Ohana

Ohana - family is the glue that holds things together in the islands. Without easy migration family trees have become very intertwined. When you mention someone to a local they are apt to say "oh that's my auntie's sister's mother on her uncle's father's side". You reply "say what?". Cultural groups have intermixed so much that it doesn't surprise you that a Santos is related to a Chung or a Lucero to a Watanabe.

Most weekend gatherings are parties for family events like birthdays or weddings. One of the biggest party is the child's first birthday party. The parties are large with many friends and family, and always with lots of food, often with a pig cooked in an imu (pit in the ground). The party's size is way out of relationship to the child. This is because in the not to distant past so many children died before making it to one year old that it was a genuine celebration of life..

Flower  

Ginger is a flower, rarely seen on the mainland, that can be spectacular to see in bloom. Gingers come in different colors like red, white and blue as well as different blossom shapes. They can be found on the windward sides of the islands and ofter grow tall enough to obscure the front of old plantation houses. It is fun to see them as the only mention we hear of them are on cooking shows or as tips for medicinal uses.

Music 
Hawaii has a very vibrant and unique music scene of its own. When you listen to the radio most tunes are from local artists and only a little is from the mainland. There are many categories including traditional, rock, and hapa-houle( think Don Ho singing 'Tiny Bubbles' ). Listening to local DJs can also be a good source of practice for learning pidgin ( the Hawaiian's take on how English really should be spoken). And when Friday comes be sure to sing along with "It's Aloha Friday", the local anthem celebrating the weekend and 'no work till Monday'.

 Food

Huli-huli chicken - chicken cooked on a rotisserie (huli-huli). This is a mainstay for fund raising efforts for sports teams, churches and others. Tickets are sold in advance and then usually on a Saturday in a public location the chicken is cooked and picked up by the lucky ticket holders. It has advanced so much that there are custom built cookers that handle a vast amount of chickens doing a tasteful version of the hula. If you see this kind of activity in a parking lot stop and see if they can sell you some. 

Video
The video shown here is a song from a once popular group, Olomana. It is a sweet lament on the passage of time and life. The singer, Jerry Santos, sings of returning to see his sister who still lives where they grew up, in the Koolau mountains on the windward side of Oahu. The words can be found here. What it says can be true for all of us. Be careful, this song can make your eyes leak.