In the states, Monday is traditionally the start of the work and school week, and often bad luck, rainy weather, and generally having a rough day are associated with it as we are all coming off of the high of the weekend, and the next weekend is as far away as it can be for those of us who work regular 5 day a week schedules. Because we are across the International Date Line and live on an American military base, we have a Tuesday-Saturday work week to coincide with the states, unlike all the other Marshall Islands who work Monday-Friday. As I’m sure you’ve figured out already from reading previous entries, that’s one of the many ways Kwajalein and Roi-Namur are extremely unique and like no other place in the world. Another place that is very unique yet intricately connected to the United States is Hawaii.
Today, I spent a relaxing afternoon reading and watching movies. One of the movies was pretty disappointing, but the other, was extremely fascinating and dealt with the tumultuous history of the royalty of Hawaii in the last days of their Monarchy. “Princess Ka’iulani” is the story of the last princess of the Hawaiian islands, and her struggle to try and save what was left of the native tradition and spirit of the islands before and after the country’s “annexation” to the United States. Hawaii is one of the stop overs all Kwajalein and Roi-Namur residents have to make in order to get to Kwajalein. You have to spend the night on your way out because the one flight that leaves from Honolulu to Kwajalein 3 times a week leaves only at 7 am. On the way back to the states, the one flight that departs 3 times a week leaves at 6 pm, so you don’t get to Hawaii until 2 am their time, and no flights depart at that time for the mainland.
At any rate, because of our proximity to the Hawaiian islands and the numerous times most residents are required to visit there on their way through, many of us feel like more than tourists, and the “aloha spirit” still so alive and well there today makes it a favorite vacation spot, even for sudo island residents like us. In all my years visiting there, I have always wanted to visit the Iolani Palace, the only palace in the United States, but I still haven’t made the time. Seeing the movie just made me want to go even more to pay respect to the Hawaiian royalty who so graciously welcomed the United States and so many others to their beautiful land despite the fact that our “annexation” of their islands to the U.S. was more of a governmental overthrow than it was a welcome prospect to the natives.
These traits of generosity, kindness, acceptance, and handling themselves with tremendous dignity and grace must be genetic to Pacific peoples as the Marshallese are much the same way, and it’s definitely something you don’t associate with two historically monarchal societies. Even after having foreigners use their atolls for testing of nuclear bombs and taking over some of their best islands for use as missile defense testing bases as well as one of the world’s largest lagoons as a net to catch these missiles, they are one of the most gracious cultures I’ve ever had the privilege of working for and with. No matter what, they appreciate those outsiders who take the time to get to know them and become involved in their communities, looking for the positive in each difficult situation and handling challenges with grace, flexibility, and compromise when necessary, just as the Hawaiians did under the extreme stress they experienced during their annexation and still today through their thriving tourist industry and careful preservation of their culture and traditions. That’s part of the beauty of living on an atoll, sharing your lives with others who are different from you and learning from them how to appreciate life, individuality, and the uniqueness of our world.
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