All Blacks Make Haka Hot

As you know, I've been doing my due diligence and Googling for info on New Zealand to prep for a potential vacay there. I'm still undecided whether I want to backpack it on my own or join a small-group tour that's a cross between adventure and budget. I'm leaning toward the tour, even though this vacay is supposed to simulate what it'd be like to be on the road alone.

Most of the tours I'm looking at treat you to a traditional Maori dinner and the videos I've seen of these things look like the Maori version of a luau. Instead of doing hula, they do the haka. My YouTubing research quickly led from these tours to haka done by various sports teams. The majority of the videos are of the All Blacks, a Kiwi rugby team. I don't know if they're the only team that does the haka or even if they're the only team in NZ. I don't know anything about rugby, but once I started watching the videos I couldn't stop.

There seems to be a variety of different haka, but the most common is the one that starts off, "Ka mate, Ka mate, Ka ora Ka ora." This is the one with which I'm familiar (and I assume most other people are as well). It bothered me that I didn't know the words beyond those first few lines. I think it's mostly because the chants are shouted and the words are never distinct enough to understand. Even after watching several videos, I still couldn't get the words down. I finally had to Wikipedia them and read the words while listening to YouTube. Who knows if Wikipedia is even accurate though.



Watching the various videos of the All Blacks, I noticed that these rugby guys are pretty hot . . . even with the ugly, macho-man faces they're making (or is it because of that?). The guys, of course, are all fit and muscular and they're yelling at the top of their lungs as I imagine the cavemen of old used to. And yet, despite all the movement and progress gained through women's lib, I still find their behavior oddly sexy. I mean, there's something to be said about the masculinity, agility and dare I say virility that these guys exude while doing this haka. Their intensity and focus is both intimidating and alluring. It's kinda like looking into the eyes of a wildcat.



And just so you know, I still can't get the words to the haka right. But I'm going to keep trying . . . you know, for educational and cultural exchange purposes and all! LOL!

Men in Uniform

I'm not one to normally spot a man in uniform, feel my legs turn to jelly and automatically swoon. But today was different. It was like a sea of change. Cop in dress blues = Too hot to trot. (This could also be due to the fact that he didn't have a belly on him as most donut/Zip Pac-toting cops do.)

I was having lunch at La Pizza Rina on King Street today with my co-worker. (We both had the pizza special, although I was seriously tempted to get one of their subs. They're so ono I can't even describe it to you.) Next to us was a table overflowing with boys in blue and other law-like people. One of them (Takata according to his embroidered name tag) was definitely smokin'.

Funny, I'm not usually drawn to full-on Asian dudes, but I guess all things in moderation huh? He was definitely a good candidate to protect and serve me, I'm tellin' ya. I wouldn't resist arrest at all. Not at all.

After the cops left, some paramedics came in and ordered take out. Not as cute as Takata, but there's just something about their starched-white uniforms and the fact that they were talking about a shattered foot and a compound fracture in someone's arm that's so appealing.

All I needed was a studly fire fighter and a bronzed god of a life guard to round out the city and county of Honolulu's version of the armed forces. If that were the case, I might not have made it back to work in one piece. Lucky for work no other uniforms crossed my path today.

Image Source: http://www.honolulupd.org/ & http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/esd/ems/index.htm

It's Raining Men (and Boys)!

The other day a friend and I had lunch at Makai Market, the foodcourt at Ala Moana Center. We both got food from Chinatown Express, which has taken up residence in the old Patti's Kitchen. Not bad, I guess.

The foodcourt was certainly a lot emptier than normal, so we found some seats in the middle of a row perpendicular to Poi Bowl with no problem.

A young local haole boy sat a couple of chairs away with his lunch from Charley's Grilled Subs. I thought it was weird that a guy would eat lunch by himself, especially in a room full of families, tourist groups and business people.

I was distracted when three mainland haole guys sat on the other side of us. They looked like tourists so I didn't think much of it. I don't mind them pouring some money into our local economy, y'know?

Anyway, as we continued eating, more and more young guys joined the haole kid. Soon there were about 10 of them all eating one thing or another. All of them looked about 15 or so. It took me a while to catch on that they were some kind of sports team from Hawaii Prep Academy.

The next thing I know one of the tourists stood up and started waving. He flagged down three or four other guys, who joined them. As they started in on their meal I noticed they weren't just a bunch of friends on vacation, they were a bunch of gay friends on vacation. More power to 'em, I say.

I wasn't going to mention it, but my friend leaned in and said, "I think they're gay" tipping her head in their direction. I answer an affirmative, especially in light of the stereotypical lisping we heard. "Too bad though," she said. "The ones on your side are younger and pretty good looking." Now isn't that always the case?

This situation got me thinking: where are the good-looking eligible guys in their 20s or 30s? On one hand, I had a slew of very young and athletic guys, some of whom were pretty good looking. On the other hand, I had a gaggle of guys apparently good looking according to my friend but also 100% gay.

What's a girl to do when all the hotties are illegally underage or just not into chicks? Am I the only one who notices this increasingly common trend?

Photo: John Fischer, About.com
Image: toppun.com