island atoll of Hikueru
length: 15 km (9.3 miles)
width: 9.5 km (5.9 miles)
photo: Francoise Holozet-Howan
Reason No. 15: Some words actually look like the thing they describe.
From Buzzfeed: 15 Reasons Why Learning Chinese Is Easier Than English
Hikueru
Tuamotu Islands
photo: Francoise Holozet-Howan
photo courtesy of Chantal Howan
Nimbus Cat Spring 2015: Wood
Dogwood, Sequoia National Park
photo: Rosa Tsongtaatarii
Author of The Charm Buyers, University of Hawai'i Press, recipient of the Ka Palapala Po'okela Award for Excellence; The Spellbound, forthcoming 2026
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