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DAVID SWANN / DSWANN@STARBULLETIN.COM

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State of the spam

State insect should be the "Happyface Spider."

State bento should be the Zippy's Zip-pac.

State gesture of aloha should be the shaka sign.

Favorite lei flower: Pikake (or puakenikeni, or maile, or plumeria).

State pet peeve: People who come from elsewhere and say, "Local people are clueless, it's done better where I come from."

State's favorite political slogans, like, "Bring back K.K. Kaumanua" or "Shaka!"

How about a state person, a local living treasure, to be selected each year? Someone who personifies the Hawaiian islands, the aloha spirit and helps to continue the history, myths or crafts of the islands. A biography could be created at the end of the year, with the money from the sale of the book after expenses going to help a young person fulfill their dream in their chosen field.

Perhaps, just as a suggestion, you might look at Paulette Kahalepuna of Oahu, who owns a feather shop on Kapahulu and does beautiful featherwork.

I suggest state aloha ... the shaka sign.

Monica Lewis of Honolulu drew this traffic cone to represent Hawaii.

Genoa Keawe for state auntie.

How about a state snake? It could rotate annually among the state Legislature, being given to the member who had broken the most campaign promises the previous year!

We should have a:
state object: the pothole;
state sky: blue, with rainbow;
state commodity: toilet paper and/or rice; and
state joke: Democratic Legislature

As a tour escort with Germaine's Luau for 21 years, one of the fun things I do with tourists on the bus is a local trivia game. I divide the bus down the middle and have each side compete by being the first to answer. It's competitive, fun and they get to learn about our local culture. Some of my questions came from the Honolulu Trivia Game and some I made up myself, like:

What is our state pupu? My correct answer: raw fish. Popular answer: pineapple.
What is our state soup? Portuguese bean. Popular answer: ramen.
What is our state canned good? Spam. Popular answer: pineapple.

State greeting: Howzit?
State condiment: shoyu
State meat: Spam
State breakfast: Loco Moco
State eating utensils: wooden chop sticks
State New Year symbol: firecracker
State footwear: rubber slippers
State cigarette: none
State gesture: shaka
State cheer: Go 'Bows!
State Sunday reading material: Longs ad
State fantasy: mass transit
State general store: Hasegawa's

A state road, street or highway, like San Francisco's Lombard Street?
A state puu or mountain range? Koolaus, Waianae Ridge, Pohakuloa?
A state park? Naming one might help keep it in tip top shape? Might help keep other parks in shape too?
A state beach? Hapuna, Lanai?
A state fruit? Guava, mango, ly chee, lilikoi?
A state best surf? Pipeline, Sunset, Makaha, Hanalei?
A state hiking trail? Waimea/Kokee in Kauai or Haleakala?
A state dog (or pet)? Yehaaaaaaaaaaaw, yum yum hehe ... hey, just jok'n u know.

How about "rubbah slippahs"? You can't get more local than that!

Laulau, kalua pig & poi is good!

How about redesigning the state flag? It's truly ugly. I'm 70 years old and was born and raised in Hawaii.

I recommend a crosswalk, so drivers, pedestrians and Honolulu Police Department officers would know what one looks like!

Then, people would live longer, healthier lives, and insurance premiums would decrease!

Hawaii state bird: red rooster
Hawaii state insect: either cockroach or centipede
Hawaii state food: Spam musubi

I want the state creature to be the gecko. Besides the fact that they're cute, they're ubiquitous in Hawaii. And they are just full of the aloha spirit.

State insect gotta be the B-52 cockroach ... no other will do. And gotta be the B-52 since the little German roaches are "out of staters."

State bento gotta be Spam and rice at least. Then whatever you want to add to make it your "own."

I'd like to see a display of how many locals greet one another -- men hugging and cheek-kissing men and women. This warm, affectionate greeting and leave-taking custom symbolizes Hawaii and the warmth of its people. Seeing a display of that right upon arrival would say, in so many words, "Welcome to the home of aloha."

In addition to the state song, bird and flower, I nominate the following categories:
state dress: holokuu
state food: laulau
state dance: hula
state sport: surfing
state word: da kine
state music: slack Key
state snack: li hing mui

official Hawaiian footwear: "Luau feet" or "Sleepa"!

How about a flag with the state judicial system with their hands in the air in the classic "I Surrender" pose?

I feel we should have a state auntie and state uncle. I would nominate Auntie Genoa Keawe for state auntie and Uncle Raymond Kane for state uncle.

We need a state pastime. The other state symbols have little to do with most people's lives. When was the last time you even used a kukui nut?

This new symbol, our state pastime, should be no different. Some would say it should reflect who we are as a people: perhaps red-eye flights to Vegas to waste money. Maybe sitting in traffic. Maybe hanging out at the canoe halau. Maybe hula. Maybe even going to the beach with family and friends to go surf. But, like Americans and their baseball, our pastime should be something few of us do, and most of us think old fashioned and awkward, yet somehow necessary for our kids to participate in. Let's make our state pastime "living with aloha."

It sounds nice, and we all agree it reflects our state's character the way it should be, and not the way it necessarily is.

I think the state should have a state bento that would be a rectangular riceball with a slice of Spam and seaweed wrapped around both of them and an ume inside the riceball. Rice is a daily diet item and Spam is a favorite among most locals along with an ume for setting up your tastebuds to eat.

How about a new state motto: Pothole capital of the world.

A reader's A-Z of Hawaii symbols

By Christie Adams, Hawaii Kai

A State airport: Honolulu International Airport

State art gallery: Honolulu Academy of Arts

B State beach: Waikiki

State beverage: "shave" ice

State bird: the nene

State boat: the outrigger canoe

State bush: naupaka

C State candy: the chocolate-covered macadamia nut

State capital: Honolulu

State cemetery: Punchbowl

State cocktail: the mai tai

State coral: black coral

D State dance: hula

State diet: the Hawaii Diet (previously the Waianae Diet)

State drug: crystal meth (woops!)

State duck: the Hawaiian duck

E State energy source: geothermal energy

State explosive: the firecracker

F State fish: the humuhumunukunukuapua'a

State flower: the hibiscus

State food: poi

State fruit: the papaya

G State gem: olivine

H State herb: noni

State hut: the grass shack

I State industry: the visitor industry

J State jam: the traffic jam

State joke: the Hawaii state Legislature (Only joking!)

K State kingdom: the Kingdom of Hawaii

L State landmark: Diamond Head

M State mammal: the humpback whale

State motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono

State museum: Bishop Museum

State musical instrument: the ukulele

N State nickname: The Aloha State

State nut: the macadamia nut

O State oil: kukui oil

P State palace: Iolani Palace

State park: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Q State quarry: Kapaa Quarry

R State rock: lava

S State shirt: the aloha shirt

State shoe: the zori

State skirt: the ti leaf skirt

State song: Hawai'i Pono'i

State sport: surfing

State structure: the hotel

State sundries store: ABC Stores

T State tree: the coconut tree

U State university: University of Hawaii

State vegetable: taro

State waterfall: Akaka Falls

State wood: koa

State word: aloha

X State xeriscape: Halawa Xeriscape Garden

Z State zoo: Honolulu Zoo