The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

[turtlegirl]

Maybe I just woke up in a bad mood.

I feel like warning people, though....

After you have been here about two months, it seems that everything is a mess. I'm not sure what I mean by that, except that most things are SO different than you are used to (once you move here), and it can be frustrating, disappointing, and lonely sometimes. Nothing is the same here as 'back home', for better or worse. Everything is unfamiliar. I get lost regularly when doing errands. Now that everything is unpacked and moved into the new place, it's hard to figure out what to do next. And I keep getting dang lost!!

I have to go to the Sprint store today for the third time! (apparently saltwater and cellphones don't mix! ) Still have no working cell.

Have to go to Kinkos today for the fourth time. Apparently, nobody was reading the instructions for my order. 3 times, not reading instructions?.

Food prices are crazy everywhere. I can't keep track...$1.00 bags of onions here, $5.00 bags of onions there! Ack - where was I supposed to find those cheap onions at? Lost in traffic once again...

Work? Aargh! I don't know what exactly to expect here, but it's definately not what I'm accustomed to. Once again, for better or worse.

Just venting about stuff - like i said, I think I woke up mad!

But be sure, the alohas and palm fringed beaches wear off when day to day life happens. Also, the alohas and palm fringed beaches make everything okay! Tho I am blessed to be typing this in my shorts! Yay!

Good stuff?! I just wanna try to make a balance here...

I have an awesome garden that is growing so fast that I'll have to thin and replant some stuff by this weekend.

My landlady is a sweetheart.

My apartment is nice enough, hard to get used to after having a 3bed house, but it's charming and mine, and comes with aforementioned landlady.

The Weather is Awesome Every Day! That's a really huge thing for me!! I never want to wear a coat again!!! Only warmer US territory I can go to is American Samoa.

Birds. They're plentiful and adorable here!

Family. It's wonderful to see three or sometimes four generations of family barbecueing together at the beach.

The breeze. Mmmmm, never too hot with a good breeze...


Regardless, maybe I just have a case of the "Just Moved To Hawaii Blues".

[Ron Whitfield]

Whatever you do, don't...

...go to Burger King!
New corporate ownership, newly redesigned orderboard and uniforms..., and the same old 'can't get the order right' workers. I watched them blow it and throw away 3 Whopper Jr's before they got it right. Shameful, at best.

Turtlegirl, you need to hit the various 'farmer's markets' for your fresh veggies.
If no one post's thier area's locale's, day's and times, start a thread about them.

You're not alone in your frustrations, trust me. We here have just been used to the common but increasing silliness of Oahu life and know we are better off on da rock than being anywhere else.

Keep posting your grumblings and hopefully they'll get worked out.

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

Turtlegirl:

I think there is a Farmers' Market every Thursday evening, back of the Long's, in the parking garage. At least if I recall correctly. Bet you can find some good local veggies there, if it's still held, of course.

[tutusue]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

You may have a touch of "rock fever", turtlegirl...to be expected! Welcome to the real world of living in Hawaii. Your honeymoon is over and now it's time to find out if the marriage will work!!! I hope every person who lands in HT looking for help in moving to the islands will read your post.

[turtlegirl]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

Ah, tutu, I hope I don't have rock fever already.

I have, however, caught two colds since I've been here, and also broke my pinky toe this past weekend. Just when I was feeling better....harumph!

Did find a good farmers' market by me, on thursdays by the Longs, but it just seems like they sell bigger parcels of veggies at the same prices. More means, more that the ants in my kitchen get to eat. Aargh!

Thanks, kids, but Ron, you're right - I'm totally grumbling today! The honeymoon is indeed over!!

[scrivener]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

It is definitely going to come and go. I'm sorry you're feeling down about things. I spent two years in Hilo, which is only a one-hour flight from Oahu, and I went through the SAME THING shortly after moving there.

But you know what? I went through it again when I moved back HERE. I don't know. What do you think? Would it have been easier or tougher for you to adjust to moving THERE from HERE?

Hang in there. After a while, six buck for a box of cereal will seem normal. You won't wanna buy any anyway, since the price of milk will make cereal a fond memory.

[Tiabla]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

I have, however, caught two colds since I've been here, and also broke my pinky toe this past weekend. Just when I was feeling better....harumph!

I had an ear infection for 3 months when I first moved here, and as soon as that cleared up I also broke my pinky toe!

Did find a good farmers' market by me, on thursdays by the Longs, but it just seems like they sell bigger parcels of veggies at the same prices. More means, more that the ants in my kitchen get to eat. Aargh!

I had a lot of farmer's market produce go bad on me really quickly. I find the farmer's market good only if you're going to consume the food within 24 hours. Have you tried Don Quijote for produce? It's usually way cheaper than Safeway or Foodland.

[localmoco]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

I don't know what the actual statistics are, but I have heard anectdotally that a large percentage of haole malihini return to the mainland within 2-5 years of moving here. Daily life is not as they imagine it would be in "paradise". The culture is very different from what they are used to. Their family support network is far away. The cost of living is high. And then there's the rock fever...

[DiverDown808]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

This is an easy cure.....

Buy some fishing poles and reels from Walmart and give me a call.

Nothing like a relaxing night of fishing on the North Shore to cure all those pesky blues away. And hey, sometimes you even get fresh fish out of the deal

[helen]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

After you have been here about two months, it seems that everything is a mess. I'm not sure what I mean by that, except that most things are SO different than you are used to (once you move here), and it can be frustrating, disappointing, and lonely sometimes. Nothing is the same here as 'back home', for better or worse. Everything is unfamiliar. I get lost regularly when doing errands. Now that everything is unpacked and moved into the new place, it's hard to figure out what to do next. And I keep getting dang lost!!

Just wondering but is your move to Oahu the first time you moved places?

[lavagal]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

Learn to surf! When I first came to Hawaii in 1981, I also went through this. I was stationed at Hickam and lived in the dorm. People were too busy to get to know the newbie. It was kinda weird. But the guys in my shop surfed in Waikiki so they started taking me. When I moved off base and into Kapahulu about four months after getting here, I was enjoying the Island! There was a beachboy who lived in the four plex where I did and I'd go to his beach to surf. I met a lot of local surfer guys, who taught me about eating local style, what to get at Rainbows, how to eat with chopstix, taste sushi, etc.

I had made my mind up that I would embrace the culture. I was so New Jersey, though! I am considerably mellower now than I was then, but I'm still accused of the ability to go New Jersey when I need to achieve results. But I am tempered now with the understanding that in Hawaii things happen in their own time.

One thing I learned about produce here: You must refrigerate it all, except for tomatoes. I used to leave all my produce out and wonder why in two days my bell peppers would go bad. so save your produce and refrigerate it all!

[MyopicJoe]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

It took my wife quite a few years to get used to O'ahu (she grew up in a small Canadian town). She complained about not having a sense of where things were. Intellectually she knew she couldn't get lost, you're stuck between the mountains and ocean, but she didn't feel comfortable driving around by herself. She didn't like all the one-way streets in town. She liked the warmth, but she missed her seasons. She felt like she was in suspended animation. I'm sure it was uncomfortable for her to suddenly be a minority. She even said our Chinese fast food was different from the one in Canada.

But after a decade she's a happy camper now. She's used to the heavier traffic. She doesn't stress out about getting lost while trying to find a new place. She enjoys going to public places and running into people she knows. She's still not used to the roaches yet


A few years back I spent 2 weeks in Houston, Texas. I started getting homesick and felt a strong urge to drive to the nearby Safeway. Once there I made a beeline for the Asian food aisle. Actually it was just a few shelves in the aisle, but it was enough. I just stood there, gazing at the colorful labels and Chinese / Japanese characters (even though I couldn't read them). I took a deep breath. It smelt like home.

[kani-lehua]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

turtlegirl: the farmers' market you speak of near long's is at night, right? there's also the one buy the pool on south kainalu on thursday mornings that starts at 9am. you need to get there early as it is usually quite crowded and there's little parking. however, what about chinatown? i like getting my veggies there. but, with gas prices these days?! i'm trying to grow some of my own veggies now. seems to be a trend.

sriv: i CAN"T wait to move to the biggest island and get away from what we consider hustle and bustle. it's so darn noisy everywhere. man, when we travel into town from kailua, there's always somebody blowing their horn. kailua ain't that quaint little town anymore either.

[tutusue]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

[...]however, what about chinatown? i like getting my veggies there.[...]

That's a really good suggestion...as long as one trip to town includes several errands! Beware of parking, tho'!!! Check this list altho' it's from 2006 so the rates have probably changed a bit. Maybe try Chinatown Gateway (Plaza?...parking entrance is from Bethel St.) or Harbor Court (entrance also from Bethel St. very close to Nimitz) or Marin Tower (entrance from Smith St.). All have municipal levels priced accordingly and all are easy walking distance to the Chinatown shops. It makes for a fun shopping experience.

[kani-lehua]

Re: The "Just Moved to Hawaii" blues

agreed, tutusue. we only make one trip into town and do all the errands in one day if possible. yikes!

as far as the parking, i can't remember the names of the places we go to nor the prices because when mom is with us, we use her handicap placard and the fee is waived for app. 2 1/2-3 hours.