Laie, Hawai`i – The Sledge family, friends from the mainland, would be arriving today. I would be meeting them at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I headed out way early to allow plenty of time for any sightseeing I might want to do before meeting them.
My drive took me around to the other side of the island. Exiting the tunnel and turning on to Highway 83, I realized that it didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would to reach the north side.
Soon, Chinaman’s Hat came into view. (I knew of no other name by which it was known.) I had seen photos of the little island in the past. Not one to pass up the opportunity, I stopped at Kāne`ohe Bay to get a closer look. Apparently, there are a couple of small beaches and a cove on the tiny island. During low tide it is possible to walk/wade over to the island from the shore but you are advised to be mindful of the tide. Pro tip: Carry a tide timetable with you so you can head back before the tide rises. The reef around the island sports a nice variety of marine life, including hammerhead sharks. If you are in good shape, once you get to the islet you can hike to the top. Supposedly there are pretty good views from up there.
Back on Highway 83, I rolled along enjoying the stunning scenery along the way, wishing I had more time to stop and enjoy the beauty I found myself surrounded by; scalloped, green hills and lush fields on one side, the ocean on the other. Less than half an hour later I found myself entering the town of Laie. And on the mauka (mountain) side, I found the Polynesian Cultural Center.
I arrived before my friends the Sledge family did. To pass the time until they got here, I took the opportunity to walk out from the Polynesian Cultural Center’s parking lot, and down and back along the highway. I also got to meet and talk with a well-known cameraman based on the island.
I purchased the Luau package, which includes admission to PCC, all of the villages and their shows, the Hawaiian Journey film, lu`au buffet, and the Ha: Breath of Life show at the end. Minutes after buying my ticket, the bus pulled up. Among the passengers was the Sledge family. Greetings and hugs ensued, and we proceeded to the entrance.
During my first trip to Oahu in 1989, my then-girlfriend and I visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. I was interested to see how much had changed since then. But what I wanted more was to see PCC through the eyes of the Sledge family; Dad, Mom, and the girls of the band.
I didn’t know that this year PCC was having its golden jubilee celebration. I don’t recall seeing any signage commemorating the milestone. Something else I didn’t know (and was surprised to learn) was that PCC was affiliated with Brigham Young University (BYU). According to the PCC website, PCC “first opened its doors in 1963 as a way for students at the adjacent Church College of Hawai`i (now Brigham Young University Hawai`i) to earn money for their education and as a means to preserve and portray the cultures, art and crafts of the people of Polynesia.”
For those who are not familiar with PCC, it is a center where a half-dozen of the major Polynesian islands are represented. Each island has an area called a ‘village’ where visitors can learn a little bit of that island’s culture and heritage through performances, demonstrations, activities, and stories. Each village also features replicas of structures such as huts, temples, gathering places, etc. Villages represented here are: Hawai`i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga. The complex also has restaurants, theaters, and shopping.
Near the start of our visit I met one of the students working here at PCC. I was surprised to find out he speaks fluent Spanish. What followed was a conversation between he and I in Spanish. I learned a bit about his story. Off and on throughout the day we had a few chances to share our various histories and converse a little more in Spanish.
One of the first events we saw was the Canoe Pageant. This is a procession featuring twin canoes with a platform between them. Performers from the different islands parade by in traditional dress on their canoes, performing dances ranging from hulas to hakas as they pass by. This is a very popular event. Visitors pack the walkways along the river to see the parade, with many sitting on the wall at the water’s edge. Arrive early before the pageant starts if you want to grab a good viewing spot.
Hawai`i, Tonga, and Tahiti came by first, followed by performers from Aotearoa tossing sticks across the platform while the craft was moving. Samoa featured some very energetic dances with the men airborne on occasion. I forgot the Samoans rock the boat near the end of their routine to try to make the paddler fall off. My first visit here, the paddler stayed glued to the canoe. This time the Samoan troupe was successful at dethroning him. Looked like the poor guy had the hang of it but broke his concentration, lost his balance, and fell in. Fiji concluded the pageant.
As with my last visit, the Samoan village was most memorable. The host had a great sense of humor. He demonstrated how to start a fire with a stick and a grooved pole. At one point, after getting a fire started and tossing on the coconut husks from an old coconut coir or outer shell, he waved the smoking pile under his arm, supposing it to be deodorant. That got a few laughs from the audience.
If you pay attention, you’ll notice that nearly every part of the coconut is used. The husk from the coconut? That was consumed in the fire, of course. But what happened to the coconut itself? Our host picked up the coconut, grabbed a small, flat rock, and expertly struck the coconut on its side. It split in half perfectly.
Now that we have two coconut halves, he then poured the water from the bottom half into the top half, which now functioned as a natural cup. bo-Pah from the Sledge family was called up on stage to sample the water. She and the host clinked, um, glasses, and downed the water inside.
Our host then sat on a log that has an exposed blade attached to one end. Taking one of the coconut halves, he grated the fresh coconut against the blade and captured the falling meat onto palm leaves – at least I think that’s what they were. Once he had a sufficient amount, he picked up the leaves and gave a couple of twists and a squeeze. And now we have coconut milk.
So how do Samoans get those coconuts? A sufficiently buff and barefoot colleague walked out and over to one of the 40-foot trees in the village to show us. With a band made of vines wrapped around his ankles he proceeded to climb the tree. Just short of the top, he stopped. Here he briefly steals the show, throwing up a few modeling poses before descending.
It was explained to me by a cameraman that our host is going to be a high-ranking person in Samoa. He said you could tell by the tattoos he already has. His legs were already covered as well as parts of his side. He continued, telling me that as time goes on and our host accomplishes more in his community, tattoos will envelop more of his body. By the time he becomes a chief, nearly his entire body will be covered.
After the performance, audience members were invited to go over to the hut behind the stage and try their hand at starting a fire with tools the Samoans used. One of the ‘villagers’ in the hut quickly showed us how it was done. As you would expect, he made it look easy with smoke and then flames coming from the coconut shell in very short order. I tried, but I couldn’t do it. The stick got scorched, but I guess it wasn’t hot enough to generate any smoke, let alone hot enough to ignite the coconut husk. I didn’t feel too bad, though. None of the other audience members were able to get a fire started, either.
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