I have lived here on the island of Hawaii for a solid seven months now. There has been so much to learn! Yes, all of the times I have been here visiting – as well as my life on Oahu as a child – pretty much prepared me for the culture change, but it’s a bit different knowing I won’t be going back to the mainland any time soon.
We purchased a beautiful acre of land in 2011 which had been partially cleared. Our plan was to build a house eventually but time and money dictated that we start off with a cabin. The cabin went from one room with an outdoor kitchen to a snug one bedroom, with full kitchen, bath, and a large lanai.
We figured we would build our forever home on the back of our acre and turn the cabin into a little vacation rental. Then Pele decided to change our plans with the eruption of 2018. We were incredibly lucky that our home was spared, but perhaps our forever home should be just a bit further away from the volcano. More on that in another post.
As the most isolated islands on the entire planet, the Hawaiian Islands are incredibly unique in everything from the scenery and land formations to the culture. And while not everyone is the same, there are a few habits the locals share that continue to grow on me:
“Auntie”
In Hawaiian culture, to call an elder auntie or uncle is to communicate respect. I have to admit, the first time I heard the term directed at me, I was a little confused even though I had heard of this usage. But now that I’m used to it, it’s nice to feel the warmth with which it is intended.
Geckos
These bright green little fellows live with us full-time. Instead of making me feel squeamish, I actually really like having them around! They eat bugs and tease my dogs mercilessly. I have one little guy who lives in the window space next to my desk and I make sure to greet him every morning. His name is Hannibal.
One day early in my residence here, I looked over to see Hannibal and was surprised that another, smaller gecko was nearby. “Oh how nice, he’ll have a little friend.” Umm, no. Two minutes later I glanced over again and the tail half of the little one was sticking out of Hannibal’s mouth! Apparently geckos are cannibals. Hence the name…
Shaka
The shaka is the hand gesture you see where the index, middle, and ring finger are folded toward your palm while your pinky and thumb stick out to the sides, then you give it a little wiggle. It is used in the place of an “OK” sign, or a wave to thank another driver for letting you in, or as a silent greeting to a passerby on the street. It’s for almost any friendly occasion as well as a punctuation when something is especially good. I shied away from using the shaka at first (cultural appropriation you know), but now I feel like an outsider when I just wave at someone throwing me a shaka. It’s a fine way to say hello.
Directions
Mauka and makai are the words Hawaiians use to refer to directions. I first heard the weatherman on TV using “mauka,” so I looked it up. Mauka means toward the mountains, and “makai,” meaning towards the sea. So when the rain is coming in and will be heavier in the foothills and mountains (also known as upcountry), this is referred to as getting “mauka showers.”
Slippers
I used to call my well-worn cheap summer shoes flip-flops. No, here they are called slippers (sometimes pronounced “slippahs”). We even have a sign on our door asking guests to remove their slippers before they come in.
Speaking the language
The Hawaiian language is not too difficult to learn. In fact, it only has 12 letters total: A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, W
There are just a few basic rules in the Hawaiian language:
– All words end in a vowel.
– Every consonant is followed by at least one vowel.
– Every syllable ends in a vowel.
– Two consonants never appear next to each other.
– With a few exceptions, every letter is pronounced. You can practice with this one: Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
Here’s a link to the pronunciation of the name of Hawaii’s state fish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qj-ECEMdOA
Before Captain Cook’s arrival in Hawaii in 1778, Hawaiian was strictly an oral language. Cook and his men recorded the Hawaiian language for the first time in 1778. When the first missionaries arrived in Hawaii in 1820, they converted the oral Hawaiian language to a written language so that they were able to convey the messages of the Bible to the Hawaiian people.
Sadly, for a time it appeared that the language was going to become obsolete since it wasn’t taught anywhere. The good news is that there is a resurgence in interest in learning to speak Hawaiian so it appears to have been saved from being forgotten. Thanks again to the elders for preserving this important part of local culture.
Stay tuned!
I will continue to share observations here, especially as I am writing some travel blogs (lucky me!) and as I continue to learn and soak in the beautiful scenery and culture that is my new home.
Helster777 