Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend at Home in Honolulu: May 6–12, 2020
Celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, get back into shape with weekly livestreams from Honolulu-based fitness instructors, play trivia on Zoom to win gift cards to your favorite local bars and attend a virtual pet event.
Celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Throughout May 2020
Forty-two years ago, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution put forward by Reps. Frank Horton and Norman Y. Mineta and Hawai‘i Sens. Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, declaring the first 10 days of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week. And then in the ’90s, the entirety of May officially became Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Like any other festival, celebrations this year are going to be very different, but that does not mean we can’t recognize the contributions, influence and achievements of our Asian and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters. So, order in from a local restaurant or cook up your favorite recipe (challenge: you could have a taste of a different culture every night this month) and stream some of the best entertainment created by, featured in and/or about Asians and Pacific Islanders.
This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, honor our country’s proud and diverse AAPI history by adding these shows and films to your watch list. #AAPIHM #AAPIHeritageMonth https://t.co/tccCnBARnC
— PBS (@PBS) May 1, 2020
PBS Hawai‘i
Monday, May 11 & Tuesday, May 12, 8 p.m.
All month long, documentaries, video clips and interviews focusing on the stories that shaped and improved America are available for streaming on the PBS Video app and the old-fashioned way: at a specific time on your local station. (Time? What is time?) The big one not to be missed is Asian Americans, a five-part miniseries that chronicles the contributions and challenges of Asian Americans through personal histories. The series by documentary filmmaker and professor at UCLA Renee Tajima-Peña is being presented over two evenings on PBS Hawai‘i.
Hulu
We can always count on Hulu to go above and beyond with themed selections, and its new Asian Stories tab is no different. Subcategories include Asian leads, Asian American stories, Asian heritage, Asian dramas and titles by Asian creators. This tab alone could get you through the rest of the month but standouts are The Terror, Broken Bread with Roy Choi, A Little Late With Lilly Singh, Just Jen with food blogger and cook at Tastemade Jen Phanomrat, plus mainstream favorites Fresh Off the Boat, The Mindy Project and Sunnyside.
Prime
Amazon has picked out some foreign-language classics and box office hits for its Asian and Pacific American category. Check out Ang Lee’s directorial debut about a tai chi master adjusting to his new life in New York City in Pushing Hands. And then pay tribute to Asian superstar Irrfan Khan, who passed away last month, with the feel-good comedy, Hindi Medium.
Netflix
Lighthearted options dominate Netflix’s selection with standups from Jo Koy, Ali Wong and Ken Jeong; David Chang’s hilarious travel series Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; the award-winning series Master of None; and Netflix originals Tigertail, Half of It and Always Be My Maybe.
Still want more?
Fall down the rabbit hole when you visit the National Park Service’s website. Visitors can learn about “the stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites” (many of which are located here in Hawai‘i) as well as through research essays in a national historical landmark theme study.
Virtual Hawai‘i Pet Expo 2020
Until Saturday, May 9, various times
Spend some time this week focusing on the well-being of your quarantine fur-buddy by streaming talks, tours and lessons with Hawai‘i’s pet experts. For the 31st anniversary of Hawai‘i Pet Expo, the organizers from Hawai‘i Doggie Bakery and Keri Nakahashi Photography have made the switcheroo to a virtual event. Tune in daily on the official Facebook and Instagram pages for livestreams from Lava Dogs 808, Grrrmet Hawai‘i, SUPDog Hawai‘i, K9 Secret Service and the organizers. Plus sign up for their newsletter for daily giveaways and info from vets and promotions for food, spas, day cares, lessons and activities.
Visit their Facebook and Instagram pages and subscribe here.
Photo: Courtesy of Sporcle Live
Sporcle Live’s Virtual Trivia Game
Wednesday, May 6, 9 p.m.
Despite being closed, our friendly neighborhood watering holes continue to keep us entertained. (We miss you too.) The national trivia kingpin Sporcle has also made the move to virtual interactions with nightly Zoom games. What makes this particular night so special is that you’ll be playing to win gift cards to Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, Square Barrels and Stewbum & Stonewall Brewing Co. This trivia challenge covers many topics and costs $5 per device (two or more people living in the same house can share one device). Not in it to win? There are also open games Thursday to Saturday this week, all starting at 9 p.m.
Stay (Or Start Getting) Fit
No judgment if you’ve spent your time coloring, putting together puzzles, ordering takeout and binge watching everything online (yes, Netflix, six weeks later and I’m still here). Well, it’s almost time to return to the big world outside your stocked-up cave so you best get that booty ready for more than 100 steps per day. Or as my fitness blogging colleagues say, “here are some ideas to help flatten some of our curves”:
Facebook Live: Yoga with Melissa of Inner Light Yoga at Barefoot Beach Café
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9 a.m.
Ballet for Beginners with Caitlin Nichols hosted by Ballet Hawai‘i
Every Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Virtual Afro-Fusion Dance Classes by Infinity Movement Studio
Every Monday at 10 a.m.
SEE ALSO: HONOLULU Magazine’s April Stay-at-Home Fitness Challenge
More Events
Aloha Friday Virtual Beach Barbecue
Friday, May 8, 5–7 p.m.
Order meal kits from Barefoot Beach Cafe so you can cook along with its instructors and boogie to a live set with Art Kalahiki and guests, on both Facebook and Instagram Live. This week is all about burgers (starting at $40 for two people) while the rest of May will feature tacos, southern barbecue and a special Memorial Day weekend cookout.
Salt Livestream: Salsa Dance Class
Friday, May 8, 2:30–3 p.m.
Every week Salt in Kaka‘ako puts together classes with one of its tenants: from cooking classes to this week’s salsa class with Infinity Movement Studio.
Mother’s Day Special: Wave Woman Author Talk
Sunday, May 10, 2 p.m.
HONOLULU Magazine’s very own Don Wallace will moderate da Shop’s next virtual presentation and Q&A with author and surf champion Vicky Heldrich Durand.
RISS: A Film About More Love
Thursday, May 7 at 9 a.m. & Monday, May 11
RISS: A Film About More Love with Carissa Kainani Moore, written and directed by Peter Hamblin for Red Bull Media House premieres on Refinery29 Facebook before becoming available for streaming on Red Bull TV next Monday.
Free the Trails: Virtual Trail Race & Fun Hike
Thursday, May 14–Thursday, May 28
Start stretching and strengthening in preparation for Uloha’s free, family-friendly hiking event. The local outdoor-centric boutique in Kaka‘ako will put the names of everyone who joins (as long as they only hike or run open legal trails) into a lucky draw for a chance to win top notch products.
Read more stories by Katie Kenny
