Happy Thanksgiving

The couple who own the house I am staying in invited me and my other housemates to their house for Thanksgiving dinner.  Only two of us went - me and Kenny - and we had a marvelous time.

The menu was what I am used to from the mainland - turkey, stuffing, ham, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.  The only thing especially Hawaiian was some roasted taro and a lilikoi cheesecake.

I am not eating meat anymore so I ate nothing but sides and dessert - yummay!

I met a lot of new people.  The people of Hilo are pretty awesome.

Good food, good company - I'm thankful.

Long day

I woke at 4:00am today and couldn't go back to sleep.  By 4:00pm I couldn't function anymore.  After several mistakes at work I just started crying at the register.

The other cashiers empathized with me.  One of my co-workers talked about how stressed she used to get at a job she had at a pineapple factory.  She said she used to dream about being smothered by an avalanche of pineapples.

Noah and Josh

I had a lovely day with Noah and Josh.  They came to house I live in for the first time today.  We had lunch, played Bananagrams, and chilled with the new books we got at the library book sale.

Occupy Hilo

Yesterday Leah and I went to the Merrill Lynch offices in Hilo to join others who were supporting the folks occupying Wall Street.

There was a pretty good turnout even though it rained almost all morning.  The police counted 124 people standing in front of Merrill Lynch.

After standing on the street with signs about a quarter of the group walked to a bandstand in downtown Hilo.

As we walked, a lot of people didn't seem to know what to make of us.  A few people honked their horns or waved.  Hilo is a lot different than Baltimore in that respect - Baltimorians usually have an opinion and don't hesitate to share it.

Once we got to the bandstand, we listened to people talk about their thoughts and opinions about bank fraud, the Federal Reserve Board, war, the US post office, health care, college costs, sustainability on the Big Island, and Hawaiian sovereignty.

Overall everyone was excited about OWS and glad that we could be one of the many communities that supported the folks in New York.

Sunday...

Almost everyone has a Sunday routine.  Some go to church then head to a breakfast buffet after.  Some spend the morning in bed with the Sunday paper and a cup of coffee.  (Perhaps chillin' in your pajamas with a warm beverage makes the stories of revolution, climate change, financial upheaval, etc. easier to take.)


Of course for mothers it may just be an extra day to get the laundry done.

My routine for years was to get up, get dressed, and get my breakfast - oatmeal with raisins and black tea - prepared in time for Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.  Nothing could be better.  I really miss Charles Osgood's soothing voice, it just makes me feel that everything is good in the world.  Nancy Giles was one of my favorite commentators - so funny and smart.  The many artistic interpretations of the sun filled me with warmth.

The hostels that I've been staying don't have television - which is cool but obviously I need to find a new routine.

Today I bought a Sunday paper and a cup of Kona coffee.  I'll try it out -see if it is routine worthy.

Available on DVD

Great gift idea.  Just sayin...

Oh Richard!

Well, I am free from the cast!  No more extra weight to sling around and no more itching!  I had to wash my arm four times at the doctor's office to remove the icky dead skin.

My arm is weak, as I had been warned it would be, so I am wearing a brace.  It is lightweight, I can remove it to shower and it is stylish to boot.  I have to wear it for 3 weeks, after that I may need physical therapy.  We shall see.

I have still been taking it easy because I am still healing and I definitely do not want to give myself any setbacks.  These last three months of inactivity have been tough.  I am ready to move forward.

 

During my recovery I have read a lot of books - right now I am reading Richard Chamberlain's memoir Shattered Love.  You probably remember this handsome actor from the mini-series Shogun and The Thornbirds. 

Shogun was my favorite - I was riveted to the screen.  In his memoir he talks about how desperately he wanted to play the role of British sailor John Blackthorn and that originally a movie studio had planned to make it with Robert Redford.  The studio dropped the movie idea because the book was too long.  When it was decided that Shogun would be made into a mini-series, British actors Sean Connery and Albert Finney were offered the role but they declined.  Finally, after several meetings with Shogun's author James Clavell, Richard got the part.

Can you imagine Shogun without Richard Chamberlain?  Well, if they were to do a remake who would you suggest for Chamberlain's part?  Hmmmm.

Happy birthday Josh

Today is Joshua's 14th birthday.  We spent some time together at Richardson's beach.

Six More Days

I've been pretty miserable the last two weeks.  (That looking on the bright side wore thin pretty quick.)  There isn't much I can do while wearing a cast.  I can't cook, can't get in the water, can't work.  I've been stressing about not being able to do so many things that I lost track of time.

I just realized that this cast will be removed next Thursday - only six days from now.  Ohhhhhhh, I so look forward to that day.

i've been slowed down a bit

When I started this blog I intended to post at least once a week and even more once I started taking pictures. Well, I have been hampered by ... a broken wrist.

One month to the day of my arrival in Hilo I was struck by a car.  The bad news -  I broke my left wrist.  The good news - I am right handed.  I'm so bored out of my mind but i'm alive.  I could go on and on but I'll stop there.

Anyway, I am temporarily staying with my kids and their dad as I recover (the brake was very bad - it will take three months to heal).  They live in a town called Volcano.  Yes, they live on the top of a volcano - Kilauea one of the earth's most active!  Good news -  I am being taken care of, bad news - and this might surprise you, Volcano is cold.   As in I don't want to get out of bed in the morning cold, fleece jacket cold and even on occasion hot chocolate cold.  Of course I didn't bring ant sweaters or flannel pjs to Hawaii but boy do I wish I had!  It can be pleasantly warm during the day but in the morning and after the sun goes down the temperatures drop significantly.

I am staying on the bright side though.  Volcano is beautiful as you can see from some of the pictures I took at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park last weekend.

kitchen table

my chill spot

this is where i like to come for lunch, a cup of  tea or to talk on the phone.  it is an airway at the hostel with cool trick-of-the-eye paintings and beautiful plants.

Kamehameha Day

Ok. I'm about to get jiggy with the photos and the Kamehameha Day celebration seems like an excellent time to start.


Earlier this evening I went to watch the beginning of the celebration here in Hilo. At Bayfront Park before a stunning gilded statue of King Kamehameha I a band played a few selections and a choral group sang. However we were really all there to watch Hawaiian royal societies and individuals present leis that were draped on the statue's outstretched arm.

So who is Kamehameha I? The son of a chief on the big island of Hawai'i Kamehameha conquered and united the Hawaiian islands. In 1810 he established the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

Kamehameha Day is celebrated June 11th through out the state of Hawai'i. Kamehameha V established this day of celebration 95 years ago. There are big celebrations and parades in Honolulu, the state capital, and in Kahala, a town on the big island's northern tip where Kamehameha I was born. 

Settling In

So I have found a place to live. It is in the same block as the hostel I have been staying at. When it had been offered to me initially I wasn't interested because it was dark. But after looking at a place about a twenty minute walk away from downtown Hilo, I decided to take it. It seems that I love downtown Hilo. When I take a long walk then start heading back, I feel overjoyed and relieved as I get closer to home.

Hilo has been described as a working class city. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I feel comfortable here. The downtown area of Hilo reminds me alot of Charles Village where I have lived twice for several years each time. Like Charles Village practically everything I need is within walking distance. The library and post office are about five minutes away. There are two grocery stores that are about ten minutes away. Two movie theaters - The Palace - a restored one screen theater that shows non-commercial films, and Kress which is a four screen dollar theater. There is a farmer's market, coffee shops, and restaurants all within walking distance.

There are some consignment shops and a Salvation Army "The Sammy Shop" but that is the one area where Hilo is lacking. Their second hand stores are small which is to be expected - there are a lot less people here. And the stuff is not exciting.

Yes, I'll definitely miss thrift shopping. Hilo cannot compare to Baltimore in that area. The shops in Baltimore would lure me in "stop in here, I have that thing you need!" And they never let me down. My favorite stores were Value Village on York Road, Vogue Revisited on Roland Avenue and the thrift store on North Avenue.

Oh well, I am in a small space and don't really need to be filling it up with stuff anyway!

My Hilo Diet - Mac Nuts!

I never liked macadamia nuts. I thought they tasted ... weird. But I've given them another chance.

At the hostel when people check out they usually put their remaining food in the "free" box. Well, someone left a big ole bag of mac nuts so I gave them a try. Holy moly they were ... light, crunchy, oily, lightly salted balls of goodness! And sometimes you get one that has a green flavor - sort of like spinach or pumpkin seed or that green stuff in fried oysters.

Unfortunately, even here they are still very expensive.  So I'll be savoring the ones I have left.

Getting around town

This week I caught the bus to Prince Kuhio (pronounced koo-hee-o) Plaza to buy some comfortable walking sandals. (I can't always be barefoot.)  Prince Kuhio Plaza is a small mall kind of like Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore. The anchor stores are Sears and Macy's. Macy's is actually split into two buildings on different ends of the mall.

The buses here do not charge a fee which is probably why the departure and arrival times are sometimes kind of loose. I've been told that if you have a large item like a skateboard, however, you will be charged a dollar.

Right now for the most part I have little need for mass transportation. Downtown Hilo, like Charles Village where I've lived twice for a few years each time, is of all inclusive. The post office and library are just a few blocks up the street. There is a terrific farmer's market a few blocks away in a different direction. The place I need to go to transfer my driver's licence is a pleasant 15 minute walk away. Now that I think of it, everything is convenient here in Hilo. Most of the services are truly only a few short blocks away - two grocery stores, two movie theaters, many restaurants and shops are all within walking distance. I'll be posting more about some of these places, with photos, in the coming weeks.

It would be spectacular if I could find a job within walking distance!

Arrival in Hilo

Hello all! I am here - in lovely Hilo, Hawaii.

After a long uneventful trip, with three stops, my plane arrived in Hilo at 7:30pm (a half hour early!) Having been awake for 20 hours, the only thing I did after checking in to the hostel is brush my teeth and hit the sack.

If you come to Hilo, before I get my place of course, you really ought to stay at the Hilo Bay Hostel. I feel like I am at home - although my home wasn't this awesome really. What I mean is I feel quite comfortable and safe. I am composing this post in the common room under a lovely skylight. There are slowly spinning ceiling fans, a couple of squawking macaws, and old school Hawaiiana decor.

There are lots of lovely people staying here. A few small families, some single travelers, but mostly groups of young people. The owner joked last night as some of the young patrons sat at the dining room table playing Scrabble that most people their age were out playing drinking games.

I have been taking it easy the past few days because I've had a bit of jet-lag. My mind gets muddy by 5:00pm. When people ask me simple questions I noticed I talk so slow. ("Where am I from? Uh. Um. I'm from........Baltimore.")

I am going to chill out this beautiful sunny Sunday so that I can function a lot better the coming week.