This week's show we discuss two things: using the Hawaiian/local language when vacationing in Hawaii, and whether or not to book a tour for lava sightings on Big Island. These questions came from a fellow fan and are most likely relevant to a lot of visitors coming to the islands. Let's talk about the language topic first, and to give you a better idea of the question, here are their exact words, “If I went to France I would try to learn some French before I went, the same in Spain, but would you come off like a clueless haole if you tried to use some Hawaiian phrases while on the Islands - like Aloha! Pehea 'oe?”

If for no other reason, learn a few words or phrases for the fun of it. Although you probably won't use it too often, it might be nice to come home and be able to tell your best friend or family member “Happy Birthday” in Hawaiian (hau'oli la hanau), “Merry Christmas” (Mele Kalikimaka) or “good morning” (aloha kakaihaika). While you most likely won't be greeting your restaurant server with these types of phrases in Hawaii, you can at least learn them. Think of them as souvenirs to bring back home with you. That being said, let us give you our opinion on what words to know and which ones to use while here in Hawaii.

When traveling to a foreign place, many people make sure they know a few basic words and phrases to help them along with their travels. In Hawaii, the general population speaks English, but we still use traditional words and phrases that might be unfamiliar to you and therefore useful to know. For example, when dining out at a restaurant, chances are you will need to use the restroom. Make sure you know the difference between “wahine” (female) and “kane” (male), as it could save you some embarrassment from walking into the wrong bathroom.

Another word to know is “howzit”. While many locals phrase this as a question, they are not actually asking you how you're doing. They are simply saying, “what's up” or “hi”. So don't try to respond with your usual reply of “I'm doing good, how about yourself?” because they will have walked away before you can even begin. “Aloha” and “mahalo” are good ones to know and use, as they are your standard P's&Q's in Hawaii. Just make sure not to over do the whole aloha mahalo thing, as it tends to get a bit annoying to some locals. Another good term to know is “mauka” (mountain) and “makai” (ocean), as many residents use this terminology for directional purposes. Also, make sure to get familiar with the word “dakine”, as it is commonly used and somewhat confusing. “Dakine” can mean anything, literally anything. Here are a few sentences to give you a better idea:

“Did you remember to pack dakine for the beach today?”

“Meet my friend Pono, he lives over in dakine and works for dakine.”

“Can you pass me the dakine please?”

As you can see, “dakine” is a substitute for any word a local person is trying to pinpoint, but cannot, so they simply use this as a filler.

There are also many other words that will be unfamiliar to you that you might want to be able to recognize. Many foods, flowers, fish, and roads are referred to in the Hawaiian language, so it's a good idea to get used to long and vowel-like pronunciations. Familiarize yourself with your hotel name and the street its on, so you're not constantly stumbling over it. Many visitors don't even like to attempt to pronounce a lot of the words here, but it's always a good idea to try. An extremely common mistake is to call the “Like Like Highway” (pronounced “leek eh leek eh”) on Oahu the “Like Like” highway, so just make sure you don't do that. Once you've learned a few Hawaiian terms, give yourself the ultimate test and try out the pronunciation of Hawaii's state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua'a. Yep.

Popular food names you will most likely hear and want to recognize is lilikoi (passion fruit), shoyu (soy sauce), saimin (noodle soup), malasada (fried pastry), musubi (spam wrapped in rice and nori-or seaweed),