Field Trip
By Braddah Lance
Da past couple of mornings I noticed CHOKE elementary school kids walking to school.... BEFORE 7am.
Dat means, they walking in da dark (during Winter/Fall time) in da brisk morning air by themselves.
Wassup Wit Dat!
Well, at least da keiki I seen had either siblings or friends which I thought was pretty cool cause it reminded me of field trips back in da day.
I walked to school nearly everyday and remembah those as good ole' times cause I always thought it was an adventure. As a parent, it was just one of those things dat da ohana had to do cause there was no oddah way. In dat respect, keiki grow up fast and learn responsibility pretty quickly. More on dat in anoddah blog.
But then it got me tinking, wat kine field trips did oddah kids go on? Did we all do da same thing? Did one grade level make a difference? I'm a proud public school product and know dat private school has different - dare I say, mo' bettah - opportunities but at da elementary school level, were da field trips da same?
Fo' me, one of da bestest parts of field trips was not being in school. 
I loved dat we were out on an "adventure" whether it be for growth or educational - it was just plain good ole' fun to me.
Lunch time seemed like it was da funnest (yeah, yeah - I know dat's not a word). We usually ate at a park and we all checked out wat each oddah brought whether it was PB&J, musubi's, something you picked up in da morning or fancy shmancy homemade bento kine.
btw, we nevah worried dat it sat in da sauna-like bus and made everything soggy and warm.... but our juice was always in da freezer da night before wrapped in foil so we could have a cold slushy drink. 
Come to tink of it, cause we nevah da kine "insulated" bags, EVERYTHING dat could be wrapped in foil was yeah?
But dat was da whole genius part of it - at least for us. We were an active bunch and besides playing tag, we loved playing football.
We gathered up everybodies foil, packed a rock or two and wrapped it up hard.
Das right, ghetto football - anywea, anytime and in dis case, anything. Das how we rolled.
Besides lunch time, I'd say one of da biggest anxiety moments an elementary keiki can have was who you was going to sit next to on da bus! It's almost like a social barometer and judging wea you sat said wea you stood on dat barometer.
Most times it was your best friend you sat next to but if you had an odd numbah of friends, somebody was left out and "choosing" who to sit next to was almost political. Da back of da bus was usually wea da bigger groups sat cause da tinking has always been "nobody can see" and you could always tell who was going to become boyfriend/girlfriend on da way back to school.
Da biggest field trips I can remembah was going to Camp Erdman and Polynesian Culture Center cause they were both sleepovers. I don't know if it's passed on subliminally through generations but there was some mischief going on there and I'll just leave it at dat.... since it's subliminal.
Relax, it was clean.
Do you remembah any field trips in elementary? Do da same field trips happen still today? Wat was/is your fondest memory(ies) about it?
I miss field trips.
Wassup Wit Dat!
February 9th, 2012 at 7:43 am
WOW... some forgot memories came back.
Yeah I remember the Hawaiian Sun can in the freezer the night before and my mom wrapping it up in foil the morning of.
I think the biggest field trip I went on was in the 6th grade, we stayed at turtle bay. I can't remember why we did that though. And yes, some funny business went on during that trip.
February 9th, 2012 at 8:32 am
Elementary school always went Volcano. We had to do the hike through Kilauea Iki crater. Down the crater was the easy part, then we had to climb UP the otherside when we all tired li'dat. We ended up near Thurston Lava Tube for lunch.
Other field trip back in da days was Kalapana when had the lava flowiing over the hill. Now no mo Kalapana Beach and all da oddah places we used to cruise by.
As a parent, I used to chaperon these field trips. The nest was when my son went to Oahu camping at Camp Timberline up Makakilo side. We went to the Water Park and Sumida Watercress farm. But up at da camp, they had all these activities. Good fun watch da kids.
I remember the wrap da can in foil. One time I went on a Boys Scout camp right after Thanksgiving and when I looked in my pack, mom wrap a turkey leg in foil and put it in there. No wonder my pack was heavy
February 9th, 2012 at 8:47 am
... hey Braddah Lance ... ahh, the field trips ... loved them ... and THE best part was being out of school ... and for some reason, I loved the bus rides ...
... the two field trips that stand out the most was for camping at Mokuleia and the one to Sea Life Park ... I think because my school was in town ... so the drives were long journeys to get to the two ends of the island ... camping was the most adventurous, and like you, I can't mention some of the things that went on ...
... I also remember a trip to the Big Island ... does that count as a field trip? ... but I think it was just for the JPO's ...
... I used to think the worst field trip was to the Honolulu Academy of Arts ... I guess I was too young and immature for all that culture ...
... Have a Good One Everyone!!! ...
February 9th, 2012 at 9:09 am
Howzit BL!
I remembah always walking to and from school small kid time. I only remembah going to Ala Moana park fo JPO.
February 9th, 2012 at 11:18 am
remembah goin to see Lani Moo, got to drink milk, chocolate milk too...
also was fun goin to Ewa Plantation Recreation Center, play all day...
fun times, long, long time ago...
February 9th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
you wen jog da brain. yep wuz good times goin to school. field trips we had wuz only simplekine. go see lani moo (da real one), zoo, bishop museum. amazing how da foil ball football kept everyone smilin.
tinkin back to all dat...da kids today get um all complicated and over done.
February 9th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
I walked to school from home during my early high school years. Back then I thought it was a long haul, like miles. When I was back in HI last year, I used GPS and drove the exact same route to school....just a tad over a mile
A block here is equivalent to ~mile...hard to imagine walking a block here is the same as walking to school back then...
February 9th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Must have had field trips in private school but I cannot remember any of them. When I taught in the public school feeder to PCHS seems we had field trips all the time. Do not know why since it seemed the kids did not learn much . . . more like a day out of school and mainly for fun. HA!
February 9th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
afta reading dis post i wen remembah da skool field trips to Hanauma Bay and to ala moana pak for jpo wea da police sergeant would call out da left face, right face commands and da best jpo team would win one certificate. remembah when being a jpo meant wearing one white shirt and blue long kine pants foa da boys and one white shirt and blue skirt foa da girls and da shirt had for be pressed and tucked in. dose were da days!
February 10th, 2012 at 12:27 am
Being "FBI" I can only remeber going to Puako to see the petrogyphs. Back then could make rubbings with the burlap. Now, can only look.
The only other thing I can remember is having to pee from Laupahoehoe. Das like 45 minutes to Hilo. And when we get to the school, the bathrooms all closed. Good ting us guys can go in the bushes. Some of the girls...not so lucky.
February 10th, 2012 at 5:37 am
I remember an elementary school teacher, Sarah Curry, loved birds. She would take us out on field trips around the Junior Division homes at Milton Hershey School to help us learn about the various birds that were in the area. One time we found a young crow that had become entangled in string on the electric fence that surrounded the pasture of one of the dairy farms nearby. She attempted to cut the string to free the bird and got shocked. I still can recall her loud exclamation, "Oh!" when that happened! But she was able to free the crow from it's trap. She was a sweet lady.
February 10th, 2012 at 6:12 am
Howzit BL!
It's FG Aloha Friday!
February 10th, 2012 at 7:06 am
WOW! Turtle Bay? Dat's pretty cool for a keiki.
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It must have been hot cause no shade until you hit Thurston yeah? btw, are there any oddah lava tubes/caves in Volcano?
Good fun watching or acting like one kid?
You wen try drink 'em?
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I kinda liked da long drives too.
I loved neighbor island trips too cause only "clubs" or special groups got to go on those.
It wasn't "keiki friendly" das why. It's more geared towards adults appreciating da fine arts. I was bored there too........ but I remembah going to da park across da street for lunch!
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Did you get to go to Disneyland?
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You know, quite a few people I know said they did dat field trip but we nevah got to do dat. I remembah we went to da Board of Water Supply and got coloring books.
I wondah if they take into consideration your geographical location?
Yeah, goooood times.
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We nevah got to go zoo or Bishop Musuem.
Yeah, foil. See, we used to recycle.
Rogah dat!
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If I could tally up all da walking I did... I probably could circle da Earth a few times.
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Really? I would have thought private school kids got to go on some pretty cool ones.
Maybe dat was da "waiver day" back then
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WOW! Now dat is cool!
btw, E Komo Mai to WWD! remembah! It's always cool to see Lurkahs come out of hiding and joining in.
I'm kinda tinking dat wen we went to our "post", nevah have adult supervision. I could be wrong but I no remembah them standing around making surah we was safe keeping da oddah people safe. We nevah have dat kine uniform either..... but I did have a hat without a JPO stickah on da front. It looked like I was in construction rather than JPO.
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Burlap? No comment.
Ha ha ha! I'll always remembah "teasing" da girls cause we could go "anywea" and they had to hold it.
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Aren't those electric fences powered enought to keep large animals away? I can only imagine wat dat must have felt like. And dat was pretty cool she was sharing her passion for birds and able to "teach" compassion at da same time.
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Yes it is.
February 10th, 2012 at 7:18 am
Good Morning.
I remember field trips.
Best one was to Polynesian Cultural Center. Was not a sleep over, but on the way home the guy sitting next to me kept dosing off and leaning towards me. I kept pushing him away and his glasses kept poking me in the arm.
The worst field trip was to Gouveia Sausage factory. Never show a kid how sausage is made. Never ate Gouveia's after that day...
February 10th, 2012 at 7:20 am
I remember once going to a botanical garden. Not sure where, but there was a pond in a section of the garden. We could not go in there because the other school group that went in there before us had a bunch of kids jump in the water. They made if off limits to the rest of the schools.
February 10th, 2012 at 9:49 am
HEY LANCE!!! WOW LAULAU....I BEEN LOST FOR A WHILE BUT NOW I STAY!...SO GLAD I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT...AND GOT A SUBSCRIBTION...WAS KINDA LOST FOR A BIT...BUT OH I'M BACK..AND SO GLAD YOU BLOGGING AGAIN....OKAY.....SO LET'S GET TO THE SUBJECT...
MY FAVORITE WAS TRIPS TO THE ZOO....YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GROW UP COUNTRY...LANI MOO WAS THE EXTENT OF IT....I WAS THRILLED MORE WITH THE THINGS I SAW ON THE RIDE..THE MANY BUILDINGS...THE CARS....THE ANIMALS..AND THEN WAS VERY INTRIGUED WITH THE HOMELESS.....SO IT WAS ALWAYS INTERESTING....WHEN YOU LIVE COUNTRY YOU SOAK UP A LOT WHEN YOU TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN.....ANY WHO....IT'S ALOHA FRIDAY!...AND I AM READY FOR THE WEEKEND....MY ALOHA'S TO ALL THE WWD GANG!....CHEE WHOO!!...MISS U LANCE!!!
February 10th, 2012 at 11:49 am
KeanaeBoy
Howzit Lance:
This is going to date me, but growing up on Maui, going on a field trip from the
country to the "big city" of Wailuku was awesome! One of the best things that
happened on a field trip was going to the State building and get to see your
signature duplicated automatically on a Xerox machine! How cool is that! It was
like magic. How did they do that!
*** Posted earlier but the system is screwy and deleted KeanaeBoy's post ***
E Komo Mai to WWD! KeanaeBoy!
February 10th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Hawaiian sun passion orange in the can, wrapped in foil! Ho, brings back memories! I only remember going to plays and the symphony, but my memory is going.
We used to walk to school when we were in elementary but I had my brother so I wasn't scared.
February 10th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Eh Braddah Lance, yeah, da fences wen give a pretty powerful jolt! I got zapped a few times and still am very wary about anyting electrified!
February 11th, 2012 at 4:29 am
Going to Love's Bakery on Kapahulu was memorable for me. Think it was the wonderful smells of the bread baking and the sights of the machinery that perked my interest. But it might have also been the freebie at the end of the tour that excited this Pake -- a loaf of bread to take home! But yes, remember the days when we froze da Hawaiian Sun or even RC Cola sometimes and wrapped it in aluminum foil for the field trips. Honda's Deli on Kuakini and Liliha was the place to go, when dad gave us money. But most times it was P&J sandwiches, and even an egg sandwich once in a while. Miss those days and miss those field trips too.
February 11th, 2012 at 5:10 am
BL:
Hope you enjoy your special day today
February 11th, 2012 at 6:28 am
PCC and wasn't sleepovah? Too bad. And so classic da "seat buddy" nodding off on you.
Happened to me a few times..... but I also dozed off too..... but my "seat buddy" was a girl. 
Really? A sausage factory? Ha ha ha. I would have nevah thought in Hawaii.
I remembah a botanical garden thingy too in Kaneohe side. I remembah it was kinda boring though... maybe das why I no remembah.
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Howzit going Sistah! It's been CHOOOOOKE long and I'm glad you found your way back.
You going visit again in summer? Dis time I'll make surah to stop by country. 
Dat's da same for me too and I was city boy. Well suburb I guess but I loved da kine spocking out things on da ride. I do dat still today especially wen on da mainland.
Miss you too!
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No worries Uncle... as long as you say you had electricity and plumbing you stay au'rite.
Ha ha ha! Ok, maybe I was mistaken earlier. Nah, dat would have been pretty cool..... btw, back then, how big was da Xerox machine???
E Komo Mai to WWD! KeanaeBoy!
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Now dat you mentioned it, I too remembah going to plays and symphonies too! And my memory has LOOOOONG gone.
Das wat big braddahs are for.
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Sounds like a dare waiting to happen.
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Wow, anoddah factory tour. I wondah how come we nevah get fo' go dat kine. It must have been neat to "see" food being made and then you freebie at da end! Whoa, score eh?
HA HA HA! I remembah those too! Da hard part was freezing 'em enough and not having it explode!
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Mahalos!
February 12th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Wow, laulau, this is more like an MLC post
I remember freezing my juice and wrapping it in newspaper and foil to keep it cold. I don't remember about any specific place we went to, but I remember as the bus pulled into the last street before my elementary school, we'd all yesll "2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? Bus driver, bus driver, yaaay bus driver!"