Laie, Hawai`i – As we made our way over to the Tongan village, I saw the Marquesas section but did not see anyone from there. I remember Marquesas from my first visit, mainly because I had never heard of the island before. I’m not sure what happened, why Marquesas was not represented. If you know, please drop me a note.
In the Tongan village, the Sledge girls learned how to cast a javelin as if they were trying to spear a fish. The throwing motion was a different one. You angle the javelin with one hand. The other hand is cupped below other end with the middle finger resting on the rounded bottom of the javelin. You let go with your aiming hand, and more or less forcefully release it with the other – push up rather than throw – toward a target on the ground a few yards away. Look at it this way: if you hit the target, you get to eat tonight. Miss, and you go hungry. Of course, that doesn’t happen here as there are places to eat on the grounds, but there are countless cultures around the world – places in the Pacific Islands, Australia, and Africa come to mind – where this is reality.
I tried my hand but it is not as easy as it looks. Not only do you have to throw the javelin far enough to reach the target, you have to toss it with enough of an arc so that when the spear comes down, it sticks in the target. It’s a great skill to learn, but I think I’d probably be without fish on my plate for a few days until I could master the technique.
A canoe ride was planned for the Sledge girls. The canoe was an outrigger type. Mom, Dad, and I stayed ashore as the girls went on their ‘voyage’. Their Tongan guide gave them some instructions and they soon paddled away. The tour follows a section of the lagoon that winds through the center of PCC, passing by all of the different island villages. I know the girls had a great time out on the lagoon. After the fact, I thought it would have been cool to have a GoPro strapped to the prow of the canoe to record the journey.
We spent some time with our friends from Tonga between learning to throw the javelins, the canoe ride, the performances that included the audience learning some of the dance movements, a drumming exhibition, and photos with our village host.
In the newly renovated Hawaiian Journey Theater, there is a showing of a motion picture called Hawaiian Journey. It is presented on a huge screen in 4k. Being inside the theater and seeing how practically immersive it is put me in mind of an IMAX showing. Outside is just as impressive. The theater’s exterior resembles a volcano – a dormant one, of course.
Hawaiian Journey is a spectacular film. I don’t think I’ve ever seen images of Hawai`i on a scale as massive as this. I was very impressed. Green valleys and hills, ocean waves, and volcanoes all come to life on the screen. There are times when it feels as if you are literally flying over the island at a very low level.
After emerging from the theater, still sufficiently awed by the presentation, I commented to the cameraman I met earlier how much I enjoyed the film, and admitted it had been 24 years since I was last here. His reply: “What took you so long?” I want to know myself.
As we arrived at the lu`au buffet, we were treated to a fresh flower lei greeting. I have to admit I’ve been a bit spoiled by having some pretty good Hawaiian food back home on the mainland. I also understand that in places like this, the food is usually toned down a bit to cater to the tourist palate. With this in mind, I found the food to be good, but not great.
Evening began to fall on the island as we were finishing our meal. Colored lights came up, illuminating the stage, and the show began. In the background was a huge lava (I think) rock, framed by palm trees and other lush flora. The show featured several traditional dances. I’ve heard that the performance includes hapa-haole hulas and music.
[5040204] Some of the dances incorporated implements like the gourd, `ulī`ulī (small feathered gourds), and pū`ili (split bamboo sticks). The performers were attired in matching dress; kāne (men) in red or yellow aloha shirts with white pants, wahine (women) in yellow aloha dresses. Even a few keikis (children) joined in. Everyone performed barefoot. Tonight was one of the performers’ last day with the team and at PCC. Judging from the response from the ensemble when the announcement was made, she was very well liked and will be missed.
From the lu`au, we walked over to the Pacific Theater stage for the world famous Hā: Breath of Life evening show. Hā means ‘breath’ in Hawaiian. That reminded me of what our driver told us my first time on O`ahu while on the Pearl Harbor tour. According to him, when you say “a-lo-ha”, it means, “I greet the breath of life in you.” And now, as I did then, I let those words and their meaning sink in. I thought about the respect one must have for another when you greet someone in that way, the connection one has to one’s people and the Creator.
The PCC site describes the show as “a Pacific isle saga of birth and death, love and family, tragedy and triumph.” It takes the audience on a journey basically from the birth of the islands, through the creation of man, the experiences of man including man’s various joys and struggles, and death. It was very interesting to see all of this presented from a Polynesian point of view.
The story is told by a narrator. In between, there are dances and plays, augmented by music and special effects. During the recorded announcements, they leaned on the word “Hā” every time it was uttered, breathlessly stretching it out as it trailed off into a whisper.
Hā is a pretty big production involving over 100 performers, all Polynesian natives. As you might expect, blazing fireknives, being twirled as fast as airplane propellers, were on display.
It is easy to get pulled into the story as it is being told and performed. I found myself being carried away and made no effort to resist. When the show was over, the best part was realizing I’m still here in Hawai`i! And I get to continue the party tomorrow.
I returned back to Randy and Lesley’s to recap my day. Randy asked me what I thought of Hā: Breath of Life. He also told me the proper name of Chinaman’s Hat is Mokoli`i. I was glad to finally learn its true name. I will remember that next time I refer to the island. I later learned that Mokoli`i means “little lizard” in Hawaiian.
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