Woo!!
It’s been two years and how time flies! I am decreasing the contents of this
blog from NOAA activities to “Life in These Islands” format. I will still write
on occasion of things done on the ship. However, there is only so much you can
write about work and places you’ve been, especially if it’s a repeat from
before. Last exotic place I went to was American Samoa in April of last year.
After that it was all Northwest Hawaiian Islands which I covered in articles
now placed in the archives. My first year on the Sette was busy and
interesting. The working environment is much different from that of the Ka’imimoana
or the Hi’ialakai. I am more involved with projects and work closely with
scientists. Projects include marine mammal observation; acoustics fish
population exploration, automated vehicles, marine debris (a sad situation) and
Hawaiian Monk Seal recovery.
Last winter I was in San Francisco Bay Area for four months for Sette’s drydock winter maintenance. That was my first trip to the mainland since the move. The cold winter mornings reminded me why I prefer winters in Hawaii. However, I did enjoy lunches comprised of authentic Mexican foods but Mexican food in Northern California was much different than that of Southern Cal or at El Gitano’s in Burlington and Bellingham, Washington. Strangely, I went to San Francisco just once, unlike my younger days where spending time in the city by the bay was modish. Instead, my spare time was spent with my brother and his family as well as with my father. President’s Day weekend was spent with them in Truckee and in the snow at which I do not miss the powdery white stuff. In March I flew back to Hawaii from Oakland in First Class for an extra $100 on Alaska Air. I know I consumed more than $100 worth of Bloody Marys, movies, foods and drinks. I needed to get home before the ship due to relatives coming from Japan for a visit.
A lot has happened since we moved here in 2011. Ian enlisted in the Navy last year and studying nuclear theory in South Carolina after graduating from Nuclear Electrician’s Mate school. Liva graduated from high school in May and in transition to go to college. Vene and I are still the same, just a little older. I drive a new car with the old one used by Liva. So, after two years, what is life like and how do we like it? Very much would be the reply and different from the mainland. I am glad to have made a second career and retired from the Navy Reserves. I retained my commissary, exchange, MWR and base privileges for me and the family. That benefit is utilized often. Closest competition to the commissary would be Don Qijote, a Japanese discount store near Waikiki, which of course “Donkees” along with Nijiya satisfies our taste for Japanese items. When it comes to Samoan stores, it seems like there is one every block in Waianae, several in Waipahu and one right over the hill from us in Kalihi. There are plenty of merchants that cater to our needs to support our lifestyle. We had quantities of Asian and Samoan stores in Seattle, though not as much as Oahu, but would not have any in Newport, Oregon if we had chosen to live there. Our stereo blares Hawaiian music instead of the usual pop music heard on the mainland. Vene understands much of the songs sung in Hawaiian and interprets for me. I like the melody and the sounds prompts me that I live and work in paradise.
We noticed one thing about Hawaii as compared to other parts of Polynesia. Despite of it being the 50th state, it’s still the northern perimeters of Polynesia according to ancient Polynesian maps. Some of my native Hawaiian friends may get upset with me but the Hawaiian language and Samoan are very similar in many words with a letter or two change in spelling. However, landscape seems to be one color…green. You could see the American influence from the mainland over that. Having spent time in Samoa and French Polynesia, I found that Hawaii lacked the colors of those other islands. Some of the most beautiful flower gardens I ever saw were there. The color of the clothes that Polynesians wore too added to the vibrant setting. So we took up flower gardening and planted varied colors of flowers in the front yard to copy what Vene grew up in and I saw during my time there. In the backyard, we planted tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants and already planning for next year.
Some people may think it’s crazy to spend money and plant a flower garden on a house that we don’t own but our view is the house feels like home as did our old apartment in Edmonds back in Washington State. We don’t look at houses as an investment. In fact, because of prices of houses here in Oahu, home ownership is out of the question but I lost interest in the “American Dream” concept years ago and could care less. Anyone can own a house but to make that house into a home is another undertaking. We already have land in Samoa to which we will build our retirement home on.
Last winter I was in San Francisco Bay Area for four months for Sette’s drydock winter maintenance. That was my first trip to the mainland since the move. The cold winter mornings reminded me why I prefer winters in Hawaii. However, I did enjoy lunches comprised of authentic Mexican foods but Mexican food in Northern California was much different than that of Southern Cal or at El Gitano’s in Burlington and Bellingham, Washington. Strangely, I went to San Francisco just once, unlike my younger days where spending time in the city by the bay was modish. Instead, my spare time was spent with my brother and his family as well as with my father. President’s Day weekend was spent with them in Truckee and in the snow at which I do not miss the powdery white stuff. In March I flew back to Hawaii from Oakland in First Class for an extra $100 on Alaska Air. I know I consumed more than $100 worth of Bloody Marys, movies, foods and drinks. I needed to get home before the ship due to relatives coming from Japan for a visit.
A lot has happened since we moved here in 2011. Ian enlisted in the Navy last year and studying nuclear theory in South Carolina after graduating from Nuclear Electrician’s Mate school. Liva graduated from high school in May and in transition to go to college. Vene and I are still the same, just a little older. I drive a new car with the old one used by Liva. So, after two years, what is life like and how do we like it? Very much would be the reply and different from the mainland. I am glad to have made a second career and retired from the Navy Reserves. I retained my commissary, exchange, MWR and base privileges for me and the family. That benefit is utilized often. Closest competition to the commissary would be Don Qijote, a Japanese discount store near Waikiki, which of course “Donkees” along with Nijiya satisfies our taste for Japanese items. When it comes to Samoan stores, it seems like there is one every block in Waianae, several in Waipahu and one right over the hill from us in Kalihi. There are plenty of merchants that cater to our needs to support our lifestyle. We had quantities of Asian and Samoan stores in Seattle, though not as much as Oahu, but would not have any in Newport, Oregon if we had chosen to live there. Our stereo blares Hawaiian music instead of the usual pop music heard on the mainland. Vene understands much of the songs sung in Hawaiian and interprets for me. I like the melody and the sounds prompts me that I live and work in paradise.
We noticed one thing about Hawaii as compared to other parts of Polynesia. Despite of it being the 50th state, it’s still the northern perimeters of Polynesia according to ancient Polynesian maps. Some of my native Hawaiian friends may get upset with me but the Hawaiian language and Samoan are very similar in many words with a letter or two change in spelling. However, landscape seems to be one color…green. You could see the American influence from the mainland over that. Having spent time in Samoa and French Polynesia, I found that Hawaii lacked the colors of those other islands. Some of the most beautiful flower gardens I ever saw were there. The color of the clothes that Polynesians wore too added to the vibrant setting. So we took up flower gardening and planted varied colors of flowers in the front yard to copy what Vene grew up in and I saw during my time there. In the backyard, we planted tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants and already planning for next year.
Some people may think it’s crazy to spend money and plant a flower garden on a house that we don’t own but our view is the house feels like home as did our old apartment in Edmonds back in Washington State. We don’t look at houses as an investment. In fact, because of prices of houses here in Oahu, home ownership is out of the question but I lost interest in the “American Dream” concept years ago and could care less. Anyone can own a house but to make that house into a home is another undertaking. We already have land in Samoa to which we will build our retirement home on.
We don’t go to Waikiki often unless our visitors are staying there at a hotel. You can go dancing if that is your forte, but price of drinks…well let’s say it’s catered more for the deep pocketed tourists rather than Kama’ainas, Hawaiian for locals. Weekends consist of barbecue in the backyard or at the beach, bowling at Kaneohe Marine Base, dinner at home using various Asian and Polynesian recipes. Not much different from life on the mainland except Japanese language television in the evenings, Filipino dramas on Sundays and Samoan television programs on Fridays. It keeps Vene entertained and laughing for hours. The DVR is used to record and watch those programs on our time. Sunday mornings, KZOO radio has an hour broadcast of Japanese Enka music while breakfast consists of rice, eggs and Portuguese sausage or Spam. Occasional potato pancakes or country fried potatoes too! There are plenty of Red Box’ for DVD but I still get those the old fashioned way, through Netlfix! And of course streaming movies and watch old TV shows without annoying commercials! A short “staycation” after Memorial Day to the Big Island at Kilauea Military Camp at Volcanoes National Park.
I’m not sailing now due to a shoulder injury that was aggravated two weekends ago. My left shoulder froze up and my arm could not move. I had rotator cuff problems before but those were minor. It was painful enough to visit the doctor and then acupuncture treatment afterwards. I have physical therapy coming up and I hope to be well enough to sail the next cruise. I would like to have one more acupuncture session and get off medical hold and sail again.
Aloha and see you again soon! I'll gather photos to post next time. Instead of letting this blog set for two years, maybe I'll try a weekly post if time permits. Meanwhile my first priority is to heal and get back to sailing again. But the silver lining is I get to spend more time with the family and that is a premium, especially in the field that I am in.
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