Shoestring Traveler

Proof that once your photos are on the Internet, ANYTHING can...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:54:29 -1000

Posted this one on the STN website after our trip to Bangladesh...

... and then one day someone tells me they found this on Reddit!

Proof that once your photos are on the Internet, ANYTHING can happen!

A friend shot this photo of me in Bangladesh and after posting it on the Surfing The Nations website, it quickly went viral! I didn’t even know what a meme was until I saw that someone made one of me called “Indian Skating Girl” HaHa.

It keeps popping up everywhere!

http://www.redditpics.com/skating-indian-woman,1177869/

https://timeshipracing.com/podview.php?itemno=1000000375

http://imgur.com/gallery/p4I86

http://pikdit.com/i/skating-indian-woman/

Maybe all this hype could actually do something useful, like get Bangla girls up and riding!

Feeling like a local in my new city Vancouver. Entered this...

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:21:00 -1000

Feeling like a local in my new city Vancouver. Entered this photo contest for Whistler Water and made it to the finals of their “What kind of Local are you ?” contest

VOTE for my PHOTO and help me win some new swag from local Vancouver companies. If you already voted, VOTE AGAIN. (You can vote once a day for this whole week.) Help dis Wahine WIN! (I really just need a new backpack for school) ♥ Love Janelle

***my photo is on the 2nd page, 2nd row, middle (me and the deer)

Mahalo

http://on.fb.me/TL8eFJ

KEATS!

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:46:54 -1000

KEATS!

It’s a brand new season for this Shoestring Traveler. My...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:36:20 -1000

It’s a brand new season for this Shoestring Traveler. My travels ironically, have just brought me from one island to another. I’ve moved from a small island in the South Pacific to another even smaller island off the coast of Vancouver, BC. From Oahu to Keats my life has now morphed into a new kind of ministry as the boat driver at Keats Camps.

Our little island is nestled in between Vancouver Island and Vancouver’s North Shore. As remote as a bottle floating out at sea our main transportation is by foot, golf cart or motor boat. My job here is to take the kids out to wake-board and tube during their waterfront activities. Our speed boat “Malibu” has been out of commission, so I’ve been driving “The Whaler” and “Mack”, who… well… have a lot more “character”.

I love working with the rest of the waterfront staff. We try to hide the fact that we have the best jobs at camp, but sometimes we out-rightly claim it. If getting paid to play out in the sun and ocean with kids all day is not a great way to spend your summer, I don’t know what is. In the evenings after we close down the docks and put all the equipment away we call for a “MWA” a.k.a. a Mandatory Waterfront staff Activity. I guess giving it an acronym makes it sound like it’s our duty and hides the fact that we are just making up an excuse to do something fun together.

The ocean here is so different from Hawaiian waters. Besides the fact that it’s much chillier, these waters have a sort of rugged mysteriousness to them that I’m growing to love. Instead of turtles, seals and otters are our friends, or for some, our enemies. (Fact: Otters may look cute but their poop not only smells revolting but is a nasty little gift of sharp broken shells and goop that we discover every morning deposited all over our docks) But, besides learning about the digestive tracts of furry sea creatures; learning how to sail, tie elaborate knots, build paddle racks, walk on tipping docks, and rescue shipwrecked campers have been a few of the useful skills learned on this new adventure.

Last night was the end of our jr. co-ed camp. Today a new boat load of campers arrive, but this time it will be single moms and their kids. Looking forward to giving these families a summer they wont forget!

Here are a few photos to recap the past few weeks.

“Air Clicker” is a camera concept by Yeon Su Kim....

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 09:07:30 -1000

“Air Clicker” is a camera concept by Yeon Su Kim. This bluetooth-enabled device is designed to connect with smartphone. Once the photo or footage is taken, it can be instantly saved on your smartphone. The forefinger module senses whether your finger is straight, bent, or bent with the rest of your fingers. If you bend only the one finger, the other piece of the puzzle takes a photo. If you bend several fingers, you’ll begin to take a video. The thumb module has only a camera lens and an on/off button visible and is responsible for both collecting the media and transporting the resulting files to your smartphone. From there you can do whatever you want with the files as they sit on your smartphone while the Air Clicker remains free and clear.

via doyoulike

Is this for real?

Art Show Count Down… less than 3 weeks!

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:25:58 -1000

Art Show Count Down… less than 3 weeks!

There’s nothing better than dipping your fingers in a...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:56:24 -1000

There’s nothing better than dipping your fingers in a little paint and glue and seeing what you can create!

Every Thursday I get to help little hands make big creations at our Thriving Arts Kids club. This season our theme is “Tied Together” - Globally inspired art created by the kids in our after school program. We are teaching them about different art forms from around the world and how even though we are all different, we have similarities that tie us all together. The kids will display their art along with local artists around Hawaii at out next Art Show April 7th.

It’s been so rewarding to see them learn new ways to express themselves through art. They are also gaining a broader perspective on life outside Wahiawa and opening their eyes to how other children from around the world live.

The other day we talked to them about Compassion International and how we as a group could help a little boy or girl from another country. We talked about all of the things we take for granted like having clothes to wear and lunches at school and how we all have something to give to help someone else. Many of the kids in our program don’t have a lot themselves, but to see them find ways that even they can give back has been the most evident signs of hope in this community.

Sometimes it gets a little crazy… but we have...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:06:00 -1000

Sometimes it gets a little crazy… but we have fun.

Ulupono after school dance program.

Really gread article on STN from Disfunkshion Magazine...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:46:05 -1000

Really gread article on STN from Disfunkshion Magazine (Disfunkshionmagazine.com) I took the photo of Stefan taking down the Adult Arcade sign on my iphone the day it shut down for good. Such and epic moment in history.

Meg Koski tells our story so well, so have a read…

No one tells it better than these guys.

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:53:12 -1000

No one tells it better than these guys.

I bought a Gingerbread House making kit from IKEA about a month...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:20:57 -1000

I bought a Gingerbread House making kit from IKEA about a month ago at an attempt to be ahead of the Christmas rush. I wasn’t sure at the time when I would build it, but I knew that it would come in handy when the perfect opportunity arose.

It sat in my room all December wrapped snugly in it’s clever packaging, sitting amongst the other gifts I have been collecting along the way. As the month rolled on, I kept staring at that little package wondering when the time would come where I would gather with friends and build that epic edible structure. I remember as a child pressing smarties into icing to make a string of Christmas lights, green jube-jubes disguised as bushes and constructing snow men out of marshmallows.

As Christmas approached faster and faster I decided that time was of the essence and I had to make the decision to take the next opportunity that arose. After-all no Gingerbread house can be built without the creative unity of friends and certainly not after Christmas. That’s just weird.

So last night the time finally came. I showed up at a friends party with the kit still in its packaging and the anticipation of finally getting to build it together. We gathered around the table as I eagerly unwrapped the packaging that so cleverly concealed its contents with its simple, Swedish design. Simple was an understatement.

To my surprise, it turns out the clever little kits they sell at IKEA don’t come with any CANDY! let alone, any icing to actually construct the edible house.

Fail.

It was too late make any effort to go to the store get the essential missing ingredients, and also, I two of my friends there can’t even eat gluten anyway.

Double fail.

Well, although my dreams were crushed for a moment, I have since moved on to other grander creative adventures. Now I want to build one of these! (And this time from scratch)

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Love, Janelle

photojojo:

How to Build a Gingerbread Camera!

Our buddies Doug & Jenny showed us how they made TLRs, Holgas, and other gingerbread cameras! See our tutorial above.

Help us make our Surf Club for underprivileged children even better by voting for us in the Pepsi Refresh grant contest. Click here

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:25:05 -1000

Help us make our Surf Club for underprivileged children even better by voting for us in the Pepsi Refresh grant contest. Click here

Here’s a look at why I LOVE my job…

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:01:00 -1000

Here’s a look at why I LOVE my job…

It just gets better and better every year! If you haven’t...

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:18:26 -1000

It just gets better and better every year! If you haven’t seen what our property looks like, this years Christmas video will take you on a tour of the whole place. Merry Christmas!

Art Show in Wahiawa! Twice a year the kids in...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:44:00 -1000

Art Show in Wahiawa!

Twice a year the kids in our after-school enrichment program put on an art show for the community. We help them work hard all season to learn their dances and create their own art to display. Last spring they learned Tahitian dance and art from local artists. We even made traditional grass skirts from tea leaves. (Random fact: it takes hundreds of leaves to make just one skirt for even the tiniest of girls) This Fall, the theme is urban art and hip-hop. (scroll down to see the video I posted from their first practice)

What I love about working with these kids is that I get to see how something as simple as music and paint brushes can make a little kid feel like they have a voice in this big world.

I am so sad I am missing it this season. So if you are in Hawaii, let me live vicariously through you and put this event on your Calendar because you won’t want to miss it!

Since I’ve been home in Canada for a few months now,...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:23:00 -1000

Since I’ve been home in Canada for a few months now, I’ve become accustomed to living out of my purse. I always carry a toothbrush and extra clothes, because I never know whose house I’ll be spending the night at….OK I realize that sounds a bit sketchy, but what I mean is, I’ve sort of been floating from home to home, catching up with friends and family members while I’m here. I guess it’s safe to say I’ve now become a professional couch surfer.

So, I’m hoping I can rig together something like this to make it a little more convenient?

Last Monday I helped my friend Natasha out at her preschool. It...

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:52:00 -1000

Last Monday I helped my friend Natasha out at her preschool. It was Halloween and the theme they had this year was “Hawaii”. So she brought me along to teach them how to “pretend surf”. All the kids came dressed in aloha shirts and flip-flops and one little girl must have must have missed the memo because she came in a princess costume.

I spread a blue blanket on the ground and had them sit around it and hold up the edges. We put a mini ironing board in the center (aka: our surf board) and while listening to the Beach Boys they each got to take turns surfing as we shook the edges of the blanket to make waves.

It was fun to give these kids a little taste of Hawaii.

A few weeks ago I had a chance to host some friends Chris and...

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:50:00 -1000

A few weeks ago I had a chance to host some friends Chris and Renee right here in British Columbia. They flew out from Hawaii for our first ever Pacific Northwest marketing and PR tour. To kick off the trip we started in Vancouver and traveled to Langley, Abbotsford, Nanaimo and Tofino. We spoke at churches, Universities, back yard bonfires, ferry rides, surf shops and Tim Horton’s parking lots. We shared with everyone from little Tofino surf groms to 125 year old grannies with buckets of wisdom to share.

We showed Gum For My Boat at the University of Nanaimo Christian ministries club and also in our hotel room. Our hope was to inspire those who came to think outside the ministry box and use whatever passion they have to serve God and those around them. We also dropped off a few copies at the surf shops in Tofino and into the hands of those we connected with along the way.

We braved the fridgid Canidian waters in thick neoprene but discovered that if one’s surf stoke is only proven true when surfing in your underwear.

Oh Canada!

For the love, Watch this. Found this beautifully made film by...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:52:00 -1000

For the love, Watch this.

Found this beautifully made film by Surfrider.

It makes me miss the days helping with Surfrider Spirit Sessions in Waikiki. We use to teach surfing and then pick up cigarette butts that were littering the beach. It’s amazing what kind of junk (or in some cases, treasures) you can find on the beach.

If you love the ocean, watch this film and do something.

Been home for a few weeks in Vancouver, British Columbia. The...

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:46:11 -1000

Been home for a few weeks in Vancouver, British Columbia. The air that surrounds me is now crisp and cool and I find myself rummaging through stored boxes of my “precious life possessions” in search of old toques and slippers (the kind that actually keep my feet warm) This is one of my favourite seasons of the year to be home because the air seems fresh and cool but the sun can still peek out to convince you that it’s still warm enough to do summer things.

So why am I here? Well, I’m home for a few months taking a little STN furlough, visiting friends, family, supporters, speaking at churches and youth groups, renewing my visa and getting ready to host our first ever STN marketing tour in Canada! (more on that coming soon…)

Was looking through the vids I’ve been collecting on my camera and came across this one. The kids in our Ulupono Thriving Arts Program are learning hip-hop and urban street art for this seasons Ho'ike. They’ll be working hard from September to November in our after school program and at the end of the season they’ll be putting their art on display at our venue and performing for their parents and the whole community. These kids are so talented. We had a little freestyle session at the end of class where we just played music and let the kids dance. Even the dance instructor said they were doing moves that even he couldn’t do.

This is day one of them learning their dance. Can’t wait to see them perform in November!