We’ve all seen the hibiscus worn in the hair, but this (as the carriage driver said in the Emerald City) is a horse of a different color. Kauai-born Sherrie Hamamura is literally sporting a crown of ferns, as well as a necklace of ferns. It looks itchy and uncomfortable, to be honest, especially in a downpour.
However, her Hawaiian name is Wailana, or Peaceful Water, so she probably doesn’t sweat the small stuff. I hope that fabric is moisture-wicking and allows for movement as she performs her classical hula.
Perhaps fellow WordPress blogger and former Hawaii-dweller, Tom, may understand this Hawaiian saying printed next to her in the National Geographic: I ka olelo no ke ola; I ka olelo no ka make. “In the language is life and death.”
Evidently, fern fashion is still alive and well, as evidenced here. Long live tradition!
I Don't Get It 
I just hope they got all the bugs out.
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Totally.
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Hey, thanks for the shout-out!
“I ka ‘ōlelo ke ola, i ka ‘ōlelo ka make” is actually a well-known and wise folk saying (what they call an “Ōlelo No‘eau.) A better translation might have been ““in words is the power of life, in words is the power of death.” The meaning is easier to decipher if you recall that Hawaii’s history is an oral history passed down through words, songs, prayers, chants and dance, etc., from one generation to the next. While a written language ultimately came to be, the authentic history, especially as related to genealogies, remained oral and therefore language literally was the story of life and death of the Hawaiian people.
Now, how’s that for getting my pedantry on? I could supply a more detailed and nuanced explanation but I doubt it would add materially to the terminal level of boredom already provided.
To make up for the crushing dullness, here’s another Ōlelo No‘eau that’s more useful to us these days: “E aloha kekahi i kekahi.” Meaning: Love one another.
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Ah, that makes MUCH more sense now. History would have died if not for spoken language. See, I knew you would know. You go ahead and get pedantic with your bad self. I like that last one. I believe Jesus said that same thing.
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