Going Back in Time— My trip to Hawaii in 2020

Forty years ago, we lived on the Big Island of Hawaii. We lived there for 2 ½ years, from February 1978 to August 1980. It was an adventure—the tropics, an unspoiled paradise, prejudice, and so much more. In February of 2020, I returned to the Big Island with my daughter Diana and her family. But more than that, I went back in time in memory to those idyllic days.

Hawaii, forty years ago, was very primitive. I recall coming off the plane and coming down steps—not even

a ramp or unto a gateway. That was my first taste of what it would be like. The Big Island back then was predominantly Japanese—not haole (Caucasian), with plenty of Polynesian, Portuguese and Chinese mixed in. I recall the local McDonald’s in Hilo always served Sushi on their menu along with hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. This time I came off the plane, we had ramps/stairs leading down from the plane and then we walked to the gate.

The local school our children attended was a small school with only 12 to 15 children in each class. Many were Polynesians, but also many were Japanese.

I checked online about the Kaumana Elementary School today, and here are the statistics

Kaumana Elementary School Enrollment By Race The student body of Kaumana Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii is made up of 7 ethnicities. The largest ethnic group of the 264 students at Kaumana Elementary School is Pacific Islander. This is followed by Asian (13.6 %), White (8.7 %), Hispanic (6.1 %), Mixed Students of two or more ethnicities (4.2 %), Indian (1.5 %) and Black (0.8 %). Race      Number            % Indian    4           1.5 % Asian     36         13.6 % Hispanic           16          6.1 % Black     2           0.8 % White    23         8.7 % Pacific Islander             172       65.2 % Two or More Ethnicities           11          4.2 %

When we lived in Hilo, each classroom had a door to the outside and a deck with a water faucet right by the door. The kids usually wore flip-flops and you took them off, washed your feet and went into the classroom barefoot. You can see from the above photo; they’ve updated the school and each classroom does not have a door to the outside.

In 1978, the first Safeway in Hilo was opened and back then, it was not popular. Most people preferred their Mom & Pop bread stores, vegetable stores, fish & meat stores. Safeway did eventually become more popular, and today those downtown individual stores are now tourist boutiques.
Everywhere I saw louvered windows, although more and more had screens on the window. When we lived there, that was the main type of window you had.

Living in Hawaii was laid back in the past. And I discovered as we went everywhere—it is just as laid back today, with servers taking a long time to come, and sitting talking to each other rather than serve customers; hotels took a long time to answer your questions or supplies.

  

Sunday

Church

The first thing we did Sunday morning was attended Church; and yes, they had louvered windows on them!

The service was the same as years ago, and after the meeting ended, a young woman who was moving came up and the audience sang “Aloha Oe” (Farewell to Thee), with the words on the inside back cover of the hymn book. I almost cried because that’s what we always did when someone left the ward. (FYI: I’ve requested that “Aloha Oe” be sung at my funeral).

City of Refuge

One of my most favorite places we visited on the Big Island was the City of Refuge, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau,

on the Kona Coast. In the ancient Hawaiian times, there were “kapus,” forbidden rules; when a commoner casts his shadow on an Ali’i (chief), or a woman eats with a man, or someone catches a fish out of season—all these were “kapu” or forbidden. Break any of these (and more) and you face the ultimate punishment of death. However, if you could elude your pursuers on foot, get to the coast and swim to the City of Refuge, you could be resolved by a priest.

Also, during a war, the site was a sanctuary for children, elders and other noncombatants. Even defeated warriors could seek safety in the refuge, and after the battle ended, return home, whatever the outcome of the battle.

Also, next to the City of Refuge were the Royal Grounds, where Ali’i met with their advisers and priests. On the site are examples of a favorite game of the Hawaiians, played on a rock board with tiny black and white pebbles.

They also had an ancient game (konane) that was on a flat rock and had small indents on it to hold the white

and black rocks. Above you can see Athena and Diana playing the game in 1979 and a closer look at the game, today.

The Royal Grounds also had a special “chair” made of rock for the chief to sit and watch the water, and a special rock where the chief’s wife angered the king and she ran with her dog and hid under a rock. He didn’t notice her until her dog barked. It reminded me that even Hawaiian royalty had marital problems.

I was pleased that the City of Refuge hadn’t changed much during the years, as you can see from the pictures I’ve attached of then and now. The City of Refuge was a joy to walk around in. We saw “noni” (morindra citrifolia) fruit, which was a stable of Hawaiian food, but also made many medicines for them.

The hand-carved tikis represented the image of various Polynesian gods and personified the specific “mana” or power of that God. These tikis tried to please the gods and break good harvest and weather, as well as success and power during wars.