Hawaii is a unique blend of people, all of whom have brought their languages and culture to the Islands.

There are many things to be learned to comfortably adapt to the Hawaiian way of life. We hope this book has already helped you in that respect. However, there is still much to be covered, beginning with that which specifically relates to the beautiful-hearted Hawaiian people.

Be sensitive to the differences.

Don't be offended if people don't look you in the eye. For fear of being accused of giving "stink-eye" (dirty looks), many Hawaiians have been taught to avoid eye contact. This is not unfriendliness; it's just tradition.

Be humble, thoughtful and not so eager to say how things are done where you're from. Loudness, bragging and aggressiveness are not appreciated.

No offense, but unless you have even the tiniest amount of Hawaiian koko (blood) coursing through your veins, you're not called Hawaiian. Tell people you're from Hawai'i, but don't call yourself "Hawaiian" unless you are, quite literally, a Hawaiian.

Don't say you came from "the states" or "stateside." Hawai'i is one of the states, too. You came from "the mainland."

Don't try to mimic Pidgin Hawaiian. Just like people from different locales on the mainland, Hawaiians don't like anyone attempting to imitate their natural speech patterns because it sounds like ridicule.

Do not call Hawaiians natives. They are Hawaiians or kanaka maoli (indigenous people).

Be the first to smile or greet people. They may be too shy, but they'll respond to your friendliness. Don't wait for an invitation, either; ask them over to your house. Again, they may be too reticent.

Try not to refuse food when you're invited to eat. A person who refuses to eat food offered them may be considered by some as stingy or incapable of sharing of themselves.

Even Paradise Has Its Flaws

There are some critters we have to share our happy island home with that we'd rather not have to deal with. Unfortunately, bugs and other creepy-crawlies love Hawai'i's comfy year-round climate as much as we do. Just remember when you encounter one that there's (usually) nothing to fear but fear itself. Remind yourself that Hawai'i has no snakes. It won't rid you of bugs, but it'll make you feel better.

Geckos — The little lizard climbing across your ceiling with suction-cup feet, googly eyes and a chirp like a bird is a harmless insect-eater. It's considered unlucky to kill one, and many who live here think they're cute.

B-52s — So named by the populace, these two inch cockroaches are intimidating enough. But when they take off and fly, even sumo wrestlers have been known to duck.

Ants and more ants — More than three dozen species of ants live in Hawai'i. Sometimes you may think most of them are at your house. Extermination helps, ant baits help, but the truth is, they, like all of Hawai'i's bugs, are here to stay.

Spiders — Hawai'i's tiny hopping arachnids may look cute and harmless, but their bite is pretty painful. It's best to avoid them. On the other hand, the huge, hairy cane spiders which look like tarantulas are actually shy and rather benign.

Centipedes — If you ever set your bare foot down on one of these okole-ugly bugs of a million legs, you'll know it. Their bite is nasty.

Island Customs

Aloha Fridays — Everyone is encouraged to dress Hawaiian-style on Friday, giving women a chance to liberate themselves from hot nylons and slip into comfortable mu'umu'u for the office. Since most businessmen wear Aloha shirts every day in Hawai'i, Fridays just mean more of the same.

Bear gifts — Take a gift when you go visiting — some cookies you baked or other type of food, like mangoes from your tree or flowers or other token presents. Gifts are signs of respect and caring.

Talk story — Hawaiians and other local people love to "talk story" (shoot the breeze, chat about this and that) and they're curious about others, so be friendly and share experiences. Talk freely about yourself and where you came from. Just don't brag or make disparaging comparisons.

Go shoeless — In many homes on the island, shoes are left outside the door. This is a sign of respect as well as a way to keep from tracking dirt inside the house.

Learn to Give Directions

Forget north, south, east or west.

On O'ahu, everyone understands you when you give directions the island way:

Ewa means to the west, or toward the Ewa Plains side of the island. Diamondhead means to the east, or toward Diamond Head. Mauka means toward the mountains. Makai means toward the sea.

Some New Food Terms

Musubi (moo-soo-bee') is a spam sandwich with rice in between, wrapped in seaweed. Sometimes an ume (oo-may), or small, but very salty red plum comes with it.

Soy sauce is called shoyu (shoy-you).

Bento is a Japanese-style lunch in a plastic box with a variety of different meats, veggies, tofu and, of course, rice.

Grinds is a local slang meaning "food."

Loco Moco is local kine grinds at its best: a hamburger patty over rice, topped with a fried egg and smothered in beef gravy.

Hawaiian Pronunciation

Consonants

The Hawaiian language has seven consonants: h, k, l, m, n, p and w. Notice that there is no s in the language; hence there is no plural. In Hawaiian, a lei can be one lei or many lei.

Vowels

There are five vowels: a, e, i, o and u.

• a (ah) pronounced as a in father
• e (eh) pronounced like e in met
• i (ee) pronounced like i in chief
• o (oh) pronounced like o in told
• u (oo) pronounced like u in rule

Some Hawaiian Words