MIS Hawaii Field Study: Jun 17, 2011

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Things I Learned Today.....

June 17,2011

As I pulled out of the driveway at 3 a.m., I had no idea what the day would hold. None of us slept last night so we were a little delirious. We have laughed, cried, and talked a whole lot. As we arrived at Carrie's house, she and Terri had encountered a bird. A bird came through her chimney into the house and the two of them had to rescue it and set it free. As we pack up to leave, Carrie stepped in a mud hole as she was shutting the gate at the end of her drive. We had one napkin and a small cup of water. You can imagine the looks of her new hawaiian flip flops. That was just the beginning of our trip. We knew we were in for an adventure and we were ready!

We arrived at the airport, checked in, said goodbye to Landon, who graciously drove us to the airport, and departed Little Rock, headed to Houston. No problems and we all made it through security....even Maddie, the Mad Scientist! Arriving in Houston on time, we had an hour to spare to get on our next flight. The flight from Houston would be an eight hour flight. Not looking forward to it and getting very sleepy, we waited for the announcement to board the plane. Karen and Terri went ahead of us and then Carrie and I boarded our plane and found our seats. In just a few minutes, one of the flight attendants came to the seat next to us as we were buckling our seat belts and getting settled in, and introduced herself to a family. Wow! They must be special to get a personal greeting, I thought, and they were. It was the next introduction that made an impression on my life. Carrie and I met Brianna VanBuren, a 16 year old teenager from Florida. She is battling cancer and is coming to Hawaii with " Make A Wish." Her mother, Joanne, began talking to us and sharing about all this organization had provided for Brianna. In the last year, Brianna has had many set backs and spent many days in the hospital. Brianna has a boyfriend that just graduated high school and he is on the trip. Brianna's first choice was Japan. However, due to the tsunami's, she had to choose a different location.

Joanne said that every time Brianna has a set back, she wants to get married because she thinks her life is about to end and she wanted to get married on the beach before she died. Brianna had a plan that her dream of a beach wedding could come true in Hawaii. However, Joanne had another plan. She suggested they just visit Hawaii and Justin, her boyfriend, could come with them....typical mom! Ha! As I sit here and watch Brianna, with her head laid in her mother's lap, I think about how many times we are faced with a tsunami in our own lives. Do we take it and make a hawaiian vacation out of it like Brianna, or do we dwell on the things we have no control of changing?

Never in a million years did I think I would learn a lesson on a plane headed to Honolulu. The lesson learned was a life lesson, and here it is....Thankfulness.
I am thankful for my health and not having to struggle daily like Brianna. I am thankful for the " Make A Wish" foundation that provides opportunities like this that otherwise wouldn't be possible for children. I am thankful for wonderful parents that take care of me and attend to my needs and wants just like Brianna's mother, in sickness and health. I am thankful for a healthy child that I have been blessed with as a parent. However, I am most thankful for opportunities like this that remind me that it's not all about me. It's so easy to get caught up in my own little world. I need reminded often that my purpose as a mom, teacher, wife, and friend, is to put others before myself. My "wish" for today is that I would remember this day as a reminder to myself to put others first, to look at the glass half full because it could always be worse, and to always look for reasons to be thankful. It's amazing the lessons we can learn 34,000 feet in the air when we can't sleep!!!!!

On our way!

We made it through security and are about to board the plane! We have already had many adventures! Be sure to check the blog to hear all about them! We will be answering questions posed by MIS students throughout the journey! Look for today's photos to be posted later this evening!

Aloha!

The MIS Hawaii Team

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Mallie and Lindy wanted to know....Will any of the teachers do the hula?

Jordan wanted to know ......How close can you get to the lava without hurting yourself.

The answer is.....it depends. If the lava is from an old flow, it has cooled and hardened. Because cooled lava is black it can be hot to the touch, but only if the sun has been shining down on it. The only other danger cooled lava poses is if you fall on it. It is very rough and feels a little like broken glass. If the lava is from an active flow and the wind is at your back you can get close enough to get a sample but only for a minute or so. However, if you are downwind, heat from the flow can singe your hair and blister your sink. The poisonous gases would also cause serious respiratory distress.

Ansin and Desia wanted to know....Does Hawaii have stores or electricity?

Grace wanted to know....What is the mongoose population?

The answer is....too many to count!!! According to the research that I have done, mongoose are numerous in number (much like squirrels are in Arkansas). Mongoose are not indigenous to the Hawaii. They were introduced to the islands in 1883 to help control the rat population. This backfired slightly when the mongoose population exploded. Mongoose have become a nuisance. In fact, it is reported that at one time a bed and breakfast near Volcano Village would give you a free night's stay if you brought in a mongoose that had been run over. YUCK!!! You would like that with all these mongoose running around it would be easier for Mrs. Grimes to catch one.

Ansin wanted to know....Does it snow in Hawaii?

The answer is.....Why yes, it does! It snows every year, but only at the summits of the three tallest volcanoes. The snow level almost never gets below an elevation of 9,000 feet during the winter. Since these mountains are 10,000 plus feet above sea level, they get dusted with snow a few times a year. The snow rarely stays on the ground for more than a few days. There have been a few times that snow has fallen lower than an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level. However, these are considered "freak" storms.

Grace wanted to know....What part of the population is native Hawaiian?

Hannah wanted to know....What is the most unique thing you have learned?

The answer is....different for each of us. Mrs. Grimes thinks that the most unique thing she has learned is that oil from the USS Arizona is still leaking into Pearl Harbor. Mrs. Norton thinks the most unique thing she learned is that the parrotfish excretes sand. (Who knew!) Mrs. Longing thinks the most unique thing she has learned is that you can walk through lava tubes. She is amazed that something so cool and damp once held 2,300 degree molten pahoehoe (lava). Mrs. Harrison thinks that the most unique thing she has learned is that a female triggerfish will become a male triggerfish when the male leader of the group dies. (Really!) Mrs. West thinks that the most unique thing she has learned is that there are so many different climate zones in Hawaii. Maddie the Mad Scientist thinks the most unique thing she has learned is that black sand is made from iron silicate.

Jamaya wanted to know....Where did the Hawaiian people get the name Hawaii?

Jordan wanted to know....What is one type of snake in Hawaii?

The answer is....there are two types of snakes. One is a poisonous sea snake that lives in the surrounding waters of the islands. The other type of snake is the Brahminy Blinde snake. However, this snake is so small that most people don't really consider it to be a snake at all. Rather, they think it is a worm. These snakes were introduced to the islands in the 1980's in potting soil that is thought to have come from the Philippines. The snakes eat termites, ants, and other arthropods. !!!! However, there are no indigenous snakes. While at first thought this seems almost impossible, it really does make sense. After all, Hawaii is an island with no natural way for snakes to have made their way here. If a snake is found, it is presumed to have been brought here by people. Prior to 9-11, snakes were smuggled into the state to be kept as pets. If these were found they were confiscated and delivered to the Department of Wildlife for quarantine. Since the security crack-down after 9-11, it is almost impossible for snakes to be brought into this state. The reason for wanting the snakes to be kept away isn't just because they are feared, but rather because they would deplete the bird population.

Tarkya wants to know.... How long did it take us to get to Hawaii?

The answer is.... about 10 hours by plane. Of course traveling to the airport added to our total travel time as did lay-overs. Lay-overs are times between flights. Often when you fly out of Little Rock you have to travel to another airport, get off the plane and then get on another to continue to your destination. The time you spend waiting between those two flights is called a lay-over. With travel time, flight time, and lay-overs, it took us a total of fifteen hours to get to Hawaii. Wow!!

Photos

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Things I Learned Today.....

On our way!

Food Critics at Dole Plantation

Tree Lava Molds

South Point

Hula

Earwig

Can Tabs

Kilauea

Rainbow Falls

Milo

Sunset Beach on North Shore of Oahu

History

Botanical Garden

Sliver Sword Plant