(Dark) and Early

February 5th, 2014, Hawaii.

3:20 am

My alarm finds me and my cousin practically spooning. Even half awake, I it find amusing and fitting, considering that for the past month I’ve been poking fun at her for taking up so much space in the bed. Sometimes she would cuddle in her sleep, other times I barely escaped an elbow or hand to the face. I allow myself to hit snooze once, knowing at 3:30 it’ll be time for a quick shower…my last chance to feel fresh before my 32 hour trip.

4:00am

Taking care of me until the very end, my aunt fixes me breakfast while I pack up my computer and gather up all the layers that I know will suffocate me when I walk out into the warm Hawaiian night, but that I’ll be glad for when I’m freezing in Tbilisi.

5:00am

There is a man assigned to weigh bags before passengers head to the desk to check them. Good thing, too, because one of mine is 57 pounds. Thankfully my smaller bag has room to shove in a few things, though I have to sacrifice a water bottle. I hope some hobo picks it up.

5:30am

I see a rucksack sitting in front of a seat and a head of long dirty blonde hair sticking up over its back. I wonder if they belong to the adventurous type who might be headed to teach in Georgia. Then I notice two fedoras in the seats next to it, which lead me to think I am simply looking at a group of adventurers who came to enjoy Hawaii. When I come back from the bathroom I sit where I can see them from the front and feel that my second assumption is valid.

Rucksack guy has a tattoo sleeve down his left arm and a very distinct “I don’t give a %$#@” expression. The two fedoras are smiling about something. One has black hair to his shoulders and looks like he could be in a band with rucksack guy, and the other kind of reminds me the people I met at college who were known for playing Magic the Gathering for hours on end in the student center.  I notice that the fedoras both have red passports. I can’t help but wonder where they are from, but I don’t feel like making an excuse to strike up a conversation. After all, when you’ve been up since an ungodly hour of the morning and will be traveling until another ungodly hour of a different morning, you don’t feel like making much of an effort for anything.

4 Things You Didn't Know Were "A Thing" in Hawaii

Surfers? Check. Pineapples? Check. Ukuleles? Check. But here are a few things I didn't expect to find while visiting family on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

1) Asians. Lots. And lots. Of Asians.

The most prominent people group in Hawaii consists not of Native Islanders, nor of white mainlanders. Rather, nearly 40% of the total population is Asian! 

Only 9% of current Hawaii residents are Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders. And yet native words and motifs are used everywhere. You'll very rarely see "thank you;" it's always "mahalo." And everyone seems to enjoy making jokes at the expense of us "haoles." I can't help but wonder if those of native descent are honored by the fact that their culture is staying in style as they fade away. Or, rather, are they insulted that all these people who contribute to its disappearance are so desperate to identify with it?

Sorry, that was a little deep. Either way, where back in Arkansas I would expect to see many signs and instructions written in both English and Spanish, here they are written in English and Japanese. And there are plenty of options for sushi!

                                                   

For the stats listed above and more go here:
http://suburbanstats.org/population/how-many-people-live-in-hawaii.

2) Spam Musubi.

As further evidence of the Asian influence, this interesting snack has shown up everywhere. It's a regular at my little cousins' basketball games...on the snack shack menu right along with burgers and hotdogs. I've also seen it in actual restaurants.

I guess you just take a slab of spam, place it on a well shaped chunk of sticky rice, and wrap it in seaweed. Yes, I tried it. A few days ago I even had a hankering for it. Yum!

                       

3) Kendamas

This traditional Japanese toy has apparently spread like wildfire through Hawaiian schools in the past couple of months. The kids take them everywhere. Some schools have even banned them!

I made a short vlog showing how they are used, but Blogger and my computer don't want to agree and upload it directly to this page. So here is a link to it on the Unsettled Voyage vlog page:

Kendama Krazee

4) Slitted Windows

I'm not sure if there is an official name for these, but they are pretty standard in Hawaiian homes. Not surprisingly, air conditioning is NOT a thing. It really hasn't been so bad, though. I prefer being hot to being cold and I rather like the outdoor air circulating through the house!

Anticipation...(TLG) is keeping me waiting!

I arrived in Hawaii on the 7th. Today is the 27th. I won't even get my ticket for Georgia until Wednesday the 29th or later.

Don't get me wrong, there are worse places to be stranded than Hawaii. I really love it here. And there are worse people to be stranded with. My aunt and her family have been fantastic hosts, housing me and feeding me plenty longer than they had signed up for.

Still, the longer I wait, the harder it gets.

After all, I'm waiting for the next big experience in my life to start. And I can't know exactly what it will be like until I am there...living in a country I've never been to with people I've never met who mainly speak a language I'm only beginning to learn. All I know is that my world will be different while I'm there. And I'll be different when I leave.

Ain't No Mountain (That Isn't) High Enough

And the mountains! Civilization may only grow where the mountains allow. They still stand tall and proud all over the island. But why wouldn’t they? This island was always theirs. They were here when somehow, some seeds made their way across the ocean, and the rains watered them, and their roots began to reach out and take hold of any surface that would allow the intrusion. And the mountains still stand as men and women lay the foundations for houses and clear the way for roads and sidewalks. Trees, houses? What is the difference to a mountain?

And they were here when somehow, insects and animals made it to the island, and ants crawled along their arms and spines. And when the first humans arrived, swelling with pride as they drew closer to the great discovery that would affirm their diligent craftsmanship and vast knowledge of the seas and stars, and yet remind them of their humble place as small creatures in a big and beautiful world. And the mountains are still here now, as ants and people and many creatures inbetween still crawl across their skin. Ants, humans? What is the difference to a mountain?

They may not be eternal, but they will live longer than any of us. They will stand until the powers of heaven decide to reshape the surface of earth, pulling the whole chain of islands into the heart of the planet to melt them down and reshape them into some new masterpiece.

I've Got (One) Ticket to Paradise!

So by the end of January, I’ll be in Georgia (the country) settling in for a year of teaching English.  I had decided to use a soon-to-expire ticket credit to visit family in Hawaii first and fly to Georgia from there. Now the program I am working for, Teach and Learn, is having to find a new insurance provider. Bad news? I have to wait even longer to get a better picture of what the next year of my life is going to be. Good news? I’ll probably have at least one extra week in paradise.

And Hawaii really is paradise. 

It’s totally different from Arkansas, yet it feels familiar somehow. Something about the air reminds me of Japan, and the exposed rock of the cliffs jutting out into the water reminds me of Ireland.

 Or perhaps there is just a certain magic that lingers on all islands.  

I flew into Honolulu, on the Island of Oahu. Even with all of the traffic and skyscrapers that accompany human modernity, the island is green and lush. More variations of palm trees than I even knew existed grow throughout the island, even downtown. The sky overhead is a bright and healthy blue with fluffy clouds rolling in from over the ocean.  

Ah, the ocean. It’s gorgeous! From up high, the water is a deep blue that fades into brighter shades as it nears the shore. From up close, you see that it’s really clear. Crystal clear. Even when the sand is stirred up and the waves turn brown, they aren’t a mucky brown like in a mud puddle or pond. It’s more like seeing clouds of brown sand being gathered up and carried to the shore by the clear water.