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Slippers or Flip Flops
By Pearl Deans of DreamCatcher
An Ambiguous Question In a post I recently saw on Yahoo! Answers, someone asked, "You like flats, slippers, or flip-flops?" To my surprise, nobody picked slippers or asked for clarification. If you live in Hawai`i, you are more likely to pick slippers or at least ask the questioner if they make a distinction between slippers and flip-flops. You see, most locals in Hawai`i refer to flip-flops as "slippers". When I moved to Hawai`i in 1986, I was first confused, then amused, to realize that what the locals called "slippers", I had always thought of as "flip-flops." Slipping and Tripping Flip-flops are virtually Hawaii's state shoe. Flip-flops are almost as emblematic of island culture as pidgin (a Creole language based in part on English used by most "local" residents of Hawai`i ), leis, or spam musubi. A few weeks ago, a couple of locals went whizzing by my duplex on mopeds when one of them had an accident. At hearing the commotion, I ran to the door to see what had happened. Neither guy was injured, but one guy’s moped was no longer ridable. The first thing I noticed was that the rider who had fallen off his moped was wearing flip-flops. Common sense should have told him to wear real shoes when riding a moped on a busy boulevard. But, during my time in Oahu, I have seen people shuffling around in their slippers when it is pouring rain, running on the basketball court, worshipping in church, and even moving heavy furniture. The Last Shall be First These days it seems that wearing flip-flops for all occasions has made its way to mainstream American culture. Ala Moana Shopping Center (one of the biggest malls in America) has a store that specializes in selling flip-flops—sort of reminds me of the Leftorium on “The Simpsons”. Now with President Obama’s popularity and his ties to Oahu, we might see even more signs of island culture taking hold on the mainland. That would be fitting this year, during Hawai`i’s 50th anniversary as a state. If Hawaiian culture does go mainstream, let us hope that the laid-back attitude comes with the spirit of Aloha. |
Outdoor Heated Kitty Cat Tent with Heated Pad
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Hawai`is Rubber Slippers
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
 |  | Laraine loved this intel. Apr 22, 2011 |
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Pearl, this is interesting. Two of my siblings (Navy~career) (Army) both have served tours of duty in Hawaii; ~ still have my post cards and shells. I can hardly wait to quiz both of them about the popular foot attire.
 | | JazLive Sep 14, 2009 10:33 |  appreciated |
Pearl, I am giving you top marks on this intel. I found it both interesting and educational.
 | | Laraine Apr 22, 2011 03:11 | appreciated |
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http://pearlhonolulu.qondio.com/
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This intel was contributed by Pearl
Pearl
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