Hello Cafetalk students and fellow tutors!

For this month’s article (記事), I wanted to share a bit about Hawaii’s history (歴史) and culture (文化).

On June 11, we have a state holiday called King Kamehameha Day (キンぐ・カメハメハ・デー). It was created in honor (尊敬) of King Kamehameha the Great, also known as the first monarch (君主) of the Hawaiian Kingdom. In the year 1810 (１８１０年), King Kamehameha I unified (統一的) the Hawaiian Islands through strong leadership. This was done to ensure (確保) that the Hawaiian Kingdom would be recognized by the world as its own sovereign nation (主権国). It prevented foreign powers from taking control of the small island country. However, the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown (失脚) in the year 1893 (１８９３年), and the nation of Hawaii officially became a part of the United States of America.

King Kamehameha Day is celebrated to remember the history and pride (誇り) of Hawaii and its people. Many locals in Hawaii have a strong political opinion (意見) when it comes to the history of the annexation (併合), but we are happy to be able to call Hawaii our home.

Although things are a bit costly (高価) here (今キャベツ1個は～６００－７００円) I feel fortunate (運がいい) to have been born and raised on this island. It is not always sunshine and rainbows here, but the people are amazing, the food is great, and it is such a unique place to be.

If you would like to enjoy a slice of Hawaii, I put together a list of popular (ポピュラー) songs in Hawaii!

Popular Songs in Hawaii:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV7YLB18QMRFZ2wHl24Li3lOcUGw8ePSR&si=_dVaQh83DmGoEsqS

A very popular genre (ジャンル) of music in Hawaii is called Hawaiian Reggae (ハワイアン・レゲエ), and a lot of artists (アーティスト) write about love or the beauty of the islands. They are talented men and women who wrote music from their heart. These songs are timeless (タイムレス) and can be enjoyed for many generations (世代). I listened to these songs when I was a child and I even learned how to play some of them on the ukulele (ウクレレ) when I was in middle school! Please listen to the playlist if you want to enjoy fun, relaxing music from Hawaii during the summertime.

Mahalo nui loa! (発音：マハロヌイロア)

This means “thank you very much” in Hawaiian!

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Also, did you know it is actually pronounced ハワイイ? It rhymes with かわいい!

Additionally, if there is a “w” in the word, it sounds like a “v” (except for the first letter).

Example (例):

Awakea (発音：アヴァケーア) , which means “afternoon” in Hawaiian.

Wahine (発音：ワヒネ), which means “woman” in Hawaiian.

However, it is okay to say “ハワイイ” or “ハワイ” while you are in Hawaii!

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Do you want to discuss this article during a lesson? Do you have any questions you wanted to ask a Hawaii native? Please consider booking a session to learn more!