Found in a notebook covered with hybiscus

In my new life:

• Channel Lanai
  
• Live simply - by choice
• enjoy the beauty around you
• you don't need a lot of stuff
• plan to BE FREE

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Waikiki Haiku
waiting for the 4
really want to eat dinner
yogurt has worn off

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The sweet taste of the envelope offered no comfort. The letter marked the finality of it all, and the only sweetness about it was currently found on her tongue.

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The lady at the Westin said it wasn't possible to get journals anymore because they weren't selling -- now someone comes in once a year and asks (I apparently get the annual honor of asking for 2008).

What Would Hemmingway Do? (WWHD) - he and Picasso were apparently always running around with a Moleskine. They seem to be for sale everywhere in Europe...yet in the entire SLC airport, and on every island thus far (BI, Maui, Lanai, Oahu) they are no where to be found. Maybe these days what people need is a blog book. Something to keep your thoughts organized until you get to a computer. [2010 interruption - with the quality of cell phones and the prevalence of twitter, that's already available if you want it]

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LOVE Waikiki

Love sitting and watching surfers - good surfers, bad surfers, new surfers.

All together in one locale enjoying the sport - and you know people are, in general clueless enough so you do not get mad if you accidentally get cut off

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HAIKU for JAH Wes

my apologies
we need to go to dinner
hopefully this week
:)

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If they wrap buses for advertising, why don't they consistently keep the same buses on the same routes? then you could always find your bus easily.
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As the comfort of online business increases, the need for interactive customer service decreases. Someone should start selling cars online so I don't have to deal with the people at the dealership.

A Few Hawaiian Words

'Aina - (eye-nah) - Land.
Ali'i - (ah-LEE-ee) - A Hawaiian chief; a member of the chiefly class.
Aloha - (ah-LOW-ha) - Hello, goodbye, or a feeling or the spirit of love, affection, or kindness.
Hale - (hah-leh) - House or building.
Hana - (ha-nah) - Work.
Hana hou - (ha-nah-Ho) - To do again.
Haole - (how-leh) - Originally foreigner, now means Caucasian
Heiau - (hey-ee-ow) - Hawaiian temple.
Hula - (hoo-lah) The story telling dance of Hawaii.
Imu - (ee-moo) - An underground oven.
Kahuna - (kah-HOO-na) - A Priest or minister; someone who is an expert in a profession.
Kai - (kigh) - The sea.
Kalua - (KAH-loo-ah) - Cooking food underground.
Kama'aina - (kah-ma-EYE-na) - Long time Hawaiian resident.
Kane - (hah-neh) - Boy or man.
Kapu - (kah-poo) - Forbidden, taboo; keep out.
Keiki - (kay-key) - Child or children.
Kokua - (koh-koo-ah) - Help.
Kona - (koh - NAH) - Leeward side of the island; wind blowing from the south, southwest direction.
Lanai - (lah-NIGH) - Porch, veranda, patio.
Lei - (lay) - Necklace of flowers, shells, or feathers.
Limu - (lee-moo) - Edible seaweed.
Lomi - (loo-mee) - To rub or massage; lomi salmon is raw salmon rubbed with salt.
Lu'au - (loo-aw) - Hawaiian feast; literally means taro leaves.
Mahalo - (mah-hah-low) Thank you.
Makai - (mah- kigh) - Toward the sea.
Malihini - (mah-lee-hee-nee) - A newcomer, visitor, or guest.
Mauka - (mow-ka) - Toward the mountain.
O'hana - (oh-hah-nah) - Family.
'Ono - (oh-no) - Delicious, the best.
Pali - (pah-lee) - A cliff.
Paniolo - (pah-nee-low-low) - Hawaiian cowboy.
Pau - (pow) - Finish, end, ie. Pau hana means quitting time from work.
Wahine - (wah-hee-ney) - Woman.
Wai - (why) - Fresh water.
Wikiwiki - (wee-kee-wee-kee) - To hurry up, very quick.

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Song of the Day - Somewhere Over The Rainbow, IZ

The beauty of stealing internet

As I sit here in a park in Lahaina, Maui I wonder two things; 1 - why don't I live here? and 2 - How amazing is it that from this park bench I can poach internet access?!



The past few days I have been staying at the Waikaoloa Hilton on the Big Island (to cheer on friends in the Lavaman Triathlon) which is a fancy-schmancy resort that is pretty far removed from any other civilization. It's like Disney World, without the characters or fun rides. The thing is, you have to pay for EVERYTHING there. Internet is $6 per hour (discounts for more time, but still!) - all the restaurants cost much more than regular Hawaii ($4+ bagel and cream cheese anyone?) and even the shopping center grocery store is over-priced.



Unless you have an exorbitant amount of money, it seems completely ridiculous to me that you have to pay MORE when you are already paying to stay somewhere nice...whereas a basic hotel/motel almost always comes with free wi-fi these days. Even this bench along the wharf in Lahaina comes with free wi-fi.



SO I wondered - who are these people that stay here? Or do they just plan that cost into their vacation costs? If I was actually in Disney would I pay for wi-fi? (I am more forgiving of Disney World because I love it :)) I am willing to eat at the restaurants there with the argument that it is part of the experience; was it because I am doing this vacation on the cheap (we got the lavaman discount hotel rate) that it seems so ridiculous to me?

Maybe the cost of wi-fi is more that the actual cost from your pocketbook. Rather than chatting up locals or wandering around taking photos (which I am actually about to do in a bit) I am biding my time waiting for the Lanai Ferry by 'playing on my computer'...although I would like to argue that writing, while time-consuming, is not a bad way to pass the time. And just because it is on a computer rather than in a notebook should not make it more or less valuable. Plus I can luckily type without looking at the screen, so if anything I can argue that I am actually 'seeing' more than if I was writing in a notebook.

[For instance right now I am watching the ferry unload. It makes me wonder if these are the types of people I will be seeing more of in Lanai because I highly doubt those on Maui have gone and come back already at this hour in the morning (it is not even noon yet) - as a side note, can babies go in the sun? I mean, I guess they can but it seems weird to me.]

Just because something is more expensive does that mean it is actually worth more? At what point does price have nothing to do with value? And how many more purses does Paris Hilton need anyway?

You are your own sight

Having recently been in the Salt Lake City airport twice in the past three days, I am reminded of a time when I lived in Utah. SLC is incredibly familiar and yet simultaneously foreign on my return visits. At this point I have lived in Seattle for more than twice as long as I lived in Utah. As I age, the blip of my life in Utah becomes less and less proportionate to my time spent elsewhere.

I doubt a two-year stint is ever enough to really allow yourself to call a place home, but Utah, and Park City in general will always have a significant place in my heart. Utah was the first place I ever called home truly by choice (as odd as that choice may be). It was always expected of me that I would graduate from high school and go to college; while I had some choice in where that college was, it was the expectation attached to it that makes it less of a free choice in my mind.

At the age of 22, my friend and I loaded her car and drove to Park City (where I had not been since I was 16) from NJ. We had a bit of help with housing initially but we were soon living in a two bedroom condo.

With less than a year remaining until I turn 30, it's with a bit of reminiscence that I think about my 22 year-old self striking out on her own to live how she wanted. While at the time it seemed to completely make sense to me, looking back I give myself more credence for being bold then I did at the time.

I'm learning it is not as common as I thought for people to leave their home state for even college, let alone to start their life as an independent adult. If anything, living in Utah was a great success story. I survived on my own, saved a little in my 401K, got to ski a ridiculous amount for little to no money, and left without any debt. This all sounds good on paper, but while I was there I never once felt as though I belonged.

I did ok while I was in Park City, but venturing down to Salt Lake or other, more remote parts of Utah were always somewhat intimidating. As odd as this sounds, I always felt as though everyone around me knew I wasn't Mormon.

When I was a sophomore in college, I distinctly remember hanging out in my room with my roommate and some of our mutual friends. At one point someone said: "Hey, you're the only one in here who isn't Asian! What's that like to be a minority for once?" At the time, I hadn't even noticed and when they asked the question I answered honestly: "It doesn't feel any different at all"

Fast forward 3 years to Utah. This time around I DID feel like a minority, and thought about it all the time. Whether or not I really was the only non-Mormon in the Crown Burger, I felt like I was. It is doubtful those around me even noticed (as I hadn't when I was in their position) but in my mind they were all looking at me, knowing and judging that I was not like them.

I can't claim to ever have lived a minority life, or know what it is like to be discriminated against purely because of the way I look, but just being in that minority mentality has given me more insight and empathy for others who always feel the way I felt for two years. And it is actually for the gift of this discomfort that I am most grateful for my time in Utah.

That, and the ability to rip when needed.

Song of the Day: Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks

Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

Sometimes I think that 80% of the things we claim we 'need to do' is just a bunch of b.s. to keep us sane.

I found a last minute flight to Utah to go skiing this weekend, and as I think about the things I 'needed to do' over the weekend (and obviously won't be doing) I realize that none of them are a true need...they are various things that I don't actually want to do, so they get classified as needs...but, unlike eating or breathing, they are not needs.

When I was 16 I spent 26 (I think? maybe 27 or 28) days in the wilds of Utah. Aside from being the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life, it was also the most amount of time I have ever spent outside 'civilization'. While on the trip I remember one of my instructors saying: "People often think of this as an escape from the real world. But this is the real world."

I have often thought about that at random times throughout my life. Sometimes when doing something as luxurious as using toilet paper; other times when overlooking a beautiful vista.

Ironically it has taken my retuning to Utah to finally get it. Never before has the impact of what he was saying meant so much than now. While I have occasionally thought about it, I never felt the meaning of it until I was categorically going through the litany of 'things I need to do' before I leave, and when I get back, and next week, and next weekend, and the week after that, and the month after that, and the year following.

What really matters? While clearly a deeply philosophical question , I don't need to be waxing poetic for 300 words about it. I just think the asking of the question; really asking yourself - is the important and relevant part.

For instance, if I decided that eating and breathing really matter, then should I not make sure I am eating healthy foods that will nourish my body rather than chips and salsa for dinner three nights in a row? Inevitably, I will not prioritize what I feel really matters because I don't have time, or I don't feel like going to the grocery store right now, or someone is coming over later, or I've been at work late, or, or, or.

So the challenge is this: defining what your real needs are and then keeping them in focus. Not that you should disregard all social norms; after all, smelling good (i.e. shower and clean clothing) is a need for those around you. Seriously.

Song of the Day: Responsibility - MXPX