Ok, so what's it like to live in hawaii? I'm greatly considering it. What's it like to be a lawyer there? Whats a good place to live that''s not TOO expensive and still very nice? Maui? Somewhere else off the beaten path?
Life here is relative to your experience, expectations and social development. I would say generally if your the type of person that could be happy just about anyplace then you could be happy here. ;-) Scottsdale huh? What is it..about a buck fifteen in the shade? You must be a golfer to get the most out of your present location and we have some nice courses (understatement) that are CHEAP or at least affordable to play on if you are a resident. Tourists get the..."shaft". They are a "on par" with the tracks near you. I kill me! As far as your profession your question is too broad. I do know that if you're an ambulance chaser you are going to go hungry here... I know three people who were rear ended... three seperate crashes...cars totaled or nearly...beat up bodies with bruises and multiple trips to the doctor and NONE of them are seeking payment in the form of a settlement. Unlike California where you roll out of the car and grab your neck and back and lay on the ground at the slightest impact. That being said there are worse places to be hungry. If you are a specialist of some sort I am sure you have other forums for inquiry. You will need many trips here to find the right neighborhood that is for you. Maybe rent for a while and leave a lot of stuff in storage until you find the right spot. There have been some cheap airfares this year on Hawaiian Air. A requirement for my happiness was being able to walk to a beach that has sand and surf, parks, and conveniences so I was able to narrow my search down over about 10 visits and a two year span..again all relative but i offer it for reference. You'll need to know your personal requirements to really get the most out of such a relocation. Good Luck, Aloha
Specific book; sobering, realistic: http://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Live-Hawaii-Succeeding/dp/0966625366/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281403293&sr=1-1 List of books. Only one I've read is the above one: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_23?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=so+you+want+to+live+in+hawaii&sprefix=so+you+want+to+live+in+&ih=22_1_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_1.15_333&fsc=15
Yes, I moved here well over a year ago. The pidgin English and slang doesn't annoy me any more than a southern drawl or Texas twang.
Well for me I can't understand a thing they are trying to say. Trying to do business is almost impossible.
Perhaps you'll have to get creative. My sister spent a year in Scotland and found it very, very difficult to understand the natives, especially when she got away from the metropolitan areas. Through happenstance she found that they had a fondness for Elvis Presley, so asking them to imitate The King suddenly made conversation much more pleasant and easier, if not somewhat comical. While I've heard some hard to decipher pidgin English here on Oahu, I am told it will be impossible for me to understand anyone on Kauai. So far, I've noticed that Maui pidgin English sounded and had a very similar melody to Caribbean English, specifically the southern chain of islands like Trinidad & Tobago or Grenada.
Some of the tradesmen can be tough to follow...at first! You get to spend a little more time working out the smallest details with the guys who lay it on real thick. Its a nice way to get to laugh with them a little. Hopefully everyone is enjoying the ride.
You need get one book... Pidgin to da max, Bra. For those of you who may have a tough time understanding local speech, locate a copy of Peppo’s Pidgin to da Max. This is an easy and enjoyable way for the non-local to get immersed into the pidgin experience, yet it also provides a funny reference source for even the longtime local. Of course, no mention of Pidgin to da Max isn’t complete without the famous word of warning to the non-locals that this book is not intended as a lesson in how to speak. You will only get in trouble if you do. I have had this book for 20+ years and until only recently had begun studying the actual Hawaiian language. A suprising amount of what is considered pidgin in this book has it's roots in the genuine Hawaiian language as well as all the other cultures that have settled in the islands.. The place is a true melting pot of east and west. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Just to add my 2 cents: My mom was born in Honolulu and she is now 87. My parents have lived on Maui for more than 40 years, and they were both teachers there so they know a lot of people. Mom says she still feels like an outsider sometimes. There's still the remnant of small town culture on Maui, and sometimes "new" haoles (white folk) can feel uncomfortable so they tend to stick together on the west side of Maui or the hills. After awhile, anyone can feel the "vibe" of not belonging if he/she thinks about it too much. Get a tan - just partially joking - 'cause if you look like a tourist you get a different reaction than if you look like you've been there awhile. I come from the Bay Area of CA and every visit I get the "wow, you sure are pale" comments. Slow down; life is a little slower there. You can't bring your old life and change the culture there; you have to fit yourself into it. Anyway, life is short. Be happy and drive your F-car.
I would love to live in Hawaii. For me, Oahu has what I need. As for hot? Glassman, you would die in South Carolina. 97 degree, humid, heat index of 115. This has been a miserable summer. Plus, I lived in NJ (where the winters are freezing and the summers are killer hot) and South Florida...so Hawaiian weather is the best I have ever experienced. The only poor weather I saw in Hawaii was rain. It rained for 12 straight days on my honeymoon...may have been an omen, now that I'm divorced. I need to get back and cleanse myself from all the ickyness (there's American language for you) my ex brought to my life. I have heard of the prejudice in Hawaii and how I'm a haole, so I won't fit in. I NEVER experienced this. In fact, when I tried moving there in the 90s, a Hawaiian took me under his wing and introduced me around. I was always welcomed and felt at home. I remember meeting a Hawaiian couple in Waimanalo just before heading to the airport. They invited me to a cookout they were having that evening with their family. I guess like the other post said, a smile and giving back aloha goes a long way in Hawaii. And I have a much easier time understanding pidgin than I do rednecks! When I come home from Hawaii, I seem to have taken on the accent...when I come home from the Piggly Wiggly (grocery store) in South Carolina, I have a headache Love the South, but love Hawaii more. I made a deal with myself that I will return to Hawaii for a visit within the next year (I have frequent flier miles that will pay for airfare). Of course, I said this last year too...but this will be the year!!! Maybe an FChat get together? Aloha
Brudda WAX, Dis one fo you. I don speak Marlin too good Bra but dis bugga come win I callim eha? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Glassman Try this...just for one day and see the results. *SMILE* at everyone you see and say "Hows it!" Remember with a smile. You "WILL" see attitudes change towards you. In turn you will feel the difference. The locals have over the years, experienced very rude visitors and it all started when the land was taken away by the wealthy land barons. So the locals are very-very gun shy to make the first move. If you project through body language that you hate being here, the people, everyone will see it as you approach. Using the "Smile Techinique" you will immediately disarm them...and now you are sending out "Aloha" Happy Trails to you my friend!
I'm kind of with Glassman on this, but my time in Hawaii was only for our honeymoon (week on Maui and then a week on Maui on 2004). I flew into Maui thinking it was Paradise... Then I saw the clothing strewn across the airport access road. What is that? This is what the thieves toss when they steal your luggage. Then, on Day One, we drove to the big wave beach called "Jaws" (how ironic) and our car got broken into and the house keys got swiped with an empty backpack. I saw the dudes swilling beer in a pickup....this was near Paia and the meth problem. On Day Two, we drove the Road to Hana and we saw burned out cars. This is the most beautiful road in the world and it is (was) littered with burnt out car shells. I guess there is nowhere to junk old cars so this is the norm. It is a sad sight to see. These events were isolated and we learned to stop leaving anything in the car and we stopped locking the car at scenic areas. Let them take look and see we have nothing. We had no problems on Kauai. I would also say that having a Ferrari on these 2 islands would test your patience to no end since there are no highways and the traffic is heavy.
Jaws I've never seen clothing strewn across the road near the airport. A lot of people have their luggage tied hap hazardly onto the roof of their cars or half hanging out of the trunk so possibly a duffle bag fell off?? Not a good Idea for a thief to draw attention to themselves driving down the street throwing clothes out the window.... We did have a bad problem with abandoned vehicles for some time but that has been rectified. We now have a metal recycling plant that will come get your car. The county and city didn't want to pay for the towing charges before this...so they just stayed on the road for a while. People burned them in hopes of getting the county to tow them as a hazard. There is a meth problem on Maui but nothing like the drug problem that is on the mainland in your town. When you live here you will learn what parts of town you don't visit. EVERY town has these problem areas...yes even on Maui. I don't trespass on private property to go see Jaws...where alot of the drug users would be. There is a problem with meth addicts breaking into "Rental Cars" at scenic spots if your car is left for long periods of time. They figure, if caught you won't fly all the way back to Maui to prosecute them. I never ever leave valubles in my cars...hide your wallet under the dash somewhere before you arrive. Maui is paradise but, ""people" live here so we will always screw up! Just ask Adam and Eve.. As far as roads to drive on...how about this one! Image Unavailable, Please Login
I fantasize about driving a Ferrari evertime I drive the road between Makawao and Jaws, name escapes me. Not to mention the upcountry runs above there!!!! All true about the drug problems but Hawaii is unique because this is a small place where everone knows everyone elses business so I have found there to be a little too much tolerance. I mean who wants to be the first to create a criminal record for ill manored young adults? There will be no place for them to go but down afterwards, even though truth be told for many of them there is no upside once they start. How hard is it to follow the smell of the meth heads? They stink to high heavan like burnt sugar cookies and hair salon mixed together. A trained canine unit could fill up the prison in a matter of weeks if not days but then therein lies the real problem....what social reform path should be employed? Again, its a small place so its easy to see the problems. Same problems that are occuring everywhere without a universally accepted remedy. You'd think that Hawaii could lead the way for the nation on this and other issues because its an isolated test bed but I dont see it happening yet.
Hawaii - that is one sweet looking road!! Is that East Maui, out by that ranch when you pass Hana and keep going? We took our rental car out that way and I must admit, a sports car could have some real fun out there!! Or maybe that is the road up to Haleakala?? Tony
I look out my lanai and what do I see ? A little red sailboat and Molokai ! I may not be a poet but when I see beauty I damn sure know it. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Molokai looks really close in that picture. Isn't it about the same distance as it is from the Big Island?
