CBS News - 60 Minutes
Tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic ........
A Few Minutes with Val Y.
Ever wonder when Fort Street turned into the Fort Street Mall? I'm that kind of curious guy and found out that in 1968 the Fort Street Mall was open to pedestrian traffic only. I think this was kind of a good idea, but not a great idea. I mean wouldn't it have been better to put a mall where the people are; instead of building a mall and try to attract people to the mall? Wouldn't it have been better to build a mall between alot of high rises? The Bishop Street Mall would have been better for pedestrian traffic. Tic, tic, tic....think about it!
Do you really believe that the success of the mall today was because of good city planning? Have you seen the mall during HPU semester breaks? I'm one that believes that someone in government stepped on dog shit and got lucky when he (she) conceptualized the mall. If not for Hawaii Pacific University, which opened on the Mall in 1968; the Fort Street Mall would be RIP. The gold on the mall is not the Golden Arches on the corner of the Fort Street Mall and Hotel but the H and the P and the U at the top of the mall at Beretania.
Have you been inside of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace? You don't know what you are missing. The architecture is secular spectacular. And from a historic point of view, it is the oldest Cathedral on Oahu. The Cathedral was built in 1843 and a gift of Kamehameha III. Did you know that you don't have to be Catholic to walk inside a Catholic church? Anyone is welcome to walk in to admire the magnificence of the architecture? I admit, I'm Buddhist but can feel the presence of a western God in this church. Who knows, one day I may walk in and actually pray!
I think it is great to have different food options for lunch. Have you ever thought about the food diversity that is on the Mall. McDonald's, Smoothie and Acai bowl at Vita Juice, Mexican food at La Taco de Ramio, Filipino food, Vietnamese food at Fort Street Cafe, Bad Ass Coffee, Korean food at 2 Go Bar-BQ, Japanese food at Ahi and Vegetable, Subway, local food at Dreamer's Home Style Café and Hole in the Wall, Chinese food at Mandarin Express, Indian food at Govindaji, Cookie Corner, sushi, scones, piroshki's; so many places and foods to eat. All are located away from the major high rises; most located away from where most of the people are. This mall could be as busy as the Ala Moana Shopping Center food court during weekdays; but somehow we do things ass backwards in Hawaii. Planners and government try to make things difficult for the restaurant businesses and like to see them struggle to survive.
Have you wondered about the old metal gate and cannon in the small park on the ewa side of Topa Financial Center? The HH and C stand for "Heinrich Hackeld and Company".
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CNye6-oDBDEDhNj25R_enQ?select=SwVYqG8TDuluXG24mx6trw
The gate and cannon have been there since 1899. A cannon that is aimed at Aloha Tower make no sense to me. I have to pass through a metal detector and they make me take off my shoes before I catch a plane. Let me get this straight! It's OK to point a cannon at one of our most treasured landmarks of Honolulu!!!! Yes! I know the cannon can't be fired but if they are cunning enough to hijack Boeing 767's, they can switch cannon's overnight....tic, tic, tic.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CNye6-oDBDEDhNj25R_enQ?select=01oXq6QLakTZWB9_xpv-dQ
Have you ever wondered about the open market on the mall. The open markets were a brain child of former Mayor Frank Fasi and the open market on the mall is open for business on Tuesday's and Friday's, all year round. The Bale breads are great and the orchids are so damn cheap, I'm thinking of increasing my number of girlfriends I have from one to three.
Have you seen the homeless people on the mall. It is sad and I feel for them when Mall security chases them away. They end up in front of the courthouse on Hotel or erecting tents along the fence on Beretania across from Aala Park. Tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic ......Oahu's homeless problem is a ticking time bomb tic, tic, tic.....
P.S. To my Yelp friend Deanna M., thanks for the tic, tic, tic....
P.P.S. Sad to say that one of the homeless on the mall is one of my high school classmates. read more