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Exotica 2003: pictures! |
Tiki Bree
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: 250 |  Posted: 2003-08-25 7:46 pm Permalink
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On 2003-08-25 19:35, Kailuageoff wrote:
Bree & Tristan,
Looks like you guys had a great time. Sorry we couldn't join you. I really regret not being able to go to the Kona Kai, but am really glad you did. JT rocks for setting this up.
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Oh Geoff, we truly wish you and wahine Marian were there......you would have LOVED the Hala Kahiki. We had the best time on the party bus with the most fun people!!!!!
I'll send more photos.
Call me, I want to talk to you about new years....
much love
Tiki Bree
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Kailuageoff
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1486
From: Honolulu Lounge,Lewes, DE
| Posted: 2003-08-25 8:07 pm Permalink
Bree,
Will do. On Sven's advice I went to the Hala Kahiki last Fall and was completely knocked out. I'm going to be in Massachusetts the next few weeks, but let's get together when I get back.
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aquarj
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 02, 2002
Posts: 1040
From: SF bay area, CA
| Posted: 2003-08-26 01:19 am Permalink
Here are some of my pics, just from the Kona Kai nite for this first batch. Unfortunately these are mostly scenery and not people, so be warned, I took a boatload of pics...
Giant mug giveaway at the entrance (with Naomi and me)
Naomi, Robin, and Dean (thejab) just inside the entrance.
Moving through the place.
Some people I don't know.
The main "dancefloor" in the middle.
More people I don't know.
More scenery, and the bar in a quiet moment.
Also, here are a couple related pics from the Marriott itself, which houses the Kona Kai.
Here's the look at the building exterior through the ceiling of the covered indoor pool.
The exterior theme on the building. Like wow!
-Randy
[ This Message was edited by: aquarj on 2003-08-26 01:22 ]
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boutiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2002
Posts: 485
From: The fly-over states
| Posted: 2003-08-26 05:39 am Permalink
Great job on the photos Randy! You really captured the majesty of the old Kona Kai. I enjoyed meeting you and so many of the other Tiki Central folks whos acquaintance I had yet to make. Bruce, Robin & Dean, Alice (so cool to meet up again through Tiki, and we can't thank you enough for the kick-ass mug—you're the best!), Bree and Tristan, Primo James, Jeff (sorry we did not have more time, lets talk soon), it's always a pleasure visiting with Sven and so nice to get to know Naomi. I'm just sad that we had so much going on all weekend that we did not have more time to meet and talk at length with more people. Thanks Dave Lawrence for making Exotica what it was, it would never have happened if not for you! One of the nicest things about Exotica for us was that in addition to the Tiki Central gang who came from so many far off ports, we got to meet other Chicago Tiki fanatics who we had not known previously. So here's to renewing old friendships and making new ones!
Aloha!
-Duke
[ This Message was edited by: boutiki on 2003-08-26 08:39 ]
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Tiki Bree
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: 250 | Posted: 2003-08-26 08:32 am Permalink
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On 2003-08-25 20:07, Kailuageoff wrote:
Bree,
Will do. I'm going to be in Massachusetts the next few weeks, but let's get together when I get back.
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Your place or mine???????
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Kailuageoff
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1486
From: Honolulu Lounge,Lewes, DE
| Posted: 2003-08-26 08:33 am Permalink
Aquarj: Thanks for the excellent shots of the Kona Kai! They make me want to cry -- or at least bite my lower lip -- for missing this...
One question though, is that an aquarium or a fish pond, or something else in one of the photos? It looks like an aquarium, but appears to be in the floor.
Bree: They are putting new siding our condo right now, but it sould be done about the time I get back (poor Marian will be suffering through it all). We'll have you guys over as soon as it is done.
Mahalo.
KG
[ This Message was edited by: Kailuageoff on 2003-08-26 08:36 ]
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Tiki Bree
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: 250 | Posted: 2003-08-26 08:40 am Permalink
Geoff,
Great!!! I'll get to meet that fabulous new/old tiki you adopted.........
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boutiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2002
Posts: 485
From: The fly-over states
| Posted: 2003-08-26 09:48 am Permalink
Quote:
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One question though, is that an aquarium or a fish pond, or something else in one of the photos? It looks like an aquarium, but appears to be in the floor.
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Geoff,
What you see in Randy's photos is the lagoon/koi pond below the dance floor (the octagon on stilts). It is fed by the stream which runs from the rock wall/fountain under the bamboo bridge to the lagoon. It used to be stocked with Koi until the Kona Kai closed. Unfortunately the fish are gone but the beautiful lagoon remains.
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3588
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2003-08-26 10:42 am Permalink
Does anyone here have a close-up front view of the poles in the Kona Kai?
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Tiki Bree
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 05, 2002
Posts: 250 | Posted: 2003-08-26 12:11 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2003-08-26 10:42, Basement Kahuna wrote:
Does anyone here have a close-up front view of the poles in the Kona Kai?
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Darling, send me your email and I'll send you one. Check your private messages for mine......
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2003-08-26 1:53 pm Permalink
Yet another fabulous tiki event! Mahalo nui loa to all the organizers: Dave & Cindy Lawrence, Dave Krys, Duke & Amy Carter, Dave & Coalbe Vasta, our own darling James Teitelbaum, and last but certainly not least, Captain Dan. What a monster event to pull together, it's amazing that it came together so well. Can't wait until next year. It was great to see the Chicago Trader Vic's (much smaller than I thought it would be, but beautiful of course). Big thanks to Mike at Delilah's for serving up such primo tropical drinks, AND offering up such a nice tasting selection of rums, what a great way to start the day. The Kona Kai was sooooo cool (loved shakin' it on the dancefloor with Purple Jade & Formikahini!), and the Rock-A-Tiki surpassed my expectations! (Biggest. Fork & Spoon. Ever.) JTD, how did you end up, buddy? Hala Kahiki was divine, I could have spent a whole evening there. With all of that, I still feel like we only scratched the surface of tiki. What fun it was to see old friends, and make new ones! James, doing business with you is always a pleasure, lets be sure to do more. Formikahini & Christopher, you were great roomies! (Hey, our keycards worked through the whole weekend!) I got my picture taken with the Famous Mr. Smiley! I slow danced with a big guy from Milwaukee & a super-hot blonde (the one in the white dress w/cherries, right above the pic of Naomi & Sven)! I got to meet Sven!!! But, I have one suggestion for next year, this will improve things a lot: MORE TIKIFISH!! Tikifish, what happened? My Year of Tiki will not be complete if I don't get to meet you!!
Jesus, look at all those exclamation points. That's not like me. I'm sorry, I'll try to tone it down a little. To summarize: I had a very nice time at your tiki party, thank you for inviting me.
_________________
Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki
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Captain Dan
Member
Joined: Jun 25, 2003
Posts: 8
From: Exotica 2003
| Posted: 2003-08-26 2:07 pm Permalink
Aloha all!
WOW, what a great weekend. I'm so glad to have met so many great new people, and to now be able to put faces to the names. Thanks to all who came to chi-town, and a special thanks to those of you that rode the tiki bus! I hope everyone had a fantastic time, I know I did. Here are some of my pix. I'll collect pix from my fellow Chicagoans and post those too when i can. again, mahalo.
aloha, -cap'n Dan
(hope my pix embedding works...)
Friday's Stewardess, Kitty!
The Kona Kai smoking lounge
The Rock-a-Tiki mischeif begins
Hala Kahiki!
Sven's presentation
Kon Tiki transPorts rides again!
Tropical Nights Luau. . .
Bree & Purple Jade gettin down
600+ tiki lovers!
The Fires of Polynesia
hang loose
Sassy Mai Tai and the bus crew. Notice the $17 Walgreens boom box, purchased on-the-fly. The bus cassette deck was busted. We needed our Martin Denny.
dance contest!
cocktail time... again
ALL PIX CAN BE VIEWED HERE:
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b328e827a48b
[edited by hanford to fix the last image]
[ This Message was edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-08-26 17:37 ]
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GECKO
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2002
Posts: 1049
From: South Sea Arts Honolulu
| Posted: 2003-08-26 5:19 pm Permalink
One Hawaiian word describes da peopo, da pics and da establishment....ONO!!!!
mahalo fo da picz!!
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tikifish
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2720
From: Toronto,Canada
| Posted: 2003-08-27 06:20 am Permalink
What happened was a rather intimidating lack of funds, and I decided instead of going further into debt to finance the trip, I would do the responsible thing and stay home. Once Mr. Tikifish gets his immigration papers and is allowed to work in Canada, things will be much different and I can jet set around again like back in the good old days. If I knew how to drive I would have drove down and crashed in someone's hotel room, but I do not have this skill, and to bicycle to Chicago, while an amusing thought, would take 2 weeks... So many forces were conspiring aginst me this year.
<End of sob story>
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tikivixen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 724
From: Vallejo CA
| Posted: 2003-08-27 10:10 pm Permalink
Waahhh. There's a big sob story from me too, involving a sudden downturn in my mum's health, but what I feel worst about is messing up Cynful's plans for a road trip by having to pull out at the last moment. Turns out I was right to stay home, but it still just basically sucks.
So, as TC is my witness, I owe her a hell of a consolation present.
James, if I can find my way to Chicago in the foreseeable future, I still want to see Hala Kahiki. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it!!!
(As for the Kona Kai...sigh...sniffle. ARGH.)
PJ, I was so happy to see you relaxing with the famous MrSmiley!  Thank you SO MUCH for those lovely tiki pendants--my little goddaughter is raving over her purple one right this very minute!!!
Thanks, folks, for the wonderful pictures!
And, to quote my favorite moose: "next time, for sure!!!"
--tikivixen
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