There’s absolutely no reason to post this on the Mana‘o Ulu Wale blog, other than I think it’s funny. Laugh out loud funny.
I’ve always been a big fan of David Sedaris. From the first time I heard Santaland Diaries, I was hooked. His writing often combines humor and a pathos with which we all can relate.
This linked story is a little long (about 24 minutes), but nonetheless worth the listen. This clip is from the NPR show This American Life.
And, because more is more. Here are a few more David Sedaris clips.
The next video is from a reading he did in Brazil. So, in case your Portuguese isn’t muito bom you can fast forward past Mr. Sedaris’ introdução (about 50 seconds in).
And, because I’m still going through election news withdrawal, here’s a piece on the undecided masses.
Many people have written asking where to get Hawaiian implements like the ones in our header. These were made by the artisans of Kumulau.
Kumulau will be having a private sale in Honolulu on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7, 2008. At the sale, there will be all sorts of Hawaiian arts and crafts such as kahili, kūpe‘e, ihe, hīha‘i and ki‘i pōhaku. They will also have the some of the supplies necessary to make your own implements. From cordage to sharks’ teeth, it’s a great place for Hawaiian artisans to get hard to find supplies.
If you would like to know where the sale is, please send us an email at aina.aloha at yahoo dot com.
Now that the holidays are officially bearing down, here are a few tips on how we can enjoy a more sustainable season courtesy of Kōkua Hawai‘i and Kanu Hawai‘i. Check out their websites for more tips and to make a simple declaration of your intent to green your holidays.
– When buying a Christmas tree, consider a live potted one. If you do get a cut tree, find one that’s locally grown. Don’t forget to recycle with your green waste after the holidays.
– Give teachers, coworkers, and friends edible gifts, plants, or gift certificates instead of “stuff” that will get stuck in a drawer somewhere.
– Start eco-friendly traditions. For example, when you go out caroling in your neighborhood, take an empty trash bag and pick up any litter you see along the way.
– Reuse wrapping paper and bows or try repurposing newspapers, brown paper bags, maps, or art work to make your own unique, eco-friendly packages. Reusable grocery bags are also a good gift-wrapping option, and then it’s a gift inside a gift. (If you don’t have reusable grocery bags, here’s a great place to get them and the proceeds go to charity).
– Give reusable or homemade gifts. Shop for gently used gifts at thrift shops or on-line at www.Craigslist.org or www.Freecycle.org. Give gifts of time like certificates for a massage or a car wash. Treat a loved one to ‘ukulele lessons or tickets to a sporting or cultural event.
– When shopping for holiday food and gifts, try to plan ahead and consolidate trips in order to save fuel and reduce pollution. Also, don’t forget to take along your reusable cloth grocery bags to use instead of the disposable ones!
– During the holiday season the most rewarding gift of all is giving back to your community. Make it a family tradition to donate to or volunteer for charitable causes during the holidays.
We’ve all heard it before. Out of the mouth of babes. Yet, never before had this struck me as so true as when I visited a small dual-language school in urban Honolulu, HI.
Each day the keiki (children) of Kawaiaha‘o School, aged 18-months to 10-years-old, gather to begin their day with what they call their piko (literally umbilical cord or that which ties them back to their foundation). This daily assembly is a time to gather, greet each other and start the day in the spirit of aloha (love) and lōkahi (unity).
An important part of their piko is a pledge. Not just to one people or one place, but to the entire Earth.
Knowing that reciting and understanding are not necessarily the same thing, their kumu (teachers) work daily with the keiki to deeply instill Aloha ‘Āina – love for the land.
Several years ago, the keiki themselves began re-landscaping their urban campus, planting mainly native plants that encourage the return of native wildlife. Their efforts were recognized when the nation’s largest member-supported conservation group, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), named them the first school in Hawai‘i to achieve certification as a NWF Schoolyard Habitat.
Click to see full article
Following upon the success of their native garden, the keiki instituted a full school recycling and composting program. The children began collecting and recycling paper, glass, aluminum, plastic and used ink cartridges. Today, their collections go far beyond the school campus. Families, friends and neighboring businesses are all encouraged to work with the keiki to ensure recyclables do not go to the landfill. The children also enlisted teachers and parents to help build composting bins so that biodegradable refuse could be used in their native garden. Their goal is to create a zero-waste school.
Click to see full article
These and other efforts brought them to the attention of one of Hawaii’s best known education non-profits, The Moanalua Gardens Foundation. In 2008, the Foundation awarded the school with their 2007 Hawai‘i Needs Care Award.
However, even with such praise, the keiki felt their efforts needed to expand beyond their immediate sphere. “We do a lot for ourselves, but we need to help other people, too,” shared second-grader Kealoha Garvin.
Taking this to heart, the children found that even small actions can help in big ways. After learning about suffering children in the Azawak in Niger – the world’s most drought ridden area – the Kawaiaha‘o keiki chose to create a program called Ka Wai Ola – the water of life. As a part of this project, the keiki sell green products with 100% of the proceeds going to dig deepwater wells in Africa. Their first item, a reusable grocery bag, sold out in less than a month. Their second item, a larger reusable bag, will be available in a few days.
Click to see full story
The keiki also created an earth-friendly cleanser and bug spray. Using only natural, non-toxic materials, the children researched how to create products that are both green and effective. They also researched how to market their products – from branding and packaging to sales, they are using their gained knowledge to better our community.
Another effort the keiki have undertaken is to help other children become environmental leaders. They wrote and produced a public service announcement encouraging other schools to establish recycling programs. The resulting PSA was created in conjunction with a local non-profit, The Lex Brodie Foundation and the City & County of Honolulu.
Indeed, the children of Kawaiaha‘o School are proof that from small things, big things come.
In appreciation for bringing their artistry to Hawai‘i, Mayor Mufi Hannemann and the children of Kawaiaha‘o School gave the cast of Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco a warm mahalo – Hawaiian style.
After the performance on Thursday evening, the children and Mayor joined cast members on stage. Bearing lei, the keiki first offered an oli mahalo in which they chanted their gratitude for the show choosing to come to Hawai‘i. After the oli, the children presented each of the 50 cast members with lei and honi (the traditional touching of the noses to share the breath of life). Mayor Hannemann presented singer Nicola Dawn (representing the entire cast) with a pū‘olo or bundle of sweet potato and Hawaiian salt wrapped in ti leaves. This gift symbolizes the fullness of life with staples from the mountains and the sea.
“We are thrilled our keiki have the opportunity to experience one of the world’s best shows here in Hawai‘i nei,” shared Kawaiaha‘o program director Wailani Robins. “Because Cirque du Soleil shared with us the joy of seeing beyond the ordinary, we wanted to share with them one of Hawaii’s greatest gifts – the aloha spirit.”
Hawaii’s appreciation was summed up by Mayor Hannemann. “I would like to thank Cirque du Soleil for bringing such a first rate production to Honolulu. The cast and crew have left audiences awe-struck.” The Mayor added, “I believe Honolulu has once again shown it is a truly great city when it comes to supporting the arts. A vibrant arts sector shows the true heart of a city, and I hope this bodes well for Cirque du Soleil returning to Honolulu with other extraordinary productions.”
As a long-time newspaper junkie, it was with a sense of dread that I heard of the latest round of buyouts at my local paper, The Honolulu Advertiser.
Not privy to Gannett’s (parent company of the Advertiser) business plans, from the outside their actions seem wholly incomprehensible. After a year that has included mass layoffs, Gannett has chosen to buyout many of the paper’s experienced journalists and editors to bring in employees from the mainland. Can it be that it’s cheaper to relocate employees who are used to higher salaries than are paid here in the islands?
It goes without saying that journalistic experience is imperative to the life of any paper. Knowing what questions to ask. Understanding how to weave the answers into compelling stories. Realizing that both inclusions and exclusions may lead to either greater understanding or increased confusion of issues. Yes, journalistic experience is essential.
However, with the forced retirements at the Advertiser and the shipping in of mainland Gannett employees, the paper is losing something just as valuable – local experience.
While every community revels in its own distinctiveness, Hawaii’s uniqueness is not just a part of hometown pride. Stemming from two centuries of Native Hawaiians, Polynesians, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese and various European groups coalescing to form a united culture, our values and language have evolved in a very specific island way.
By removing those who have not only known, but have been a part of this culture, the Advertiser is effectively positioning itself as the “outsider,” literally as the much maligned haole.
In a community that’s notoriously wary of outsiders, how will this new crop of reporters and editors be able to cover anything but in the most superficial way? Citizens will be polite and say what they think the reporter wants to hear. But, chances are they will not invite the reporter into their homes or behind closed doors. This is where the truth of our community lies. Not with the vocal minority who are longing to see their name in print.
Advertiser newcomers will have to cope with absent subtexts while dealing with a new language filled with words borrowed from a myriad of languages. Will they understand why a political initiative’s fate may lay with tūtū’s centuries old kuleana to mālama kekahi i kekahi? Why the fishing industry wants to know about one blalah hui pounding choke poke aku Ewa? Why it’s important to report which Hangwanji has the best grinds come Obon?
Without a sense of history, without a sense of culture, and without the ability to uncover local kaona, I fear the Advertiser’s usefulness as a paper for Hawai‘i has finally come to an end.
Mana‘o Ulu Wale - Random Musings 
