Whenever we're heading into town on the H1 highway, we see this fun painting on the Palama Settlement gym.
It starts with the shaka (pronounced "shah kah") sign on both ends that come together to form a heart.
I thought it was pretty darn cool!
I looked up its history and found this.
I'm finding more people are now using the shaka sign to wave and say, "thank you" when you let them into your lane or whatever in traffic.
Coincidentally, I just saw something in our local news that a group wanted to copyright or do something to preserve the shaka sign for Hawaii because they were worried about cultural appropriation.
Apparently Las Vegas was starting to use the shaka sign too. 😏
I imagine that's because a lot of local people from Hawaii have moved there. It's considered the 9th Hawaiian island.
When Art and our friend, Dave went to Tanzania and Dubai together last August, they showed the shaka sign to a lot of the local people there.
The local people in both countries were happy to share their own special signs as well.
This is from Art's photobook about Dubai. Apparently, both countries have their own variety of hand signals. Three fingers forming a W was for win. Two fingers forming a V was for Victory. Index and thumb forming an L was for Love.
I remember our little granddaughter, KC used to flash the American sign language for "I love you" all the time. Gosh! This was a long time ago. I wonder if she still remembers.
Do you have any hand signals you use in your area?
OMG! My friend, Kay (Would you believe another Kay?) sent me a shaka emoji! I had no idea Apple added a shaka to their emoji line.
I looked it up and saw this from Honolulu Magazine:
"There is FINALLY a shaka emoji. Hawaii's most beloved and universal hand gesture finally included in Apple's latest iOs update. Dec 17, 2016."
WARNING about my previous blog post:
I wrote a blog post earlier about using baking soda and Dawn dishwashing liquid to clean the grout on your tile floors with a toothbrush.
Uh oh... I'm writing this a few weeks later. After I did the floors with Art I was staring at the bathroom floor which wasn't as big as the kitchen and decided to tackle it myself.
A few days later, I found my right arm and shoulder killing me. I could tell it was in danger of becoming a frozen shoulder which is a very painful condition I've had several decades ago. It is NOT fun and could require physical therapy. To avoid that, I'm taking Aleve and moving my arm as much as I can.
This is just a cautionary advice. Be careful... please.
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Interesting emoji. I wish it was a little more held horizontal. Bummer about your hard-working shoulder. Might want to change to your other arm with your next project. I have a bone spur in my right shoulder from handing so many bags of IV fluids and chemo. Repetitive movements, like in your back, injure many nurses. After a shot, the orthopedist gave me a page of 3 exercises to help keep the pain away. (I can't take NSAIDS to protect my kidneys, just Tylenol.) The PT exercises really help. Find a jolly Physical Therapist for an easy set of exercises for your type of injury. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteAww, I tried to find that emoji, but I'm on Windows. I have Apple devices, but they don't let me comment easily.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who wide spread it is, but in my part of rural Iowa, when driving down the gravel road and meeting someone, it is common to raise just your index finger of one hand off the steering wheel as a greeting when you pass by each other. I never thought much about it until I was out of college and people riding with me pointed it out.
ReplyDeleteI saw that when we were on the highway! Wondered what type of building it was.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the heart hand symbols in Asian movies and heard Taylor Swift does them too
ReplyDeleteI've seen lots of hand signs. I took sign language back in the 80s, and have used it with a deaf client, as well as students.
ReplyDeleteFrozen shoulder is definitely no fun! The only hand signal in my area is the middle finger. :( Especially on the road with the crazy drivers. I never use it but I see it frequently.
ReplyDeleteI tried, but I can't really make the shaka sign. My "frozen" fingers (arthritis) won't bend enough. Thumbs up is still the only sign I use.
ReplyDeleteThe shaka sign is on both ends of that mural. It has the thumb and baby pinky extended.
DeleteSome of these hand signs are here but I don't know them except for the nasty one you didn't show!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that happened to your shoulder. Kay. I think keeping moving gently is good. I'm going to hold a good thought for your shoulder. I really appreciate this post about the shaka which I am throwing all the time. Aloha from town side
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I hope you don't get frozen shoulder. It is miserable.
ReplyDeleteI think the shaka sign is wonderful. My kids grew up with a deaf cousin in the family and sign flashed around all the time. I especially liked I Love You.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these tips. I really like the shaka symbol and will use it!
ReplyDeleteI remember the shaka sign well. Yes. We have an handsign that you often see used here. Especially when driving. But. I dont want to tell you about it. We live in a far more impatient world here.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful mural and I found all the language signs very interesting. I don't remember any specific signs growing up, except that my Dad taught himself sign language. One of his cousins was deaf and he wanted to communicate with her at an early age when they were still children. Years later when they met up after not seeing each other for a long time, they were still chatting away and had a great time seeing each other again. Their fingers were flying!
ReplyDeleteAh, I have learned something new today. A shaka signal is added. I am not sure that we have hand signs much in Canada, our hands being covered by gloves or, better, mitts for six months of the year. The signals I learned as an adult are for diving. Horizontal hand across the neck means that the person signing is out of air. Two hands clasped above the head at the surface means the swimmer/diver is safe and in control. I also learned, when on a dive with her, to take a board and wax crayon so as to be able to argue with my YD under water. Why argue? When choosing a route through rock or a sunken vessel. Or, in our case, because I saw a ray on the ocean floor and was following it. YD did not see it and thought I had succumbed to oxygen deprivation dementia. It is funny now, but was a complete mixup at the time.
ReplyDeleteI will add shaka to my repertoire in warm weather.