Odds and Ends Hawai’i

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in 3 or 4 days. There was the night before the GRE when I had to study, the night after the GRE when I had to celebrate its being over, and by then blogging didn’t fit within the vacation routine. Also, I feel like it took my family a couple days to get the hang of being on vacation, but toward the end there we hit our stride. Here are some other odds and ends from my week in Hawai’i:

• The word kai is everywhere in Hawai’i—streets signs, businesses, first names. This word is a profanity in Samoan, so I assume its Hawaiian meaning is different.
  
• On our last day, my parents and I went to Hilo Hattie’s, a store that specializes in Hawaiian print shirts. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, and I feel like in my American life it’s all clothes that I wouldn’t ever wear. But I wasn’t shopping for leisure wear; in Samoa, Hawaiian print shirts are work clothes. I got a green shirt with a floral print.
  
• My dad came down with a rather nasty cold while we were in Hawai’i. I swear it was something strange and tropical that I brought from Samoa. I’m a carrier.
  
• We were able to get a parking space in our building’s parking lot. My parents bought and installed a toilet seat, and we ended up poaching wi-fi from someone else’s router all week. Bottom line, don’t stay here.
  
• At Germaine’s Luau on Tuesday night, I nitpicked the portrayal of Samoa and told my family way more than they were interested about the subtle differences between Hawaiian and Samoan traditions.
  
• I met up with a friend from high school in Chinatown on Wednesday evening. “Chinatown is Honolulu’s up-and-coming arts scene. There are lots of young people. It’s hip,” She told me before we met up. “So it’s like the Brooklyn of Honolulu?” I asked. “Yes,” she said.
  
• I taught my family to play Euchre. I’m sure they’ll all be pros by the time I return to The States in December.
  
• I had 2 glasses of orange juice and half a bottle of water before the GRE Tuesday. Mistake! I ended up having to leave twice to use the bathroom while the clock was ticking. It was less than ideal.
  
• Writing a somewhat daily blog is pretty good practice for the analytical writing portion of the GRE. I haven’t seen those scores yet, but I felt pretty good about that section.
  
• Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay was pretty fun. The fish are so docile and lackadaisical. At one point a wave threw me into a school of convict tangs. They didn’t react.
  
• Have you ever noticed the Hawaiian accent sounds similar to a Canadian accent? They’re not completely the same, but they are strangely similar.
  
• I put that Mahalo garbage can in the Hawai’i banner up top, but I don’t think I actually saw any while I was there. Sad.
  
• I could live in Hawai’i.

That’s all I got. I hope you’re well. Pictures below.

Fish at Hanauma Bay.

School on convict tangs at Hanauma Bay.

Victor.

My dad and me at Hanauma Bay.

Amanda and Victor en route to Germaine's Luau.

Luau.

Victor, Amanda, and my mom at the luau.

Me and Duke Kahanamoku.