Hilo and the hawaiian Language

Monday January 25th



The day began with frustration. We were told to be up and ready to go through immigration at 6 am. My brain of course wakes me at 2 hourly intervals all through night and each time I peer at my illuminated watch: 2 am, 3.30 am, 4.15 am, ah 5am! I spring out of bed, see that we are in port by the wharf lights (not very inviting I think) and proceed to shower and dress. George growls at me and says he isn't going to shower until after we've been through immigration. What about breakfast I whine, (insomnia makes me hungry) We've plenty of time for Heavens sake! he snaps. OK I think, I'll show you, I shall just stride down on my own and be ahead of the game....hah!


Well amazingly he gets up and is rushing into the lounge getting coffee as though he senses my thoughts. Eventually uniformed immigration officials and staff turn up, I am lingering out on the deck, George goes through the process and I rush in to the lounge to be greeted with "Only American citizens please"....OK I'll be sweet tempered, step out of line and, feeling foreign and illegal, wait my turn. At last Faculty and Staff are done, I step forward..."Sorry Ma'am you'll have to wait till all the students go through"... you're kidding right? There are over 600 of them! "So sorry, not our fault, it's the officials" I'm told. I remember, (how could I not?) the University of Virginia's Honour code, "Assume positive intent"....in fact I quote it back through gritted teeth to the poor LLC who has had to pass all these messages on to me..I''m glad to say he looks impressed, "I think you should just go and relax in your cabin" he says, so I go, tail between my legs.

Poor Jonathan who is disembarking says "No one told me it was so difficult to leave the ship!" and the two of us mutter rebellion. Finally I am allowed in (a full hour later) and march up to the immigration official expecting and ready to give, trouble.

Good morning how are you? he says with a huge smile,
Um... I start
Wow you're from Canada! he says happily...
Um... I say,
Hey I had someone else from Hamilton, are there a whole group of you? asks this ridiculously cheerful guy, doesn't he know I'm seething?
The others are behind me, (Liz and Audrey) that was my husband you met.

He snaps my passport shut with a flourish... Have a great day he says you're one of us!!

That is the final blow....I want to shout I WAS ONE OF YOU AT 6 am!!!!!!

As I leave the lounge Jonathan murmurs something like It must be nice, he's still waiting....I don't say a word!

What took you so long? asks George...
I leave for breakfast.

By the way the next time I stand on our blacony I realise the view is lovely: palm trees, casuarinas and rocks edging down to a lagoon. the Explorer has turned around....obviously SAS trying to butter me up.

G's FDP (Faculty directed practica) leaves by bus at 9.30 so we and 15 students are taken to a Hawaiian Immersion primary school. George is lecturing about three things on the Explorer. (1) English as a global language and (2)Languages of the World and (3) Language death. The last fits into the theme of the semester, sustainability. Hawaiian is a threatened language so at the Ka-Umeke Ka'eo school the pupils (grades 1 to 5) are taught in Hawaiian and are not supposed to speak any English. We are represented on entering the gates by two small boys who chant our request to enter the school and we are welcomed by a choir of about 20 to 30 children singing a welcome to us. It is quite beautiful and they accompany their song with graceful arm movements which resemble the Hula movements we have learned. George then thanks them very formally for their welcome and explains that we have come to Hilo on a 'big ship' across stormy seas and are very excited to be there.

We were split into two groups and visited them in their classrooms. I love the musical sound of the language, expecially as spoken by these children and the female students simply want to take them all home! They concentrate hard on their work as their teachers explain to us how far they come (some 60 miles) and how passionate their parents and grandparents are that they should speak Hawaiian. English is their first language and yet their Hawaiian sounds easy and fluent. I compliment the teacher on their wonderful behaviour...hmm, she says, they're not usually like this...

The school is built round a garden of flowers, fruits, vegetables and three piles neatly stacked of compost. The children keep these beds under the supervision of a delightful young man who takes us round and explains the projects. and how they grow and thrive in experiments using verying planting methods and types of compost. Like the Aboriginals in Canada they live close to the earth and the elements. He tells us that Hilo has been deluged many times by Tsunamis coming of course from the sea and eruptions and lava flows from two volcanoes. Our bus driver, Mr Frank, says you run from the sea for one and towards it for the other and just pray that they never happen at the same time!

We sadly say goodbye for we must go next to the University of Hawaii. We stop on the way for all you can eat Pizza and salad for $ 10.00! Delicious. We arrive at the Hawaiian Language Centre of the University at 1.30 and are again represented and welcomed, this time by a group of university students. As the welcome is being sung two students, male and female, stand behind the men and women of our group and in soft voices translate the words. Each one of them then welcomes each one of us with an Aloha, a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

With great energy and dedication these young men and women are fighting to preserve the Hawaiian language, they are impressive. They look American or Japanese or Hawaiian but they act like young Americans and speak English to us....usually, like the children, they only permit themselves at work to speak in Hawaiian. They have published the first coloured illustrated books for the pupils of Immersion schools in Hawaiian and boxes, each containig 31 such books are given to each child's family. They write the stories, use childrens' or fine artists' paintings and the tales are about the Hawaiian way of life and beliefs.

I cannot believe that this language will die with such hard work and dedication. We mention the advantage of having a president who grew up in Hawaii and they are hopeful they say for 'help from above'!

George and I picked up our rented car after returning briefly to the ship and drive to the lava fields about 22 miles from Hilo along the coast road. I have never before seen and touched hardened lava. It stretches like crusted black fields right down to the sea. It has formed a changed coast line, already altered many times over by the 55 foot waves of tsunamis caused by earthquakes (8-9 on the Richter scale) which happened as far away as the Aleutian islands, Chile and Alaska! Last one in 1961. Now of course the Pacific tsunami warning system is in place and they will have about 4 hours to get to higher ground.

Did I mention that it has been a hot day here? The heavy black clouds gathered above us and a few drops of rain fell (teasing us said Mr Frank) but the grass in brown and dry and they haven't had rain since November... this is the tail end of the rainy season.

We had dinner tonight in a lovely large glassed in restaurant with potted plants and French cafe style tables and chairs. I had a marvellous chicken gumbo soup followed by a warm goat cheese (crusted with seeds) salad and a vinaigrette dressing. George had a mixed sea food platter. It was a relief to drive along in our bubble of isolation after being in a community for 8 days and a treat to eat off the ship. I have just remembered being reprimanded at school because my essays always included detailed descriptions of each meal I had eaten on any given occasion,,,I'm still doing it! How will I ever become sylph like with these priorities?

We still have the car until 4 pm tomorrow so are taking Liz and Audrey and exploring this lovely, friendly island some more.

I'm off to bed and guess what, surprise, surprise, George has beaten me to it!

By the way, I have to get a connecting cable for my camera to put photos finally into the blog...perhaps tomorrow. ...not of me doing the Hula Jo and Theresa!