All for Uke

[tikistitch]

We have many reactions to the new stuffs we receive in the mail.

There's the world-famous SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Or ::bounce:: ::bounce:: ::bounce::

And sometimes Tee-hee!

But this one is a definite, hushed but respectful, "OOOOOOoooOOOoOOooOOooOOOOooo."





And, opening the special Lilo & Stitch logo carton....



'Tis neatness, ne?



The official Lilo & Stitch ukulele!



Limited to an edition of 626! ('Cause Stitch was Experiment 626--get it?)

But that's not all!!!



Yup, you also get the limited edition Lilo & Stitch ukelele t-shirt!!!



For wearing. Or keeping respectfully encased in plastic shrinkwrap. If you're weird. Like us.



So if you'd like to see us today, sorry but, we're busy.

Comments

[sarahpolk.livejournal.com]

OK, I think I am going to cry.

.::cry::.

See, I was born in Japan, and grew up in Hawaii. When people ask me why I like Stitch so much and I go to explain why, I start to cry. You know why? Because the folks responsible for the movie were so sensitive and mindful to portray Hawaii correctly, and they got everything just right -- the hula, the music, even the casting of Tia Carrera and Jason Scott Lee (who went to my high school alma mater, BTW; he is a pipsqueak freshman in my senior yearbook). Add to that, the story of being lost and isolated, then being adopted by a calabash family -- that is a very Hawaiian story (the traditional Hawaiian culture is full of extended family, foster and adoptions).

So when I see Stitch stuff, I get all melty-hearted. But when I see Stitch stuff that's got a direct Hawaiian reference, well...

Like I said, I'm going to cry.

I wish I'd known about this one.

But you know one thing I didn't spend the $1,500 on? The L&S surfboard. I really wanted one but I didn't want to spend that much. Because that's too much for ANY surfboard, even one I wouldn't ride on. Well, much less ride on; it would be too precious to rub wax on.

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

handing over tissue

I will now play my new song, entitled, "Aloha, Stitch! Aloha, bank account!"

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's amazing! I love how Stitch is leaning on the ... the ... the whatsit.

The museum I used to work at had an ever-growing uke band made of various staff members. (I think the guy who started it came from Hawai'i--there are a LOT of people from Hawai'i, Guam, etc. out here. In the last 6 months there has been an explosion in Hawai'ian bbq places, too. Like, it went from "I hear there's one in San Francisco, and maybe the next town over" to "there are four in my town and they're building more!" weird.)

Uh, where was I?

[sarahpolk.livejournal.com]

1) The part you're talking about is the bridge.

2) The BBQ place you're talking about is L & L Drive-Inn. And yes, they've recently started opening shops in California. There's quite a few now, and they go by "Hawaiian BBQ" although technically it's not "Hawaiian," it's "Hawaii-style." There's NOTHING remotely "Hawaiian" about chicken katsu (deep-fried boneless chicken cutlet) or scoops of macaroni salad. That's all stuff that became a local staple brought together from different cultures that made Hawaii their home.

L&L is pretty good, BUT their chicken katsu sauce is *NOT* authentic. It's almost a kind of funky sweet and sour sauce, and I think L&L thinks it has some sort of original sauce for the dish. I think it's pretty bleaugh. Too sweet. REAL chicken katsu sauce is a mix of ketchup, worcestershire, and some other stuff. It's much closer to BBQ sauce, which actually works, if you have some.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

It's not just L&L; there are a ton of others. Though I hear L&L is the best. And yeah, believe me, I can see the Middle American, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese influences on the menu. *G* Plus Portuguese, Filipino, etc. if you're at a place like Tita's with a bigger menu (see below).

I really like Japanese tonkatsu sauce, if Hawai'ian katsu sauce is the same as Japanese. I don't think I would like sweet-and-sour-type sauce on katsu, but I can buy bottles of tonkatsu sauce. ;D

I haven't tried L&L yet because they're still building the one on my town. Some other chains got here first. I have eaten at what's widely regarded as the best one in NorCal, but it's a stand-alone called Tita's Hale 'Aina, which was recommended by friends who used to live there. It was several steps above the chains, for sure. Obviously I wouldn't know from authenticity but in terms of taste...

Man, I just finished breakfast and I'm already hungry. ;D

[sarahpolk.livejournal.com]

I really like Japanese tonkatsu sauce, if Hawai'ian katsu sauce is the same as Japanese. I don't think I would like sweet-and-sour-type sauce on katsu, but I can buy bottles of tonkatsu sauce. ;D

Nope; Japanese tonkatsu (pork cutlet) sauce is basically "oostah soosu" -- an odd name since it's basically called "Worstershire sauce" but it tastes nothing like it.

Nope; Hawaiian chicken katsu sauce is much more like BBQ sauce. Not at all dark. Way closer to ketchup.

[meekorouse.livejournal.com]

geez.. you all are making me hungry!!!!!!!! Bay Area isn't the only place with a lot of places.. we have about 3places right around our apt complex here in Anaheim.. Sean & I went to L&L the other day and split an order of chicken katsu.. It came with soooo much meat & 2cups of rice and a cup of macoroni salad.. Even after I had some of the meat & 1cup of the rice about.. I was full.. good stuff!!!! *yum*

omg I want katsu now.. thanks.. (although there is another place that allows you to choose your sides so you don't have to have all the starch.. which is my only frustration with many of the Hawaiian BBQ places..)

[sarahpolk.livejournal.com]

Do they still sell mini plates with half the portions?

[sarahpolk.livejournal.com]

Tita's is the one in San Francisco, yes? They aren't bad. But the main problem with Tita's is that their menu, although "Hawaiian," is too healthy. It's like high-end snooty food. Bwahahaha -- It's what you go out and have a dinner out there with. Not ordinary peon commoner food, the "Hawaiian plate lunch"

Here, go take a look at this listing of O`ahu plate lunch places.

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's amazing! I love how Stitch is leaning on the ... the ... the whatsit.

Hee. Yeah, me too.

Hawaiian BBQ? Where!?!

Oh yeah. I'm in Seattle not SF. Poopy!

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

If it's popping up all over here I bet Seattle's not far behind! Quality varies, of course, but at least one of the chains spreading here (L&L) is supposed to be very good, and I thought Ohana (hee) was decent.

You're in the best location for Hawaiian food!

[(Anonymous)]

You MUST try the "Kauai Family Restaurant" in SoDo... THEY ARE THE BEST EVER.
A new one just opened up in Wallingford but I have yet to try it.

Re: You're in the best location for Hawaiian food!

[(Anonymous)]

forgot a link to their website:
http://www.kauaifamilyrestaurant.com/

Re: You're in the best location for Hawaiian food!

[(Anonymous)]

The one in Wallingford isn't quite as good. There's one called North Shore that is near Holman Rd and there is the one in between the U district and Northgate that is owned by the bad guy from one of the Karate Kid movies which are pretty good, but nothing tops the Kauai Family Restaurant! Mmmm... Loco Moco...

Re: You're in the best location for Hawaiian food!

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

We'll check it out! We're always looking for new restaurants.

[blythou.livejournal.com]

Aaaaahhhh ! Another thing to drool over... Know what ? You made me go to the Paris Disney Store yesterday to check out what was on offer Stitch-wise. Not that much but still a couple of plushies I'll buy next time I go there. The place was packed and I didn't have the patience to stand in line with a bunch of hysterical mothers trying to destroy my shoes with their prams !

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Oooo, yeah, sweetie, please be careful of kamikaze moms with strollers! I almost got run over by a couple of them at Comic Con.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

If I had that, I would totally start ukelele lessons. 'Cause, dayamn.

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I am sorely tempted, but severly tone deaf.

Hand over the uke and no one gets hurt!

[nitasee.livejournal.com]

(I actually learned to play the ukelele as a kid. Sad, innit?)

Re: Hand over the uke and no one gets hurt!

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

No, that's awesome! George Harrison collected ukuleles. Ukes are kewl.

Re: Hand over the uke and no one gets hurt!

[keeper1st.livejournal.com]

Old thread, but you just showed it to me, so... there.

Many of the old British rockers can play or are fans of the ukulele, but more the banjo-ukulele than the Hawaiian ukulele. In fact, in Britain, the word "ukulele" on its own refers specifically to the banjo-ukulele. This is because of the immense popularity of George Formby. He was a mega star, but never was known in the U.S. An American company offered him a Hollywood movie opportunity during the war (he did make films in the UK), but he turned it down in favor of visiting British troops.

Formby's comical character and songs are the reason there's a certain light-heartedness about '60s British rock.

And of course, Ian Whitcomb had a top-10 Billboard hit in 1964, but quickly turned his attention to his ukuleles (he played a uke on an American rock'n'roll TV show!), his accordion and the novelty songs from the early 20th century. "My career went financially downward, but artistically upward," he says. He still performs to this day.

Re: Hand over the uke and no one gets hurt!

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I remember Ian Whitcomb. He used to host a really fun show on KROQ about a bajillion years ago.

Re: Hand over the uke and no one gets hurt!

[keeper1st.livejournal.com]

He still attends ragtime festivals (saw him just this past November) and plays gigs in Southern California (with Janet Klein sometimes, even). His radio show was on downloadable repeats for a few years, but it doesn't look like they have it anymore, but they do have Ian's radio serial "The Tufnell Tapes" available for download -- http://www.radiofreeworld.com/page9.html

He writes a lot of amusing (and quite informative as well) things on his site, http://www.ianwhitcomb.com . (Check his "Letters from Lotusland" for the writings.)

[sharpefan.livejournal.com]

OMG! That's sooo damn cute! The ugly duckling is a really cute addition.

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I like the duckie too. ^_^

[animejump.livejournal.com]

I have two questions:
1.) WHERE
2.) HOW MUCH

It's probably far too much, but I can dream. I've been playing the uke since March, it's a wonderful instrument.

Anyway, I mentioned your toy site on my site about a million years ago. Good to see you're still chugging along, and jesus god you have a lot of Lilo & Stitch stuff. I don't even own the DVD. (I loved the film, but am terrified that as soon as I buy it, a ritzy 3-disc collector's edition will be announced.)

Anyway, I've added you to my friends list. So WATCH IT LADY!

[howlinhobbit.livejournal.com]

That one has the cute factor nailed. How does it sound?

I'm in Seattle too. You do know that Seattle is a veritable hotbed of ukulele goodness don't you?

ciao for now...

Howlin' Hobbit (www.howlinhobbit.com)
Got Uke?

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Hiya! Sorry for the lateness of this reply, I didn't have my replies emailed to me back in 2005.

I dunno how the Stitchie uke sounds for the simple reason that I don't play uke!!! Should probably take lessons at some point though, as you're right, uke lessons are readily available in this city.