It is absolutely amazing to me how fast time is flying by! Our spring I session has already ended and we had another fantastic potluck! Just like always, there was a lot of great food and entertainment. We even played a few games of charades to see how important non-verbal gestures are in effective communication. Playing these games made us work up quite an appetite, so we loaded our plates with mountains of delicious food. Each bite was so good that many of us went back for seconds and even thirds! While you can see a few of our pictures from the potluck on this blog, you can see a lot more on our Facebook fan page. If you have account, you can just search for the "Maui Language Institute" and check out all of our photos by becoming a fan.
Today's Pidgin English word comes from the English language, but the meaning and pronunciation are slightly different when used in Hawaii. The word is "slippah," which is the Pidgin English equivalent to "slipper." This way of pronouncing words is common in Hawaii Pidgin English. A lot of words that end in "er" (maker, baker, later, etc.) will be pronounced with an "ah" sound, as in "a-ha." So instead of saying "see you later," you would say "see you latah."
The meaning is a little different as well. "Slippahs" are thin pieces of footwear made of rubber, commonly called thongs or flip-flops in other parts of the world. In Hawaii, the word "slippahs" can be used to describe any type of footwear that is fastened to your foot by a thong. However, when we say "rubbah slippahs (rubber slippers)" it usually refers to a specific type of footwear that is a must if you live in Hawaii. These slippahs are so convenient for going to the beach or just going for a short walk around the neighborhood. If you ever come to Hawaii, you'll probably see a lot of people wearing slippahs everywhere you go. There are many different types of slippahs that you can buy in Hawaii. Some of these slippahs have thick soles and can cost $60.00 or more, while thinner models can cost just a few dollars. So if you're in Hawaii, grab a pair and give your shoes a rest!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Hyechon University
Hello everyone! This past week we had the pleasure to have a group from the Hyechon University in Korean joining us for a few days to experience the beautiful island of Maui. They got to experience the culture first hand and had the chance to explore all around the island. They were only here for a few days, but they made the most out of their time here enjoying each day to its fullest.
The students were brimming with tons of great energy and enthusiasm. They really looked forward to all of our activities and absorbed everything that Maui had to offer. Words can do no justice to describe the fun they got to experience, so check out all of the pictures and you can see for yourself. Pictures really do say a 1000 words!
Today's Pidgin English word is really easy! You'll probably remember it with no effort at all. The word is "chicken skin." You have probably heard the word "goosebumps" before, which are the bumps on your skin that comes up when you get scared. "Chicken skin" means the exact same thing. I guess we prefer chickens to geese here in Hawaii! Actually, the Japanese word for goosebumps is "torihada," which translates to chicken skin (tori = chicken, hada = skin). So anytime you get that creepy feeling from seeing seeing something scary or disturbing, you can say that you have chicken skin!
Okay folks! That's all the time I have for this blog but I'll be seeing you all again very soon! Aloha!
The students were brimming with tons of great energy and enthusiasm. They really looked forward to all of our activities and absorbed everything that Maui had to offer. Words can do no justice to describe the fun they got to experience, so check out all of the pictures and you can see for yourself. Pictures really do say a 1000 words!
Today's Pidgin English word is really easy! You'll probably remember it with no effort at all. The word is "chicken skin." You have probably heard the word "goosebumps" before, which are the bumps on your skin that comes up when you get scared. "Chicken skin" means the exact same thing. I guess we prefer chickens to geese here in Hawaii! Actually, the Japanese word for goosebumps is "torihada," which translates to chicken skin (tori = chicken, hada = skin). So anytime you get that creepy feeling from seeing seeing something scary or disturbing, you can say that you have chicken skin!
Okay folks! That's all the time I have for this blog but I'll be seeing you all again very soon! Aloha!
Yew Chung International School
Alooooha! This week we had a group of junior high school joining us for our short-term program. There were 46 students who came to us from the Yew Chung International School from China. Yew Chung is an amazing school that has been providing students with bilingual and multicultural education for over 70 years. They were with us for 10 days, and we did lots of fun activities while they are here.
After they arrived, the students had some free time to explore the island and relax before heading to the Kalama Village to watch the sun set. I have seen the sun set in many places around the world, but I think Maui has the most beautiful sunsets by far. If you ever have been in Maui before, you definitely know what I'm talking about. The next day, they went sightseeing around the island and had a beach excursion. This was followed up by an amazing dinner at the luxurious Dragon Dragon restaurant located at the Maui Mall, which is conveniently located within walking distance from their hotel. The students from Yew Chung will also went to the Maui Ocean Center, a state-of-the-art aquarium facility where you can see a variety of native Hawaiian marine life. They saw things like graceful sea turtles, mysterious jellyfish, and even divers swimming with sharks. After their excursion to the Maui Ocean Center, the students will get to unwind and have some fun at the Maui Golf and Sports Park. They'll played some miniature golf, had fun riding bumper boats, and even tried their hand at rock climbing.
Over the next few days, our students got to experience a lot more of Maui through fun excursions and cultural activities. They participated in lei making workshops, presentations on Hawaiian volcanoes, and even Hula dance classes to immerse our students in the culture of Hawaii. They also went to a traditional Lu'au (a Hawaiian feast with entertainment), a whale-watching excursion, and took a trip to a local senior center to interact with the community here. They also got to travel around the entire island, going to places like Lahaina, Kihei, Haleakala National Park, and Hana.
Speaking of Lu'aus and entertainment in Hawaii, here's a useful Pidgin English phrase that you will probably hear when you come to Hawaii. The phrase is "hana hou." It can mean either "encore" or "to do something one more time." This word is especially useful if you go to a concert with a local band playing. You'll definitely hear this word being chanted right when the band is finishing up their last song (assuming that they were good and you want to hear more). You'll occasionally hear people say this word at other types of entertainment performances (hula dances, comedy shows, etc.) but the overwhelming majority of people use this phrase at local music concerts. So be sure to shout "hana hou!" the next time you want to hear more from you favorite local band.
After they arrived, the students had some free time to explore the island and relax before heading to the Kalama Village to watch the sun set. I have seen the sun set in many places around the world, but I think Maui has the most beautiful sunsets by far. If you ever have been in Maui before, you definitely know what I'm talking about. The next day, they went sightseeing around the island and had a beach excursion. This was followed up by an amazing dinner at the luxurious Dragon Dragon restaurant located at the Maui Mall, which is conveniently located within walking distance from their hotel. The students from Yew Chung will also went to the Maui Ocean Center, a state-of-the-art aquarium facility where you can see a variety of native Hawaiian marine life. They saw things like graceful sea turtles, mysterious jellyfish, and even divers swimming with sharks. After their excursion to the Maui Ocean Center, the students will get to unwind and have some fun at the Maui Golf and Sports Park. They'll played some miniature golf, had fun riding bumper boats, and even tried their hand at rock climbing.
Over the next few days, our students got to experience a lot more of Maui through fun excursions and cultural activities. They participated in lei making workshops, presentations on Hawaiian volcanoes, and even Hula dance classes to immerse our students in the culture of Hawaii. They also went to a traditional Lu'au (a Hawaiian feast with entertainment), a whale-watching excursion, and took a trip to a local senior center to interact with the community here. They also got to travel around the entire island, going to places like Lahaina, Kihei, Haleakala National Park, and Hana.
Speaking of Lu'aus and entertainment in Hawaii, here's a useful Pidgin English phrase that you will probably hear when you come to Hawaii. The phrase is "hana hou." It can mean either "encore" or "to do something one more time." This word is especially useful if you go to a concert with a local band playing. You'll definitely hear this word being chanted right when the band is finishing up their last song (assuming that they were good and you want to hear more). You'll occasionally hear people say this word at other types of entertainment performances (hula dances, comedy shows, etc.) but the overwhelming majority of people use this phrase at local music concerts. So be sure to shout "hana hou!" the next time you want to hear more from you favorite local band.
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