hi! i'm john and i'm from berkeley. (hence the user name) you can find me as johnfromberkeley on most places around the web, but i am johnholland on twitter.
i actually have lived in the san francisco bay area all my life, and berkeley for 25 years now. by day, i live in the dotcom world, and most recently was the founder of an internet startup.
i grew up with parents that had a love for hawaii. they took us on several trips when we were kids, and the worked hard to expose us to the four major islands, and their significant features. the view of hawaii they presented was slightly the idealized, western mainland view, but it was filled with deep appreciation, and not just an attitude that hawaii is a big playground.
as an adult, i've visited the hawaii frequently, and with each trip, i have become more and more aware of the complexities of hawaii, rather than the idealized hawaii. for sure, i enjoy seeking out the "bests". but i also have enjoyed getting to know ordinary hawaiians, both natives and transplants.
i am especially concerned about issues that hawaii faces: environmental, economic, political, etc. being from berkeley, i have recently adopted a pretty radical view of hawaiian independence. i realize there is no return to innocence, but i do believe hawaii was "stolen", and not fair-and-square. i realize i am ignorant, and probably naive, about the issue. but i am sympathetic to the independence movement.
recently, i launched a blog about hawaii: johnfromberkeley on hawaii: musing on paradise from the mainland. i originally envisioned it to be a place where i would share my favorite off-the-beaten path secrets of hawaii, but lately it has taken a bit of a political bent. don't worry, i'll get back to food and beaches before too long.
i actually have lived in the san francisco bay area all my life, and berkeley for 25 years now. by day, i live in the dotcom world, and most recently was the founder of an internet startup.
i grew up with parents that had a love for hawaii. they took us on several trips when we were kids, and the worked hard to expose us to the four major islands, and their significant features. the view of hawaii they presented was slightly the idealized, western mainland view, but it was filled with deep appreciation, and not just an attitude that hawaii is a big playground.
as an adult, i've visited the hawaii frequently, and with each trip, i have become more and more aware of the complexities of hawaii, rather than the idealized hawaii. for sure, i enjoy seeking out the "bests". but i also have enjoyed getting to know ordinary hawaiians, both natives and transplants.
i am especially concerned about issues that hawaii faces: environmental, economic, political, etc. being from berkeley, i have recently adopted a pretty radical view of hawaiian independence. i realize there is no return to innocence, but i do believe hawaii was "stolen", and not fair-and-square. i realize i am ignorant, and probably naive, about the issue. but i am sympathetic to the independence movement.
recently, i launched a blog about hawaii: johnfromberkeley on hawaii: musing on paradise from the mainland. i originally envisioned it to be a place where i would share my favorite off-the-beaten path secrets of hawaii, but lately it has taken a bit of a political bent. don't worry, i'll get back to food and beaches before too long.
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