You like go beach or what?

In Hawaii, pidgin English is common, sometimes to the bewilderment of my kids who whisper to me, "I didn't understand half of what he said." And it's not just the pidgin grammar and syntax; the mixed vocabulary of Hawaiian, Japanese, and Chinese words and phrases in the local dialect add to the confusion for a visitor. For example, in Honolulu, the cardinal directions are not north, south, east, and west but Diamond Head (a landmark at one end of Honolulu), Ewa (a town at the other end of Honolulu), makai (towards the ocean), or mauka (towards the mountains). It's fun when my kids ask about local words or phrases, because I get to view the culture through their Minnesota eyes and ears. And they love trying to pronounce some of the local words (the street name in the photo is pronounced aka aka ava using the short a sound).

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As for the beach, I believe we went almost everyday. There's so much to do in the ocean. We kayaked out to Flat Island, snorkeled at Pupukea and Hanauma Bay, went night swimming at Waikiki Beach, fished and explored the Waimanalo tidepools, and boogie boarded at Kalama and Waimanalo Bay. Boogie boarding was the fave activity and the 1' to 4' waves were perfect for us. Everyone had great rides and big wipeouts. Andrew improved so much over the two weeks; his best day by far was the last day of vacation when he caught so many good waves. Jeffrey went out the farthest and caught the longest and biggest waves. He showed a real skill for the sport. In addition to the above activities, Elizabeth tried surfing for the first time. Her cousin Emma took her out and Elizabeth managed to catch a few waves at Waikiki Beach.

Andrew's Birthday in Hawaii

Andrew blushes after receiving an orchid lei and a kiss

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Andrew celebrated his 12th birthday at Buca di Beppo in Hawaii. His early present was a boogie board from Grandma and Grandpa Ching, a gift he used often over the vacation. He also received two beautiful gyotaku (Japanese fish prints) from Uncle Curtis and Auntie Ruth. Andrew loves the prints, one of three manini and the other of a he'e (octopus). The delicious guava chiffon birthday cake was also a big hit.

Hiking Maunawili Falls

On Sunday, niece Emma, the kids, and I joined friend Andy Yamaguchi on a beautiful hike to Maunawili Falls (click to see photos). The hour-long hike took us past stands of bamboo and through a a couple of stream crossings. The hike ended at Maunawili Falls, a small waterfall with a deep pool. Emma, Elizabeth, and Andrew took the opportunity to jump into the water from a ten foot high ledge by the falls.