The Polynesian Cultural Center

Our first stop this morning was the swap meet at the Aloha Stadium.  Just Bailey and I went since our friends had to go to class.  We enjoyed going through all of the vendor tents looking at everything, and we couldn't believe the crazy cheap prices!  We picked up some birthday presents for upcoming birthday parties, as well as some of this pineapple covered in some sort of chili powder.

Funny thing about this pineapple.  I remember coming to the swap meet as a kid, and seeing a guy who was selling pineapple just like this.  He put on a huge show about how it is "the bomb" and that you can't leave Hawaii without trying it.  I also remember him saying, with lots of energy, that if we don't like it we don't have to pay for it.  Well today's salesman had a lot less energy, but he said these exact same things!  He even had a sign that said "this pineapple is THE BOMB"!  Funny coincidence?  Same guy? Same business?  Who knows.

It got hot pretty quickly so we headed back to town to get lunch with Shey.  She took us to Kahuku Farms which has a little outdoor restaurant and recommended that we try the pizza.  It had eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, pesto, and probably other things too.  It was SO GOOD.  I would totally go there again!  They also had tasty drinks.  Even Bailey, who isn't always a fan of what he calls "hippie snacks" (healthy food), went back for a second piece of pizza.

After lunch Shey had to go do homework, so Bailey and I went to the Polynesian Cultural Center.  Dillon's friend met us there so that we could get her employee discount which was SO nice of her.  I think she saved us like $100!  The Polynesian Cultural Center is not cheap, that's for sure, but I think it is something you have to do at least once and Bailey hadn't been there.  Also, the money really does go to a great cause.  Shey explained the scholarship program that they do, how international students are able to attend BYU Hawaii and get housing and food for "free" if they work in the PCC.

Anyway, we had fun going around to the different "islands" and watching the shows.  We weren't able to hit every single island's show, but out of the ones we saw I think I liked New Zealand's best.  I also liked the canoe show which they did on the little river that runs through the place.  It featured dances from all of the island and told the story of how the PCC came to be.  Pretty cool!  Each "island" also had little activities, one at which Bailey and I learned to weave fish!

Once Dillon got out of class, he and Shey came to meet up with us.  They showed us some of their favorite spots, and the boat that one of their professors made.  We did a little more exploring with them and got roped into dancing with some of Dillon's school friends who worked there.

Us girls danced too, and it seems like we all need practice!  We also need to practice our spear throwing.  That did not go well.

Then it was time for dinner.  Unfortunately the luau was sold out, but the prime rib dinner is an excellent second choice.  It was a buffet of the same food that you'd get at the luau anyway, and it was cheaper!  We filled up on delicious steak, pork, taro rolls, shrimp scampi, and my favorite, crab legs.  There was a variety of other tasty island foods, and we ate so much.

After dinner we watched the show they put on at night called "Ha: Breath of Life" which was really beautiful.  It went through the life of a man from his birth to him starting his own family, and featured dances from all of the islands we learned about today.  I quite enjoyed it, but Bailey slept through all of it except for the fire dancing, haha.  Granted, at home it would have been in the middle of the night!

The night ended with "Soda Bomb", which is just like the soda mixing companies back in Utah.  It was an awesome, educational, and fun day!