Hilo Day 1 (Minus the Lu'Au)

Aloha! We finally arrived in Hilo on the 25th of January. After rocking and rolling on the open sea, I woke up with the ship docked on the port side. Out side my window was land… and a bright light.

An interesting thing about being docked is that you have to remember to close the curtains when you are changing. On the ocean, this is not an issue. There is no possibility of another person looking into the window when you are the only ship in view on the Pacific Ocean. At port it is a different story. Luckily, I have not had a lapse in memory regarding the ships location, and therefore have always remembered to shut the curtains. One of my friends however, (who will remain nameless) was less fortunate and forgot that there was land and people outside her window. At least three dockworkers were gifted with a lovely, and topless, dance performance before she became aware of the situation.

The morning of our arrival in Hilo, we went through a basic customs check where we presented our IDs to local officials. Then we (myself and some friends) went to an early breakfast. Eventually, I went to a hula dance workshop where I learned about the origins of hula and mele’s (hula songs/poems). At the end of the workshop I learned a few hula moves and discovered the incredible difficulty of coordinating the smooth controlled movement of the hands, hips, and feet. I had the opportunity to eat lunch with some students from the University of Hilo who were also our hula instructors. It was great to be able to talk with them and learn different things.

I learned that there are lots sexual connotations in hula. The Hawaiian tends embrace sexuality rather be embarrassed by it. This is evident everywhere, where people walk the beaches being proud of themselves and their sexual appeal. I also learned that the flower in the hair can symbolize ones marital status or availability. Just as the wedding ring is on the left hand, if your flower is on the left then one is communicating they are unavailable. If the flower is on your right you are “single and ready to mingle.” This tradition began when military personnel began to arrive in large quantities to the islands. Many people on the islands could not afford wedding bands, so the flowers became the social indicator of a woman’s availability.  

The middle of the day was spent wondering the streets of Hilo. My friends and I went downtown and found an ice cream shop to commemorate one of my friends Grandfathers, who has died, but was a great lover of ice cream. There was a new flavor among the ice cream called “ube” or “ude” (this is where my memory fails). But what I do remember is that this ice cream was bright purple and was described as “purple sweet potato”. Of course I had to try such a unique flavor. It reminded me of what taro bubble tea tastes like (my favorite bubble tea), so I loved it!

I found a cute summer Hawaiian dress for the Lu’Au later in the evening, got some postcards, and then returned to the ship to change for the party!