Yes, the boys arrived safe and sound and in the past 4 months have made themselves right at home in our little Hawaiian apartment. Zosimos loves lying in the front window and passerby’s love playing with him through the window. Some people have even stopped to take his picture while he’s lying in the front window! Achates likes to lie in the bedroom window, or in the top of the closet or under the bed. He still hides from me often but I can always figure out where he is. The boys love it when I leave the front door open. They like to lie in front of the screen door and watch and listen to everything going on outside. They like to act like big cats but when a loud sound comes echoing our way they run and hide like little kittens. But they are my boys and I love spending time with them. They have made my life in Hawaii seem much more like home.
I guess I am feeling a bit home sick after living in Hawaii for almost 8 months. It seems as if each day I see someone walking nearby and I could swear they were someone I know from back home but after looking closer they are simply a stranger. I’ve seen old co-workers, favorite school teachers, best friends and even my chiropractor in the face of strangers walking by but no one I know has actually walked by. Oh, and I’m beginning to recognize the same homeless people in Waikiki. It’s sad to know that these people live on the streets and don’t know where their next meal will come from yet at the same time it’s comforting to see them because it means they made it one more day in this world. From what locals tell me, you don’t want to give money to the homeless, stop to talk to them or anything like that. Some can get violent and some just aren’t right in the head. So what I do is leave my recyclables in plastic bags by trash cans. Recycling plastic and other items is very popular in Hawaii; you can get 5 cents for one plastic bottle! It took me 2 months to save enough plastic to get $5 and since I have no storage space for my plastic now I leave it by a dumpster for a homeless person to collect.
As my family and friends in Kansas head into fall and winter we too here in Hawaii are heading into fall and winter. The highs during the day are now between 83 and 87 and the lows fall to about 70. I’ve been able to sleep with the windows open a couple of nights so far but it can still be pretty muggy here so not every night. With fall and winter here comes the rainy season. So far it seems to rain a bit more often each day and the weather forecast predicts rain much more often as well. I am actually finding myself getting cold in my office at work and a bit chilled when I leave work at night now. So I guess my blood is thinning and I am acclimating to the weather on Oahu.
Hawaii does not participate in daylight savings time. So until spring I am only 4 hours behind Kansas. That extra hour sure does make a difference; more than I thought it would! The time change is still one of the biggest challenges to having family in Kansas but we are making it work. Now as we head into the holiday season we are facing new challenges and trying to tell ourselves that we can make it work. This will be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas that Brent and I will spend apart in the 13 years we have been married. Neither one of us plans to decorate (who am I kidding, Brent wouldn’t decorate even if I was home) for the holidays; it just doesn’t seem right since we won’t be together. Airfare to Hawaii goes up in the winter and the most expensive day each year to fly to Hawaii is December 26th so that isn’t an option either. Brent has volunteered to be on call with his work and I will be working long hours during the season so hopefully we’ll make it through the first holiday season apart without too many tears.
On a positive note, I’ve learned about another beach on the island from some locals. Sunset Beach on the north shore. They tell me it is the most beautiful beach on the island. I am hoping to have a free day soon to go check it out. That maybe how I spend my Thanksgiving. But you have to be prepared during the winter months if you plan to travel to the north shore. The waves are huge during the winter months on the north shore; we’re talking upwards of 20 feet! This is the time of year that everyone flocks to the north shore to either surf or watch surfing. It normally takes about an hour to travel from my apartment to the north shore but this time of year I’ve been told it can take triple that time and finding parking can be impossible. But I am really looking forward to seeing some experienced world class surfers this winter!
How would you like to spend your Thanksgiving camping on the beach? That’s what many people do in Hawaii. Unfortunately, they have to camp out to get the camping permit! Yes, I said that right, people are camping out in front of government buildings so they can purchase the limited number of camping permits that are available for this Thanksgiving. During the winter months only certain beaches allow camping unlike the summer months. And one of the beaches campsites are all taken by homeless people so the number of permits available is very limited. Kind of reminds me of Labor Day at the lake in Kansas. Oh and the typical Thanksgiving meal in Hawaii is turkey and dressing. I thought it would involve spam or pig but it is the same as back home.
I hope I haven’t rambled too much and I hope you’ve learned something new about Hawaii. I’ll try to dig up some interesting holiday facts about Hawaii for my next entry. So until then, love, hugs and prayers to my faithful followers, if your still out there!
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