Aloha Fest and Aloha Leadership; It's a Small World!

Emceeing Aloha Fest in Boulder this past week was a fantastic experience! Not only were the thousands of people who attended treated to amazing Polynesian food and culture, but the spirit of Ohana was everywhere. Perhaps this is true in every small community, but whenever I attend a Hawaiian event I meet people that I instantly bond with. And sometimes, it happens after the event.

I left my briefcase next to the stage on Saturday night and didn't realize my mistake until I pulled into our driveway. A not-so-convenient 90 minute commute from Boulder. A call to the event organizer produced no results, so I fretted a bit about my misfortune and forgetfulness.

Three days later, I attended an ISES event (http://isesdenver.com/) to hear one of America's networking and networthing experts speak, my friend Sarah Michel CSP(http://www.perfectingconnecting.com/) I was fortunate to sit next to "Alyson", a complete stranger. We chatted after lunch, and as we talked it became apparent that we both had been at Aloha Fest that weekend. Further conversation revealed that Alyson's husband had helped me on stage. Another minute, and Alyson exclaimed "Mark has your briefcase!"

It truly is a small world, when you take the time to talk to strangers. And in Hawaii, no-one is a stranger. Check out some great video of Polynesian dancers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6haG_7pDsE

Aloha Fest Comes to Boulder!

Anytime is a great time for Ohana ("Family" in Hawaiian) to congregate, and the local Hawaiian community will descend on Boulder, Colorado on September 18-19 to watch the Universities of Colorado and Hawai'i do battle on the football field. The "Warriors", or "Rainbow Warriors" as they have been known, have been playing football since 1921 and began playing a Division One-A schedule in the early seventies.

Football as we know it is a violent sport, though it's far tamer than it was at the beginning of the 20th century. President Theodore Roosevelt actually considered banning football from college campuses due to the many injuries and deaths of participants. Rule changes, including the forward pass and elimination of "wedge" blocking helped stem the carnage, and build the game we know today.

Football, however, has to take a back seat to the manly, and ancient, Hawaiian sport of "lava sledding." As described on www.mythichawaii.com, lava sledding means riding a steep, hardened lava field while atop a 12-foot board at speeds approaching fifty miles an hour. Something tells me the ancients didn't have helmet laws back then! Better to play a round of "Konane", a board game that sounds like a pastoral blend of checkers and chess.

Hope to see you at Aloha Fest, where I'll be emceeing Saturday's activities on the main stage. For more information, please see www.coloradoalohafest.com