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The weirdness is that the tunnel tube continues even though the hillside doesn't. "Besides being ugly, this represents several thousands of dollars worth of structural concrete that serves no apparent useful purpose," concludes Trigg. "Can you find out the reason for this peculiar construction?"

Hold on to your slide rule! The reason, according to the Department of Transportation, is a resounding Gosh, we, uh, dunno.

"I asked, I asked," said DOT spokesperson Marilyn Kali. "No one's quite sure why it was built that way. Geometrics! How does that sound?"

Geometrics?

"You know, the way the road curves. Some of the engineers thought the road might curve too sharply to stop the tunnel right on the hillside, and it had to extend out. Does that make sense?"

You got us swingin' on that one. So we speculated right back, pointing out you'd be able to see the end of the tunnel as you enter if it didn't extend out into H-1 like the shed skin of a giant snake.

"Oh no! Then it would be too bright. The tunnel is already too bright; we had to turn off the overhead lights because they hurt peoples' eyes," said Kali.

Since we're publishing a newspaper and not an engineering-speculationpaper, we'll stop right here.

Curious or puzzled about something you've seen, heard, felt or smelled? Drop us a line: WatDat?, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, HI 96802, fax at 523-7863 or e-mail at features@starbulletin.com and we'll find out.

Among the storylines will be unearted tales of Isis and Osiris, excerpts from the Curse of the Book of Thoth, fun with hieroglyphics, shadow puppets and mummy jokes.

"Yo Pharaoh" tickets are $10 general; $7 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the academy. Call 532-8700.

The event coincides with the "Mystery of the Nile: Treasures From Ancient Egypt" exhibition, continuing through July 30.

There will be demonstrations and talks preceding a three-day camp with beachside firing June 2, 3 and 4 at Kualoa Regional Park. A community kiln will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 3, when participants may, for a donation, select a tea bowl or vase, glaze it and watch Hawai'i Craftsmen volunteers fire it.

Artists who want to sign up for the camp or enter the Raku Ho'olaule'a juried exhibition can call 596-8128 for a registration form.

Following are events open to the general public:

May 30 -- Free slide talk with guest artist Steven Branfman, a juror for Raku Ho'olaule'a, 6:45 p.m. at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Theater. Reception at 5:30 p.m.
May 31 -- Wet clay demonstration and pot luck, 5 to 9 p.m. at Windward Community College Iolani Building. Call 235-7323.
June 28 -- Opening reception for Raku Ho'olaule'a Juried Exhibition, and tea ceremony demonstration, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Amfac Exhibition Hall, 745 Fort Street Mall. The exhibition will continue through July 18, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

The concert is part of the Na Mele Serieswill take place 630 to 8 p.m. on the Gallery Lawn fronting Hawaiian Hall, and will feature music written by or in honor of the Kamehameha family.

Also featured in the program produced and arranged by Kahauanu Lake will be the hula of kumu Momi Kepilino and Vangie Kealoha Wong, along with Gordean Bailey, and the men of Halau O Na Kipu'upu'u, with kumu hula Kula Abiva.

General admission is $15; $12 for Bishop Museum Association members. Hawaiian Hall will open at 5:30. Bento dinners will be available for purchase.

Purchase tickets at the museum box office or call Betty Lou Kam at 848-4144 for reservations.

She has recorded 41 albums and received five Grammy nominations. She's toured with the Rolling Stones and Natalie Cole.

Tickets, $15 to $20, are on sale at Ticket Plus (call 526-4400), Tempo Music stores, or the Blaisdell box office.

Call 677-1848 for information.

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