Musical Connections

     The sun beat down on my face as she looked out over the field.  My teammates are stretching and warming up before our big game.  With our bats and gloves lined up on the fence, we all joined together in song. Beyonce's "Check On It" starts to play, and we all know the exact words and moves to the song and start shaking our hips and laughing with each other.  The upbeat melody and the flirtatious lyrics get us hyped up and ready for the game, sort of like a pre-game ritual. Having fun dancing and singing together as a team helps us to bond and come together before every game starts.

     I was at lu'au practice, since I really haven't had much time to do anything else since the end of spring break, and that was my only chance to ask my question. At lu'au practices, I know a very good majority of the people there. There was a girl that I did not recognize, so I asked her to be my "stranger". She was a pretty girl with long brown hair and a big smile. She had a red shirt and athletic short on, and seemed friendly enough. I found out her name is Kayla Costales and she is here visiting friends and to see our lu'au. She is from Hilo, Hawai'i on the Big Island and it turns out she knows some of my cousins from Hilo (It's true. Somehow everyone knows everyone in Hawai'i). She shared with me that she loves volleyball and softball, and she has a younger brother. The question I decided to ask her was, "Do you have a favorite song/artist?"

     Surrounded by the smell of freshly barbecued teriyaki chicken and homemade beef and vegetable curry, I head down to the beach.  My whole family always barbecues together during the summer when we all don't have school.  All my mom, dad, younger brother, aunties, uncles, and cousins come down to the beach on Sundays and bring their favorite dish that they have perfected and made famous in the family.  When day turns to night, we all sit in a circle with full bellies and sun-kissed skin and sing the traditional Hawaiian song "Holei" by Cody Pueo Pata.  It's the perfect way to end a beautiful summer day.  To sit back with family and enjoy the time we can spend with each other in kanikapila style.  Holei will always bring me back to this wonderful feeling and remind me of home.