The Polynesian Cultural Center is located at Laie, which we passed by yesterday. That could be accessible by a fixed-route bus, but if the show was performed longer than its schedule, you'd miss the last bus. What's more, some places between Laie and Waikiki were poor in public security. That's why I chose a tour for sightseeing the Polynesian Cultural Center.
The chartered bus arrived at the designated site on time. The tour guide was a female Japanese student from Brigham Young University - Hawaii. She gave us some lessons about Hawaii on the way to the center. She had lived there for 2 or 3 years and her perspective contained the student's distinctive mind-set and it was new to me as I'd never lived overseas. If I could mark her guidance, I'm sure to give her full marks. However, if some historical aspects were added to her explanation, her result would have been much better. Brigham Young University is a famous private one and its founder is the Mormon foundation. Under Mormon rules, alcoholic beverages were prohibited in the campus and associated facilities, naturally including the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was sad to keep away from wines during the dinner.
The total 30~40 passengers were on the bus and they were grouped into several subgroups. We chose the most high class one, which was all-time attended by a guide in the center. Our seats were set at the front in the show, and the dinner was great. The attendant in the center was also a Japanese student from Kagoshima. His explanation was great as well as the one of the guide in the bus. They were useful to me.
ポリネシア文化センターは昨日通過したLaieにある。路線バスで行けないことはないのだが、ショーの終了後、遅れずにバスに乗って帰るのは難しく、また道中は治安が悪いのでセンターまでの往復を考えてツアーに参加するよう勧められた。
指定された場所で待っているとバスがやって来た。バスガイドは日本人学生でブリガム・ヤング大学ハワイ校に在学しているとのこと。道中約１時間、ハワイの現状を説明してくれた。学生ならではの視点も有り、バスガイドとして点を付けるなら１００点！ただ、もう少し、歴史の勉強をしていればもっと良かった。ブリガム・ヤング大学は有名な私立校で母体はあのモルモン教。その関係で施設内は禁酒らしい。夕食時、飲めないのがちょっと残念。
同じバスに乗ったツアー客だが、いろいろなコースに別れており、我々はこれが最初だが、最後と思い、一番高価なコースとした。バスから降りると他のツアー客とは別行動。昼間も夜もショーは最前席、一人の学生がずっとアテンドしてくれていろいろと説明してくれる。彼をいじるのが楽しかった。(^_^;)バスガイドの女子学生の話と、このエスコートしてくれた男子学生の話はためになった。
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