Hawaii flag points to Christian fish symbol in sky paint, July 15 at Barangaroo.
World Youth Day Sydney 2008 Report by Anna Weaver
Identity and pride held high
SYDNEY
The Diocese of Honolulu group got to show their state pride and heritage while in Sydney.
Their two Hawaiian flags were among the hundreds from around the world that flew all over the city during World Youth Day, carried by pilgrims through the streets and waved at concerts and the major events at Barangaroo and Randwick Racecourse.
Just as members of the Hawaii group played “Guess the Flag” when they spotted an unfamiliar one from another country, they also fielded many questions about theirs.
One comment overheard on a packed side street, July 15, as pilgrims waited to get into Barangaroo was, “It has the Union Jack so it must be a part of the Commonwealth.”
Holy Trinity pastor Father Gary Secor, who carried the flag at the opening night concert at Barangaroo, said most asked where it was from.
The explanation given: the British Union Jack in the upper left hand corner came from the early relationship between the Hawaiian monarchy and England.
The Hawaii pilgrims didn’t mind explaining the flag and other information about their homeland.
Molokai Catholic Community parishioner Ikaika Cleghorn, 16, said he also didn’t expect to be sharing the Hawaiian language.
“We ask people about how they say things in their language, but I didn’t think that I’d be teaching others the Hawaiian language, because it’s really not a known language,” he said. “That’s pretty cool.”
Kuliouou’s Holy Trinity School band also shared a bit of Hawaiiana in its evening performance, July 16, at Darling Harbor. Member Lokalia Isaia introduced one song in Hawaiian, read the English translation and danced the hula while her bandmates played. The St. Francis Show Choir also danced hula and showed their island spirit in purple muumuus and aloha shirts.
The Hawaiian cultural exchange included giving away coconut and wooden bracelets, keychains, postcards and baggage tags. Swapping is a World Youth Day tradition and, in return, the Hawaii folks got trinkets from all around the world.
“Beau” Cummins Mahoe III and others from Molokai gave Friendly Isle postcards and baggage tags to people they met on the light rail to and from catechesis on July 16. The Sydneysiders were pleasantly surprised. And in return they shared some information about their city and background — the perfect cultural exchange.