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Tap Code “By tapping covertly on our cell walls using an alphabet code we maintained our unity. We encouraged and cared for each other. We passed information, learned poetry, even learned new languages. I got to know my fellow prisoners like brothers, though I’d never even seen them.”
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If you have already decided to hold your next event in Hawaii, Mahalo for your confidence in our state, and Congratulations on a great decision! Now if you could only find the speaker most appropriate to your program already in Hawaii that would be even better. Well you can, and I’m that Hawaii speaker! As you’ve seen by scanning this website, my program fits most every audience and every venue. But in Hawaii, I fit even better. After living in Hawaii for over 27 years in my home overlooking Pearl Harbor, Ford Island , and the USS Arizona Memorial, the state’s vast and colorful history is at my doorstep. Hawaiian culture, custom, and food are second nature to me. And raising 4 children here, I learned Pidgin' English, the slang of the islands. Indeed, my very style has been influenced by the Aloha spirit that pervades this beautiful environment. I sometimes open my Hawaii programs with humor; "KALAUKAUA, KUHIO, ALA MOANA, KAPIOLANI, PI'IKOI!....I'd like to tell you that's an ancient Hawaiian greeting, but those are just the five Waikiki streets to avoid during rush hour!!!!!!" I sometimes tell the story of the Friday afternoon song fest at the old Molokai Hotel on the island of Molokai, the most Hawaiian of all the islands. The Aunties and the Tutu (grandmothers) in Mu’u mu’u and with ukulele always finish their very Hawaiian repertoire with God Bless America in deference to the tragedy of 9-11-01 and to Pearl Harbor, the first American target to be bombed by aggressors. When demonstrating the POW tap code, I tap out "Aloha" very softly, observing that "Aloha should always be tapped softer:" And, when appropriate to the meeting dress code, my wearing a Hawaiian Aloha shirt adds a seamless quality to your meeting set in Hawaii. And last but not least, when speaking on Oahu, I have done book signings on the deck of the historic USS Missouri (on which the peace treaty was signed to end World War II), moored next to the Arizona Memorial. The Bureau can help facilitate this successful event for meeting planners. I hope that when you think of booking a convention or meeting in Hawaii you will seriously consider one of its “kama’aina” (long time resident).
Warm Aloha Nui Loa, Jerry
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