30,000 people live in Waikiki as residents. Many in small apartments. They walk their children to school in the mornings. They take buses, walk or drive to work. Many people in other less touristy parts of the island have over an hour commute in heavy traffic in both directions. Rents are almost as expensive in outlying areas as rents in Waikiki. Cutting one’s commute can be an important reason to live in a tourist zone. So, when a tourist stops in a busy traffic lane and blocks all the traffic so the tourist can run in and buy some expensive crap in a Waikiki store and you honk at the tourist for blocking the traffic and they shout back, Where’s your aloha? I find that very offensive. Aloha is not an excuse for selfishness.
Aloha is a sacred word that is exploited by the tourist industry. Queen Liliuokalani, who wrote, Aloha ‘Oe, was offended that this special word was being exploited and that was long ago. Polynesian bus guides, Tongans, Samoans, Hawaiians, trying to scrape together a living, exhort their tour groups to shout aloha throughout the tours back and forth to the phony Polynesian Cultural Center, where pretend happy natives climb coconut trees and carve coconut shells or rub sticks together to make fire to show Polynesian culture. I find that offensive but I understand that people need to make a living.
So if a few cannibals eat a few rude tourists I’m not that bothered. Of course everyone will feel better if a nice bowl of fresh poi is shared with all the nice tourists.
Aloha
Aloha is a sacred word that is exploited by the tourist industry. Queen Liliuokalani, who wrote, Aloha ‘Oe, was offended that this special word was being exploited and that was long ago. Polynesian bus guides, Tongans, Samoans, Hawaiians, trying to scrape together a living, exhort their tour groups to shout aloha throughout the tours back and forth to the phony Polynesian Cultural Center, where pretend happy natives climb coconut trees and carve coconut shells or rub sticks together to make fire to show Polynesian culture. I find that offensive but I understand that people need to make a living.
So if a few cannibals eat a few rude tourists I’m not that bothered. Of course everyone will feel better if a nice bowl of fresh poi is shared with all the nice tourists.
Aloha
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