The Olympics remind me that striving for excellence is a wonderful thing to do. Our Hawaiian culture is a fine example of that. Our ancestors did not accept "good enough" but tried to have perfection in what they did. Without excellence we can not reach greater accomplishment.

So, what does that mean today when it is more acceptable to "go with the flow" rather than to focus on perfection. When disciplining mind and body is seen as restricting. When the teachings of the past is seen as old fashion. Indeed these are questions that we think about sometimes. Does any of this matter today? Maybe watching the Olympics will bring those thoughts to the surface again.

Do A Culture

How will the Hawaiian nation be built? It will be built one person at a time. It will be built because Hawaiians will know who they are as a people and who they are as a culture. It is my contention that each Hawaiian should know something about their culture...some sort of hana or some sort of 'ike. As the 'olelo no'eau says, I ka hana ka 'ike, in doing one learns. It tells us many things; that we must DO something, not just watch, that there is knowledge gained when one is willing to work hard at something, and increased knowledge comes from increased work. For me, that should also be a cultural hana...otherwise who are we as Hawaiians. If we are not learning something about our cultural values, behaviors, and outlooks then we are not learning to think from a Hawaiian perspective.

If we make Hawaiian food then we need to know about how it was made traditionally and be able to do that too. If you make haupia; do you know what pia looks like, how it grows, where it grows and when is the best time to harvest it. Do you know where and when to collect the coconut, how to husk the coconut, how to make the coconut cream, and do you grow the coconut. So many things to know because I Ka Hana Ka 'Ike. 

So, as part of the making is there also a part of sharing, is there a part of being patient, is there a part of teaching, is there a part of Hawaiian thinking. I think so, and when all of that occurs, Hawaiian culture and the Hawaiian people prosper.

Barefoot College

After participating in TedxMaui this past weekend I decided to look up some of the TedTalks online. I thought this one was interesting since the speaker began a Barefoot College which appreciates the wisdom and intelligence of the common person, especially the grandmothers. Enjoy

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/en//id/1248

New Year

Whether you follow the solstice, Ke Ala Polohiwa A Kanaloa, or January 1 Gregorian calendar, the times they are a changing. Now is the time for us all to reset, start anew, be hopeful, and look forward. Looking forward however does not mean forgetting the past. For many of us we look to the past in order to move forward. Whatever way you like to look at it, we each have an opportunity to set aside this time to reflect on what has occurred and to look forward to the possibilities yet to come.

My screen saver says, "Spend more time on duplicating what works rather than dwelling on what is broken." Something to ponder on.

'O Kanaloa, 'o Lonokapao me Kaneikawaiola

O Kanaloa, o Lonokapao me Kaneikawaiola. 

A fine morning to wake up to today. It rained most of the night on and off, the sky was cloudy just during sunrise, but as the daylight grew so did the appearance of the sun. It is now sunny with blue skies and puffy clouds. Indeed a time for all three gods to gather; Ke Ala Polohiwa A Kanaloa, Lonoikamakahiki, and Kaneikawaiola. E ola no, ea!

Ke Ao Polohiwa A Kanaloa

We are in that wonderful season of Lono where the environment is alive with wind, rain, gushing streams and crashing seas. It is great to see and experience that around us.

Ke Ao Polohiwa A Kanaloa is also upon us. Also known by others as the winter solstice and is the time when the sun reaches it furthest travel toward the south and will begin is journey back toward the north. The days will begin to get longer as the sun moves toward Ka Piko O Wakea. Whether you mark the date on Wednesday December 21 or Thursday December 22, go out and greet the sun in the morning. When the first edge of the sun reaches the horizon until the bottom edge clears the horizon, join us in welcoming Kanehoalani. E Kanehoalani e, e Kanehoalani e, aloha kaua.

Feed Me

Mac Application.

I just learned about a new Mac application called Feed Me that teaches Hawaiian in a very elementary and simple way.  It looks like it was originally designed for children but it works for beginners to learn in a very fun way. You can always pretend it is for a child and use it for yourself. Seems to be only on the Mac platform right now but if anyone sees something similar for a Droid, let us know. FEED ME, a name that I can relate to.