Desert Island Dish with Jeremiah Macias
Background: Macias was born in El Paso but has lived in Austin for most of his life, graduating from Vandegrift High School.
He started work in the food industry as a food runner at a movie theater.
Dig in: Texas Saké not only serves saké, a rice-based alcoholic beverage, it brews it as well.
One of their specialties is a nigori ginjo, "an aromatic concoction of honeydew and coconut, with a soft mango finish," per the brewery.
You can also grab food from Texas Sushiko at Texas Saké.
You're marooned on a desert island. If you could have one dish, what would it be?
JM:"I'd do the Sushiko spam roll. Being a Hawaiian delicacy, it immediately comes to mind for island food. You're taking a can of spam and elevating it with spices and making it into a sushi roll."
What about dessert?
JM: "I tend not to go for sweets too much. But I recently tried the matcha tres leches at Tare. Coming from my Hispanic roots and putting that flair with the matcha, it was just super tasty and great."
What are you having to drink on your desert island?
JM:"I would definitely bring a lychee mai tai, with a saké flavor to it. It's got a creaminess to it. I use fresh lychees and lychee juice, with our unfiltered sake we brew in-house. It definitely has that island vibe."
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USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Forget 'Aloha.' This is the Hawaiian word every traveler should know.
There's an important Hawaiian phrase that all travelers should get familiar with, and it isn't aloha. It's malama. In Hawaiian language, malama means "to take care of" and it's a core Native Hawaiian value; the belief that people have a responsibility to steward their community and island home. It's often combined with the word "aina" (land) for a saying commonly heard throughout the islands: "malama aina," which translates to "take care of the land." It encapsulates the sustainable lifestyle of the ancient Hawaiians, who believed that if you take care of the island, it will reciprocate and provide sustenance. However, living out malama isn't just reserved for residents, but can be especially impactful for visitors who choose to volunteer during their trips. By giving back, travelers can help regenerate the islands rather than just utilize resources before returning home. More people hope to leave a positive impact from their trips, with 69% of travelers saying they want to leave places better than when they arrived, according to a 2025 survey. To make it easier for those wanting to be more responsible travelers, the Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau (HVCB) and Hawaiian Tourism Authority (HTA) launched the Malama Hawaii Program in November of 2020. The program aims to connect travelers with volunteer opportunities with over 36 organizations across the state, with an incentive of earning a special discount from participating hotels. "When travelers engage with our land, our culture, and our communities through enriching volunteer experiences, they discover what we have always known: that caring for Hawaii changes you," said Dr. Aaron J. Sala, president and CEO of the HVCB. "These experiences create a connection between visitor and place, fostering a deeper understanding of our values while ensuring that tourism serves both our communities and those who choose to journey here." Why should you volunteer while traveling? Across the world, destinations are facing challenges caused by overtourism, ranging from increased costs of living to the strain on natural resources and infrastructure. Some, such as Venice and Hawaii, have implemented a tourist fee to offset those impacts by placing the responsibility back onto the visitor. Hawaii is a perennial destination that has historically struggled with negative impacts from the dominating tourism industry, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its economy. Some Hawaii residents believe that tourism "creates more problems than benefits," according to a 2024 Resident Sentiment Survey by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Locals cited higher costs of living, damage to the environment, and "a lack of respect" for culture and tradition. Volunteering while traveling goes against the grain. As a regenerative tourism practice, "voluntourism" means travelers are actively improving a destination, according to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Like sustainable tourism, regenerative tourism focuses on "reducing negative impacts and enhancing positive ones." Since an online dashboard was launched last spring, the Malama Hawaii Program has tracked 2,835 volunteers and over 11,412 hours statewide, according to an HVCB spokesperson. Travelers can browse volunteer opportunities, filtering by activity type and even island, and view available discounts, such as a complimentary night or meal. When travelers seek out bettering a place, they not only forge deeper connections with the residents and local culture but also gain a more immersive travel experience. In other words, they get a more authentic look at Hawaii. A volunteer day spent restoring a loko ia (fishpond) means someone learns firsthand about how the ancient Hawaiians practiced sustainable aquaculture to feed their communities. Their work also has the potential for a lasting positive impact, such as replanting native trees in reforestation efforts. "For residents, this means tourism becomes a force that strengthens rather than strains our home, ensuring that the places we cherish are protected and preserved," said Sala. "This is how we move beyond consumption to contribution, creating pathways for visitors to give back to the very places that inspire them." The practice of voluntourism can be problematic if someone views it solely as a "feel-good" opportunity. Still, as long as their intentions are to meaningfully interact with the host community, they can make a genuinely positive impact. They also have the chance to have a personally transformative experience by growing their worldview, according to a 2020 review in the Journal of Travel Research. Malama Hawaii Program opportunities Below are some volunteer opportunities from the Hawaii Malama Program: Giving back anywhere It's not just in Hawaii where travelers are encouraged to do their part in minimizing harm. Across the world, more destinations are seeking to connect their visitors to meaningful volunteer experiences as part of their efforts to build a more sustainable tourism industry. In the Maldives and Fiji, travelers can participate in coral restoration projects to help conserve the pristine oceans that they hope to enjoy. Other destinations finding value in having their visitors volunteer to preserve nature – the very reason they come to visit – include the California State Park Foundation's volunteer days. At the end of the day, all travelers can malama any destination they're visiting – not just the Hawaiian Islands – and it doesn't always take coordinating an event. Simply grabbing a bag and collecting trash on the beach or in the park follows the essence of malama.
Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Joan Anderson, unsung heroine of hula hoop history, dies at 101
'Everyone was having such fun,' she added, 'I thought, 'I'd like to do that, too.'' Back in Los Angeles, Ms. Anderson asked her mother to mail her one of the rings from Australia, and it soon brought joy to the Anderson household. Her children played with it. Ms. Anderson swerved it around her hips for friends at dinner parties. When someone told her that it looked as if she was 'doing the hula,' the traditional Hawaiian dance, Ms. Anderson was struck with inspiration. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up She named the object the hula hoop. Advertisement What transpired next would place Ms. Anderson at the center of what she described as an American tale of shattered dreams and promises, a business deal made on a handshake, and, eventually, a lawsuit. Ms. Anderson died July 14 at a nursing facility in Carlsbad, Calif., north of San Diego. She was 101. Her daughter, Loralyn Willis, announced the death. The hubbub over the hoop started when her husband, Wayne, saw opportunity in the object and decided to pitch it to Wham-O, a toy company that soon became known for the Frisbee. As it happened, he was acquainted with one of Wham-O's founders, Arthur Melin, known as Spud, so he arranged a meeting. Advertisement The encounter, she recalled, occurred in a parking lot outside Wham-O's offices in San Gabriel, Calif. The Andersons opened up the trunk of their car and took out the hoop. 'There were no witnesses,' Ms. Anderson said in the documentary. 'Just Spud and my husband and myself.' 'We told him, 'We've called it the hula hoop,'' she continued. 'He said: 'Looks like it has some merit. If it makes money for us, it's going to make money for you.'' The deal was sealed with what Ms. Anderson characterized as a 'gentleman's handshake' and nothing more. Wham-O began experimenting with the hoop, developing a plastic version of it and trying it out on children at a Pasadena, Calif., elementary school. The company also started giving them away to generate buzz. By the time Wham-O was selling the hoop, lines were forming outside department stores. As the popularity of what Wham-O trademarked as the Hula Hoop grew, Ms. Anderson said, she and her husband heard less and less from Melin. 'We called Spud and asked him what was going on, and he kept putting us off,' she said. 'Then they just ignored us.' The hoop quickly became a national sensation. From Ms. Anderson's home in the suburbs of Monterey Park, Calif., she watched as newspapers landed on her porch with headlines like 'Hula-Hoop Sales Soar to $30 Million in 2 Months.' Over the years, stories about Wham-O's success sometimes spoke of a 'friend' visiting from Australia who first told the company about the hoop. 'I think that bugged me more than anything,' Ms. Anderson said. 'It was never reported correctly at all. I was not a 'friend.'' Advertisement In 1961, the Andersons filed a lawsuit against Wham-O. But the company presented records demonstrating its own woes. Just as quickly as the Hula Hoop sensation took off, it swiftly ended, entering the annals of American fads. Wham-O was left with heaps of unsold hoops and argued that it had not made a profit after production costs. The case concluded in a settlement, and the Andersons walked away with just a few thousand dollars. The couple moved on with their lives. Wham-O went on to release the SuperBall, the Slip 'N Slide ,and Silly String. Melin died in 2002. (Wham-O was sold in 1982 to the Kransco Group Cos. for $12 million. It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors, and it has continued changing hands ever since.) 'We often talked about the money we could have made from it and maybe changed our life a little bit,' Ms. Anderson said in the documentary, 'but it didn't work out that way.' 'The world isn't fair. But life goes on.' Joan Constance Manning was born Dec. 28, 1923, in Sydney to Claude and Ethel (Hallandal) Manning. Her father was a real estate broker. As a young woman, Joan was a swimsuit model known as the 'Pocket Venus' because she was 5 feet 2 inches tall. In 1945, Wayne Anderson, a US Army pilot on leave from duty, approached Joan on Bondi Beach. They married a few months later and moved to California. Anderson, who went on to run a prosperous woodwork machine manufacturing business, died in 2007. Advertisement In addition to her daughter, Loralyn, Ms. Anderson is survived by two sons, Warren and Gary, and six grandchildren. Another son, Carl, died in 2023. Over the years, Ms. Anderson's brush with hula hoop history faded into family lore. When her children grew up, they sent letters about her story to Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, but nothing came of it. Fate intervened in 2016, when Ms. Anderson's daughter was recounting the story to coworkers while dining at a restaurant in La Mesa, near San Diego. At a table nearby, eavesdropping, was the mother of Amy Hill, a filmmaker. She asked for her telephone number and passed it along it to Hill. Intrigued by the tip, Hill began vetting the story with her husband and collaborator, Chris Riess. They decided to pursue the project and interviewed Ms. Anderson at La Costa Glen, the retirement community where she lived. The resulting short documentary, 'Hula Girl,' premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. At 94, Ms. Anderson flew to New York to promote the film, and a writer for Vogue interviewed her for an article. The documentary was also shown at the Sydney Film Festival and received coverage in The Atlantic and Smithsonian magazine. It was screened as well for Ms. Anderson's fellow residents at La Costa Glen. Her friends watched in fascination as they learned about her connection to the hula hoop. At La Costa Glen, Ms. Anderson stayed fit by swimming every week and taking ballroom dancing lessons. She also became a formidable bridge player. And in her apartment, she kept the original wood hoop that her mother had mailed to her from Australia, although it mostly sat collecting dust. Advertisement 'I do it once in a while for exercise,' she said, 'but not as much as I should.' This article originally appeared in
a day ago
'Lilo & Stitch' stars reflect on film's success and are eager for a sequel
SAN DIEGO -- A few things have changed for the stars of 'Lilo & Stitch' since the movie became the breakout hit of 2025. For 8-year-old star Maia Kealoha, it's meant no more Doritos – she's learned she has to keep her teeth clean, especially when doing interviews. Kealoha, Sydney Agudong and Tia Carrere have been doing lots of those, taking a victory lap with 'Lilo & Stitch' at Comic-Con 2025 and promoting the film's release for digital purchase. Another change? Kealoha says with a big grin that she's been recognized at stores 'like five thousand times.' Agudong says the movie 'an ode to Hawaii' and it's been really cool to 'see how much the world has taken to it and how much impact 'Lilo & Stitch' really has had as just this lifelong and timeless story.' She says she's been fortunate to celebrate the film's success with family and friends and despite premieres and whirlwind interviews, she still gets to 'go to the beach and have fun all over again and I'm just the same.' Kealoha and Agudong are the breakout stars of the film, which is the biggest blockbuster of 2025, earning more than $1 billion. 'Our little blue friend Stitch is now a billionaire and we couldn't be more excited about it,' Carrere says excitedly. As for a sequel, Agudong says the trio are feeling 'hanna hou,' a Hawaiian term for repeating or doing something again. 'Though, of course, we cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such project in this universe or the next. Sorry!' Carrere cheerfully noted.
