26 January 2013

[6707] Making a Connection


It is a scene played out over and over in Hawaiʻi. A natural face-2-face icebreaker. Two strangers meet and inevitably, through fluid and casual inquiries, a connection is made, placing each other carefully into their individual stream of places, family, friends, acquaintances, experiences—all bound by connections. Note: The language used below is Hawaiʻi Creole English (Hawaiian Pidgin). 

  • “Where you from?”

  • “What high school you grad?”
  • 
“You live Hilo? You know da Pereira’s live Keaukaha?”
  • 
“You live San Francisco? Ma cousin Keʻala dance hula wid Patrick Makuakāne guys.”
In Hawaiʻi, we are raised with a strong sense of place, an integral part of our identity that comes from the host culture.

For students of my Hawaiian culture and language courses, ice-breaker questions usually include:

  • Where were you born?
  • Where were you raised? (Where did you grow up?)
  • Where have you migrated since?
Students are encouraged to find a connection with each other beginning with the answers to those simple questions.


Additional Resources

What does a "Sense of Place" mean to you?
http://www.moolelo.com/Sense-of-Place.pdf


Welcome to Hawai'i (Official airline greeting for State of Hawai'i)

In-flight programming for airline usage that welcomes visitors and kama'āina to our islands using the Hawaiian language. This program is part of an effort to create a sense of place at our local airports that authentically reflects the host culture of Hawai'i.

http://youtu.be/kAOAnA1ttjc

Pidgenology
A humorous take on pidgin.
https://vimeo.com/32612024

Hawaii Pidgin The Voice of Hawaii

A more academic approach to explaining the roots of pidgin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7X9AAeDCr4

Developing a Sense of Place and an Environmental Ethic: 
A Transformative Role for Hawaiian/Indigenous Science in Teacher Education? 

Pauline W. U. Chinn 
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/HOH/HOH-5.pdf

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