What is "Hawaiian Style"?

 The Hawaiian Islands are known throughout the world for beautiful beaches, stunning, verdant cliffs, and shimmering turquoise ocean waters. From Waikiki and Ala Moana to the Na Pali Coast and Kilauea, the Aloha State is brimming with well known tourist attractions and scenic destinations. Perhaps less known, however, is the more ethereal concept of an attitude specific to the "Sandwich Isles", as Captain Cook named them. This idea is the intangible notion of "Hawaiian Style", a combination between a lifestyle and attitude that permeates the islands of Hawaii and impacts the habits and lives of all who live and visit there.

Hawaiian style encompasses all the attributes that make Hawaii a fantastic place to live, including friendly neighbors, a laid-back attitude, and types of cuisine unique to the Aloha State. Everything from driving to greeting friends is impacted by Hawaiian style, generally resulting in a much more amicable and agreeable atmosphere. Cars pause to wave each other through intersections, and "Howzit?" is frequently exchanged when total strangers pass on sidewalks. Professions that are normally characterized by suits, ties, and starched shirts maintain the same responsibilities as in the rest of the United States, but in Hawaii, businessmen and lawyers walk through the business district sporting khakis and aloha shirts. Downtown Honolulu has a significant commercial region, but even this traditional bastion of the concrete jungle is interspersed with palm trees, colorful plants, and even neon geckos (a small lizard common to the Islands).

Even the food is pervaded with the essence of Hawaiian style, ranging from noodles and pastries to meat and seasonings. A perfect example of this is saimin - a dish found only in the islands that combines aspects of Filipino, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine. Entire restaurant franchises originated in the islands, including the ubiquitous Zippy's, which specializes in local foods such as saimin, chicken katsu, teriyaki dishes, and loco mocos. The types of recreation that are popular in Hawaii are another excellent indicator of what "Hawaiian Style" means, especially surfing, known as the "sport of kings". In fact, there is a retailer of surfing merchandise and other popular island items called "Hawaiian Style".

After all descriptions and examples, it is really impossible to understand Hawaiian Style without experiencing it firsthand. Spending a day body boarding at Sandy Beach or canoeing along the Na Pali Coastline are special activities not just because of the magnificence of the scenery and the beauty of the landscape, but also because of the warmth and care of the people and aura of Hawaii. Hawaii has a strong emphasis on family ties, and it is not at all uncommon to see two, three, and sometimes even four generations of a family living in the same house. Hawaii has even developed its own set of terms for certain family members, including "tutu", while generally expanding words such as "uncle" and "auntie" to encompass more distant acquaintances or members of the family. Hawaiian style permeates everything from family life and recreational activities to Pacific cuisine and historic sites, marking all with a touch of Aloha.