney Vacation Club spokeswoman Diane Hancock.  “But even pixie dust takes time to work.”

The project, first unveiled last October, is on schedule to open in 2011 at Ko Olina Resort & Marina—but Disney is reluctant to say just when in 2011 the resort will start accepting reservations.

There were some worries about how Disney’s powerful corporate brand would collide with a Hawaiian sense of place.  “We realize Hawaii is a unique place to enter with a business,” says Hancock.  “But we’ve been surprised at how graciously we’ve been welcomed to Oahu.”

Part of that welcome may stem from assorted good works: Disney has given $100,000 to local high schools and sponsored the free-movies-on-the-beach program in West Oahu communities.

But will the resort be Disneylike? Or purely Hawaiian?  Or some hybrid of both? “That’s in the hands of our Imagineering Group,” says Hancock.  “We’re doing a lot of listening and learning, so plans are still evolving.”

Click on the next page for Disney’s preliminary artist renderings from that group, and see for yourself: