I decided to just bite the bullet and jump in. Worked on language study for a little more than an hour. Then dove into mele #2 in the cycle that I'm working on. Lots of translation. Totally love how the brain is able to switch gears like that! I know... I know... Itʻs going to take a lot more than a few hours a day to really grow within the language... But Iʻve got to start somewhere, right? And a few hours a day is a lot more than Iʻd been studying every day prior to this. Slow. Baby steps.
Growing up in a home where only one language was spoken, I was jealous of my friends who lived in a bilingual home. And I was constantly amazed to witness the "change" in their brains as they went from one language to another. I never thought I'd be able to do that. Not that I'm suddenly fluent in Hawaiian, but it's coming along. Slowly. Steadily. And after I finish my "official study time" for the day, my brain stumbles between English and Hawaiian. It's awesome! And I'm sure it's funny for the folks that call me on the phone during that time... I can hardly form a sentence!
More of the same for tomorrow. I've laid out a game plan as I countdown the days to Molokai. I want to be able to sing these songs with Pops and get his manaʻo. I want to be able to speak as much Hawaiian with him as I can. Where else am I going to find a chance to use it like that? And with a native speaker! Thatʻs one of the best parts about being down in Hālawa... being able to think in Hawaiian instead of thinking in English and then trying to translate it. When youʻre immersed like that, you donʻt have to keep changing gears. Itʻs easier just to lock it in!
Feeling blessed with these opportunities. (And mentally exhausted!)
Life is good.
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