To encourage BYU-Hawaii students to actively engage in life in Hawaii, Aaron Zakimi, president of the Hawaiian Chapter and sophomore in ICS from Honolulu, encourages students to “just try it. It is a great opportunity to do it here and now so you can share your experience when you go back home.”
1. Talk-storyIt is actually a verb. It means “chitchat” or “hang out” in English. People in Hawaii enjoy taking time to talk with someone not only for the information exchanged but also for the interaction with another person.
“When the mood is right, we can talk-story for five minutes or five hours,” said U’ilani Falevai, a senior in art from Kahuku . She said talk-story is an important and daily activity local people do to check up with each other. “I consider it as an expression of love because we are comfortable to talk.”
2. Plate Lunch
People often see it in local restaurants. It is called “lunch,” but people can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a local-style main entrĂ©e with two scoops of rice, salad, and a chosen meat on a paper plate. It is supposed to be a big amount of food.Falevai said plate lunch is “a small luau” – “luau” means banquet in Hawaiian. She said in ancient Hawaii, big people would be considered wealthy people. Now with the plate lunch, everyone can gain weight and be “wealthy people” together. “Plate lunch is a modern thing. Since Hawaiian is such a multicultural place, we just pick things from different cultures. That is why when you say plate lunch, you’d think of Korean barbeque or Japanese chicken katsu.”
3. Chili pepper water
A Hawaiian homemade “tabasco sauce” of water mixed with hot local red chili pepper, sometimes with other ingredients like salt, vinegar, and ginger. Falevai laughed when she was asked why eating chili pepper water: “Because I don’t want to eat the raw fish in blood.” She said that in her family, they eat the water with poi or with poke – Hawaii style of raw fish. “The water just gives it some flavor like spice.”
4. Breadfruit (‘ulu)
Breadfruit carries an old Hawaiian myth about the God Ku. He buried himself alive in the ground and transformed into a breadfruit tree with fruits for the purpose of saving his family from hunger during a time of famine. Breadfruit can be used to make a Hawaiian pudding named piele ‘ulu. First, mash ripe breadfruit and mix it with coconut cream to make a stiff paste. Then, put the paste in an imu, an underground oven. After it turns cooled, dry it in the sun.
5. Mana
It refers to the spirit or the spiritual power. Ancient Hawaiians believed mana is in everything. The ancient Hawaiians believed sickness was a result the loss of mana, which might be the result of: an evil spirit entered the body, displeasure of one’s personal ancestral God, a curse from another person because of hatred or jealousy, or that one had committed a sin.
6. Poi
It is a thick paste of staple food made from cooked taro, or rarely sweet potato, banana, or breadfruit. It can be used as an offering as taro is associated with life. Hawaiians believed there is mana in poi, so when poi is being served on a dinner table, there should be peace and respect in the family.
Eating poi with one-finger, two-fingers, or three-fingers can associate with different positions. In ancient Hawaii, women ate poi with two fingers while men ate with one or two fingers. If someone were eating poi with three fingers, it would have been considered as a pig.
7. Wooden bowl (s‘umeke la ‘au)
Hawaiian used wood to make bowls, dishes, and platters. There are two general shapes of bowls with different sizes: broad and low bowls, and deep bowls. The former is used to eat poi and the latter is used to store poi. Wooden bowls are usually not too deep because Hawaiians used their fingers to eat most of their food like meat and fish, sometimes include soft food like poi.
8. Shaka
You surely know what it is. It means “great” in Hawaiian and this hand gesture is used as a friendly greeting to show the “aloha spirit.” It might be the most common hand gesture people do in Hawaii and in surfing culture. If someone gives you a shaka, you can give one back.There was a poem about the history of the shaka written by Marilyn Fonoimoana. “His right hand he held up high. He’d wave at all who passes him by. The ‘sign’ he could not help but make. Became familiar no mistake! It started then with this great man. For truth, it’s how ‘hang loose’ began. Next time the shaka sign you see, remember Hamana Kalili.”
Hamana Kalili of Laie (1880-1957), a Hawaiian Chief, was recognized by local residents to be the originator of the popular shaka sign. He lost his 3 middle fingers in an accident, so he waved to people by extending his thumb and little finger. People imitated his gesture and this unique practice lasts until today.
9. Long Hair (Lauoho loloa)Polynesians have long hair in general. Like Hawaiians, they believe there is mana in their hair. Human hair was used to make Niho Palaoa – a necklace that was made by whale teeth, which is also a symbol of royalty. Hair gives the object power, strength, and mana.Kiana Ishibashi, a senior majoring in communications from Hilo, Hawaii, has long, dark hair. She said, “My long hair holds ‘mana’ and represents my identity.”
10. Kaona
It means hidden meaning, concealed reference, or words with double meanings that might bring good or bad fortune. There is a lot of Kaona in Hawaiian language and culture. It can only be understood through practice and feeling. Here are examples of kaona from Hawaiian proverbs: “Nana ka maka; ho 'olohe ka pepeiao; pa 'a ka waha” – observe with the eyes; listen with the ears; shut the mouth. “Aia a pa 'i 'ia ka maka, ha 'i 'ia kupuna nana 'oe” – only when your face is slapped should you tell who your ancestors are.
Similar to the Chinese philosophies of Confucius and Taoism, Hawaiian language is “like a song, beautiful and poetic” in the words of Ishibashi. “‘Kaona’ is the hidden meaning within the words,” she explained.
Reference:
Web, Hawaiian Dictionary,
Book, Practice aloha: secrets to living life Hawaiian style : stories, recipes and lyrics from Hawai'i's favorite folks, Ellman, Mark.
Book, Plants in Hawaiian Culture, Krauss, Beatrice H.
See this article on Ke Alaka'i
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