Feel the Aloha all the time!!!

The Shaka Sign: The thumb and little finger extended in Hawaii means..."Hang Loose" Most of the time I can "Hang Loose" or Feel the Aloha but... there are a few things that really bug me; (1) the really tight parking spaces, that's the way they are here, and (2) people who take off at will when they are in a position of responsibility, two different places this happened. Went to a place, got a car inspected and the one person in charge of issuing the final state required permit/sticker randomly took off for the day, or they ran out of stickers. (3) Places of business post hours and just don't open for a few hours or take off on random days. (4) They say they love art (they mean Hawaiian Art: traditional/historical /flowers/tropical landscapes) Art is only in  some schools that can afford it (affluent population). (5) Hawaiians are very friendly people, but I am learning that really underneath, don't trust anyone new to the islands (haole). I wish everyone could Feel the Aloha all the time!!!
Question: What did outsiders (haoles) do to make them feel suspicious??? 

Eddie Akaia: No-Go, but an AWE-Inspiring Experience

WOW!!! What an experience! Started my day 6:30 am.: I drove hubby to work (Sorry:( he could not go with me). I could tell on the drive up to the North Shore that it was going to be an awesome day; the sun was pinkish, purple coming up over the mountains...beautiful !!! (Took Pics) NO TRAFFIC ???  I was expecting it to be stacked up, b/c the news kept saying the Eddie Akai was probably going to take place some time during the day; waves (swells predicted to be 15-40 Ft.) and weather permitting (Sunny and 80's).  Famous Surfers were coming from all over anticipating the big event. I parked at Kaiaka Beach Park; several miles away from Waimea Bay Beach Park, where the Quicksilver Surf Competition was to be held.    
      The city offered shuttles from nearby beach parks every 20 minutes to alleviate traffic congestion around the event. When I boarded the shuttle (7 am.) at its first stop, I thought it was strange that I was the only one on the bus, but that soon changed at the next stop. By the time we arrived at Waimea Bay it was standing room only. As I disembarked the shuttle I noticed that everyone was heading left over the bridge to the giant grandstands. Being the adventurous type, I noticed a small section of the beach to the right behind the trees. I saw a one guy with a big camera perched behind the trees; I asked him if there was a way to get down to the beach to the right; He said sure, easy right at the end of the sidewalk, He also said the surfing will be taking place straight out from there. Just like he said easy, peasy, I found a nice place to sit and; sure enough, I could see all the surfers floating in the water,right in front of me.
     As I watched more and more surfers came, one by one plopping their boards down, waxing them and doing quick TV interviews in front of me. (AWESOME SPOT) I viewed as they ran, jumped and paddled their way through the large waves out to the group. Every now and then an extremely huge wave would be announced and two, three or four surfers would take off; It looked like stripes and zig-zags going down the face of the waves. Glad they warned the crowds: they would say: grab your children and valuables, head for higher ground a few minutes before the really big waves approached. A few of the really huge waves cracked like thunder when they hit the beach and came up past where the spectators were sitting. Not bad but enough to get everything wet. Occasionally one or two surfers would surf all the way to the shore, waving arms, hopping, flipping and crashing in the waves toward the shore. The crowd would gasp and cheer...So much fun to watch! Even though the waves were huge, they called off the Eddie bc they said the waves were not consistent and predictable enough to hold the event.

Everyone should see a surf competition at least once in their life, It was an awesome experience!!!

House Hunting #101: Rent or Buy in Hawaii

          They say "Never count your chickens before the hatch".  The house hunting experience in Hawaii has been interesting and challenging. Perfect plans are always in flux, by that I mean, selling our house in Maryland was a roller coaster ride; one day sold, the next week pre-approved financing fell through. What is that all about?  The housing market is bad in MD. The value of our house kept falling weekly...still is falling.  Another offer came in ridiculously LOW, I mean, come on, our house was priced to sell quickly. All the others on our street were $300, we ask $269.  Anyway we did sell it for $265 with many concessions.
          #1 houses in Hawaii are about twice/three times the price compared to MD. (STICKER SHOCK even in a so called bad market here) #2 Termites are a really bad problem here. (Inspection Reports reveal them even when you do not see them) Anyway; We put a bid on a house (not near a beach or anything), $750... absolute top of our range. The inspection report had too many issues to list (at least $50,000 to fix) seller would not agree to fix anything and still wanted full price...WHAT!!! We said forget it. #3 Good houses sell in 1 or 2 days here; so you have to be quick if you like a house. Not a slow market here unless it's a Klunker (fixer upper).  They say the prices are down here. ( I guess in a good market they are 5X's the price)
          Well, if at first you don't succeed try, try again. We put another bid on a house last week $705 (3/2...Living:1,652 Land: 7,500) We got the Inspection Report back...75 pages; mostly little things but a few things I think should be addressed; Glass broken in half on shower door, Dishwasher leaking, Solar panel corosion and electrical box corosion/deteriorated and a soft roof issue (spots). We are getting the roof and solar checked by professionals today. Our realtor said they might refuse to fix anything. What do you think?  If this all falls through again...We are getting really frustrated and can't afford to pay over our budget. Another option: Renting a nice house cost a little less than buying; without headaches and repairs. Should we keep looking for a house or just rent a house and make it someone else's problem???
      

Life in Hawaii, so far....

Weather is obviously awesome everyday...NO SNOW:) I even like the windy, rainy days here.  I gave up my job back in Takoma Park, Maryland as an elementary art teacher...leaving was kinda bittersweet.  No job sounds awesome, but in reality I miss it.  I miss the kids and teaching. Art, kids (my own & students) and my wonderful husband, of course, are the love and passion that drive my life. I started looking for my new place in life in Hawaii; I know I will find it in time. Good things are worth the wait!!! In the meantime preparing for a new temporary job (Substitute teaching for HPS), finding a house and beginning some new paintings fill my days.  Oh and I need my knee replaced soon...not looking forward to that. I guess I have to look at the bright side..where else would I like to recooperate than Hawaii. Answer: Nowhere