Of Baby Luaus and Hawaiian Gods

I have just returned from a 2-week trip to Hawai'i, the centerpiece of which was a baby luau- Hawaiian traditional first birthday celebration- for my daughter Elea.

This was my seventh trip to Hawai'i. When I went to the Bishop Museum for the umpteenth time I was reminded of the emphasis that so many people in Hawai'i place on respecting and knowing about nature, history, the arts and Hawaiian mythology- a movement of revival of Hawaiian culture that has been going strong since the 1970s, and was inspired by the civil rights movement. I learned again about the demi God Maui who fished out the Pacific islands from the ocean, and when we got to the Big Island I learned again about Pele, the Volcano Goddess, who has been sending fiery lava down the mountains of the Big Island almost continuously since 1983. I felt blessed for the opportunity afforded by Maui and Pele to be enjoying their water and land.

(top left: Elea and I by the Kilauea Crater on the Big Island, where Pele is said to live; top right: image of Pele by artist Herb Kawainui Kane; bottom left: the once fishing village of Kalapana, burried in 1990 by Pele's lava, is now a black-sand beach)

The luau was a wonderfully heartfelt evening. Our dinner was blessed by a longtime friend of the family, we had performances by a local family band, the Abrigo Ohana, playing a mix of Hawaiian music, family flew in from California, Texas and France, and all in all there were about 60 friends and guests. It was all put together and hosted graciously by my in-laws who were anxious to introduce their beloved grand-daughter to Hawaiian culture in fine fashion. While we did not have the traditional Hawaiian pit, called an Imu, to cook the pig overnight, we had a full traditional buffet that included Laulau (chicken and pork wrapped in taro leaf and steamed), Lomi Lomi salmon (a sort of salmon salsa), Poi (Taro root pounded and mixed with water), the Fijian Roro (taro leaf cooked in coconut water), Shoyu chicken (chicken cooked in soy with sweet onions), chicken long rice (rice noodles with green onions and chicken cooked in a broth), Kalua pig (slow-cooked pork in a Hawaiian Imu) and Hopia (coconut flavored desert). We also had these extraordinary plants called Torch Ginger, which dressed the party and later served as make-believe microphones as we sang along to a sound compilation that included Iz Kamakawiwo'ole, Michael Jackson and Bangra beats.

(Above: The Abrigo Ohana performing at a festival a few months ago)

(Top left: getting ready for the luau; top right: Elea with mom and grand-dad and uncle in the background; bottom left: me as MJ; Bottom right: Elea enjoying the beach)

Thus my daughter Elea, this 30" and 25lb chunk of love, brought together, for one night, family and friends from around the world, to enjoy a moment of Hawaiian culture, defined as much by the local music and food as by the spirit of ohana- family- that is prevalent in Hawai'i everywhere it seems, and where, in my perhaps overly romantic vision, reality mixes with mythology in all aspects of life.

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Comment by John Rouse on July 21, 2010 at 9:25pm: I can't wait until Create Culture opens up our first office in Hawaii! Maybe by Elea's birthday next year?

Comment by Karen Demavivas on July 21, 2010 at 1:47pm: What a loving, personal view of the richness of Hawaiian culture. Your daughter is gorgeous! I can't wait until she can dance the hula. Speaking of which, you should visit the Pa'I Foundation on your next trip to the islands as their mission is to preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian cultural traditions (including the hula) for future generations.