Well, as many of you have guessed, I am in Hawaii, specifically the Big Island. For those of you who have never been here (like me prior to this trip), it is everything you have heard about and more. If you are wondering what has been my favorite thing so far, it's tough to say. The competition is stiff: snorkeling next to Capt. Cook's grave, gazing at the cliffs of Pololu, body surfacing at Hapuna Beach, or lunch with my beautiful wife on Valentine’s Day at a mountaintop ocean view cafe. Ok, lunch with my wife wins, but it's all been great!
The snorkeling trip was a close second. It started a little rocky when, as I fell back into the water from the boat, I somehow lost my snorkel. Not one minute before Capt. Cathy asked us to be very careful because the owner of the boat was getting upset because novice snorkelers were losing his equipment. Fortunately, Robert dove down and retrieved my snorkel. Yes Robert Moore, H3's CEO felt the need to chaperone us. As a 30 year resident of Hawaii, he not only planned the trip for us he has been our personal tour guide. It's great to have a local's perspective to help us navigate through all the options. But back to snorkeling...breathtaking, crystal clear water, thousands of tropical fish including the beautiful Humuhumunukunukuapuas, the state fish of Hawaii. As some of you might know, I love to fish! So at first, I was on a quest to find the biggest fish in the cove. I was frantically searching when I thought of Lisette's class on the importance of mindfulness or "being in the moment". This was not the time to look for the biggest fish, it was the time to savor the moment and take in the unbelievable underwater scenery.
What I noticed were the incredible vibrant colors...not on the big fish but on the smaller fish that up to that point I had hardly noticed. We saw some incredible sights on our way to and from the cove as well. On our way out, we witnessed a whale in full breach! On our way back, we watched as a life and death moment unfolded as a 12 foot tiger shark circled, bumped, toyed with and terrified a green sea turtle! We never actually observed the inevitable demise of the poor sea turtle, and while there was a slight chance that he could have escaped...we knew better. :(
If you are wondering if I have been practicing what I preach, I think you'd be impressed! Lots of local fresh fruit, nuts, fish, chicken. A Sirloin steak with a few fries, a few beers and a little red wine thrown in has been on my menu. Robert, on the other hand...but as he says, "What happens in Hawaii stays in Hawaii." As far as exercise is concerned, I have been doing some swimming (snorkeling) and lots of walking including a 3 mile jaunt each morning to Java Rocks for some locally grown and brewed Kona coffee.
More great times to come as we will be here for another week with the last half of the trip ending on the island of Maui.
So my friends, I will leave you with this Hawaiian wish, "Ho' olaule'a na pono", which means celebration of health.
Aloha nui loa.
Wow,Bob! What a great trip! It sounds like a lot of fun! The Valentine lunch definitly sounds romantic...way to go!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are having a great trip! Never heard that expression Ho'olaulea na pono. Here's the definition of Pono. It's a wonderful word:
ReplyDelete1. nvs. Goodness, uprightness, morality, moral qualities, correct or proper procedure, excellence, well-being, prosperity, welfare, benefit, behalf, equity, sake, true condition or nature, duty; moral, fitting, proper, righteous, right, upright, just, virtuous, fair, beneficial, successful, in perfect order, accurate, correct, eased, relieved; should, ought, must, necessary. Pono ʻole, unjust, unrighteous, dishonest, unprincipled, unfair, wrong. No kou pono, in your behalf. Ka pono o ka lehulehu, public welfare. Nā pono lāhui kānaka, human rights. Nā pono o nā wāhine, women's rights. Ka pono kahiko, the old morality or moral system. Pono i ke kānāwai, legal, legality. Pono ʻole ka manaʻo, disturbed, worried, upset. Me ka pono, respectfully [complimentary close in letters]. Nā mea e maopopo ai kona pono, proofs in his own favor, his defense. Kōkua no ka pono o ka lehulehu, help for the public welfare. Ka noʻonoʻo e pono ai kēia hana, the study necessary for this work. Loaʻa ka pono i ka lāhui mamuli o ke ahonui o ka ʻelele, the people were benefited by the patience of the delegate. E pono iāʻoe ke hele, you should go. Pono ʻo ʻoe ke hele, you should be the one to go. Pono i ke keiki e hele, the child ought to go. Ke ui mai nei ʻoe, ʻaʻohe aʻu pono, when you turn to me, I have no rights. E ʻeha nō a e pono, no ka pinana nō i ke kumulāʻau, serves you right to be hurt, since you climbed the tree. Aia ka pono, ʻo ka pae aku, what is necessary is to reach shore. Pono e pili paʻa loa, inalienable rights. hoʻo.pono Righteous, respectable, correct, upright; to behave correctly. Hoʻopono ʻole, unjust, dishonest. (PCP pono.)
2. vs. Completely, properly, rightly, well, exactly, carefully, satisfactorily, much (an intensifier). Pau pono, completely finished. Piha pono, completely filled; complete, as a thought; clear. Nānā pono, look or examine carefully. Aʻo pono ʻia, well-taught. Ua loaʻa pono ʻo Lawa mā e ʻaihue ana, Lawa and others were caught in the act of stealing. I luna pono o ka puʻu (For. 5:61), at the very top of the hill.
3. n. Property, resources, assets, fortune, belongings, equipment, household goods, furniture, gear of any kind, possessions, accessories, necessities.
4. n. Use, purpose, plan. Ē kuʻu haku, pale ka pono! ʻAʻohe pono i koe, hoʻokahi nō pono ʻo ka hoʻi wale nō koe o kākou, kaʻukaʻi aku nei hoʻi ka pono i kō kaikuahine muli lā hoʻi … (Laie 419; priest is advising his lord to give up quest of Lāʻie and depend on his sister's help), my lord, set aside the plan; there is no hope left; the only hope is for us to go back and depend on your youngest sister … Nā ʻāpana ʻāina aupuni no ka pono home noho wale nō, government land parcels for the purpose of dwelling houses only.
5. n. Hope. See ex., pono 4. Ua pau ka pono a ke kauka, the doctor has lost hope.
6. vs. Careless, informal, improper, any kind of (preceding a stem). Pono ʻai, to eat in any way or anything, take potluck. Pono hana, to work any way that suits one. Pono nō i ka noho, living any old way, shiftless. Pono lole, any kind of clothes. Mai pono hana ʻoe, akā e hana pono, don't work carelessly, but work carefully.
Source(s):
http://wehewehe.org/gsdl2.5/cgi-bin/hdic…