While reminiscing with one of my fun friends, it brought to mind a post I blogged in 2008. It was just something funny about local people in Hawaii. The funny thing is that much of this is still true. I did update it... just a little.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN HAWAII IF:
- nobody knows where north is. (It’s true. Local people say mauka or makai (mountain or ocean, toward Ewa or toward town, etc.)
- on the street where you live, every refrigerator has a bottle of shoyu (soy sauce) in it. (Yup. We have low salt and regular.) 😃
- your cousin is Japanese-Chinese-French-Filipino-Korean-Scottish-Portuguese-Hawaiian plus some stuff too manini (little) to mention. (My nephews are Japanese-Irish.)
- to go out on Saturday night and impress the girl, you wear your bestest shorts. (I wear shorts or capris ALL the time. I never wear dresses or long pants.)
- the most important thing to know about a person is where they went to high school. (So very true.)
- the second most important thing to know about a person is the year they wen' grad (they graduated).
- birds walk more often than they fly. (Those darn pigeons are walking and pooping all over our solar panels. Arrrghhh!)
- you're nobody until somebody says you're part of the ohana (family).
- the legislature is a daycare for troubled adults.
- nobody knows where the "fast lane" is on the freeway.
- the best cooks all use lots of Best Foods mayonnaise.
- an approaching hurricane means only one thing...."Surf's up brah!"
- Las Vegas is Mecca. (It’s called the 9th island.)
- White rice and macaroni salad is served with every plate lunch.
- Spam is everywhere.
- Beans (azuki) are the perfect condiment for ice cream or shave ice.
- the ukulele is a classical music instrument.
- the weather report says "mauka showers".
- you take your shoes off before you enter a house.
- children call all their family friends "Uncle" or "Auntie." Hawaii children have a lot of ohana.
- formal dinnerware are paper plates and plastic forks.
- you don't honk at anybody in traffic because it could be your cousin.
- when there's a light rain, you look around for the rainbow.
I’m sure my local friends can come up with many more.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!
Both my daughter and I take our shoes off in our respective houses. This may be because she lived in Asia, but I think mainlanders have just adopted this because it keeps the floors cleaner.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful sketch of Hawaiians. All good identifiers. I was pleased to find in my tiny town, we don't honk either.
ReplyDeletefun stuff, certainly a unique place...Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteFun to read! Cultures are so unique and fascinating. Las Vegas? Are the white rice and macaroni salad together or separate?
ReplyDeleteGood one. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Lived in Honolulu as a kid, none of my family (Oregon/Washington) wears shoes in the house to this day. We still eat white rice instead of spuds. Still miss it although the little house and block we lived in is now covered with multi-story apartment buildings. Two+ blocks from Wakiki, it was heaven then.
ReplyDeleteI'll add to that list:
ReplyDelete1. Where houses are too expensive so your adult kids never leave.
2. Always looking for that "connection" by last name - "are you related to so-and-so Nakamura?"
3. Only using the clothes dryer on rainy days and hanging clothes out on the line instead.
4. Reverse parking our cars so we have an easier getaway.
5. Waiting patiently in lines, even if they seem stupid.
6. Having our windows and doors open most of the time to catch the breeze - which means we also have screen windows and screen doors.
7. Talking to strangers. Lots of opportunities there while waiting in stupid lines.
These are awesome and so absolutely true! Just did #2 recently. A banker we worked with was a Santos. I asked if he was related to a friend of ours. Sure enough. Cousins. :-D And so true about the screen doors! Hmmm... Although we had a screen door in Illinois too. And I'd say 80% of our neighbors have several generations living in the same house.
DeleteThese are wonderful reminders of why Hawaiians are such special people. I never knew most of your list, or Honolulu Auntie's either. I have learned so much today!
ReplyDelete:-)
That's a wonderful list. We back our cars in, we open our windows and doors all year, and we often wear shorts all year round too. But we old folks went to "State" and skip the high school mention. What fun.
ReplyDeleteYou can often find a long, thin sweeping arm keeping birds off yachts. You might call a boat store and see if you can find one for your solar panels. Sorry I don't know what they are called. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteWas more important earlier, but when we couldn't find a relative, we would ask what year you wen grad to maybe find a mutual friend. Multi gen families has always been the norm, and esp. older kids never leaving, even when getting married. Most expect grandparents to baby sit, something they're willing to do. No one ever complains about long lines except me, nor if someone cuts. No make shame or fuss was drilled into us. BB
ReplyDeleteIt’s so true. We did get shame drilled into us. We needed to behave and not bring shame to the family. Mom still makes sure our house and garden are neat and orderly or she would be ashamed of what people might think.
DeleteMy total Hawaiian experiences are on the island of Kuai but I recognize most of your items and have witnessed them.
ReplyDeleteWell , I guess I'm not Hawaiian . I have enjoyed my trips to Hawaii
ReplyDeleteAll good with most of this, but Las Vegas???
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving
Sounds like paradise on earth. Well ... except for the Spam.
ReplyDeleteA few troubled adults in many a legislature.
ReplyDeleteI do like that Hawaii is so liberal that there were virtually no Republicans once in one of chambers.
DeleteBut I have heard of Republicans pretending to be Democrats in Hawaii.
Tulsi Gabbard comes ti mund when she served in Congress. Sometimes she'd take a really progressive stance, but others, she was no better than Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Actually, you're so right about Tulsi. And yes, you're right about quite a few conservatives we have here in Hawaii. You know they're here because they're the ones marching for how it's their right not to be vaccinated no matter how high our infection rate climbs.
DeleteSome fun stuff. certainly including the ukulele being a classical instrument.
ReplyDeleteHappy Turkey Day! (Or chicken, or rice instead of potatoes.) I didn't know soy sauce was stored in the fridge.
ReplyDeleteLinda in Kansas
Happy Thanksgiving. Small Toyota trucks are from Hawaii too.
ReplyDeleteYup!
ReplyDelete