OK.  I bet you are wondering what this blog entry is about.  A 50/50 luau?  What is that?  And in Iraq?  Before you think I really have lost it, let me explain.

When people ask me where I am from, I usually say I was born in Minnesota (Duluth, to be exact), but I always add that I spent most of my life in Hawaii (some of the best years of my life). 

I left for Hawaii when I was 18.  As long as I can remember I have always been fascinated and captivated by islands.  My favorite book as a kid was “Swiss Family Robinson”, and in 9th grade I event sent a letter to Pitcairn Island asking if I could move there after high school.  I got an answer back saying “yes” (it took a year to get back to me, but I was thrilled).   To satisfy that wanderlust, I applied to the University of Hawaii back in 1980, and unbelievably they accepted me. 

Thanks to hard work in high school, I got a scholarship to attend, so I packed my bags and headed out.  The Army Reserve was nice enough to place me in a unit in Honolulu, so I even had a part-time job waiting for me.

For almost 16 years I studied, worked and lived in Hawaii — from 1981-1997.  The people, the land, and the whole atmosphere of aloha filled me.   Along the way I visited almost every island, and fell in love with the land and the people.  I also graduated with a BA in Journalism (thanks to Professor Bev Keever, who passed away last year) and a MA in Public Administration.  Unlike some people, I never got “rock fever” while I was there.  Each day was amazing.

While I was there I think all my relatives got to experience Hawaii, too.  I have wonderful memories of my grandparents spending a second honeymoon on the North Shore of Oahu at the Turtle Bay Hilton and taking a helicopter ride in Waialeale Crater on Kauai, my aunt and I attending concerts at Blaisdell Arena and nearly getting blown away as the wind swept up the Pali Cliffs, my cousins spending high school spring breaks at Bellows Air Force Station, and my stepdad dressing up like a crazy extra from Gilligan’s Island and dancing hula with the beautiful ladies at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  And, that’s just a few of the memories.

If you ever get a chance to go there, do it (and stay, like me)!   And definitely get out of Honolulu and see the rest of the state.  Waikiki is only one part of Hawaii, but there is SOOO much more.  Meet the people, read about their history, and get to know how they live their lives — the state is filled with such diversity that you will be amazed.  From the descendants of missionaries to the descendants of migrant pineapple workers, a veritable rainbow of people now live there….making it the only state in the Union where no one is in the majority.  And the land is just as varied — from hot summer days on the beaches to the snows on the tops of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.    If you have time hike the Na Pali coast on Kauai, swim the green sand beach on the Big Island, surf the Banzai Pipeline, and get to know some of the reasons why the aina is so revered.

One of the more entertaining things to do in Hawaii is a luau — a gathering with a feast, music and dancing.   I’ve been to a few — the food is ono (delicious), the music is relaxing, and the hula dancing really does tell the story of the people.

The stories go back hundreds of years, but many involve the past 50 years — when the Hawaii became the 50th state on August 21, 1959 (hence, a 50/50 luau).   I am hoping to invite as many Hawaii residents to a party here at the CPIC on that anniversary date (August 21, 2009, is a Friday — the best day of the week for a part in Iraq). 

I’ve already got the ball rolling by ordering some cool decorations, some hula skirts, a vareity of leis and some surprises.  I also brought my entire collection of Hawaiian music back with me from R&R leave.  If all goes as planned, this is going to be THE place to be on that day.  It will be a chance for me to give Hawaiians a chance to feel like they are back home for a day….and a chance for everyone else to get a sense of what life is like in paradise.

I need to do some research in the next few weeks to get ready for this big party.  I need to find out if there is a pig anywhere in Iraq…and if there is, how can I get all the supplies necessary to bury it in the imu to cook until it melts in your mouth.  I found one site that gives me some ideas,  but where am I am going to find banana leaves, Hawaiian salt and lava rocks in the International Zone?  And don’t even get me started on the lomilomi salmon, fresh ahi and poi.  As they say in Hawaii, “broke da’ mouth”.  Oh well, I will adapt and overcome (unless the Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle wants to fly over here a couple day before the luau…and can you bring the Brothers Cazimero with you?). 

So, if you are reading this blog entry and wanted to get involved, please feel free to join in.  I am looking for good ideas and support from all over — especially Hawaii.  Also, if you know a Soldier from Hawaii who is in Iraq, let them know about the 50/50 luau.  Maybe they can find their way to the International Zone on August 21.

Keep a watch for more news and updates on the 50/50 luau here in Iraq.