Personal Narrative: Hawaiian Culture

A metaphor to thoroughly interpret my own cultural identity would be the coconut delicacy known as Haupia. Not only for its elegant perplexion, but for the soft clouded stature that belongs to this alien creature, which taste is only permitted to the fortunate few occupying the native islands of Hawaii. Another perplex root in the tree of my culture is Lei-making. The breathtaking row of an aligned set of flowers to form the Lei is one of the prime connections to the base of the hawaiian culture by contributing to the ancient craft itself. A more well-known phenomenon that had one of its origins among the islands of Hawaii and is still dwelled upon to this day is surfing. Surfing is a vibrant water sport that had one of its birthplaces among the Hawaiian islands of the Pacific ocean. Lastly, an essential branch to the tree of my culture is the tranquil rhythm created from the Ukulele. …show more content…
The structure of the alluring garlands consists of a series of exquisite flowers or wrapped candies strung together carefully. Leis are formed as celebratory gifts, such as for a senior on graduation, a newlywed couple, or just as a birthday gift. The process of crafting these fragrant beauties is fragile and intimate. I can still remember my mother mentoring me through the process. We went to a grocer in chinatown to pick up a medium-sized bunch of vibrant plumerias that seemed to have had a savory concoction that shook the senses. Once we arrived home, my Mom scavenged and found her cotton string and needles. To begin, I cut the stems off of each flower until there was ¼” left. Then, once cutting the string and threading the needle, I strung the flowers gently one by one until they aligned to assemble the base of the lei. For the last step, I tied the end strings tightly and the lei was complete. It smelled pungent and ripe, and the venture with crafting my first Lei had