HONOLULU is a city of superlatives. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world; a sprawling, sun-filled, palm-smothered paradise of just over 800,000 people.
The climate is perfect all year round, while the people are an intriguing mixture of East and West.
In some ways, Honolulu is a typical American city, complete with McDonald's and shopping malls. Yet, in many ways, it is unlike any other place.
For one thing, it is one of the most isolated cities in the world; its nearest notable neighbours are San Francisco, 3,800 kilometres to the east; and Tokyo, 6,100 km to the west.
An indication of the cosmopolitan nature of the city can be seen in the local newspaper - the Honolulu Bulletin. It may be similar to other US newspapers, but the names of the reporters are an exotic mix: Becky Ashiziwa, Mike Tsukamoto, Bob Wojnowsicil, Tim Ryan, Bill Kwan, Harriet Gee, Corky Trinidad and Crystal Kua. Their names reflect one of the most diverse readerships in the world.
In an advertisement in the yellow pages of the local telephone directory, lawyer Khaled Mujtabaa offers legal advice with the tagline: ''I'm hard to pronounce but easy to talk to.'' Honolulu is the most Asian city in America.