The Polynesian Cultural Center is offering a holiday 'kama'aina special' to see their new night show, Ha: Breath of Life.

Starting Monday, Nov. 16 through Dec. 31, you can get dinner at the Center's Gateway buffet followed by the night show for $25. The buffet opens at 5 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

The show runs Monday through Saturday, closed only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Call the ticket office at 293-3333 for reservations or just show up with proof of your Hawaii residency.

I went to see the show for the second time last weekend, and the story of Mana was still an emotional one for me. The performance still seems a little Waikiki/Broadway to me, but it's well done and the performers do a great job.

Check it out if you're looking for a fun date night or are just curious. You will be glad you went.

We checked out the fall Foodfest at BYUH on Saturday night, which is always a blast. If you've never been, it's a pretty big community event that takes place once or twice a semester on a Friday evening at the BYUH Little Circle.

Each BYUH student club puts together a booth and sells food, drinks, or desserts. It's a one-stop shop if you're craving ethnic food--particularly Polynesian and Asian cuisine.

While wandering around trying to decide what to get--a decision influenced by how long the lines were at certain booths--we saw Samoan, Fijian, Tahitian, Korean, and Filipino plates, multiple Chinese options (courtesy the Taiwan club, the Hong Kong Club, and the Chinese Club), hot dogs and spaghetti plates, a photo booth run by the Photography Club, face painting, a 'raffle' vacation from the Travel Industry club, baked goods, smoothies, crepes....the diversity of options was impressive and I haven't even mentioned the entertainment yet!

I wanted a Samoan plate, but the line was so long we opted instead for this Tahitian Club plate, which was delicious: raw fish, banana po'e (a Tahitian specialty dessert), mixed rice and BBQ chicken topped with 'magic sauce.'

This sweet and sour pork plate came with two big spring rolls fried to perfection.

To top it all off, you can't go wrong with authentic Fijian curry wrapped in roti (similar to a thick flour tortilla). We definitely chose the 'spicy' option. YUM!

There were jumping castles and a rock climbing wall for the kids, and after several student bands performed live, local favorite reggae group Rebel Souljahz performed to end the night.

Foodfests are great. They provide budget-strapped student groups with a lucrative fundraising opportunity, and they provide the community with a night of diverse cuisine, socializing, and endless entertainment. And it's always a plus when you get home and your worn out kids go to bed without any trouble.

As advertised, I went to the Three Houses Down concert at BYU-Hawaii over the weekend. In addition to playing quality music, the group seemed very down-to-earth and sent a positive message about acceptance and unity for all people.

There was a nice crowd dancing in front of the stage in the Cannon Activities Center.

The lead singer had a great voice, and his backups (who doubled on percussion and keyboard) were solid.

In my opinion, the brass section makes this band stand out.

All in all, we had a blast! It was definitely different to see a bunch of kids running around underfoot at a reggae concert, but everyone who went had a good time. Can't wait for the next concert to come out to the country!

I had a great time Friday night at the grand opening of the Polynesian Cultural Center's new $3 million night show, "Ha: Breath of Life." The show replaces "Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky," which has been showing for the past 14 years.

I was invited to a VIP reception before the show as the Cruisin' Ko'olauloa blogger (who knew blogging about community news would net me fabulous heavy pupu, a backstage tour, and third-row seating to the show? Not to mention a goodie bag, ice cream and bottled water during intermission, and a photo with student models...just FYI, I am officially available as a VIP anytime).

Here's a glimpse of the food: A giant sushi 'platter', a whole roast pig complete with an orchid in its ear, and a fruit 'oasis'. Not shown: a full sashimi bar, an entire wall of desserts, and too many other dishes to mention. Like fried soft-shell crab, char siu pork, taro rolls, ulu chips, chicken-and-pineapple-kebabs, Fijian curry and roti, and...okay, okay, I'll stop. I'm getting hungry again!

After stuffing myself silly convivially socializing with the other VIPs, I headed backstage for an exclusive tour. I hadn't been back there since my senior year at Kahuku, when we participated in the annual We Are Samoa festival.

Performers gathered together for support and pep talks as they prepared to hit the stage that night (left). At right, each performer has costumes tailored to them, which are stored in this huge, amazing revolving closet (think Clueless, only bigger). Workers simply head to the window and pick up/drop off their apparel for the night. With over 100 performers needing multiple costume changes throughout the performance, it's a pretty effective means of organization.

Now for the show.

Without giving too much away, the show follows the life story of a Polynesian boy named Mana as he goes through the various stages of life: birth, youth, courtship/marriage, and loss. In each stage, he learns a little bit more about Ha. Ha literally means breath, and Polynesians believe that one's breath contains the essence of an individual. You will often find Polynesian people sharing one another's ha in greeting.

One of my absolute favorite aspects of this show is a series of short animations projected onto canvas sails during transitions throughout the show. It is beautifully and compellingly done.

The new show has been a fairly hot topic in and around the community, as many believe that the dancing and costuming moves away from tradition and 'sells out' to commercialization. Others contend that the ultimate goal is to attract tourists so that the Center can fulfill its goal to help employ tuition-paying BYU-Hawaii students (and that you can get the authentic culture during the day in the Center's villages).

Fireknife dancing has officially gone to the next level: the pyramid.

Is it entertaining? Yes. Does it share some of our Polynesian cultural values? Yes. Is it 100% authentic? Not at all. There were a few parts--mainly at the beginning and the end, when there was no specific culture being featured--when I thought, is this Broadway or Laie? In the end, I was okay with that because of the power of Mana's story, a story that each of us can relate to because it is the story of a human being.

If you haven't already seen it, go check it out. I'd love to hear what you think. Info on how to get tickets can be found at www.polynesia.com.