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We live for nights like these...

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When 2 minus 1

Not too long ago I was two Two tickets Two burgers Two seats Two pillows Two cups Two of everything Together Two is company But when two minus one One is lonely One ticket One burger One seat One pillow One cup of tea because I don’t drink coffee One of everything Alone Two can cuddle Two can kiss Two can converse Two can fight Two can apologize Two can share Two can love each other Together Two is company But when two minus one One is lonely One cannot cuddle One cannot kiss One cannot converse One cannot fight One cannot apologize One cannot share Alone But one CAN love oneself After one learns that two is just two ones Together

For bg

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Home sweet home... AKA chores in Samoa

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thats my gurrrl

Cameron Crowe’s ALOHA (2015)

Cameron Crowe issued an apology on the casting of Emma Stone in his film, ALOHA (2015). Maybe I’m just getting older, or maybe I’m just wrong, but I feel that this rabble over Stone being cast as a ¼ Hawaiian, ¼ Chinese character is total bullshit.

Don’t get me wrong. I was born, raised, and still live on Oahu. I’m not a whitewash-denier. But any of those people demanding some explanation on Crowe’s part who were born and raised in the islands only sound like the idiot keyboard warriors they are. We should know that Hawaii, being a “melting pot” of ethnicities and cultures, is full of mixed-ethnicity people, who, sometimes, look nothing like what they are ethnically made up of. It is not rare to meet someone who looks entirely Asian, yet they are actually half-Hawaiian and graduated from Kamehameha Schools. The same goes for those individuals who are part-Hawaiian and part-Caucasian, yet they might only look Caucasian and nothing like how the stereotypically “Hawaiian” person might look like.

I feel ashamed and depressed to be hearing my fellow residents bash this casting choice, yet, I am not that surprised at this hypocrisy. Yes, people throw out words such as “melting pot” to describe our diverse population, but our mindset clearly is anything but receptive to this notion of truly incorporating everyone into the history and makeup of modern-day Hawaii.

I’ve witnessed time after time where Hawaii will jump on any mention of Hawaii or of a current and even former Hawaii resident making the national news, for good or bad (mostly for good deeds), so there is the notion of supporting locals in whatever they do. Sometimes I think Hawaii is even too quick to jump on those opportunities to even voting up someone who isn’t necessarily the best singer to the final round of American Idol (the 2004 Jasmine Trias debacle). But other times, as in the case of Aloha, I feel that Hawaii turned that energy to jump on the whitewashing bandwagon a little too quick. The casting of Emma Stone is nothing to cause a social media uproar about, especially if you are a real local - stop, please.

Instead, all of us should be thinking more constructively. Yes, Hollywood whitewashes shit - they’re fucking Hollywood and have been doing this for years. This is nothing new, omg. How can we turn this into a constructive situation? We should focus on supporting indigenous filmmakers and the youth of Hawaii in pursuing careers in media and in the film industry in order to fucking change shit. So the next time a film like Aloha comes around, the casting agent might be a Kahuku High School graduate who can make more informed casting choices, or maybe the director will be someone who grew up in Palolo housing and went on to graduate from AFI, or by the time someone wants to make another film about Princess Ka’iulani, there will already be a Native Hawaiian actress who can carry a movie on her name alone. Think of the possibilities, assholes.

Stop wasting your time and energy bashing Hollywood. Start helping your local filmmakers and artists grow to enter the industry and share local culture and change shit. Otherwise, you’re just a dumbass behind a keyboard.

Also, no - I will probably not be seeing Aloha because it looks boring as fuck. Sorry Bill Murray.

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for my personal recollection

Tonight Iʻm going to see a show with Aunty Johnny... she and I became close on the documentary shoot I was on for a whole month and a half. We traveled from Hawaiʻi to Rarotonga then to Pukapuka on a 5 day boat ride. I cared for her and had our own adventures and secrets... I would love to just write everything and anything from my time then, but then Iʻll need a whole month and a half to express everything I have learned from film-making, to communication, to love and life.... and ultimately myself. Anyway... excited to hang out with her tonight. In one hour, it will be my last interview for my part of the documentary. I was in charge of behind the scenes photos and videos... something I truly will cherish forever... I confess I am sad that my part will end today but I still do the social media for the project, so its not completely over. I have my best friend’s wedding to prepare for in Seattle I am shooting photos for, which is exciting, and for the month of November I will be in California to do some research. The traveling continues! Then someone from Am. Samoa also contacted me in hopes of a project! I hope it’s a project I can do off-island. I am still teaching and working with my professor as co-instructors for a non-profit I am working for. Everything is coming together and still I feel anxious... Just got get my shit together yeah? I’d love to just upload and update my life here on tumblr but everything is happening so fast I’d rather keep it to myself... but I promise. Once in awhile I’ll check in... not that anyone really cares, but it’s nice to know my thoughts are recorded somewhere.

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She's coming! Hooray!

Hawaii in a couple of weeks! Can’t wait to see la bez fran gabsshere!!

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Guess who has a new laptop? yehyuh

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hi gerby ^_^

KIRBYYYY <3

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i miss you come back to me

im back.. until i dont have any internet <3

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couldnt choose... anyway happy birthday juju bean <3 not too long ago you were a little fish and now youre going to college! anyway finally got around to editing these... let’s have another beach date soon! x,

gabs

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the little ones at alan davis <3 summer 2015

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i love sunsets

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it has been awhile since i went to the beach... planning to camp here some day/night bonfire and all

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the little sister is dorky <3

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went to alan davis with juju bean and ama this summer

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went to alan davis with juju bean and ama this summer

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a lot has happened since easter

i have been busy with life these days... but here’s a breakdown of what happened since my very last post in easter (not that 98% care about...) - graduated! (finally!) - went on my family vacation... 3 weeks of staying in one room with my parents and sisters (New York > Washington DC/Maryland > North Dakota > Las Vegas) + got to see even more family!!! <3 Esp my grandparents

- taught this summer but as an instructor! :o - got brought onto a documentary project heading to Rarotonga > Puka Puka > New Zealand... and I leave this Friday! 

I also met an old family friend of a family friend also contacted me to do a project in Samoa with her! Life is good... esp now that I also have a new (old) laptop!... its been awhile :) Anyway I am at a good place now... for now :) Hope you all are doing well... whoever may read this... x, gabs