Wiki Word: Mahalo (and a digression into agricultural inspections)

Ma’ha’lo (Ma as in ‘Mama’, Ha as in ‘Haha’, Lo as in ‘how LOW can you go’)

It’s not pronounced “My hālo” like Jack McBrayer from “Thirty Rock” says in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”

Mahalo means Thank you. A term of gratitude.

 This one is relatively well known if you’ve ever traveled to Hawaii. They say it to you before you even get there while on the flight over. Love flights to Hawaii – they really help get you in the aloha “mood” with POG (Passion Orange Guava) juice and the leis, videos themed with Hawaiian scenery…Some flights even give your kids Hawaiian themed activity pamphlets (Alaska Airlines). Gotta love filling out the agricultural forms and inspections, too… 😛

Since we’re on the topic of flights to/from Hawaii – just a reminder that you can’t take any vegetation (except the pre-approved fruits and veggies and plants) on your flights to/from the islands. However, if you take peeled, seeded and cut up fruit, you’ll be okay. I overheard one of the agricultural security people telling the people in front of us that helpful tip. So if you buy a lovely pineapple or mango, just cut it up and put it in a container and you’re safe from having it confiscated! In case you wanted more information on the agriculture inspection process, here’s a link.

 Mahalo for reading this blog!

 Until next time…Aloha kākou

Wiki Word: Aloha

Pronunciation: Ah (ah! What a great idea!) lo (how low can you go) ha (haha! You are so funny)

I thought this would be one of the easiest words to write about, but it has turned out that it is quite challenging to put in to words just what Aloha means. Aloha is more than just a hello or a goodbye. It’s a feeling or a state of mind. The aloha spirit.

Sure you can use it in the common way and say Aloha as a greeting, but it’s a soul-warming phrase that words cannot sufficiently describe.

And with that, I end my inaugural post.

Aloha kākou