Editor's Note: How thick is your bubble?
One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me as a child was something I did not want. That bittersweet legacy is a big part of who I am, yet I am thankful that my children will not inherit it.…
Small Business
Custom Cakes
What’s It Worth? $3,000 Abigail Langlas makes special occasions especially sweet. The cake artist and pastry chef created a four-foot cake shaped like a 1959 pink Cadillac for the 50th anniversary of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association three years ago.…
My Job: Magician
Name: John Hirokawa Job: Master illusionist, Magic of Polynesia Experience: 39 years as a performing magician Starting out: When he was about 8, Hirokawa saw the 1953 movie, “Houdini,” starring Tony Curtis, and was entranced. “My mom borrowed magic books…
New Voice for Hawaiians
With another Hawaiian Renaissance on the horizon, two local media companies are collaborating on a new forum to report on and explain coming events. The Kalaimoku Group and aio are launching Mana, a magazine designed for Native Hawaiians and others…
Ask SmallBiz: Buying Commercial Property
Q. I’m tired of renting space for my business. Is this a good time to buy a commercial property? If so, how do I get financing and what options are available? A. Your timing is good. The current financing environment offers…
Aloha for Japan Revealed Hawaii’s Heart
Though it was an ocean away, the devastating earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis that ravaged northeastern Japan in March 2011 struck Hawaii in the heart. People all over the world grieved over the magnitude of the tragedy, but it…
The Art of Tease
The women of the Cherry Blossom Cabaret believe the word “burlesque” is often misunderstood. The directors, who go by the stage names of Lola Love and Miss Catwings, see burlesque as an art form – the “art of tease.” “Most…
Fast and Accurate
NAME: Sharon Mujtabaa JOB: President, Hawaii Court Reporters and Captioners Association; owner, The Caption Co. EXPERIENCE: 15 years in captioning, nine years as a court reporter STARTING OUT: When Mujtabaa went to court-reporting school in Chicago, she loved it all,…
Pau Hana with Joe Perez
Joe Perez has one of the toughest jobs in Hawaii, and finds his release in kickboxing. “There’s something about hitting that bag after a tough day,” says Perez, executive director of the Hawaii Meth Project. “I hear such emotional and…
