We Way Behind

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday lifted all coronavirus restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hot spot Auckland, as the number of new infections slowed to a trickle. Some restrictions were also eased in Auckland to allow gatherings of up to 100 people, but the country’s biggest city needed more time before all curbs could be lifted, Ardern said. “Our actions collectively have managed to get the virus under control, This was the center of the outbreak and that’s why that caution is needed here.” New Zealand, a nation of five million, appeared to have halted community transmission of COVID-19 earlier this year.

“Social dancers believe, you've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll

never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth.”

  

A fresh outbreak in Auckland in August prompted the government to place the city back in lockdown. And as in most of the civilized nations around them, they have their tried and true methods. No snake oils, Malaria drugs, Clorox, Lysol, Voodoo Medicines, Goo made from pillows. And no Tucker Carlsons saying it is a Democratic Hoax. They are testing regularly, wear masks, and respecting social distance and it is working far better than in the US. There is already some dancing outdoors where have more ventilation, and they do respect social distance. They are leading the way world wide. Trumpanzees do not understand that.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Christine Ono

Another tip is smiling with your eyes. Supermodel Tyra Banks was known for this, 'smizing'. In Hawaii, it's parallel to the art of dancing hula. Using facial expressions to tell a story. Kandrie Martinez is a hula dancer and said, "eyes is what expresses my emotions and what I'm feeling." Martinez knows that spreading aloha is still possible during this new normality. As a hula dancer, she says a song is understood when a dancer uses her movement, shows the emotions within her face, tells a story with her eyes. Martinez said if she were dance while wearing a face mask, the viewer would still be able to know what she was feeling.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

From Lily Diamond, Part Three

I also recommend bringing a copy of Haunani-Kay Traskʻs "Lessons From a Native Daughter" on your trip—an iconic beach read to decolonize the mind!  Be respectful and honor boundaries. How do you act when you enter the home of someone you respect greatly, on whom you want to make an excellent impression? Enter into this place with that same degree of respect, and more. As a guest, you would think twice before barging into spaces where you weren’t invited, and if you were told there were specific areas you should not enter, you would want to respect those boundaries. There are many places in Hawaii that hold great cultural significance and are not for settlers or visitors. What a beautiful thing that is, to be able to honor boundaries. It means we begin to live in a world where our own boundaries are respected as well,

“Social dancers still believe that to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Be curious, and if you don’t know, ask. The culture of white supremacy teaches us to be ashamed if we donʻt know the right way to be. But guess what? We are all fallible, and we all make mistakes. White supremacy teaches us to make assumptions and put up a front of defensiveness when we don't know the answer. Don’t be a white supremacist! Ask questions if you don’t know how to pronounce a word, if you’re not sure of the appropriate custom, or if you’re not sure of your place in a situation. Don’t presume you know. Be open to learning new ways.

"Shores of Haleiwa" by Loyal Garner

Give back to this place, rather than simply taking from it. Consider what you are being given during your time in Hawaiʻi: Rest, beauty, comfort, ease, the purity of this land, and the illusion that all of this comes easily, freely. In truth, all of these gifts, and the very impact of your presence, come at tremendous cost to the natural resources and the people here—particularly our host communities, the kānaka maoli. How can you give back to Hawaiʻi and its people to create a model of healthy relationship for other visitors and future generations? Spend your money with locally-owned businesses and artisans. Consider making a donation of money and/or your time to an organization working to restore Hawaiʻi’s natural resources and protect its people.

What have we learned in 2020?  We are fragile, we need each other, we need this earth, and we must rewrite our stories of community, connection, and equity if weʻre going to survive. I hope you use your time in Hawaiʻi to do just that. (And for goodness sake, wear a mask.)

from Lily Diamond - Part One.

Lily Diamond in Facebook, Re: TOURISTS COMING TO HAWAII...LONG READ BUT TOTALLY RIGHT ON THE MONEY!

I think every Hawaii bound traveler should read it before stepping off the plane. “AN OPEN LETTER to malahini (visitors) arriving in Hawaiʻi in the wake, and midst, of the pandemic: A few requests as the state opens up today. Pass it on to a traveler near you. Aloha nā malahini (hello visitors),
I imagine you may read this as a gentle, humid breeze kisses your cheek, the scent of salt and plumeria mellowing the stale plane air you’ve been breathing for hours. I imagine you arriving with that open-hearted excitement born of travel, for even if you’ve been to these islands before, they’ve been closed to visitors for most of 2020.

“Social dancers think that despair suggests we are in total control and 

know what is coming. We don't surrender to events with hope.”

 

Like many of you in this era of converging crises, many people in Hawaiʻi have been in a state of pragmatic and spiritual unknown, of freefall, a time of total and complete redefinition. Obviously, I cannot write about the land or the people of Hawaiʻi as a monolith—to do so would be absurd, especially as a settler here. Though I have lived here for most of my life since the age of 2, I am keenly aware that I live on illegally occupied land.  Yet part of the mandate I take seriously as a citizen of Hawaiʻi, as a steward of this land, necessitates that I speak up in order to protect that land. After all, Hawaiʻi's state motto is ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono:

"The Music Of Hawaii" by Melveen Leed

"May the life of the ʻāina (land) be perpetuated in righteousness." It is up to us, all of us, to ensure that this ʻāina—and its people, its kūpuna (ancestors), its kānaka maoli (native Hawaiians)—are protected, revered, and honored. And so, over the past six months, Hawaiʻi has wondered if there might be a new way forward, a way to reimagine an industry that has become fundamentally extractive and exploitative, an industry built on imperialism, essentialism, and appropriation, an industry that serves the consumer while desecrating the consumed. Yes, I’m talking about tourism. Hawaiʻi’s economy is severely dependent on tourism, which means our time in COVID lockdown  left the state with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Many businesses shuttered. Families suffered. Homelessness skyrocketed. If we don’t return to tourism—one expression of the abusive relationship the state has been in with its colonizer for over two centuries—the economy as we know it is doomed.

Humbly,
A fellow malahini on our one earth”

Line Dancing

People have been line dancing from centuries back. But our line dancing is most directly descended from the 1970s disco era, when America saw a variety of new dances and country-and-western line dancing emerged as one of them. Some claim that line dancing finds its roots in historical folk dances; other say it stemmed from contemporary disco. Whatever its source, popularity and growth of line dancing has been inextricably tied to country-and-western music where it began. However, line dancing began incorporating many musical styles besides country and country music began to appear on the pop charts. Line dancing began to cross boundaries of income, race, age, and gender. Now in Hawaii, line dancing can be considered an art form of its own, with its own terminology and standardized steps.

“Social dancers believe that hope may be just a verb with its shirtsleeves rolled up.”

 

Unfortunately on Oahu the women to men ratio has not been good, though improving. Everyone can enjoy moving to the music and they can get their exercise too. If we can dance as we wish without too many regulations, the whole business of social dancing will continue to roll. On the mainland, with masks and respect for social distance, line dancing is going back to malls, parking lots and parks. They are taking their music and moves outside for weekly meet-ups. Many are Seniors that have refused to let the Trump pandemic ruin their weekly dance groove. Before the Trump Pandemic put a halt to their weekly meet-ups, these groups would dance everywhere. It was physical, as well as mental and with this shutdown, the worst thing you can do to Seniors is isolate them.

"Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho

Especially when many are widowed and don’t have anyone at the house, unless they have a dog or a cat. The groups have decided to take a boombox and line dance in a social-distance-friendly manner in a Park or parking lot and have had nothing short of a reunion. What has made these events even more important to everyone is that they had been shut down and there was nowhere else to go really. At the following meet-ups, the groups have found other places such as mall or gyms. Not so many people anymore and a lot of people think line dancing is hokey, They dance to everything, it’s not only country (music). You name it, they dance it 

“Social dancers believe that hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances

that we may think are somewhat desperate.” 

Up To Date?

Dancing Jargon is just so that we can talk to each other a little easier, - East Coast Swing: A lively dance based on 1 1/2 bars of music in Single Rhythm. Has two natural step rhythms. - Eon: Unit of time, that it seems to beginners will take to learn to dance. - Even Rhythm: The oldest of the rhythms, a combination of steady, consistent beats that are identical to the meter and get the same time value. In dancing, it is using the step, step, step such as Waltz, Merengue. - Exhibition Dancing: It is not recreational dancing in whichever style. It is a partner dance done primarily for performance and theatrical purpose. Strictly Show Biz. - Exhibition Syndrome: The desire of all dancers to "look good." This may be hidden and unspoken in some cultures. It definitely exists on all social floors and is also linked to the Competition Syndrome.

“Social dancers know that you must have hope for if you lose hope,

somehow you lose the vitality that can keep you moving,"

Exercising in a mask takes practice, just like everything else in dance, and it's completely safe to cover your nose and mouth with fabric while dancing or exercising, and there is some discomfort which is to be expected. Many people feel that masks and face coverings may increase "breathing effort" during exercise, but not to a degree that it would affect their performance. You're not going to have any problems with oxygenation, increased CO2 retention or anything like that. We will just phase into it because we all have an obligation to our fellow dancers to help keep each other safe. Perhaps in a few months we will be phasing ourselves out of it.

"Shores Of Haleiwa" by Loyal Garner

Hollywood Ballroom Dance Center in Maryland: In general, face masks should be worn at all times while inside the Ballroom, and the mask must cover the nose and mouth. For a time, we allowed “open face” while seated, but that could still expose others to the virus. After considering requests from several dancers, we believe requiring masks at all times is the best policy for everyone. The face mask restriction may be considered unnecessary by some and this is understood. However other dancers remain concerned, and those concerns are valid. We want everyone to feel as safe as the Ballroom can make it. This attendance, limited as it must be for now, and comfort for many. Also, we have added dance instruction to the Saturday dance to encourage attendance at that dance. This provides more opportunities to dance at least once per week, as it was before this pandemic started. We hate these covid restrictions, but know they are necessary during these trying times.

“There is strange comfort in knowing that no matter what happens today,

the Sun will rise again tomorrow.”

 

Recapped

Our modern culture on Oahu in this century had restricted itself somewhat. Perhaps because of our addiction to technology and some types of recreation. Touch and face time conversations were at a low level. We have now been realizing that social dance can bring with it a gem of an opportunity to "socialize." Having a dance partner or dancing in a group allows for communication and shared passions which in turn have resulted in rewarding relationships.

"Social dancers inhale hope with every breath."

 

Regrettably, our politics is affecting our social life too. We have been polarized by the Trump Pandemic. Signified by testing, masks and social distance. The Trumpanzees do not believe in testing, masks or have any respect for social distance. They are more likely to be infected than our regular residents and there is the clash. We do not want them around us and we do not want to be around them. For us it is matter of life and death. They don't give a damn.

"Waikiki" by Amy Hanaialii 

 

New permission, Wuhan, China. Dancing in the Street.

Testing is a must, we have to find out, yes or no. Simple to make the proper follow up. It is accepted world wide that masks are 96%, 97% effective against the Pandemic. Not perfect but way ahead of zero per cent. Social distance of six feet is 99% effective. Again, not perfect but way ahead of zero per cent effective. The entire world is adjusting and perhaps the time will come when we will dance again.

“At present we may be on the outside of the world,

the wrong side of the door."

 

Still Afloat

Fortunately most of us in Hawaii are not Trumpanzees and we may come out of this Trump Pandemic soon. "We" are certain of some facts. Respect of social distance - six feet is 99% effective. Not perfect? No, but it is was ahead of those that have no respect for social distance. How about Zero effectiveness? Masks are 96%, 97% effective. Not perfect? But way ahead of the Trumpanzees. They can stick together and contaminate each other. Just keep away from us. When we start to dance we must make it clear that we want no Trumpanzees there. We intend to respect each other.

“Social dancers know that all we need is hope. It has always been

lack of hope that has discouraged dancers.”

 
Most of now realize that most women are better dancers than men, because of this leader/follower thing. Everyone has realizes that a leader develops his own small repertoire of probably less than thirty different patterns, into several sequences and learns to lead those in the easiest way for the followers to follow. And most do very well indeed. The women, must not only be able to follow this man, but must also be able to follow the next man and the one after and all of which have different routines. Some women develop very good reputations for being able to follow anyone. It follows that women know and have a better understanding of the entire enchilada, Bless them.

"Fly Me To The Moon" by Jimmy Borges

 
My Facebook account is getting too big, over 600 friends. And I have three big factions in it, the biggest being the Anti Trump faction. Then the economics and politics section followed by the social dance section. I have now created a Dance Blog Group within Facebook that has grown to 43 members. We social dancers can use it to communicate with each other. At the moment with photos is the easiest. Works almost the same as blogging. Look into it.

“Social dancers think that the job of feets is walking, but their hobby is dancing.”