Our New House (Hale) in Hawaii

WOW!!! View of the Koolau Mountains from the Lanai

 

Our House on Mealele St. Kaneohe, Hawaii

YES (a'e)!!! We just settled and moved into our new home (hale) in Kaneohe, Hawaii on February 22. Sorry for the parenthesis, but I am trying to learn some Hawaiian (taking a class).  Moving across the ocean (from Maryland) is quite an experience. The Matson truck pulled up at 8 am. on the 23rd. on Mealele Street to deliver the 10 (umi') crates of household goods we had shipped. 10 (umi') does not sound like many (we got rid of a lot of stuff in MD) but, OMG!!! every room in our 1, 685 sq. ft., one level hale is full. We had the movers open some boxes, but having to constantly tell them where to put things became overwelming very quickly, soooo we stopped unpacking and started stacking boxes. It's gonna take us a while to open everything but...it feels like a huge christmas present.  (*A dream come true*) Lots to do...Open boxes; figure out where it goes, roof/ skylight repair (got a credit to get some things fixed), small solar repair, get termite contract (very important in HI.), get security contract (no murders here, but lots of theft), get Oceanic cable , Hawaii Electric etc... Oh! and start getting estimates for our NEW Kitchen (small now); going to expand by taking out some walls (open up w/ bar) I will keep you informed of that whole process. Aloha!

A hui hou (See You Latter) Gotta unpack boxes :)

Living/Dining Room: Kitchen behind far Wall (to be changed)

"The Circle of Life"

Pink Plumeria: Chrissy

Japanese Fishing Ball

     Well...I went and did it :( ...I agreed to go to see an orthopedic surgeon and follow through, provided I like the doctor and agree with diagnosis. Like I said before I know I need knee replacement surgery (when & where is another issue), two other orthopedic doctors have told me...when I am in enough pain, I will have it done...Sooooo... What is enough pain? I was in pain daily when I lived in Maryland; due to cold and constantly standing and working. I had to take tons of advil and ice down my knee nightly to sleep and relieve swelling. Since I have moved to Hawaii I have not been working and cold is not an issue. Soooo... I am not in as much pain (took advil once in 2 months), but every time I try to walk any kind of distance, like over a few blocks (at the beach) I feel clicking, and sharp pain momentarily in my knees, till I sit down. Also if I extend my leg in one position too long or sit in one position too long, I get totally stiff and can't bend my leg to get up. My head says I want to do things, like; I want to work, I want to walk, I want to exercise , I want to be able  to get up and down in my new garden and be able to get up and down without pain, but my body says no to simple daily things.  Ughhh:(   What is a person to do? Surgery or No Surgery?, That is the question.Hmmm!

     On a better note, My husband and I recently went on a  2 1/2 Hour , Early Bird Special; Whale Watching Cruise. (8:45 till 11:30; Star of Honolulu) We signed in at the Aloha Tower around 8 am. and boarded the ship about 8:30. We cruised down the coast of Oahu for about 45 minutes; we stopped across from Honolulu/Waikiki, we stayed pretty much in one spot, next to another catamarran, bc a whale had been spotted in that vicinity.  Whales have two spouting holes and are known to spout prior to surfacing. They are also known to submerge 20 to 45 minutes after surfacing. So we waited and waited and sure enough the snorting and spouting began... It was very quick, so if you were not watching you could have easily have missed it.  Some of the kids were saying: where, I didn't see it. I almost missed the first whale appearance myself, but caught a glimpse. So now everyone attentively, quietly watched and waited for the whale to resurface with cameras aimed, armed and ready...it felt like forever.  BUT then it happened; the whale appeared snorting, spouting, surfacing and then the big climax the fluted tail. WOW!!! awesome, but quick.  We waited awhile again, but no more whale:( It was time to cruise back to shore.

The whales travel from Alaska to Hawaii to spawn (Late December through March)  Fun Experience.

One more noteworthy experience in Hawaii. Yesterday, I went to Kailua Beach (the secluded, isolated end, where Obama stays when he visits) I like it there, it's like you have your own little piece of paradise; the sand is soooo soft and white, the dunes have a natural vegetation that give it a rustic feel, oh and of course the swaying palm trees and relaxing sound of the waves. I was sitting in my chair reading a magazine, enjoying nature at its best and I start watching something bobbing in the gentle waves. I thought...It must be a coconut; round and bobbing up and down. I watched and waited and eventually it rolled onto the beach right in front of me. At first I just watched as the waves tossed it back and forth, in and out but then I noticed when the sun hit it, it was kinda shiney. What is that??? I got up and retrieved it from the water; it was a glass ball with slime , barnacles and snails on it. I gently returned the snails to their ocean home and washed it the best I could. A girl jogging by stopped and said: Wow, what a rare find...you don't find many of them anymore. I said what is it? She said it was a Japanese fishing ball used a long time ago and that it came from an old sunken ship. I packed up my things and left for home. I guess I was just at the right place at the right time. I needed something to lift my spirits and there it was; a fishing ball. Who would of thought, it's funny how the circle of life works. But I am glad it does. I also am inspired by people and places to paint flowers lately...have a look below.

Japanese Fishing Ball at Kailua Beach

Purple Orchids: Debbie

Red Anthrium: Christine

Yellow Hibiscus: Hawaii State Flower

       

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