Hawaii, Pineapples & Stereotypes

Our family had the privilege of traveling to the Hawaiian island of Oahu for a few days and in short it was awesome.  On the flight home I had plenty of time to think about what we had just experienced and wanted to share some of it here.

I.  Hawaii

In Hawaii, we experienced and/or saw several firsts:

• Perhaps, but maybe not obvious, it was the first time to Hawaii for us.
• It was the first time the girls have flown.
• We ate at a Tony Romos for the first time.
• First time we saw sea turtles, at least not in captivity.
• And we saw firsthand for the first time what happens when a drunk passenger acts belligerent with the flight crew before takeoff.  Let's just say Carol Burnett would have been proud.  "And that's sky law."  Fans of 30 Rock will get it. 

While in Hawaii we stumbled across an Apple Store.  When you put an Apple Store in a place like Hawaii, I think you get a foretaste of heaven.  I'm pretty sure this is what Milton had in mind when he wrote his poem Paradise Regained, but don't quote me on that.

Driving around the island, there was a surprise around every turn in the road.  Gorgeous shorelines and powerful waves gave way to naturally rugged and beautiful mountain ranges only to give them back to the shorelines.  It was like a dance between the ocean and the mountains.  Lana remarked that CS Lewis must have visited Hawaii before he wrote Narnia.  I agree.

On a more somber note...Pearl Harbor.  A very solemn, even emotional experience.  I can't say anything that hasn't already been said a thousand times, but I was moved by this wartime prayer from Eleanor Roosevelt -
Dear Lord,

Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember that somewhere,
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war,
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?

Maybe it was the magnitude of the environment, but I found myself asking myself the same question.  I was reminded, thankfully, that God in his graciousness, justice, and mercy sent a substitute to those who repent and confess Jesus as Savior, you don't have to try and answer that question on your own (Mk. 1:15, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Rom. 10:9-11, Jn. 3:16, et al).

II.  Pineapples

Hawaii is known for many things, but one thing you may not know is that it is a pretty major player in the production of pineapples, nuts (of the macadamia kind), and coffee.  I predominately write on here about topics related to agriculture, and for many people, when they think of ag, or big ag, it's those people in Iowa with all that corn or those guys down in Texas with all those cows and cotton.  Farms and farmers come in all shapes and sizes, and produce all types of products for consumption.  And, farmers are growing fruits & vegetables, nuts, and coffee as well.  We don't typically think about items such as pineapples or nuts around these parts because no one grows it around here--except for maybe parts of Florida and California.  Why do I bring this up?  While some may view importing food as a necessary evil or perhaps worse, I view it as a necessary reality.  Especially if we desire to eat and drink things that we are unable to produce here ourselves, such as pineapples and coffee.  So, the consumer is left with only a couple of options.  Move to a tropical environment and eat pineapple and coconut all day while sipping on coffee, or do without.  Certainly safeguards to ensure quality and safety should be in place to protect the consumer as realistically as possible.  However, we as Americans have the tendency to want and eat our cake at the same time.  So, we can either do without and complain, or do with and probably still complain.

III.  Stereotypes

Being a silly main lander having been influenced and informed by bad information about Hawaii, I was (partially) duped into believing these common myths about Hawaiians:

Myth 1
All Hawaiians wear Hawaiian shirts.
Nope.  Pretty much the only people that wear those shirts are tourists who look like their skin has never seen sunlight and a certain sect of Southern Baptist pastors.

Myth 2
All Hawaiians walk around doing the hula dance.
Wrong again.  Probably picked up this idea from that bad show called Hawaii Five-0 or it's more bad new version called Hawaii Five-0.  It's on CBS, what'd you expect?  Sure, you can see and participate in a hula dance, and it is used to teach visitors about the heritage of the islands, but I got the impression this it is often done to appease well funded tourists.

Myth 3
Hawaiian music consists of only the ukulele.
Nada.  The ukulele is a popular and important instrument in Hawaiian culture, but music on the island is as rich and diverse as anywhere.  Yes, the late Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole is a legend in Hawaii, but ever hear of an artist named Jack Johnson?

Myth 4
The hand sign/wave using your thumb and pinkie finger means hang loose.
Uh Uh No.  Locally that is known as the Shaka sign and what it actually means is something closer to a type of greeting or a way of saying thanks.


So if you ever plan on going to Hawaii, do a little research ahead of time that extends beyond Magnum P.I. episodes, and don't act like such a tourist, stereotyping everything into a category like, for example when people up north think every other guy in the south is called Bubba.  Ok, that was a bad example. At the same time, don't try and be Kelly Slater either.  Get out of the city, explore the island, stop at a roadside stand and buy something, and mingle with the locals.  When you go, go a little more Globe Trekker style and a little less double decker bus style.  Leave technology behind, and go off the grid a few days.  No email, no facebook, no TV, no returning phone calls or texting.  It was great.  Didn't miss it a bit.  I had no idea what Tebow had done or who won the New Hampshire primary, nor did I really care.  It takes a little more effort, but it'll be worth it.  If you get the opportunity to go, go.

Eddie would go.

Aloha and Mahalo.