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Thinking About Hawai'i

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  • Thinking About Hawai'i

    The trip to Maui is coming up in a few days. I am stoked, of course. There is so much to love about Hawai'i--the warm weather, the warm seas, the incredible natural beauty. There was some beautiful quote from Mark Twain about his visit, about the fragrance from flowers he'd smelled 25 years before still living in his mind. What an interesting read his memoir of Hawaii was.

    In his age it was a major adventure to hop a steamer and sail for 2 weeks from San Francisco, which was not exaclty easy to reach back then, either! He was so thoughtful to point out exactly where to rent your horses. And today we hop a jet and we are bathed in those warm, moist, trade winds and the fragrance of those flowers in only a few hours. I know woman who refuses to swim in California, even when the water here reaches into the 70's, which it does for a couple of months each summer. She will only swim in Hawai'i. And she and the hub do fly over on the spur of the moment for a weekend with friends. Flying back from Kona once I talked with a woman who was returning to NYC in the dead of winter: what an incredible contrast. From the lovely warm breezes of Kona to...the clatter, roar, and freezing filth of the subways!

    I love the intense colors in Hawai'i. I don't know if its the steeper angle of the sun or the clean air, but the colors are so vibrant there. The green of the plants, the blackness of the cliffs, the intense beautiful blue of the sea and of the sky, and the whiteness of the ehukai. Colors are pretty washed out here, green is gray, brown is grayish, blue is pale blue gray. You don't have to fight the weather much here, but you get to bask in it there. Mostly. Of course you can hit gigantic spells of rain but for a desert dweller like me rain is always a treat--they thought I was crazy when I lived in Oregon because I loved it so much.

    I wish things could have been done better between the haoles and the Hawaiians. It is incredibly nice to experience aloha. I love the music, the hula, the language. There are vistas so beautiful there that...they make me get teary eyed. No lie. The view of the uncompromising greenness of Haleakala rising up up up into the clouds, the blue sea crashing on the black lava rock headlands throwing pure white ehukai into the air. The massiveness of Mauna Loa. The beauty of Kaneohe Bay, the cliffs of Kalalau. It always seemed like God kind of put on a show with Hawai'i. "Oh yes, the world is a wonderful miracle, life, birth, and I have given you the Grand Canyon and the Himalayas and the Redwoods, but now I am going to show what I can REALLY do!", and then He made Hawai'i.

  • #2
    Re: Thinking About Hawai'i

    Originally posted by Kalalau View Post
    It is incredibly nice to experience aloha. I love the music, the hula, the language. There are vistas so beautiful there that...they make me get teary eyed. No lie. The view of the uncompromising greenness of Haleakala rising up up up into the clouds, the blue sea crashing on the black lava rock headlands throwing pure white ehukai into the air. The massiveness of Mauna Loa. The beauty of Kaneohe Bay, the cliffs of Kalalau. It always seemed like God kind of put on a show with Hawai'i.
    I completely agree with you Kalalau; I must admit as an outsider; I too had my doubts about Hawaii. I've learned everyday since my time here; that the spirit of Aloha sorrounds me regardless of the "what mays".

    Tutusue said it better. "The Mana". The mana here in Hawaii is unlike any other.

    Mahalo - malama pono.
    stay forever young

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    • #3
      Re: Thinking About Hawai'i

      Got back last night to a big, cold rain storm in SD. A pleasant flight on Hawaiian. No more direct Maui-San Diego flights actually simplifies check in and shortens lines--you are effectively just checking in for an interisland flight and other than the quick ag inspection its quick and routine, not like the 3 hr. lines we would encounter with the direct jumbo jet flights.

      And a wonderful trip it was. As the rain patters on our roof here, I remember how it pounded for a whole day in rural Maui, giving us a chance to talk story with neighbors and watch the magnificent power of that storm from their windows. Got reacquainted with a beautiful hike and our favorite beaches, several days in heavenly warm waters body surfing and swimming, and soaking up the warmth in the shade of Sea Grape. Wow, the wahines bikinis are smaller than ever! Really, they are incredible! We don't go to the heavily populated zones, but kind off the beaten path, jungly and wet with streams and waterfalls and cliffs. First night and last nights at a very pleasant, clean hotel in Kahului, convenient to the airport and the attractions of that side. We are often get to see the moon setting over the ocean here, its always magnificent seeing that trail of shimmering silver on the sea (poetic, yes?) but this trip we got to see the full moon rising over the sea, and in the morning marking the stars, notably Hoku Le'a, over the little town, a welcoming committee.

      So its sad to leave Hawai'i. It always is. I have seen people breaking down and crying in the Honolulu airport. Yet its nice to get home, too. Nice to see the cats again, to have them nuzzling and purring, and a big warm fire in the fireplace on a cold, stormy day. Hot tea. And another treasured trip to Hawai'i to enjoy.

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      • #4
        Re: Thinking About Hawai'i

        I'm already ecstatic about moving to Hawaii, but after reading all this...oh i just know I'm going to be delighted for the next three years. Monday can't come fast enough. I've dreamed of moving there since i visited Maui for a wedding.

        ...and i was one of those folks getting teary-eyed at the end of my stay. I did not want to go back.

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        • #5
          Re: Thinking About Hawai'i

          On our flight to Honolulu we sat near a recruiting coach from a Pac 10 university who was en route to the Pacific region to recruit football players for his school--a dream job to be sure. But it brings up what must be one of the most interesting transitions people from small communities like relatively isolated islands must face--going to work in a large mainland city. A lady that works at the local bank is from Samoa--what a huge transition she has dealt with! I knew a Hawaiian lad who lived in Seattle and loved it. A part Tongan man has a health related business here. The neighbor we talked with in rural Maui has a relative who is Samoan and played professional football, including in New York City--what a huge transition for him! From a small, warm, tropical island village to the freezing gargantuan NYC! I have often thought that these people would have very interesting stories to tell. It would make a great topic for a movie.

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