My First Hula Practice

My mom wanted me to try and get into some form of dance. She had always told me I was naturally graceful, so she figured hula would be good to try. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon and I was about 6 years old. This is back when my mom used to make my sister and I these ridiculous matching sun dresses. My mom brought us over to the halau (hula school) and we sat in the back and watch the beginning girls class. It was the most awkward feeling of my life. It was a complete culture shock. All the girls there went to public schools, talked thick pidgin english, and were very "moke". I was just this little Japanese girl who had only went to private schools in a sun dress. I watched these girls dance and they were all so good! I thought to myself, "Is this seriously the beginning class?!?!" The most horrifying moment came at the end of the practice. The kumu (teacher) told me to put on a skirt and try and dance along in the back. I felt like a newborn kitten trying to do the steps and move my hips. It was a combination of clumsiness and embarrassment. Although this was a terrifying experience, I couldn't stay away from the dancing. The hula girls have become some of my closest and oldest friends.

This taught me that just because there are people who aren't necessarily anything like you doesn't mean you can't find ways to be friends. As long as you're willing to put yourself out there and go through experiences that take you way outside of your normal comfort zone will you ever find anything worthwhile or meaningful and life changing. Hula has changed my life and I am so glad I kept going back. It would have been so easy to tell my mom I never want to go back there again, those girls aren't anything like me and they are way too advanced for me. But because I stuck with it I found my true passion and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm not sure if people can understand the slang words, but there really aren't many other ways to describe these terms.