Kindness & the Beauty of Working Together – Elaina Neece

The Spirit of Aloha

The word “aloha” is the most recognized of all Hawaiian words. In its simplest use, it means “hello”, “welcome”, or “goodbye”. But the word, to many Hawaiians, can also be used to convey a much deeper and richer feeling, one that encapsulates a way of living, being, and most of all, treating others. This Spirit of Aloha inspires us to do what we do and influences every facet of every tour we offer at Polynesian Adventure Activities.

We wanted to delve further into this particular meaning of Aloha, so we asked Elaina Neece, what the Spirit of Aloha means to her, as well as some of her favorite things about the Big Island.

Hi, Elaina! How long have you been here with us at Poly Ad and what’s your role here?
I have been apart of the Poly Ad ohana for about two months now, working as a field dispatcher and also as a part of the bus wash crew. So some days I stay at the base yard, washing and detailing the buses, making them nice and clean and beautiful for our wonderful guests, other days I head to the airport or the pier and help with dispatch. 

What is your favorite thing about Hawai’i?
The thing that I like about Hawai’i is that there is always different types of weather depending on where you are on the island. I really enjoy adventuring around in Honokaa around the wintertime. When driving up there from Waikoloa where I live, I have a beautiful view of Mauna Kea with snow on it at times. I just love the cool calm air that surrounds you out in Honokaa and I love the smell of rain. It smells so fresh and clean out there. Being out there is very calming for me, I feel so relaxed out there and a big plus for me its very quiet and not all that busy out there. I like heading up there after a long week to enjoy the cool weather and all the natural beauty.

What does the Spirit of Aloha mean to you?

I feel that the Spirit of Aloha is just spreading kindness wherever you go. For example, respecting your Kupuna (elder, grandparent or an older person), helping out our Keiki (children), and just trying to help people make their day a bit easier by just being kind and helpful when help is needed. Being kind to others no matter what kind of day you’re having because you honestly do not know what kind of day others may be having and you always want to treat others the way you want to be treated – that’s the Spirit of Aloha.

What is your favorite “off the beaten path” place to enjoy?
There is this nice little restaurant/bar called Pueo’s Osteria just up the street from where I live in Waikoloa Village. They are a bit pricey but it is so worth it. They have big serving portions and all kinds of food to choose from like pizza, seafood, pasta and fried foods. Also, their deserts there are phenomenal! If you don’t like beer or wine they have a huge range of mixed drinks to choose from as well. Their crew they have working there are so nice and very welcoming. I especially like it because it’s not too loud and not overly crowded. They are fast and even after you have been served they still come by often to make sure that you are doing okay. So if you are looking for a nice, quiet, beautiful atmosphere and a place with really good food then Pueo’s is the place to go.

What is your favorite Hawaiian saying?
There is a saying one of my favorite teachers in high school would always tell us and it was ” ‘A’ ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia”, which means “No task is too big when done together by all.” I love this saying because I one hundred percent agree that. If we all come together as one when working on something then it will get done much faster and the results are so much better than when trying to work against each other.

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