Comments on: Best books for newcomers to Hawaii?

By: Judith Fernandez

Judith Fernandez — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:25:15 +0000

Culture Shock series has one on Hawaii. A short book, it gives you a lot of insight into the "little things" that will make life move more smoothly, cultural expectations and no-nos.
For instance, if the new boss from the continent is invited to a baby luau (which the boss has never heard of), you learn that it is very rude to decline the invitation to be part of the ohana.
After 20+years of marriage to my local boy, I was surprised to find out how many times and in how many ways, I have caused offense through the years because I was oblivious to all of this!
A must read to help those of us "locally challenged" to read the subtle signs.

By: Michael Little

Michael Little — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:21:29 +0000

Here's one for the list: Folks You Meet in Longs, from Bamboo Ridge Press. Lee Cataluna captures the voices of our local Hawaii culture better than anyone I've read or heard. If you ever have a chance to hear Lee read, don't pass it up. And the next time you close your eyes, imagine that you are in the cultural center of these islands. What do you hear? Surf? Local music? Sounds of volleyball? Or maybe you hear the voices of folks you meet in Longs. I rarely find myself at the beach wondering why I'm there, but I do sometimes find myself at Longs (Kaimuki Longs mostly) wondering what I went there for but trusting that I'm in the right place.

By: Jill Engledow

Jill Engledow — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:08:14 +0000

I wrote Island Life 101: A Newcomer's Guide to Hawaii specifically for this purpose. It gives an overview of Island history and how that affects life today, insights into the culture and practical hints for settling into the community. So of course I recommend my own book! Another good one is So You Want To Move To Hawaii by Toni Polancy. And if you are really interested in history, a good place to start is with Gavin Daws' Shoal of Time.