"How was Hawaii?"

That's, quite naturally, a question I'm getting a lot off.

And the one word that's coming out recurrent and persistent is 'It's different..... it's like another world......making literal the metaphor "an island unto itself".

It's almost a comical effort to put into a couple sentences all that's different about it.....like I don't know which to expand on.....different as in..... people (multi racial stands redefined), or flora(like out of Jurassic park), or fauna (literally none), or terrain(beaches to volcanoes to forests to deserts within a small radius), or language(they have only seven consonants), or climate (they have 11 of the 14 climate zones of the world on that little island), or way of life......which??

                

Aloha....their greeting. Akahai (kindness) Lokahi (harmony) Olu'Olu (pleasantness) Ha'aha'a (humility) and Ahonui (patience)

Let me talk about the people....as that's what primarily contributes to 'feel'.

When we talk 'multi-racial'...... we would normally refer to people from different or varying ethnicities or countries.....but here, it's quite unlike that.

There's a significant demographic of what feels like 'a global citizen'......for instance people who are brown skinned, white structured, chinky eyed with a Hawaii'n name. I caught myself almost staring quite often......asking questions where I could.......I was just so fascinated by it.....intrigued in fact.

Like uncle so succinctly put it "it's the result of a mixed gene pool, with limited opportunity for homogeneity"

I got curious and researched, to find that 'Hawaii is said to be the most racially diverse places in the world as there is no majority - everyone is in a minority'.

While it's technically the USA, it feels more brown.......25%  multi-ethnic ..... 40% asian (predominantly Japanese, then some Filipino and Chinese...hardly any Indian).....10%  Hispanic, and only 17% white (including a significant European mix, especially Portuguese), and the rest  native pacific islanders and others.

There's consequently that much mixed culture as well......so rich and varied. And what's more, the place or this mix seems to bring out the best in people.

Everyone seems to have time for everyone else.....you will be greeted not just by every passing person, but even smiled at or waved to by every passing car. Any random meet, be it at a grocers or a reception or a post office will be a meaningful conversation. And Franny and Bablu were talking of several incidents of kindness they've encountered, and been so pleasantly surprised by.

Must add.....Bablu sets a huge premium on kindness, and I guess this so totally validates his decision of moving and making Hawaii home.

I heard this phrase there "respect is measured by the depth of the smile"...... and the smiles are in abundance. Major difference right there :)