Aloha from London!

Greetings from a new city

Departure from Hawaii and arrival in the UK

After spending the past few years in Honolulu working for the president's office at the EWC, I moved to the UK in October to pursue a graduate degree at University College London. With this move, I believe that I'm at least the fourth member of G12 to pursue graduate study in the UK. It was a tough decision to leave Hawaii and the work that I was involved in with President Morrison but I ultimately determined that it was the right time to pursue a graduate degree.

I appreciate the advice that Taku and Ahila provided in support of my move and it has been great to meet with Nafiseh, who is living in the UK right now. I've also been able to reconnect with Alisha when she was in town for a visit. I hope to see other APLP alumni here in the future.

Meeting with Nafiseh in Central London for lunch

Meeting with Alisha in East London one evening

Library expert for the moment

While my graduate program means that much of my time is spent in the library, I am enjoying getting to know London as time allows. If you happen to find yourself in London, but in the mood for some food and atmosphere that reminds you of Hawaii, you'll be pleased to know that there are two Kua 'Aina locations in the city.

Entrance to one of the libraries at University College London (UCL)

India wedding weekend

As I write this entry I have just returned from a friend's wedding in Jaipur, India. This was my first wedding in India (no plans for another one at the moment) and it was a tremendous experience. Beyond seeing my friend Surya get married - one of the first people I met when I moved to Jakarta - it was great to reconnect with many other friends from that time period who also came to join the celebration. 

The groom's father is in the center

APLP Global Happy Hour

The APLP Alumni Board Board launched the Global Happy Hour initiative in September 2015 to bring APLP alumni and friends together around the world on a single night. Several members of G12 took part in the APLP Happy Hour in their local community and I hope that we'll see even stronger turnout for the next gathering, which will likely take place sometime in March 2016. As one of my final activities in Honolulu, I was grateful for the chance to serve as overall coordinator for the initiative and co-host the gathering in Hawaii.

APLP Global Happy Hour in Honolulu on September 8th, 2015

Wish you all the best for the final weeks of 2015 and a great start to the new year!!!

Happy Labor Day [and Signing Off]

Aloha! I've enjoyed sharing with you all during the month of August and I'm pleased to introduce Rachel Nunn as our September host. A few updates before I sign off: 

Aloha Sub

Good sandwiches can be difficult to find in Honolulu. As someone who grew up in New York, this is something that I've thought about on several occasions. A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit Aloha Sub with an APLP alum. If you're looking for a good sandwich in a casual (emphasis) atmosphere the next time you're in Honolulu, consider this place. Yelp Reviews

A sign inside of Aloha Sub

G14 Arrival
APLP G14 along with PILP G2 and a total of approximately 130 new participants/students have now completed CBI and begun their respective EWC program.

APLP G14 Class Photo

EWC Presents at Rotary Club of Honolulu

I recently had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Rotary Club of Honolulu at The Royal Hawaiian. EWC President Charles Morrison was the guest speaker. This event provided the Rotary Club with the opportunity to hear about the latest events and activities taking place at the EWC.

Dr. Charles Morrison speaks to the Rotary Club of Honolulu

Hōkūleʻa Worldwide Voyage
Dan Lin, APLP G11, is now sailing on Hōkūleʻa for much of the next month. A few of his friends and family had the opportunity to bid him farewell at the Honolulu airport in late August. 

Saying goodbye to Dan as he departs to join the crew of the Worldwide Voyage.

John Kerry at the EWC
US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at the EWC on Wednesday 13 August to an audience that included elected officials, community leaders, and more than 100 EWC students. 

John Kerry speaks at Imin Center

Eat-the-Street
This is a Honolulu activity that I somehow missed throughout G12. Takes place from 4pm to 9pm on the last Friday of every month. Suggest stopping by if you happen to be in town when the event is going out. A family friendly atmosphere.

Met a few EWC fellows at the most recent Eat-the-Street

--

I've enjoyed reconnecting with a few of you through this process. I thought some of your might enjoy watching this just released one-minute video message titled "Ideas are Scary."

I wish Rachel all the best with her time as the September guest host for G12 Adventures.

Summer Travels and EWC Happenings

Visit to the Mainland
I spent the second half of July visiting the continental US: to reconnect with friends and family in California and Texas.

Echo Park in Los Angeles. The neighborhood,
slightly north of downtown LA, is rapidly gentrifying.

As the US economy recovers from the Great Recession, these two states are often cited as examples of opposing approaches to governance and economic growth. While most attention focuses on the success of Texas at present, and that could be well deserved, I came across a recent Washington Post opinion piece that makes the case for California. I had a great time in both states, although at this point I have stronger connections to California because of where I completed my undergraduate studies. 

Opie's BBQ in Texas Hill Country, outside of Austin.
Texas BBQ is well known, and Opie's is considered among the best.

East-West Center Education Page on LinkedIn

The EWC now has its own LinkedIn school page. This means, among other possibilities as the page becomes fully active, if you add "East-West Center" to the education section of your profile, the EWC logo will appear and you can easily network with other EWC alumni. 

Example of what your LinkedIn profile will look like (generally speaking) after
adding your EWC program affiliation to the education section of your profile.

Please visit the EWC company page and the newly created EWC school page (work in progress), and consider including your EWC affiliation in the education section of your LinkedIn profile. 

Hawaiian Islands Experiencing Intense Weather 
I'm writing as Hurricane Iselle is passing south of Oahu, after hitting directly into the Big Island last night, and we are expecting a second storm system, Hurricane Julio, to pass by the Hawaiian Islands in the coming days.

Tropical Storm Iselle approaches the Hawaiian Islands
Photo: Honolulu Star Advertiser

CBI on Monday; Secretary of State to Speak on Wednesday

More than 150 students/participants, including APLP G14, will begin their CBI experience on Monday 11 August. John Kerry is scheduled to deliver a speech at the East-West Center on Wednesday 13 August.

John Kerry, 68th and current U.S. Secretary of State.
Photo: United States Department of State

I will be away next week and look forward to sharing with you again during the week of 17 August. Aloha!!

August Greetings

An admission: one reason I selected this month was because I figured, whatever happens, I will have departed Honolulu by August 2014. That would mean that I could use this blog post to share with G12 about the new community where I am living. Well...greetings from Honolulu! I'm still living here...more on that below.

Around Honolulu: Hendrick from APLP G11 is involved in various entrepreneurial activities.
We are pictured here with Oko Guys, the Japanese food truck that he co-owns.

I pursued graduate coursework at UH Manoa in economics, accounting/finance, and urban planning through December 2013. During this time I also completed a marketing initiative for APLP staff. The project focused on increasing awareness of the APLP with top US colleges and universities. One outcome was that more than a dozen top US universities, including Princeton University (http://www.princeton.edu/oip/fellowships/others/) and the University of Miami (http://www6.miami.edu/uglobal/research/external/) decided to incorporate information on APLP into their website.

Around Honolulu: I've been trying to cook more frequently.

I purchased a one-way ticket off of Oahu to roughly coincide with the conclusion of my graduate studies and consultancy work. However, a few days before departure, I was offered an unsolicited full-time opportunity with the EWC president's office. I took the flight off of Oahu, but purchased a ticket back to Honolulu to begin work in a newly created role: Associate for Strategic Plans and Communications, Office of the President.

Departing Oahu: I did not expect to return to Honolulu
when I purchased a ticket to fly on the above plane.

In this new role I work on a variety of initiatives that focus on building understanding about the East-West Center with current and prospective supporters. I look forward to sharing selected thoughts and experiences with you throughout the month of August. 

Please stop by my office and say hello
if you happen to visit Burns Hall in the near future.