Weather and Bugs

[Hobart]

Coming from the Mid-Atlantic states, the weather is humid in the summer, pretty much unbearable. Likewise in Asia where I live now, every sort of warm tropical place is super humid. There is actually no place in Asia that is warm, and not unbearably humid. I was stunned to hear that many of the houses in Hawaii have no AC and no heat. How can that be? I honestly thought places like this didn't exist, try Bali, or Thailand, Vietnam, here in Taiwan or Hong Kong, all really humid, sure in the Fall it is cool and not really humid, but the summers are uncomfortable and in say Singapore or Bangkok, year round hit and humid. SoCal doesn't count because that is a desert no?

Likewise, regarding bugs, I read about people leaving their French doors open in California and having these outdoor rooms in their yards, but as I said, isn't it a desert there? What about Hawaii? I heard it is very common to have smaller houses with outdoor rooms, I think you call them a Lanai? What about flies, bees, mosquitos? Aren't they unbearable?

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Weather and Bugs

Coming from the Mid-Atlantic states, the weather is humid in the summer, pretty much unbearable. Likewise in Asia where I live now, every sort of warm tropical place is super humid. There is actually no place in Asia that is warm, and not unbearably humid. I was stunned to hear that many of the houses in Hawaii have no AC and no heat. How can that be? I honestly thought places like this didn't exist, try Bali, or Thailand, Vietnam, here in Taiwan or Hong Kong, all really humid, sure in the Fall it is cool and not really humid, but the summers are uncomfortable and in say Singapore or Bangkok, year round hit and humid. SoCal doesn't count because that is a desert no?

Likewise, regarding bugs, I read about people leaving their French doors open in California and having these outdoor rooms in their yards, but as I said, isn't it a desert there? What about Hawaii? I heard it is very common to have smaller houses with outdoor rooms, I think you call them a Lanai? What about flies, bees, mosquitos? Aren't they unbearable?

There are giant bugs in Hawaii. They will eat small children and pets. They have been reported to "laugh" maniacally when doing so. Reports are statistically unsubstantiated but widely regarded as truth.

You are right about SoCal. It doesn't "count" at all. However, it has nothing to do with being a desert.

[Hellbent]

Re: Weather and Bugs

we cant fit the air conditioners into our huts, it gets in the way of the chimneys. theres no need for heaters here unless you are elderly. many houses have AC, heck we even have screen doors and window screens to keep the gigantic B-52 cockaroaches at bay so our women, children, and infirm can doze safely without worry about being digested by above said giant bugs. we have this thing called tradewinds, but i dont know how they work. winds blow in, spin the pinwheels and cool us down. those of us who arent cool already.

[Kelly0040]

Re: Weather and Bugs

I'm a mosquito magnet. I live in Ewa Beach and thankfully I havent seen one yet. However, I was a mosquito buffett while vising our quarantined cats up near the stadium. We knew it was time to go by the number of bites I had.

Ewa is like the dryest/warmest part of the island and we do not have an air conditionair (many folks out here do). We do have jalousie windows, which are fairly common, and help keep the house cool. We also do not have a furnace - wayyy waaayyyy too warm down here.

It gets humid here, but it's not unbearable to me. I mean, sure, it's hot. But it's not like i'm-gonna-die-omggggg hot. I grew up in california and we didn't have french doors to leave open, but we had a sliding glass door and left that open. We also have sliding glass doors here, too . I wouldn't leave the screen open though. The amount of roaches/pedes/stray cats/whatever that would come in would be...

I dunno about outdoor rooms. I know people have outdoor kitchens here because I've seen them featured on tv.

[Bard]

Re: Weather and Bugs

I heard it is very common to have smaller houses with outdoor rooms, I think you call them a Lanai?

Go somewhere like Waikiki, and half the hotels are open-air ... walk off the street and straight into the carpeted lobby. Some shops I noticed too had a completely open front (with some kind of sliding glass I assume) and AC! Electric bills for those places must be astronomical.

Coming from Oregon it did seem a little warm and humid to me, but when I got back home I had to open my windows at the office and let in the 85 degree breeze to not feel like an ice block. I think I spent too long in the south.

[Hobart]

Re: Weather and Bugs

I know my question was a newbie one. I never thought Hawaii was backwards, I think I was reading some guide books or real estate websites and exactly the opposite it seemed too good to be true. It seemed like a paradise, better than anywhere else on earth. I travel to Germany frequently hardly anyone has AC because it never gets that warm and if it does only for a little while. Here in Taiwan hardly anyone has a heater, as well when it never getsthat cold but if it does it is only for a few days.

I had read about the tradewinds. On Oahu there must be loads of microclimates. I know in the Taipei area, you can drive around a mountain and it like another season, colder and rainy, the other side sunny. Or cross a certain line and it either starts raining, or rains harder or is more humid.

So is there any part of Oahu that has close to "perfect weather", better than all of the other parts? What about that super expensive zip code in Kahala I see all of the multi-million dollar homes for sale. Is that just a convenient place to live with prestige and all, or does it have some of the best weather?

My question about bugs was because I was hoping it was like Southern California, where it seems like they actually leave their doors and windows open without screens.