Hall of Fame: Hilton Hawaiian Village Guards

Stand at attention!  

Mr. Hunter and the Hilton Hawaiian Village Guards have arrived.

When we were staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the guards were part of a daily evening ceremony.  One afternoon we happened by as the guards were lining up and preparing to make their big entrance.  I asked if they would mind posing, and as you can see, they obliged.  I love this photo!  And it also makes me laugh to see the young man wearing the crown of palm fronds who snuck into a second photo of Mr. Hunter, the guard, and yours truly.

In 1997, the guard welcomed Michael Jackson when he arrived to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  I wonder if any of these guards were part of that reception.  Here's a photo of Michael flanked by the guards.

Photo from about MJ et al's blog entry about Michael Jackson's 1997 Hawaii visit.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village Guards also paid their respects at a 2007 memorial service for Don Ho.  Since 2009, this civilian drill team has been known as the Hilton Hawaiian Village Royal Honor Guard.

Hilton Hawaiian Village

Honolulu, Hawaii

July 2003

Official site for the Hawaii Royal Honor Guard - http://hiroyalhonorguard.webs.com/

Imitations: Ana

Ana's an actress, so it's no surprise that she can do a mean--even hypnotic--imitation of Mr. Hunter.

October 2003

Shy Mr. H

Who's that trying to stay out of sight behind a rock?

It's Mr. Hunter, acting out a story he heard about Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Paul Auster describing Nathaniel Hawthorne in Auster's introduction

 to Twenty Days with Julian and Little Bunny by Papa: 

"The shyest and most reclusive of men, known for his habit of hiding behind rocks and trees to avoid talking to people he knew, Hawthorne largely kept to himself during his stint in the Berkshires, avoiding the social activities of the local gentry and appearing in town only to collect his mail at the post office and return home.  Solitude was his natural element, and considering the circumstances of his life until his early thirties, it was remarkable that he had married at all."

Hawthorne had always seemed like a more imposing figure when I'd read his work in school.  Then I read Auster's description of how Mr. H-as-in-Hawthorne was apparently mortified to run into people, and I felt such sympathy, such a kinship.

In 2003, Mr. Hunter and his admittedly shy traveling companion stopped on the grounds of Tanglewood to check out the rebuilt Little Red House.  The original Little Red House is where Nathaniel Hawthorne lived from 1850 to 1851 and where he wrote The House of the Seven Gables.  The rebuilt house now contains practice rooms for music students at Tanglewood.

Mr. Hunter peeks out to ask, "Are they gone?!"

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Little Red House"

Tanglewood

Lenox, Massachusetts

September 2003

Footprints

Mr. Hunter enjoys talking walks in all kinds of weather.

Here he shows off his footprints on the beach and in the snow.

Strolling -- well, hopping -- on the beach in Anchor Bay, California

Hopping through the snow while visiting Lake Tahoe

Beach photo:

Anchor Bay, California

October 2003

Snow photo:

Kings Beach, California

Lake Tahoe

February 2006