Happy Birthday Ma`ona!
One year ago today, this modest venture called Ma`ona launched. My "voice" has changed over the prior twelve months, gaining small measures of confidence with each passing month. When I started, I felt like a very small fish in a big sea. well aware that everyone else knew more and said it better! Since then, I've come to recognize that, although my words still stumble and I have too much to learn, I have my own little niche: food in Hawaii. That doesn't make me a better writer, but it gives me focus.
Where have I focused in the past year? My luau series has been running almost since the start, with the poke and laulau posts receiving the most attention. I've started reviewing restaurants in Hawaii, and still have a long, long way to go before I can consider myself an authority. But do you want to know which post is by far the most popular, receiving triple the traffic of the nearest runner up? How to cut pineapple like a local. If you haven't already, you should check that one out.
And so now I find myself at a natural place to re-evaluate whether or not to continue this time sink of mine. The answer is a resounding yes. It has made me a better cook and, dare I say, a better person. I have new ideas on the horizon to improve the site, including a big announcement tomorrow. The future is bright indeed.
There is one favor I'd like to ask before I turn in. I really have no idea who reads this site, despite evidence that there are a good number of you from around the world. Please, whether you comment regularly, lurk unseen or are stopping by for the first time-- leave a brief comment to this post so that I can learn a little more about who you all are. Even if you would never dream in a million years of leaving a comment, humor me just this one time.
Mahalo nui loa.
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Alan,
Congratulations on ma'ona's first anniversary. It's been great having another food blogging pal here in Hawaii -- it's much less common than we think. Don't you notice that?
In any case, do you have any idea why all of us Hawaii food bloggers just so happen to be guys?
happy anniversary! yeah, why are all you hawaiian guys blogging? someone interviewed me for an article and i mentioned you, reid, and kirk--did you get contacted? anyway, i hope you all continue blogging for a long time to come.
Hi Alan - Congradulations. You do such great work! Here's to another decade or so of great cooking and eating! We Bruddahs, like to eat, huh?
Howdy from Southern California! I, too, happened across the pineapple post a while back during the writing of my own post on the subject, then subscribed to your feed.
I've been to Hawai'i three times, I believe. Love it there.
Keep up the good work and aloha! :)
Happy Happy 1st! I really enjoy your articles and have learned a good deal from them. Keep it up. I can't say enough that the islands are not represented enough, I thank God for you and Santos.
Hyva Syntymapaiva Ma'ona! Hi Alan - I keep track of y'all through your blog. I enjoy it - your choice of topics, photography and writing. I've introduced the site to my dad, too. Patty
congrats are in order!
sam
Alan, happy blog birthday to you from San Francisco. I started reading your site a few months back when you wrote about star fruit with that delicious spice on it. You kindly offered to send me some li hing mui, but I neglected to tell you that I found it in a store in SF. Congratulations again.
I'm gonna check out the pineapple thing. Impress all my friends...
Happy Birthday to you!
Congrats! A lot of people don't keep it up for this long, so you're doing good! Can't wait to hear what the announcement is.
And keep rocking the Jeep! We drive a 95 red wrangler, soft top (even in winter! Lord help us poor newlyweds). Sooo many people drive Jeeps here in Iowa. Way more than back home in Washington.
congrats on ma'ona's first anniversary from Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania (it comes up with an ip in Butler PA) :) I think you've certainly found your niche alan, and are in fact of the first (and only at the moment) three food blogs I read regularly enough to link out to. Keep up the good work...
.....and the way to get pineapple like a tourist is to buy a case at the Dole Plantation -- unless you're me and stop at every roadside stand possible when driving back from through the North Shore, smuggle one through security, and eat the other that's been sliced up on the plane to L.A. -- sleep, eat pineapple, sleep, eat pineapple, sleep... *grin*
oh Lord I just made myself drool.
Reid, I too have been surprised at how few food bloggers there are in Hawaii. There is one woman among our ranks--although she doesn't post often--Yvette on the Big Island (Kona?). If we bend the rules a little, we can also count Rowena in Italy and Kathy in California.
Santos, so you're the reason the paparazzi have been climbing through my bushes!
Kirk, man do I love to eat. Am I a hedonist for saying that?
Robert, thanks for chiming in! I remember your post on pineapples.
Gia, and I likewise have learned from your cooking in Italy. I've finally added you to my sidebar, something I should have done months ago.
Hey Patty, don't stop with your Dad, tell all your friends! If you give them a taste, it'll help them understand better when you move here (soon!)
Sam, thank you!
Brett, that's funny. When you didn't leap at my offer, I'd just assumed that your mother had ingrained into you that you should accept candy or li hing mui from strangers! I'm glad you found it locally, and have continued to return here.
(Disclaimer: the funny thing about Rachel-- she kinda works for me.) Rachel, I promise that your salary reviews aren't in any way connected to whether or not you comment on this site. Although it never hurts ;)
Darla, soft top is generally the way to go. Why bother with a wrangler otherwise? How do you deal with the accumulated snow though?
Laura, pineapples from Hawaii are so much better than pineapples on the mainland, as you've discovered. They have to pick them too early when shipping, and the flavor never develops as a result. Just don't get caught by agriculture, because I hear that "pineapple addiction" doesn't help you plea bargain.
alan,
as a reader in shanghai (local girl originally), i love reading your blog to remind me of all the local food at home!
Every single post, expanding my narrow mid-western redneck palate. :)
Pia, wow, thanks for chiming in. I'm glad to bring a bit of home to you in Singapore.
Topher, buy you and your lovely wife a pair of plane tickets and we'll not only expand your palates, but make sure you return home with nice tans.
Aloha, Alan! Writing to you from Central Illinois!! I love coming to your blog... it's like chatting with a dear friend over a great cuppa every morning. Happy blog Bday, Alan! Wheeeeeeee! May you have MANY more happy days!
Laurel, now there's a metaphor I can grok. Coffee is a part of every morning for me.
congrats alan. your site is great.
eatdrinknbmerry-- thanks!
Congrats Alan, lurking around as usual. Great site!
Mark, hey man! I didn't know you lurked here.
Aloha,
just wanted to say that it is nice to read great foodie info here in Hawaii. Live on Oahu and am just getting into reading various blogs... somehow I have gravitated towards food.. yet, as a lousy cook, I really appreciate the efforts of talented others... keep up the great work.
take care,
Debi, we're all lousy cooks, but improving! Thanks for stopping by.