Battles and Birthdays

 Crab Attack

Tuesday afternoon was not a typical work day at He’eia Fishpond for me. What had started out as a beautiful day ended in a bloody battle of woman vs. crab. Woman 0 and Crab 1.  I ended up with four painful cuts, two on both legs. Don’t let the smile in the photo fool you, it was painful! But don’t worry I am out to seek my revenge on that Samoan crab...crab stew anyone? And don’t worry folks I am at no way giving up on this internship one way or another I’ll be back in the water!

Myself (Lissa) resting after being  pinched.

Earlier  that day everything was going the way it was suppose to. We had split into two groups , gathered our equipment and made our way down to the  pond. We took samples of both the biomass, and the sediment.

Kaua checking the equipment.

Brian gathering seaweed for biomass sample.

Brian and me getting sediment samples.

While we waited for the water samples, the boys tested their skills with chicken snatching. Israel proved to be the chicken whisperer.

Israel the chicken man.

Birthday 

Saturday was a great workday and Brenda’s Birthday. Happy Birthday Brenda. Some of her friends dressed up in costumes that represented their ethnicity. Way cool! Some of the men even dressed in manly malos! The day was started off with a pule (prayer) and introductions. Then we went on a quick tour of the pond.

Brenda the B-Day girl!

Party guest!

The work was not so hard with so many hands working together. We had to move the coral from one end of the pond wall to the other. There were three groups; one group piled the coral rocks into buckets, another hauled the coral away across the break on barges, and the last filled the coral into the middwalkway on the wall.

After all the work was done we return to the hale to enjoy good food and of course celebrate Brenda’s Birthday.

Yummy BBQ Chicken!

 

Front row Brian, Andrew, Ty, and Ky

(Back row) Kaua and Lissa

ALL PAU!