The story of Puna'aikoa'e

Once upon a time...a long time ago...there was a young chief named Puna'aikoa'e on the island of Kaua'i.  One day, upon the beach, he saw a woman of incredible beauty riding the waves upon her surfboard.  She was the greatest surfer he'd ever seen...and he was pretty good himself.  But he'd never seen her before.  So naturally, being an ali'i (chief) and all, he had to go talk to her; and he fell madly in love with her.  But she said...if he were to be with her, he would have to live with her high in the mountains...and that he would never see any of his friends or family again.  Being not too bright, or too love struck, he consented and followed her to her home high into the mountains.  And there they lived...day in...day out...day in...day out...she would bring him food to eat and 'awa to drink and tended to his every need...all he had to do was stay inside the home and live.

But one day, he looked out onto the ocean, and his heart was filled with such longing to surf and to see his family and friends again.  So he went to the woman and pleaded with her to let him go and surf.  He begged and begged until finally she consented.  She told him that she could take her surfboard and use it.  But he was not to talk to anyone, and to be back before sunset.  Overjoyed, he grabbed the surfboard, and ran down to the beach where he surfed to his heart's content.  As he was paddling back in, one of his old friends named Hinalea, had come to him and started to talk with him.  And because he was longing to see SOMEONE again, he turned at talked back.

Hinalea told Puna'aikoa'e that he was lucky to be alive.  And that the woman he had been staying with was really a mo'o named Kalanimainu'u, and that he didn't realize it, but the home he was living in was really her cave.  Hinalea continued telling Puna'aikoa'e everything he knew about Kalanimainu'u...and as Hinalea talked, Puna'aikoa'e knew it was true more and more.  But the sun was setting, and he realized that he was late...and so he started to tremble.

Meanwhile, back at the cave in the mountains, Kalanimainu'u awoke from a nap and saw the sunset.  She called for Puna'aikoa'e and when there was no response, she knew that he had broken his word to her...and something was wrong.  So she became enraged and she ran down the mountain as fast as she could.  Puna'aikoa'e and Hinalea saw her approaching and they ran.  They ran and ran and ran until they could run no more.  So they hid themselves in a swamp they came upon...and Kalanimainu'u couldn't find them.

As she searched, she became more frustrated...and the more frustrated she became, the more of her true mo'o form began to show.  But then she remember that the boys were only human.  So she backed off for a little while, grabbed some vines and made a hina'i basket.  She grabbed some 'ohiki crabs, tore them apart and put them in the basket, and then put the basket into the water.

By now Puna'aikoa'e and Hinalea were starving...and they LOVED 'ohiki crab.  So they looked around but didn't see Kalanimainu'u, and they went for the crab.  Right then, out of nowhere...Kalanimainu'u pounced, and tore the men limb from limb and threw the pieces into the water.  Those pieces became the fish we know today as hinalea fish...and still to this day...the best way to catch hinalea fish is to make a hina'i basket, fill it with 'ohiki crab, and then put it in the water.

As for Kalanimainu'u, she went back to her cave and went on surfing, and living life her own way...she also had many more adventures throughout her life.

Halloween!

 It's strange to think that this year...although I'm a little older, and a little more wise...I am spending much more time preparing for Halloween than EVER before.  Even in the depths of small-kid time, I never really gave much prep time to Halloween.  I just got out that dusty old box with the old vinyl (and later cloth) cape, and bought some face paint from the store...and BAM...I was a Vampyre.  Once in a while I would deviate from this tradition but the costume never changed a whole lot.  One year I was a Wizarding Mage (or something like that)...another year I was a judge...each time I decided on something else it was using the cape in a different way...but I still always did wear the cape.

THIS YEAR, I am completely breaking my streak...it's about damn time...and I'm going as something I would never have thought of before.  I am going to be a Prydonian of Galifrey.  More specifically, I am going to be "The Master".  Now, I know...I know...you have NO IDEA who the hell that is.  And that's ok.  Or...perhaps you got a little excited because YOU KNOW who that is.  Either way, here's who he is:

DOCTOR WHO!!!

No...not "who?"...it's the name of a TV show.  It's the current holder of the Guinness World Record for the longest running TV show in history.  ANYWAYZ...my character is a "Time Lord" from the planet Galifrey.  And well...if you are truly curious...you can look him up.  He's quite easy to find online.

BUT...this blog is about my preparations.  I've sewn together and finished a set of red satin sheets creating a shining red cloak with a cape for me to wear.  I've ALSO managed to construct something quite like the orange shoulder dressign he's wearing in the picture.  The only difference is that mine is gold.  On Galifrey, if the shoulder dress was gold, it meant that you were an elder or a person of great status.  So naturally...I chose to make it gold...HAHAHA!  And stay tuned...if all goes well...I may even post pictures.  Wouldn't that be something???

Ok...I guess that's it for me.  If you happen to read this...lemme know what your costume is.  I'm truly genuinely curious.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I NEED AN OPINION

Ok...I'm gonna talk about something in this entry that happened last week Friday.  And I want all of you to give me some opinions and feedback about it.  And I truly mean it.  I really do want your feedback...because it's something that I don't understand and it's something that caught me truly off guard.

So...at the Bishop Museum...it is part of our mandate to take on interns and show them what the museum field is really like.  During the internship, it is our responsibility to foster them in the museum process.  We teach them how to properly accession and catalogue artifacts, how to research histories of artifacts, stories and accounts, and things of that nature.  All of this stuff usually goes over really well.  But we've recently been charged with an intern that is really "wet behind the ears".  Our interns are usually pretty well versed in Hawaiian culture and stories, and also pretty well introduced to the different mediums of artifacture.  But this one is basically a blank canvas.  Only thing is that in this business, a blank canvas will do more harm than good.  BUT...THAT'S NOT MY ISSUE.

Ok so on Friday, I'm working her this intern, and I'm answering the millions of questions this intern asks while telling her about my current research projects when she confesses to me that she is always intimidated by me.  That just caught me way-the-hell off-guard.  I don't know what to make of it.  So I ask this intern..."you're joking right?"  And this intern says "no, you're pretty intimidating".  Apparently, I so much so that she prefers not to be assigned to tasks with me.  So that's my issue.  Does ANYBODY find me intimidating?  I mean, I know that there is an intern that does...but does anybody ELSE find me intimidating?  I've always thought that I was a big softie...I mean c'mon...how do I come off?

So yeah, if anybody out there in computer-land can give me some insight I'd be most appreciative.  Thanks a million!  Ciao!

PANIC cont. & more

Ok so I need to finish my story...and then I need to cover some other things.  But ok...where did I leave off?  Oh yeah!  So my co-worker is coming into work early to help me with this *HOLY CRAP* shenanigan.  So...I start calling around the museum campus trying to find the B&G guy.  Each time I dial a number, I start hoping and praying that nobody answers the phone.  I mean, why would they?  I mean, it's still like dark thirty in the morning!!!  Then all of a sudden, it dawns on me.  The B&G guys carry around walkie-talkie style radios.  So I call down to our security desk...and I ask THEM to call the B&G guy and tell him what's going on.  THAT WAY, I don't have to deal with his new...ummm..anxiety.  LOL!  At this point, I'm feeling good...I got the word out and I didn't have to deal with him.  Also, I figured that by the time my co-worker gets in, Sam (the B&G guy) would have had time to cool down and just accept the delay.

JUST THEN...my OTHER co-worker walks in.  And I'm like...DAMNIT!!!...we had better go now.  :(  So we called security and had Sam meet us at the gallery.  We (my co-worker and I) arrive at the gallery...and there's NOBODY around.  And we just look at each other and ask...ok...umm...which kahili do we move?  Neither of us actually know...so we just start figuring out where we're gonna move these things to.  We figure that we're just gonna move them out into the middle of the floor and put them back when the museum opens...Sam said it was a quick job.  But then...LOW AND BEHOLD...Wayne (the BOSS of B&G) walks in and tells us..."No, they need to be temporarily moved and re-situated because they're gonna be out of place for TWO WEEKS!!!  Now, keep in mind that B&G could have told us about this BEFORE THIS MORNING!!!  So we're freaking out a bit...trying to figure out where these tall things are gonna go.  Long story short...we managed to fit the FOUR kahili they wanted moved to other places in the room...the locations are pretty much too close for our comfort...but that's the best that could be done on such short notice. 

BUT THEN...DUN DUN DUUUUHHHNNN...our manager walks in...and she says..."oh...umm...can we move these away from..." we stop her mid sentence and just tell her..."no...they're staying"...and her reply was "oh...ok...we if you guys feel that it's ok"...geez...if we had to move those things again...I was gonna come out swinging!  :)

PANIC First Thing In The Morning!

Hey...ok...so I just need to talk about something real quick.  This morning, I drove into work...and I was contemplating having to go to our boring-ass museum-wide all-staff meeting that comes around once a month.  I was telling myself...it's ok...there'll be free breakfast foods there...there'll be lots of caffine there...it'll be alright.  So then I drive into the employee parking lot and I see one of the head people of our physical plant (a.k.a. B&G - Buildings & Grounds) walking toward my truck.  Now, at this point, I'm thinking that he's just walking to his car for something.  But then I park and *POOF!!!* he's right next to my door.  At this point, I'm thinking "holy f*cking sh*t!  What did I do now???".  So then I roll down my window and say wassap.  He tells me..."Oh, we need you to move to the Kahili in the room because the contractor is gonna be testing the fire sensors."  And I'm like..."You're joking right?  You've GOT TO be joking!!!".  And he says "no, we need it done ASAP...we can help you if you need".  In my head, I'm thinking OF COURSE I'M GONNA NEED HELP!!!!!!!

You need to understand that kahili are these native Hawaiian feather standards...they're extremely fragile and they're about 20 feet tall...most of them also have some heavy weight to them.  Anywayz...I think about a bit more and tell him that I'll see what I can do...I just have to make some calls to find out where the rest of the Cultural Resources staff is.  He responds by saying, again, "oh, we can help you if you need"...as if I'm gonna do it right then and there...HAH!  You're dreaming buddy!!!  So I take a deep breath and I tell him that I'm gonna need a second Cultural Resource staff member there to assist me...so I need to see where everybody is.  Luckily, he took that rationale. 

THEN...I get out of my car.  THAT'S RIGHT!!!  I'm STILL in my car!!!  So I get out of my car, grab my 'ukana and go upstairs only to find that my VP, my manager, the conservator, and the AA aren't coming in until later in the day than expected.  So now I'm starting to have to take charge of certain things and so I'm starting to get anxious because I don't wanna be the technician (careful as I am) that causes damage to those kahili...with no other staff witnesses.  So I call my co-worker who says he can be here in five minutes...*phew*...I'm safe.  But by now, 35 minutes has gone by since the B&G guy came to me.  He's probably pissed because he's had to wait...but that's another story.

STAY TUNED FOR THE EXCITING CONCLUSION OF "PANIC!!!  First Thing In The Morning"