Music is undeniably the international language. Every country, every culture and every generation has its own unique style of music. Each speaks to us at its own emotional and aesthetic level, from foot-stomping, heart-pumping beats to romantic and evocative crooning. Maui has its own international embassador of music, who speaks every musical language with equal ease and excellence of interpretation–Willie K.
Maui Swap Meet
Don’t you love it? I don’t know of anywhere else you can find such a variety of interesting, colorful, useful and just-for-fun products all in one place. The Swap Meet on Pu’unene Avenue in Kahului is held every Saturday, beginning at 7am - you’ll want to go early to beat the heat and get the best and freshest fruits and vegetables from local growers.
Do you need a unique-to-the-islands keepsake for a visitor or mainlander? You can find it here. Do you need some colorful, cool island-style clothing at very affordable prices? You can find it here. Do you collect vintage aloha shirts? You can find them here. There is something for everyone, even if you only want to look at the passing parade of shoppers. The 50 cents admission is a bargain - come out and see for yourself.
Keep it fresh. Keep it fun. Keep it Maui.
- Haole Anna, Paia
Maui Gold.
That’s the name of the locally grown pineapple most often seen in Maui supermarkets, farmer’s markets and served in local restaurants. Mainlanders are always amazed and delighted at how different and how much better local pineapple is than what is sold as fresh and ripe in their home-town markets. It’s a wonderful thing we have available to us 12 months of the year.
Aloha attire - the quintessential Hawaiian look. Some say it sprang from the early missionaries’ attempts to cover up the native population with western dress, but the famous Aloha Shirt was first made and marketed in Honolulu by merchant Mr. Ellery Chung to use an abundance of left-over kimono fabric. He went on to register the Aloha trade name in 1936 and create the term Aloha Shirt with a Honolulu Advertiser saleperson.
The rest, as they say, is history. The shirts quickly became an instantly recognizable symbol of the relaxed and colorful lifestyle in all the Hawaiian Islands, including Maui. Colorful, comfortable and cool, the aloha attire is found in the board rooms of business, in the halls of the state legislature, in five star restaurants and local bistros, as well as semi-formal events including weddings, birthday parties and funerals. The aloha shirt is accepted, and expected, attire on Maui. Enjoy - it’s a wonderful thing!
Keep it aloha. Keep it colorful. Keep it Maui.
- Haole Anna, Paia
Beaches.
That’s a huge part of what Maui is all about, isn’t it? There are over 30 miles of public beaches here - and in fact, all beaches are public. And free! Really amazing! From gentle waters for sun worshipers, beginning swimmers and snorkeling, to fishing and diving sites, to major cliffside surf sites with challenging tides and waves, Maui offers an oceanside experience for everyone. Free. No admission fees. And unlike many public beaches in places like Florida - no parking fees either!
Hamana ‘ia ka lehulehu: “Public: not private; open to the people”
Keep it open. Keep it free. Keep it Maui.
- Haole Anna, Paia
Whenever anyone comes to the island, it doesn’t take them long to discover that Maui moves at its own pace, with its own attitude. Getting from one place to the other can be a real challenge at certain times, with a limited number of roads and a growing number of vehicles. Here’s where attitude comes in - just stick out the thumb and hitch a ride. Keep another vehicle off the road.
Yes, hitch hiking is illegal in most states and counties. But not here - Maui is one of the few places in the US where it’s legal to hitch hike. Some advise just standing by the road in a waiting mode until someone pulls over and offers a ride. Personally, I find it reassuring and in keeping with Maui’s laid-back character that the hitchers I see daily have that thumb out - no fear - no problem. Keep it out, Maui.
- Haole Anna, Paia
Weekends on Maui are always full of wonderful things to do - and going to the beach ranks at the top of most lists. While many celebrate sunset on the beach, it is just as entrancing to me in the very early hours of the morning. Arriving just at the crack of dawn, I am often the sole human witness to the newborn day.
At these times I imagine the way the beach looked to the original ones - stretching prisitne out in front of me without a footprint. No sound is heard but the lapping of the waves - gently whispering at low tide, powerfully splashing when the tide is high. Either way, the ocean pulses its vital cadence of eternal ebb and flow. It’s easy to see how ancient mariners fell under her spell. This window in time is brief - soon the early divers and fishermen begin to appear, and Maui slowly but surely, dawns on the present century.
Due to the workaday world, most of us can only enjoy this wonderful experience on weekends. Come try it sometime - I’m sure early morning Maui will welcome one more set of footprints - offer a soothing balm for one more soul. Mahalo Maui. Your beauty reigns.
- Haole Anna, Paia
Sunrise - the first chapter of another day as told by the ‘House of the Sun’ - Haleakala. I look forward to each morning as I see a new palette and ever changing vista reflecting nature’s conditions and plans for each day. The crest is clearly visible early in the day, as if waking to the dawn - soon to be cloaked in filmy, swirling cloud garments of gray and white, often tinged with pinks, mauves and gold. Later in the day, as if choosing accessories for a night out on the town, bright rainbows often shine out like jewelry - glimmering in the sunlight. All a magical, ever-changing feast for the eyes … and spirit.
Yes, change is bringing more challenges to keeping Maui a magical, mystical place. Look up and breathe the magic - it’s here. It’s free. It’s alive on Maui. Look up as you go about your day - Haleakala is talking story if we will only listen. Keep it in your mind and heart. Know the magic and know it’s worth keeping. Never give in to the notion it’s too far gone to save!
- Haole Anna, Paia
So … maybe I am relatively new around the aina, and maybe there are certain others who are always trying to take more than their share and don’t appreciate the true value of things. What else is new? This beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific is a true Paradise that can be protected and preserved by those who do appreciate it and who join together with the intention to keep it inviolate. The Superferry shutdown is just the latest example of how good people can come together to produce a good result for everyone. So, you wanna grumble about the dark side … or let the better angels of our nature create a brighter tomorrow for Maui?
Namaste,
Haole Anna, Paia
