ALOHA FROM HAWAII

You can't really understand Barack until you undertand Hawaii; Micheelee Obama once said of her husband, who was bron here in 1961. For although the seven inhabited islands of the Hawaiin archipelago constitute the 50th state of the USA, this place is very far from America, both literally and culturally.



Beach party time

While the commercial luaus- usually a hotel dinner with dancers and singing- are impossibly kitsch, the beach party featuring a dreadlocked dude with a guitar is also a long way from the traditional luau, but given that you're on a Hawaiian beach under the stars, listening to the sound of the waves well, who cares?