Polynesian Cultural Center

I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center for free. This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. The only sad part about it is that the freshman are able to go to a night show, but I have a night class during that time, so I can't go. I'm actually very mad and sad about it. I have heard
that it is really an
 awesome experience. I really wish I could go, but I did get to see small glimpses of what it is going to be like. The dancers are incredible. I was especially impressed with the Tahitian dancers; how they move their hips that fast, no one knows. I wish that I could be a dancer at the PCC, but you have to be or look like a polynesian, and I clearly do not. I'm a little bit depressed
about it actually, but it is what it is. The freshman were split into groups and were assigned two tour guides to take us to the PCC. We went to different places such as Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand, and Tahiti. We obviously didn't actually go to those places, but we were able to see the differences in culture anyway. I really loved Tonga and Samoa. The shows were amazing and the main people were so funny. They would make jokes with completely straight faces. In Tonga, they had people come up and learn to play the drums, while the Tongans would play small pranks on them. In Samoa, there were two men that climbed the coconut trees, and I swear that I have never seen someone climb a tree so fast. They kind of look like frogs while doing it though. But after they climbed the trees, we were shown how to properly husk and open a coconut. I personally am no fan of coconut, but it was really cool to watch. When we went to Tahiti, we were able to witness a wedding ceremony, which was awesome. They had a bunch of dancing during it, and both families had to give gifts to each other during the wedding. New Zealand was amazing as well. They did tricks and dances with sticks, which we got to try. I was with one of the tour guides, and basically, we were the best at it. I think everyone else was jealous that I was with him..... oops. :) But also, the people from New Zealand have a very unique greeting. They don't say anything, but they grab hands and touch foreheads and noses; our tour guides made us pair up and do it. Me being my lucky self was the only one without a partner, so I was with the other tour guide, C. Joe, and we had to show everyone how it was done......... twice. To say I was a little embarrassed would be an understatement. It was in front of a pretty big group of people. One other interesting moment was that one of the workers actually proposed to his girlfriend that night in Tahiti. I didn't go to watch, but I heard it was great. After me and a couple of friends left, I met one of the Tongans that worked there. His name is Siopay. I'm not really sure if that's how you spell it, but I didn't ask how it was spelled so...... but we talked with him at Laie point until about 1:00 that night, and he explained to us the Tongan culture. It's amazing. He says that there aren't any homeless people in Tonga because when someone runs out of money, there is always someone willing to help. Maybe that's why the person who discovered Tonga called them "the friendly ones." But it's so interesting to hear about other peoples' cultures when you have lived in the same place your whole life.

First Week Adventures

 The third day I was on campus, a group of people decided that they wanted to go cliff jumping at a place called The Point. It's like THE place to jump apparently. There are two different heights to jump off of, but neither of them are too scary. The worst part is climbing back up. There are some rock that you have to climb on, and you have to time yourself so you don't get knocked into the rocks, but it's not very hard. People were doing flips and twists off of the cliffs, but that is kind of terrifying, so I didn't do it. It's hard enough for me to do a back flip off of the diving board at a swimming pool, let alone a cliff into the ocean.

On the way back from The Point, we ran into a little trouble. A kid named Aaron decided that it was okay to walk barefoot, and he got a huge wire stuck in his heel; it was pretty disgusting. He didn't know if it was hooked at the end, so he didn't want to pull it out. The group didn't know how to get him back to campus besides carrying him, so they waved over a truck. They stuck him in the back and took him back to the health center on campus where he ended up finding a good position to pull it out. The act of pulling out the wire wasn't as cool as I expected, or wanted, but it is what it is, and now he's fine, so it's all good.

The next day, that same group plus some decided to go on a hike to PCC Falls. I don't know if that is the real name, but that is what everyone calls it. We thought it was going to take about 30 minutes to hike up there, but an hour later we were still going. It was crazy beautiful though, so it was worth it. At the end of the hike there was only a little tiny waterfall, but there was a big pool at the bottom of it. The water was kind of cold, but there were so many bugs there that it was either get in the water or get eaten alive. I have so many bug bites on my legs from that day. People were also doing flips of the rocks, and one kid named Eric was about 3 inches away from smacking his forehead while doing a back flip. It wasn't one of the finest moments. But on the trail, we had to go through some farms, so we got to see a bunch of banana trees, which was awesome.

First Days

The second day I was in Hawaii, my dad and I went to Pearl Harbor; we visited the USS Arizona Memorial. Before we took a boat to the actual memorial, we watched a short film with actual footage from the 7th of December in 1941. I have seen movies about Pearl Harbor, but I haven't seen that much actual footage. It was incredible but

 terrifying at the same time. After the movie, we were able to go to the memorial, which is right on top of the actual sunken Arizona ship. You can see oil seeping out of the ship. People sometimes call it the "tears of Arizona" or "black tears." One of the workers told us that on the anniversary of the attack, the oil coming out was more than any other day. It's like they were really there and giving a sign, which is absolutely crazy. It was really cool to be where the attack took place.

 

We also decided to take a trip to Diamond Head, which is a state monument. The sunrise happened too early for us to be at the top when it rose, but we still went right when it opened at 6:00, which is incredibly early. The hike isn't too bad until you get to the stairs; they are awful. There are three different staircases, and the worst is the second one. It's great until you get about halfway up, and then you feel like dying from staircase exhaustion. And when you finish those stairs, there are other ones right after it. But the view at the top is totally worth it. It is so beautiful, even though you could barely move because there was so many people up there, especially Asians.

New State, Updated Life

So basically, Hawaii is absolutely beautiful. There are practically a million different colors of blue near the shore of Oahu. It's crazy how one beach can be so much different than another. In addition to different beaches, there is a very distinct culture difference. I have never met so many people eager to help others. It's not like some places where people are so into their world that they won't take a sliver of time to help another. There are constantly "aloha"'s and "mahalo"'s (thank you) being said to one another, and with sincerity. It's incredible.

Contrasting to Utah, there isn't a church every block. But when there is one, it will completely blow you away. I had the opportunity to go to the Manoa Ward which met in this beautiful tabernacle. My dad and I were lucky enough to have made it there just in time to start. Almost every time someone came up to talk, they would start with an "aloha" and the congregation would say it back. It's going to take a bit to get used to. But in Laie, the major place of worship is the beautiful temple. I haven't been inside yet, but it is on my agenda for the near future. The church has created things beyond satisfying description.

I'm so excited and grateful that I have been given the opportunity to live here in Hawaii for a year. It has already been amazing, and it's only been five days. I can't wait for what the rest of the year offers.