VISITING HONOLULU'S SOON-TO-BE-FILLED LANDFILL...THAT'S MY GOAL IF I HAD A LITTLE EXTRA TIME...

With my bags packed, I see myself wondering where the time went. The workshop readings were discussed, analyzed, debated over; we bounced them off the presentations made by the staff at the East-West Center. The up-close and personal tours were pivotal in our overall understanding of what happened on that fateful day, December 7, 1941.

I'm talking in retrospect, of course. Our group of American educators, along with our Japanese counterparts, will owe much to our sponsors--I know this NEH workshop will be a truly valuable experience for me and the others. Gosh, it was important to know and understand how Japanese teachers relate the events of Pearl Harbor to their students in Japan!

This is me, John Davidek, thinking out loud...with a peek into the future, following this experience. I began to wonder though, what would I do if given the chance to remain in Honolulu for a week or two beyond the time alloted for our workshop? Sure, you're thinking that this guy is crazy! Anyone with any sense would head for the beaches...maybe grab a surf-board, huh?

No way! The first thing I would like to do would be to check out Honolulu's landfill. Yes, you heard me right...the city dump. Hey, they tell me that the garbage folks (sometimes referred to as sanitation engineers), are planning on exporting about 100,000 tons of trash a year to the mainland--in a effort to extend the life of its only landfill. It's been reported that at the present rate of dumping on the island of Oahu, the landfill will reach capacity within 15 years.

By visiting the Honolulu landfill, I'll be witnessing history. Barack Obama was born in Honolulu; I can only imagine that somewhere under tons of refuse are bags of garbage from the Obama household. No telling what treasure could be found, right? With time running out, the only landfill on the island will gone, so to speak.

But wait! My homestate of Michigan has been known to accept tons of trash from our Canadian neighbors in Ontario. I've talked to people and no one knows exactly where the trash is getting buried. I'm sure there is more room for Hawaii's garbage. Just imagine the goodwill that would develop between Hawaii and Michigan if we accepted their trash--we could become the dumping ground of the world!

Well, anyway...it's just a thought. Really though, it would be exciting to see Hawaii's only landfill and that would be tops on my list of things to see if I had some extra time after the workshop. I was even thinking that this might be the time to "go green" and inform my NEH classmates about the trash dilemma in Hawaii. If we brought our own trash bags on our journey, filled 'em up and brought them back to our respective states...well, you get the point. I can just imagine us as "ambassadors of trash."

Okay, as if that isn't enough to do if I had some extra time in Hawaii, I am going to suggest one other activity for me to do. I'd like to investigate, learn where the Obama's went to church in Honolulu. I know for a fact that they celebrated Easter and Christmas with a certain United Church of Christ congregation there. Obama's mother, Ann, later returned to Indonesia, and Barack would visit her and his half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, traveling from Hawaii.

So, that's it. You might think this would be a highly unusual way to spend an extra week in Hawaii, but I believe it would be pretty interesting (surely you realize this is all "tongue in cheek?). There is nothing tongue in cheek about the information given here; it is all accurate according to what I just read in The Wall Street Journal. And yes, I am voting for Barack Obama for president...it has absolutely nothing to do with trash heaps, landfills, or garbage! Then again, he IS a politician...

HONOLULU, HAWAII: SUN, SAND, AND FLOWER PETALS...AND A LOT OF WORKSHOP READINGS!!

Never been there, huh? Me neither. I'm referring to Hawaii and all those nearby islands...what, there are eight main ones and lots of little, isolated tops of mountains pushing out of tropical ocean waters.

I've had the good fortune to have traveled to China and Japan before--not once, but twice! Each time, for whatever reason, the doggone plane didn't land in Hawaii to refuel or pick up more passengers/freight. So, this is a first for me...as it is for most of the other educators chosen to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities workshop, "Pearl Harbor: History, Memory, Memorial." From what I understand, there will be 25 of us, chosen from all over America! And to make things even more interesting, we will be joined by eight educators from Japan. I did not know that was going to happen, so when I read about it I was very enthused.

We are lucky that our hosts will be from the prestigious Honolulu East-West Center and their AsiaPacificED Program. They will work in partnership with the National Park Service at the USS Arizona Memorial, the NEH, with additional funding from the Arizona Memorial Museum Association and the Japan-America Society of Hawaii. Support has also been provided by the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu.

More than anything, I am especially looking forward to the experiences/expertise of my fellow teachers--the ones who are expected to shape this experience to the abilities of their particular students. Just being in Hawaii will be of immense professional and personal value to me--and I'm absolutely sure for the others involved. Having those Japanese teachers there with us is a tremendous gift, as I am sure they will provide us with insights not even imagined before this opportunity.

Indeed, it is unfortunate that this unique learning experience will be so brief! With that in mind, I intend to share as much as I can, learn as much as possible, and depart with much, much more than what I arrived with. Then the fun begins, huh? When each of us figures how to best present all of our learning and experiences to colleagues, students, and our respective community. It will be an extremely worthwhile experience...I just know it!

Oh. I think the dates for this program were not submitted above. We are Session II of the Landmarks of American History NEH Cultural Workshop for School Teachers. We'll be together from August 1 to the 8th. I feel sad already...that it's such a short time period!