Stuff We Like

Aloha Reunion
CD

Amy & Willie Live is a product of Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and Willie Kahaiali'i's 2003 Aloha Live Tour across the West Coast of the U.S. Their reunion tour was much anticipated by fans in the islands and in the mainland eager to hear them perform together again. All songs on the CD were recorded live in various cities including San Francisco and Seattle. The recording is very much "live" in the sense that it allows listeners to pretend to have been in actual attendance at these venues. One can take part in many of Willie K.'s jokes and Amy's family stories, although at times these detract from the Hawaiian music they sing. Most of the songs on their 2003 release are from their first album together Hawaiian Tradition that won three Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 1998. Others include Willie K.'s classic "You Ku'uipo" and, of course, the catchy "Katchi Katchi Music Makawao" from 2000's The Uncle in Me. For more Hawaiian music, visit www.mele.com. $16.99.

TakaPu, Pacific Adventurer
TV Series

TakaPu - A Gannet in the South Seas is a children's TV series produced in New Zealand by Pacifica Productions Ltd. TakaPu, created by German-born author and illustrator Helme Heine in 2003, is aimed at pre-school and primary children. The 10-part series aired in New Zealand where it was broadcast to four million people and is now being broadcast to 100 million German speakers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. TakaPu, Maori for gannet, is a funny yet clever sea bird that travels throughout the South Seas. He rescues turtles in Tahiti, goes rafting in Fiji and learns to dance in the Cook Islands. In most of the five-minute episodes he encounters Pacific Islands children who teach him something new about their island cultures. NZ$29.95 for all 10 episodes on DVD or video, available at www.takapu.tv.

Oh My, Palau!
Website

Olekoi Palau's homepage displays an announcement about the "First Palauan Spring Break Party" in Stockton, California in late April. Already the Website appears to be successfully engaging Palauans living away from their home islands. The site creator, Joshua Willter AKA Osu, a Palauan living in Sacramento, reminds his fellow Palauans to "always remember you're Palauan no matter where you are." Willter created the relatively small site in March 2002; it averages 34,000 visitors a month. Olekoi Palau helps Palauans stay connected through current news from Micronesia, a guest book that visitors can sign, discussion forums and even an "e-store" where Palauan mouse pads and T-shirts can be purchased. www.olekoi.com.

The Way We Were (And Are)
BOOK

Mac Marshall first traveled to Namoluk Atoll, part of the Mortlock group in the outer islands of Chuuk, some 35 years ago. The anthropologist has become well-known for a wide range of work - most notably on substance abuse among Islanders - but his research on Namoluk has provided the framework for his understanding of the Pacific. Now, in Namoluk, Beyond The Reef, Marshall closes the circle that he began to draw nearly four decades ago. The center of this universe remains Namoluk, where only one third of the 900 chon Namoluk (people of Namoluk) now reside. But now, as with many Pacific Islands populations, chon Namoluk are scattered around the world: Guam, across the United States and far beyond. The implication for today's chon Namoluk, and more importantly future generations, is the heart of Beyond The Reef. It is a moving, tender and sometimes humorous account of the challenges of living a multi-cultural life. Mostly, though, it is a tale that makes clear the power of the human spirit, and the strength of the chon Namoluk's traditional interest in looking for "paradise" beyond the reef. Highly recommended. Namoluk, Beyond The Reef. Mac Marshall. Boulder: Westview Press. Paperback: $20, Hardcover: $70. www.westviewpress.com.