POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

Yesterday we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. Seven villages portraying life in islands such as Samoa, Fiji were at the Center for visitors to view. There were demonstrations, dances, drumming and craftwork to observe at each of the villages.

This is a sample of the hut village chiefs used to live in.

http://www.polynesia.com/

It was warm and humid. We both were dripping in sweat like little sweathogs. How hot was it? Enough for sweat spots to break out on my shirt.

I liked this hut. If I were ever a chief I'd like like this chief did.
This is a Samoan war canoe. What a work of art it is.
I took this picture just for my dentist, Ron Zufall. Ron, here's a new use for all of the extractions you make. I'll take one of these bowls, please.

An effort is being made in the Islands to preserve their heritage, their culture. This is but one example of how they're doing that. I noticed that many of the Islanders spoke in their native language. In the newspaper there have been several articles that discuss the need to withdraw as a state and form their own Hawaiian nation in order to preserve their customs. It is felt that corporations bent on benefiting from tourism have taken over the governance of Hawaii to protect their investments.

In touring the north-east United States last year I saw a similar effort from our native Americans. The need to preserve their way of life, their culture is equally as strong as it is in the Islands.

I wonder, will the Europeans who migrated to this continent ever feel the same need to preserve their way of life, their culture? The Watson Cultural Center for Blended Heritage? Many of us have Irish, English, French, Italian and Swedish blood running through their bodies. We have no real identity to any of those cultures, at least I don't (Irish/English/Dutch). So why not a Cultural Center to depict the life we've led these past 225 years of settlement in American?

One "settlement" would have a typical 1960 home. Visitors could see dad come home, throw his shoes across the room, turn on the TV, pick up the newspaper to read, yell at his wife to bring him a beer and settle in until dinner was ready. Macroni and cheese could be the main course. Visitors would delight in the family arguement at the dinner table. First hand, they could see what life was really like during these times.

Other homes would demonstrate life in the 1700/1800's, the 1920's, during WWII, the 70's/80's, and into the 21st century. Wow, times have changed, values have certainly changed during that period of time. What a depiction that would be. We'd really be preserving our blended culture.

If you believe all of this then you must have been out in the sun as long as I have these past few days. Time to get down to why I've traveled all this way - get out to the beach, to the Hawaiian easy life where things happen very slowly.

Don't you wish that you were here? Aloha!