| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
 Posted - 12/16/2008 : 3:37:27 PM
|
My son wanted a palaka shirt. As I haven't seen any real (true woven palaka fabric) around for quite a while. Figured I'd check the almighty internet for one to get him for Christmas.
I Google. Lo and behold, among other finds, the search returned the following Taropatch article from 2006. The last post in the thread was:
quote:
By Danny Boy.
Gilbert's Formal Wear ( go figure..) in Wailuku has choke Palaka Shirts...244-4017..I saw navy, red, black, and royal blue.
Anyway, this morning, at about 11:00-ish I called and the lady says, "Yes, but we already sold three this morning." Now I don't know if that was a come-on or not, but I boogied on down to Wailuku. When I walked in at about 1:00-ish, the lady remembered taking my call.
I checked the rack. Sure enough, true woven palaka. Not quite the heavy weight as the old Arakawas fabric, but woven, not printed. I figured I may as well get another one for me; the one I have is a custom made western style shirt. But for some unknown reason it seems to have shrunk, (Is that a word? Shrunk, shrank, shrankened... ) and will not button without extreme discomfort as well as some peek-a-boo with my piko. After going through the rack, sadly there was no navy in our size(XXL  ).
As I'm talking with the sales lady, I find out whe's the wife of the founder (who passed away years ago). We make small talk and I mention how I used to live right up the street on Vineyard in the early-50's. (Our old house is still there...) Gilbert's has been at the same spot as long as I can remember. Then she asks my name, and asks, "Your grandma used to sell flowers to Fujimoto Florist (a small flower shop right up the street)?" I say, "Yes." She says, "Ahhhh...Your mother was Harriet, yeah? I am your mother's classmate." I was TOTALLY freakin' out! My mother would be 89, and this lady was naming off my mother, my father, my mother's sister, my TutuMan...everybody (almost) in the family. We had quite a little Wailuku Town reunion right there in the store.
We continue talking and she excuses herself and walks back into a small office. I continue talking (some pocho blood showing...) with the other lady in the shop, turns out to be her sister-in-law, who is about the same age and just as sharp as Mrs. Masuoka. Mrs. Masuoka reappears, and says, "I called the maker in Honolulu, she has 2 navy blue XXL's left. They will be here tomorrow. I'll call you when they come in." I was dumb-founded as can be!
Small world island ! I don't care if she charges me $100 each. It was worth the experience.
|
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
Edited by - PoiDog on 12/16/2008 3:52:23 PM |
|
|
Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2008 : 3:53:23 PM
|
This is a _wonderful_ example of why we love living in the islands...it's small-town life, island-wide.
BTW -- we've always been able to find palaka shirts (only choices are black, dark blue, and yellow) at Sears Ala Moana. Go figgah...! |
Auntie Maria
===================
My "Aloha Kaua`i" radio show streams FREE online every Thu & Fri 7-9am (HST)
www.kkcr.org - Kaua`i Community Radio
"Like" Aloha Kauai on Facebook, for playlists and news/info about island music and musicians!
|
 |
|
|
wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2008 : 3:58:28 PM
|
got Paul genuine navy blue palaka from e-bay. There were plenty palakas shown but none in his size. Turns out the lady that makes them will do bigger sizes only for a little bit more money. It was a woven fabric desin, not printed and was nice and heavy duty.
There were some also at Na Mea Hawai`i at Ward Center, but oh my were they expensive. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
|
|
|
PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2008 : 4:04:00 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Auntie Maria
This is a _wonderful_ example of why we love living in the islands...it's small-town life, island-wide.
BTW -- we've always been able to find palaka shirts (only choices are black, dark blue, and yellow) at Sears Ala Moana. Go figgah...!
Hehe. None here on Maui at Ka`ahumanu Sears; I've seen a couple screened ones...Screened palaka print with leaves or some other garbage. I'd probably end up spending $500 (or more) to and from O`ahu. And that does not even include, "You likee buy me drinkee?" Or, worse yet posting bail. Nah, nah, nah...I dumb, but not DAT dumb!
BTW...Try ask one kupuna...They will say pluck-uh. |
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
Edited by - PoiDog on 12/16/2008 4:26:45 PM |
|
|
|
javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2008 : 12:31:02 PM
|
| Only in Hawai'i! Great story, PoiDog! Mahalo for sharing. |
Aloha,
John A. |
|
|
|
RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2008 : 4:38:37 PM
|
| When I was a kid I worked briefly (very briefly) in the pineapple fields. I remember wearing a long sleeve blue checked shirt. I bet it was Palaka. |
Bob |
|
|
|
Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2008 : 4:46:54 PM
|
Thanks for bringing it full circle by posting your experience at Taropatch.net. Cool story.
However, don't do anything you'll regret in that palaka shirt otherwise all of Wailuku will know... and perhaps Taropatch.net.  |
Andy |
|
|
|
PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2008 : 5:46:06 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Haole_Boy
When I was a kid I worked briefly (very briefly) in the pineapple fields. I remember wearing a long sleeve blue checked shirt. I bet it was Palaka.
If it was patterned like this:
woven in navy it was palaka.
When we worked in the pine fields, no palaka on Moloka`i, so we used somebodies old army fatigue shirt. I have no idea where it came from, only my Mama would know. As the harvest season wore on, you would think of ways to keep cool, and still protect your arms from the pine leaves. By the end of summer, it was a t-shirt, with legs cut off from an old pair of jeans (made real durable shorts), and safety-pinned to the sleeves. Even the goggles went by the wayside, until the luna's truck was spotted...big red dust cloud coming? Gotta be the luna. No goggles = automatic suspension. Ask me how I found THAT out!
quote:
Originally posted by Admin
Thanks for bringing it full circle by posting your experience at Taropatch.net. Cool story.
However, don't do anything you'll regret in that palaka shirt otherwise all of Wailuku will know... and perhaps Taropatch.net.
|
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
Edited by - PoiDog on 12/17/2008 5:48:12 PM |
|
|
|
guitarded
Ha`aha`a
USA
1799 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2008 : 7:29:26 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by PoiDog
quote:
Originally posted by Admin
However, don't do anything you'll regret in that palaka shirt otherwise all of Wailuku will know... and perhaps Taropatch.net.
Dass one guilty smile if I ewa saw one. |
|
|
|
Baritone
Lokahi
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2008 : 01:17:36 AM
|
Try go "Locals Only Hawaii". They stay down stairs Ala Moana, Ewa-&-makai side (Eh, Guava, dees da place I was goin get one fo you but.... Anyway, I wen get Andy one blue XXL 2 weeks ago so spaak em in April wen we come jam eastside). Get website: www.localsonlyhawaii.com for da address. I wen call Karen ova dea fo set me up with 2 XL's and 1 XXL, $48 and $52, respectively. This is the heavy material kine on which I spilt clorox (on my old one) and the bleach show this is the woven kine... Nice thing is da buggah oooo sooo soft wen I wear em afta pau wash bout 5 times. No take my word; go call em: Karen at (808) 942-1555. They wen package em and ship em to me hea in Seattle-side. Sorry, I forget the shipping charge. All done ova da phone with VISA. If they all out our-kine size (sorry, I already wen spread da word so maybe all out) give Karen (anyone, actually) your phone number. KAREN WILL CALL YOU BACK. Afta two months waiting, she DID call me back. History, now!
Herb |
Edited by - Baritone on 12/18/2008 01:38:28 AM |
|
|
|
alika207
Ha`aha`a
USA
1260 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2008 : 11:43:35 AM
|
| Wow! What a great experience that must have been! Everybody knows each other in Hawai'i Nei... |
He kehau ho'oma'ema'e ke aloha.
'Alika / Polinahe |
|
|
|
PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 07:45:49 AM
|
Friday morning (01.02.2009) @ 7:00am, my son shows up. He has with him the 2XL palaka shirt I got him for Christmas and says, "It's kinda snug..." So, now I get to keep it.
Anyway, at about 10:00am, I call Gilberts and ask if they can get a 3XL. Mrs. Masuoka says, "Oh! I hope so, I'll check my supplier in Honolulu." Yesterday at about noon, she calls me and says, "Oh! Your shirt just came in." (I get a kick how she starts every sentence with "Oh!")
Is THAT customer service, or what? |
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
Edited by - PoiDog on 01/04/2009 08:15:29 AM |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
