Keane L.'s Profile

Holla!

Ruggy, you done did it again,
start a party, got us naughty, put a year to an end.

Saw a lotta fresh faces, good food I done tasted,
Big Daddy's was the perfect pad to properly contain this.

Five for Gene's team, they was shootin' like mad,
Snap Fiesta was the besta all the photogs we had.

Reppin' Rye on the Road with old fashion-y booze,
dear Claire, I do swear, I'm a fan of yo' moves.

2012, muthaluvvas, it's the end of the road,
but Armageddon can't be gettin' at my new Elite gold. (Bling, bling!)

Trust.

Spread the word! You can now get great tasting, authentic shave ice in the middle of tourist central! No more trucking out to long lines at Matsumoto. No more eating on some neighborhood side street like at Waiola. Ailana Shave Ice brings immensely delicious shave ice and top-notch customer service right to the Waikiki Shopping Plaza.

Take the Uji Kintoki for example. A mound of shaved ice is topped with sweet green tea, azuki, mochi and condensed milk. But wait! That's not all! Dig deep enough and you'll discover that the heart of the mix is a refreshing scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's enough to serve at least two people, making the $5.50 price pretty reasonable.

Don't put this on your "to do" list. Put this on your "MUST do" list!

I get a bit giddy anytime I experience that good ol' Disney magic. My visit to Aulani was nothing short of wows. I did not expect much from the Hawaiian-themed resort as I had heard it wasn't very Disneyfied at all. This, I later learned, is probably for the best, as the resort exudes a reverence for the Hawaiian culture more than any other local resort I've been to. Sure, you'll see Stitch walking around in aloha wear and the gift shop is full of Mickey Mouse apparel, but the only real Disney magic you get here is the subtle sense of fun, quality entertainment and superb service.

Parking for visitors costs a whopping $35/day, but this can be offset by spending $35 on the premises and validating your ticket. Given this is a fancy resort, that shouldn't be very hard.

From snorkeling with tropical fishes, lounging in tubes in a lazy river or enjoying the white sands of Ko Olina, Disney's Aulani is an absolutely beautiful experience.

I remember when this theater first opened. The neon lights and large parking lot brought memories of old 60s cineplexes that I never had. I remember the cleanliness of this theater, and how convenient it was to get to as we lived right up the hill. I remember standing in line to watch Star Wars: Episode 1, and being told not to run as we entered the theater first on opening night. And I remember leaving the theater that night confused, like I just had sex for the first time and it was no good. (I'm supposed to like it, right?)

Over the years, Kapolei 16 Consolidated Theatres has become something old, with its traditional-style seating and sticky floors. While I vowed never to return after some talkative kid ruined Fellowship of the Ring for me, there's still a special place in my heart for this old friend.

Diners are hit or miss. I'm happy to report that Ken's House of Pancakes is spot-on dead-on-the-money. As we used to say as kids in Hawaii, "ho brah, broke da mouf. I cannuh eat mo'."

I think I accidentally slipped in Scottish somewhere in there.

Service is family friendly, food portions are large, and, unlike many diners, the food is actually delicious and cooked superbly. We ordered the Portuguese sausage omelet with kimchi and the macadamia nut pancakes (which came with lilikoi, guava and coconut syrups). Everything was delicious and the coffee was drinkable. I wasn't a huge fan of any of the syrups, but they complemented the excellently cooked pancakes well as they were not too sweet.

Ken's is open 24 hours a day, so there really isn't an excuse not to come here. If you're not in the mood for breakfast food, they also have a huge menu of delicious local favorites.

I was sitting in JFK, waiting to fly back to SF after spending a month adventuring in the Mediterranean, when I decided I should take up Italian lessons in school again. I looked up ItaLingua on my phone, a school I had previously researched and decided was the best in SF, and discovered that their next session coincided serendipitously well with my returning. After half an hour (I was using a 3G on iOS4) of checking the website, I emailed the school director, Francesca, and mentally committed to joining.

I'm glad I did, because the experience was a lot of fun. I had previously taken an introductory class at CCSF and had eight months with a private tutor I found on Craigslist, but I think the learning environment at ItaLingua was the best for me. CCSF, while way cheaper, had too many students, many of which didn't really seem to care about learning (read: kids trying to get units), while the private tutoring sessions I had were a bit too casual. ItaLingua was the perfect balance between the structure of a classroom and individual attention.

Our teacher, Deborah, was a great teacher, very understanding and was able to accommodate varying levels of expertise. There was never an instance when anyone needed to feel stupid, as the learning environment was very nurturing. My fellow classmates were all great people and I enjoyed learning with them, so much so that I've decided I will continue to the last intermediate class for the next session with the lot.

If you want to learn Italian, ItaLingua is your best option. They are a non-profit and could use your support, so please do consider this amazing school. With locations in downtown San Francisco and Berkeley, attending is very convenient.

It seems like an eternity ago when I was sitting in that airport terminal. I'm glad the idea to check up on the school popped in my mind. It was the smartest thing I did that day, ironically juxtaposed with the fact that I had just paid $8 for a single bottle of Brooklyn Lager.

I confess that I wasn't always interested in Asian history. I suppose what you are is what interests you least, so you go off seeking other worlds to explore.

Lately, I've been enamored by the Asian Art Museum. Since their Shanghai exhibit, I've found more excuses to come to this serene and beautiful museum. I love how the different cultures are clearly separated, so, when walking through, you feel as if you're traveling through the continents and hurtling through time.

If I learned anything from the Terminator films, traveling through time is the only way to get stuff done.

The flavor blast of Cahill wine in my mouth made me feel a little guilty. Could such smooth and delectable alcoholic flavors possibly be virtuous? Then I remembered the blood of Christ was essentially wine... so I went for a second round.

Another Monkey did a great job catering to a good amount of people, bringing out nice Thai bites that seemed to come endlessly. Great job!

The story of The Tea Room is quite fascinating. Master chocolatier and tea lover Heinz Rimann travelled the world for the finest teas and came to the San Francisco Bay Area to create his line of organic chocolate bars.

It's hard to imagine this was the same Heinz that I met in the San Leandro store. Extremely friendly and helpful, he quickly helped me place my order with a smile.

With flavors like Black Masala Chai, Jasmine, Maté & Cocoa Nibs and Mayan Pepper Chai, you would be hard-pressed to find a more unique tea-infused bar.

I wandered past the Arco di Costantino quite by accident. Leaving my group in Il Colosseo in a rush to the Foro Romano to meet up with an Italian friend, I took a path directly passing this beautiful arch.

Late and trying to find my way, I did not take in the fact that this monument was built way back in 315 for the Emperor Constantine, commemorating his victory over Roman Emperor Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge during the Roman civil wars.

This is also a particular fond monument of mine because it was featured in a beautiful scene in one of my favorite films, La meglio gioventù. If you've seen it, it's the scene where Matteo and Mirella order some castagne.

I had the opportunity to revisit on the way back, alongside my friend, to take in the majesty of this triumphal arch.