12 Haziran 2012 Salı

Cruise Ships in Hawaii

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Carnival Spirit in Honolulu

Carnival lines cruise ship "Carnival Spirit" sailed into town this morning for a 3-day stay in Hawaii. The cruise ship is a regular visitor to the islands at this time of the year as its cruise itinerary brings it to the islands.

It was a special treat to be up early this morning to catch not only the "Carnival Spirit" but the weekly port call of Hawaii's only cruise ship, NCL's "Pride of America". The early morning sunlight was great to get several good shots of these "floating hotels".

The cruise ship business is good for Hawaii's economy as boat loads of tourists visit the various island ports and spend their money here.

Carnival Spirit in Honolulu

Two photos above: The Carnival Spirit. Photo below: NCL's Pride of America.

NCL Pride of America

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Carnival Cruise Ship Stuck

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101109-N-1240O-213, originally uploaded by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan has come to the aid of this stranded cruise ship. From the U.S. Pacific Command Flickr photo stream:

"PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 9, 2010) The Carnival cruise ship C/V Splendor sits adrift approximately 150 nautical miles southwest of San Diego. The ship lost propulsion and electrical power following an engine room fire. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) was diverted from its current training maneuvers at the direction of Commander U.S. Third Fleet, and at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard, to facilitate the delivery of 4,500 pounds of supplies to the cruise ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erin L. Oberholtzer/Released)"

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to spend a day aboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. They can handle any mission assigned to them, even aiding a stranded civilian ship. Cool.

Hawaii Politics 2011

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It's a new year and it's politics as usual in Hawaii. The Democrats now control everything. The Legislature, Governor's office, 4 Congressional seats, most of the Honolulu City Council, 3 of 4 County mayorships (it is questionable what party if any the current Honolulu mayor belongs to)... So it is very bad for the taxpayers as Democrats advance liberal policies such as more taxes, more spending, left wing socialistic policies, and gay marriage. Hawaii is tanking. Not good.

Photos from the Big Island - August 2011

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Haven't posted much in here lately. So I figure I might as well put something new in.. hence this slide show of Big Island photos from August 2011. I'm still actively taking pictures... I just don't update this blog as much as my other ones. You can catch most all of my photos at my Flickr.com website:

Mel's Flickr Photos


Honokaa Sunset MemoryQueen Liliuokalani GardensHawaiian Airlines N486HA

All photos in this post taken on the Big Island of Hawaii,mostly with my Canon S5 iS camera. Some were also taken with the Apple iPod Touch. All photos are copyrighted to Melvin Ah Ching Productions. All rights reserved. Not for re-publication without permission from the author/publisher.

And In the End....

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I have decided to end updates to this blog. As of this posting, Mel's Internet Universe Flickr Blog has come to an end. There will be no further updates after this post.

The blog will remain as long as Blogger remains.

I will continue my Flickr photo account. You can look at all of my Flickr photos in various sets at my Flickr page or return to this page and watch the first few frames of the slideshow above. This slideshow features every single photo that I have publicly published to Flickr. As of this post, more than 9,700 photos are available for viewing. It would take you forever to see them all. Don't.

In addition to the slideshow, the thumbnail picture row at the top will always be automatically updated to show the 10 latest photos. The thumbnail picture column to the right will also display updated photos. So not all is lost with the closing of this blog. It lives.

Future posts regarding Flickr photos, sets, galleries and more will from now on be rolled into my main blog, The Hawaii Files. You can link to the Hawaii Files here:

  • The Hawaii Files
  • The Hawaii Files (alternate URL)

Have fun and visit my blog at The Hawaii Files. Aloha!

6 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba

Americanized Chinese Food

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When I was around 7-12, I didn't mind eating Americanized Chinese food a lot. Whenever my parents felt like eating out, it would be at one of those American Chinese restaurants and of course my parents were the ones who had the opportunity to order the food. However, they did order us kid our favorites--chow mein, chow fun, and fried rice. Me and my siblings would devour a plate of one of those dishes really quickly.

As the years passed, me and my siblings began to get tired of those type of dishes and Chinese food. We got tired of it because we ate it too often. We got tired of it because we are surrounded by relatives or friends who were chefs of Americanized Chinese food. We were tired of it because we had to serve customers the food for several years. It no longer seemed as appetizing as it was when we were kids. Although we do each have a preference of which dishes we prefer. I prefer salt baked shrimp & honey walnut shrimp. However, whenever I find myself eating one of the dishes I just don't have the same excitement anymore. I just eat the food because I'm hungry, not because I ever crave it.

So, today, I don't find myself going out to eat at Chinese restaurants that often. When friends ask where I want to eat, it mostly likely won't be at a Chinese restaurant. The reason is because I want something that I cannot get through family or friends. Sometimes food can be like home for some people. If you don't go out a lot and usually eat family cooked food, then you will be most likely used to certain foods. And, when you try new foods, flavors, or hot foods, you may be exposed to new levels and places you're taste buds haven't been exposed to yet, which is outside your boundaries. I've always been a fan of trying new foods. Because of my curiosity and openness to try new foods, I've discovered fantastic eateries and dishes. And, I like that I'm always seeking food adventures, as well as getting to know what cities have to offer.

Krush Burger

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Food trucks are getting more popular in Sacramento and other areas in California. There are food truck events that occur occasionally. Also, there are food trucks that like to stop at different places in the city. Krush Burger, Drewski's, Shalah's are a couple of food trucks that come to my mind right away. Although I have yet to try Drewski's, I did try Krush Burger a few weeks ago.


It was a couple of weeks ago when I noticed the hashtag for #sacburgermonth. I, then, checked it out and decided to go to Krush Burger that weekend. Krush burger was at Caesar's Chavez Park in Sacramento. I think the event was Concerts in the Park and there were other food trucks there. Also, I think budweiser was sponsoring the event, so there was a lot of alcohol consumption in the park.


Before I ordered, I checked out Krush Burger online and I liked that they had mini burgers. I also like that they had flavors that were not the usual I can get from anywhere else. I decided to order three of their mini burgers to share with my sisters. I ordered the Original, Philly, and the Cowbell. The burger was better than I expected. I noticed from the menu online that the burger had grilled onions and I was going to take it off my burger, but I didn't feel the onions in my burger or I was just okay with it in my burger. Usually, the onions would be so noticeable or unpleasing that I wanted to take them off. I think their fries were okay, not that special. I think I should have ordered tater tots instead since I haven't had them in a while and because burger places don't usually offer tater tots.