Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Aloha to H5O Cast at Hickam Elementary!




I spent an hour within 5 feet of Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Masi Oka.  

Let me share how this came about ....

... my son's elementary school is located on base.  It is an "open" campus with outside access to each classroom.  Two weeks ago, the PTO requested volunteers for a "gardening" project on Sunday, November 13, at 8 am.   The early morning adventure paid off as it was part of Service Nation's 11 projects across the country to honor Veterans' Day.  From its website at www.servicenation.org,

A campaign to inspire a new era of voluntary citizen service in America.



As we packed up the tools, Service Nation's organizer, Chris, announced that the students would plant fruit, vegetables, and native Hawaiian plants as part of a day long event, including an outdoor assembly with 

Laird Hamilton, Hawaii's own surfing legend
Gabrielle Reece, beach volleyball champion
THE CAST OF HAWAII FIVE O.

On Monday morning, I arrived 45 minutes before the outdoor assembly.  As their vans approached the school, I crossed the street to stand behind the students selected to welcome the cast with Kukui nut leis.   It was somewhat surreal to watch the cast exit the vans like normal people.  Unlike the rabid fans at the H5O premiere on Waikiki Beach, nobody was screaming at Hickam Elementary.  

Rabid fans on Waikiki Beach

I kept my eye on the VIP room where they met school officials.   When they reemerged and walked toward the new garden, I followed as if I was suppose to be there.   Alex and Scott worked together with students in one flower bed while Daniel and Masi worked together in another.  These guys were great with the students, asking them questions and praising their efforts.   

Alex and Scott

Alex, of course, spoke in his native Aussie accent.  He challenged Daniel and Masi to a "garden off" to see who  had the best garden.  As the cast walked towards the assembly area, I was walking behind Alex - what a sight!  Let me say it again, it was surreal.   It was clear that the cast was there for the kids so I didn't ask to take a picture with them .... just yet.

Daniel and Masi

During the assembly, we learned at the American Heart Association sponsored The Teaching Garden and would be working with the Bishop Museum (Hawaii's own cultural icon) to maintain the native plants.   The principal then introduced Laird Hamilton - Hawaii's own surfing enthusiast.  He talked about the importance of good nutrition and giving the best fuel to your best vehicle - your body, "Take care of your body and your body will talk care of you."

Laird is left most and Gabrielle is right most in the backrow.
The librarian is the one cut out of the picture on the left.

Laird introduced his wife, Gabrielle Reece, who led the students in "playing", i.e., exercising.  The H50 cast laughed as the kids went wild under Gabrielle's direction.  She then introduced Daniel Dae Kim at the podium while Alex, Scott, and Masi pushed wheelbarrows in front of the stage, one was filled with vegetables, one was filled with fruit, and one was filled with books.   Daniel shared how he would apply what he learned today from The Teaching Garden to his own effort plant a coconut tree.  He then challenged the children to take care of their own "trees" - bodies - and even their "coconuts" - heads - by filling them with knowledge from school.  The producers of Hawaii Five O donated the books in the wheelbarrow.

Check out the video of their presentation at this link.



The students moved to an open area to perform their "grow" dance to Black Eyed Peas' I'VE GOT A FEELING.   Some very smart military personnel created a line to take pictures with the cast.  Just as it was my turn to pose with Alex, another woman thought it was her turn.  Normally I would have let the other woman go first, but I had a mission that day!


I also took a picture with Scott.  



My son asked Scott for his autograph.


Just as the crew was getting ready to leave, I spotted Masi walking in my direction.   I asked a woman nearby to take my picture - I think the woman was Daniel's wife. 



The generals' spouses were interested in The Teaching Garden so I escorted them to it.  I didn't want to watch (and cry) as the H50 crew left. 

Have you met a famous person? 

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii






30 comments:

  1. How cool! I know you're all about Alex but I squee'd over Gabby Reece!

    I don't know what constitutes "meeting". Does an author signing count (Terry Pratchett, Jayne Ann Krentz, Meg Cabot, or former President Jimmy Carter)? Or a talk (Isaac Asimov or Jim Henson)? Walk by on the street (Yoko Ono) or some other non-publicity event (Deborah Harry of Blondie or Dick Clark)? Hm...

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  2. I have shaken hands with Queen Elizabeth & Prince Charles as they did a walkabout many years ago (Prince Phillip did the other side of the street.). I wore my Brownie uniform. It was very hot waiting for them. I was more excited by the ice-cream we had on the way home. I was about 9.

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  3. What a great, exciting day it must have been! I'm envious! I love H50!! I was stationed in Hawaii back in the late 80's early 90's so it's always exciting to see the show every week (not to mention very hot actors)!

    Great Blog!

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  4. Oh Kim, I am so jealous!!!! What a wonderful day you must have had and to have your picture taken with them OMG!!!!!

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  5. Gracious. I'd still be walking on air. I love H50 and the cast are certainly stellar. How nice for them to take part in something that meant so much to children and family and our military. I'm so glad you shared this story and your pictures with us, Kim!
    Maggie
    http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/

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  6. What fun! I'd be so excited to se Gabby Reece & Laird Hamilton as I am a huge fan of theirs. I lived in LA for a few years, so I met/spotted lots of celebrities, evryone from Kato Kaeilin to Sidney Poitier.

    My favorite celeb story is actually from my father-in-law. He was at a party of an aquaintence and sat at a table where the group was discussing the Beatles. One man from the table got up to leave and my father-in-law commented, "that guy sure knows a lot about the Beatles." It was George Harrison. LOL!

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  7. Kim, what a wonderful day you must have had! Personally I think Alex's H50 contract needs to be rewritten so that he has to be shirtless during filming. :P

    The only "famous" people I've actually been close enough to meet have been Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers baseball players from the '70s.

    While I was stationed in Hawaii (mid '80s), I would often see the cast of Magnum PI, but was never close enough to have pics of autographs.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Julie
    jewel_528@hotmail.com

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  8. I have never met a famous person but I did see Jesse Jackson at politcal rally once. I loved your photos today! I watched H5O for the first time this week. I like it! Thanks for sharing with us!

    ~Johanna

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  9. Loved you photos,, you lucky lady!!! I did meet Dick Van Dyke once and he was very nice man.

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  10. OMG Kim! What an awesome story to wake up to this morning. Holy carp! You are one lucky lady. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  11. How cool, Kim. I'm so jealous. I've never met a famous person, but I've seen them on the street(a few soap stars) and in the airport(Sofia Coppola.)

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  12. Wow, Kim, no wonder that felt surreal. I felt surreal looking at the pics and hearing your stories. What an amazing encounter! And good on Alex for flying the flag for Australia!

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  13. Very cool - have your feet touched the ground yet? Great post, Kim!

    Can't remember ever meeting anyone famous, but I did get within touching distance of Mario Andretti.

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  14. OMG! That must have been a blast! I have not met anyone famous *sob* .....I always seem to be in the wrong place...at the wrong time...

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  15. Oh good for you - sounds like you had a great day! I've seen a glimpse of a few but nothing where I could take a picture with them. My husband met Phil Slivers when his parents were in the service and they had him over to dinner lol.

    catslady

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  16. I've met many authors who are famous in the romance community.

    The meeting that stands out is when I took my mom to see Stars On Ice a few years ago. My mom and I were escorted backstage by a security guard to use a restroom since my mom has difficulty climbing stairs. I met Scott Hamilton, shook his hand and got his autograph on the show flyer. Alas, no phone with a camera then!

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  17. I met a famous Hawaiian while we were there in the late 1980's. I met and got Frank DeLima's autograph. MY best friend and I walked in and sat down in the audience of Win Lose or Draw when they were filming at the Wakiki Hilton. The day we were there it was Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson, Vicki Lawerence, and Pat Morita.

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  18. Some sport stars, mr t at Hollywood, cool picks thanks
    Kim h

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  19. OMG! Kim!!!!!!!! I can't believe you actually got to hang out with Alex O'Laughlin and the H50 cast, let alone get a picture of him - with his arm around you!!!! I am so envious. What a wonderful experience.

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  20. I'm a friend of Roxanne's,and she was kind enough to share your experience. How wonderful for you!! I love the show so this is fun to see.

    I've been very lucky as far as celebrities in my life. I worked with or attended celebrity charity events in the late 1990s and early 2000s; also, a friend of mine married a screenwriter with numerous TV shows to his credit so I met many people through them. From the television show in the late 90s, La Femme Nikita, I met the entire cast several times. Also, Kiefer Sutherland, Joel Surnow, Carlos Bernard, Penny Johnson, Xander Berkeley, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlo Rota, Louis Lombardi, Roger R. Cross & Reiko Aylesworth from '24', There were a few others - some of the folks from "Earth 2: Final Conflict", "Homicide: Life on the Streets", "Due South", "Forever Knight", "Lexx", "Painkiller Jane", "Mutant X", "NCIS" and a few others. I found out that actors are just people - definitely super attractive and often shorter and thinner than they look on TV - but if you just be yourself, pretty nice folks. Truthfully, I got to know more of the stunt guys, writers, prop folks and directors than I did actors.

    That said, it was years ago. Now I continue my life in Kansas, working as a nurse and involved in animal rescue. Life goes on. I'm so envious of your luck in meeting the H50 cast. LUCKY YOU!!! Enjoy the memory!

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  21. Oh - almost forgot - I have such a crush on Daniel Dae Kim - and you just crushed me (kidding) by indicating he is married. LOL I'm old enough to be his mama.

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  22. I've never met a famous person but how wonderful for the school that they were able to and do something good at the same time.

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  23. Hi Kim,

    I am not as lucky as my Dad who met several famous people like Madonna, Celine Dion and Michael Jackson due to his job, but I met David Hasselhof during his Knight Rider time.

    Kim, you are really a lucky girl.

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  24. Great pictures Kim! Congrats, I know that must have been a fun day for you. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Ernest Borgnine when I was in Vegas last year, it was pretty neat to get a chance to talk to him. I am also a fan of smooth jazz so many of them are pretty cool about talking to the audience at the festivals.

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  25. That sounds like such a fun day! Love the pictures. :) I've met some romance authors (through either conferences or at my RWA chapter meetings). I can't think of any actors/actresses/ other public figures that I've actually met. I'll keep my eyes open though.

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