Ha'a Hula, and other things
Feb. 23rd, 2006 04:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
la_belle_laideI called Pat today, after having gone through what I would say to her and she to me for the last wo days. (A professor in college once old me, "Never have a conversation with someone who isn't in the room," yet I can never break the neurosis.) She picked up and said, "Jules, hon, don't be mad at me, okay?" and I said, "I wasn't even mad the other day until you said that I was acting mad at you. It's forgotten." Then she told me that everything at home was all right, which I obssessively hope is true, and then I flt much better. Which is great, seeing as how today was the last day.
Although last night was fun. It was my Mom's birthday and we went to Alfredo's, restaurant of the hot guys. I got her a crystal Minnie Mouse pin, (I must remember to get my Dad something on FRIDAY WHICH IS HIS BIRTHDAY!!) and then Mom, Betsy and I had sangria. The best part of the night was when the water carded me when I ordered the sangria. Well, maybe not the best, but it was up there. It seems that everytime we go to Alfredo's, something happens to get my Mom in a fit of hysterical giggles. This time it was the kids doing a Barry Gibb Talk Show birthday song, and a birtday rap. Then she remembered the night before when I gave Spencer some of my super dark chocolate and he hated it, and when I offered some to my Mom he commented (in his distinctive Spencer diction,) "It's great if you want something that tastes like salt ... but poop." When he first said that, my Mom laughed so hard that she couldn't stand up and had to hol onto the wall for support. Anyway, after dinner we watched the IllumiNations show (that show is seven years old and boring--time to change it again,) and then we walked back on the Boardwalk.
Today Mom, Dad, Gran, Spencer and I went to the village (Downtown Disney) while Uncle Don, Betsy and Meg went to Animal Kingdom. Then we all went to Fark Pare for dinner. Auntie Kau'i had told me to show up for Hula class at 6:30, so that's where I went after dinner while Mom, Dad and Gran went around the shops. Actually, before that, Auntie Kau'i gave my Mom and Dad a lei for their birthdays, and my Gran one just because she was there. They (my parents and Gran,) wanted to come and see the 8 o'clock show because Auntie Kau'i said she wanted me to dance in it. So I went to the class (JoNathan caling me halfway through to say that he was showing up,) and tried to learn five Hulas in an hour. I learned maybe about two of them any kind of well, and then Ginger lent me her pa'u, Auntie Kau'i gave me a arnation lei and po'o lei (flower wreath for your head,) and off we went. Kaleo (Pat,) and Auntie Kau'i had seemed, earlier, to have something in store because there was a lot of "Jules is coming to dance in the show" and "Is Jules here yet?" kind of stuff going on. Auntie told Kaleo, "I want you to see her dance, because she's a beautiful Hula dancer, wait till you see." I want to cry everytime she says that. Mostly because I don't quite feel I live up to it, but also because it's so sweet.
Anyway, once up at the lounge Kaleo introduced me as "A Hula dancer who comes all the way down from Long Island once a year and takes a Hula class, and everyone has seen her dance except me." I knew my cheeks were turning all kinds of red, but I tried to smile and pretend like I was totally chill. Then we did some f the fast songs, and honestly I had not learned them too well and did a lot of glances to Cheryl and Ginger during them. Then we did one of the slower ones which I actually did learn, and I was very comfortable with it.
Then I saw Auntie Kau'i waving me to the center of the stage area. She grabbed my sleeve and said, "You're doing a solo, baby. Pick a song." I must have stood there going, "um, um, um, um," for a few seconds, my brain going, "Don't pick Pearly Shells, for godsakes!" before finally asking Kaleo, "Do you know Beautiful Kaua'i?" Which, I think I had subconsciously realized that Auntie was going to ask me to dance alone, and had probably already chosen that one. So Kaleo started playing it and I started dancing. It's a very simple dance. Halfway through he threw in a verse that I didn't know, so I made stuff up. There were cute guys in the front and I was trying to play to them, but they looked kind of blank. All I remember is their eyes on me, looking wide and, well, kind of blank. Then the song was over and there was applause. I don't usually get so jittery dancing, but I hardly ever dance to live music, especially so unexpectedly.
And then Lipoa grabbed me and said, "Sistah, that was beautiful," and Auntie Kau'i said, "Beautiful, baby," and JoNathan said, "Wow, I got a ton of pictures. You danced beautifully!" And Kaleo said to the audience, "Now I see what everyone was talking about; I finally got to see her dance." And I was thinking, "But, it's Beautiful Kaua'i, the simplest dance I know!" I wish I had been able to do something like Pua Tuberose, or better yet, Hahani Mai, something really juicy. (But then, I can hardly imagine Kaleo doing Hahani Mai. ;D ) Anyway, the point is, I was kind of stunned. JoNathan said, "I got some good pictures of you with your hands like this," and he did one of the motions, and I said, "To bad they weren't like this," and I put them in front of my face and he said, "Please, your face was beautiful, like it always is." Then I started thinking, "That's a nice thing to say," and then I thought, "Maybe they're all just being nice about how I dance, too." But then on the other hand, that's not Auntie Kau'i's style. When I mess up in her class, she tells me straight out. She slapped me once at a seminar for doing my ami the wrong way.
On the way out, I chatted with everyone, while my Dad chatted with Kaleo (they are going to exchange CDs eventually,) and my Mom and JoNathan were joking around and stuff. I really hate saying goodbye to everyone, even though I'm going to see them in November. It's just too long. Still, what a night.
I can probably get everyone into the Poly next year at a good price. Fili told me once last year, "You come to the Polynesian at any time, because this is your home. You're like a Disney Princess here." Which, these days, only makes me think of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
faire_damsel, unfortunately, but it is still a lovely thing to say. The Poly really is like a second home. I've spent a lot of my days in Disneyworld, and I'm so glad that Hula is a part of my second home. I'm really lucky to have such awesome teachers who are so full of Aloha. I'm just sorry I missed Kawehi and Kamai this time. I'm starting to not make sense because it's late, but still.
Actually, a lot of the stuff in the stores reminds me offaire_damsel these days. It's all pointless glurge, and it just brings her to mind. Disney used have lots of cool stuff in their stores, but it's all getting homogenized into crappy princess stuff with glitter on it. It's disappointing.
Well, so I'm mostly packed, except for some toiletries and PS2, because Spencer is still playing KH right now and it's nearl 1 AM. But whatever, because the kids are with me, and even if it's just that they're playing a video game, at least they're here and it's all cool. Tomorrow we will fly home and I probably won't see Spencer for another few months. Then I'll go pick up my dogs, and soon everything will be back to normal, with pets and Kung Fu, work, Hula on Saturdays, the occasional movie etc. Which is not bad at all.
Although last night was fun. It was my Mom's birthday and we went to Alfredo's, restaurant of the hot guys. I got her a crystal Minnie Mouse pin, (I must remember to get my Dad something on FRIDAY WHICH IS HIS BIRTHDAY!!) and then Mom, Betsy and I had sangria. The best part of the night was when the water carded me when I ordered the sangria. Well, maybe not the best, but it was up there. It seems that everytime we go to Alfredo's, something happens to get my Mom in a fit of hysterical giggles. This time it was the kids doing a Barry Gibb Talk Show birthday song, and a birtday rap. Then she remembered the night before when I gave Spencer some of my super dark chocolate and he hated it, and when I offered some to my Mom he commented (in his distinctive Spencer diction,) "It's great if you want something that tastes like salt ... but poop." When he first said that, my Mom laughed so hard that she couldn't stand up and had to hol onto the wall for support. Anyway, after dinner we watched the IllumiNations show (that show is seven years old and boring--time to change it again,) and then we walked back on the Boardwalk.
Today Mom, Dad, Gran, Spencer and I went to the village (Downtown Disney) while Uncle Don, Betsy and Meg went to Animal Kingdom. Then we all went to Fark Pare for dinner. Auntie Kau'i had told me to show up for Hula class at 6:30, so that's where I went after dinner while Mom, Dad and Gran went around the shops. Actually, before that, Auntie Kau'i gave my Mom and Dad a lei for their birthdays, and my Gran one just because she was there. They (my parents and Gran,) wanted to come and see the 8 o'clock show because Auntie Kau'i said she wanted me to dance in it. So I went to the class (JoNathan caling me halfway through to say that he was showing up,) and tried to learn five Hulas in an hour. I learned maybe about two of them any kind of well, and then Ginger lent me her pa'u, Auntie Kau'i gave me a arnation lei and po'o lei (flower wreath for your head,) and off we went. Kaleo (Pat,) and Auntie Kau'i had seemed, earlier, to have something in store because there was a lot of "Jules is coming to dance in the show" and "Is Jules here yet?" kind of stuff going on. Auntie told Kaleo, "I want you to see her dance, because she's a beautiful Hula dancer, wait till you see." I want to cry everytime she says that. Mostly because I don't quite feel I live up to it, but also because it's so sweet.
Anyway, once up at the lounge Kaleo introduced me as "A Hula dancer who comes all the way down from Long Island once a year and takes a Hula class, and everyone has seen her dance except me." I knew my cheeks were turning all kinds of red, but I tried to smile and pretend like I was totally chill. Then we did some f the fast songs, and honestly I had not learned them too well and did a lot of glances to Cheryl and Ginger during them. Then we did one of the slower ones which I actually did learn, and I was very comfortable with it.
Then I saw Auntie Kau'i waving me to the center of the stage area. She grabbed my sleeve and said, "You're doing a solo, baby. Pick a song." I must have stood there going, "um, um, um, um," for a few seconds, my brain going, "Don't pick Pearly Shells, for godsakes!" before finally asking Kaleo, "Do you know Beautiful Kaua'i?" Which, I think I had subconsciously realized that Auntie was going to ask me to dance alone, and had probably already chosen that one. So Kaleo started playing it and I started dancing. It's a very simple dance. Halfway through he threw in a verse that I didn't know, so I made stuff up. There were cute guys in the front and I was trying to play to them, but they looked kind of blank. All I remember is their eyes on me, looking wide and, well, kind of blank. Then the song was over and there was applause. I don't usually get so jittery dancing, but I hardly ever dance to live music, especially so unexpectedly.
And then Lipoa grabbed me and said, "Sistah, that was beautiful," and Auntie Kau'i said, "Beautiful, baby," and JoNathan said, "Wow, I got a ton of pictures. You danced beautifully!" And Kaleo said to the audience, "Now I see what everyone was talking about; I finally got to see her dance." And I was thinking, "But, it's Beautiful Kaua'i, the simplest dance I know!" I wish I had been able to do something like Pua Tuberose, or better yet, Hahani Mai, something really juicy. (But then, I can hardly imagine Kaleo doing Hahani Mai. ;D ) Anyway, the point is, I was kind of stunned. JoNathan said, "I got some good pictures of you with your hands like this," and he did one of the motions, and I said, "To bad they weren't like this," and I put them in front of my face and he said, "Please, your face was beautiful, like it always is." Then I started thinking, "That's a nice thing to say," and then I thought, "Maybe they're all just being nice about how I dance, too." But then on the other hand, that's not Auntie Kau'i's style. When I mess up in her class, she tells me straight out. She slapped me once at a seminar for doing my ami the wrong way.
On the way out, I chatted with everyone, while my Dad chatted with Kaleo (they are going to exchange CDs eventually,) and my Mom and JoNathan were joking around and stuff. I really hate saying goodbye to everyone, even though I'm going to see them in November. It's just too long. Still, what a night.
I can probably get everyone into the Poly next year at a good price. Fili told me once last year, "You come to the Polynesian at any time, because this is your home. You're like a Disney Princess here." Which, these days, only makes me think of
faire_damsel, unfortunately, but it is still a lovely thing to say. The Poly really is like a second home. I've spent a lot of my days in Disneyworld, and I'm so glad that Hula is a part of my second home. I'm really lucky to have such awesome teachers who are so full of Aloha. I'm just sorry I missed Kawehi and Kamai this time. I'm starting to not make sense because it's late, but still. Actually, a lot of the stuff in the stores reminds me of
faire_damsel these days. It's all pointless glurge, and it just brings her to mind. Disney used have lots of cool stuff in their stores, but it's all getting homogenized into crappy princess stuff with glitter on it. It's disappointing.Well, so I'm mostly packed, except for some toiletries and PS2, because Spencer is still playing KH right now and it's nearl 1 AM. But whatever, because the kids are with me, and even if it's just that they're playing a video game, at least they're here and it's all cool. Tomorrow we will fly home and I probably won't see Spencer for another few months. Then I'll go pick up my dogs, and soon everything will be back to normal, with pets and Kung Fu, work, Hula on Saturdays, the occasional movie etc. Which is not bad at all.
