I was nervous to take my tomato plant home because the last time I brought a plant home, it shriveled and then my dog ate it. This time, I am making sure that I am consistently watching out for my plant. Every other morning I give the plants a little bit of water and put them outside next to my momʻs other plants for sunlight. I don't water it everyday because it is still really small and I don't want to drown the tomato plants. When my plants were still in the classroom at school, only one plant was growing while the other had absolutely no signs of growth. Since I brought them home, both plants have been growing and they both look very green and healthy. I hope to care for these plants until they are fully grown and are ready to fruit! If I am capable of helping these plants grow to their full size, maybe I can grow other plants and maybe even use the fruits to cook.
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On Sunday, December 2nd, I went to Whole Foods in Kailua for lunch. I chose to eat there in order to complete this blog post and I was in the area. There were so many different healthy choices from sushi to sandwiches. Everything at Whole Foods are locally sourced and cooked at the store. I chose to eat a slice of cheese pizza and it was delicious. The pizza tasted a lot different than Pizza Hut or Dominoʻs, but I enjoyed it even more. I also ordered a mango smoothie which was made with real mangos that were grown locally. I donʻt usually eat at Whole Foods, but I think that might change!
On Friday October 19th, we went to Waimānalo for a field trip. I learned many new things while I was there. What stuck out to me the most was that the different ulu trees represent and come from different parts of the world. I thought that was interesting because it shows that we appreciate the other parts of the world and it shows that Hawaiians are able to connect with other cultures and ʻāina ʻē aʻe. While we were there, we also had the opportunity to put some work into the ʻāina. We broke up into groups and raked away all the weeds from the soil. It was really hot but Iʻm glad I got the privilege to participate in this activity. Honestly, that was the first time in a while where I got to get my hands dirty and just soak in everything about our beautiful ʻāina. I am very thankful that our class was given the privilege to come to this site to work and learn.
Throughout the first quarter, I learned many new things from this class. We learned about Mokauea Island, new information about hurricanes, we watched interesting videos on Verso, and I was able to research about my wahi pana, Maunawili. What stuck out to me the most of all the new information I learned was Mokauea Island. I thought that was extremely important because I practice there everyday during paddling season so that place is very special to me. I also thought researching Maunawili was very important to me because my papa had a house there and that is where my dad, my aunties, and my cousins grew up. We used to have all our family gatherings and parties there. I have lots of memories from when I was younger at that house which is why I chose to write my wahi pana essay about Maunwili. I also learned that there is deeper meaning within Hawaiian words other than what is literally written there. I thought this was important for all of us students to know because we attend a Hawaiian school and the language of our culture is extremely significant to our lives.
After reading Walaka (from Kūnihi i Ka Mauna ʻŌiwi Journal 2), I realized that I am not in touch with my culture as I could be. Although I attend a "Hawaiian" school and take a Hawaiian language class, I should be outside appreciating and observing the way our kūpuna did long ago. The reading states, "IF WE DO NOT SEE LIFE IN EVERYTHING AROUND US BESIDES OURSELVES, WE ARE NOT ʻHAWAIIANʻ". This statement stuck out to me because it speaks the truth. Today, our community is so adapted to technology that we sometimes forget to get in touch with our ʻāina. Before westerners came to Hawaiʻi, the life of a Hawaiian was simple. They took only what they needed and used the very minimum of resources so that nothing went to waste. I also think it is important for us to become one with our surroundings due to the significance of our land.
When Aunty Kahea came to our Mālama Honua class to speak about Mokauea, she shared a lot of history and importance of that place. I am extremely grateful to have learned about that island because I practice at Sand Island every day during paddling season. We paddle pass Mokauea every single day, multiple times. Now that I know the significance of the island, I will always think of what was shared to our class. What stuck out to me the most from Aunty Kahea's presentation was that the government burned down the houses in 1975. I found what they did really disappointing and hurtful. There were families living there with the right to live there. I'm very happy that Mokauea still stands today. When we go on our field trip, I hope to feel the mana of the land and make in impact for their community. As students of Kamehameha Schools, we have the privilege of being able to take care of Mokauea.
A Hawaiian Scientist is someone who uses the natural tools of this earth to measure, travel, sail, experiment, etc. It is someone who respects the ʻāina and uses it to further their knowledge which can be passed down to younger generations. A Hawaiian Scientist is someone who yearns to learn more about the ʻāina and the history of our land. It is someone who tends to do things the way things were done in wā kahiko. Nainoa Thompson is an example of a Hawaiian Scientist. He uses the stars, the current, the moon, the wind, and the waves to sail across the ocean in order to reach different destinations. He navigates with the stars and reads the life of the ocean. Not only does he further his own knowledge, but he passes that knowledge on to other Hawaiians and those who are interested in his teachings. Nainoa Thompson teaches others about what he knows so that they have the same knowledge and continue on this legacy of navigation.
As I observed the outside life through my living room window, I expected dumping rain and strong winds. I expected extremely cold weather, unbearable enough to not be able to walk out the door. Although I was hoping that there would be no danger or tragedy, I was kind of excited because cold weather is rare here in Hawai'i Nei. Instead, there were faint grey skies and a light breeze blowing the palm trees. I was able to see all the bushes and leaves blowing throughout the day. As it got later, the sky got darker and it look like a mixture of black and blue skies. There was absolutely no rain whatsoever and the light breeze continued throughout the night. The weather maintained the same winds and conditions throughout Friday and the weekend. Thank God there was no damage to my house and that my family was kept safe throughout the hurricane.
For me, Mālama Honua means to take care of the earth by treating everything and every place with respect and protection. Our land is what provides us with everything we need in order to survive. We must treat it as if it were a loved one. Caring for the earth means leaving a place cleaner than it was when you arrived. It means picking up trash from the ground even if it doesn't belong to you. It's quite simple actually. The earth is our home and we must maintain it and keep healthy. The land, the ocean, the mountains, and the flowers are all apart of this earth. It is our responsibility as Kanaka Maoli to make sure our land and ocean thrive in a healthy environment. If not, who else will make sure of that?
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