Ben Making Paper Leis – Honolulu, Hawaii

My wife and I stumbled into the Ohana Hale Marketplace, near all the Ward Condo developments. The nondescript tilt-wall structure resembled a small Walmart or Target. Inside, however, was a unique establishment.

Row after row of small shops formed a grid of streets inside. Each booth appeared to be family-owned, with small restaurants and various shops. It was a perfect place to get a local flavor.

I saw Ben making leis out of tear-off strips of computer paper. You can see the long strips with holes in them. Most young people probably won’t know what those are. Before laser and ink-jet printers, which use plain paper, computer paper came in continuous sheets fed through sprockets. Remarkably, Ben figured out how to make leis out of these bits of discarded paper.

When I look at the future plans for Ward Village, it appears that a new condo will be replacing the Ohana Hale Marketplace. Unfortunately, part of the local flavor will be lost to upscale development.

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