Hawaii Expedition 2012

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Wednesday, 7/25

Well I did do some stuff today, after a very interesting class on Chan Buddhism, the major form of Buddhism found in China (about 90% of all Chinese Buddhists are of the Chan school.) I have wandered all over the map with my own religious philosophy in the last 25 years or so, since my father's death. There is a lot to like about the simplicity of Buddhism, but I need to know a lot more about the philosophy before I make an serious changes to my life, but it is a good thing to learn as much as you can about other faiths and philosophies.

We finished around 12:15, and I went back to the dorm to drop off my briefcase/book bag, then headed out by myself to go to the Iolani Palace and the Mission Houses. I had been to the Iolani Palace before and it was worth going to see again for just $13 bucks. Then I walked down the streets, took pictures of the King Kamehameha statute in front of the courthouse (better known to lots of people as the HQ of Hawaii 5-0, both the original series and what I think is the very good remake) and headed to the Mission Houses Museum. I arrived around 2:45, and I was the last person to get on the last tour at 3pm. Okay, I was the only person to be on the 3 o'clock tour, and since they asked what I did, and I mentioned I was a college professor who taught history, I got a very personalized tour of the oldest Western structures in the Hawaiian islands (dating back to the 1820s-1840s). It was a fascinating insight into the life of white missionaries (almost all Congregationalists from New England) who came in 1821 and pretty much worked through the late 1840s (though the last missionaries left in the 1860s). Interesting, the first newspaper west of the Mississippi was likely printed in Hawaii, the first book printed and bound west of the Mississippi was in Hawaii, and from the tour guide (who was the director of public relations) the Hawaiian islands had a literacy rate over 70% by 1870, one of the highest literacy rates in the world during the 19th century, a rate that increased to nearly 90% bu the 1890s.

http://www.iolanipalace.org/
http://www.missionhouses.org/

Anyway, I found it very interesting, though a little biased. There was no mention of the banning of hula and other traditional practices by the Christianized royal court and missionaries, no discussion in Christianity as being an unwanted religious faith in the islands. It's a complicated story, but it is also interesting that it was missionaries who gave Hawaii its first written alphabet (prior to the arrival of Europeans, there was no written form of Hawaiian) and how that alphabet changed over time from 17 letters down to the current 12.

After that approximately hour long tour, I went by the 1st church established by the missionaries, made from coral blocks (totally illegal today), a tomb of a royal king, and then caught the bus and stopped by the Ala Moana Mall and Barnes & Noble. Picked up a book, a magazine, then got on the bus (though the first time in the wrong direction, though the right bus #) and stopped by the French bakery up in the Moana Marketplace, then walked back to the dorm around 6:30. Made some dinner, started some laundry (tomorrow will be a week here in the islands), and now relaxing and writing this update.

Tomorrow is a double class day: Chinese history in the morning, Chinese literature in the afternoon. Next week is Japanese stuff. Friday, I believe, is the first lecture on Chinese art. However, I think this weekend I will be staying around the dorms and working on my dissertation chapter I should have finished before I left for Hawaii. Not a lot of fun, but I still have one more full weekend and a couple of afternoons do to some more exploring.

Pictures from today will be in the next post...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wednesday morning 7/25

Yesterday was a long day. Class in the morning about Daoism, and comparing it to Monday's discussion of Confucianism. Today's morning lecture is on Buddhism, specifically Chan Buddhism as it developed in China. Since there is no one Buddhist "faith" but many Buddhist paths, it should be interesting though the central concepts of Buddhism were introduced two years ago when I was last at the EWC. We also had a luncheon provided (last of the free meals I believe) for a bit, and it was very good Moroccan food (I chose the lamb and eggplant, pretty yummy!). Then we had an introduction to Hawaiian culture and a brief sense of "place". The speaker was different than the last two times I attended, so I actually learned something new.

We were done by 2 pm, so I went back to my room, and got some reading done. I also had a couple phone calls from unexpected people, then went for a walk, getting rained on briefly as showers decided to fill the Moana valley skies. By the time I walked under the H1 underpass, it was sunny. The used bookstore still had it's sign out, but obviously had closed up shop and there were no signs in the windows showing it had moved. So the purpose of going for my walk sort of disappeared, but it was good to get out and stretch legs.

I came back, took a shower, and then got changed to go see a movie. The movie was "The Founding of a Republic" a 2009 propaganda piece on the formation of the People's Republic in 2009. I certainly found it interesting, if quite long, but it was apparent that the Communist party was doing its best to soften the image of Chairman Mao (especially in light of what would come later). It was also interesting to see that the meeting of the Communist Party in 1949 was actually a much larger democratic affair, though we all know that within a few years, one party rule would reassert itself as the Communists became the very thing they had claimed they were fighting against the KMT about: one party rule and extensive corruption. It was also interesting trying to pick out all the Chinese stars in the movies, many with very small roles: Jackie Chan briefly played a reporter, Jet Li was a Chinese nationalist army officer, etc. While the movie was sub-titled, none of the names were translated, which made it difficult to follow at times...okay a lot of times, and the explanations of who was who didn't often appear in the subtitles. Nevertheless, the short film series that is part of the Infusing Institute started off on a better foot than the last series.

Today's morning session is on Buddhism, but after that I believe we are free for the day. I think I am going to go out this afternoon (I will need to exercise as well since I am taking it easy this morning) and maybe do some sightseeing. What exactly I don't know, but something historical I haven't seen before...maybe the mission houses museum near the Iolani Palace. Maybe a jaunt through Chinatown while its daylight, I don't know yet.

Here's a few pics to tide you over...

Manoa Valley on morning walk

Sunny Manoa Valley

The rain filling the valley so you can't see the mountains

More rain coming..

Plaque for the Japanese Torri below

Friendship Torri between Hiroshima and Honolulu

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Tuesday morning, 7/24 early Hawaii time

Just a quick update. Yesterday was the get into class mode: wake up around 6:45, go exercising, come back, shower, be at the EWC offices for an 8:30am meet and greet (the rest of the mornings start at 9), and then the first lecture. This one was by the esteemed Roger Ames who spoke about Confucianism and the sense of self and self-identity. The one thing I like about these Infusing Institutes is that they throw you in the deep end on day one, and trust you to find your way. The speaker quoted an ancient Chinese scholar (and I am paraphrasing) that summed up the experience:

"You must learn to swim while swimming."

Then it was a luncheon, the inevitably meet and greet, and then I went with a few people to do some administrative trivia: get an University of Hawaii ID Card, go to the bookstore (and I avoided getting all the books I wanted but did break down and buy the one book I saw on life in Shanghai in the early 20th century), and finally go to the bank to cash our stipend check. Then it was some more grocery shopping (yesterday included some beer--one of the Kona Brewing Company beers I haven't had before), then back to the dorm around 4:30. Except for a brief walk in the evening for an hour (7-8pm) I spent a quiet night at home, finishing up my book on Japanese sci-fi I bought over the weekend and watching some tv.

Today it is off to class from 9-noon, another luncheon (then the meals stop) including a lecture on Hawaii (this one will be the 3rd time I have heard this particular lecture), then we are free from about 1:30 until 6 when we have a movie tonight. Since I woke up earlier than normal this morning (thank you Suntrust for trying to sell me a credit card on the phone at 5:30 am) it may be a bit of a struggle to stay awake until 10 tonight. But tonight's movie is about the history of modern China, so I am looking forward to it. I'll give you the title later on...

Anyway, Aloha for now...