Aloha Friday

so I may not be living in Hawaii anymore

but I will keep as much aloha with me as I can.

Over at An Island Life, Kailani keeps it simple.

we all need more simplicity, right?!

YES!!!

Go visit and join the bloggy fun!

My question for you ...

Have you ever been to Hawaii?

tell me what you did there

and

what was your favorite thing about your trip?

for me - 

my favorite thing of the islands is that blue blue blue water.

I'd always seen the pictures, but for whatever reason, I thought it was doctored.

nope, the water REALLY looks like that.

blue is my favorite color, so it REALLY took my breath away!

Enjoy your weekend!

Aloha

a sad side to Hawaii

I live on the "rough-er" side of the island.  this is where you find people in REAL poverty.  the homeless have been kicked out of countless areas on the island, but they seemed to be left alone here.  we live away from tourism, where the streets aren't "so pretty."


we originally came way out here because we'd MUCH rather live among the locals than living where the tourists often visit.  people who come here to visit, have a tendency to use it like an Mtv Spring Break Party type place, or maybe, like Vegas.  why come to Hawaii to get wasted?!  do that at home!
the rental prices out here are less too.  so when we first got here, we had money to live wherever, but we wanted to make it stretch.  good thing we did ... but that's another story for another day.


you drive by the residential areas, and you can plainly see how people have a tendency to hoard here - its an island, things are expensive, so when you come across something of worth (or not so much), and can think of a possibility when you might need it (or not so much), you keep it.

and as the stereotypes go, this is also an area where a lot of "users" live.  meth is popular out here.  I've seen a few deals go down, but with so much "aloha" no one cares, its all very mellow ... if that even makes sense.  aloha is a real thing, more than just a perspective. I'm sure many don't necessarily approve of using (the me now does, not so much the me of 15 years ago) but people here let people do whatever it is they're gonna do.

aren't these pictures awful?  these posters are up in various places in the community.  I realize they are to "scare people straight" but, I feel for my kids, its a tad too far out of the shelter that I'd take them.  they are 6 and 2.  I know some would say, it's never too early, and so, we've been forced to talk about it a little bit.


we rode the bus to the zoo last week, and there was one of these pictures up.  I was sitting with Elliott and he saw it right away, the one with just the teeth.  I told him "that girl is sick" and "she needs to brush her teeth, doesn't she?"  he repeats everything I say, as to assure me that he heard what I said.  its cute.  I'm glad he does that.


what would you have told your kids?
when will you have the drug talk?
something to think about.


we have never had any trouble living over here.  but we also live in a gated community and rarely go out a night.  whenever I take the kids to the beach for a sunset, as soon as it sets, I don't mess around and I pack them up to head home.  that saying "the freaks come out at night" is true!


I also have never heard so many sirens in my life.  we're not too far from the local fire station, but even so, we were hearing sirens every single day for awhile.  like living near train tracks, it takes awhile to get used to it.  but whenever I hear those ambulance sirens, I always wonder what kind of incident those EMT's are about to see.  and with those posters around town, I bet they see a lot of that, and worse.


I suppose my point to this post ... don't do meth.

tsunami

this is my first year in Hawaii.  before we moved here, we kind of laughed at the thought of a tsunami.  I think for me, it fit into that category of only happening to a friend of a friend, you know?  not me.


with Japan's 8.9 earthquake yesterday, a tsunami warning was issued for Guam, Hawaii, and Thailand right away.  I heard about it right after I put the kids to bed around 9ish, then got online to read the latest.


our local news, they kept showing scenes from Japan and the tsunami waves that have already hit.  scary, to say the least.  they were honest about it, explaining the who/what/where/when/how's of tsunami waves and knowing what was happening in Japan could very well happen in Hawaii.


they showed street cameras of the traffic; it was bumper to bumper, especially downtown Honolulu.  the grocery store lines were loooooooong.  the shelves of water and canned goods were empty.  the locals seemed to be stocking up, preparing for the worst ... while of course everyone was hoping for the best.

some areas did get evacuated, the areas that are closest to sea level.  the goal of course is to get to higher ground, but still, ITS AN ISLAND.  there is only so far you can go.  I couldn't help but get scenes of Deep Impact in my mind.  remember THAT wave?!  the mountains here do go pretty high, its just a matter of getting there.


we live about 2 miles from shore, uphill, in a valley.  we are also on the second floor of a condo building; we were pretty confident we'd be ok here.  in case the power were to go out, we filled everything in our house with water that we could ... and after we heard about some fighting in the street, hubby loaded his gun.  just in case.


it was estimated that IF there were to be tsunami waves in Hawaii, the 1st one would arrive at 3am.  you think I slept?!  I did fall asleep, but then did one of those instant, dramatic jumps out of bed in 1/2 a second things.  it was one of those funny, but not-so-funny moments.  I watched the news from 3-4am ... with reports of basically nothing.  SAY WHAT?!
since last night, there have been reports of some flooding (from 2ft waves) and very minor damage.


so it was a big freak out for nothing.  it doesn't make sense to me, but somehow Hawaii was spared.  I know Kuai'i got much more flooding than Oahu did, still, no lives taken, no lost homes or businesses.  thank God.


so that's my story.  I survived the tsunami ... can I get a t-shirt?


not to make light of the tragedy of course.  my heart breaks for Japan.
have you ever been in an earthquake?  I have, but no more than 20 seconds or so.  its a freaky experience.  in Japan, that 8.9 lasted 5 whole minutes!
I'm sure people will begin (if not already) to organize supplies to send over.  if you'd like to help, I would suggest starting with your local Red Cross.


count your blessings ... and I guess lets all disregard my last post.  can I please wash some dishes now?

wordless wednesday

most winter days in Hawaii is still the perfect summer day ... and you would think it is summer until you go to the beach.  it is the rhythm of the ocean that will tell you what season it is.  the waves are rockin'!!  there are lots of surfing competitions, which are so fun to watch.  on Oahu, they're all (or mostly) done on the North Shore ... add that to your to-do this if you come out during the winter time.


but when I say rockin' I don't mean its so awesome and I had a great time.  NO.  I mean, those waves are HUGE and get ready to be thrown around ... if you can handle it.


I am not a strong swimmer.  I know how to swim but I don't have much experience, especially in the ocean.  my swimming lessons were done in a lake, where its caaaaaaaalm.  the only think I worried about what was possibly swimming in there with me - think river monster.


there is usually a spot on the beach where its calmer; a place where its still ok to take the kids to chase the waves around.  today there was a calmer entry point, but still, not for kids.  I was with a new-to-Hawaii neighbor, and of course she wanted to go in.  so we did.

the first few set of waves, we did good.  Sam even came in, but he got tossed around a little too much and left.   then the big ones came ... I don't know how big, but from my perspective, they were huge.


I thought if I went under deep enough, I wouldn't get slammed hardly at all ... SO. NOT. TRUE.


look at these pictures.  can you imagine being in that?!  try to image this wave coming down on you.

so glad I made it out alive.  writing this, 6 hours later, I can still feel it.  I didn't get physically hurt - thank you God - but I feel that crashing wave on/in my body the same way I can feel those nicer, softer, just-hang-out-swimming waves that are during the summer.  you know what I mean?

it only takes one wave ... I am so much smaller than the power of that water.  it demands respect.


lesson learned.

Fingerprint Friday

From the inspirational - The Rusted Chain.

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God

When I look at you

I can see the fingerprints of God

And I know its true

You're a masterpiece

That all creation quietly applauds

And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

so it's Sunday, not Friday ... but I'm pretty sure we're still ok.  So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints.  Go HERE for inspiration, and also, link up!

* click on any picture for bigger image *

These photos were taken at Kualoa Ranch on Oahu.  This place is amazing & so beautiful.

I was just driving by one day and caught a few shots.

Hawaii's nature, the animals on the ranch, the smell of the ocean breeze (which was literally across the street!) made these moments something to remember.  

I feel the most close to God when I am outside in nature

... and I always try to remember my camera!

food bank day

today I had a first ...
I went to the local food bank.


I kind of wanted to take a picture, but thought maybe it could have been offensive somehow.
it was a smaller one.  I'd say under 100 people there.  everyone had their box, bag, basket, wheelbarrow; anything to carry food home in.  it was kind of a sight to see.


you could tell the people there had been there many times before.  it was nothing new.  nothing to be ashamed of.
people saw friends, neighbors, and their other family members.  it was a kind of get together.


it was simply a way of life.




I felt funny.  a tad out of place.  I had never been before.
I never needed to go.


I always knew "the system" was there, for those who needed it.  I'm for it ... for those who NEED it.
I am also aware that there are people who take advantage of their no/low income status and get freebie after freebie after freebie.  in my opinion, its a bit discouraging.  I mean, why change anything if you get things handed to you over and over again?  and I have to say, its relatively clear that people here do just that.  sad.


Hawaii is so far, a VERY easy state to deal with.  after living in CA for so long, I now expect a thick packet of paperwork to fill out for every little thing, along with providing proof of everything.  In CA, even if you're standing in front of them, you still need proof of not just being human, but being alive too.   its beyond ridiculous!!


- here, you don't have to be here for a certain amount of time before you're a resident.  just go get a license, and when you do, there will be no line.  AND the people working there, will smile and mean it.
- when I registered Sam for homeschool, it was 1 piece of paper to fill out.  even the lady at the DOE said several times "Hawaii is a pretty hands-off state."
- at the food bank, I just gave them my ID and my current address, and that's it.


it must be all that sea air ...




the food I received is not ideal, as in, its not ever what I'd buy at the store.  I did get produce, but it is all on its way out.  the bread is all enriched white bread & rolls.  2 big bags of frozen french fries.  4 bags of frozen precooked pork patties ... there's always next week.


BUT if its this or nothing, this will do ... and I'll remind myself this is only temporary, but more importantly, I'll be thankful for it.

its new years, and ....

my photos are so unorganized
chances are, I'll just skip a Christmas post altogether
eh, I'm out of my element anyway with this blogging stuff
you daily bloggers ... do you just have no one to talk to???
how on earth do you blog so much???
of course, I have no one over 6 to talk to either ... haha!



skipping the long complicated story, we are staying in a condo in downtown Waikiki for the weekend.  for free!  I love free!


I got to walk down to starbucks this morning.  it was lovely.
there really are some great things about living in a city.  and now, after living in the country (or what the locals call county ... but actually, its not really country) its nice & refreshing, convenient & easy.




I have forgotten a few things about this city ...
- there are TONS of people, and at starbucks, the line was out the door.  but the crew behind the counter must've had their coffee too, and it actually didn't take too long.  it was sort of amazing.
- almost everyone in there was in workout clothes.  they had all just finished their jog/walk/bike ... but to starbucks??  who drinks coffee after a workout??  I don't get it.
- and apparently its ok to be more or less naked since the beach is directly across the street ... good grief! why wear anything at all?!


- I took another route on the way back and passed by a church.  there was a homeless man sleeping on a piece of cardboard on the front steps.  I know a lot of people choose to be homeless, especially here, but still, I wonder how people end up where they do.  don't you?
then I noticed his cardboard was one big puddle.  the man was sleeping in a puddle of piss.  whaaaat?!  I was upset ... I was so sad, so disappointed, and so angry all at once.  I still am not sure what to think of it ... but if I had an extra pair of pants with me, I would've left 'em for him.


- at night, this city is very much a party place.  the party-ers I don't like are the tourists.  its like watching spring break on mtv, which to me, is disgusting.  go get drunk, naked, and stupid at home.  you don't need to go on vacation to do that!!  right?!


- apparently Hawaii is banning fireworks, so new years will be the last big show.  this is why we came.  we plan on heading to the beach to watch.  should be fun!


have a happy & safe new years!!  
ps. I have a resolution list in the making ... rough draft, you know. :)




later tonight -
so wouldn'tcha know it ... I ended up at burger king for dinner.  its a glamourous life, you know.  but I had to walk past that same homeless guy to get there.  I don't think he moved an inch.
still unsure of how I feel about it ... but let me also say, it really doesn't matter what I think in the scheme of things, just to myself I suppose ... but I wanted to do something, so I bought him a couple chicken sandwiches.
I had Elliott with me.  he didn't get it of course, but he saw.
I couldn't give him pants, or a shower, or a comfy bed.  he gladly took the food though, and, I'm glad I could help his stomach at least.

Happy Birthday Jesus, and ...

Fingerprint Friday

Fingerprint Friday was inspired by a Steven Curtis Chapman song -

I can see the fingerprints of God

when I look at you

I can see the fingerprints of God

and I know its true

you're a masterpiece

that all creation quietly applauds

and you're covered with the fingerprints of God

to be honest, I have never heard this song ... but reading the words without the music is still pretty inspiring, no?  God's fingerprints are everywhere.  look around, take note, and be thankful.

Does this ever get old?  not to me!

somehow when the rays of sunshine pass through the clouds like this, its such a good reminder how much went into making this place; not that it was hard for Him.  maybe it was just the snap of His fingers.  but don't overlook that simple fact, He put it together.  He put it ALL together.  

When nature offers beauty like this, how can you possibly think all you see is one big accident?

Find God's Fingerprints around your day to day and join us here!

YOU Capture - Outside

being in Hawaii just 6 months, I have sooooooo many pictures of the beach.  I love them all.  its difficult not to take a beautiful shot.  they don't call this place paradise for nothin'!

but for this YOU Capture, I wanted to show you something different.

I am no world traveler, but I have never seen these trees anywhere else.  I still don't know the name, or should I say, I haven't done any research on the who/what/where/when/why of this tree.

there are a lot of them around Honolulu, and zero around my neighborhood which is only an hour away.

the boys thought it was pretty neat too.
here, Samuel's Tarzan-instinct is taking over.

the established branches grow roots.
they hang and grow until they reach the ground.

a twisted mess.

join us here!

winter?

does this look like winter to you?!  its definitely a winter I've never known!


while the rest of you are getting buried in the snow, shoveling, sniffling, wearing 10 layers, and making hot cocoa, over here, we are packing a picnic and going swimming in the beautiful Pacific.


do you know how awesome it is to go swimming, way past where you can touch, and still see your feet in the water?!  aaaaaaaaamazing!!


yea, I've got to rub it in a little bit.


we live in Makaha, and if you look at a map of Oahu, you'll see Makaha is at the faaaaaaaar end of the west side.  there is no paved road that goes all the way around the coast of Oahu, which is kind of a bummer.  these pictures were taken at the dead-end.  where the paved road ends, there is a trail that will take you to the north side, but I pretty sure it would be  a looooooong hike.  definitely not something I could do with the boys.  some people with 4x4's think they can make it through, but I haven't heard a success story yet.

Samuel

Elliott

apparently winter in Hawaii means the waves are huge and the current is strong.  all the beaches have warning signs up.  every time I'm there with the kids, the lifeguards come over to warn us, thankfully.  


its easy to see the point breaks, which is, you can tell where the big waves are coming from and they go one way, that's where all the surfers go to wait for that "perfect wave."  then on the opposite side, its nice and calm, which is good for the boys and I.  strange how that works.


I'm told all the surfing contests are in the winter season.  we have yet to go to North Shore and watch; that's where the BIG waves are.  those guys are flat out crazy, but, so fun to watch.


ps. I was at 9,000 feet in Colorado last year, so I do very much remember what you're going through.  I empathize!!  grab some marshmellows, light a fire, and stay warm!
... and while you're sitting there, imagine yourself at the beach!

this counts as science in my book

I posted awhile ago that my boy(s) need recess first before concentrating on school ... or anything that takes focus.  they both just wake up with FULL energy levels.

I've been slacking on that, and yesterday when I realized their morning cartoons were finally turned off right before lunch.  that doesn't happen daily, but still, I felt so guilty.


it hit me like a ton of bricks; we all get so unmotivated to do anything if we're couch potatoes first thing ... and I don't even watch, I get caught up in reading the news, blogs, facebook, emails, etc.


bad mommy.  bad teacher.  bad example.


today is a new day.  luckily I got another chance.
today, they got up at 630am.  not cool.  at least wait for the sun to come up!!  right?!!
for me that means, no walk = 1+ cup of coffee.


we still watch cartoons, but only for an hour or so.  we have breakfast, then its out the door to discover what's out there ... even if its just a walk within our gated complex.  no shower required.  just throw on whatever + shoes + my camera!


today we woke up to clouds and a bit of rain.  that's winter in Hawaii.  no sun makes it cool, but definitely not cold.  jacket optional.

but having this "winter weather" allows us to see things we don't normally get to see everyday.  the snails were out.  the peacocks stay out longer since its not hot.  the air smells different.  the mountains looks different.  and as far as bugs go, its like a whole new world.  needless to say, Samuel LOVED it.




look what he found today ...

this is the beauty of homeschool.  isn't it great?!

Fingerprints of God

I got this shot of Samuel yesterday.  I LOVE it.

coincidentally, I found this at The Rusted Chain. 

I think the two go together perfectly.

Hawaii driving lesson

just fyi on driving in Hawaii -


1. fast drivers = locals, which means, the s-l-o-w drivers = tourists.  and oh my goodness, are they slow!  all cars here have Hawaiian license plates, there are exceptions, but only a few.  unless you had JUST bought an awesome, brand new, great gas mileage car, you don't bring your mainland car to the islands.  you just don't.  those tourists stick out like sore thumb, and obviously so annoying on the road.  I've been here 6 months; is that enough time here to complain about them?
if you come to visit, call someone you know to give you the tour.  like me!!  seriously, call me.  that way, you can stare out the window, or even stick your head all the way out to feel that warm hawaiian breeze, see everything, and just take it aaaaaaaaaall in. 


2. the freeway says 55-60 but people drive 70-75 ... that's normal thought, right?  coming from CA, that still conservative driving!


3.  logistically, the freeway is very different.  if you miss your exit on the mainland, you just get off at the next one, turn around, and go back.  not a problem.  if you miss you exit here, basically, you're screwed.  every single exit ... every single one ... is an entrance to another highway.  there is no where to turn around.  none.  gps is a slight help. you're never completely lost, but you do still have to take the long-ass way around, um, scenic route to wherever you're going.  total pain.
I wanted to carpool with someone to a class field trip we had, so I put her address in the gps and off I went.  well, it was me driving, and I of course miss the exit.  I normally have this gps set to go whatever route gets me there in the fastest time, well, I had to literally drive 15 miles to a certain exit to be able to turn around.  of all exits, it was the flippin' airport!  no airport is THAT easy to get in and out.


so so so ridiculous.
but of course it IS an island.  you can't get THAT lost, right?







oh, and let me add ...
I am thankful to have a car!

17 of 30

(making up for yesterday - sick in bed again. I don't know what's up with that ... I'm rarely the sick one)

I don't know how a state goes about choosing its state flower, but I think Hawaii ought to change theirs.

the hibiscus is big, and huge, and I've only seen it in a few colors. there is no stem to cut so you can put it in a vase, and its way too huge to pick and put behind your ear, as Hawaiians traditionally do. maybe there are different breeds where you can do that, I don't know.

the hibiscus, of course, grows everywhere here. its paradise, what doesn't grow here, right?! but its missing something ... it doesn't really smell. I don't know about you, but I enjoy smelling my flowers.

plumeria ought to be the new state flower ... in my humble opinion. :)

these plumeria also grow everywhere and are in major abundance. in fact, most leis I've seen are made from these.

they grow on trees ... and Sam loves them because the trees are low enough for him to climb. he'll always go up

and then come down with a flower for me.

all together now - awwwwwwww! he knows I love them.

look at these pictures; they come in lots of colors. so pretty!

the one thing I can't really share with you is their smell.

its soft & sweet. think along the lines of a gardenia, but not so strong.

we have a plumeria tree right outside our back window.

since we are on the second floor, we see the very top of the tree, where a lot of the blooms are. I can smell these flowers everyday.

its a nice way to start the day!!

6 of 30

.

Hawaii is something to be thankful for.

its beautiful. I can see why people call this place paradise.

I can't wait to visit the other islands; we're told that each island has its own "flavor." I've only been on Oahu and Maui, but hey, I'm not complaining!

fyi - these are not my pictures, but I feel like I been standing in each spot to take them. you will see each of these on your visit ... yes, come visit! and yes, the water really is THAT clear and blue and gorgeous!

booking a flight yet?

I am not a rabbit

usually one of the awesome things of traveling is the food ... if you have brave tastebuds that is.

I lean more to the whimpy side of bravery ...

although Hawaii is a part of the USA, its pretty different than anywhere I've lived. out of all my moving (and you know I've done my fair share of that) its the only place we've gone that has another culture attached. for the most part, its good, but I wanted to talk about the food for a sec ...

locals here are either VERY tone and gorgeous from being daily beach bums, or they are VERY ... not. there are not many in between-ers here.

I want to be one of the tone ones ... but I digress.

you would think Hawaiians would eat tons of fruit and fish. some do, but it seems more eat McD's and other fast food ... seriously, the McD's in our neighborhood almost always (and this in no exaggeration) will have a line of cars in the drive-thru coming out of the parking lot, literally blocking a lane of traffic into the road. we were told by the manager (yes, we were there once ... ok its been a few times) that this particular McD's is the busiest one on the entire island. crazy. every time I see it, I want to take a picture. I don't think I've seen anything like it before.

there are also tons of rv-converted-retaurants along the side of every road ... are they still called "roach-coaches?" this food is good if you would like an instant heartattack ... if you can imagine, more instant than a Big Mac. EVERYTHING is covered and smothered in fat and salt (as in, you can plainly see it) and always comes with more white rice than you know what to do with.

now I don't claim to eat right, or even healthy on some days. I am no nutritionist. I think I'm just venting ... yet amazed ... and disgusted ... its like that car accident that you have to slow down and look at no matter what has happened. wow ... and ew.

my theory ...

I have figured out why most people here are overweight. yes there are tons of things to do outside here, but just like summer anywhere, who wants to cook when its already hot outside?! not to mention, many of these apts/condos/house do not have air conditioning and rely on breezes alone ... sometimes that breeze just isn't there, and sometimes your fan just isn't enough ... who wants to cook in that? plus the humidity here ... sigh.

using the oven is the worst. who wants anything from a crock pot? I certainly don't crave chili or soup anymore. is it me, or isn't dinner usually a hot meal?

ok. so. I am in need of non-hot meals. help me. please.

but I insist, rule #1 I will not be eating salad every night.

go.

and thank you.

hanauma bay

I was at hanauma bay ... BEAUTIFUL!

I have always loved nature, but being in the water was a different kind of connection with it. if you can imagine, in a spiritual sense, it was such an amazing feeling to get so close with this whole other underwater world God created.

this bay is a preserve, so the fish there know they are protected from us silly humans. they swim wherever they want; all around you without flinching to your movements.

being underwater, away from the noises of "our world," is so peaceful.

the fish, obviously, don't make noise, so you just hear the waves and the current as it pushes you around. if you stay in one spot to observe, you will sway back and forth with the waves, the same way the fish do.

you also hear your own breathing in your snorkel. once you're calm in the water and breathing normally, that too becomes peaceful, and that makes for a much more enjoyable dive.

however, it does sound a little Darth Vader-ish, but the fish don't seem to mind.

TONS of fish, thriving coral, eels, surprisingly no turtles today...but I saw the biggest rainbow parrot fish ever, just like this one ------------>

truly amazing!!

we splurged and bought an underwater camera, but of course, we left it in the car. the bay is down a steep hill, the valley of a once volcano eruption, and no one wanted to go back and get it. it was so steep, they have trolleys to take people up and down - $1 each way even! anyway, personal, real life photos to come on our next trip.

we have started buying our sunblock at Costco, hahaha, but seriously! we use it every single day just about. we used it today for snorkeling ... but I'm not very good at reapplying. so often when you're in the sun, you don't know you're getting burned, at least not in beautiful, perfect Hawaii!! luckily the boys has on their rashguards, but not mommy ... and since I was face down most the day, my back is not feeling too good. I'm about the same color as a lobster, and, it was difficult to sleep last night. :(

I have to say, it was still worth it.

POG

is POG a Hawaiian thing?

I haven't been in the islands for THAT long, yet I've forgotten if/when/where I've had it before somewhere.

POG is passion fruit, orange, and guava fruit juice. yummmmmm-y!

if you haven't tried it, you definitely should!!
and that's my endorsement for the day :)