Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Hawiian Luau

The Hawaiian Luau. A must if one ever has a chance to visit an island. I think once is enough, but I have been to one on Maui, Kauai, and Oahu and I can assume it is much of the same on the other islands. You have the food, some good, some I will advise to pass on (poi…yuck). The hula and fire dancers, the tropical refreshments, and the crowd participation. I wish I had taken shameless pictures of the outfits I will mention, but I’m not sure those wearing them would appreciate the mocking.

It was a very nice Luau, the one I attended last week, and it was Thanksgiving…one of the Hyatt in Kauai’s biggest of the entire year with locals and tourists alike. I was there for the free mai tai’s, if you call $75 per person reasonable it was a good time. But I digress from the fashion show that kept me entertained most of the evening. It was literally the worst Hawaiian shirt contest, or dress for the women. Everything from neon, that’s right the color neon green that I thought disappeared and rightfully so with the 80’s was in full effect. You also had the entire families in the same pattern, grandparents, mom and dad, kids…all wearing the same tropical print. Throw in the Euros with the black sock and sandal combo added to the hula look and you see why I was amused, that and the mai tai effect could have made it more fascinating to me. Please don't catch that island fever. The one where you think all that print is suddenly "pretty" and wear it...only to return home, develop the pictures and say to yourself "what was I thinking?"

I’m no fan of crowd participation (flashback to most embarrassing moment in life) so when they start walking around and looking for people I recommend ducking, or taking a well timed trip to the bathroom. I was successful in avoiding having to go on stage, but I must give a shout out to one participant from the evening. No clue his name, but he was getting married the next day and all the friends and family were there as well. He was supposed to imitate this hula dance…poor guy couldn’t find the rhythm to save himself. So he decided to forgo the hula and start ghetto booty dancing between to dancers, then started jumping up and down waving his Hawaiian pom poms. They let him go on like this for the rest of the entire song! It was the most hilarious point in the evening. I was dying laughing, and not with the poor guy. I have a feeling that those darn mai tais contributed to his total confidence on stage, but the family had a video camrea, so lucky for him he can relive the moment anytime he wants to. If it were my family, probably several times you don't want to as well.

So here’s to you drunk groom at the luau on stage guy, thanks for making the show well worth the price of admission. Have I mentioned how much I love vacations?

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