Category: Living Life
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The Kula Shims: Contributions That Last
The Shim family documents their genealogy to Emperor Hwang Ti, China’s first emperor, who began building the Great Wall. In the 1860s, Shims from Kwangtung Province across the China Sea from Hong Kong took advantage of agricultural and business opportunities in Kula, and worked hard to improve life in Upcountry Maui.
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A Sweet Trip Down Memory Lane
Jane Hiranaga volunteers as a greeter for her senior community at The Plaza Assisted Living at Waikīkī. She also organizes group outings to Mānoa Valley to visit her granddaughter, Erin Uehara, a specialty chocolatier and owner of the Choco Le‘a chocolate shop. “Who doesn’t love chocolate?” says Erin.
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Keeping Siblings Civil During Stressful Times
Even the most solid sibling dynamic can erupt into arguments when it comes to the health and welfare of beloved parents who are beginning to show signs of frailty.
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Helpful Hints for Organizing Your Space
Organizing and de-cluttering your home can be daunting. Conflicting emotions are sure to arise, so first, prepare yourself mentally. When you sense these feelings bubbling up, remind yourself that this is normal. Start thinking about enlisting a support team: a trusted family member, friend or professional to help you step by step through the process.
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Shopping for the Best Online Shipping
Seniors with family and friends on the mainland know what high shipping costs can do to a budget. Hawai‘i small business owners hurt even more. They pay to ship in supplies and inventory, and high shipping costs prevent them from competing with big box stores and online retailers.
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Mellow Friends
Mellow Friends, a group of karaoke enthusiasts, visited 11 senior centers and assisted living facilities starting in 2011. Melvin Watarai, the founder of this volunteer ensemble, had the karaoke equipment and a format for the singers to perform solo songs, duets and group sing-alongs with the seniors. Three years ago, Gary Shimabukuro took the helm,…
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Everyone Needs a Medical Organizer
The year 2006 was a difficult time for Sandi Yorong and her family. Her father started the year undergoing treatment for low-grade prostate cancer. The mild radiation treatment made him tired, but there were no other complications. By mid-year, however, he began experiencing upper back pain. In November, he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
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Dust to Dust: Leaving a Clean Legacy
Each year in Hawai‘i, we bury an average of 3,400 imported caskets constructed from non-biodegradable materials such as metal, polyester, lacquer, caustic glue, rubber and formaldehyde. We additionally inter hundreds of gallons of hyper-toxic embalming fluid. These are materials we would never bury on any other day of the year in our backyards. So how…
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Create a Legacy With Your Real Estate
One of the biggest decisions we face as we age is what to do with our most valuable asset — our real estate. Our home is a precious place of comfort… well, most of the time. But perhaps a flight of stairs is becoming a struggle to climb. Maybe the house is now just too…