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Editor's note: The Lakota East Marching Thunderhawks band was invited to perform at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii on Tuesday and marched in the 10th annual Waikiki Holiday Parade on the island of Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday. The following blog updates are being sent to The Pulse-Journal from Lakota East Marching Thunderhawks band member Aimee Peng.

DAY FIVE BLOG FROM HAWAII

By Aimee Peng

Nov. 28, 2008

Nonstop fundraising, precise planning, and countless rehearsals — all of the work us students, our parents, the directors, and our community has dedicated to this trip for months finally came together this weekend in the Wakiki Holiday Parade. Marching through Wakiki's palm tree lined streets was unlike any experience any of us have ever had the opportunity to participate in. The palm trees that lined the strip were adorned with holiday lights and people spilled out of the high-end boutiques and fancy hotels to watch our band as we played our cadance and the National March. Our sound actually echoed off the buildings, which made everything seem even more impressive. The sidewalk on either side of the road was completely filled — people cheered as they took photos and videos of us. Mr. Whitt led our band in a rather stylish red Mustang.

Although marching in my velvet color guard uniform got a little sweaty, I'm sure it was much more uncomfortable for band members who wore their full band uniform, which were obviously designed for the cold marching band season in Ohio. However, I must admit that we all looked rather impressive in our full uniform. The local Hawaiian bands seemed to find our plumes and heavy jackets alien-like compared to their flowery shirts and Santa hats.

Before the parade, we all enjoyed our first and only full leisure day. Some people chose to enjoy the beach by parasailing, taking surfing lessons, snorkeling, or just hanging out by the shore. Others spent the morning and afternoon shopping

Speaking of shopping, there's something everyone at home should know about Wakiki. There's something here called the "ABC Store," and most of us are rather intrigued by it. You see, there's an ABC store on every block. In fact, there's usually more than one on every block. Actually, you can find two ABC stores right across from each other, next to each other, and probably on top of each other, as well! Okay, well, there's not THAT many ABC stores, but I will say that in this area, you can measure traveling speed by the rate of ABC stores you pass per minute. So what's so special about these ABC stores? Basically, you can find everything you need in this little store — snacks, souvenirs — the works. There's a reason why one of our tour guides called it the "All Blocks Covered" store.

Also, there's an amazing little shopping area called the International Marketplace here. It's a lot of fun because you can actually barter for jewelry, clothes, and other tourist-y souvenir type things when you shop there. I'm rather proud of the fact that I managed to barter down a $25 bracelet to $18!

Tomorrow, we'll be spending a whole day at the Polynesian Culture Center to get a true taste of Hawaii's rich culture.

DAY FOUR BLOG FROM HAWAII

By Aimee Peng

Nov. 27, 2008

I would like to begin this recap by stating that eating Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing under the sun on a beach towel and in my swimsuit was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had in my life.

Thanksgiving for us started with breakfast at Cheeseburger in Paradise and then a little bit of leisure time before a trip to the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. According to my bus driver, the park was "about ten Hawaiian minutes away" (read as: we'll get there when we get there). Although the ride was really about a half hour long to us Midwesterners, native Hawaiians believe that every trip is an experience to be enjoyed, regardless of how long it takes to get to the final destination (and thus, the concept of the Hawaiian minute was born). And we did enjoy the ride; we got to see the quaint, uncommercialized of the island as we drove to the waterpark.

After splashing around and slipping and sliding for a few hours, we sat down for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Outside. In the sun. In our swimsuits. It was strange, to say the least. In case anyone was dying to know, we were served turkey, ham, salad, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and a brownie. Basically, the works. Don't worry, moms, I'm sure your Thanksgiving meal was much tastier! Still, we appreciated the food, nonetheless.

So then we returned to the hotel for some more leisure time. Dinner was at Planet Hollywood, where all of us (all the students, that is) sang (and danced) along to a constant stream of pop and rap songs. Usher's "Yeah" was quite popular, as was Pink's "So What" and Katy Perry's "Hot 'n Cold."

Most of us spent the rest of the evening walking along the beach or shopping. Tomorrow's the big day! We'll be marching in the Wakiki Holiday Parade here in paradise!

DAY THREE BLOG FROM HAWAII

By Aimee Peng

Nov. 26, 2008

Before I recap the day's events, I would just like to announce that I discovered what kind of fruit is in the "cupful of sunshine" I mentioned yesterday: passion fruit, orange, and guava. They call it POG, and again, we enjoyed that along with some french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage and fresh fruit at Cheeseburger in Paradise for breakfast. Moms:— the fruit bowls looked pretty empty by the time I got there, so rest assured that your child is staying happy and healthy.

Anyway, after breakfast, we made the trip to a dormant volcano called Diamond Head. We hiked out of the crater then up to the peak (there was a fairly length path we traveled up before we climbed up exactly 271 steps up to the tippy top). On the way up, I passed a number of my fellow out-of-breath and sweaty band members on their way down. Although most of them looked pretty rough, the general consensus was that the hike was well worth the view at the end. Now, although I spend a good portion of my life marching up and down the East parking lot for band rehearsal, I don't think I was in great shape to be climbing up out of a crater of a volcano. But, I have to agree that it was well worth the hike.

There were a few points on the way up for people to stop and take pictures of the view, and I must say, the view was absolutely breathtaking. When we got to the top, we could look out over the crystal blue waters of the Pacific, the majestic mountains of the island of Oahu, the city of Honolulu, and the white sands of Wakiki Beach. Trust me, the pictures we took up there are even better than the postcards. Words really couldn't do the sight justice (so look at the pictures we posted!) Again, the weather was perfect here in Hawai — sunny, with a slight breeze from the ocean.

After Diamond Head, we all had some leisure time to spend shopping or to just hang out on the beach. Did I mention that the shopping here is amazing? Our hotel, the Hilton Hawaiian Village, has something like a built-in mall within its campus. Not only that, but the International Market is only a short walk away. Don't worry, I'm sure everyone reading this at home will get a nice souvenir from Hawaii, with all the shopping all of us have been doing lately!

For dinner, we had another picnic at a different park, only this time, the other two bands who will be marching in the Wakiki Holiday Parade on Friday night joined us. After dinner, we had a dance party featuring a live Marine Corp band and some interesting disco-esque lighting. It was a rather interesting experience.

Oh, and another tidbit for those at home: so, it turns out that there are NO HEATED POOLS in Hawaii! I mean, it's rather obvious when you think about it — the lady at the counter seemed to think that it was rather silly for my friends and me to ask about it. Here's the story: my friends and I were in search of a warm place to swim yesterday evening (it gets a little breezier and cooler at night here). But, turns out that there are no heated pools in Hawaii, because it's usually nice enough to swim year-round and throughout the day. Go figure

Tomorrow we'll be spending part of our day at the waterpark, where we'll be served a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Happy Thanksgiving to all of those at home!

DAY TWO BLOG FROM HAWAII

By Aimee Peng

Nov. 25, 2008

We began our first morning in paradise by enjoying a cheeseburger... in paradise. The restaurant, that is. At 6:15 a.m. (read as: before the crack of dawn) a group of sleepy teenagers, some of whom did not arrive in Hawaii until 11 p.m. Hawaiian time last night, made their way to a quirky little restaurant called Cheeseburger in Paradise. Rest assured, mothers, we did not eat greasy cheeseburgers for breakfast. Instead, we were provided with a full breakfast buffet that included the most amazing fruit juice ever. Mr. Chumley says that he thinks there's some mango and some other tropical fruits in it, but I'm convinced that it was really just a cupful of sunshine and happiness. It was THAT good.

We appeared to be quite an impressive bunch as we walked around in our matching show shirts and mesh Thunderhawk shorts. We received much attention (and attracted many questions) from other tourists throughout the day.

After breakfast, we set out of Pearl Harbor. We spent some time viewing the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and U.S.S. Missouri from afar before viewing a riveting film about Pearl Harbor and World War II. The movie included footage of the U.S.S. Arizona's final moments, which was especially shocking to see.

We then visited the site of the sunken U.S.S. Arizona and the memorial dedicated to it. The mood was solemn as we crossed the harbor and headed towards the white memorial. A red wreath from Lakota East was left at the foot of the wall displaying the names of fallen Americans inside the memorial. Some students reflected in silence during their time on the memorial; others gathered around Mr. Whitt as he reflected on his memories of December 7th, 1941. We left the memorial as we came — in silent reflection.

A little after noon, the band played patriotic tunes — including our 2008 competition show — in front of the U.S.S. Missouri. The sound was impressive — it echoed off the massive battleship we stood in front of. After our performance, we took a group picture and enjoyed a picnic lunch before touring the U.S.S. Missouri.

For dinner, we visited a local park and had a traditional Hawaiian meal. The weather was beautiful throughout the day — it was sunny, but not too hot. Also, there was always a slight breeze from the ocean, which was absolutely fantastic.

After relaxing at the part for a little while, we parted ways. Some people chose to walk back to the hotel and shop on the way back and others chose to take the buses back to the hotel to enjoy the beach, pools, and shopping. Either way, we all enjoyed our free evening!

Tomorrow, we're off to hike up Diamond Head! Can't wait to see the view from up there (and I'm sure there will be some beautiful pictures to look forward to!)

DAY ONE BLOG FROM HAWAII

By Aimee Peng

Nov. 24, 2008

Aloha! I am pleased to report that as of 7 p.m. Hawaii time (midnight back in West Chester), about half of our flight groups have landed safely on the island of Oahu. The remaining flight groups are flying over the Pacific at more than 30,000 feet above the ground as I write, but by the end of the night, each band member, chaperone, director, and piece of equipment will have joined us here in paradise.

After time zone changes and a few flight delays, most of us can hardly believe that we left East only 24 hours ago! We all started out from the Indianapolis International Airport, but after that, Thunderhawks could be found all over the country, including in Minneapolis, Dallas, Detriot, Chicago, and Seattle.

When my flight group arrived at the beautiful Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, we were greeted in traditional Hawaiian custom with gorgeous purple orchid leis. After a quick briefing concerning tomorrow's plans (Pearl Harbor!) and safety, we were let loose to explore our new surroundings, to find something to eat, and to get some well-needed rest in a REAL bed (finally!).

Tomorrow, we're off to Pearl Harbor to honor our veterans and Pearl Harbor survivor Joe Whitt, who will be travelling with us for the rest of the week.