HB Life

+ Things We Love

Sparkle Cells
The ultimate in excess, the Vertu Diamond Phone is the gift for those with $73,000 to spare. Bedazzled with 7.2 carats of white and pink diamond and gilded with 18-K rose gold, it comes with its own 24-hour global concierge service.
www.neimanmarcus.com

VOLUNTEER AT THE MARATHON STARTING LINE
Those who yearn for the thrill of the Honolulu Marathon without the torturous physical activity, can volunteer to help. In exchange for their services, they’ll receive the official marathon
Kokua Crew T-shirt and cap.
808-780-7816

ONION ACTION GOGGLES
The gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide released by slicing onions is responsible for your teary-eyed torment in the kitchen. Onion Action Goggles block these gasses from entering the eye area while producing a hip, new culinary look.
www.violet.com

FLASHBACK NEW YEAR’S
This New Year’s Eve, Hawaii is host to a number of great acts, namely Cyndi Lauper at the Sheraton Waikiki, and KC and the Sunshine Band at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. So don those legwarmers and/or roller skates and boogie into the New Year.

LAW SCHOOL IN A BOX
Empowered by the last “Law & Order” rerun, but don’t have the money for law school? Law School in a Box makes prosecution affordable - the 96-page textbook will have you debating jurisprudence in no time.
www.mentalfloss.com

- Jen Tadaki Catanzariti

Yard to Table

When you bring lemons, they’ll make lemonade. Huli Sue’s Barbeque and Grill on Hawaii Island invites community members and farmers to bring in their backyard fruits and vegetables in exchange for “Huli Bucks.” The restaurant will make a dish or drinks out of the produce, and the bucks can be redeemed for food. Owners Mark and Lisa Vann also own Fujifarms down the street, which supplies most of the produce and all the eggs at the restaurant. In keeping with the sustainable community theme, every piece of furniture is either used or made from wood from the building, all green waste is converted into compost and used oil is donated to the local glass-blowing community. 64-957 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, 96743;
(808) 885-6268.

-Jason Ubay

HOUSE SWEET HOUSE

What: Gingerbread Family Festivals
Where: Kukui Grove Shopping Center (Lihue); Neal Blaisdell Center, Exhibition Hall (Honolulu); Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsun, Sangha Hall (Hilo).
When: December 8 (Lihue) & 9 (Honolulu & Hilo)
Why: The often-used phrase, “fun for the whole family,” has never been truer. The child (and engineer) in everyone is celebrated at this gingerbread house-building event. Organizers provide you with all the materials and tools to build your sweet dream house. Proceeds benefit Easter Seals Hawaii and Kamaaina Kids. www.eastersealshawaii.org.
– David K. Choo

Explore TOKYO

The historic districts of Tokyo are beautiful. But after awhile, the temples and shrines start looking alike. Say sayonara to sightseeing and say hello to the urban oddities that make Tokyo tick. Here are suggestions along the JR Yamanote line, which travels in a circle around the city.

SHIBUYA STATION: Visit The Lockup, a dungeon-themed restaurant that handcuffs and throws customers behind bars. But first you must enter a dark staircase and walk past gory wax figures and skeletons. The cathedral-themed Christon Café has stained-glass windows, Gothic candles and ceiling-to-floor statues of Biblical prophets. Sacrilegious, you say? So is the Buddha Bar in Vegas. The Hachiko dog statue is a popular meeting spot fronting Shibuya station. Hachiko was a loyal dog that met its owner at the station every day after work at 3 p.m. When the owner died at work in 1924, Hachiko continued waiting, and died a decade later in the same spot.

ROPPONGI STATION: Outside of Roppongi Station (via the Hibiya line) the 54-story Roppongi Hills is a modern landscape of luxury condos, retailers and restaurants. It’s home to Mori Art Museum and an observation deck with breathtaking views of Tokyo. Hawaii chef Roy Yamaguchi’s restaurant is a hot spot for lunch and dinner.

GADGET CITIES: Technophiles spend hours at electronics city Akihabara. Bring your passport for duty-free prices on Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, and other top-brand products. Shinjuku is home to electronics stores Bic Camera and Sakuraya. Night and day in Shinjuku are literally like night and day. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., it’s stuffy and businesslike. But when the sun goes down, it’s a completely different town.

HARAJUKU STATION: Harajuku train station’s upstairs exit takes you to Omotesando, a tree-lined street with chic boutiques and silly stores such as Kiddie Land and Snoopy Land. The Oriental Bazaar is a four-story outlet selling kimonos, pottery and Japan-themed gifts at reasonable prices. Meiji-jingu, a shrine built in the 1920s to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, is packed with worshipers on New Year’s Eve. Takeshita Street (the downstairs exit) is a trendy fashion district for the young at heart. The best times to catch a glimpse of Tokyo’s famous Harajuku girls flaunting their street fashion and culture are on Sundays at Yoyogi Park.

-Cathy S. Cruz-George

HBtravel

Best Cities for Christmas Shopping

Looking for the perfect place to find the perfect Christmas gift? Earlier this year, the staff, authors and readers of lonelyplanet.com came up with some recommendations. Here’s their list, in no particular order, along with their commentary.

Vienna, Austria
Rathaus Christmas Market in Vienna is fabulous. Rathaus (city hall) holds the Christkindlmarkt and turns the windows of the Rathaus into a huge Advent calendar! Hundreds of vendors set up stalls selling everything you can think of.

Nuremburg, Germany
The Christkindl markets are held in the city’s main cobble-stoned square and are filled with red and white stalls. The city also has a parade and a lantern procession. You can even see the Christ child, who opens the market every year.

Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong goes crazy for Christmas. There’s plenty of nightlife, it’s the mild winter season and there’s great shopping.

Damascus, Syria
It smacks of the Bible and has the most delicious souq.

Tallinn, Estonia
The Christmas markets in Estonia are held in Tallinn’s Old Town. The town blends the medieval (complete with blacksmiths and woodcarvers) with Christmas in a whole new world! It also claims to have had the first decorated Christmas tree!

Boston, USA
Best for tree shopping as well as Christmas shopping all year round.

Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Chichicastenango market is known for it traditional Maya Indian culture.

New York City, USA
Goes without saying.