You Get Da Time? I Get Hawaiian Time.

The time in Hawai‘i is anywhere from three to six hours behind the mainland. But the time within Hawai‘i households? Well, that's a whole different time zone, better known as Hawaiian Time.

It's the time of the islands that keeps everything at a mellower pace.

It's one of the funniest stereotypes people from Hawai‘i get hassled with – being late for everything. This may not be true for everyone, but it's definitely a reoccurring "issue" for most Hawai‘i peeps (including myself!). So if you plan to meet a friend from here (weʻll call him Kimo) on your next visit, and you tell that friend to be at the Kahala Hotel & Resort breakfast buffet by 8 a.m., you might have to wait…five minutes? 10? No real guarantees, but I can assure you that your friend will be there. We locals love our food and would never miss an opportunity to eat! (That's another stereotype, by the way, and so is the ever-popular Hawaiian name, Kimo.)

While ancient Hawaiians used the moon to mark the time of year, this kind of time-telling is a bit different. A Hawaiian Time clock has some very general markings. Instead of numbers, there's Watevas (whatever, whenever), Bum-bye (by and by, to do later) and Laytahs (to be there later). To tell time with this kind of clock depends on the person and situation. For instance, say the lū‘au starts at 6 p.m. and when that time arrives, Kimo is no where to be found. You call him to find out what happened, and Kimo replies, "I'll be there bum-bye." That probably means he just got back from walking the dog and still needs to get ready. These Pidgin-English words came from Hawai‘i plantation workers and are still used by locals today. 

Hawai‘i moves at a slower pace overall. This is not to give visitors the false impression that we live on a secluded island in grass shacks and commute by canoe. We're very much a developed place – we've got concrete skyscrapers and traffic and face the same economical issues as everyone else. But when living on an island with such natural beauty, we can't help but get lost in the laid-back ways. Why be in a rush? It's a subtle nonchalance that translates through Hawai‘i's people and finds a home in the warm embrace of the culture.

OR maybe Hawaiian Time starts with the fact that Hawai‘i as a state is late for everything! We welcome in the New Year way after the ball drops at Times Square. And we avoid Twitter until after watching the latest episode of Hawai‘i 5-0, for fear we'll find out what happens. Darn this time difference! Maybe that's to blame? It's not the people in Hawai‘i who are slow-moving. It's just that everyone else is moving too fast!  

Posted by Alyssa S. Navares Follow me on Twitter @Uamalie87

Published by Bruce Fisher

Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.

Entry Filed under: Hawaii Five-O,How to Hawaii

January 22nd, 2012