An essential guide for all newcomers to Hawai‘i.One meaning of the word “malihini” is “newcomer”; another is “guest.” As a malihini, think of how you would act as a guest in someone’s home… You would probably ask polite questions about your hosts and their family; inquire about any special customs they’d like you to follow in their home; be willing to gracefully accept whatever is served for dinner; and treat their belongings with respect. So it should be for malihini in Hawai‘i.
Award-winning Maui writer Jill Engledow has followed up the success of Maui 101: Your Guide to Island Life (published in 2005), with a new edition entitled Island Life 101: A Newcomer’s Guide to Hawai‘i, expanded to include all of Hawai‘i Nei.
The little plumeria-strewn book is chockfull of information—everything from Hawaiian history to local food to pronunciation. It’s must-have knowledge for all new arrivals—too bad we can’t force a copy into everyone’s hands as they step off the plane!
Written in straightforward, accessible style, the book emphasizes respect for the Hawaiian culture and a willingness to “be like the golden bamboo,” not native to the land, but a welcome addition, adding beauty without being invasive.
The chapters flow into each other, making a front-to-back read probably the best way to go. After learning about the islands’ history, we move into “Islands Today,” a useful discussion of current issues like green power, military presence and sovereignty. “Island Communities” gives a brief profile of each of the eight main islands.
The “Mixed Plate” chapter is just that: a varied assortment of useful topics, from pidgin (“If you did not grow up here, do not try to speak pidgin. Period.”) to music to hula to humor. Some sections, like “Caring for the Ocean,” are ones you wish everyone would read, not just newcomers but current residents too (“Don’t litter. Smokers often carelessly discard cigarette butts on the beach, making cigarette filters the No. 1 marine debris item.”).
The most useful chapter for newcomers is probably “Settling In.” Here, Engledow shares practical info about public libraries, health care, pets and disaster planning, along with a month-by-month calendar of annual events and festivals on all the islands. Especially meaningful is the “Make New Friends” section, with simple tips like “take baked goods to work,” “offer to help if you do something well.”
The book is fairly balanced among the islands, despite a few admittedly “Maui-centric” moments, such as Engledow’s (well-deserved) praise of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center as a “facility in a class of its own.”
The “Locals Know” tidbits, marked by a cute “rubba slippah” graphic, are always fun to read—things like: “Did you just get your youngest child into high school, only to discover that there’s another one on the way? This surprise baby is your ‘ratoon crop,’ a term borrowed from Hawai‘i agriculture.”
Living here, we may forget the stereotype Mainland view of Hawai‘i as a grass hut tropical paradise, but Engledow keeps those fantasies firmly in check with tips like: “Don’t expect big fancy birds to perch in your back yard.” There’s no candy-coating here, with a frank perspective on things like the cost of living in paradise (“Gasoline? Sorry, we’re stuck with some of the highest prices in the country.”); although she does steer clear of any in-depth discussion of drugs or crime, beyond urging newcomers to lock their vehicles.
If you know someone moving to Hawai‘i, or someone thinking about moving, you’d be doing them a favor by buying them this little book. And really, it’s doing all of us a favor by helping to preserve the precious lifestyle we enjoy here in Hawai‘i.
5 out of 5 Shakas
Island Life 101
By Jill Engledow
Maui Island Press, 2008
paperback, $17.95
ISBN: 978-0-9765136-1-2
www.mauiislandpress.com