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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Luana Shares! (Part 3)


I am so happy to have my friend, Luana, share about her experiences growing up in Hawaii!

This is the third of my three-part interview. You really don’t want to miss any of her excitement about Hawaii, so be sure to check out parts 1 and 2 from Thursday, November 03, and Monday, November 7!

Luana grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii, the same as my niece, Nicole, whom I interviewed on September 13, 16, and 20 of 2010. Thank you so much for sharing with my blog readers, Luana.
   
Share with us a favorite memory as a kid.

Some of my favorite memories as a kid were all the times my mom would let a whole bunch of us kids (neighbors and friends) pile into the back of our jeep, and she would drive us across to the other side of the island to spend the whole day at our favorite beach! If not that, she was letting us all pile into the jeep and taking us up to our favorite river swimming hole, where we would climb cliffs and jump into the water. We would also swim up to a waterfall and challenge each other as to who could sit under it the longest as the waterfall beat down on our heads! We would also slide down natural water slides in the river where rocks were covered with a very slippery moss.

Did you and your friends ever get into mischief? If so, tell us a story.

Oh dear yes! I was a little rascal at times! We lived near a very mean neighbor lady...and one day my friends and I decided to stuff her mailbox with rotten Mango's! :/ Another naughty thing my sister and I did was sneak (climbed over the fence) into the county pool at night and went swimming! Ohhhhh boy, if we had been caught doing that, we might have been grounded for a YEAR!! My dad was the director of Parks and Recreation for the County of Hawaii, which means he oversaw the pools and all of the lifeguards! We would have been in BIG trouble!

What do you really love about Hawaii, especially the Big Island?

What I love most about Hawaii, especially the Big Island, is the laidback life style of the islands. I loved being able to be no more than a hop, skip, and a jump away at all times from the beautiful ocean! I loved the fresh smell of flowers in the air being gently carried along in the cool trade winds. I loved the sound of the ocean ebbing in and out, and the sound of waves crashing along the coast. Truly, I loved living my growing up years in flip-flops! ;)

Anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

Growing up in Hawaii, I loved the way people always found a reason to gather, usually outdoors under a pavilion, for a fun celebration. Flowers, leis, Hawaiian music, and good home-cooked food were always a part of our celebrations. Because life back then was so simple and easy going, it was also very common for people to just "drop in" unannounced for a visit, where everyone would sit out on the lanai in the trade winds and just visit. Ohana is very important to the people of the islands—they take great pride in their heritage. If someone, for any reason, was found without a family, they would be taken in to another's and made a part of that Ohana. They would "hanai" you (take you in as their own).

What great stories you tell, Luana! It really makes me want to rush right back to the islands. I miss the days I experienced in Hawaii.

I hope to try out all of Luana’s recipes soon, and post about my experience making them, as well as sharing them with you.

Here’s to a life in flip-flops!

Mahalo for visiting!

Cheryl

10 comments:

  1. Rotten mangos! Hilarious! Sounds like something I might have done as a kid.

    These interviews bring out the inner kid in me! I think my son will love these books. He's not middle grade, but he has a high reading level for 7. :)

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  2. I know your son will enjoy it! Besides, by the time they come out (Book One next fall) your son will probably be 8! The age range is only a guideline. I think there are younger and older kids who would enjoy the stories.

    Thanks so much, Jessica, for visiting and supporting my blog! (Mahalo!)

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  3. Rotten mangoes and midnight swims - how funny! Your descriptions of the waterfalls and ocean bring back fond memories of the Hawaiian Islands. Just received a shipment of my favorite Hawaiian soap from Kona Natural Soap Company (Big Island) today; making me hope we have the opportunity to visit again sometime soon! Thanks for sharing! Mahalo!

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  4. Luana did a great job answering these questions. Her stories were delightful and her memories really did come alive!

    Stay tuned for some recipes from Luana coming up later in November and in December.

    Many, many thanks to Luana, and to you, Maria, for visiting, commenting, and supporting my blog!

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  5. That was a mischievous post and good fun to read!

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  6. Oh, my. This is so refreshing. It really brings the islands right here to the Midwest. And I love the story of the rotten mangoes and sneaking into the pool at night! :)

    I'm about ready to book a couple of tickets!

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  7. Glad you enjoyed Luana's story about her childhood naughtiness, Rahul!!

    I'll have more interviews in the future, as well as lots of cool info on the islands and--YES--recipes! Thanks for your support, and hope you'll visit again soon.

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  8. Yes, Rhonda, wasn't Luana a little sneak??? See, girls can be as much of a handful as boys!

    Thanks for your comment, and I hope you visit again on Monday--I'll be talking about the spirited King Kalakaua!

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  9. Oh that sounds so lovely. I would love to visit Hawaii and actually experience some of those things!

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  10. It's a GREAT place, Jennifer! Hope you get a chance soon. In the meantime, experience it with me through my blog. : )

    Thanks for the visit and the comment!

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I love hearing from my readers! Mahalo for visiting and commenting. Aloha! --Cheryl