| Aloha!
The inspiration for this page actually came to me two years ago. When Deanna and I first moved to California, I worked for about five minutes at a photographic concession along the Universal Citywalk - called Out*Takes. On one of the four days that I worked for this company, I happened to mention to one of my fellow employees the fact that I was born and raised in Hawaii. She asked, "What did you do for a living there?" to which I replied that I worked for one of the state's private attorneys. Her response stunned me. "It's amazing to think that they have lawyers in foreign countries like that. You know, because it's so... Ethnic." Usually, when someone makes a comment of that type, I respond with the standard "Well, you know Hawaii IS one of the 50 states, and it IS part of America." but the vacuous manner in which she made the statement just killed my fight. Many years of my childhood were spent living near military installations on the island of Oahu. Wahaiwa, the town where I grew up, is home to Wheeler Army Air Base and Schofield Barracks - an infantry base. People stationed at these bases come from all over the United States, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard them refer to home as "Back in the states." Recently, I began to think; "How many people share this impression that Hawaii is a foreign country?" This was the impetus for me to start this page. With it, I hope to educate people about the culturally diverse, but totally AMERICAN state of Hawaii. On this page you'll find links to on-line publications based in Hawaii, as well as a virtual walking tour of downtown Honolulu - a metropolis in its own right. You'll also find a link to an on-line Hawaiian-English dictionary, where you can look up Hawaiian versions of English words. Being of native Hawaiian blood myself (very little, about 1/16th), I also plan to put up an interactive "Ask-a-Hawaiian" column, where people can ask questions about Hawaii, and I will do my best to answer them. As I stated previously, the main purpose for this page is it educate people about Hawaii. It is a state rich with an ethic diversity that exists no where else in America. So click on the links to the right, learn a little, and have a lot of fun! Mahalo!
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