Preconceived Notions

Before coming to Hawaii, I had my ideas on what it would be like. I was technically traveling within the U.S., so I expected to be heading to a more tropical version of any other state in the U.S. The only difference would be a higher population of polynesians and fruit trees lining the streets, since it is a tropical island. Right? Wrong.

So what did I find when I arrived? I had traveled to another world, another country, or so it felt. Yes Hawaii is a U.S. state, has paved roads, electricity, running water, cell phone towers, internet (it's a little menopausal sometimes), grocery stores, but no fruit trees lining the streets. But that is about all the similarity between Hawaii and the mainland.

Hawaii

A completely different culture. It is like stepping into a semi-developed country. Developed, meaning, paved streets, electricity, etc. But the people still live in past. Not a bad thing. Just a fact. The land has been developed but the people hold true to their culture. They embrace the development but also hold onto who they are. It's quite incredible.

I would like to blame my preconceived notions on all the Hawaiians I knew before coming here, but I don't that would be fair. Most of them are "Americanized" and so I assumed that all Hawaiians or Polynesians are the same as as the ones that I'd met.

This Ted Talk sheds some light on why I had the preconceived notions that I had.

Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story