Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PIDGIN: 'EH FO'
real,
BRAH
If you venture beyond the tourist areas, you might hear another local tongue: pidgin English, a
conglomeration of slang and words from the Hawaiian language. “Broke da mouth” (tastes
really good) is a favorite pidgin phrase and one you might hear; “'Eh fo' real, brah” means “It's
true, brother.” You could be invited to hear an elder “talk story” (relating myths and memories).
But because pidgin is really the province of the locals, your visit to Hawaii is likely to pass
without your hearing much of it at all.
In 1901, W. C. Peacock built the elegant Beaux Arts Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach, and W.
C. Weedon convinced Honolulu businessmen to bankroll his plan to advertise Hawaii in San
Francisco. Armed with a stereopticon and tinted photos of Waikiki, Weedon sailed of in 1902
for 6 months of lecture tours to introduce “those remarkable people and the beautiful lands
of Hawaii.” He drew packed houses. A tourism promotion bureau was formed in 1903, and
about 2,000 visitors came to Hawaii that year.
The steamship was Hawaii's tourism lifeline. It took 4½ days to sail from San Francisco
to Honolulu. Streamers, leis, and pomp welcomed each Matson liner at downtown's Aloha
Tower. Well-heeled visitors brought trunks, servants, and Rolls-Royces, and stayed for
months. Hawaiians amused visitors with personal tours, floral parades, and shows spotlight-
ing that naughty dance, the hula.
Beginning in 1935 and running for the next 40 years, Webley Edwards's weekly live radio
show, “Hawaii Calls,” planted the sounds of Waikiki—surf, sliding steel guitar, sweet Hawaii-
an harmonies, drumbeats—in the hearts of millions of listeners in the United States, Australia,
and Canada.
By 1936, visitors could fly to Honolulu from San Francisco on the Hawaii Clipper, a seven-
passenger Pan American Martin M-130 flying boat, for $360 one-way. The flight took 21 hours,
33 minutes. Modern tourism was born, with five flying boats providing daily service. The 1941
visitor count was a brisk 31,846 through December 6.
