Lushy at the Waldorf Hotel, Vancouver - Saturday, July 30th

Hey Pep,

Can you add Mr and Mrs tiki-riviera to the dinner at Raglans list? Looking forward to meeting everyone!

As long as everyone has up to date vaccinations there shouldn't be any outbreaks....

All those coming from South of the border, please declair all Tiki Bobs as there will be a cavity search for those trying to smuggle Bob into the country!

Or I can save you the pain by you sending Bob directly to me to forever hold... I'm only doing this to make your trip a little less uncomfortable!

:wink:

Canada needs BOBS!

I may be flying out on friday night now. Might try and check out the show that Roadkutter suggested . Anyone else got friday plans?

Tiki-Riviera you guys are on the list for all the evening's debauchery (including dinner)!
We've now reached capacity for dinner (27 of us)! It's going to be cozy!
If there's anybody that wants to join in after today, there will definitely be no problem getting in to the Lushy/Waldorf show, just make sure you get there before 10pm ($10 cover).
Just to recap the suggested time table for 'Holy Crap! It's a Tiki Event in Vancouver 2005' (name subject to change):
3:30-5pm: all are welcome to visit Funhauser Decor
5:30pm: meet in front of the Seabus Waterfront Station (Cordova St. at the foot of Seymour St.)
6pm-8:30ish: Raglan's Bistro for dinner and drinks
8:30-9:30pm make our way back via Seabus then bus &/or taxi to the Waldorf (loads of time to get there)
9:30ish-10pm: arrive at the Waldorf (1489 E. Hastings St.) to see the show (and the venue!).

I'm REALLY looking forward to meeting all you TC folk!!!
This is what makes Tiki Central so great....Thanks Hanford for all your work!!!!

This also makes me realize the potential for a full-on annual Tiki Event in Vancouver, something many of us have been pondering for a while.
Stay tuned.....

[ Edited by: Pepe le Tiki 2005-07-27 12:00 ]

[ Edited by: Pepe le Tiki 2005-07-27 16:10 ]

[ Edited by: Pepe le Tiki 2005-07-27 18:01 ]

On 2005-07-27 09:34, rodeotiki wrote:
I may be flying out on friday night now. Might try and check out the show that Roadkutter suggested . Anyone else got friday plans?

RT, call me if you get in to town on Friday, we might be persuaded. I definitely will be conserving energy for Saturday so it won't be a late night for us!

Thansk for all yr organizational work on this Pepe.

Would I be asking to much to see a roll call list? I wanna make sure I'm on there (And I'm curious to see who else is coming)...

Thanks again!

Thanks for reminding me Slacks! I knew there was something else...
Here's the list of folks that have posted & pm'd me to date for all the evening's adventures, including dinner (in no particular order);
Puamana & Selector Lopaka
Dogbytes & guest
Exoticat
Tikiwahine
Sweet Daddy Tiki
Slacks Ferret
Rodeotiki & 2 guests
Crowntiki & guest
Mr. & Mrs. Roadkutter
Sabina & Oaktiki
Velvet Ruby & guest
TabooDan & 3 guests
Mr. & Mrs. Tiki-Riviera
myself & guest
Let me know if I left anyone out!!
I haven't heard from emspace but I'm sure we could squeeze one or two in.

On 2005-07-27 11:26, Pepe le Tiki wrote:
This also makes me realize the potential for a full-on annual Tiki Event in Vancouver, something many of us have been pondering for a while.
Stay tuned.....

Hmm, sounds like you're volunteering for the job of President & CEO. Sounds like a lot of work but I know you'll do a great job. :) :drink:

Seriously, thanks for all the organizing you've put into this event. I hope funhauser sets an all time sales record on saturday.

Less than 2 days till the mayhem starts.

On side note I have some extra room in my luggage and if someone was interested I could bring this guy with me. Pm me for details and price
See ya soon

[ Edited by: rodeotiki 2005-07-28 09:40 ]

One Day , Ahahahaha One day .

Holy crap! Talk about out of the loop. I can't believe there are 8 pages of posts about this thing! Thanks for everyone who emailed me to make sure I heard about it (because, yes, I am sadly out of the loop...) Anyway, I will see you all there! I can't even imagine how surreal it will be to have this all go down in my hometown!

It's taken Oaktiki and I a little time to get into town and settled, but we've got a late addition for tomarrow's schedule for those who can- we have room for something small- not a huge get together.

Some of you may have heard rumours to this effect through the grapevine- that's because we originally started with the Seattle crowd since they showed us such a great time, but it looks like some of them won't make it, so we have some room.

As folks are getting into town, if you're going to be in downtown (West End) Vancouver between 12:30 and 2:30ish we're going to try to do a welcoming meet and greet. Afterwards, we figure we'd all head over to the 3:30 get together at Funhauser.

We don't have room for more than a few folks, but if you would like to stop by we'd love to have you over.

Parking is going to be weird too- it's a huge weekend, but we know where you might be able to find a space. Public transit may be a better option.

Anyhow, if this sounds up your alley, drop me a PM and I'll get directions etc to you later tonight.

[ Edited by: Sabina 2005-07-29 15:48 ]

[ Edited by: Sabina 2005-07-29 16:23 ]

Yay!!! heather!!! see you soon!

I impaled my finger last night while trying to put out a corncob for the squirrels. There's a long 6" spiked nail on the top of the Squirrel Table that went piercing through my skin in two places. No ER trip was required but at first I couldn't get my finger off the nail (which would have prevented me from attending). I can hear it now, Rodeo: "Where's exoticat?" Dogbytes: "She's stuck on a nail in the back yard".

So I'll be there sporting a bandaid with fez wearing monkeys (it's that Smoking Monkey from Archie McPhee) except they're smiling not smoking which I prefer when it comes to open wounds. Has anyone ever seen any Tiki Bandaids?

Hi everyone, Dan here from Taboo Tiki. Looking forward to meeting some of you at Funhauser and the Waldorf. Should be a good show! I wish we had some time to throw in a few of our Tiki's at Raglan's but there's just not enough time these days. Did manage to get a couple of our Limited Edition framed tributes to the Waldorf done though. If you are interested, these will be available at the event. Hope to see you there!

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2005-07-29 18:15 ]

On 2005-07-29 16:58, Exoticat wrote:
So I'll be there sporting a bandaid with fez wearing monkeys

you're a trooper. :drink: here's some anesthesia!

Hullaaaaaabaaaaalooooooo!!!!!!!

This time tomorrow we should be at the Waldorf with drink in hand!
Sweet Tiki dreams to all.....

Eeek! so excited! .. I have to work (crap!) until 4.. but I'm going to rush home and get ready.. so DON'T GET ON THE SEABUS WITHOUT ME!! I have no idea where the restaurant is.. ha.. see you all tomorrow! (or today depending on when you're reading..)

Jen

Just got back in from the Waldorf (yeah, we 'old folks' made an early night of it, since we need to be up early tomarrow).

All I can say is Vancouver has outdone itself! This was worth every mile/km from MD, every bit of nonsense, and every bit of pushing onward instead of being 'responsible grown ups' and heading home.

Today was just fantastic, and it's all due to the Tikiphiles from far and near who put all the effort that went into making today so wonderful; from the early get together at our place (with rum), to Funhauser- with Rum and Tikis galore, (and all the AMAZING artists and their goodies! So great to meet those responsible for all that amazing work!), to Raglands, who bore up under the strain of MANY hungry and oh, so thirsty Tikiphiles, to the Waldorf- which defies all words!, and on to the bands themselves!

Yes, we got to explore the inner depths of the Waldorf's many rooms- including the downstairs. MANY pictures to follow from many different folks I hope!

I personally, think the Waldorf should be uttered among the great Tiki names- not only such an extensive layout, but the condition it's in- un-updated- truely a time capsule. The mural in the downstairs room alone is truely a treasure beyond compare!

I have two words for Vancouverites- annual event.

If you build it, they will come! The hospitality by local Tikiphiles and the venue are soooo worth the trip!

MAHALO!

Had to get these up!

Pix from yesterday, here's just a couple each, the rest can be found on my website in a Vancouver gallery-

http://www.sevenpleasures.org/gallery/Tiki-in-Vancouver

Funhauser Decor-

Ragland's Bistro-

The 'watch out for that snake!' picture!

and The Waldorf Hotel-

Thanks so much for sharing these photos! You guys have no idea how much I wish I could have been there with you all. So happy to see you all together in photos, if not in person.

Yay! wow your photos turned out wonderfully! (mine did not fare so well haha) Soo glad you guys decided to make the trek up here.. It was really great meeting you :) (keep us posted on your return!)

"Holy Crap! It's a Tiki Event in Vancouver 2005" doesn't even begin to dscribe it all! nearly nonstop fun fun fun! extreme thanks to all the Canadians who welcomed us over the border to run nuts through their town.

Funhauser's TC Private Party, complete with perfectly prepared tropical drinks, cuban rum for sipping and snacks ~ made it an excellent backdrop to meet and greet and shop! meeting the artists was an incredible part of the buying experience. i halfway expected that Pepe le Tiki would turn away Oprah if she had shown up during our soiree!

we took over Raglan's ~ there was one cook and 2 waitresses (who also made the drinks!) :drink: cheers to them for feeding and keeping the booze flowing!

Waldorf! Waldorf! Waldorf! wow. just WOW!! as we descended the spiral stairs, the clocks moved backwards and we were transported to a magical time, where bamboo, rattan, faux fish tanks and murals ruled the night. swank beyond belief.

i met so many new people, TC and non TC alike.. all for the love o tiki! :tiki:

WoW!! what a great time we had! Our neighbors to the north are great hosts and made this a terrific weekend.
On our way out of town we stopped by Funhauser, picked up a few items for our home, and received directions to the nearest gov. liquor store so we could procure some Havana Club rum to smuggle over the border. Since this is a public forum I can't say if we were successful or not, but
some of the best mojitos in the world are being sipped in West Seattle....

My Fellow Americans ~ you can claim a refund for goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) you paid on eligible goods and short-term accommodation while visiting Canada.

there's a bunch of rules

but basically, if you spent over 200$CAN, and you have original receipts, fill out the forms in the link above, and get back 7% by mail.

elicia

Folks, I can't express how great it was to meet you all!!!!
The whole evening was as much an adventure for us here in Vancouver as it was for those from far and wide! Although I'd been to many events at the Waldorf years ago, I'd forgotten just how beautiful a place it really is.
Sabina, your photos are fabulous! I don't think the Waldorf has ever been so well documented before last night!! I know there are more photos out there (the flashes were continuous) and I hope you guys will post them! Did anyone get a photo of the shrine to the owner?
If any event can attract a group people like this, it's worth every bit of work to make it happen. I sincerely hope this is the first of many Vancouver Tiki events if it means we can all get together again!!!

P.S.
Selector Lopaka & Tikiwahine, I'm enjoying a fine Rum drink in my peanut mug while listening to some incredible music as I type this. :D
Tiki-Riviera, glad to know you made it home safely! :wink:

[ Edited by: Pepe le Tiki 2005-08-01 08:56 ]

Wow, what a blast ! Thank you thank you so much to all the TC ohana in Canada for such a fantastic welcome, what a great weekend. Many thanks to Pepe le Tiki and Alan at Funhauser for hosting such a great pre-Waldorf gathering. We were glad to meet Dan and Reid of Taboo Tiki, and get one of their great framed Waldorf tributes, as well as the great big moai that we went back for on Sunday before we left. It was great to see more of Travellin' Tiki's work and RodeoTiki's work as well. The folks at Raglans did a fine job accomodating all of us for dinner and drinks , thanks to Sabina and Oaktiki for the afternoon Rum tasting, and everyone who gathered for the event itself. It was so great to see familiar faces and meet many folks that we hadn't met yet. Having the chance to hang out in the Tahitian Lounge and see Lushy and the Buttersprites was great, and then to view all the rooms downstairs at the Waldorf was really something... It was like being a kid in a candy store. Many thanks to the management to let us spend some time viewing the rooms, I know we sure were an appreciative crowd.

The Polynesian Room is amazingly well preserved, and the amount of detail and quality of the elements that went into the decor was just such a visual treat to take in....the shape of the palm trees, the terrific Savage mural, the doors to the ladies room that just perfectly blended into the rest of the lauhala wall, you barely knew that was the door to the bathroom. The tiny little bar as you enter the Polynesian Room, the Leeteg that was tucked away in the Menehune Room, the carved Menehune support posts, the doors the the Menehune Room ... the list goes on and on. At one point I was taking a photo of the coat check area, and I had no idea what I was looking at as it was dark in that particular area. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the photos that I saw what it really looked like ! The mural behind the bar in the hallway just before the Menehune room was really something, as well as the menus which were on the wall ( I hadn't seen that particular Leeteg painting used for their menus). I could ramble on and on about it all.

One of the things that really struck me was the personal displays in the Menehune Room, which celebrated the life of the owner of the Waldorf, who just recently passed away. He had started out as a chef, then took over as owner in the 60's, I believe. The wake had been held in the Menehune Room, where there were still flowers and many display items commemorating his life. It was really something to see.

I'm so glad that Sabina & Oaktiki's photos turned out so great ! A bunch of mine were pretty grainy, but here's a few from the night :

Oaktiki & Sabina at Funhauser:

Reid of Taboo Tiki with the moai he carved :

Selector Lopaka and Leeteg in the Tahitian Lounge:

At the top of the stairs to the Polynesian Room:

Polynesian Room:

Bar beside the Polynesian Room:

Polynesian Room menus:

More Polynesian Room:

Doors the Menehune Room:

Menehune Room:

Coat Check :

And a few photos of the tiki and its transition to its new home, along with the Waldorf piece that is now hanging just above the moai in the last photo:

We really look forward to another event in Vancouver, and here's to another future gathering at the Waldorf !

And Travellin' Tiki, lets talk about that painting !

[ Edited by: puamana 2005-08-01 11:55 ]

Great pix, Mimi.

In addition to the fun shots of the ohana having a good time, all of those nice, clear, well-lit shots of the mostly people-less rooms are the sort of crucial documentation that we need lots more of.

thanks!

Wow, what a great time.

I really enjoyed finally meeting so many great folks, and seeing all the familiar faces once again.
I'm just finally getting back to normal mode, realizing that once again I didn't have nearly enough time to chat with everyone, which means more events are in order!

Super big thank you to Peter(Pepe le Tiki) and Allan for throwing themselves head first into our very first event, it turned out to be so much more than was ever imagined.

Also Mucho Mahaloz must go to Elicia(Dogbytes) & Todd for carting my giant coconut, complete with giant straw, all the way through the tunnel, I mean border.
I had an interesting time with it on the ferry, and it's already planted up with a Tasmanian Tree Fern!

I can't wait for another excuse to get over to Vancouver, you can guarantee I'll be there for the next shindig.

A few pictures:

[ Edited by: Tikiwahine 2005-08-01 20:28 ]

I want to start off by thanking Dogbytes and her DH for inviting me to roadtrip with them out of Seattle to Vancouver...they were the most gracious and fun travel companions. Many thanks to both of them. The drive up whizzed by (we decided not to use the tunnel) as we chatted up a storm and before you knew it we were checking into The Sandman. After a quick snack at Moxie's Grill we walked over to Funhauser and met Pepe Le Tiki who was very peppy even though I liked referring to him as Pay Pay. :wink:

He and Alan hosted the perfect private party for us complete with garnished cocktails and rum...mahalo again for the spoilage!! The store was indeed fun and I think virtually everyone pay payed Pepe (that's a mouthful) before they left toting at least one goodie. I picked up another print from Heather Watts (Travellin' Tiki) who was already there and it was a treat to reunite with her again.

Title: Come and get your lei

I also got a fez wearin' monkey tiki mug despite the fact that I'm currently in the process of temporarily packing up my mugs.

Met some new local artists at Funhauser too: the duo of Taboo Dan and Reido and found out their story...they are very talented guys and some lucky TCer's went home with some of their work. You know who you are.

Finally it was time to get ready for dinner and back to The Sandman we ventured for a quick change of clothes. Tikiwahine, Dogbytes and Mr. DB and I walked to catch the Skytrain (where was the "sky" part?) was the great debate and then we caught the Seabus (was it really a "bus? looked like a ferry to us) and more debating continued. Good thing Seamus wasn't with us or it would have been very confusing.

Soon we were in North Vancouver and after some dangerous prancing over a boardwalk in heels (I told Mr. Dogbytes he should have worn flats) we arrived safely to Raglan's which was already packed. Got to meet some more TC'ers and Sweet Daddy Tiki took control of the room by singing in Italian operatta then forced us to individually out ourselves with our Tiki Central names:

Thanks to everyone at Raglan's who made the evening a success and to all the Canadian planners--you did a fantastic job.

Then to fulfill Rodeo's dreams of being on every type of transportation known to man in one day, we all got on a bus for a ride to our final destination: (bring in chorus of angelic type music) The Waldorf.

The Waldorf was...amazing. See everyone else's photos. I enjoyed seeing Lushy perform again and I found out the Dogbytes has some sort of secret nurse fantasy when the Buttersprites came on. (???) We were so lucky to be a part of the private tour downstairs and the memorial corner was sad, but still inspiring because the owner of The Waldorf brought happiness to so many people and continues to do so even though he has passed on.

Later we cabbed it back to The Sandman where an after hours party hosted by the dynamic duo of Slacks Ferret and Sweet Daddy Tiki brought out typical Canadian behavior:

Dogbytes enables Tikiwahine to try new things with her coconut:

Thanks again SDT for letting me share your pillow AND your journal. wink wink (that really means nothing...don't even try to figure it out). I swear I'm not usually that comatose at that hour...but too many days of not enough sleep had finally caught up with me.

The next day the same after hours partiers (Dogbytes, Mr. DB, Tikiwahine, Slacks Ferret, Sweet Daddy Tiki and Exoticat) headed for brunch at a place with a "z" in the middle of the name (this is how it was described to me when I asked where we were going). If you ask me, I think we're in Venice:

This is where sadly the Americans and the Canadians had to do their final parting and hugging until the next get together. Those suffering the greatest depression probably won't be able to post for a couple more days. (Look to see who still hasn't checked in.)

Thanks to everyone who made the night so much fun (even you Rodeo)! There were lots of people I wish I had more time to chat with like Velvet Ruby (who looked like the ultimate 50's pinup blond) and I finally found out what the mysterious Tiki Riviera looks like! Finally, special thanks to Puamana for posting the event in the first place! xo

p.s. I did find Macintosh toffee in the nick of time at the border...
(I really did try to keep this review of the event short, I swear!)

p.p.s. Sabina...your pics are incredible..thanks for sharing with us and sorry I got in the way of so many of them! gulp

[ Edited by: exoticat 2005-08-02 02:15 ]

Thanks to all that made the treck to Vancouver so that I wasn't drinking alone. I had a great time meeting you all and now its time to purge the liver.

I am still shocked to now know what was beneath my feet everytime I went to the Waldorf to watch hockey.

Maybe next year we'll combine Hot Rods, Rockabilly and Tiki at the Waldorf Polynesian Room as an all day event??? Any takers???

Time for another Zombie... I mean coffee!

It was super great to meet everyone. I am pissed that I left the Waldorf before the tour, But being up for almost 36 hours with no sleep and a killer headache did me in. Cant wait to do it again.

Everything that should be said has already been said.. so I'll just add my hearty, "ditto!"

So great to meet everyone.. wish I could have spent some more time talking with you all.. (it's hard when you're shy and overwhelmed by your surroundings!)... thanks again to our Funhauser support crew who showed off their true "event planning" colours! (I'll add my "hell yeah!" to the annual event chorus..)

All my photos suck in comparison to the ones already posted.. I did find one of Lushy which turned out pretty nicely .. (holy crapolee, what a kick ass auditory / sensory experience THAT was!)

Counting down the days until the next time we all meet..

J

Pepe...here's those Shrine photos you requested. My camera was new and I didn't have a chance to even test it so I picked up some weird lighting at times because I just shot using it on the settings it came with. sigh Now I know that I have a special night mode setting...wish I'd known that while in the Tahitian Twilight Lounge.

Thanks Exoticat!! Hey, at least you took pictures, my camera stayed in my pocket, I'm so bad for that!! But thankfully everyone's photos are great, I think I've looked at all of them at least twice a day so far...remembering the good times!
I found the tribute sad yet fascinating to see his life in pictures and his connection to the Waldorf. The manager told me that he helped out in the kitchen and behind the bar right up to a few months before he passed away. He loved the Waldorf and was very involved in the operation and was well liked by the staff. He said they're not ready to take the tribute down yet.
Oh, to have had a conversation with him!!!

Well I finally made it home Wednesday night after a couple of extra days in Calgary. Thanks Slacks & Tiki A. Moaikingbird for putting me up (putting up with me?)

Exoticat, I loved your account of events. I didn't know I could sing opera, but apparently I can – the photographic evidence proves it.

Great pictures everyone. I'm still learning my digital camera & I haven't mastered the art of low light and flash photography with it yet, so many of my pictures from the Waldorf turned out crappy. I'm going to post some galleries later, but in the meantime, here's a few snaps i like.

Leaving Calgary Friday evening. My shirt was a gift from Slacks (there are Tikis around the bottom). Somehow Mrs. Ferret managed to take a flattering picture of me (less chins than usual).

Ever on the lookout for tropical plants that will survive a brutal Calgary winter, Slacks "examines" a Cana Tropicana (as identified by Tikiwahine) at the Travelodge in Kamloops. What a great thrifting town. We hit up about 8 thrift stores on Saturday morning. Slacks was pumped to find an Outrigger pineapple mug for 2 bucks. I bought a few things including a paint-by-number and some china from a defunct airline (I'll be posting in Tiki Finds and Beyond Tiki Finds in the next few days).

We arrived in Vancouver too late to partake in the reception at Funhauser. Bummed to miss an opportunity for free rum!

Down the hatch! Glad I got liquored up on Mojitos and Blue Hawaiians at Raglan's because the bar service at the Waldorf wasn't all it could be.

Blah blah blah...

Waldorf. Scary doorpulls.

Lushy. This one turned out not bad.

Menehune Room. Tribute to the late owner.

The "Up the Skirt" shot on the staircase to the lower rooms.

Don't even ask.

Casa Gelato. 208 flavors including lavender, basil and Pernod, and garlic. Somehow Tikiwahine manages to choose a flavor they're out of.

Made it to Funhauser on Sunday. Trippy!

The Commie Chinese Corner.

More pics later.

It was great to meet you all. I had the bestest time ever & I'm sure going to try to get back next year if there's another event.

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2008-09-18 01:38 ]

On 2005-08-01 11:48, puamana wrote:

Buckley's!!!! Do they use it as a Mixer?

At long last, photos from my trip

Sweet Daddy Tiki!

Your journey was incredible!

Practically felt like we were along in the backseat thanks to your galleries. Everything, from Tiki air freshners to Funhauser- just perfect! MAHALO!

I'm loving all the pix in this thread- just goes to show, you can't be everywhere, but you can get glimpses of it vicarriously if enough people take enough pictures.