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Living in the past and present
By Wade Kilohana Shirkey
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Story posted on Dec. 21, 2000
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Sometimes I think I’m just an Old Person Waiting to Happen. I know where everything used to be, haven’t noticed whole city blocks leveled years ago and increasingly refer to buildings by their old names.
I don’t think I’m completely gone — I think I remember whom I voted for for president — but then, with Florida, maybe not even.
Heaven forbid I should have to remember if it’s Ala Moana Americana Hotel, Ala Moana Ramada Hotel, Ala Moana Radisson — whatever.
"By where the Tropics used to be," is much easier for me at this point. Never mind that the old Hawaiian Regent Hotel, my favorite venue for Hawaiian music and home to dear Auntie Genoa, had to become the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort just before the Christmas banquet season. Bah humbug!
"Looks like da notions department of Wigwam," I said recently of a particularly gaudy bunch of cheesy decorations. "Wigwam?" asked a puzzled bystander. "Yeah, the "Poor Man’s Kmart," I said, "Price Busters for the trailer-park set!"
Everyone just stared at me.
And I corrected a lifelong Waikiki resident trying to place the old Zebra Room nightclub: "Farther down, across da old Dairy Queen … a block from the old police station … No, AFTER Sears moved out, remember? The old Schuman Carriage was across the street where Foodland is now. No, no, no, you’re thinking of Kapi‘olani and Ke‘eaumoku, by the old skating rink — yeah, yeah, down from the the drive-in theater on Kapiolani. Yeah, that’s it! … I don’t know — is it Kapi‘olani Theater or a Blockbuster now? Who can keep up?!"
On a really good day, I’ll remember Blaisdell Center as HIC — Honolulu International Center. You know, ’cross Trader Vic’s. No, you’re thinking of Don the Beachcomber, around the corner from the old Waikiki Wax Museum, up from Lau Yee Chai.
If I’m not giving directions based on what used to be there, I’m giving people orientation strictly based on food — at my age, that’s high on my list of Basic Needs: "Turn right by Pizza Max, across from the Thai food place; go a block down until you see that new Vietnamese-Italian restaurant with the yellow roof, and you’re right there — next to the Mexican take-out and the okazu-ya."
And at my age, I sometimes give up and combine the two techniques for really puzzling effect: "Just go ‘ewa down Ala Moana to where Flamingo used to be, and turn right before the old Tasty Broiler —but watch out: they’re doing plenty roadwork there."
Of course, it’ll be roadwork that ended a decade ago.
Wade Kilohana Shirkey is kumu of Na Hoaloha O Ka Roselani No‘eau hula halau. He writes about life in Hawai‘i.
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