Aloha ‘āina

The area code in Hawaii is 808, so it was only fitting for August 8th to become National Musubi Day.  Let's give credit where credit is due.   Inspired by  Hawai‘i's passionate SPAM® Musubi enthusiasts, in 2021, the L&L  franchises   (a local restaurant chain) recognized the need to honor this flavorful hand-held snack with its own special day. In an effort to do our part in sharing Hawaiian culture we celebrate 8/08 each year at Buzz's as well. The origin of Musubi is in question, but I consider  Barbara Funamura  of Kauai as the person who created this yummy treat. One thing that's 100% certain is that Musubi were created in Hawai'i. It's not Japanese, although it is similar to a Maki sushi roll, and based on Barbara's last name I'd guess Barbara is of Japanese descent, or her husband may be. In Korea similar food is referred to as Kimbop. Spam Musubi are commonly found at the cash registers in  convenience stores , or snack food ...

Life in Hawaii may seem like a foreign country at times with the vast number of languages spoken in the islands. Foreign languages aside, such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Okinawan, Portuguese and Spanish, the two primary languages of Hawai'i are the native language referred to as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi , and Hawaii Creole English, (HCE) known as pidgin.  ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi is still practiced by many, and particular words or phrases are used by all. Streets and towns are named using the  ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi Hawaiian language and spelling. The Hawaiian ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi language consists of 12 letters, A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, O and W. Five are vowels and seven are consonants. This accounts for why there are towns such as Ka'a'awa that may prompt a chuckle, or two, by people not familiar with the language and proper spelling, but once you learn about the language the more it makes perfect since.  The symbols between the As in Ka'a'awa are called an O...