Aloha kākou,
I hope you are having a blessed week, I have definitely been blessed beyond belief! Chris came back early which I was pretty stoked about. They were running behind schedule so he jumped ship early and even got a little layover in Tavarua where he enjoyed the paradise with friends for a bit.
Yesterday was the third day of my Ke kula Kapa Kumu apprenticeship with Kumu Paige Chang in Waimānalo. I had the pleasure of getting to hoʻo moʻomoʻo (do the first pounding). The process is quite fun. First, Kumu Paige trims a large branch from her tree (usually we use waulke which is a mulberry tree), then I scrape off the ʻulu ʻili o waho (the outer bark of the ʻulu tree) with a sharpened ʻopihi shell. Once the lighter color is revealed evenly, I carefully cut down the freshly exposed bark with a niko ʻoki (shark tooth knife). I carefully peel the aʻahu (fresh fiber) away from the branch and begin pounding with a hohoa (wooden mallet) on a pōhaku (rock). That is the gist, there is so much ʻike (knowledge) and tricks to make the finished Kapa look as beautiful as Kumu Paigeʻs pieces. After the initial pounding, we will need to ferment and connect pieces together. I am anxious to see what the ʻulu will look like after that, I hope it keeps its color!
It is also my finals week at school which will mean I made it through my first semester of my masters program - woohoo! With just a couple more days to go it has been a true test of my will power to resist the beautiful waves and weather we have had here on Oʻahu the last few days… but I can do this!
That being said, I will probably keep this short - mostly just a raw update on life in general since I donʻt get to talk with you as much as I would like to… you gotta get the main updates on here lol.
Noel, Cassidy and I will be going to our final class in Sailing 101 through UH Manoa tomorrow. I have really enjoyed the class and recommend it as an affordable and fun way to get more experience on a sailboat no matter your skill level. We have all learned a lot and met some extremely kind and salty sailors! That being said, we did have QUITE the adventure last class. The wind was kinda ripping (about 18knotts) and we hulied 3 times - one was on purpose. Our real issue was not being able to get her back up the right way and a couple of times she flipped a complete 180 and got her mast stuck in the mud :/ Living and learning, next time we will be sure to let the sail out, turn up into the wind and have a damn float on the mast hahaha. I am so glad to be learning and growing with some of the most badass and capable women I have ever met. Everyone keep on learning new skills out dea, it’s pretty fun.
-Keili
As always, this post is dedicated to my mother who always pushed me to continue writing and wanted me to have a blog - im doinʻ it! Thank you to everyone who gives me an interesting life and stories to reflect on providing reminders of love and kindness throughout the day, I am so grateful and I love you!