My new digs on the South side, Yes another Chongolian update

Time for another Chongo in paradise update! Oh boy!

It has been a while and there has been a few changes in my Hawaiian lifestyle both good and not so good... but mostly good! My new house is really sweet and for the most part get along with my new roommates. However, one of my roommates is the inconsiderate slobby dum-dum type. But I also have a cool and fun roomie who likes to cook meals together, hang out, laugh and she cleans up after herself. She was going to move back to the mainland but missed her flight and decided to stay on island. So I was stoked that I did not have to find another roommate and have to possibly live with two piggies. The landlord is pretty cool also. He has a cat named Ski who likes to comes by for a visit whenever there is fresh fish in our house.

Speaking of fish, I was given a couple Nenue (rudderfish) that were caught by a local fisherman that I had met down by the Wailua river throwing a net on the reef. When I told him I didn't know how to clean them he went into a state of disbelief. When I finally convinced him it was true that I had never cleaned a fish before he took me, a few of his fishes and a knife down to the oceans edge and gave me a seaside fish cleaning lesson. The next day back up at the house I drank a few fish smelling beers to get my nerve up then pulled the nenue out of the cooler then cleaned and gutted them fishes all by myself. That night the cat and I ate fresh grilled fish! Awesome!

I was so proud of myself that I took a picture of my handy work cookin' on the BBQ. The bad news is that a large part of my digital life over the last 3 months was lost when I fried my laptop a few weeks ago. A series of circumstances, all which could of been avoided if I was using my brain, had converged leaving the death of my laptop as a result of their collision. Picture in your mind me driving my van with a full cup of coffee in a wobbly cup holder half filled with loose change. Next imagine a cell phone in one of my hands and an unzipped briefcase with my lap top sitting inside with the DVD slot staring upward. Now envision a twisty tropical road that I had never been on before. Well I probably don't need to tell you that I hit a turn, the coffee cup tipped over and drained into my briefcase and soaked my laptop. I took it to a Mac specialist but there was nothing they could do for it. I am still trying to get the data off but so far it does not look good. This unfortunate accident has limited my ability to get online, put an end to my podcasts and chongovision, and will hamper my internet shenanigans. I am still going to be online from time to time but in lurk mode for a little while.

There is a bright side however, I now spend less time in front of a computer and more time outside surfin', exploring Kauai and having fun goofing off. Also, it has given me the excuse I need to regroup and focus more on my art and creative endeavors as well as get caught up on a few things. I have decided to shutdown my website Lost-isle.com and use my blog and social networking sites to keep an online presence. I will replace my laptop eventually but for now I think its time to buy a new toy instead... like a stand up paddle board, or a little sail boat, maybe a dirt bike or quad. Shootz, I may even go out and buy a fishing pole. yee haw!

So all is good for the most part Losing my beloved lap top was the worst thing to happen to me since I got here so I am still in good spirits and try not to bum out to much about the loss and my carelessness. So thats about it for now, hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the return of spring time.

Aloha Nui Loa,
Chongolio

Myspace
Barefoot bloggin'

[ Edited by: Chongolio 2008-09-27 19:49 ]

Oh, Chongo, my little monkey-boy! That sux...three MONTHS of work!. There has got to be someone on the island to can retrieve the info from said fried compooter. I'll keep sending good vibrations your way. :)

~T

Don't sweat it Chongo. It sucks for sure to lose all of you work and personal data but for every door that closes a window opens... You got the right idea about reinvesting your scratch in a new toy of the outdoors variety!
Aloha man,
:tiki:

Belive it or Not?? I am still jelious of you my bro!!! New toys sounds like fun!!

Heck with toys. Jealous of his life after reading that.

On 2008-03-25 15:15, The Sperm Whale wrote:
New toys sounds like fun!!

I have heard of those Polynesian toys.
Hopefully not the same.

Darn those Hawaiian roads! But, your right, time to move forward! You are a MAJOR talent - and the good thing about being a MAJOR talent, is you can create MORE great stuff to replace any that was lost.

How 'bout an update Chingolinga?

On 2008-06-16 09:30, Daves Not Home wrote:
How 'bout an update Chingolinga?

Ask and you shall receive my friend. Thanks for the interest and here you go:

Well last month on May 15 the one anniversary of my move to an island in the South Pacific quietly came and went without much fanfare or hoopla. I did reflect quite a bit on the last year and where the adventure has led and I am still very thankful for getting this chance to experience life on Kauai. There has been plenty of ups and downs as days move forward. I have had lots of graphic design work come my way and have been putting in long hours working at the silkscreen shop. But I am grateful to have work doing something I enjoy (most of the time) and also allows me to meet some interesting people from time to time. I have also been working on getting my art and t-shirt designs together which I hope to start selling in shops and fairs around the island.

There have been times of loneliness and sadness like when I received the news that my friend Geno had passed away and I did not get the chance to say goodbye and I will never see him or play our ukuleles together again. There was also a very scary incident with a friend of mine who I surf with at Kalapaki beach. He was knocked unconscious in the water and nearly drowned right in front of a group of us who surf together frequently. Fortunately we were all there to help in some way or another to save his life. He will be alright but it will be sometime before he is well enough to return to the water because of the amount of water he took into his lungs. He is a great guy and one of the first people I had met when I got here. All his friends and family are very thankful that he is still with us, but nobody really knows exactly what had happen because no one saw it happen and he has no memory of it either.

Some of the holidays can also make me feel very far away from the people I love and can be a little rough too, but I know this is where I choose to be because I really appreciate the beauty and lifestyle that the folks who live here get to enjoy every day. I still try to start my day early on my surfboard or the stand up paddle board before I go into the shop which will always is a fantastic way to begin a workday. Also, I recently bought a new army green 3 speed beach cruiser and have been riding the bike paths and getting into the nooks and crannies of Kapa'a on the weekends and after work. I have been telling myself to try to eating at a new restaurant on each payday but have yet to do it. I actually have been cooking a lot more for myself and have been reading and trying new asian recipes from cookbooks I have been checking out with my new library card.

My housing situation is still on shaky ground because of unsteady roommates. I now have a kid from Missouri living with us until he completes an internship in September. A nice kid but soaking wet behind the ears and I don't think has spent much time away from home. My other roommate,a 23 year old girl who I originally moved in with at the start of the year, continues to keeps going back and forth about moving back to the mainland for one reason or another. At this point I am tired of dealing with the constant search for stable people to live with and the unstability. So I will continue my search for another place to call home where I don't have to deal with two other people, an always present landlord and all their associated poop.

So thats about it for now, For the most part all is good and I am very happy. I am just trying to stay positive when the going get a bit difficult and feel grattitude for all the awesome things that life has given to me. I hope everybody is enjoying and loving their lives as much as I am mine.

Aloha to the max!

Pushing happy banana-vibes your way, monkey boy.

:)

Sounds like life is pretty good over there. I for one am very happy to hear it. Anytime those little things get you down just take a look at the mainland news, look out your window and repeat "I am as close to paradise as anyone will ever be lucky enough to get." If this doesn't work, call me up and I'll hit you with an Irish joke and reminisce about "Buttermilk and Bacon."
Take care over there.
Cheers.

Mahalo for the interest, comments and emails. It had been a trip to say the least but wouldn't have it any other way, I really miss all you freaks and look forward to the next time we can get together, talk story and share some laughs. I am sorry if I have not gotten back to everyone who wrote, I have just been so busy with living life and being internet challenged.

At this point I am giving notice at my current place and probably going to move into my own studio (with an internet connection!). I have found a place on the south side that is way cool and chock full of tropical beauty and tiki goodness. I will keep you posted as things move along.

Thanks again for the friendship and aloha,
Chongolio

Good luck in the housing sitch...and thanks for the upate in paradise!

This Chongolian update comes to you from California. Yes I am back on the mainland for a couple weeks for my cousin Leah's wedding in Northern California and an art show at Forbidden Island in Alameda tomorrow. It has been another interesting few months over on the Garden Isle for me, with more housing changes, adventures with old friends and plenty of new experiences. I am still working at the silkscreen shop but now only part time for the most part and taking on more side projects as an illustrator and graphic designer. All the while still creating my own t-shirt designs, paintings and drawings. I printed the first batch of my "Moa Kane Coffee" t-shirts the day I left for California and have a box stuffed with t-shirts and artwork that I will be selling this Sunday. If interested you can read more at The Forbidden Island website.

In the middle of July I decided to move out of the house in Kapahi and have been living out of my office at the silkscreen shop over most the summer. It got to the point where I was going to have to find two new roommates in a house that I was already less than thrilled about staying in any longer. So I packed up all my stuff and set out to find a studio where I didn't have to deal with roommates any longer. It didn't take long to find a sweet ohana studio that I will be moving into once I return back to Kauai in a few weeks. My new place is located in an area called Omao, which is on the south side of Kauai near Poipu. I will have my own studio on a very private piece of property and I will be renting from a very cool and nice lady who lives in the main house. The studio has a kitchenette, but I will also have access too the full kitchen in the main house. I am really stoked, the property is tropical, quiet, private and in a really neat part of the island. Also, I already know several of my new neighbors from surfing at Kalapaki.

This summer was really memorable and I was treated to several visits from some of my best friends from different eras of my life; all the way from high school to college to the tiki scene. Each visit was a blast and I was able to share and enjoy the company of good friends while experiencing a few things on Kauai that I had not yet seen or done. I spent fourth of July and surfed with my ol buddy Rudy Drat who came out wih his wife Tika and their charmin' little girl Audrey. Our friend Lulu and her daughter Julia who live on Kauai, but had yet to connect with since I moved here, also joined us in the festivities. I also got to hang out with my buddy Dana a.k.a Feedback Black who became one of my best friends when I lived in Santa Barbara in the late eighties. We road tripped around the island, surfed the longest left break in the Hawaiian island chain called Pakalas, paddled Hanalei river on stand up paddle boards, took a cruise around the Hanalei bay in his friend's boat and I was introduced to a bunch of great folks who Dana knew from his home town of Newport Beach. It was really cool to surf with my bro's who I haven't seen in many years. Another friend of mine Crazy Al was out here too. Al is an insane artist I know form the tiki scene who was out here working on a tiki carving commission at an amazing house in Kiluea on the north shore. When he wasn't busy working on the tiki we were able to do some snorkeling at Tunnels beach, catch a killer jazz band in Princeville and knock back a few drinks and listen to more live music at the Tahiti Nui in Hanalei. Here is a link to a video on Youtube that I had put together of him carvin' away. I also had a wonderful dinner at Duke's in Lihue with The Mai Kai Gents's Iuka Grogg, The Mysterious Mrs. Mauna Loa and there beautiful baby daughter Talula. Later that night I was able to meet up with Mano from the Conga Lounge and have a beer by the poolside and meet his wife Carolyn and their boys.

Other awesome news... Thanks to the unbelievable generosity of my Grandma Nina, who I owe much of my creativity and inspiration too, I was able to purchase a new Macbook Pro Lap top and get back up to speed with my internet shenanigans. A lot of really cool stuff has emerged in the short time that I have been technologically challenged so I been wasting time (or keeping busy if you will) with checking out all the cool new social networking and just plain old fun web sites. Some of my recent favorites include:

Tumbler

Deviantart

Twitter

12seconds

flickaday

blip.fm

And once again I have started again posting pictures, recent artwork and updates of my Hawaii experience on my blog Barefoot Bloggin'

So if you have a penchant for maniacal monkeyism check me out on the intertubes.

I have also been giving a lot of thought to starting up my Coconut Wired episodes in a new format that utilizes some of the new technology that has emerged. If anybody is interested in sponsoring, contributing content or ideas let me know.

Well... it's gonna be a whole new trip for me once I return to the islands, I will be in a new home, aggressively pursuing my art and graphic design projects, surfing new breaks and continuing the exploration of my island home, so stay tuned for more pictures and updates as I get situated and dialed in on the south side.

Aloha nui loa,
Chongolio

Chongolio.com
Stoke & Flow
Barefoot Bloggin'

[ Edited by: chongolio 2008-09-15 08:37 ]

Ok so I am back on island after a short vacation in California and have all my stuffs moved into my new hut. A few more dials to tweak but for the most part I am all moved in over on the south side of Kauai in Koloa Town. Here are a few shots of my new monkey shack.

Da front doors

Side shot of the back Lanai

Lookin' da other way

Da view out da back door

Lookin out the back from inside my room. Check out my new Honu from Lake Surfer above the door. Other art on my wall include the likes of Little Lost Tiki and Tiki Racer.

The shower (outdoor kine) and my bathroom in the main house a short jaunt across the lawn

A neighborly welcome note. How nice and well.... Neighborly!!

So come visit already and why not?

the monkeyhut looks peaceful what a beautiful home!

we'll see you in November! we'll be on Kauai for a week ~

Wow, :D this is a great looking retreat. You are so lucky and that view out of your door, I would love to wake up to that everyday.. I'm coming for a visit so keep the light on.. More please..

Nice diggs! Looks like a perfect little retreat.

Dogbytes_ I am looking forward to November's visit. We will have to go out to dinner some place cool.

Tikipaka- Come on out I will be here with drinks waiting.

Matt -Why aren't you on a plane yet? Whassup??!!

OK NOt trying to rub it in but yesterday I sat on the lanai while drinking a few beers and marveled further at the incredible ambiance as rain lightly fell and the sun set. I had to take a few more pics.

Lookin' up

Spider Lilies I am pretty sure.

Rainy leaf

Tree line at sunset

More trees off the lanai

Wow, more beautiful pictures and I've always dreamed of going to a place like this. And I'm still dreaming. :lol: But thanks for the offer. If I ever come into the big bucks, I'm looking you up.

DA KINE Bruddah' C, da kine!
Aloha,
:tiki:

Thanks for rubbing it in. It looks cool.

A little slice of paradise Randy.

Your trials and tribulations of the past have lead you to this great cozy place!

Congrats, and enjoy!

The paddler has a nice home in Hale Nalu... mahalo!

Almost time for a Chongolio Springy update!

Aloha Dave, I am workin on it. The next update will include video and tunes. I been really busy with lots of changes going on constantly, but it's all gonna work out. Glad you haven't forgotten about your ol buddy Chongo.

yeah fool, how ya doing?
sometimes we worry about you.
we don't want you to run outta bananas.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Hey Randy!
Can we ship jeff BTD to your island?
He really gets on our nerves here in SoCal....

On 2009-03-09 15:40, little lost tiki wrote:
Hey Randy!
Can we ship jeff BTD to your island?
He really gets on our nerves here in SoCal....

LLT- no have da Pioneer Chicken kine on island. da poor boy would stay all hungry unless he catch wun chicken for eat.

Dang Nabbit!

bwahahaha
you funny like a Bob hope round eye.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-03-09 19:15 ]