Goodbye, rainy season

I think the rainy season is finally over! It went from cool and raining every single day all winter (hah, I haven't used that word in so long), to being hot and humid and beautiful, all in just a few days. I walked to Walmart today... I could have taken the bus, but it was just way too nice out, and I had nothing else to do anyway. It was a nice walk.

I was also thinking about how cool it is that I know my way around here so well now. When I first got here, I could barely keep street names like Kapiolani and Kalakaua straight, now I'm like "Ha! I know the difference between Makaha, Makāha, and Makaʻaha!" It's almost as if those ancient Hawaiians created their alphabet just to annoy future tourists. I feel so local.

I give mad props to anyone who braves driving in downtown Waikiki. I was scared just trying to cross the streets. I can't imagine what it's like to be in a car in that mess.

In green Manoa Valley...

We just had our last day of concert band, since the concert was Monday and now we don't really have any reason to keep going. The only thing left is the graduation ceremony, but the whole band isn't playing, just one of the six smaller pep bands. Even though only some people are going to be playing, the whole band practiced the graduation music. Now, usually I can't stand practicing graduation music, but there was one song that just blew my mind away. It was a medley of some generic graduation song, Amazing Grace, and Hawaiʻi's Alma Mater. It was beautiful. I really wish I had a recording of it.



^^ I wish I could find a version of the medley we did in band, but this is just the Alma Mater. I'm pretty much just putting it here so I can remember it looking back.

In green Mānoa valley our Alma Mater stands,
Where mountain winds and showers refresh her fertile lands;
The flag of freedom beckons above her shining walls,
To larger truth and service our Alma Mater calls.

Hawaiʻi, we have gathered within your wide-flung doors,
As sons and daughters claiming her freely offered stores;
Our loyal praise we tender, and pledge to hold thy aim,
Till ocean's far horizons shall hear thy honored name.

WELCOME ABOARD

I've been on The Bus more times in the past week than I have the rest of the semester combined with all the rehearsals and everything at McKinley. We figured out that with my radio DJ voice, I can perfectly imitate the announcements made at each stop. The announcements are so funny. You can tell they recorded each word separately, and then just edited them all together, cause there are breaks between each word. "ALOHA ...WELCOME ABOARD ...ROUTE 80A ...STOPPING AT ...KEʻEAUMOKU ST ...AND ...MOʻILIʻILI ...TRANSFER POINT"