A PALMY PARADISE "Saying It With Flowers" In Honolulu

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 24

A PALMY PARADISE "Saying It With Flowers" In Honolulu

Written for THE SUN by FLORENCE M. NICHOLLS

moonlit June evening in Wmult? / V Honolulu; the band is playing a dreamy HawaiI | ’ ian waltz, and the dance - is in full swing. A tourist appears on the broad white lanai at the Moana Hotel with a beautiful great bloom in his hand. The dancers see it; there is a little flutter of “Oh, *what is it?” “Ah, how beautiful! It'must be the night-blooming cereus!” The dancers tell their friends and their friends tell others. Next morning it is in the paper, “The night-blooming cereus will be in full bloom to-night.” By “half after eight” (as the Americans say) the streets round Punahoe Academy are lined with cars, residents and tourists having come from all parts of the town to see one of the greatest glories of a,n Hawaiian night. The long cactus-like hedges which surround the campus have hurst forth into blossom. Instead of a sombre green hedge one now sees what, from a little distance, appears to be a bank of ethereal whiteness. The wise sight-seers have provided themselves with electric torches which they “shine” upon the flowers. The cereus blossom is bell-shaped, about 10 Inches deep, and the petals are of that delicate creamy-white like the water lily. Inside fs another bell composed of thousands of yellow stamens. It is an exquisite thing, its only fault being that, like many of the other tropical and subtropical flowers, it has no scent. It blooms but twice a year—for one night; by morning the lovely flowers are closed and drooping. In June and July the streets of Honolulu are gay avenues of blossom. One week we drive along between rows of golden showers; next week the gardens and streets are pink with the pink shower and the Royal Poinciana trees are beginning to add their glow of red. By the time the last pink blossom has fallen the streets are ablaze with red and every here and there a garden shows a patch of brilliant purple or magenta bougainvillea. The pink and gold showers and the beautiful Royal Poinciana trees are flat on the top—like a table on one leg. I know the reason because I have read some Hawaiian mythology. The sky used to press down upon the earth but the trees grew up and pushed it up from the earth, so now we can walk about without feeling the discomfort which poor Chicken Licken experienced. Ope can quite understand the Hawaiian legend after seeing these trees. In June, July and August the hibiscus, too, is at its best; the trees and hedges are a mass of bloom. The

hibiscus flower only lasts a day and keeps just as fresh out of water as in water, so that is is often used for table decorations just heaped in bright masses on the table. The hanks, beautiful great airy buildings, are often decorated with large bowls of hibiscus blossom placed on their counters. There is one week I remember when Honolulu looks very gay and garish. There is one day in the year when all Japanese boys receive presents and celebrate their birthdays and another day for the girls. On boys’ day the Japanese suspend large “carp” from

the tops of poles or other high t’places —as many as there are sons In the family. They are made of cloth and painted to look “carp-like.” The wind fills them out so that they really do look quite like' huge fish flapping in the breeze.

One other “fishy” recollection I have —the smell of the Chinese markets. To smell them is to remember them to one’s dying day. But that is part of the. Orientalism of Honolulu. One would not feel that one had even a nodding acquaintance with the Bast unless one had smelt its indescribable odour. While in Honolulu I went to an interesting entertainment given at the Queen Emma House Museum by the “Daughters of Hawaii,” a society of

women who keep alive the traditional chants and songs of old Hawaii. The programme consisted of chants, given by a venerable Hawaiian woman who had been official “chanter” to one of the kings (these were translated for the benefit of those who did not understand Hawaiian), several choruses, duets and solos in Hawaiian, accompanied on the ukulele and steel guitar, and, of course, the hula dancing. The hula, well done, is a most graceful dance, the hand and arm work especially being very beautiful. A lithe young Hawaiian can make her arms “ripple.” She does things with the middle part of her anatomy which hardly suggest grace, yet the whole effect can be graceful. The hula Is the sort of dance which can be anything, according to the taste of the person who interprets it. Most people who live in Hawaii for any length of time learn a great many Hawaiian words. In fact, it is necessary to do so, for the Orientals speak Pidgin English with a, good smattering of Hawaiian words and, in order to make servants understand one, it is necessary to speak to them in the same mixture of languages. The following little anecdote (taken from the “Advertiser,” one of the Honolulu newspapers) gives a good idea of the way the Orientals talk and of the humour of their remarks. “The moulting hen lays no eggs. That is the blunt English of it. From Kohala comes the Oriental way of saying the same thing. A housewife over there last autumn was trying to wheedle eggs from her Chinese gardener. ‘Wliat’a matter, John, long time no enough egg hapai (to carry). Me too much like. Aole polalei.’ (Aole polalei means, “It. is not right.”) “John, with an air of righteous indignation replied: ‘O, Missee, wha’ fo’ you speak aole polalei? You savee. This time all chicky allee same. No can egg. This time he ehangee him pants.’ ”

At last comes the day when we must bid farewell to the “Paradise of the Pacific.” The streets near the wharf are gay with “lei” sellers— Hawaiian women selling wreaths of flowers and paper “leis” which are really imitations of the Ilima leis, which were worn by Hawaiian royalty. One’s friends buy or make leis, which they place round one’s neck. This pretty custom is used either as a welcome or as a farewell—like the word

“Aloha.” “Aloha” may mean Friendly Greeting, Love, Kindest Regards. Welcome, Friendship, or when used or Good Luck till me meet again. I have seen people wearing as many as 30 or 40 leis, a mass of flowers from the waist to the nose. What sweeter parting gift could anyone give than a wreath of fragrant flowers, and what a picturesque ceremony it makes of “sailing.”

At last the gangways are drawn in, streamers snap, and the Hawaiian band brings tears to every eye by playing “Aloha Oe,” Farewell to Thee. Good-bye Honolulu, Aloha, I love you.