Andrea Andrist from Switzerland and I danced Hula at Halau Healing Hula in 2010 when I lived in Honolulu. She had belonged to another Halau earlier, just like I had, when I lived there in 2004-05. Often Andrea took turns with Karen to give me a ride home from practice and while we might not have been the closest friends, we always had good discussions about life, dance and rebirth the Hawaiian way. She gave me a very professional and sharp impression, yet firmly rooted in her spirituality.
After I had been removed back to Sweden in 2012, we spoke on the phone during fall and in 2013 in regard to my own pending cases against Hawaii Pacific University, who I had sued for negligence and my Immigration appeal, where falling out of visa-status had become a consequence, due to my conflict with HPU. She said she was going to have a look at it, and pass it forward, especially with her set of eyes with her experience of a tax attorney. At the time, Andrea was busy working with the bill on Gay Equality together with Hannah Myanmoto. Of course, I also commented and supported that bill. However, of her own condition I can’t recall her telling me about, at least not while I was in Sweden. She never came back to me.
During spring 2014 I received an email from a network list to ask if anyone of us knew Andrea’s last name and that she was submitted to Queen’s hospital. I answered what it was and called the hospital to check, but they said there was nobody there with her name. Later, I was told by one of the network members that she had passed away.
The only thing we need to remember to really believe in, is in Life itself. Honor and treasure it as such and never let political agendas come in between or be prioritized. What I know about Andrea is that she really tried.