Life in the Islands and Back to Work, It's Sailing Time

I recently read an article that Hawaii was rated number one in the country for quality of life. Having lived in other states I tend to agree. This was a survey conducted by CNBC.  However, when it came to business Hawaii rated last. Not surprising when comparing our logistics and locations with other states. Those states that rated well in business did not do so when it came to quality of life. So does that tell you something?

Reading comments in the blogs gave me a good idea of who lived here and those who based their opinions on hearsay. It’s like repeating an old Navy “sea story” told by an uncle who served while the storyteller never donned the uniform.  Yes a gallon of milk is near or at $5 per gallon or a dozen eggs is around $3.50.  Gasoline hovers over $4.25 a gallon for regular and majority of the cars on the road are of Japanese nameplates. But I live on an island and where am I to go? I can’t drive to the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island over 200 miles away! So I usually go to the local park and barbecue with friends or visit the nursery and find more flowers to plant. Our latest project is to put up clotheslines! Yes, you read it right, clotheslines. Price of electricity is beyond outrageous! What I pay for one month in electricity is equal to two months back in Edmonds in Washington State. Fortunately we live on the windward side so our bill is quite lower than my counterparts on the Leeward side who can find their bills $500 or more due to air conditioning.  The dryer is a large consumer of electricity in our house so it’s back to using the sun to dry our clothes. Besides it smells better and clothes last longer and don’t shred into lint.

Keep in mind you cannot come to Hawaii and expect to live and be treated as if you are on the mainland. First thing to do is to get rid of the romantic tourist brochure images from your mind if you choose to live here. Vacationing here and residing here are two different spheres. An acquaintance from the mainland told me when coming here first thing he does when visiting a local’s house, including mine is to see if shoes are placed in a rack at the door. At my house, shoes are removed; walls are adorned with photos of family members, both alive and passed away, lined with leis and the house is not big like you would find on the mainland. It sits on property with three other houses of the same size.

Culture and customs are different here as well as they way English is spoken. High school graduation is much different from the mainland. After commencement ceremony students wait in a lot and lollie necklace or candy leis, depending on what type English spoken in the Polynesian islands, are given to graduating students to wear around their neck from parents, relatives and friends. It is common to see a student whose top of the head is all you can see from them being covered with candy leis.

My injured shoulder has completely healed and now it’s back to work. I took a week off and tomorrow will be work routine. The ship has returned from the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and we have to get ready for the next cruise. It was nice to have time off and spend it with the ohana. I could enjoy retirement but would like to get the same pay as sailing as I would retired.

Aloha from Oahu in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands!