Tour Guide in Hawaii: Aloha, Hula and Island Life

Aloha, everyone, and welcome to the island of Oahu! I'm your guide, and I grew up just down this road. First, let me teach you our most important word. Aloha means hello and goodbye, but also love. It's really a way of living with kindness. This necklace of flowers is called a lei. We give one to welcome people, or to say congratulations. One small rule. Never refuse a lei, okay? And please don't take it off in front of the giver. Now, look at that mountain behind the beach. Can you believe it used to be a volcano? Every island here was built by volcanoes under the sea. On the Big Island, one of them is still growing today! Do you see those surfers out there? Surfing has been part of life here for hundreds of years. Long ago, even our kings and queens rode the waves. I tried to teach my husband once. Oh, he fell every time! Tonight, you'll see hula dancing at the show. But hula isn't only a pretty dance for tourists. Every movement of the hands tells part of a story. Before we had writing, that's how we remembered our history. Okay, is anyone hungry yet? I sure am! You have to try our pork, cooked slowly under the ground. And after that, a big cup of shave ice. It's sweet, colorful, and perfect on a hot day like this. One last thing, and this one matters to me. We believe the land takes care of us, so we have to take care of the land. Please don't take any sand or rocks home with you. Thank you so much for today. We say mahalo!