Hula Festival

This weekend is a Tiki Weekend Supreme.  I just got back from the ‘Oe E Ka La Hula Festival in Alameda, where I soaked up Hawaiian culture in drizzly 30-degree weather.  Fortunately, most of the festival was indoors, and the power of tiki warmed everyone’s hearts.

Upon arrival, we immediately grabbed some lunch.  I ordered my favorite, pork and butterfish laulau…

…while my friend Pancha got a bag of malasadas, fried dough balls with sugar.  Almost every culture on earth has at some point hit on some variation on the basic “fried dough” concept, and we as a species are better for it.

Then it was on to the booths!  Check out these amazing quilts from Quilt Styles of Hawaii, especially the Twelve Days of Hawaiian Christmas holiday quilt.

Hand-stitched quilts were a little rich for my blood, but I did buy some stuff.  Behold!

Oooh!  Ahhh!

The sheet music is by Paul Summers, about whom I can provide no further information at this time, although if the cover illustration is any indication he bore an eerie resemblance to Robert Benchley.  Here, however, are the lyrics to “I’ve Gone Native Now”:

First I went to a big luau
Kanes and wahines showed me how
Eating fish and poi
Oh, what a joy!
I’ve gone native now

Then I strolled out Waikiki way
Where moonlight nights seemed like day
Played my ukulele
Oh, so gaily
I’ve gone native now

Oh, I’ve learned to sing Hawaiian
Do the hula ami too
It came without any trying
What else could I do?

My little dance you will adore
‘Round the island to the floor
With a little wiggle here
And a little wiggle there,
I’ve gone native now

Now I live in a little grass shack
Wear a ti-leaf skirt and a coconut hat
Eating on the floor
Like days of yore
I’ve gone native now

I go surfing every day
Way outside, catch a big wave
Riding kahakai ‘a ‘ole kapakahi
I’ve gone native now
I’ve gone native now

Well, then.

I got the little ikaika warrior helmet from Aloha Crafts.  The tiki… wait, let’s take a moment to admire the tiki.  This is a great guy!

He was carved by Tualau Tauheluhelu of Tualau Wood Carvings in San Mateo.  Taulau signed it for me by carving his name and the date on the base.

With my new tiki cradled against my protective bosom, it was time to watch the centerpiece of the festival, the hula competition.

And this is what the trash can at the end of a hula festival looks like.

Mmm, Spam!  I had a little Spam musubi before I left, because that is good stuff.