A Hawaiian Odyssey

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A is for Aloha, Aloha Tower

B is for state Bird, Bishop Museum

C is for Capital, State Capitol Building

D is for Dance of the hula, Drums

E is for other forms of Energy, ancient Energy of the kukui tree

F is for state Flower, unofficial state Fish

F is for Festivals

G is for state Gem, Green sea turtle

H is for Hokule'a, Hoku

I is for I'olani Palace, film Industry

J is for Jasmine, 'Jovial' King David Kalakaua

K is for King Kamehameha, Kamehameha's flag

The Tale Of King Kamehameha

L is for Leis, Luau

M is for sea Mammals, Monk seal

N is for Natural resources, Newcomers

O is for O'ahu, Outer islands

P is for Polynesians, Petroglyph

Q is for Queen, Quilt

R is for Rainforests, Rainbows

S is for State Song, Statehood

T is for Tsunami, Tide pools

T is for Tourism

U is for Ukulele, Up country

V is for Volcano, Volcanoes National Park

W is for Weather, Words of weather

X is for X marks the spot, eXploration

Y is for gods of Yesteryear, Yellow

Why Maui Snared the Sun: A Hawaiian Tale

Z is for time Zone, Zoning

Pronunciation Guide

A Final Message

A is for Aloha!

Aloha is the letter A

It stands for a love that’s true…

Weaving tales of peace and compassion,

You will never, ever feel blue!

You may think that Aloha is just a word, but it is much more than that! This single word can be used to indicate emotions of love, compassion, kindness, affection, regard, mercy, sympathy, pity, sentiment, grace, charity, greeting, salutation, sweetheart, lover, loved one, to love, to be fond of, and many more things, and it also means ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’!

The letter A also stands for the Aloha Tower: a tower that was used to wish the passengers who came to the island by steamship - the mode of sea transport to and from the island commonly used in the early 1900s - a fond farewell! The tower is now open to everyone as a special landmark that embodies Hawaiian hospitality and culture!

Located on Honolulu’s Pier 9, ever since it opened on the 11th of September, 1926, it remained the state’s tallest building for 4 decades! It has 10 stories, which are 184 ft tall, and is topped with a 40 ft tall flag mast!

This word, unlike those in the English language, does not have only one, particular, definition. It really has its own story, and through these three syllables, expresses a great deal of meaning! It all depends on your expression, and how much joy or sadness you put into the word.

If you add it to the word ‘ku’u’, meaning ‘my’, you will end up with the phrase, ‘ku’u aloha’, meaning ‘my love’! Isn’t it just amazing, how a small word can bring out a feeling that you thought you couldn’t express?

This word’s origins stretch back...back into the forgotten shadows of ancient times, but if you take it apart, you will notice that ‘alo’ means ‘to be in the presence of’, and ‘ha’ means ‘the breath of life’!

This word is vital to the lifestyle of Hawaiians, for they use this word to communicate with one another, and to express
the inexpressible!

Did You Know?

This one word encapsulates the spirit of the Hawaiian people.

The aloha shirt, a shirt with exotic designs, became fashionable in the world in the 1980s. These Hawaiian shirts were worn by superstars such as Richard Gere, Bob Barker, Timothy Hutton, Jack Nicholson, and Paul Newman! Such style!