This weekend I attended the official kick-off event. They put a lei around our necks, gave us each a yellow jersey and a training book, and told us all that we are doing a great thing. I'm pretty sure I also heard them whispering, "Suckers!"
All I need now is a Hawaiian shirt and I am ready for the beautiful island of Maui! 5 more months of training is probably also in store.
In the meantime, here are a few fun Maui facts, courtesy of our collective intelligence hosted by Wikipedia:
- Maui is also called the "Valley Isle" for the large fertile isthmus that I will be running across.
- King Kamehameha I (the first King of Hawaii) conquered Maui in 1790 during the bloody Battle of Kepaniwai.
- Missionaries from New England began to arrive in 1823 and clothed the natives and banned them from dancing the hula.
- Sugar cane cultivation once used 80% of the island's fresh water supply that was rerouted from streams through a network of tunnels and ditches hand-dug by Chinese laborers.
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Hawaiian Superman by IZ
ReplyDeleteTold is the tale of the mischievous one
Who fished out all the islands and captured the sun
His deeds and tasks I will unmask,
so that you'll understand
That before there was a Clark Kent,
there was a Hawaiian Suppa Man
He fished out the Islands with a magic hook,
There would've been more but somebody looked.
In blue morning sky, the sun he entwined
To slow down his flight, so kapa could dry
Chorus:
Mischievous, marvelous, magical Maui,
hero of this land
The one, the only, the ultimate Hawaiian Suppa Man
Oh Maui, Maui, Maui, Hawaiian Suppa Man
Oh Maui, Maui, Maui, Hawaiian Suppa Man
The secret of fire was locked somewhere in time
So when the ahi died in the hale kuke, no way to re-ignite
( ahi = fire hale kuke = house cook )
So off he goes in search of those who hold the information
So that fire could be used by all the future generations
He found out the `Alae held the fire connection
( `Alae = Mudhen, a black wading bird )
But his plan of deception fell short of perfection
With no other choice he had to get mean
So he squeezed `Alae's throat until she screamed the secret.
(E hana hou i ka hui)
(Repeat chorus)