Aloha from Redmond, WA!

[kimo55]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

Kimo, the "Introductions" forum is an inappropriate venue for your well-known, oft-repeated objections to everything.

i object to that!

but yea yer right. so solly. shoulda held back.

[hawaiihopeful]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

The definition of Paradise...

I know there's been some suggestions about how Maui won't be like how I envisioned it, to be some Paradise lost whereby pretty women in hula skirts bring me drinks and I have the whole beach to myself, after a long day of work at my part time gig being a store greeter. Well, of course not, that's not paradise, that's a beer commercial.

My idea of paradise is much simpler really. It's having my two toddlers get along, not whining or bickering, and me being overwhelmed by a sense of calmness, with all the bills paid and the chores done. My wife and I joking around, enjoying our day off together, and sitting on our front porch.

However, after the Tsunami warning yesterday, it's certainly changed my perception a little.

How fast can I run carrying two toddlers, my iBook, while pulling on my wife's arm? Hmm.

[Miulang]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

My idea of paradise is much simpler really. It's having my two toddlers get along, not whining or bickering, and me being overwhelmed by a sense of calmness, with all the bills paid and the chores done. My wife and I joking around, enjoying our day off together, and sitting on our front porch.

However, after the Tsunami warning yesterday, it's certainly changed my perception a little.

How fast can I run carrying two toddlers, my iBook, while pulling on my wife's arm? Hmm.

Oh, and don't forget the earthquakes (but you're already used to that ) and the hurricanes (which we don't get up here). Maui has a dormant volcano, too (Haleakala) which every now and then likes to "stretch". Because it's dormant and not extinct, there is a possibility that it might erupt again sometime (although the last time it did was in the 1800s). One thing about living on an island...you don't have much room to run away from a natural disaster like you can up here, and if you did try to escape (like by driving inland or up the mountain), you probably wouldn't get very far because the roads would be gridlocked because every other person with a car would have exactly the same idea. You could live on the mountain, but the commute to Central Maui is hellacious, and if you plan to buy a house, well, be prepared to pay a minimum of $600,000 for what $300,000 could buy you here.

Miulang

[tutusue]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

[...]One thing about living on an island...you don't have much room to run away from a natural disaster like you can up here, and if you did try to escape (like by driving inland or up the mountain), you probably wouldn't get very far because the roads would be gridlocked because every other person with a car would have exactly the same idea.[...]

That's exactly what happens! My daughter and I were reminiscing on the phone last night about the tsunami evacuation that took place on Oahu in 1986, iirc! We lived in the inundation zone and were told by someone in a helicopter to leave. How?! The street I lived on was bumper to bumper, immovable traffic. My home had a semi-circle driveway with gates at opposite ends of the property. People panicked and used my driveway in an attempt to get 4 cars ahead of where they were stuck! My driveway became bumper to bumper! Whatta mess!

[tutusue]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

[...]How fast can I run carrying two toddlers, my iBook, while pulling on my wife's arm? Hmm.

Always keep a hurricane preparedness 'kit', even when it's not hurricane season! I had mine by the door last night.

When a tsunami is generated from a distance, like last night, you have time to get everyone in the car and head mauka. Your main obstacle will be traffic, not time. Well, time will eventually become an obstacle if traffic isn't moving! However, as cited in a video linked by an earlier post in this thread, if a tsunami is generated near the Big Island then time is at a premium. The tsunami can make it to Oahu in 30 min...Maui in less time.

I'm originally from SoCal and remember each and every quake I experienced there. As you know, there is no warning. At least with tsunamis and hurricanes we have some time to take action. The major problem is everyone is taking action at the same time!

[helen]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

My idea of paradise is much simpler really. It's having my two toddlers get along, not whining or bickering, and me being overwhelmed by a sense of calmness, with all the bills paid and the chores done. My wife and I joking around, enjoying our day off together, and sitting on our front porch.

However, after the Tsunami warning yesterday, it's certainly changed my perception a little.

I don't remember you mentioning anything about living by the beach. If you was thinking about it, you might re-think that to living close to a beach but outside a tsunami inundation zone.

How fast can I run carrying two toddlers, my iBook, while pulling on my wife's arm? Hmm.

If you make her aware of the tsunami danger in Hawaii it will be one less thing you need to do when it does hit.

[hawaiihopeful]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

My wife and I were still looking at the natural disasters that affect Hawaii and Maui specifically, and The Big Island got ruled out pretty quickly. Reading the website was like a checklist of nature's wrath! Tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, drought, erosion...

But you know, that's all part of the decision making process. I'm sure a lot of you live normal everyday lives, but just being aware makes a huge difference. And since we're likely to be renting at a budget, I doubt we'll be near the ocean. I'm thinking inland, while commuting to work.

Another thing I really have to consider as well, are the stats and where they stand against other facts. I mean, it could very well be that I'm more likely to get mangled in a car accident on I-5 than killed in a tsunami in Maui. I just have to use this information to be aware and educated, and last night was certainly an eye opener.

As for buying the really expensive houses - my wife and I both have never owned a house, and we were okay with renting a smallish place for the first six months we were there (studio or 1 bedroom, insanity included courtesy of toddlers), and then moving to a one or two bedroom rental once we get a better idea of a better neighborhood as far as what we can afford, where the kids will start school, and where we will work.

Thanks to everyone for their "windows of reality." I truly do appreciate the candor.

[Miulang]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

As for buying the really expensive houses - my wife and I both have never owned a house, and we were okay with renting a smallish place for the first six months we were there (studio or 1 bedroom, insanity included courtesy of toddlers), and then moving to a one or two bedroom rental once we get a better idea of a better neighborhood as far as what we can afford, where the kids will start school, and where we will work.

Thanks to everyone for their "windows of reality." I truly do appreciate the candor.

Hawaiihopeful: unfortunately, $600k for a house on Maui is not "expensive"; it's the MEDIAN price (in other words, 50% of the houses are < $600k and 50% are > $600k; but the ones going for less than $600k are basically "tear downs" which are being bought up just for the land. For quite a few years now, Maui has had the dubious distinction of having the most expensive housing in the State. And there are very few rentals outside of the main towns meaning Wailuku, Kahului, Kihei and Lahaina. If you were just moving by yourself, it'd be a whole lot easier; but with a family with young kids, it's going to require being really diligent if you want something more than a 1 bedroom at a "reasonable" (relatively speaking) price. But check the rentals in the Maui News classified and you'll see how scarce housing is.

Miulang

[Jonah K]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

But you know, that's all part of the decision making process. I'm sure a lot of you live normal everyday lives, but just being aware makes a huge difference. And since we're likely to be renting at a budget, I doubt we'll be near the ocean. I'm thinking inland, while commuting to work.

Another thing I really have to consider as well, are the stats and where they stand against other facts. I mean, it could very well be that I'm more likely to get mangled in a car accident on I-5 than killed in a tsunami in Maui. I just have to use this information to be aware and educated, and last night was certainly an eye opener.

As part of your "decision-making process", I suggest that you peruse Toni Polancy's "So You Want to Live in Hawai'i: A Guide to Settling and Succeeding in the Islands" and H. Skip Thomsen's "Affordable Paradise: The Secrets of an Affordable Life in Hawai'i." In addition, I highly recommend an extended visit (or two) before deciding to move here. Living in Hawai'i is quite different from a vacation.

Cheers,

Jonah K

[SouthKona]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

My idea of paradise is much simpler really. It's having my two toddlers get along, not whining or bickering, and me being overwhelmed by a sense of calmness, with all the bills paid and the chores done. My wife and I joking around, enjoying our day off together, and sitting on our front porch.

If you don't already have that, you will not suddenly "find it" by moving ... to Hawaii or otherwise. Toddlers whine and bicker here, just like everywhere. Calmness .... that depends on the lifestyle you practice day to day, not on location. As for all the bills paid ... yeah, I guess that could happen in Hawaii (but it usually means both parents work, which cuts down on the "sitting on the front porch" time you hope for). And don't forget the most important thing about Hawaii if you have children - check out the nearby public schools before you buy/rent, or else be prepared to pay private tuition if you buy/rent with your eyes closed. Not all public schools are equal in Hawaii (which is the same situation as in most every place).
Sorry, I'm not trying to burst your bubble. Hawaii is a great place to live - the best for many of us lucky ones!!

[hawaiihopeful]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

Thanks for all your advice. A lot of decisions to ponder...

[Miulang]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

There's one other kinda curious thing (to me, anyway) about the cultures on Maui: you won't find too many Chinese families living there (yes, they intermarried with other ethnicities, notably the Hawaiians), but people with Chinese surnames are not as common as you would think on Maui.

I did some research once for someone who wanted to know if there were any Chinese cultural activities on Maui, and I came up with nothing. No Chinese temples (other than one that has been restored and is a historical landmark in Lahaina) or Chinese language schools, either. There are some of both on Oahu, but none exist on Maui, even though Maui at one time was a temporary home for Gen. Sun Yat Sen (there's a memorial and park dedicated to him). There's no distinct Chinatown like there is on Oahu, either. I also read somewhere that many of the Chinese immigrant families who were imported from China to work in the sugarcane fields left for the West Coast as soon as they could earn the money for passage on the ships and as soon as the US government allowed them to move to CONUS. So if you move to Maui, you wouldn't have much chance to interact with Chinese people (the majority of Asians on Maui are still probably Japanese and Filipino).

Miulang

[mungbeansoup]

Re: Aloha from Redmond, WA!

If you're Asian-American, you shouldn't have any problems fitting in from a physical standpoint. The lack of Chinese on Maui wouldn't be a factor. On the other hand, if you want to hang with or be near Chinese, then Honolulu really is your best bet, since most Chinese live in/near Honolulu.

Otherwise, I really would avoid Maui. If you are a wedding photog, then Honolulu might be better. You could also get other photo jobs. Honolulu really isn't that bad and you can always get cheap interisland fares if you want to visit a neighbor island.