Of all the arts i got into over the years, kapa was the only one that, like the ono ono fragrance when it ferments, really stuck to me. i think its because of the sheer diversity of the craft. As cultivar and horticulturist i had to learn the ways of growing straight, clean wauke and how to gather and prepare dye materials into a rainbow of colors and hues...as craftsman, searching for the perfect woods that could be shaped into hoha and i'e kuku and kua, and pohaku for poho and kua...as a student, learning some here and some there and continuing to learn always... as a teacher, who never tires of the the thrill of amazing a class with what the bark of a tree can do and become. Having been blessed with the virtue of extreme patience since kapa can never be forced.. only coaxed lovingly...an inch at a time... i love this work even though it really hurts to do...hours and hours pounding and pounding...stiff legs and spine and hands..how i appreciate our ancestors for doing this work in their matter-of-fact way. It just had to be done...and today...it still just has to be done.