Who doesn't like to save money? For most touristy things, there is a military/kamaʻāina discount. We're not military, but we quickly figured out how to qualify for the kamaʻāina discount! Sorry Michigan, but one of the first things we did when we arrived was to trade in our "great lakes" IDs for ones with rainbows on them.
It allows us (and sometimes friends that are visiting!) to try out new things for a lower price. So instead of just buying a kayak, we can try it out and see if we like kayaking before buying one and then having it take up space in our garage. And it allows us to stay at a hotel like this for a not-as-ridiculous price.
Or eat here and order more than just an appetizer!
However, there are two sides to the word "kamaʻāina." Literally it means "land child," so we will never really have that official title since we weren't born and raised here. However, we can aspire to "local haole" if we live here long enough (haole means "white", which is a whole different post!).
It's also important to note, people from that are from Hawaii are called "locals," and that can apply to people of many races. But you are only "Hawaiian" if your ancestors were Hawaiian. Sometimes people say "native Hawaiian" to clarify, but usually "Hawaiian" means they are ethnically from Hawaii. And just please don't use "natives," since it brings to mind the idea of the "hostiles" from Lost and maybe isn't the best term for people anywhere.
So, we might qualify for the kamaʻāina discount, but if you ask if we're local, we'll have to say no. For now.
In case you weren't sure, those are the consonants in the Hawaiian alphabet. There are a grand total of five vowels and eight consonants. That is not a lot of sounds. My untrained ear thinks this alphabet is seriously lacking in consonants. Or maybe English has too many! I've always complained that English has too many vowel sounds, so I think this is what I get for complaining!
Although local people are real friendly in sharing good neighborhoods, new places to eat and the like, more often than not, the directions get confused in my head. I feel silly, but I have to ask for clarification. A lot. Kaneohe? Keiki? Kailua? Kapiolani? Kalihi? Ko'olina? Kahuna?
The bonus consonant is the okina (‘). It doesn't really help in the understanding department, since it doesn't add a "letter," but a stop. And, if you really wanted an in-depth lesson today, it's not an apostrophe or an accent mark. To write it correctly, it's a single beginning quote mark (ALT+0145, I know you were curious). If you doubt it's really a letter, check out this youtube video of the Hawaiian alphabet:
The hardest part has been driving around to look at houses. Some street names aren't written with the okina, so you have to know when to pause. And I don't. Adding pronunciation problems to unfamiliar territory seriously challenges my skills as a navigator.
Me: "Turn left on ha...ha...io...ne"
Kyle: "Haha what?"
Me: "Haha...ione"
Kyle: "Can you spell it?"
Me: "H-A-H-A-I... wait, that's it! Turn now!" (Tires squealing, angry drivers)
More often than not, it's been a source of jokes and not arguments. It'll take some getting used to, but it's interesting to be learning a new language to use in the United States. I love languages, so I'm pretty excited about it!
It allows us (and sometimes friends that are visiting!) to try out new things for a lower price. So instead of just buying a kayak, we can try it out and see if we like kayaking before buying one and then having it take up space in our garage. And it allows us to stay at a hotel like this for a not-as-ridiculous price.
Or eat here and order more than just an appetizer!
