Aloha everyone! As of last week, I am vaccinated despite having an insane amount of fear, doubt, and uncertainty. At the time I was offered the vaccine, the tier on O’ahu, Hawai’i was at the level where only those 75 and up could get it. Now I said OFFERED. Well, I work at a drug store (CVS) as a front store employee and got lucky enough to get a small batch remaining that were originally designated for Pharmacy techs and pharmacists. The window of opportunity was narrow to near non existent and I snagged an appointment at first opportunity. Mind you, I was still in doubt about getting it and well, I knew I could cancel the appointment at anytime.
However, I still went ahead with it thanks to my nurse mom in persuading me, breaking my own toxic fear, and knowing this will probably be of good use for world travel assuming some countries will require vaccination.
So my reactions and experiences I document in this blog to help reduce and cure any fear you all may have of the vaccine. ****Keep in mind, some will have zero symptoms, some will have similar like me, or have far worse.
Dose 1 – 2/18/21
Reactions
2-3 Hours after shot: Extreme fatigue
4+ hours: fatigue subsided
1-3 days after shot: Painful soreness over injection arm with lump. Red and tender to touch.
3 weeks after shot for a few days: Rash and itchiness over injection site.
Experience
I absolutely dreaded taking the vaccine shot as I thought I’d be completely subdued and unable to function the next day. But the first dose was a walk in the park for me. I felt super tired hours after and did nothing but want to lay down which I did. After a few hours laying down, I ate something and drank some tea and felt fine after. My arm was sore for a couple of days and hurt like hell if I rolled onto the side of the injection. I had whats called “covid arm” which is an unusual lump over injection site which I had for like 2 weeks. All was good until after the third week, my arm itched like hell for two days. After that I was fine and prepping for the dreaded second shot.
1:30pm: Took two extra strength Tylenol, all symptoms subsided except migraine.
5-6:30pm: Slight aches and chills came back. Took hot shower & rested.
7pm: All symptoms subsided. Minor headache.
Next Day: Felt fine
1-3 days after shot: Soreness in arm. Small lump.
3 days and beyond: All good baby!
Experience
The second Moderna shot is everything I had anticipated and replicated all I’ve heard, it SUCKS. And that’s what it was for me, and four other colleagues that had the same shot also, it also sucked. Hours after I got the shot, I felt sleepy like the first shot but managed just fine. It was when I woke up the next morning where I felt like complete sh**. It took me 40 minutes to get out of bed and even when I did, I couldn’t comprehend what I needed to do next. I made the mistake of going to work as I felt the worst of my symptoms an hour into working for about 2 – 3 hours. I felt horrible! Had fever, chills, body aches, extreme fatigue, racing heart, dehydration, and worst of all, massive migraine. The hardest reaction to the vaccine was indeed the migraine. Tylenol & Ibuprofen helped everything else just fine but the headache I just couldn’t seem to shake. Even used peppermint essential oils to try and help. If I could say anything is most important, it’s rest. After I got home from work, I went into bed to rest and after I did, I felt so much better.
The paperwork I received after the shot has a special place stated that indeed, the vaccine isn’t proven to prevent COVID. Basically saying you lower your chances but don’t fully count on these shots bro! So many people can say what they want and make it all political and blah blah blah as there are so many arguments on getting this or not. But despite my fears and doubts, I got the vaccine because:
1: Overcoming Fear: I figured that fear would be more lethal than the vaccine itself.
2: MOM: My nurse mom simply persuaded me, multiple times
3: For World Travel: Vaccination may not be…or may it?….Be of need or use to travel in the near distance days of world travel.
Shakas in New Zealand
Whatever thoughts you may have on this vaccine, well you ended up here I am assuming… because you’re considering getting it, curious, or about to get it and looking into other peoples experiences on it. COVID sucks ass, like it…REALLY sucks according to friends and very close family members of mine. The way I look at it, I’d rather get symptoms of the vaccine and lessen my chances of COVID, then face COVID head on. Wouldn’t you too?
MonthsTwo: It’s mid December of 2020 coming up to Christmas and while the pandemic ravages on across Hawaiāi, Hula still reigns with masks and social distancing. The greatest recent blessings to possibly have in this halau and entire Hawaiian experience, is being given a halau name. Or better yet, a HAWAIIAN name, one with meaning, purpose, and one that describes what makes me, me. But one that also creates a trajectory and clear path for me in this halau.
Doing My Part as a Kane
I’ve been in this hÄlau for two months so far, and I’ve unofficially crossed over the point of being a welcomed stranger to a new official member of the hÄlau. As an official member of a traditional hÄlau that doesnt ask for dues or member ship like other hÄlau hula, the payment comes in the form of doing your part. Some members have project that involve archaeology, planning events, taking care of business, etc. For me, I was given the task and project of gathering ideas and quotes for apparel for the guys. Including what kind of shirts we want, quantities, whether or not we want to do a fundraiser or not. Every month members hop on zoom with our kumu and we discuss bullet points of projects and or events coming up for our group. And this past month I was given the opportunity to do a virtual presentation of my gathered quotes and gathered feedback from everyone. I may have been invited into the hÄlau learning hula and all. But having a job and task that will benefit the guys and the organization is a honor to have, even if it’s as simple as apparel.
Month Three
Presenting my First HO’OKUPU
Ho’okupu wrapped in ti leaf. Credit: https://pmondoy.blogspot.com/
What is ho’okupu? This is an ancient Hawaiian tradition that has remained strong in Hawaiāi and involves a gifting and offering to the aina. Usually this is done when entering a new place you haven’t been yet, whether it’s someones home or a pa hula (hula mound). For ho’okupu, there are a few things that are fundamental to perform it properly and of tradition.
Oli is crucial and depending on where you come from, depends on what is chanted. The story that is chanted usually reflects where you or the hÄlau comes from and tells a story of that location. In our hÄlau’s case, we learned a chant that represented NÄnÄkuli, depicting ones journey from the sea to the mountains during ancient times, the struggles of the hot sun, harsh terrain, in search of a place to stay. Prior to walking into someones hale or pa hula, the chant is….well chanted and in the end asks for proper permission to enter.
Ho’okupu
Is the gift or offering which is directly offered to the land.
Jason Momoa performs ho’okupu on Mauna Kea
Makana
Makana is an offering to the person and or ohana that is welcoming you or the hÄlau. My experience was that we were all to get goods and snacks to give to the family to enjoy. It was appropriate this way as it involved to small children, so um a bottle of Jim Bean would just be inappropriate.
Coming down from Mauna Kapu after hula practice on our new spot for hula.
This past weekend was a HUGE hula weekend and packed full of new experiences and I seriously can’t put in words. We all learned our oli to ask for permission, put together our makana and ho’okupu, and just experienced by true first traditional hawaiian ceremony that I was a major part of. Our ceremony was small and private on private property high in the mountains above Kapolei and NÄnÄkuli. We were all welcome to an ancient pa hula that in the past 20 years had been cleared up and excavated for use of doing hula. After our ho’okupu, we entered the pa hula and continued on with hula practice and my god, what a blessing it was to be there. You just could feel the mana (power) in the place!
Dressing Up for the First Time
First time wearing a malo, lei, lei po’o, and kupe’e.
Hula dancers wear a multitude of things and the hawaiian words for all of them, I do not understand or know the names to yet. But at the moment, all I know in these months in being in this voyage of hula is that as a kane, I will at some point where what is called a malo, loincloth that most hula kahiko dancers wear. It’s simply a cloth that covers the front, sometimes the back and hold all the….essentials in place. Our hÄlau was asked to be in a music video filming kane of several different halaus and it was the perfect time for me to wear one in a setting that didn’t involve hundreds of people, not that that mattered.
While in the outside world, people look at this as unusual or sexual but in fact it is cultural and what was worn in ancient Hawaiāi for many many years. Wearing this felt unusual, invasive to “privacy”, and quite tight (better tight than falling off on a roll), but for the sake of diving head first into a culture as I would in my world travels, this is EXACTLY where I wanted to be. Wearing a malo and leis around my ankles, head, and hands performing hula as a Hawaiian transplant like I am.
Oct. 11: The Hula Voyage Begins: Blessed, proud, & ecstatic to announce that Iāve officially joined a hÄlau hula(hula school) here on Oāahu, Hawaiāi. Through a Tiktok I posted a couple of months ago, I was invited by a member of the hÄlau who gave reference to his kumu (leader) about how I wanted to learn more about Hawaiian culture and find a way to give back. After explaining through a zoom meet, yesterday I had my first practice and absolutely loved it (as I anticipated anyways). My legs hurt (as anticipated also) but ready to get some stronger legs. I am doing this not only for the workout, but to explore the inner roots of these Hawaiian islands through one of its most important features apart from Hawaiian language, and thatās through hula dance which tells a story through hand and arm movements! This experience is something I would seek out in my travels. Blessed to do it right here at home. As of today, I have officially joined the halau.
Week 2: True Commitment
Oct. 17: This evening was my second hula practice and was incredible. My core and leg strength has dramatically improved in the past week now that Iām committed to hula, and PROUD. But something happened in the practice that really hit me. As we practiced our hula learned from last week with todayās additions, our kumu (leader) added his oli (chant) while we were all dancing. This is when I realized, I AM REALLY DOING THIS! I canāt believe it!!!! It also felt so empowering to be a contribution in preserving such a strong cultural practice and that is Hawaiian hula. On the very mound where ancient practices by Hawaiians took place. Words can describe only so much. The feeling is totally something else. So blessed!!!!!
Week 4: Spiritual Reset:
Took a trip to the mainland for a long overdue return home to visit family. It’d been 3 and a half years since I left for travel and would eventually move to Hawaiāi. During my time home, I had time to do a Zoom call with some of the guys of the halau. Being away from Hawai’i during my new commitment but being in the familiar place of my home was weird but allowed me some unique appreciation for the blessing I had become a part of. While I was away, I stuck to routine leg work outs to keep my legs strong for my return. I needed it!
Month One
Nov. 22: Back in Hawaiāi as of Thursday and wasnāt sure Iād make it back for practice due to my work schedule and transport issues. But it was meant to be as one of the other hÄlau members was able to give me a lift as he lives on this side of the island. (Hula practice is a bit far) Usually he’s busy and unable to go to practice but today was a special day . Although Iāve practiced on my own, practicing on the hula mound is where the true workout is and was really intense coming back. Truly showed me how important it is to show up and practice. Got a chance to meet some older members to get some inspiration for newbies like myself and ever greater of a reminder that itās a blessing to be a part of something so big! One of the members snapped this shot of practicing! (I am directly below the sun)
Two weeks later..
Dec. 7: Meeting Older Guys of the Halau: Paying tribute to the passing of our Kumuās dear mom who was the foundation and inspiration for the hÄlau. This gave the ability and chance to meet many of the older guys of the Halau, some from the beginning. Seeing everybody old and new (myself) coming together on the hula mound was really inspiring as it allowed me to see first hand what Iāll be learning and how rewarding the hard work will be. Doing some of what Iāve learned and observing first hand what Iāll continue to learn. It was also nice to see the unified brother hood that is this hÄlau and beyond blessed and grateful to be welcomed in. It also provided more in depth meaning of the hÄlau, what it stands for, and what it does for the guys that even if I had just joined two months ago, has done for me as well. I joined the right hÄlau Iāve been told and I believe it so. This year has been a rough journey, one that would knock me off my tracks with the travel plans I had. But I got knocked into something with a deeper and greater life meaning that will mold me to become a greater kÄne….a warrior!
Month Two
Dec. 12: Learning Couples Hula: This past Saturday was a new journey within an already new journey. Kumu and I and a couple of other guys of the halau took a drive up to Hau’ula towards the north short of O’ahu to meet up with another halau of mostly wahine (women) and some kane (men) to do hula palua (couples hula). Having learned some basic male warrior style hula, this was completely new to me learning some movements in hula that most of the world knows of. It was strange taking the little I’m still learning and applying it to another new lesson with the opposite sex. But at the same time, it was a lot of fun learning something new and seeing just how far I can go with this incredible hula experience. Can’t stress how blessed I am to experience all of this. Stay tuned
Dec. 19: Getting A Hawaiian Name: This weeks practice was beyond special than anything I’ve ever experiences in Hawaiāi period. Greater than all the places I’ve seen and even joining the halau itself. My kumu pulled me aside and asked me what Hawaiian names mean and I gave him my best educated answer based on what I read and my Polynesian experiences across the islands. After a long enlightening chat with my kumu, I was officially given a Halau name or in simple terms, a Hawaiian name with really incredibly special significance to me and the halau. When given a halau name, it’s something that should be sacred and special to you, not to go off and say HEY, I am (name goes here). I mean you can do whatever you want but for the special meaning that’s to be had and what I learned from my kumu, is that it’s not just a name that grows on you. It’s a name you grow with and into, in simplest terms I can describe.
How did/do I feel? I feel absolutely blessed and grateful to the stars and back. I mean, I was almost short on words. I don’t know, maybe it’s an exaggeration from a local or haole standpoint. But from my heart, spirit, and soul…this means the world to me and excited to grow into my Hawaiian name…..
Ka’ikelaulÄ!
Hula Voyage Continues: Check Out Part 3 (Coming Soon)
July – October: 2020 A Few months before joining a hÄlau, I had a vision of things I wanted to experience in Hawai’i, 5 of them in particular. I uploaded a Tiktok highlighting 5 Cultural Experience I would like to have while living in Hawai’i and received the most incredible replies from the local community. From “Mahalo for caring for our culture” to “we need more people like you”. Out of the many, a few tried to convince me to join a hÄlau hula, basically a school that teaches hula. Why a hÄlau? Because it will teach you nearly every aspect there is to Hawaiian culture. And if there is any one thing about Hawai’i that has maintained and preserved Hawaiian culture so strongly, it’s HULA. One of the replies would be from one of the members of the current hÄlau I am in.
He said, “Honestly, I think you’re the only one that comes here for the right reasons. U Wanna join a hÄlau hula? Let me know, we are always looking for warriors.” We would exchange messages via Tiktok’s messaging service. I would ask innocent questions about monthly fees, location of practice, what a kumu does and such and so forth. He asked about me, where I am from and how long I’ve been here will putting in word with his kumu to arrange a meet. With covid rampant, I suggested a Zoom meet, and that’s when I met my future kumu.
Sept. 9: Yesterday I was in a zoom with a kumu (leader) of a Hula hÄlau (hula school) to get to know me and to know more about the hÄlau. I posted a Tiktok a couple of months ago sharing the top cultural experiences I wanted to have in Hawaiāi and connected with so many people in the Hawaiian community. One of these people would be the one to gracefully invite me in as āwe are always looking for warriors.ā Because of covid, there isnāt too much hope in checking it out and getting started but I canāt wait for that day where I get a chance to dive deeper into Hawaiian culture. No better way to do it than join a hÄlau.
The second coronavirus outbreak on O’ahu was a difficult and trying time with a high infection rate and high stress. Hula practice was out of the question as parks were closed and this hÄlau practices in a park. But once the pandemic settled on O’ahu, I found myself attending my first practice on their hula mound and would start a journey of one of the greatest experiences of my travels thus far.
Blessed, proud, & ecstatic to announce that Iāve officially joined a hÄlau hula(hula school) here on Oāahu, Hawaiāi. Through a Tiktok I posted a couple of months ago, I was invited by a member of the hÄlau who gave reference to his kumu (leader) about how I wanted to learn more about Hawaiian culture and find a way to give back. After explaining through a zoom meet, yesterday I had my first practice and absolutely loved it (as I anticipated anyways). My legs hurt (as anticipated also) but ready to get some stronger legs. I am doing this not only for the workout, but to explore the inner roots of these Hawaiian islands through one of its most important features apart from Hawaiian language, and thatās through hula dance which tells a story through hand and arm movements! This experience is something I would seek out in my travels. Blessed to do it right here at home. As of today, I have officially joined the halau.
! I canāt believe it!!!! It also felt so empowering to be a contribution in preserving such a strong cultural practice and that is Hawaiian hula
