Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

[cyleet99]

Hey y'all!
I was talking with a lady the other day, and she kept raising her eyebrows at me while she was listening. I asked her where she was from and she said Samoa. It was kinda infectious...I found myself doing the same while listening to her. Later that week I heard a song that talked about raising your eyebrows and smiling. Help me with the cultural implications of eyebrow language! I am familiar with raising one eyebrow, and raising both to me means surprise or alarm.

Another question...I met a Hawaiian lady that told me she was gonna moimoi now. I think I have read this means to sleep; at least that is what she proceeded to do.

BTW I tried poi. Is it supposed to be pasty and tasteless?

[1stwahine]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

If someone tells you dey going Whack Whack you. Make shua you run like HELL!

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Auntie Lynn

[cyleet99]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

Reminds me of "got beef?"
Love it Aunty...You are great!

[Menehune Man]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

Raising eyebrows means you're attentively listening or in agreement with what they're saying.
It can also be a friendly gesture while passing by on the street.

Now for... 'and other cultural stuff'.
I like how we say "Howzit" and everyone knows whether or not that person saying it is a born & raised/longtime resident
or new transplant/visitor just by how it's said. Cool yeah?!

[kani-lehua]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

Raising eyebrows means you're attentively listening or in agreement with what they're saying.
It can also be a friendly gesture while passing by on the street.

Now for... 'and other cultural stuff'.
I like how we say "Howzit" and everyone knows whether or not that person saying it is a born & raised/longtime resident
or new transplant/visitor just by how it's said. Cool yeah?!

sorry, this doesn't have to do with the eyebrows but with how things are said.

does anyone watch extreme fighting? well, last night we watched this guy (can't remember his first name), OSHIRO, fight and what a fight it was--he won. but, when it came to for his pre-fight and post fight interviews, i bet most people found it hard to understand what he was saying in pidgin.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

Another question...I met a Hawaiian lady that told me she was gonna moimoi now. I think I have read this means to sleep; at least that is what she proceeded to do.

It's moemoe, not moimoi, but yes, it means sleep.

BTW I tried poi. Is it supposed to be pasty and tasteless?

Only if you eat it too fresh. Let it sit for a few days so it can ferment a bit. Now that's good stuff.

[cyleet99]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

How about the poi in the baggie at Tamura's? I keep looking at it (and pushing the bag with my finger--not sure what I'm trying to check out, but it feels wobblygushy.)

I read a kid's book about sweet poi vs poi a couple of days old...that was cute. So I guess I was expecting a sweet taste. But now where I come from there is "sweet milk" (regular milk) and there is buttermilk (quite sour, leavings of making other dairy products) and....okay maybe I just answered my own question.
Thanks everyone!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

It's moemoe, not moimoi, but yes, it means sleep.

Only if you eat it too fresh. Let it sit for a few days so it can ferment a bit. Now that's good stuff.

We kinda discussed moe moe in another thread but didn't that really mean to lay in wait, as if waiting to attack? Or something like that but it has come to past that it is now referred to going to sleep.

[kani-lehua]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

"moemoe: ambush, to lie in ambush; to lurk. ho'omoemoe: to cause to lied down; to hush or put to sleep;to arrange a match; to set a line or net; to pretend to sleep. to sleep (a rare plural)."
"moe: to sleep, lie down, to lie in wait, ambush; to prostrate oneself, as before a chief; to lay down, as cards."

pukui/elbert hawaiian dictionary

and, since we are on the subject of pronunciation, please say POKE and not POKI.

i only eat fresh poi. the longer it is left to ferment, so they say, the easier it is to digest. to me, it's sweet and i can eat a whole bag by myself. beef stew and poi!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

"moemoe: ambush, to lie in ambush; to lurk. ho'omoemoe: to cause to lied down; to hush or put to sleep;to arrange a match; to set a line or net; to pretend to sleep. to sleep (a rare plural)."
"moe: to sleep, lie down, to lie in wait, ambush; to prostrate oneself, as before a chief; to lay down, as cards."

pukui/elbert hawaiian dictionary

and, since we are on the subject of pronunciation, please say POKE and not POKI.

i only eat fresh poi. the longer it is left to ferment, so they say, the easier it is to digest. to me, it's sweet and i can eat a whole bag by myself. beef stew and poi!

Hmmm fresh bag of fermented poi...somehow that seems to contradict itself here.

Me I hate poi. I can't find one redeeming taste in it. I have come to believe the ancient Hawaiians were playing a cruel trick on the missionaries when they were patching their grass huts with it and somehow over the generations the trick backfired when the missionaries found that roofing cement rather tasty.

[kani-lehua]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

fresh poi for me! yum! ;p

what i should have said was that the longer the poi is left to ferment, supposedly, it is easier to digest. yuck!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

fresh poi for me! yum! ;p

what i should have said was that the longer the poi is left to ferment, supposedly, it is easier to digest. yuck!

Yeah but is it considered "fresh" at that point? But most importantly...WILL IT BLEND!!!

[acousticlady]

Re: Raising the eyebrows and other cultural stuff

Yeah but is it considered "fresh" at that point? But most importantly...WILL IT BLEND!!!

It'll only blend IF it's fermented!