Waikiki, waves, and lobster skin August 31, 2008

 

Surfer dude 1

Boogy boarder

Surfer Dude 2

 

So my time at Waikiki left me looking like a lobster, but it’s not hurting so Im ok!   I have begun to wonder about some people here in Hawaii.  Everywhere I go, I see people talking and gesturing to themselves as they walk down the street..or better yet as they are sitting by you on the bus!  I think some people are getting a little too much sun!

So I sepent the better portion of my day at Waikiki taking pictures of the boogy-boarders and surfers as they waited on waves.  I’ve included some pics for everyone today, enjoy.

Also, as per the Haole post yesterday…I wasn’t directly called a haole to my face but indirectly when some local was referencing me.  I don’t care…I was also called a tourist!  Maybe I am in a way because I definately don’t plan on living here beyond grad school!  None of it matters really, because I really enjoy that pier and will be there weekly if I have my way, so they better get use to it! 

Now here’s a question: What’s black, and white and red all over? 

Anser: Me at my sisters wedding!   Jess I may need to get someone to do my makeup too…in order to blend all the red properly!  Wanna make appts at Macys or Elder Beermans or something?  Let me know! 

Later!

Pier Diving, wipeout and those locals August 30, 2008

Waikiki Beach with Diamondhead taken from the Pier

Wipeout!

Waiting on a Wave

 

So my daily adventure included grocery shopping (which is a several time a week outing) and an excursion to Waikiki Beach.  Several of you have been wondering if I’ve tanned or better yet burnt yet…and to let you all know…Prior to today I was “tanning” but now I am red (mainly due to the fact that I’m an idiot and forgot sunscreen at the house).   But everyone should be glad to know that I may be red, but I’m not burnt…at least not in pain yet!

So todays adventures at Waikiki consisted of some lite reading(I didn’t get too far with my book) and my favorite hobby, photography.  I discovered a pier at Waikiki which all the locals used as a jumping point to access waves for boogy-boarding and surfing.  I love how the county tried to keep people from jumping or diving off the pier…what do they do…they post signs, and then station no one around!  Like that will stop people!  There were some tourists hanging around the pier watching the water logged locals trying to catch waves.  I must have sat there long enough because I got to talking to a few locals, including one, as the locals call him “gramps”.  He’s definately an older guy who loves the water as much as the young.  Every where you look you see all these young locals running around being all offensive to the haoles (which would i guess include me), but when it comes to their elders I’ve never seen such transformation to show respect.  Interesting…maybe I’ll do a whole study of this during my free time…

By the way a Haole is a somewhat offensive term used to indicate non-locals from locals.  Its pronounced “How-lee”.  And I have been called one, today in fact, but thats another story that I will tell tomorrow. 

Today’s pics include Waikiki Beach with a view of Diamondhead, a boogy-boarder wiping out, and the many locals waiting for those waves!

Enjoy, Later!

The Wierd and Wacky World, and a little taste of Home August 29, 2008

 

So things are beginning to feel a little more like home.  I finally got the box with all my pictures from home in it…so familiar faces surround me now!  I have discovered that chickens live outside my bedroom window.  I’m not really sure whose chickens they are, but they seem to be roaming wild in the jungle of Hawaii.  I’ve only seen 2 so far, so who knows! I’m a little surprised something hasn’t gotten them yet…like those cats that I always see hanging around the house! 

So I watched my beloved Packers loose yet another one…luckily for me it’s only pre-season and the Pack never has a good record when it somes to Preseason games.  Fingered crossed! (And when I say watched I really mean watched the play by play online becaue the Packers so far never seem to make it to Hawaiin TV!) 

So in wierd news today, a gangster, from Utah nonetheless, stole a tricycle from a little girl and tried to evade police…what an idiot, doesn’t he know that the best means for evading police is a unicycle?!  

Welcome to the world of reality tv, or at least thats what 5 people are desperately hoping for.  In Quebec, 2 psychiatrists have 5 patients who truly believe that every moment of their lives are being broadcast for the world to see…they honestly believe they are starring in reality shows about their lives (and no their last names are not Lohan, Spelling or Osborne..at least not that I’m aware of). I’m interested to know how the psychiatrists treat this paranoia…because I’m betting that pointing out the absence of TV cameras hasn’t helped out yet.   Remember when the paranoid use to believe that microwave ovens were frying their brains and or broadcasting their secrets to the Russians or CIA (your pick)…I’m betting that psychiatrists are longing for those days now. 

Enjoy the pic!

Later!

Things familiar, and the Crazy Asian Lady August 28, 2008

View from Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu Harbor

Honolulu Harbor

 

Today was an intersesting day.  I explored the downton/chinatown area and found some interesting little shops, especially a shop called INTO.  If I was rich, I would buy everything in there!  Some really cool custom creations.  INTO actually reminds me a little of the Zig-Zag Gallery back in Ohio, but with much more expensive product offerings! 

I also went to the Aloha Tower Marketplace on Honolulu Harbor’s waterfront.  Its a neat little shopping mall with plenty of restaurants to eat at that overloof the water.  See above for some pics of the Harbor area.  I also ended up at Ala Moana Mall be default (i got on the wrong bus…well the right bus, wrong direction).  Its massive!  In route there, I discovered that there are some familiar sights/shops.  Walgreens, Office Max, Borders, Barnes and Nobles, Sears, Macys are all to be expected!  I mean they are major retailors!  But how about a little Dave and Busters anyone?  Thats right, we apparently have a Dave and Busters!  I guess if I get bored I could go play games…who am I kidding, I have no money!

Ala Moana Mall is a major bus transfer point.  Its a huge shopping area and I explored it a little before catching a bus back to Nuuanu.  But while I was there, some little old Korean lady decided to become my best bud.  I know I have a friendly face and all, but how come all the strange ones find me?  So she decided she wanted to go to the Hawaii Kai area, but couldn’t figure out what bus to get one.  I tried helping her, but there is always a barrier not only between ages, but languages as well.  All she spoke was korean(and yes, I’m 99% positive it was Korean).  Eventually she politely gave up, but not before following me all around Ala Moana Mall.  Oh Well!

Enjoy the pics!  Later!

Sushi, Cows and those pesky Nuns August 27, 2008

Alas, to all of you that were as excited about seeing Nuns walking the catwalk anytime soon…it has been stopped.  How sad!  But in brighter news…It’s time to get Bernie ready in that straw attacking competition Jessie…the pet olympics are in town…or will be soon!  Oh and Stella…if you really want to win an election…just start registering pets…they did in Washington!  So I’ve been bored yet again today and have started reading a book for class…”just and Unjust Wars”, what a philosophical debate I will have in class with this one! 

Along with my boredom has come alot of random thoughts.  They all seem to have started after I read an article about whether elephants can hold a grudge and/or remember things/people/incidents.  (PS apparently they can…on all fronts.  Remind me to stay away from an angry elephant!)  That got me thinking about well my missed elephant towers courtesy of Jeff, but also aboutother animals and their level of “smarts”.  Ok there are the obvious choices within the animal kingdom that everyone thinks of when they think of animal wisdom…Dolphins, dogs, etc…but how about cows anyone?  Well apparently they can tell direction…or in the very least which way is North…who’da thunk?!

Ok, so I know I’m “off my rocker” today…but it can be blamed all to boredom. So Hawaii may seem like a “cool” place to live…but its actually quite boring.  Everyhting shuts down early…no late night partying on town.  Everyone here must either be an ealry riser(probable with all the surfing) or extremely afraid of the Green Lady (a ghost tale that no one walks at night across grass, among trees or nature or else a lady in white will come and scare you or depending on the version kill you).

By the way…the sushi here is 10x better than Ohios!

Later!

Random things you can learn from the UPS driver August 26, 2008

So me and the UPS driver are like this (picture fingers crossed)…He’s seen me several times since I’ve arrived (delivering packages of course).  Everytime he comes I learn something new…for example:

1) Did you know that the Nuuanu Pali valley i which I live is considered one of the most powerful places in the wolrd…huh..bet you didn’t know that!

2) That the Nuuanu Valley area is where most of the artists live in Hawaii

3)That there was once a big battle in Nuuanu Pali Moutnain range…the biggest in hawaiin history (I don’t know how Pearl Harbor fits into this..probably now considered American history). At the time the king pushed back an entire fleet of an invading army without a battle…he sinply drove them up the mountain and over the cliff. 

4)I also found out that the abandoned house at the top of Laimi St (By bus stop) that is all spray painted once belonged to a mass murder named Byran Uyesugi…he killed 7 people in a shooting spree at a Xerox office in 2000.

5)And last but not least…I was informed to watch out for menehune’s.  Apparently they like to cause trouble, especially with newcomers to Hawaii! By the way, a Menehune is a mythological being kinda like the gremlin or leprechaun. They are a people that are dwarf size and like to cause trouble…ie mischief makers.

So now I am on the lookout for menehunes (if I see one i’ll take apic for you), falling boulders, and mass murders yielding an AK47.  Good luck to me!

Later! 

The March of the Old Ladies and those stairs! August 25, 2008

Dead Frog # 23

My House in the Hills

The View from the Bus Stop to my House

Todays adventures involved finally getting my freakin bus pass (so now I can ride whenever and where ever I want, and my HPU student ID card (which has a very blad and blurry pic of me).  The buses were full to the brim today, I wonder if every Monday will be like this?!  Every where I looked it was old ladies…on the bus…walking…shopping.  They seem to all come out for some discount bread store downtown near the Fort Street Mall area.  Lady after lady was carrying bread! 

One more week til school starts, and I am so ready.  I spent time today hanging out with my roommate Eric.  He’s from Oregan and is in the Coast Gaurd.  He just moved into the house 2 weeks prior to me, and he hates Hawaii.  He can’t wait til he gets sent to North Carolina…which I guess is next on his list of placements.  He’s a nice guy and is studying to be an Airplane Electical Technician.  He also thinks Im nuts for studying Diplomacy and Military Studies…he can’t fathom studying it himself. 

So I counted the stairs from the street to my front door…and they total 72…thats right 72.  There are about 40-50 steps to the bottom of the final staircases, and then another 20+.  Im so sick of stairs.  However I would willingly do the stairs if I could do away with the walk to the bus!  It sucks…for those of you familiar with Heincke Hill…think that but just longer.  Thats my walk back to the house.  To the bus stop isn’t bad. 

So to answer a couple questions posed to me…No I haven’t surfed yet (Lori).  Eventually I will, but I think the first order of priority is making it to the beach!  Secondly…Im glad to see that several of you are as amazed and twisted in mind as me!  So here is a picture of the dead frog (see above).  The other pic is of my house and the view of my house from the bus stop. If you look closely you can see my house way up in  the back of the picture.  Enjoy!

Later!

All things stay the same…or not August 24, 2008

Iguana

My Kitchen

Theres not much to report on the Hawaii front…just another boring day…and I can’t wait to get my bus pass so I can explore some more!  Until then I’ve been a web-surfer and can’t believe some of the things I’ve seen…

For one, did you know theres a cat out there with 4 ears.  Jessie, you need to get yourself one for OC!  Secondly, I am loving the fact that college football has installed the “Bill Bilechik Rule”.  LOL! Thirdly, that the Nigerian government wants to actually jail those individuals who are victims of money transfer scams(aka Nigerian scams), stating that they are gullible enough to fall for it, then they should be jailed.  Next, did you know that there is a beauty pageant for nuns in Italy…Thats a little wierd for me!  Bathing Suits for Jesus anyone?  Personally, I think Italy’s drinking too much kool-aid lately because this isn’t the first wign of wackness I’ve read about.  There were also the banning of building sandcastles, and no reading in public parks bans that recently occurred.  Go figure!  Too much wine for them!

Last but not least…My favorite rant of all…How come TV networks always cancel my favorite tv shows?!  Why I ask you!?!  So MGM and Sci-fi have decided to pull the plug on Stargate Atlantis(yes I am a nerd and proud of it!). Thus meaning that no more McKay geek rants, Sheppard sarcasm, or my personal fave…Ronon kick-ass moments wih dreads flying!  (And again I agree to all of your thoughts that Im a dork). So after this year, it is being sent to the eternal dustbin of DVDs where all good shows end up (with the exception of The Inside…come on fox!)  I’m so sad!

Ok enough with my odd rants for today.  More pics to come. Until then enjoy the pic of the Iguana that lives in my living room…oh and my kitchen!

Sunny Saturday and the Horse Race August 23, 2008

One of many Surfboards decorating our ceiling

Surfboard

 

No rain today…well a little this morning, but it’s been all clear since then!  Thats a first since I’ve arrived!  I’ll take it.  So not a whole lot going on here, so I will update everyone on  my roomies.   I currently have 5 roomies.  3 guys and 2 girls.  Here is what little I know about them. First is Eric.  He is US Coast Guard and I never see him around much.  Im guessing hes’ mid 20’s in age and is a nice guy. His room is right off the living room area.  Then there is Charlie and his girlfriend Kim.  Charlie is early 30’s and is a construction worker and Kim is probably mid 20’s.  I see Charlie alot more then Kim.  Kim works, but not sure where.  Both have been here for about 6 months.  Then there is Molly.  Shes early to mid 20’s  and came to Hawaii in June.  She’s following her boyfiend here.  I see her the most since she doesn’t seem to do anything all day, and yet has money!  Go figure! She’s nice though, moved here from Georgia, but is originally from PA.  Her boyfriends always here too…probably soon to be 6th roomie.  And last but not least is Josh.  He’s mid 20’s and is a commerical real estate agent for some firm.  He just moved here a couple months ago from Arizona. 

I see Molly, Charile, and Josh the most.  Everyone is nice and really laid back.  I think that they all think I’m some right wing nut because I’m going to get my masters in “Military stuff”, and every once in a while someone will say something that might be considered”liberal” and then they stop if I walk in.  LOL.  If only they new!  I’m sure they will figure it out soon! 

So all I’ve done today is relax, watch TV, and chat with Josh.  I walked into the living room to find him watching Del MAr (horse race), and laughed a little. I don’t mind horse races, etc…but he watches some wierd stuff!  He’s always watching old westerns, and then the next thing I know he’s wrapped up in some space program documentary on Discovery. If I ask him what it’s about, he usually can’t give me a straight answer.  Now I know I get watch some wierd things too…but hey…it always amazes me to learn what other people watch and like.   I’m turning into a people watcher! (PS I have no clue who won the horse race…he turned it off after I laughed at him!)

Pics today of some of the many surfboards decorating our living room.  Floor to Ceiling!

Later!

Boredom and the cost of living August 22, 2008

Ok so no new pics today…More will be coming!  I promise!  Im still trying to adjust to the time changes…and while back in Ohio I was a night owl, here I seem to be an early bird!  This is also helped by the sun rising in my face every morning!  I can’t wait for school to start….Im getting really bored!  Or at least for next Monday, so I can get my bus pass for 1/2 price through HPU and I can explore a litle more. 

Todays adventures can be pretty much summed up by one place: Foodland.  I have found the closest grocery store to my place and it is tiny.  It also consists of over 2 miles of walking(not including those dang steps) along with the bus!  Grocery shopping today really showed me that eating out at Subway every day would be cheaper then buying groceries!  $6 for milk!  $4 for 2 pears! $4 for a can of soup!  Its insane. (ps: gas is at $4.50 a gallon).  Madness I tell you.  To not exactly fill the 2 cloth grocery bags Colleen gave me it cost me $60! (But Im loving those bags by the way!) Oh well.  Im set on food at least through the weekend.

So far my favorite place I have found is Fort Street in Downtown Honolulu.  Its a pedestrian only street where local farmers, and artisans have booths set up, as well as local restaurants and shops lining the street.  it doesn’t hurt that a section of it is part of HPU downtown campus.  So far food is cheaper here then at the grocery store…so farmers markets here I come! Also, the downtown campus isn’t what you’d think of of a normal college campus.  It is really part of Downtown and real chaotic in layout.  It’s gonna suck finding things here at times(at least until I get use to it).

Tomorrow I’ll try to catch you all up on my roommates…unless something more entertaining comes along!

Later!