Polynesian Cultural Center

Today, which is technically our last full day on the island, we had a full day planned as we traveled to the North Shore, to the Polynesian Cultural Center! On the way to the Cultural Center, we made a few stops..
First, we stopped for an early lunch on the side of the road where the money that they raised selling traditional Hawaiian dishes, went towards scholarships for students! We then continued on the coast where we made a couple of stops at different lookouts—at one of the lookouts we even saw a sea turtle in the water. When we hit the North Shore, we stopped at the Mormon Church to grasp a little from their religion as it ties into the Cultural Center, in the sense that the Mormon Church owns the Polynesian Cultural Center. The Church was absolutely beautiful and nothing like I had ever pictured it to look like. It was interesting to see how closely related it is to Christianity regarding the Bible, gospel, and the overall belief in Jesus Christ, but their practices are so different at the same time.
After arriving to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we ventured off to check out each of the Polynesian Islands and to see what they would have in store for us. In Samoa, we learned how to make a toy fish out of a leaf from a coconut tree, watched men climb a coconut tree with his bare feet, and took in some dancing! In Tahiti, we got to try coconut bread, threw spears at coconuts, learned how to dance, and even tried fishing. Then, in Tonga, we took in a show where we learned how to dance and got a little humor from the audience & performers. In Fiji, we got temporary tribal tattoos and toured replicas of houses in Fiji. In Aotearoa, we learned how to weave a basket from leaves, and watched and learned about more cooking styles over the fire! Lastly, in Hawaii, we took in hula dancing and lauhala weaving. After making our way through all of the islands, it was time to meet up for dinner and the Breath of Life performance. Our dinner was amazing, it had so many options from comfort food, to everything seafood, to a desert bar, and it even had live music! When dinner was over, it was time for the Breath of Life performance which is put on by all of the students from around the world (on the different Polynesian Islands). The Breath of Life performance is a symbolic story of Mana and Lani that is shown through Polynesian dance, music, and fire. It was a show, showcasing birth and death, love, family, tragedy, and triumph. It was truly amazing to watch. After the show was over, we even got to go on stage and meet/take photos with some of the performers. This was one of my favorite days—learning more about all of the Polynesian Islands while spending time with my new friends/classmates!Read more