My How Time Flies

Okay, so it’s been nearly a month since we actually posted on this blog, and the fact that I have actually received emails from people asking about us posting… that means people actually want to read this… thus I shall give the people what they want. So… we did arrive safely in Hawaii and what follows is the “Cliff’s Notes” version of the last month, but don’t worry, there’s pictures.

So the trip out here was pretty uneventful, the most exciting thing was trying to eat spaghetti on a tray-table with plastic silverware while experiencing turbulence… don’t laugh it’s harder than it sounds, I think next time I’ll opt for the sandwich option. On our way out we had a 6 hour layover in L.A. Ryan’s mom also came out for a week and she had a 3 hour layover, she was to arrive in Honolulu before us. Her mom, Ryan’s grandma, lives in a suburb of L.A. so we met her for lunch and a quick trip to the beach in L.A. Not a bad layover if you ask me. Carole ended up missing her flight, which was a bit nerve-racking, but she managed to get on another one and still got in ahead of us.

So, the next day we went apartment hunting and pretty much settled on the first place we looked at. It was totally furnished, from a couch and bed to towels, silverware, and a coffee pot. We went to look at a second one just for the heck of it, but closed the deal later that day and actually moved our stuff in. Our landlords are super nice and it felt so good to get that hurdle out of the way quickly.

We spent the next few days visiting various governmental offices to become Hawaiian residents or “Kama’aina,” as the locals are known. This means we get discounts on hotels and other services. So, if any of you ever do come out to Hawaii let us know and we’ll book the hotel rooms for you and get the local rate, which saves you at least $50 per night. On Thursday night we had a cookout at the beachside property of some new friends of ours. They have a seawall where we can go swimming without fighting the crowds, and a nice spot to grill out and eat. Let’s just say it was a great time and we’ve been back several times… we’re probably going back later this week. On Saturday we drove around the island, we went up to the north shore, which is famous for it’s 30 to 30 foot waves in prime surfing season, and is the spot where all the large surfing tournaments are held. You can watch a video I took of the north shore at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggtjNG1SYUw. We took a drive around about half of the island and it’s amazing how Hawaii can go from being a city of around one million in Honolulu to farmlands full of pineapple and macadamia nuts to mountains in a span of a few hour drive… pretty cool.

We actually started work the Monday after we got here. I did some shadowing of another counselor then started in on some of my own stuff. Ryan was teaching Braille by Wednesday. They didn’t waist any time, and it was nice to get going right away. The first week we were working Pam and Rolland Allen, the director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind where I got training and her husband, my old cane travel teacher, were here coaching some of the staff at Ho’Opono. It really helped to have some familiar faces around for encouragement and to make the transition a bit smoother. It’s always great to see them again. This week my old computer teacher Josh is here, he’s the last coach coming out to Hawaii, they’ve been having people come out here from various centers on the mainland for the last 18 months to help the staff transition to a more positive and successful center. We have come a long way from what I’ve heard, but we still have a long way to go. We were certainly spoiled by the services and attitudes of the staff of the “Commission for the Blind in Nebraska. Everyone said it wouldn’t be easy walking into a place trying to promote change, but it doesn’t really sink in until you actually get there.

Overall things are going well, we are to get our shipment of boxes from Nebraska tomorrow, we’ve begun settling in to a somewhat normal routine, but we’re still trying to get used to getting up for work at 4:30 in the morning… I’m not sure that will ever become routine… I don’t think that’s when humans are supposed to get up.

The weather here is beautiful. The multiculturalism and diversity is a fun experience, and the beaches and swimming are surely a bonus. It is not so fun being 5 or 6 hours behind everyone else, and I’ve not seen a full sporting event since I’ve been out here, heck baseball games start at 7 in the morning. I’ll have to go to bed extra early on Friday nights before Husker games. Anyway, there’s my short version of things… maybe now I’ll feel caught up enough to begin posting on a regular basis.

Finally for the pictures, you can view our Hawaii photo collection at: www.flickr.com/photos/strunk/ I’ll put a post here on the blog when new pictures are added. I hope you enjoy, and I’ll write again soon.

Aloha!