Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2011 — With an aloha-filled heart [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

With an aloha-filled heart

Trustee'snote: lwanUomahalo Kama Hopkins for helping write our October eolumn.

f you ever traveled to Lahaina, Maui, and enjoyed the ALOHA that the Kā'anapali Beach Hotel has to offer, then you probably met a gentleman who has been dubbed "The 400,000 Mai Tai Man." In author Norm Bezane's book, Voices of Maui: Natives anā.Newcomers, one short story talks about this man,

Dale Simonsen. On a recent trip to Maui, I stayed at the proclaimed "most Hawaiian hotel," the Kā'anapali Beach Hotel, and met this man, who in his 41-year career tending bar at the hotel has made over 400,000 Mai Tai drinks. However it was not the fact that he made so many Mai Tais that intrigued me, but rather what our malihini and kama'āina alike felt toward him after retiring to their rooms for the evening. Making people feel at home, Dale would ask the usual questions: "What's your name? Where are you from? What brings you to Maui? How long are you staying?" But before you know it, he's having a fullon conversation with people at the bar sharing with them his life stories and experiences as if these newfound friends had been family all along. All of a sudden, a hush falls on the bar patrons as they listen to him and wonder, "How is he serving us and keeping us mesmerized all at the same time?" It was a question I even asked myself. He talks about his childhood. He was born on O'ahu in 1946, but at the tender age of 3 his mother took him back to her island home of Maui. He was raised in Pu'ukoli'i, Maui, and says his childhood years were filled with trials and tribulations,

but it taught him patience and the value of hard work. One fun experience he shares is how he found, here and there

over time, parts of a bicycle that he sanded, repaired and assembled in order to make a eomplete bike that he could ride. He also relayed his memory of how he would make some money growing up, gathering Coca-Cola bottles while delivering newspapers. Then he shares that he didn ' t know he was poor.

There were fruit trees galore and plenty of food to eat because everyone grew their own food back then. All the kids had their chores to do but everyone in the eamp watched everyone else's kids. People bathed in their furo as that was very eommon in those days. That's just the way it was. Life was tough but full because of all the ALOHA that surrounded them growing up. Like a happy and proud Dad, he talks about his life stories with his daughters. But none of his stories was better than those that he told of his wife, who passed away in 2005. "A man filled with ALOHA" is how he is described by most. When asked why he has been at his job for 41 years, he replies: "It's fun. I get to meet people and leam about their life experiences as I share mine." "Aurite!" is heard all the time as Dale takes an order. He shows how mueh fun he has doing his job by sharing this happy attitude. Kama'āina and malihini alike enjoy his 'ano 'olu'olu. To you Dale, I say, "MAHALO !" For someone who says he has no Hawaiian blood, you sure are one of the most "Hawaiian" people I know. Thank you for sharing your ALOHA with not only our malihini but with our po'e kama'āina as well and all who eall Hawai'i their home. ■

Rūbert K. Lindsey, Jr. TrustEE, Hawai'i