Aloha From Las Vegas

[Hope]

I am so very happy to have found this forum! I've been restless and obsessed about moving to Oahu for the past several months, especially today. I've spent hours upon hours looking at jobs and condos there.

I live in Las Vegas, which is very "cool", but I find myself feeling restless and bored after living here for almost 11 years. (yep, people really do live here, lol)

I don't gamble, and there's no WATER here! I want to go sailing on my days off! I want to walk on the beach, and be out of this crazy town! I want to shed this place of pretension...and live a more "real" life.... :confused:

[manoasurfer123]

Aloha Hope...

Funny thing... you find a lot of people in the islands who end up moving to Vegas :)

Welcome to HT.

And maybe we can use you for Vegas advice :o

[Hope]

Thank you for the welcome, Manoasurfer :)

I'm originally from Detroit, but moved to Arizona in '88, then up here to Las Vegas almost 11 years ago. So, I've spent the last 19 years in the desert.

It's so hot here tonight, the chickens are layin' hard boiled eggs! I'm dreaming of the beautiful ocean breezes! I was there in Hawaii last September, and haven't gotten it off my mind since!

I'd be more than happy to be the "Vegas connection" here, lol. Fire away with the questions ;)

[blueyecicle]

I'm not on the welcoming commitee, I am in Oregon.

But Hey! How's it going? :D

I've got one year before I move...I am counting the days...literally!

[manoasurfer123]

Thank you for the welcome, Manoasurfer :)

I'm originally from Detroit, but moved to Arizona in '88, then up here to Las Vegas almost 11 years ago. So, I've spent the last 19 years in the desert.

It's so hot here tonight, the chickens are layin' hard boiled eggs! I'm dreaming of the beautiful ocean breezes! I was there in Hawaii last September, and haven't gotten it off my mind since!

I'd be more than happy to be the "Vegas connection" here, lol. Fire away with the questions ;)
So what is there.... besides employment, cost of living...etc.. that is making so many people from the islands move there from your perspective...and why do you want to move here?

[Hope]

Pleased to meet you, Blue! I can't wait to leave here, either! Are you moving to Hawaii, too?

manoasurfer, yes, we have a huge influx of folks moving from Hawaii to Las Vegas all the time. The reason being, they are looking for the same opportunities, job and housing, in particular, that I sought when I moved here. I guess you can get a lot more for your money here than you can in Hawaii, especially in the housing area.

I have a beautiful condo on the "good" side of town...filled with waaaay too much "stuff", and I can't wait to unload it all! I want to move there to live a much simpler and "real" kind of life. Not to mention, exploring and enjoying the beauty of what I've read to be "the most beautiful place on earth". "Nuff said", lol.

The attitude here in Las Vegas is a bit much to bear! It's quite pretentious, and phoney here. Making "real" friends is almost impossible. In all the years I've been here, I can call....maybe...two people my "real" friends. Most have an agenda to become your "friend", sad, but true.

I have done many favors for people here...because they were "friends"....what a rude awakening when they used me, and stabbed me in the back! Now, I prefer that folks don't even know where I LIVE! Sad, ain't it?

On a more positive note...I'll have a pretty good start in Hawaii, when I sell this place...my biggest anxiety is a job...and what kind of salaries are there as opposed to here....

[blueyecicle]

Pleased to meet you, Blue! I can't wait to leave here, either! Are you moving to Hawaii, too?



Yes, in one year.....maybe 14 months but selling the house in exactly one year! Moving to O'ahu. I have the urge...you are lucky to be moving so quickly. I am sure you have planned though!

[Hope]

Nope, I haven't planned a thing, yet! I'm currently just doing the research on jobs, the biggest anxiety I have. Condos in Vegas sell FAST, the last one in my complex sold in just 22 days! So, I haven't listed it yet, I may find myself in a Vegas hotel if I did! lol!

Anyhow, I just quit my most recent job, so I have a lot of time on my hands...to contemplate the move. I have no baggage...just all this..."stuff" to get rid of...lol :eek:

[blueyecicle]

Well, it sounds like fun!

I would jump in both eyes open if I didn't have 3 kids!
Makes the process slower.....Much slower... :D

At least you have a place to sell and money to work with!

I am thankful for that on my end too.

[Hope]

I'm quite excited...and anxious about it! After all, I'll be going (initially) by myself...maybe some family would later follow (son, brother...). If not, they're always welcome to visit, heehee.

Frankly, I don't know where to start the process...other than just what I've been doing, since I don't know a soul in Hawaii...

[Serenity]

Welcome to HawaiiThreads, Hope. :)

The way I see things now is.....

Once there is Hope, soon after, Serenity follows ;) .

Aloha. :) (I didn't mean that in a literal sense).

Welcome to HT again.

P.S. My hubby & I have been to Las Vegas many times, & we really like vacationing there. We hope to visit LVNV again, once all this crazy commotions (in regards to the airport laws etc.) dies down in the future.

Aloha.

[Hope]

Hello, Serenity :) My move to Hawaii is so that Serenity does follow. Three of my family members have passed away in the last three years....and I've done some very serious thinking.

This life is not a "trial run", but the real thing...you take nothing with you but the memories , the rest is just "matter". I'm ready to shed all the "stuff", and meet real friends...maybe even a new man. That would be even beyond my wildest expectations....to meet the true "love of my life"....but I know it's possible. :)

[manoasurfer123]

Well good luck on your endeavors....

I hope your financially able to do what you want.

Hawaii is not a place to move with out the right resources.

And I think theres enough men here on HT alone to keep you content for awhile. :p

[Hope]

I won't be coming there without money, when the California influx hit Las Vegas hard a few years back...my condo more than doubled in value. For this, I am overwhelmingly grateful. It should give me a decent start.

Now, where are all these wonderful men? I'd sure like to meet one...the men here in Las Vegas barely even talk to me. Not kidding! I haven't dated in a YEAR now! Sniff, sniff.... ;)

[manoasurfer123]

I won't be coming there without money, when the California influx hit Las Vegas hard a few years back...my condo more than doubled in value. For this, I am overwhelmingly grateful. It should give me a decent start.

Now, where are all these wonderful men? I'd sure like to meet one...the men here in Las Vegas barely even talk to me. Not kidding! I haven't dated in a YEAR now! Sniff, sniff.... ;)
Keep posting they will come...

trust me...men are desperate!

[Hope]

manoasurfer, you're funny!

[Bard]

I don't want to talk down about someone else's city, but I know what you mean about LV. Got a friend in NY who wants to move out there really badly... I don't get it. :) Spent a few nights there and what I saw of the culture is basically 180 degrees from me. My in-laws live in Reno and we visit them once a year or so, same thing. Reno has some great outdoors stuff to do and it's a little quieter than LV, but it has a lot of the same problems. We're always hearing stories from them about the awful road rage, and other things I won't mention to keep the forums family friendly. ;) Heck, my bro-in-law got stabbed at his job by a crazy guy once (luckily just his arm, in a repairable-with-stitches place), and he got punched out another time.

"There are plenty of things money can buy in NV... for everything else there's Hawai'i." ;)

[tikiyaki]

Funny thing... you find a lot of people in the islands who end up moving to Vegas :)


I wonder if this has anything to do with the replica of The Waikiki International Marketplace they built in Vegas.

http://www.vegas4locals.com/freehawaiianmarketplace.html

[Queenolu]

Hello and welcome to HT Hope!!!

I am new on this board myself but so far so good.

I am preparing for my move to Hawai'i by the end of the year right now. House should be going on the market in a few days and praying it sells fast. Will be taking the money from that to go buy a condo in HI, come back and pack the little I have left and get that one way ticket. I have been looking at the condo market over in HI for a over a year now and it's surely a good time to buy now since the market has slowed down over there and condo's are staying on the market longer than before.. and they are actually reducing prices... something unheard of a year ago.

The plan is to sell everything, furniture and all. But I surely will be shipping my car and sending the rest by USPS.

I feel you on the single situation. Good men are sooooo hard to find. But I am thankful that I have no kids or some man that will try to stop my dream right now. So, not having a man is good for me right now.

I have plenty of friends over there waiting for me, so at least that will make my transition a little easier.

I will suggest that you join the forum on hawaii.com as well. Lot's of great people and a lot of us on there are moving to HI and encouraging each other through the process.

You can email me from my profile, if you like. I have plenty of info I can share.

Aloha

[Hope]

I don't want to talk down about someone else's city, but I know what you mean about LV. Got a friend in NY who wants to move out there really badly... I don't get it. Spent a few nights there and what I saw of the culture is basically 180 degrees from me. My in-laws live in Reno and we visit them once a year or so, same thing. Reno has some great outdoors stuff to do and it's a little quieter than LV, but it has a lot of the same problems. We're always hearing stories from them about the awful road rage, and other things I won't mention to keep the forums family friendly. Heck, my bro-in-law got stabbed at his job by a crazy guy once (luckily just his arm, in a repairable-with-stitches place), and he got punched out another time.

"There are plenty of things money can buy in NV... for everything else there's Hawai'i."

I'll have to say, Las Vegas is quite a turnaround from NY, the guy is going to have some serious culture shock by moving here. It's a totally different lifestyle here. Since I moved to the desert from Detroit 19 years ago, I sure don't miss the serious crime, the freezing cold, or the grimy, dirty surroundings there. Not to mention the brutal hostility.

Lots of folks move here from Californina, because they can't afford to live there, however, they try too hard to force their politics/Cali ideas on Las Vegans, and I'll have to say, it just doesn't work here! When you go to a new place, you must adapt to it, not the other way around. (last one out of L.A., please turn out the lights, lol!)

I am so looking forward to moving to Hawaii. I will work hard to be a positive part of society there, and to explore the beautiful culture and surroundings with the utmost respect. :)

[Bard]

I'll have to say, Las Vegas is quite a turnaround from NY, the guy is going to have some serious culture shock by moving here. It's a totally different lifestyle here. Since I moved to the desert from Detroit 19 years ago, I sure don't miss the serious crime, the freezing cold, or the grimy, dirty surroundings there. Not to mention the brutal hostility.

He currently lives in the Albany area, not NYC, so it's not such a big deal. The culture and the heat are the main reasons he wants to go actually. He hates cold and they get feet of snow up there every year. He also loves going to all the shows and casinos all the time. I say, more power to 'im, but I couldn't handle it myself.

When you go to a new place, you must adapt to it, not the other way around. (last one out of L.A., please turn out the lights, lol!)

Yeah, that's why we moved to Portland a little while back. My wife and I found ourselves to be in the wrong culture in cities we'd lived in previously. Portland has so many good things I believe in - lots of bike support, curbside recycling of almost everything and in-store recycling of most of the rest, urban growth boundary, strong support for local businesses and local agriculture, strong mass transit, strong civic culture (vote vote vote, ballot initiatives, etc). We figured we'd never move again. Yet I find that in some really important ways it's still not a fulfilling lifestyle here, and we haven't found a lot to contribute to a community that already has so much. I feel a bit like a movie set extra. :D Without going into a lot of "boring" details, Hawai'i feels like a place that can help us grow, and I hope we will be able to contribute back as well. We're planning to venture to the big island some time late next year or early 2008. Been on these forums to try to meet some people and learn.

Since you guys mentioned hawaii.com, I have to say, check out the forum thread on here on that subject. They're a bit "gentle and dreamy", and they have a lot of focus on moving to Hawai'i, rah rah! HT is more like a hang-out for people who live in or have ties to Hawai'i. You'll get some hard knocks on this forum but they are generally good knocks. :D The people on here are great and have taught me a lot. In the end it's up to you to decide what info to believe and act upon, but it's been good to get a lot of different input.

(Apologies if that sounded preachy, I'm really tired and it's tough for me to figure out if I'm writing goofily ;))

[Hope]

Goofily, oh, I love that word! Love to make words up, then use them to amuse people :D

I'll have to say this much, I've lived in three states now, and have learned and experienced some really great things. Detroit, gritty as is is, has some of the best food! Ya' can't beat the coney island hot dogs!

Greektown, which is a "little city" in the heart of Detroit, and the yummy scents of food from a distant country always drew me in. Greenfield Village, rich with history was one of my favorite places as a kid, as well as the Detroit zoo and entire days spent at the beach. At 28, however, I was ready to git', for different horizons.

Then, there's the southwest cuisine of Arizona, spicy tamales, homemade, and distributed by local Mexican ladies, who make them in their own kitchens, then go wandering about selling them out of a sack. Learning how to pronounce "sahuaro", as in cactus, and going up to Mount Lemon to enjoy the cooler air up there.

In the desert skies, you can see every star imaginable, just driving out to the desert, and lyin' on top of a pickup truck. I'd never seen them quite like that before. Then, up toward Apache Lake, past the historic Superstition Mountains...quite an amazing place to see, and hear of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, and how many cowboys rode in there, only to die in those mountains, all for the sake of the gold.

Las Vegas, void of culture, as most buildings get torn down by the time they're 20, still has some interesting things to take in. Namely, the "Characters". I could tell you some funny stories about the people I've dealt with, being in the bar business in three states, HaHa!

The time some freak set the bathroom on fire, and oh, the cook, who was smokin' sumpthin' powerful....came out of the bathroom STARK NAKED, except for his apron...because, he said, he was "hot"....um, okay...(you should have seen the look on Nick, the bartender's face!)

Ah, Hawaii...another new and interesting place to explore! I think I'll take a bike ride..stop for a few sips of Kona coffee...(finest in all the world!)....walk along the beach, and see if I can pronounce all the beautiful fish in the Pacific....the moon sure looks pretty shining over the ocean, don't you think? :)

[Bard]

Then, there's the southwest cuisine of Arizona, spicy tamales, homemade, and distributed by local Mexican ladies, who make them in their own kitchens, then go wandering about selling them out of a sack. Learning how to pronounce "sahuaro", as in cactus, and going up to Mount Lemon to enjoy the cooler air up there.

I spent some time in Tucson as well. It's got its perks, like the saguaro/sahuaro ("suh-gwa-ro?! hello newcomer" heheh) and of course El Charro. I was almost married on the top of Mt Lemmon, and then it burned down about a week before the wedding. :( We ended up having it in the valley instead, in the 108 degree heat, and half our cake's icing melted off. Good times...

Ah, Hawaii...another new and interesting place to explore! I think I'll take a bike ride..stop for a few sips of Kona coffee...(finest in all the world!)....walk along the beach, and see if I can pronounce all the beautiful fish in the Pacific....the moon sure looks pretty shining over the ocean, don't you think? :)

Yep, looking forward to it. Speaking of pronouncing the fish, start with the "state fish" and you'll have a stronger handle on pronouncing a lot of Hawaiian words ;) Let's see if all my characters come out properly:

humuhumunukunukuapua'a

(hmm, looks like the forum doesn't like unicode... doh)

[Leo Lakio]

Once there is Hope, soon after, Serenity followsOh, now that's too clever...

[Hope]

...ah, yes, and then there's Casa Molina, Mr. Molina graced us with his presence at the off track betting room at Jeff's Pub, on the east side. I went to one of his restaurants for dinner on one of my birthdays...upon dessert, all the lights went out in the busy dining room..and his whole staff came out of the kitchen...candles blazing on a mound of flan, singing away! I sure felt special that night! He wouldn't even let us pay for the dinners!

I do miss Bookman's book store...as poor as I was living there, I'd spend a few hours getting free reads at Bookman's...then feeling, guiltily I'd buy a used, $1.50 magazine, lol!

I love the soud of the language in Hawaii! Some of the music I heard is also simply beautiful! Maybe someone can tell me a few popular bands, so I can take a listen? (I've loved Poi Dog Pondering for years now!) My fav music of all time is reggae.

Bard, where do you live now?

[Bard]

I do miss Bookman's book store...as poor as I was living there, I'd spend a few hours getting free reads at Bookman's...then feeling, guiltily I'd buy a used, $1.50 magazine, lol!

Yeah, Bookman's was my bane. You couldn't go anywhere near that store with even a few spare dollars or it'd suck it right out of you. :) I think half my DVD collection and not a few books are thanks to them.

We have Powell's here for the book fix, and Everyday Music for CDs, but neither are quite as cheap and impulse buy inducing as Bookman's was for me.

I love the soud of the language in Hawaii! Some of the music I heard is also simply beautiful! Maybe someone can tell me a few popular bands, so I can take a listen? (I've loved Poi Dog Pondering for years now!) My fav music of all time is reggae.

I once saw someone refer to Hawaiian as "the sound of a waterfall captured in language" and I can't really disagree. It's lovely.

If you don't know Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole, then run, don't walk, to pick up some. My favorite of his so far has been "Facing Future", which also won some mainstream awards.

Brittni Paiva is the new 'ukulele and slack key guitar wunderkind, from the big island. Saw her in a concert last weekend courtesy of Leo Lakio.

Anyone have any recommendations besides Poi Dog Pondering for "pop" Hawaiian music? e.g. rock music with Hawaiian topics and language.

Bard, where do you live now?

Still in Portland, OR right now. I think my wife's already mentally moved to Hawai'i though ;)

[Hope]

Yes, I've heard of Powell's, sounds like a place I could go broke in! :D
I need to go get some new cds, love the music! I was a disc jockey for 8 years, and my love of all kinds of music will always be with me.

My ex guy lives there in Portland, we're still great friends. He has a band there, ever heard of the Quagmire Expedition?

[blueyecicle]

Still in Portland, OR right now. I think my wife's already mentally moved to Hawai'i though ;)

You sound just like my husband....I like your wife already!

[anapuni808]

why do all of you have these mis-guided dreams of moving to "paradise"? If you aren't happy where you are, why do you think you will be any happier here?

as has been said on here many, many times - THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT NOT, PARADISE!

Sorry - I'm just in a really pissy mood today because of another of these threads. I'm afraid I'm Kimo55's new best friend on this subject!

[Bard]

why do all of you have these mis-guided dreams of moving to "paradise"? If you aren't happy where you are, why do you think you will be any happier here?

Anapuni, I can't speak for anyone else posting on this thread, but why do you have these mis-guided ideas about knowing why we want to move to Hawai'i? :)

as has been said on here many, many times - THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT NOT, PARADISE!

Never thought it was, at least in the traditional sense of the word. I've gotten a bit cantankerous on this subject as well, from the other side. I'll give you my impression of "paradise". It is what it is, an island chain on the northern tip of Polynesia, in the middle of the Pacific, with a rich native culture undergoing a lovely renaissance. It's heavily dependent on cars, oil, imports, and other things I consider undesirable. There's racial tension. Corrupt politicians. Expensive as all h***. High property crime rates. Long delays for any sort of shipping. High chances of rock fever, for people used to living on a huge continent. Inconvenient flights in and out. Cultural clashes between "gentrifiers" and people who liked it the way it was, thank you very much. "Kill haole day".

And in spite of all that, "Hawai'i no ka oi"! She haunts me daily and won't leave my head until I go, even with the possibility I'll not fit and end up going elsewhere in a few years. I see benefits for myself and my family, but I've already gotten a lot out of my interactions with this forum and others, and it all makes me want to give back too, in some way that won't say "back on the mainland..." in so many words. Craig's thread about cleaning up the park sounds great. Wish I was already there to join in. Wish I already was there to bring Texas style cherry cream cheese pie to someone's shindig. :)

I'm sorry, I can't really give a better explanation than that, I'm just trying to be honest and go from there.

[blueyecicle]

why do all of you have these mis-guided dreams of moving to "paradise"? If you aren't happy where you are, why do you think you will be any happier here?

as has been said on here many, many times - THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT NOT, PARADISE!

Sorry - I'm just in a really pissy mood today because of another of these threads. I'm afraid I'm Kimo55's new best friend on this subject!

I don't think it is "paradise" my husband needs regular temps for his health....In Oregon it is so extreme all the time. Hawai'i has fairly mellow temps year round. And it is green like Oregon. (: Cold hurts him and hot puts him in the hospital....You can't judge someone for wanting a better place to be.

I am happy where I am ! I am not happy that he is sick every week due to tempature changes....it's hard to be sick all the time. :(

[anapuni808]

I wasn't Judging anyone............However, I was questioning motives & reasons for moving here. We are so crowded and people keep moving here every day so they can have the piece of paradise that they are helping to destroy by moving here. Can't anyone see the irony of that?

Blue - you say you are moving here for our climate. Has anyone told you about the high humidity when there is a storm around us? The Kona Winds that can cause anyone with allergies to get very sick? Has anyone told you about "vog" when the trade winds change direction? or when they just stop blowing altogether? What about the mold in your closet caused by the humidity? Has anyone told you about what happens when a hurricane hits an island? or when a shipping strike prevents us from getting necessities?

Sure, our temperatures stay pretty mellow. But the "climate"? Thats all over the place and it can change on a daily basis.

[anapuni808]

Anapuni, I can't speak for anyone else posting on this thread, but why do you have these mis-guided ideas about knowing why we want to move to Hawai'i? :)Because Brad, once upon a time, in a land far, far away - I had those same dreams about Paradise. I came here in 1963 to marry a very nice young man who put a big honking diamond on my finger & said will you marry me & come to Hawaii? Well, DUH!!!!! I wasn't an idiot - I had seen Elvis' "Blue Hawaii" about 50 times and just knew it had to be paradise!

I was very fortunate to have lived way out in the country and be gently introduced to my new home - culture, food, behaviour and language. I fell in love with it & have stayed here since, except for a mis-guided (there I go using that word again :) ) attempt to re-establish myself on the continent. By then, I was too acclimated to living on an island - it took me many years to be able to come "home" but when I did come back - I knew exactly what it would be like to live here. I had family, old friends, knew my way around and best of all, was very comfortable living the local life style.

Those are advantages that you, Blue, Hope and the many others who post on here don't have. and it makes a difference! That's what so many on HT keep trying to explain to people - I just wasn't so subtle about it today.

This is the best way to interpret my original question to you folks who have never lived here. It's not personal - I don't know any of you. I don't know who is ill, who just wants a change or whatever. I can only speak as someone who realizes we who live on islands have very finite space to share - ours is just about gone.

Besides, when Independence comes - you'll have to make some MAJOR changes................. :D

[anapuni808]

Bard - as for your other statement about racial tensions and corrupt politicians? The only folks who seem to talk about racial matters are white folks. Most people who live here get other along with people of other ETHNICITIES who live next door or sit at the next desk at work. We eat each other's food, we attend each others parties, marry each other - no tension.

and as for corrupt politicians - can I mention Sen. Gorton? or many others in DC? At least here, we know who is corrupt and because we are so small & close - we can go verbally smack them in the head & tell them we know what they're doing! and we're close because we usually know their parents or auntie or cousin or went to school with them or their kid goes to school with ours and so on & so forth. and then we just re-elect them because we already know what they're like. Why bring in a new guy & not know what we're getting? :D

[Bard]

I appreciate what you're saying. It's a talk that every person who has that "move" glimmer in their eyes ought to get.

We are so crowded and people keep moving here every day so they can have the piece of paradise that they are helping to destroy by moving here. Can't anyone see the irony of that?

I do. I said it in my very first post to the forum:

I understand the concerns over more and more people moving there, and agonized over whether it'd be right to add to the problem as someone who understands that it may not be right

Sorry for getting on fire there on ya in my last post... I understand what you're getting at. It's just, it comes from both sides. I told some friends here we wanted to move to Hawai'i and their first reaction was a puzzled "huh?". Then they sorta laughed at us, like we were joking. A while later I'd mention something else and finally get the "oh, so you're really serious?" These were people who had never been there themselves or only stayed in Waikiki and such, and probably thought it was equivalent to moving to Disneyland or the Vegas strip. (Who knows, maybe some of the "dreamers" really think that way? :) Certainly many mainlanders think of it as one big resort or theme park.) I eventually quit even talking about it. Then I spent some time online trying to learn everything I can about the place, culture, and so forth, trying to make some friends ahead of time... and a common reaction is "oh god, not another one".

After reading over hawaii.com I can honestly sympathize with you guys quite a bit on that point. :D I can't speak for anyone else, and it's not something I really want to discuss on a forum, but really though: my wife and I have a specific, concrete reason we want to move, one that can only be fulfilled in Hawai'i.

The biggest lesson I've had pounded into me in my time hanging out on HT, and Kimo is near the top of the list of "teachers", is sometimes people just aren't gonna agree. I think this might be one of those subjects. :) Like Kimo said earlier, this forum isn't an extension of the visitor's bureau and I'm sure it gets tiring hearing about it. I just try to steer clear of it and talk with you guys about whatever else comes up 'cause I like feeling the pulse of the islands, and I'd rather do that than get in arguments.

(My exception being a thread where people are already discussing it.. sorry =))

[Bard]

Bard - as for your other statement about racial tensions and corrupt politicians? The only folks who seem to talk about racial matters are white folks. Most people who live here get other along with people of other ETHNICITIES who live next door or sit at the next desk at work. We eat each other's food, we attend each others parties, marry each other - no tension.

That sounds wonderful. I like "ethnicities" as a better word too, much more accurate. Ack, there's a lot I could say about that. But anyway, it's not something I'm planning to get involved in.

Edit: ERR I mean not getting involved in the racism, not the multi-culturalness! =)

and as for corrupt politicians - can I mention Sen. Gorton? or many others in DC? At least here, we know who is corrupt and because we are so small & close - we can go verbally smack them in the head & tell them we know what they're doing! and we're close because we usually know their parents or auntie or cousin or went to school with them or their kid goes to school with ours and so on & so forth. and then we just re-elect them because we already know what they're like. Why bring in a new guy & not know what we're getting? :D

Touche! I read something similar once: Hawai'i has the two degrees of separation rather than six that people always talk about on the mainland. Chances are if you've heard of someone there and you live there, someone you know is friends with them. :) The corruption is the same just about anywhere, it's just more in your face with the smallness and closeness.

Anyway, I wasn't trying to complain about either of those, just point out that I know that people have problems sometimes, especially moving in from elsewhere.

[anapuni808]

Bard, I also appreciate what you and the others are saying. It's just that you can't learn "culture" from a website! You can't learn by comparing what you have now to an unknown factor (except what you've gleaned from a website :) ) and it's not about what it takes to be a "local".

We speak a different language here, we give directions in ways that won't make sense. Shoots, most of us probably don't know East or West until we see the sun go down. What is south in Honolulu will be north on the other side of the island! It's these little things, everyday things that make up life here.

For example - a few years ago, a company I worked for, hired a newbie, fresh off the plane from Florida. Her job was to run errands for the office. Well, she would ask for directions like is it north, south, what's the cross-street, what is the address? We would just look at each other & give directions like normal - "well, its down past the old saimin stand, across from the old gem store". She got so frustrated she went out and got a map book, made us xerox the correct page & highlight the route for her. She just couldn't grasp how things happen here. I had to laugh & try to explain that my daughter knew where I lived, but she had to look up the address to mail me a birthday card! She lasted here about 6 months, then moved back to Florida. She had come here with her kids, dog, car & furniture. Put her kids in school and bought a house - all to stay for 6 months!

This is the kind of stuff we try to get across to everyone with that so-called "gleam" in their eyes.

[blueyecicle]

I wasn't Judging anyone............However, I was questioning motives & reasons for moving here. We are so crowded and people keep moving here every day so they can have the piece of paradise that they are helping to destroy by moving here. Can't anyone see the irony of that?

Blue - you say you are moving here for our climate. Has anyone told you about the high humidity when there is a storm around us? The Kona Winds that can cause anyone with allergies to get very sick? Has anyone told you about "vog" when the trade winds change direction? or when they just stop blowing altogether? What about the mold in your closet caused by the humidity? Has anyone told you about what happens when a hurricane hits an island? or when a shipping strike prevents us from getting necessities?

Sure, our temperatures stay pretty mellow. But the "climate"? Thats all over the place and it can change on a daily basis.

We have researched many places...We have travelled to many places...Believe it or not Oregon has very HIGH mold content and my husband grew up on the coast...I know the ups and downs. They are everywhere. The humidity is extreme on the Oregon coast as well. He is very familiar with that.

We have looked into many places. We are well educated and well- informed.
But Hawaii does not hit 35 degrees and does not reach 105. I am sorry you don't like the fact we want to move there.

Nothing I can say will help. :(

Believe it or not we are not just hopping on a plane and moving. I have 3 children to care for and know the sacrifices we may have to make. I take nothing away from the islands. I run a business from home and can do it from anywhere. I take no jobs from anyone. I homeschool my children and we are nice and decent respectful people with values and a family.

[Bard]

Thanks for sharing. I know I shouldn't laugh about the lady from Florida but it's kinda funny :)

Honestly all those "weird" things are part of what attracted us to begin with. We stared at the diagram of "Ewa vs DH" and "Mauka vs Makai" for quite a while before it sunk in. Makes a lot of sense after that.

But yeah, I know what you're saying. You can't really "get" a place for real until you've lived there for a while.

If it makes you feel better, we've listened to what everyone's said on here and worked out a way to easily go back if it's not working out. (It mainly involves not shipping/moving or selling all of our "junk" until we figure out what we're doing...) In the mean time you guys get to enjoy some taxes on out-of-state income (bringing my job with me), and if it all works out then maybe you'll have a nice new neighbor. If not... well... take one free "I told you so" pass to be returned at a later date :D

[Bard]

We have researched many places...We have travelled to many places...Believe it or not Oregon has very HIGH mold content and my husband grew up on the coast...I know the ups and downs. They are everywhere. The humidity is extreme on the Oregon coast as well. He is very familiar with that.

Man o man can I vouch for this too. Even in Portland which is not quite on the coast... I had a car that was composting and growing plants just because I hadn't cleaned it out quick enough :eek:

Our weather is pretty random here lately too. Maybe it's global warming. ;) It's in the lower 90s today and supposed to be in the mid-90s tomorrow; humidity was about 70% early this morning and about 19% a few hours ago. Next Wednesday it will be 69 degrees and raining!

Even so, I love Oregon and Portland. This is really one of the best cities I've lived in and we've been pretty happy here. It's a neat place. It's just not Hawai'i.

[anapuni808]

Hello???? no one is telling you not to move here! I asked a question at the beginning of this thread. I'm sure you will be very happy here with your family & hope that your husband will be able to regain his health.

Hey, if you run a business from home - maybe you can help me get one started after you get here? I'm getting old & tired and would love to work from home :D


We have researched many places...We have travelled to many places...Believe it or not Oregon has very HIGH mold content and my husband grew up on the coast...I know the ups and downs. They are everywhere. The humidity is extreme on the Oregon coast as well. He is very familiar with that.

We have looked into many places. We are well educated and well- informed.
But Hawaii does not hit 35 degrees and does not reach 105. I am sorry you don't like the fact we want to move there.

Nothing I can say will help. :(

Believe it or not we are not just hopping on a plane and moving. I have 3 children to care for and know the sacrifices we may have to make. I take nothing away from the islands. I run a business from home and can do it from anywhere. I take no jobs from anyone. I homeschool my children and we are nice and decent respectful people with values and a family.

[anapuni808]

Well, at least you've discovered some of our little "eccentricities" and still think well of the islands!

Thanks for sharing. I know I shouldn't laugh about the lady from Florida but it's kinda funny :)

Honestly all those "weird" things are part of what attracted us to begin with. We stared at the diagram of "Ewa vs DH" and "Mauka vs Makai" for quite a while before it sunk in. Makes a lot of sense after that.

But yeah, I know what you're saying. You can't really "get" a place for real until you've lived there for a while.

If it makes you feel better, we've listened to what everyone's said on here and worked out a way to easily go back if it's not working out. (It mainly involves not shipping/moving or selling all of our "junk" until we figure out what we're doing...) In the mean time you guys get to enjoy some taxes on out-of-state income (bringing my job with me), and if it all works out then maybe you'll have a nice new neighbor. If not... well... take one free "I told you so" pass to be returned at a later date :D

[SouthKona]

Believe it or not we are not just hopping on a plane and moving. I have 3 children to care for and know the sacrifices we may have to make. I take nothing away from the islands. I run a business from home and can do it from anywhere. I take no jobs from anyone. I homeschool my children and we are nice and decent respectful people with values and a family.

OK, HTers, "No bubble bursting allowed". ;)

[anapuni808]

Well, it sure seems I burst hers :( Didn't mean to & I'm sad that I did. Was just trying to inject some healthy reality into the discussion.

Blueyecicle - we ARE really nice here in the islands. With the right attitude, you & your family will be made to feel welcome right away.

and hey - I was really serious about the home business!

[Hope]

why do all of you have these mis-guided dreams of moving to "paradise"? If you aren't happy where you are, why do you think you will be any happier here?

Blue, you don't have to justify your decision to move anywhere to anyone . This individual is rude, presumptuous, and selfish. anapuni808 is not a native Hawiian, either, and yes, she was judging your decision to move to Hawaii.

The last time I looked, America was a FREE country, and you are FREE to go wherever you may wish, even if it is a misguided dream of living in paradise. When people come to my city, from all over the world, and I'm not talking small potatos, either...7,000 a month move to Las Vegas, I treat them with respect, and assistance where I can offer it.

There, I got it off my chest! :mad:

[Bard]

Well, at least you've discovered some of our little "eccentricities" and still think well of the islands!

I do. :) After all if it was just like the mainland... why go? (Wait... I can answer that.. but I meant it rhetorically :))

The thing I'm both looking forward to and dreading though is visiting family... it'll be nice to finally be somewhere that gets family to come visit us instead of the other way around, but I suspect my Dallasite parents and siblings might have some pretty strong culture shock.

[Bard]

Alright, I gotta stand up for Anapuni here a bit. There was fair warning :)

Sorry - I'm just in a really pissy mood today because of another of these threads.

You'll get some hard knocks on this forum but they are generally good knocks. The people on here are great and have taught me a lot. In the end it's up to you to decide what info to believe and act upon, but it's been good to get a lot of different input.

Take a breather and come back to look at what was written tomorrow, and I bet it doesn't look nearly as bad. I've gathered that being able to shrug, "ehh whatever" and go for some spam musubi is an important skill :)

[anapuni808]

Well, that sure put me in MY place didn't it :D No, I'm not rude or presumptous - just honest & quite outspoken. and No, I'm not native Hawiian. Neither is anyone else that I know of - there are however, many Kanaka Maoli. Nope, no "natives" here - just hard working Hawaiians who would like to maintain their lifestyle & culture. I wouldn't presume to speak for the Kanaka Maoli - they can speak for themselves & very eloquently. I only speak for myself and put my own honest opinions and ideas on here.

Hope - you're right. No one has to ask permission to move to Hawaii (or to Las Vegas). That's one of our problems. However, if YOUR city gets too crowded, you can expand out into the desert for miles & miles. We don't have that luxury here - we have very finite space with no expansion possible. We have very finite natural resources such as water.

Sometimes, we just need to interject a little dose of harsh reality. If you go back & read some of the other "Moving to Hawaii" threads - I'm actually being pretty gentle. and if you will also notice - no one else from HT was posting on this thread today. What I've said has been with no expectation of any backup and with complete civility. Your choice to interpret differently? well of course, thats your privilege.

I could have just yelled out STAY THERE, DON'T COME HERE but I didn't. There, I got that off my chest also.

and if you do come here, as I said to Blue - with the right attitude, you will be welcomed very quickly. Even by me.

oh - one of the first things you will find out after moving here is that many do not think of Hawaii as part of America. ;)

Now I'm through. aaaaahhhh - I feel so much better now.


why do all of you have these mis-guided dreams of moving to "paradise"? If you aren't happy where you are, why do you think you will be any happier here?

Blue, you don't have to justify your decision to move anywhere to anyone . This individual is rude, presumptuous, and selfish. anapuni808 is not a native Hawiian, either, and yes, she was judging your decision to move to Hawaii.

The last time I looked, America was a FREE country, and you are FREE to go wherever you may wish, even if it is a misguided dream of living in paradise. When people come to my city, from all over the world, and I'm not talking small potatos, either...7,000 a month move to Las Vegas, I treat them with respect, and assistance where I can offer it.

There, I got it off my chest! :mad:

[Bard]

oh - one of the first things you will find out after moving here is that many do not think of Hawaii as part of America. ;)

It's an easy sort of thing to think, even if you ignore the sovereignty question. It is pretty different and DC is a looong way away.

Then again I'm used to that from living in Texas too. ;)

[Miulang]

It's an easy sort of thing to think, even if you ignore the sovereignty question. It is pretty different and DC is a looong way away.

Then again I'm used to that from living in Texas too. ;)
One other biiiiig difference between Hawai'i and CONUS. You can't just hop in your car and drive to another state! :D Hence, the term "rock fever".

Miulang

[Bard]

One other biiiiig difference between Hawai'i and CONUS. You can't just hop in your car and drive to another state! :D Hence, the term "rock fever".

I take it from your quoting my Texas post for that, that you've been to Texas... :D I used to go to college in Austin, and the drive to Tucson took two days. Day one: drive west, drive west, and drive west some more... stop still well inside Texas. Day two: drive west, drive west some more.. oh wow, we're out of Texas! And we're out of New Mexico! And whoa, we're there :)

[Hope]

Well, that sure put me in MY place didn't it No, I'm not rude or presumptous - just honest & quite outspoken. and No, I'm not native Hawiian. Neither is anyone else that I know of - there are however, many Kanaka Maoli. Nope, no "natives" here - just hard working Hawaiians who would like to maintain their lifestyle & culture. I wouldn't presume to speak for the Kanaka Maoli - they can speak for themselves & very eloquently. I only speak for myself and put my own honest opinions and ideas on here.

I'm an outspoken individual, as well. It was the first time since posting here a few days ago that someone had spoken in this way. When I was in Oahu, I was treated in a very friendly manner by all of the "ambassadors" of Hawaii, who are quite exceptional, to say the least.

Once in a while, the "Detroit Girl" jumps out of my mouth. You can take the girl outta' Detroit, but you can't take...well, you get the drift. Can't say I'm one to mince words. :)

[hawaiidreaming]

I am so very happy to have found this forum! I've been restless and obsessed about moving to Oahu for the past several months, especially today. I've spent hours upon hours looking at jobs and condos there.

I live in Las Vegas, which is very "cool", but I find myself feeling restless and bored after living here for almost 11 years. (yep, people really do live here, lol)

I don't gamble, and there's no WATER here! I want to go sailing on my days off! I want to walk on the beach, and be out of this crazy town! I want to shed this place of pretension...and live a more "real" life.... :confused:sounds great wish i could move there :)