The Meaning of Aloha

20 07 2017

‘Aloha’ was a recognition of life in another. If there was life there was mana, goodness and wisdom, and if there was goodness and wisdom there was a god-quality. One had to recognize the ‘god of life’ in another before saying ‘Aloha,’ but this was easy. Life was everywhere … Aloha had its own mana. It never left the giver but flowed freely and continuously between giver and receiver. ‘Aloha’ could not be thoughtlessly or indiscriminately spoken, for it carried its own power. No Hawaiian could greet another with ‘Aloha’ unless he felt it in his own heart. If he felt anger or hate in his heart he had to cleanse himself before he said ‘Aloha’. – Queen Lili’uokalani

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Mark Twain’s thoughts about the Hawaiian Islands

8 07 2016

IMG_5954The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.
Mark Twain





Identifying the Fish of Hawaii: Spotted Pufferfish

27 05 2016





Months of the Year in Hawaiian

1 05 2016

IMG_5781January – ‘Iaunuali (ee-ya-oo new-ahlee)
February – Pepeluali (pay-pay loo-ahlee )
March – Malaki (ma-la-key)
April – ‘Apelila (ah-pe-lee-la)
May – Mei (may-ee)
June – Iune (ee-oo-ney)
July – Iulai (ee-oo-la-ee)
August – ‘Aukake (ah-oo-ka-key)
September – Kepakemapa (key-pa-key-ma-pa)
October – ‘Okakopa (oh-ka-ko-pa)
November – Nowemapa (No-vay-ma-pa)
December – Kekemapa (key-key-ma-pa)





Birds of Hawaii: ‘Akekeke

20 04 2016

‘Akekeke is an abundant winter visitor in Hawaii arriving in August and heading to its arctic breading grounds in April and May. A few have been known to oversummer in Hawaii.

They are 9″ with short black bills and legs that are a reddish orange. In flight you can see the bold black pattern on the wings and back.

Their call is a clear rattle or soft whistle.

‘Akekeke frequent the shoreline and mudflats in small flocks and with other shorebirds. Their flight is rapid and an entire clock may rise and turn in unison.





Learn a New Hawaiian Word Today: Kanikau

10 04 2016

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Kanikau– to lament, or a chant of mourning

 Keep the Hawaiian Language alive by teaching some one you love this word. Stop today to talk to a child about the beauty of the Hawaiian language.





Hawaiian Reef Etiquette

2 04 2016

Milletseed Butterflyfish

Hawaiian Reef Etiquette This short public service announcement is colorful and educational teaching viewers the proper behavior when watching the sea life in Hawaii. Highly recommended.

Here’s a cool website that lists various Hawaiian fish and their Hawaiian names and more common names here.





Hawaiian Birds: `Io

17 03 2016

Hawaiian Birds

Because the islands are more than 2000 miles from North America or Asia there are some amazing birds in Hawaii. It has been said that the absence of predators and minimal competition allowed them to evolve in peace. It has been estimated that there were at one time are least seventy kinds of birds that were unique to Hawaii. Of these some forty percent are already lost to extinction and some thirty percent more that are considered endangered.

Hawaiian Birds: `Io

`Io (Buteo soliarius) is sometimes referred to as the Hawaiian Hawk.

In the Kona region of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, the bulk of Mauna Loa blocks the prevailing trade winds leaving the air quite calm. The daily cycle of gentle convectional breezes moves up and down the gentle slopes, bringing the warm, humid climate. The Hawaiian saying “kaha ka ‘io i ka malie” translates as “the hawk stands out in the calm skies,” and is used to express admiration for a person who stands out in a crowd because of his or her appearance or charisma.

This graceful bird of prey measures 16 to 18 inches in length, the female being larger. Two color phases exist: a dark phase (dark brown head, breast, and underwings), and a light color phase (dark head, light breast and light underwings). Feet and legs are yellowish in adults and greenish in juveniles.

February through August is their breeding season, with pairs having their own schedule that may be dependent on locality. Nests are constructed of twigs and lined with leafy material. Eggs are similar in size and shaped to a chicken egg, light blue in color and either speckled or streaked with brown or reddish brown. The clutch size is normally one egg, and should the egg be lost within a few days of laying, a second clutch is laid within three weeks. Pair bonding appears to be permanent, and a pair uses the same nesting site in succeeding years.

also called the Hawaiian Hawk

The `Io usually hunts from a stationary position, but can also dive on prey from the air. It feeds on rodents, insects, small birds, and some game birds. They are opportunistic predators and are versatile in their feeding habits. They have a shrill and high-pitched call much like their Hawaiian name: “eeeh-oh.” They are known to be very noisy during the breading season. `Io are strong fliers.

In the forests of Kapu‘a in South Kona, ‘io still build their nests in strong ‘öhi‘a trees, calling out their persistence for all to hear. They have a shrill high-pitched call like their Hawaiian name: “eeeh-oh.” They are noisy during the breeding season. ‘Io are very strong fliers.





Learning the Hawaiian Language One Word at a Time

10 03 2016

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Kahakai, beach

Children and their father at the kahakai.

Keep the Hawaiian Language alive by teaching some one you love this word. Stop today to talk to a child about the beauty of the Hawaiian language.





Ahu’ena Heiau

5 03 2016


Ahu’ena Heiau was site of the Capital of Hawai’i from 1812 -1819.

King Kamehameha built Ahu’ena Heiau as his personal temple to Lono, the god of peace and prosperity. It was much larger in scale to what has been rebuilt and is on display today.

From the book Ancient Sites of Hawai’i by Van James:

“The name Aheu’ena means “hill of fire” or “red hot heap” and its is the fite of a fifteenth century heiau luakini.”

“The restored heiau has a hard hale mana (place of psiritual powers), a wicker lele (alter), an ‘anu’u tower and several wooden ki’i (carved figures). The carved images with the plover bird on its head is the god of war. A sacred drum called Apahou, decorated with human teeth, was house here at Ahu”ene. Pigs, bananas, coconuts, and men were offered as sacrifices at luankini heiau. ”

From the book Exploring Lost Hawaii by Ellie and William Crowe:

“Kamehameha the Great appreciated the ocean view. He made his fanial home at this pretty cove in 1812 and maintained a permanent residence here until his death seven years later. …On May 8, 1819 Kamehameha the Great died. The kingdom was stunned and grief striken. Some chiefs requested that they be hurried with him. many people knowcked out their fonts teeth in grief, and some tattooed the date on their bodies. The king’s bones were stripped of flesh on the mortuary platform and prepared for burial. Hoapili, a kahuna, the one of the kings most trusted ali’i , were entrusted to hide the bones. They are said to be hidden in a cave and have never been found.”

“After Kamehameha’s death, it was this heiau that his son Liholiho, reluctantly sat down with the strong willed Queen Ka’ahumanu and his gentle mother, Queen Keopuolani and ate a meal on the formal occasion. The Hawaiian people were shocked at this public act of defiance–the ancient kapu of men eating with women had been broken. But no gods retaliated, and as a result the whole kapu system was overthown.”

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Ahu’ena was carefully restored in 1975, at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars. It is a National Historic Landmark that can be easily approached from the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel, 75-5660 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona and there are daily guided tours offered, call 808-329-2911 or you can wander the grounds on your own.





Hawaiian Birds: Palermi

20 02 2016

The Puaiohi or the Small Kauai Thrush is a rare thrush that is endemic to Kauai. Puaiohi are small, drab birds that have long, slender blackish yellow bills. They have pink feet, legs and some white thigh feathers. The adult birds are highly similar and are olive-brown on top, while the belly is light grey. A white eye ring around the eye is a major trade mark of the species, which distinguishes it from its larger cousin, the Kamao. The chicks are brown, with a pattern interchanging white from brown. The bills of the young are more yellow and the belly is more brown then grey. The Puaiohi is some what tubby, however is not as tubby as it larger relative that lives on Hawaii, the Omao. It songs sound like water gurgling.





Kona’s Ironman Triathalon

10 02 2016


The Ironman World Triathlon Championship or Ironman Triathlon is an annual race, made famous by its grueling length, race conditions, and the extensive worldwide participation and media coverage.

Held each October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, the race encompasses three endurance events; a 2.4 mile ocean swim in Kailua-Kona Bay, a 112 mile bike ride across the Hawaiian lava desert to Hawi and back, and a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island (from Keauhou to Keahole Point to Kailua-Kona); finishing on Ali’i Drive.

The whole town turns into a crowded circus act as these world-class athletes converge to compete for the championship and to better the record set in 1996 by Luc Van Lierde of Belgium whose winning time was 8 hours, four minutes, and eight seconds. The next Ironman World Triathlon Championship will takes place each October. I once heard it said that to train for the swimming part of you should have friend through chairs into the pool to mimic the crowds and waves you will be swimming in during the race!





Hawaiian Words for Your Valentine

5 02 2016

 

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Ia Iho Ke Aloha – To my love
Ka Honi Mai Me Ke Aloha – And with love is a kiss
Ke Aloha – Beloved
Kipona Aloha – Deep love
Ko Aloha Makamae E Ipo – Sweetheart you are so precious
Ko`u Aloha – My Love
Ku`u Lei – My beloved
Ma’ane’i No Ke Aloha – For love is here and now
Me Ke Aloha Pumehana – With the warmth of my love
Nau ko`u Aloha – My love is yours
Na’u `oe – You’re mine
‘O Ku’u Aloha No ‘Oe – You are indeed my love
Pa’ipunahele – An expression of love for a favorite
Pilialoha – To be in a bond of love





Hawaiian Quilts, Artistry Stitched with Aloha

2 02 2016

Image result for hawaiian quilts

Hawaiian Quilt Circle of Flora

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Hawaiian Sea Turtles

26 01 2016

 

Sea turtles are air-breathing marine reptiles that are said to have been around for well over 100 million years.

There are three species of sea turtles native to the Hawaiian Islands:

the Green, the Hawksbill (called in Hawaiian as ea or honu’ea), and the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). The most commonly seen is the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) known in Hawaiian as honu.

These animals have long been revered in Hawaiian culture representing strength, protection, wisdom, creation, and longevity. Turtles are features prominently in petroglyphs, in the fourth verse of the Kumulipo the Hawaiian creation chant, and ancient stories they often appear as helpers and demigods.

The Greeen Turtle can weigh up to 400 pounds when fully mature and primarily eat algae or limu, a Hawaiian seaweed.

They are gentle reptiles who live most of their lives in the ocean. They reach sexual maturity after 30-35 years and only then make the vast migration to the French Frigate Sholes to mate, nest, and lay their eggs. Satellite tracking data indicates that they can swim hundreds if not thousands of miles. Males accompany the females on these long journeys and mate with them offshore from the nesting beaches. They nest only at night and spend a lot of time to find the perfect nesting site. The sticky tears they shed while on land prevents their eyes from getting covered with sand and help to remove the excess salt from their bodies.

The female deposit up to 100 eggs, in the nest, and then covers them with sand and returns to the water leaving the eggs to incubate for two month’s time. Once hatched these tiny turtles weighing only one ounce take several days to immerge from the sand laden nests. Young Green Turtles are thought to be temporarily carnivorous feeding on the passing invertebrates. After departing the nests they begin a five to ten year journey back to the islands often called “the lost years” because little is known about this phase of their life cycle.

The life span of sea turtles is generally thought to be unknown. They grow slowly and are long lived. Adult sea turtles have two main predators: sharks and people. Tiger Sharks regularly feed on sea turtles of all size.

Male and female turtles look alike until they mature and the males develop a long tail that extends beyond the back flippers, while the female tail extends only to the end of her shell.

Green Turtles were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1978 and it is illegal to harass, harm or harvest sea turtles. Swimmers must keep their distance and respect these revered and ancient Hawaiian residents.






The Hawaiian Language: Hae

10 01 2016

Hae is the Hawaiian word for flag.

Ku’u hae aloha= my beloved flag

Keep the Hawaiian Language alive by teaching some one you love this word. Stop today to talk to a child about the beauty of the Hawaiian language.





Hawaiian State Flag

28 12 2015

commissioned by King Kamehameha I in 1816

The canton of the flag of Hawaii contains the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, prominent over the top quarter closest to the flag mast. The field of the flag is composed of eight horizontal stripes symbolizing the eight major islands (Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi and Niʻihau). A ninth stripe was once included representing the island of Nihoa. The color of the stripes, from the top down, follows the sequence: white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red. The colors were standardized in 1843, although other combinations have been seen and are occasionally still used.

Source: Wikipedia





Ancient Hawaiian Villages

20 12 2015

A traditional village of ancient Hawaiʻi included several structures. Listed in order of importance:

Heiau, temple to the gods, built on high-rising stone terraces. Sometimes adorned with wood and stone carved idols. A source of great mana or divine power, the heiau was restricted to aliʻi, the king and kahuna.

Kealakekua Bay Heiau

Hale aliʻi, the house of the chief. It was used as a residence for the high chief and meeting house of the lesser chiefs. It was always built on a raised stone foundation to represent high social standing. Kahili, or feather standards, were placed outside to signify royalty. Women and children were banned from entering.

Hale pahu, the house of the sacred hula instruments. It held the pahu drums. It was treated as a religious space as hula was a religious activity in honor of the goddess Laka.

Hale papaʻa, the house of royal storage. It was built to store royal implements including fabrics, prized nets and lines, clubs, spears and other weapons.

Hale ulana, the house of the weaver. It was the house where craftswomen would gather each day to manufacture the village baskets, fans, mats and other implements from dried pandanus leaves called lauhala.

Hale mua, the men’s eating house. It was considered a sacred place because it was used to carve stone idols of ʻaumakua or ancestral gods. Men and women could not eat with each other for fear that men were vulnerable while eating to have their mana, or divine spirit, stolen by women. Women ate at their own separate eating house called the hale ʻaina.

Hale waʻa, the house of the canoe. It was built along the beaches as a shelter for their fishing vessels. Hawaiians also stored koa or mahogany logs used to craft the canoes.

Hale lawaiʻa, the house of fishing. It was built along the beaches as a shelter for their fishing nets and lines. Nets and lines were made by a tough rope fashioned from woven coconut husks. Fish hooks were made of human, pig or dog bone. Implements found in the hale lawaiʻa were some of the most prized possessions of the entire village.

Hale noho, the living house. It was built as sleeping and living quarters for the Hawaiian family unit.

Imu, the communal earth oven. Dug in the ground, it was used to cook the entire village’s food including puaʻa or pork. Only men cooked using the imu.





To Whisper: the Hawaiian Language

10 12 2015

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Hāwanawana is the Hawaiian word meaning to whisper, or whispering.

Sometimes the wind blows and other times it is Hāwanawana.

Keep the Hawaiian Language alive by teaching some one you love this word. Stop today to talk to a child about the beauty of the Hawaiian language.





Learning Hawaiian Words: Ipu

1 12 2015

 

IPU

A gourd, an all purpose container used for food and water, or as a hula implement.