Merrie Monarch Hula Festival 2012

Aloha kakou!
Yes, its that time again when hula permeates Hilo! April 8 - 14.
Starting with the Ho'olaulea, Sunday April 8 at the Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium 9am.  This has Free admission so be sure to catch it.  They will feature local halau that you won't want to miss.

One of my personal favorites is on April 11; the Arts and Crafts Fair will have started, but be sure to bring lots on kala ($), your gonna need it!
 This is a wonderful event that lets you see the local talent out here in the Islands and you can always find some new fabric from Polynesia and of course hula implements too.

Also be sure to check out The Music Exchange http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Music-Exchange/121186501226560  across from the Edith Kanaka'ole stadium will have some of my Ipuheke for sale. (ka'u kane makes!)  These ipu are the best handmade in all the islands of course! And yes, they come with the pale and kaula.
Next is the free exhibition night of hula, international performers, and music.
 6:00 pm, Wednesday, April 11th at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium.   This is truly a pleasure to experience, even if the crowd is huge!  I think doors open at 4pm, which means you need to get in line at 2p?!
Ha! You figure it out, only be prepared for the wait.

 Follow this link; http://www.merriemonarch.com/the-festival   for more information on the week's activities.  Also, a not to be missed program at  www.imiloahawaii.org  that will offer some very enriching cultural workshops for locals and malihini alike! You will love it!
Okay, after some sadness comes the gladness and happy-to-be-Hawaiian-ness!
So get out there and enjoy some Hula!!!

A Few Simple Greetings in Hawaiian

Aloha to you! In this blog I wanted to give a little language lesson on how to say a few simple phrases in Hawaiian. Please continue reading below to learn some Hawaiian:

Aloha kakahiaka = Good morning
Aloha ʻauinalā = Good afternoon
Aloha ahiahi = Good evening

Just the word ALOHA is sufficient enough as a greeting as well and here is why: the words we speak are powerful. Everything we say carries an energy to it and it is therefore very important to choose your words wisely. A question you might ask yourself is, "how does my body feel when I say this word?" Do you get a burst of positive energy? Or perhaps your spirit feels tired after saying a particular word.

When saying a word, its energy touches everything around you- it touches the person you are speaking to, the people close in proximity to you, the space/environment you are occupying, not to mention your own physiology. The more "positive" words you use, the more you build your energy up.

Optimism is great for the soul, but that doesn't mean you ignore what's happening in your life. You can still express how you feel while using "positive" words. For example, when you are sick, instead of saying "sick" you could say "not feeling WELL." The word "well" or "good" will take dominion of your sentence. "Tired" can become "not AWAKE." "Stupid" becomes "not SMART."

Now to bring it back to the word Aloha, you can say this word to those who cross your path throughout the day and think of it as a blessing. Yes, this word is a blessing you give to yourself and others. Be aware of this thought when you say the word Aloha- this is a gift of love for the receiver as well as the giver.

With that, enjoy learning Hawaiian!