One guy can
fix economyHERE'S one guy who's doing his best for the state's economy. A certain Saudi prince arrived last week and brought along an entourage that will doubtless run up a bill that will go into seven figures. He took over an entire floor at one of our more elegant hostelries, including suites galore. And not wanting to let anyone in on his phone conversations, apparently, he got the hotel to put in 72 independent telephone lines just for him and his group. That alone set him back about $10,000. And after his Honolulu stay, the prince is moving on to another five-star property on a neighbor isle. We'll allow him a degree of privacy by not revealing where he's hanging his burnoose ...
LOCAL actor Jason Scott Lee is one lucky guy. He's currently in Hollywood filming an episode of "Friends," and if he ends up with a recurring role as a love interest for the delectably dippy Rachel, as portrayed by Jennifer Anniston, I'll be forever jealous. In addition, the film he'd been working on with Kurt Russell, "Soldier," has just been released. Busy fellow ... If you happen to be a Democrat or a fan of Gov. Ben Cayetano, you have to love the recently spotted juxtaposition of bumper stickers: "Lingle" alongside "Hemlock Society of Hawaii." ...
Shy Chai's Thai Fry
AIMING for a late November opening at Aloha Tower Marketplace is Chai Chaowasaree, owner and chef at the wonderful Singha Thai on Ala Moana. His new eatery will be called Chai's Island Bistro, and will feature Pacific Rim cuisine with a Thai twist. It'll be located where the Trilussa Italian eatery was at the main entrance ...IT was a busy weekend for singer Jimmy Borges. On Friday he performed at the grand opening of the Koolau Golf Course Clubhouse, as handsome as any you're likely to run into on Oahu. Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's prepared all the food for the opening, but alas, it won't be available to golfers on a daily basis there ... Then on Saturday night, Borges combined with Shari Lynn in a salute to Irving Berlin at the Academy of Arts Theater. Also getting a tip of the Borges Borsalino were Fred Astaire and Ethel Merman ...
THE man who'll be forever known as Chin Ho Kelly from his days on "Hawaii Five-O," Kam Fong, spent the 30th anniversary of the show's debut recovering from cancer surgery. He was in Queen's Medical Center a week before going home to continue his recovery. Kam Fong's medical team proclaimed him one of the more entertaining patients they'd had. Even the "Big C" couldn't keep him from turning the tables and having the doctors in stitches ...
St. Louis Blues for Chelsea
NOW I know how Jay Leno feels when he goes out onto Melrose Avenue and asks easy questions of strangers, only to be met with stupid or blank responses. I was sitting in Havana Cabana with Chelsea Rogers, who's the daughter of Anthony Quinn and the granddaughter of Cecil B. DeMille, when out of the blue she mentioned poet T.S. Eliot and asked if I knew where he was born. "Of course," I replied, "In St. Louis, Missouri." Oh no, she said, he was born in England. It quickly turned into a $100 bet, but not one person could be found to verify the answer. Not at Havana Cabana, at O'Toole's or at Murphy's, all of which had large crowds. The most frequent response was, "Who's T.S. Eliot?" One young lady asked and I replied, "He wrote 'The Four Quartets.' " "Really," she replied, "How do they go?" The correct answer (St. Louis) was later verified on the Internet. Now if I can just find the guy who was holding the money in escrow! ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.