Day 2:
We woke up early on Monday, 3 of us went for a jog along the beach while 3 others made breakfast for the group. After eating we left for the farm to get to work on the greenhouse. Megan from Malama Kaua'i noticed some bananas getting ripe on one of their trees so she gave us a machete and the team cut down the tree in a group effort. Afterwards we dug out the top layer of grass on either side of the space to expand the footprint of the greenhouse. We cut pieces of some old chicken wire to bend and make staples to use for securing the weed-mat to the ground. Other students started laying out and cementing the PVC pieces for the roof structure. The other students got started digging the posts for the greenhouse, burying the rebar and PVC into the ground, and refilling the post holes. Our main goal for the day was to backfill and finish the base of the greenhouse prior to the gravel delivery on Tuesday. For lunch Auntie Lorna (the Hawaiians call their elders "auntie" and "uncle") brought a Japanese dish with lots of fresh vegetables, tofu, and chicken. She also made rice cookies for dessert. The food was delicious, in Hawaiian the word for delicious is "Ono." Each day she gives us the background of the dish and how Hawaiian cuisine is influenced by Japanese, Chinese, and Mexican roots on the island so each lunch will be themed accordingly. After lunch we worked for a few more hours then headed back to the hostel for a quick dip in the ocean and changed clothes for the Luau.
Monday evening we all went to a Luau on the island in a beautiful nature park where we saw exotic flora and fauna and toured the grounds before the start of the Luau. The guide explained how they cook the pork using an in-ground oven called an "Imu" where it cooks for 9 hours over lava rocks and banana leaves and is covered with a tarp and sand to hold the heat inside. As part of the initial ceremony we watched as they dug up the pig and removed the lava rocks from the inside. In the main dinning hall they provided live music, Mai ties, and hula lessons. After dinner we relocated to the outdoor theater space to watch the show. Keeping with the Hawaiian traditions we were introduced to their goddess of fire and volcanos, watched Hawaiian hula dances and other dances from Japan, China, New Zealand, and the Philippines. The show ended with fire dancers and a sword dance.
Back row: Chris Burns (Ag-Econ), Mark Polen, Wil Armentrout, Tim Kelly (CEM), Kat Douglas (BSE), me
Front row : Sarah Busch (CEE), Nicole Valentin (ARCH), Ashley Martin (BC/REAL), Annie Skorulski (BC), and Kate Kindig (CEE)
