HAWAII!! When most people think of it, they think -
1 - pineapple
2 - tropical
3 - surfing
But after visiting for only a few hours I have 3 new words
1 - Mahalo (means thank you)
2 - The best snow cones ever (and I've eaten my fair share of snow cones!)
3 - Awareness of the Sea
I chose these words because of what I have learned in my time leading up to the visit and my experiences during it.
Mahalo is a way for people to show their gratitude towards friends, family, and strangers alike. It was cool to see everyone in a constant mood of their favorite non verbal phrase "hang loose"
We also visited a small shop in the middle of nowhere that is known for some of the best Hawaiian Ice around. It has 5 stars and if I were able to, I would give it a 6th star. Back home in Colorado, we have these snow cone trucks called Kona Ice (look them up) They can be booked for parties, graduation, etc... I always thought they were ok. It was basically a bag of sugar dumped into a cone though.... So when the first bite of the ice went into my mouth, I knew that it was my soulmate and I would find no other love... jk jk jk. But seriously though, if you ever find yourself in Honolulu, go to Waiola Shave Ice and get one for me!
My last word takes a little bit longer to explain.... Over the past week, we have learned about all sorts of things relating to the ocean and Hawaii. There were too many subjects to count, but some of them were - coral reefs, currents in the ocean, how to hula dances, and the history behind Hawaii. We even got to learn about the sunscreen we use on a day to day basis is bad for the sea. (more on that later) We also got to see a film called Blue, that helped make us more aware of how the ocean had been affected by our plastic, and constant waste. It talked about how it affected every aspect of the ocean. The "seabird's" meals are now consistent of bottle caps and thrown away plastic bags. The sea turtle population has gone down from being caught in nets and drowning. The creator of Blue, Karina Holden, who has been traveling with us since San Diego, said something that has stuck with me since she said it, "People are always saying 'Save the Ocean!' when they should be saying, 'Save the People" Her point in saying that was that we need to become more aware in what is going on around us and aid the cause to save our ocean, instead of just wearing a t-shirt or saying that others should 'save the ocean.'
So, I beg you to be aware like I became after this week. Even the little things count. Recycling, Using less plastic, and look at your sunscreen to see if there is a chemicals in it called oxybenzone and octinoxate. If so, please exchange it. Even your sunscreen ends up in the ocean after rubbing off, it causes the coral to die quickly. Lastly if you are ever near and ocean, Take three for the sea. Pick up three pieces of rubbish wherever you are because by doing so, YOU are making a difference.
Wow... that got really depressing... Overall, my day in Hawaii was FANTASTIC. We snorkeled in Hanauma Bay and I saw some really incredible things!
Tune in next time to hear all the happenings of what is going on during our 'Suite Life on SAS'
(did anyone see what I did just there? lol)
- Rebekah Blocker
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