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 Guillermo Colon, our Director of Maintenance what the Spirit of Aloha means to him, as well as some of his favorite things about Oahu & Hawai’i.
Hi, Guillermo! How long have you been here with us at Poly Ad?
I’ve been a proud member of the Poly Ad Ohana for about 7 Months as Director of Maintenance.
What is your favorite thing about Hawai’i?
What’s not to love? The beautiful ocean. The majestic mountains. The diverse population and incredible, different ethnic foods that we are prviliged to have available to us each and every day. Those are a few of my favorite things!
Aloha at its core means love, farewell, compassion, understanding. But most of all Aloha represents the Hawaiian people and Hawaiian culture. Its respect for the land (Aina), respect for the family (Ohana), it promotes the behavior that we should all live our lives in a right and positive manner (Pono). Without Aloha there is no Hawai’i, without Hawai’i there is no Aloha, they are both intertwined
Who are some of your favorite Hawaiian music groups?
It’s so hard to decide! But if I had to choose – Brother Noland, I really dig his musical vibes. And speaking of good vibes, I love Natural Vibrations, their music is amazing and reminds me of home.
