Greetings from California [Archive]

legal_secretary_in_mtl

July 1st, 2006, 04:57 PM

Welcome. I'm in SoCal as well. I'm also trying to make a move to HI, but it probably will be to Oahu.

Did you grow up there? Or, what prompted you to pick the big isle? And, my big curiosity is, what do/will you do for a living, and does it translate over there well?

Happy late bday !!! Hope u have a great move to Hawaii. I was there jsut 2 weeks ago and met that "crazy" wahine called Auntie Lynn :rolleyes: Was a whole bunch of fun.. next time I go we should all have a big get together will peeps from the board... it would be party time :D...

Kanela

July 1st, 2006, 05:25 PM

No I am not from Hawaii. Grew up in southern cali all my life. Just about did everything you can do in california - like disneyland, beaches, snow, hollywood, etc - (u know what i mean) just too fast pace - i live like 35 miles from the nearest beach - it takes at least 2 hours to get there with traffic. People are just in a rush all the time - but anyway I am a teacher got an interview with Hawaii district and they offered me a job - and I requested to be in the big island. My husband is in the construction business which I hope he can get a job in that. Pretty much will be selling our home in cali and buying near hilo and mostly counting on my job. We are just really excited to make the move. We are just tired of the city life. ;)

KoaukaLoop82

July 3rd, 2006, 05:14 PM

Hey Kanaka,
Good for you! We made the move from California also (Sacramento) ten years ago and never regretted anything except we wish we'd gone WEST instead of East...well I do anyway.

Hubby and I are both teachers, and we currently have a home in Kennebunkport Maine, but I desperately miss Hawaii! My brother was stationed at Pearl Harbor and I lived with him for summers from 1977-1982 (except 1980...that was a bad summer, he was at sea). So for me Aiea/Pearl City is my "old home" and I haven't been there in 24 years. Arggh! :( I have recurring dreams where I am FINALLY back and I'm so excited to run around my old stomping grounds, only to realize I have just an hour to get back to the airport... I always wake up depressed!

The reason I wrote is that people will tell you you're NUTS to leave SoCal, esp. if you have a house, but you have to follow your dreams. Nobody really thought we'd stay in Maine but it's great here, and we're not sorry we left California behind AT ALL. Except maybe for the cheap airfare to Hawaii anyway.

So congratulations and good luck! You will be so glad you followed your heart and went for it.

:)

--Karina in "the Port"

Whitepoint3rchum

July 3rd, 2006, 05:23 PM

My husband is in the construction business which I hope he can get a job in that. ;)

Hey, welcome and good luck if you do decide to move. However just one quick question. Your name is kanaka but u have a hubby, what's the deal?

Kanela

July 3rd, 2006, 06:06 PM

Karina "in the port",

Thanks for the support. Yes I have already heard from people saying we are crazy about selling our home but we are not planning on living in cali again just visit :)

Whitepoint,

Answering your question - oops I must of misunderstood this magnet I got when I went to the big island. My real name is Sandra and below it said Kanaka - I thought thats what my name meant. So Kanaka means single? :confused:

Whitepoint3rchum

July 3rd, 2006, 07:17 PM

aw chit, disregard that last question. I was thinking kane, nm nm kanaka works.

Miulang

July 3rd, 2006, 07:59 PM

My real name is Sandra and below it said Kanaka - I thought thats what my name meant. So Kanaka means single? :confused:
Welcome, Sandra. No, kanaka means "native" as in kanaka maoli. Only people of Native Hawaiian extraction can rightfully call themselves "kanaka". It's a pretty touchy subject among the people who live in Hawai'i, which also makes a distinction between newcomers ("malihini") and people born and raised in Hawai'i of non-kanaka maoli heritage ("kama'aina"). Out of respect for the kanaka maoli, may I humbly suggest that you consider changing your screen name to the "Hawaiian" equivalent of Sandra, which would be something like "Kanela" ("Sandra") or "Kani" ("Sandy")?

Miulang

kimo55

July 3rd, 2006, 08:49 PM

My real name is Sandra and below it said Kanaka - I thought thats what my name meant.
wow. so you thot the web site was translating your name.
jeez.

center of the universe, are we.

"kanaka"... as with all Hawaiian words, means many things. different things. depending on the context.
it means "man".
It also means:
Human being, person, individual, party, mankind, population.
take yer pick. But use Sandra as yer name.
and puuuuleeze don't use
kanaka.
cuz ya ain't.
"kanaka maoli" is man or person who is native, indigenous, aborigine, genuine, true, real.

1stwahine

July 3rd, 2006, 08:55 PM

My real name is Sandra and below it said Kanaka - I thought thats what my name meant. So Kanaka means single? :confused:

Too funny! You can be anything ya wanna be girlfirend. Too funny!

Sandra = Kanaka :p

Lynn = Mata Hari :eek:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/1stwahine/mata_hari_title3.jpg

kimo55

July 3rd, 2006, 08:57 PM

Sandra = Kanaka

Lynn = Mata Hari

kimo = big cheese ryan mickey mouse-moose mcgillicuddy super spy mcpig checkerpogo Howareya five OH!

yea. sounds good. dass me.

1stwahine

July 3rd, 2006, 08:59 PM

Sandra = Kanaka

Lynn = Mata Hari

kimo = big cheese ryan mickey mouse-moose mcgillicuddy super spy mcpig checkerpogo Howareya five OH!

yea. sounds good. dass me.

Nope. Dis is you...
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f358/1stwahine/sleepy_edit.jpg
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

kimo55

July 3rd, 2006, 09:03 PM

aunty. you so funny.

but looks aren't everything.

1stwahine

July 3rd, 2006, 09:07 PM

aunty. you so funny.

but looks aren't everything.

hmmmm...SIZE is? :confused: :o :p

Da size of one's Heart! :D

Auntie Lynn

Kanela

July 3rd, 2006, 09:33 PM

Wow guys thanks for all the information. Let me rephrase that I got that translation when I bought a magnet with my name Sandra meaning Kanaka (really I have it - i should take a picture and send it for proof ;) ) Anyway after all this I did research on the net and I got another translation that my name means Kanela just like our friend Miulang stated.

http://www.alohafriendsluau.com/names_q-z.html

I dont want to give the wrong interpretration of my name or come across as a native so my question is how do I change my screen name? Do I have to delete then do a new one?

Thanks,

Sandra aka Kanela or Kanaka :p

1stwahine

July 3rd, 2006, 09:53 PM

I dont want to give the wrong interpretration of my name or come across as a native so my question is how do I change my screen name? Do I have to delete then do a new one?

Thanks,

Sandra aka Kanela or Kanaka :p

Nah, you can leave it da way it is. It's nobody's bussiness! Whatever makes you happy. :)

However, if you do want to change it...PM Admin. with your request. He's cool. :D

Mata Hari :p

MadAzza

July 3rd, 2006, 11:00 PM

I dont want to give the wrong interpretration of my name or come across as a native so my question is how do I change my screen name? Do I have to delete then do a new one?

Hi, Sandra. Welcome! First of all, I'd suggest you stop worrying so much about what other people think, especially if they're just being rude to you over something so silly as the Hawaii Threads-generated "kanaka" under your name. As if that's YOUR fault.

Second, use whatever name you want. It's just not that big of a deal, really! You aren't the one who designated you "kanaka" -- Hawaii Threads did that, so who could blame you for the misunderstanding?

Move along, folks, there's really nothing to see here. Unless you are trying really hard to be offended at some imagined slight, in which case I wonder how in the hell you get through the day.

tutusue

July 3rd, 2006, 11:35 PM

Ummm, Maddie? Kanaka is her selected screen name and she's a 'keiki' as generated by HT. Other than that...welcome aboard, Sandra! Glad you can come out and play! :D You, too, Maddie! ;)

MadAzza

July 4th, 2006, 01:32 AM

Ummm, Maddie? Kanaka is her selected screen name and she's a 'keiki' as generated by HT. Other than that...welcome aboard, Sandra! Glad you can come out and play! :D You, too, Maddie! ;)

I'm sorry, I misunderstood. I thought she said that "kanaka" appeared under her name when she posted, or something like that, and then she changed her nickname to "kanaka" after seeing that. I am kind of bleary and unfocused this evening. Sorry for the error.

I thought that maybe she was too worried about a fairly minor faux pas, although it was nice of her to be concerned. Just didn't want her to obsess about it too much.

I think I'll go back to lurking until I get my head out of my ... um, out of the clouds. I seem to be making one stupid remark after another!

I apologize to everyone for everything, ever! There, that oughta do it ... for now.
:o

1stwahine

July 4th, 2006, 04:06 AM

I apologize to everyone for everything, ever! There, that oughta do it ... for now.
:o

It's 3:04 a.m. I don't apologize wat I going be posting on da board! Why? Cause you're all asleep! :p

Auntie Lynn :D

tutusue

July 4th, 2006, 11:32 AM

[...]I think I'll go back to lurking until I get my head out of my ... um, out of the clouds. I seem to be making one stupid remark after another![...]
Maaaaaaaaaaaddie? Please come out and play! There's a difference between mistakes and stupid remarks. ;)

admin

July 4th, 2006, 11:49 AM

Welcome to HawaiiThreads.com, Sandra. Quite a welcome you've received. If you stick around anyway, you'll do just fine here.

It sounds like the 'Kanaka' you initially heard was a bad phonetic representation of 'Sandra' (I agree that 'Kanela' is the more likely transliteration), not a translation of the meaning or root of the name 'Sandra' in any way.

For example, if your name is 'Sarah,' someone might say your 'Hawaiian name' is 'Kala.' That's because it sounds the closest to 'Sarah' using the current Hawaiian alphabet. But the meaning of the Hawaiian word 'kala' is 'money,' and is therefore probably not really a name a Hawaiian person would give anyone. Since 'Sarah' is said to mean 'princess,' a more accurate Hawaiian name would probably be based on the Hawaiian word for princess, 'Kamāliʻiwahine.' Though that's probably not a real Hawaiian name, either.

If you want to change your handle to Kanela, if it's available, just send me a Private Message. That said, there's nothing wrong with calling yourself 'Kanaka.' As some have noted, this board uses 'Kanaka' as a generic term for 'person,' and doesn't really presume to say that anyone here is Native Hawaiian... or a kid ('Keiki'), or a teacher ('Kumu'), or a king ('Ali'i'). See this thread (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=16) for some background. In my uninformed opinion, it is the modifier 'maoli' (which means 'genuine') that gives you 'kanaka maoli,' and would therefore designate a native Hawaiian or indigenous people.

Kanela

July 5th, 2006, 09:25 AM

Jonah K

July 5th, 2006, 11:49 AM

Hi guys! I appreciate everyones support to keep the name Kanaka. I decided to change it - not because people told me to but because I wanted a better interpretation of my name in Hawaiian that was the reason I had chosen Kanaka in the first place.

Much love,

Kanela :)
I probably should have chimed in on this thread earlier. "Kanela" means "canal" in Hawaiian and it has a kaona (hidden meaning) when used as female's name. Think "Ala Wai on two legs" for the kaona. ;)

In order to come up with an appropriate Hawaiian interpretation of the name "Sandra," it would be helpful to know whether or not it is a shortened form of "Cassandra" (from the Greek words for "one whose warnings are ignored") or the diminutive version of "Alexandra" (from the Greek words for "defender of mankind"). If it's the diminutive version of "Alexandra", "Kapalekanaka" would be the closest Hawaiian translation. :D

Unfortunately, some names just don't translate into Hawaiian well (without a lot of poetic license) eg. "Melanie" (from the Greek word for "black"), "Barbara" (from the Greek word for "foreigner"), "Ophelia" (from the Greek word for "help"), and "Portia" (from the Latin word for "hog"). ;)

Cheers,

Jonah K

pzarquon

July 5th, 2006, 11:59 AM

Jonah K

July 5th, 2006, 04:47 PM

Interesting, Jonah. Did 'kanela' mean 'canal' prior to Western contact? It sounds again like a transliteration of the English word... in which case 'kanela' for either 'Sandra' or 'canal' is perhaps equally weighted.

Either way, it's nice to meet you again, Kanela!
Prior to Western contact, alawai (literally "ocean road") was one term that was used to denote a "canal." 'Auwai and 'auwaha are others; however, their meanings are closer to "sewer" or "ditch." While kanela is most likely a transliteration of the English word "canal", it took on a life of its own after it became "Hawaiianized." Broken down into the words kane and la, it can be used to refer to "ringworm" or a similar fungal infection. If it's broken down into kāne and lā, let's just say that it would be probably be an apt name for a wahine ho'okamakama (ie. prostitute). ;)

In Tagalog, "kanela" means "cinnamon", so it might be better to go with that meaning instead of the 'ōlelo Hawai'i one. :D

Miulang

July 5th, 2006, 05:25 PM

Gawd, but I DO love kaona (when I understand it)! :D I read someplace that when the missionaries first tried to create a written language for the kanaka maoli, that the "English" words that the missionaries created out of what they thought they heard gave the kanaka maoli much glee because something definitely was lost in the translation! :D

Keali'i Richel uses kaona in many of his songs. My fave kaona song is "Ka Uluwehe O Ke Kai (http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/s-kauluwehiokekai.html)" by Aunty Edith Kanaka'ole (especially love the Hapa version).

Miulang

manoasurfer123

July 5th, 2006, 06:47 PM

Since were all giving Aloha's to Kanela here...

I sent mine via a "myspace" invite...

Welcome to HT and HT has a myspace group also!

Moderated by our own PZ...

http://groups.myspace.com/hawaiithreads

alliebaby33

July 8th, 2006, 07:39 PM

Hi there,
I too am moving to hawaii in Febuary of 07- we are selling everything and transferring both jobs- my Fiance is a Paramedic and me a manager for a dept. store. We are so excited but many people think we are crazy and do not support us-they think its a pipe dream and we will never do it- its like they live in a box! It sucks to have people say that when this is the most exciting thing we have evr done.What does oyur family say?

Kanela

July 8th, 2006, 10:49 PM

Hi Alliebaby,

Pretty much my family feels the same as yours. When we talk about it there like "ok sure" but reality check when we put our house up for sale in the next couple of weeks. ;)

KoaukaLoop82

July 11th, 2006, 05:30 PM

Kanela and alliebaby33,

You are doing the right thing! Never doubt it!

When we told our family we were moving to Maine (early 90s) everyone said, "Yeah, right," even my brother who was stationed here for a year. It took us a few years to save money and get a plan, then about seven months of sending teacher applications, but when my husband got a teaching job here and we called everyone saying, "Hey, we're moving in a week!" they reacted with shock. My sister was the worst, mostly because she didn't want us to go. She told us, "You'll be back within a year. Maybe two, but you'll be back."

A year later, when we bought our first house here (at a JOKE price compared to what we would have paid in CA), her reaction was, "Oh. I guess you AREN'T coming back then."

It's been 11 years and we still feel that it was the best decision we could have made. We miss our family, but raising children here is a lot safer than where we were (Sacramento), and the quality of life ROCKS. Meanwhile, we're going to see my side in six weeks, and my husband's parents ended up buying a condo out here and are rapidly becoming bicoastal (since they are now both retired).

The upshot here is that you'll hear a lot of negativity. People always think those who go for their dreams are being ridiculous, stupid, not facing reality, etc. My question is: Who ever said that reality means NOT fulfilling your dreams?

However, once you've moved, I bet you you'll have LOTS of visitors from home! You'll probably wish they didn't come as often!

Remember, your best decision is the one that is RIGHT for you. If you decide to live there for five years then move again, that's still your best decision. ENJOY THE RIDE, it's thrilling to fulfill a dream!

Karina (KoaukaLoop82)
Kennebunkport, Maine

manoasurfer123

July 11th, 2006, 05:42 PM

Hi Alliebaby,

Pretty much my family feels the same as yours. When we talk about it there like "ok sure" but reality check when we put our house up for sale in the next couple of weeks. ;)
Kanela -

Quick question... Before you put your house up for sell... have you thought about using it as a rental to help subsidize your income once you move over here.... Then if things don't work out here in Hawaii... at least you will still have your house in the mainland?

And if things do work out... you can always still sell your house later and use that for something else?

Kanela

July 11th, 2006, 07:53 PM

Karina,

Thanks for the support. Your experience is exactly as mine. Your right you cant let negativity affect your decisions - if you feel its the right choice.

Manoasurfer,

Yes have been debating back and forth to rent or sale. If we make this big move we are really going to try are best to stay. Another big thing is if we dont sale we cant afford to buy in Hawaii. Are best bet is to buy in Hawaii and our payment wont be that high. If we rent we would be paying the same as buying.

Kanela