My Year as a Kumu Transition:Ripple Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

When I graduated from Purdue, teaching jobs were very slim. I decided to take a risk and apply to teach in the state of Hawaii. Transition:Mosaic Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

In Hawaii, all teachers apply to the state, and they assign you to any island that has job openings. Transition:Doorway Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

They interviewed me over the phone and paid my relocation expenses, so I was off to Hawaii! Transition:Circle Open Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

I was assigned to teach on the island of Lanai, the Pineapple island. Special apartments were provided for the teachers. Transition:Spin In Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

My class included children from Hawaii, America, China, the Philipines, and Japan. Transition: Page Curl Right Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

We had a kupuna that would come once a week to teach Hawaiian history, the Hawaiian language, and sing songs with an ukulele. Transition:Cross Blur Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

Later, I visited the Hawaiian Cultural Center to see many of the things we learned with the Kupuna. Transition: Swap Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

The school day was from 7 AM to 2:30 PM, because the classrooms were not air-conditioned, and got very hot in the afternoon. Transition: Cube Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

Most of the teachers tried to steal away to the beach after school for the rest of the afternoon. Transition: Wipe Down Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

Lanai was a very secluded island and was often visited by celebrities due to it’s privacy. Locals were asked to leave them alone. Transition:Cross Dissolve Music: Halau Lani I Ke Ao

Seeing them up close was good enough. I ate dinner next to Billy Crystal. I saw Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. But the best was watching Kevin Costner on the beach! Transition: Circle Close (to all photos) Music: Happy Girl

Bill Gates and his wife were married on the beach by the Manele Bay Hotel during the year I lived there. Transition: Fade to White Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

I swam with spinner dolphins and sharks at Sweetheart Rock. One of those experiences was a little more intimidating than the other. Transition: Ripple Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

Once a month, I would take the short boat trip to the island of Maui. I saw whales on some of the trips. Transition: Wipe Up Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

I would spend the day shopping in Lahaina, going to a movie, or just sightseeing. Transition: Page Curl Left Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

On Lanai, certain groceries like milk and bread only came one day a week. If you forgot to shop that day, you usually didn’t get any until the next week. Transition: Cross Zoom Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

You can’t live in Hawaii and not attend a luau, so I went to a few of those, too. Transition: Doorway Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

I tried some new foods while I lived in Hawaii. Octopus was very chewy, but didn’t have a bad taste. Transition: Mosaic Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

The fried lumpia was absolutely delicious. However, I decided to pass on trying black dog, which is a delicacy in Hawaii. Transition: Swap Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

I also traveled to the Big Island, Hawaii, on a weekend trip to see the active volcano. This was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! Transition: Spin Out Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

May Day is known as Lei Day in Hawaii. My students would give me leis for my head, wrist, ankle, neck, and even leis made out of money. Transition: Page Curl Right Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

The students would also put on a Hawaiiana show for Lei Day. The hula dances were wonderful to watch! Transition: Circle Open Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

Kindergarten graduation was a very big deal in Hawaii. This was another day that I was adorned with leis. Transition: Cross Dissolve Music: Manowaiopuna Ko’ula

At the end of the year, I decided that Indiana was too far away and I missed my family, so I returned home. Transition: Spin In Music: Finally Home

I have since traveled back to the islands several times with family and to visit my friends. Transition: Cube Music: Almost Paradise

Sometimes I try to convince my husband to move back there - maybe one day we will retire in Paradise! Transition: Fade to Black Music: Almost Paradise

28 The End (on black)