Author Archives: Aunty

About Aunty

Aunty is a new senior citizen and loving this phase of her life. Less responsibilities, less fear of being weird, able to do more of the things that I want to do! Older, yes, slower, yes, but life is even more wonderful in my golden years and I look forward to even goldener ones.

Owner meeting at the Ala Moana Hotel

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Ala Moana HotelAunty attended the 2017 Ala Moana Hotel Condominium Annual Meeting yesterday, very curious to hear from the new owners from the Mantra Group, and to talk story with fellow owners.  After the meeting, an Owners’ Forum is held, and following that, an after meeting party in the room next door with food, music, and drinks.

There are 1100 rooms, 90% of which are owned by people like Aunty, who rent them out using the hotel pool management (with a very steep 60% management fee).  The rest of the owners either live there, use outside property management companies or self manage/clean/book the rooms themselves.

Tip of the day

Sue Savio spoke about the insurance that the hotel provides.  We are in good hands, except she spoke about each owner’s need to contact their insurance agent and purchase HO6 insurance for our units – which will cover loss of income if a disaster causes our rooms to be unable to book.  At $175 – $200 per year, this is indeed a great piece of advice for anyone who has rental income.  Mahalo Sue!

Aunty at bat

There are 6 directors, representing apartment classes.  Five of these directors are pre-determined by the hotel owners (Mantra Group), and the only one that unit owners can vote or run for is the Hotel Apartment Class, even though the nominee for that position had also been pre-determined by the hotel.  This is very confusing to Aunty, who was edged on by Babs, her neighboring seat mate, to run for the director position.  No way did Aunty want to be a director, but Aunty was assured that even if everyone in the room voted for Aunty, she still wouldn’t get in.  It would be a testing of the controls that have been in place, so with nothing to lose except a bit of embarrassment.  Aunty accepted the nomination, did a short little introductory speech, and ran against the incumbent-already-chosen director, and lost.  Very badly.  The incumbent had 26% of the votes, Aunty had 3%.  Humble pie that didn’t taste too bad since it wasn’t something that she wanted, though the results were even more confusing.

Another owner asked for hard numbers rather than percentages.  There were about 70 owners in the room, we each had a paper ballot that had the names of the two candidates, and 3% would have represented only 2 votes for Aunty.  The presiding officer declined to give hard numbers, insisting that percentages were the only gauge to be reported and used for determination of results.  Babs was right – no one except the one pre-chosen by the board would be elected to represent the owners.  Interesting, and rather sad.

Aunty bats again

Minutes of the previous annual meeting were approved, an auditor was appointed, a resolution regarding rolling over account balances to the following year was passed, and another election for Class Committee Elections were held.  Again, committee members of 5 classes were already pre-determined and made up of directors already on the board.  The 6th class was the Hotel Apartment Class, and Aunty, Babs, and a nice young man named Kamil were nominated, and by default (3 positions and only 3 nominees) elected to the committee.

Why did Aunty run?  Not sure, but it will be an interesting year of possible frustration or revelations.  Committees have no voting power or say in hotel decisions.  We do not get paid, except maybe we are fed at the quarterly meetings.  Mantra Group could be an improvement over the old hotel owners, Outrigger.  Hopefully so.

Start with connecting

One of the elements missing with hotel unit owners is communication.  Babs has started an email/contact list and has asked that her contact info be posted on the newsletters that go out to all the owners.  Feedback, concerns, criticisms, as well as appreciation can be gathered and presented as a voice of the owners.  The owner base is a mix of local, mainland, and international people.  Some owners live in their units, some stay for a few months and then rent it out the rest of the year.  Most of us rent it out with occasional stays (that are free for us).  1000 potential new acquaintances, each with their own story.  Quite fascinating, yes?

The after the meeting  party was quite nice.  A great time to eat, drink, and meet people.  Willee of the Owner’s Relations Dept was there, the effervescent Suzanne Alawa of the AOAO,  and an old high school classmate in charge of catering, Candace Fujioka, was a surprise meet.  The food spread was just right, and as Aunty started delving into grabbing a wonderful looking mini pot pie commemorating the new Hawaii/Australia partnership (Mantra Group is based in Australia), a text from #1 daughter asked about feeding the family dog since she would be out until later.

ToshiDog comes first

Bummers, Aunty could not mingle and eat, but did manage to take home the cute little pot pie with Hawaiian and Australian flags, a bag of macadamia nuts, and a delicious little fruit tart.  It was all ono.

That and the meeting left a good taste in Aunty’s mouth and heart.  The new ownership of the Ala Moana Hotel will be good for us and good for them.  And that, as Martha Stewart likes to say, is a good thing.

 

Be Be Cream = mercury bummers

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BB1Aunty was all excited to share her age spot busting discovery (thanks to Pal Cookie/Lee) in the inexpensive pink plastic Be Be Cream from Cambodia.  Truly, it worked!  Aunty’s age spots faded to the point of wonderful – and people who got up close and touchy (face massage, hair dresser, etc.) would tell Aunty that she had beautiful skin, woo hoo!

HOWEVER, a comment from reader Yuko on a recent post about morning stretches warned about the dangers of mercury in this Be Be Cream.  She tested it and found that it contained mercury, so Aunty ordered test strips from Home-Health-Chemistry.com;  it arrived from Israel (!) today, and with trepidation, Aunty tested 2 containers of Be Be Cream – one that was from an older shipment, and one that was from a new shipment – slight packaging differences and slightly different color.

BB2BB3Such a bummer.  Both creams tested positive for mercury in the 50 ppm range (or slightly lower since it wasn’t as dark a purple as the comparison color chart that was provided.  So sad.

FDA cosmetic regulations on mercury were as follows:  Mercury compounds. Mercury compounds are readily absorbed through the skin on topical application and tend to accumulate in the body. They may cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or neurotoxic problems. The use of mercury compounds in cosmetics is limited to eye area products at no more than 65 parts per million (0.0065 percent) of mercury calculated as the metal and is permitted only if no other effective and safe preservative is available. All other cosmetics containing mercury are adulterated and subject to regulatory action unless it occurs in a trace amount of less than 1 part per million (0.0001 percent) calculated as the metal and its presence is unavoidable under conditions of good manufacturing practice (21 CFR 700.13)  What does that mean – eye are products are okay at 65 ppm, but all else is 1 ppm?

More about Mercury poisoning

The FDA also has a page about Mercury in skin care products.  It is easily absorbed into the body by the skin and an absolute no-no for pregnant women or children.  Signs and Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning include:

  • irritability
  • shyness
  • tremors
  • changes in vision or hearing
  • memory problems
  • depression
  • numbness and tingling in hands, feet or around mouth

An international watchdog also seized products that were being sold as skin whitening from various stores in the Philippines and some of these had shockingly high ppm numbers (parts per million) ranging in the thousands!

Let the Buyer Beware

Aunty remembers playing with liquid mercury as a child in science class.  The silver colored element was fascinating, breaking into little balls that could be joined together into a bigger blob that gleamed and rolled around in our hands.  Aunty also eats a LOT of raw fish and has a silver filling that is covered with a gold crown that will be soon replaced.  Flu vaccines for adults supposedly have a form of mercury used as a preservative.

Some readers have decided to purchase Be Be Cream online and have loved the results.  Aunty also loves the results and is now in a dilemma.  Stop using and get back the age spots on her face?  Or, continue to use and do heavy metal elimination every so often?  What do you think?

How to detox mercury

Reader Yuko did a natural detox method over a period of 40 days of morning shakes.

Aunty will do EDTA chelation at her doctor’s office (Dr. Takemoto-Gentile), though not solely because of the Be Be Cream.

Google searching health websites about mercury detoxification mentioned cilantro as a natural agent (also known as Chinese parsley).  Here is a rather good article about what to do:  How to Detox from Heavy Metals and Mercury.

Ah, the things we do for beauty

Yuko’s comment was a wake up call that Aunty really didn’t want.  Apologies to readers that got as excited as Aunty and purchased this wonder cream.  and Mahalo to Yuko.

The price we pay for beauty can be very high.  It’s just too bad that old faces with splotchy age spots aren’t “in”.  Aunty has some thinking to do.

 

Your magic number for retirement

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Must do Homework!

Must do Homework!

Michael Ford of the Palm Beach Letter (highly recommended) recently covered figuring out your magic number for retirement.  Aunty likes to live comfortably – but it doesn’t just happen.  Most people fall into 2 categories when it comes to figuring out their retirement needs:  1) procrastinators – those that put off or don’t really want to face what will be, and 2) pluckers – those that just pluck numbers out of thin air, making guesses.  Aunty admits to being a plucker AND a procrastinator, but has since learned to do her homework.

Want to know your magic number? – that target figure that you will need to have in order to retire the way that you would like?   This is the dollar figure of your investment/retirement account that will generate enough to replace your active (paycheck)  income and pay for your expenses, continuously.  Here are the rather simple steps:

Step 1 – Find your Lifestyle Burn Rate (LBR)

This is easy to do – calculate how much you are spending right now to live each year.  [Aunty has Quickbooks “companies” for her business/investments as well as one for personal accounts.  Quickbooks takes time to learn and input, but once done, it is SO convenient for accounting, taxes, and these kind of reports.]

It is easier if you group expenses into 3 basic categories: housing (mortgage, maintenance, taxes), basic living (food, clothing, health expenses), and entertainment (includes travel).  Charity and education could also be 2 additional categories if you have expenses in those areas.

Add up all your expenses for each of these for the entire year (use last year’s figures) – this total will be your current Lifetime Burn Rate.  Do not guess.  You want to have real numbers that are true for you.  You may also be surprised at what your number(s) look like.

If you are still young and without dependents, you have a low Lifestyle Burn Rate (stage 1).  Your LBR dramatically rises after you have your first child, buy a house, pay for their education (stage 2).  Then, after the kids leave the nest (stage 3), your LBR will be at least twice what it was when you were younger and carefree, but not as much as stage 2.  If you are in stage 1 of your financial life, calculate your current LBR, and estimate for your future stages. 

Step 2 – Adjust your LBR (Lifestyle Burn Rate) with extras or deductions

To reach your Retirement Lifestyle Burn Rate (RLBR), add in those extras that you want, i.e. weekly massages, more travel, gifts to grandchildren, golf club expenses.   Then, subtract those expenses that you currently have but do not plan on having when you are retired.  These expenses could be mortgage payments if you pay off the loan in entirety by the time you retire, less education expenses if you are still paying for your child’s college, less housing payments if you downsize.

This new number, your Retirement Lifestyle number may be larger, or smaller than your current Burn Rate.

Step 3 – Adjust your RLBR (Retirement Lifestyle Burn Rate) if you have any additional sources of income

These additional sources of income could include retirement pension payments, Social Security, part time work that you plan to do, etc.  Whatever these add up to, slash the number in half (i.e. if Social Security, pension, and part time work is predicted to be $30,000 per year, divide by 2, leaving you $15,000).

After subtracting your anticipated additional sources of income from your RLBR, you will now have your Net Retirement Lifestyle Burn Rate (NRLBR).  This number is a very important number.  This is the dollar figure that you will need every year to live the lifestyle that you want when you retire.

Step 4 – What rate of return will you be getting on your savings/investments?

Hopefully you have savings or investments that generate income for you.  If you do not, start today and build up your savings and investment portfolio.  [This is the reason why Aunty took RichDad classes – even without doing this exercise of LBR, RLBR, NRLBR.  Aunty knew we were in trouble, and that we needed to generate passive income for our retirement needs.  One of the best ways, in Aunty’s opinion, is tax free with a Roth IRA.  Even better is with a checkbook Roth IRA that controls real estate, short or long term capital gains, note lending, etc.]

Calculate what you currently make on your current available funds/portfolio.  Then figure out the after tax total.  This after tax net income divided into the portfolio total value is your current rate of return on your investments/savings.   This number might be as low as .5% (YIKES!) if you have all your money in a bank savings account.  Hopefully it is much higher, with dividends from stocks paying at least 3%, real estate rental income paying out 10%, income from other investment vehicles such as notes, bonds, etc.

Be very realistic with this.  Do not make up a percentage based on what you wish you had.

Step 5 – Calculate your Magic Number

Take your NRLBR (net retirement lifestyle burn rate) that you got from Step 3 and divide it by your expected rate of return (from Step 4).

THIS is your Magic Number!  This is the amount you need in your investment/savings/portfolio.  How does it look?

If you have a lot of retirement income from your pension plan – i.e. a retired Hawaii State worker, you are in pretty good shape.  However, it might still be a good idea to have additional income from investments, don’tcha think?

 

 

5 morning stretches – so easy, and they work!

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exercisesOne of the better health newsletters that Aunty subscribes to is Live in the Now.  The articles that arrive in my inbox are daily, and quite interesting.  The sales copy of its Stop Aging Now product line which correspond to health issues are compelling.  The “deals” are enticing.  More times than not, Aunty takes the bait and orders from them.

The latest is a topical skin treatment with vitamin C that sounds very promising for Aunty’s aging skin.  Another is a product called Synergy7 – a detox formula that helps the liver function at optimal levels, which Aunty figures she needs since she is still a poor eater – choosing food for its taste rather than benefits.  So, most likely, Aunty’s liver is in need of a detox and boost.  Perhaps her “liver spots” that are in her genetic blueprint (great grandmother’s face was like a map of liver spots) will be conquered.  [Note:  the Cambodian BeBe cream is still keeping Aunty’s dark spots at bay, with occasional Nerium night cream treatments.  Mai’s Beauty Salon will be bringing the cream in for sale now!]

The latest email had a link to “5 Stretches Everyone Should Do Every Morning.”   3 of them can be done while lying on the bed, and very easy to do – lower trunk rotation, hamstring stretch, and bridging.  One of them is done while sitting, and also very easy to do – upper trapezius stretch that feels GREAT for the neck and shoulders.  The last one is done while sitting or standing – an upward reach up and to the side, holding for a few seconds while breathing in slowly, and exhaling slowly, then moving to the other side.

Aunty printed these out to follow until they can be done as an automatic thing to do in the morning upon waking up or at other times during the day while sitting at the computer.

Being a senior citizen has so many benefits, except for the loss of a youthful body and health.  As we age, we need more help and awareness of doing what is good for us, and not doing what is bad.

My wish is that we can all be well, wealthy, and happy.  Be well, dear friends and family.  Wealth and happiness to you, too.

And da winnah for Aunty’s SUV is……

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This is the first time that Aunty took so much time and effort in finding her perfect next vehicle.  Usually, it is a one stop deal for a car that catches Aunty’s fancy, and then surprising Uncle and kids with it in the driveway.

This time Aunty wanted a compact SUV that had a power lift gate, looked good, smelled good, drove well, and was quiet.  Also, it had to have a lane change assist feature that would audibly beep if a car was in the blind spot in the right lane.  Keyless entry and start, as well as a good backup camera were also on the list.  And, the price had to be affordable (see Aunty’s older post on making money work for you).

New blog pal Gigi of gigihawaii.wordpress.com asked why an SUV rather than a compact or sub-compact car.  Aunty’s latest few cars were all SUVs, and driving a little higher than other vehicles on the road was something that Aunty was used to.

Each and every compact SUV that Aunty visited or tried out had excellent points, but none of them had everything that Aunty wanted.  It came down to three final choices.  The awesome foot waving power lift gating Ford Escape, the head turning super cute technology laden Honda HRV, and the super quiet Mazda CX-5 underdog with bells and whistles.

Aunty went back to see cute Leo Kim at Cutter Mazda for her third (!) visit.  Earlier, Mazda super salesman Wayne Hurst had given Aunty an earful about CVT transmissions (Honda), had a few choice words about Fords, and then had Aunty check out how easy and smooth the tail gate on the Mazda was.  It was indeed very smooth, almost luxuriously smooth, and much easier than her current Subaru Crosstrek.

Leo ran circles around the lot and put Aunty in the drivers seat in 5 different CXs before Aunty finally decided – BAM! – she wanted the red 2016.5 Mazda Touring CX-5 with a cream cloth interior even if it did not have a power lift gate.  Aunty would be leasing for 3 years.

IMG_1339It didn’t have a power lift gate, so wasn’t perfect, but maybe in 3 years (when the lease ends) there will be the absolute perfect car for Aunty.  Actually, the Mazda CX-3 would have been the one if Aunty were 40 years younger because it had the most luxurious smell good, feel good, look good interior with a very sporty feel and drive.  It is lower in price and size from the the CX-5 but has all the bells and whistles and is a real head turner.  The only drawback was the very small cargo space with the seats up.

Aunty met up with managers Matt Wong, Chico Ramos, and finance manager Jess Hong to close the deal.  It was quite surprising how easy it was to negotiate with the Mazda team – after the first sticker shock price sheet came in, to reaching a number that Aunty felt very comfortable with, and signing page after page with Jess in his warm (the rest of the building was freezing cold) office.  Meanwhile, cute salesman Leo is practically jumping up and down with happiness for Aunty’s new toy.

Aunty drove off (actually it was just around the block) to take possession of her good smelling, good looking, quiet, powerful, keyless entry and start safe car with audible lane change assist and fantastic back up camera.  An added bonus was an audible cross traffic alert that could sense cars coming while reversing out of driveways and parking spots.  And, it was a gorgeous shade of screaming red that makes Aunty flaunt and want to laugh out loud, “Moooohahahahaha!”

Aunty can’t wait to drive it around town, back it out of driveways with confidence, and glide in peace and comfort.  If you do see Aunty flashing around town in her bright red Mazda CX-5, give a shaka and a wave.

The quest is over, Aunty is happy, Moooohahahahaha!

 

Aunty’s update after 6 months:

Ho boy.  Aunty is not as happy with this vehicle because of a few things.  First off is the rather inconvenient center console “button” that controls the dashboard screen and functions.  The junkest part of it is that it takes several steps to put a playing CD in “pause”, and when the car is started up again, the default is to play automatically.  This causes problems when Aunty has passengers and has a gory part of a Stephen King CD going on.

Next is that it isn’t a very quiet car on the road.  Maybe that is Aunty’s fault for expecting quiet in a non luxury car.  Actually, it is Aunty’s fault.

No power lift gate.  Old ladies deserve power lift gates.  And you know what happened?  The next year (2017), power lift gates became available on the higher end options.  NObody told that to Aunty – who WOULD have waited a few short months because that is a very desirable feature so Aunty doesn’t have to do gymnastics while balancing a heavy box or bag and opening the back gate.

Aunty’s bad.  Sigh.  To break a lease could be quite expensive but Aunty is seriously thinking about it.  A friend just showed off her BMW X-1, her lease is less than the Mazda’s, maintenance is FREE, and it has a great foot opening power lift gate with a gorgeous interior.  Aunty used to be adamant about not getting a BMW so that prevented her from checking the X-1 out.  Ah well, life is full of lessons and surprises.  Having a quest of finding a just right car will be an ongoing adventure for Aunty.

 

Your personal & family info website, much too visible

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Short note:  Aunty will be making her compact SUV decision on Sunday.  So exciting!  Meanwhile, here is some info on preventing prying eyes:

Pal Fay and #2 daughter both sent messages on the same day about FamilyTreeNow.com.  This is a website that gathers info from who-knows-what sources and then lists your date of birth, family members, known associates, places you used to and currently live in or own.  Anyone can access this info by typing in your first and last name.

Kinda creepy.  Aunty opted out.  This is done by entering your name, city, and year of birth.  There will be a page of listing(s) of your name, city, and age.  Click on “View Details” and your personal information, relatives, properties, etc. will be listed.  At the bottom of the page, click on “Privacy” word, which will take you to the company’s privacy policies.  Scroll down to the first section “Information we collect” and click on the blue highlighted “opt out here” text is in the 3rd paragraph of that section.

This will take you to another window http://www.familytreenow.com/search/genealogy.  Enter again, your name, city, and year of birth.  This will take you to a similar page of a listing of possible “yous”.  Again, click on “View Details”.  This will again be a similar page with all of your information, with a red “X Opt Out This Record” above your name.  Clicking on this will begin the process of removing your information, which may take up to 2 days.

This does not seem to be a scam sight, but an information site that could be helpful to people looking for their lost relatives.  So far as Aunty knows, she doesn’t have lost relatives, so, no need, Aunty thinks.

There are other sites that provide personal information, and if you know of any, please make a comment below.  Aunty will want to opt out of those, too.  Aunty would rather not be found.

Compact SUV reviews- part 3

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Milton2017 Buick Encore

Lithia (who dat? don’t know) owns the Honolulu Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealership on Nimitz Highway near the airport.  Another cute young salesman greeted Aunty with a shy smile and respectful handshake.  Gordon Rivera was his name, and instantly Aunty liked him because he was not going to b.s. Aunty into buying a vehicle from him, but he was there to show Aunty what she wanted to see.

We took the rather small Buick Sport Touring Encore out for a test drive.  This car was also out of the running as Aunty’s choice because it did not have a power lift gate.  Even so, it was very cute looking, with a very nice comfortable interior and a quiet ride.  It was the smallest of all the SUVs that Aunty looked at, and reasonably priced.  However, it just wasn’t for Aunty, and when we returned to the showroom, Aunty was asked to sit and talk with one of the managers.

Hmmm.  Okay, but Aunty really wasn’t going to buy a Buick that day.  Aunty didn’t want Gordon to get into trouble, so she sat and let the manager do his spiel.  The manager was a bit pushy.  Aunty doesn’t like being pushed so was very glad when that ordeal was over.  That wasn’t the way to sell cars, in Aunty’s opinion.  Gordon’s considerate manner and respect, even though he was new to selling, was a far better way to reach and persuade Aunty than a hard push from a sales veteran.  That, and a power lift gate.

2017 Acura RDX

Aunty has a pal named Bocho who loves her Acura SUV.  Acura is Honda’s Lexus (Lexus is the high end line of Toyota).  It was a bit difficult to find the Acura of Honolulu entrance because they are under construction and the sales people are at a disadvantage without a showroom.

The RDX was the largest of the the compact SUVs that Aunty checked out, and would take a little time to get used to the bigger size.  It had a beautiful interior with a comfortable head rest.  All the bells and whistles with lane change assist, keyless entry and start, AND it had a power lift gate!

Aunty had to wait quite a while in the waiting room for a salesperson.  It must have been a very busy day or they had very few salespeople on the floor.  There was an almost chaotic feeling in the place but it disappeared once Aunty got behind the wheel of the Acura RDX, where peace and quiet followed.  This is a rather luxurious SUV, with that good leather smell and upgraded details.  The ride was smooth and quiet.  It was rather expensive, $43,000 for the model that Aunty drove.  The only flaw that Aunty found was a jumpy acceleration, and that it was a little bigger than what Aunty was used to.

Aunty was promised a quote that afternoon for one of the color combinations that she found on the lot.  The salesman’s call never came, so the Acura RDX was automatically out of the running.  Actually, if Aunty REALLY loved it, she would have pursued the salesman with a call, but more SUVs were out there to discover and find.

 

2017 Honda HR-V

GordonThis was one of the compact SUVs that would make Aunty’s head swivel around for another look whenever one passed or crossed her path.  It was a little smaller than Honda’s CR-V, which was the perfect size that Aunty was looking for.

Aunty visited Pacific Honda in Downtown Honolulu and met with Gordon Santucci.  Gordon was very knowledgeable and confident, being one of Honda’s executive sales consultants and representing one of the best car companies with the best vehicles.  He pulled out a spiffy looking white HR-V and we took it out on the freeway, up a steep hill, and back to the showroom.  Aunty was impressed and loved it.

The interior was very nice and comfortable, the ride was good, the gas mileage better than other SUVs, and it handled the steep hill without a problem.  The rear seats had a very creative way of folding up if needing “tall” space, as well as flat for conventional space.  The neatest feature was the right lane video view when the right turn blinker was engaged – no blind spot and 100% visibility of oncoming obstacles!

This would have been THE perfect choice for Aunty except it did not have a power lift gate.  Aunty returned to see Gordon again, just to check out how difficult the lift gate was to open and close.  Unfortunately, it was as difficult for Aunty as her current Subaru XV Crosstrek, so this wonderful SUV was out of the running – until they add a power lift gate one of these days.

By now, Aunty’s car buying energy was spent, and it was time to choose her next chariot.  Stay tuned, the next post will reveal da winnah!

Compact SUV reviews- part 2

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mazda32016 Mazda CX-5 (2017 not available yet)

Mazda of Honolulu is located on Ala Moana Boulevard where the go carts used to be for a short time.  A friendly young man waved as Aunty drove in to test drive a CX-5.  This was the instantly likeable Leo Kim, who was more than happy to let Aunty check out their vehicles and ask a lot of questions.  The first question was, “Does it have a power lift gate?”  Answer, “No.”  This was a bummer and at that very moment, Aunty decided that Mazda’s CX-5 was not for her.

However, because Leo seemed more than willing to help, Aunty asked if she could drive one, even if not planning to buy one.  “Sure!” Leo said, and went off to find the keys to the Grand Touring top of the line model.  We drove to the parking lot of Point Panic and even though Aunty just wanted to hop in the car and drive, Leo had to point out the key features of the vehicle.  The safety of the body, the 180º backup camera, the oncoming traffic warning, lane change assist, cargo space and hidden storage, engine stuff that only men understand, and about Mazda’s CX-5 being ranked tops in its class by somebody or other.  It was quite impressive, actually.

And then, Aunty got behind the wheel and was super impressed with how quiet the ride was, how good it smelled inside, and how well it handled and drove.  It was almost like a Lexus inside, though not quite as plush.  It was with sadness that Aunty drove back to the lot with Leo, because this vehicle did not have a power lift gate and was a teeny bit too big.  While saying our farewells, Aunty spied the zippy looking CX-3, the CX-5’s little brother.  Oooooh oooooh ooooooh, SO cute!  “Does it have a power lift gate?”  “No.”  Bummers.  Even so, Aunty told Leo that she wanted to return another day to test drive that little one.  “Sure!” said Leo.  Aunty did return a few weeks later, got to test drive the cute but too small CX-3 with Josh, and then got a little talking to by Wayne (that’s Josh, Aunty, Leo, and Wayne in the picture above).

Wayne insisted that Mazda was just about the best of the best and that the 2016 CX-5 is better looking than the 2017, etc., etc, etc.  Anywho, here is a review of it:

2017 Kia Sportage and glimpse at the Hyundai Tucson

The next stop of the day was Aloha Kia at the corner of Lagoon Drive and Nimitz Highway near the airport.  Why a Kia?  Because when Aunty asked Mazda’s Leo Kim what he thought about the Korean cars such as Kia and Hyundai, Leo said that he thought they were good cars, because he is Korean.  LOL, Aunty had to chuckle, so also had to check out at least one Korean made car.

The Sportage is just the right size with some very nice features.  The rear passenger seats can recline, lane change assist is available, and it DOES have a power lift gate!  There is a lot going on with the exterior design, it does have a very peppy look and the ride was quite alright.  The front sides of the car rose a bit like shoulder blades and were a bit of an irritant to Aunty – taking away some of the visibility while driving, but that might just be something to get used to.

Martin Kozlik was totally not pushy and easy to talk to.  He even gave Aunty a color brochure of the 2017 Sportage with nice glossy color pictures and specs and such.  It has a special braking system in case the car in front stops suddenly as well as rear cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, and rear and front park assist.  Quite nice, but it had a strong chemical smell (which will probably go away after a bit) and the head rest was irritating to Aunty because it pushed Aunty’s head forward.  Still, it had a power lift gate that automatically opens if standing behind the vehicle with the key in close proximity.  Cool!

What about Hyundais?  Martin said that they were a level above Kias, and the Tucson was the same size as the Sportage.  Hmmmm.  The Hyundai Tucson SUV was a nice looking classic compact SUV.  In fact, it looked very similiar to the Mazda CX-5, with the same or better features than the Kia Sportage.  This may be another one to look at.

2017 Ford Escape Titanium

Aunty used to really like European cars because they are beautiful and they smell good.  Like a million dollars.  They also cost a lot more and have a certain prestige of flaunting wealth.  Japanese cars are for smart practical people, and so are the new Korean cars, except for the high end ones such as Infiniti, Acura, Lexus.  And then there are the American cars, which used to be THE best when Aunty was growing up, and then they weren’t.  Maybe they deserved a chance, especially after Daniel Morisato over at Infiniti of Honolulu mentioned Ford’s leading technology and improvements.

Aunty decided to stop in at Honolulu Ford on King and Dillingham after a quick lunch at Bob’s Barbeque (yum yum).  Somehow it felt patriotic.  Buy American brand, support an American industry, give it a test drive and then decide.

Stuart Alsup greeted Aunty and was very easy to work with.  After a short stroll looking at the demos on the lot, we got into a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium model that had the ability to park itself in parallel situations as well as backing into perpendicular parking stalls!  Pretty cool feature, and very foreign feeling.  Its best feature was a power lift gate – activated by waving my foot under the gate!  THAT was really nifty and Aunty was almost ready to sign up right then and there.

We took it out for a short test drive.  The ride height was nice and high, but not so high that getting in the vehicle was difficult.  It did not have a luxurious feel, no million dollar car smell, but it was adequate.  The control panel and interior were rather nice, and it felt like a solid safe car with more technological conveniences than I could remember.  The Titanium Sports Appearance package gave the vehicle a sort of macho, hip, bully vibe that Aunty liked, with black rims and nice partial leather/trim 2 tone seats that looked really nice.

The color that Aunty loved was called Magnetic, a dark dark grey metallic that looked like it belonged on a luxury car.  This color with the Titanium Sports Appearance package was pretty awesome looking, in Aunty’s opinion.

Stuart printed out a sheet with lease option pricing for 2 or 3 years.  The price looked pretty good, but the Titanium Sports model in the Magnetic color was away in their storage lot, and Aunty would wait until she could physically see and touch it before deciding.

Meanwhile, here is a review of the 2017 Ford Escape:

 

To be continued…..

Aunty’s compact SUV reviews, part 1

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img_1539-jpgAunty has bought cars.  A lot of them, because for some reason or another, Aunty’s current vehicle becomes outdated or lacking, and then the search is on for another vehicle.

2 years ago, Aunty bought a Subaru XV Crosstrek from Jace Sadowski at Kaimuki Subaru.  It was just the right size, super cute and cool looking.  Also, it was a Subaru – known for its reliability and high resale value.  It was a smart decision, in Aunty’s opinion, the price was right, and Aunty liked how it looked – sporty, hip, young-ish.  Aunty has an antennae for good people, and Jace was a nice humble young man that really believed in the Subaru brand and went out of his way to make the deal happen.  Aunty got a Hybrid that isn’t really a hybrid (no longer available), with keyless entry and start (wonderful wonderful), roof racks thrown in, and leather upholstery.  It even answers incoming calls from the cell phone and has a nifty backup camera.

The service department across the street from the sales lot is terrific.  They do a great job, have easy scheduling, and are fast.

This 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek has been a good car, with one missing element.  A power lift gate.  Maybe not a biggie to you, but it has been an issue with Aunty, who sometimes struggles to open the back when her hands are full, and then having to reach up and push down to close, resulting in a dirty hand if the car is dirty (usually).

So, another quest began.  Finding the perfect compact SUV with a power lift gate for a very picky Aunty.  It also has to be beautiful, classy or cute, in Aunty’s eyes.  Aunty used to be in love with the gorgeous Mercedes Benz GLK, but that flame was extinguished after she was slighted by her go-to salesperson who used to be nice to her, until he wasn’t.  That Mercedes GLK had almost everything except for Uncle’s approval.  He didn’t like Mercedes vehicles because of its mechanical faults and quirks.  He was a Toyota man, through and through.  The salesman’s slight and Uncle’s bias took the gorgeous Mercedes line out of the running, this time around.

Toyota RAV 4

This would make the most sense, except Aunty gets car sick riding in Toyotas.  Isn’t that weird?  Driving a Toyota doesn’t affect Aunty that way, but Aunty wanted something a little smaller and preferred the looks of the older RAV4, so didn’t test drive the newer ones.  Here is a video of the top 10 good reasons to get a 2016 RAV4, which DOES have a power lift gate!  Hmmm.  Maybe Aunty needs some rethinking.

Infiniti QX50 and QX30

danielThese are, in Aunty’s eyes, the most beautiful of them all.  Aunty met nice Daniel Morisato at the snazzy Infiniti showroom near the airport, but did not test drive either of these gorgeous vehicles.  Neither had a power lift gate, but they had that wonderful new luxury car smell and impeccable details that would have made Aunty feel like a driving queen.  Actually, the QX50 was a little too big, and the QX30 might have fit the bill, except for the lack of a power lift gate.

The QX30 has some really good reviews by car buffs and might be worth another look in the future.  Pricey, but not as much as the Audi or Mercedes, and ranked higher for its features and performance.  Interestingly enough, Daniel used to work at a Ford dealership and suggested looking at the Ford Escape because of its advanced technology and improvements.   Hmmmmm.  That vehicle wasn’t even on Aunty’s list.

 

Audi Q3

One of Aunty’s pals raved about his Audi Q5, which was a very nice SUV that he loved more than any other vehicle he owned because of its comfort and features.  So, Aunty went over to the old Audi lot near the airport (since moved to Ward and Kapiolani) and test drove both the Q5 and the Q3, with 2 adult daughters in tow.  Because the Q3 was a smaller SUV (perfect size for Aunty), it seemed to have more power and was somehow more comfortable for the back seat daughters, or so they said.  It was nice looking, not as luxurious as I expected, but still, very nice, very quiet, and smooth driving.  For a bunch of dollars more, a power lift gate option was available!  It would have been Aunty’s next car except for a very irritating back up camera/audio/navigation display that looked like an ipad permanently fixed and protruding above the dash.  Very irritating.  Boohoo, boohoo.  This was a pretty one that had to be let go.

 

To be continued in a few days ………

Aunty met Kini Zamora!

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kiniBecause Aunty doesn’t have tv service, she hasn’t watched Project Runway, even though her friends have raved about it and insisted that she get with it.

Meanwhile, the Hawaii Stitchery and Fibre Arts Guild that Aunty used to belong to (it was our once a month opportunity to dress up) had Kini Zamora as the guest speaker/artist on January 4, 2017.  That was last night, and Aunty and friends went to a packed room of Kini admirers.

Who is Kini Zamora?  He was a semi-finalist in season 14 of Project Runway and the fashionista favorite, born and raised in Hawaii, learned to sew from his aunty who learned from her father (a seamster), then went on to attend Honolulu Community College’s fashion design program.  After graduating and working here and there, he went to the prestigious New York Fashion Institute, scrimping, saving and working his way through the school program.

He applied to be a contestant on Project Runway 6 times before he was finally given the fateful acceptance to be a part of the show.  Very soon after,  a whirlwind 6 weeks of creating, filming, bonding with fellow contestants and challenges ensued, and he just missed the top spot by a few hairs of opinion.

Rather than joining top design companies or working in the big fashion cities, Kini decided to bring his knowledge and reputation back to Hawaii, to revive Hawaii’s style and place of distinction as a source of fashion, and to be home.  He gives much of his time to local causes and has opened a co-op place of creativity with up and coming designers as well as designing and printing his own line of fabric, upscale fashion collections, and custom design work.

On top of all that, Kini Zamora is SUCH a wonderful, humble, for real nice young man.  So real.

Now Aunty needs to go searching for YouTube videos of Project Runway and see what Kini did and join his many fans in applauding him, for he represented Hawaii with aloha and genius, and he continues to shine from Waianae to Kaimuki, and beyond.