20 Things

This island continues to amaze me.
Here are some more interesting things that I have noticed about the Big Island:

1)  Locals park their cars backward in parking spaces to show they have pride in their vehicles.

2) Shaking hands is an insensitive way of introduction.

3) Garages are the hang out spots at houses, not living rooms.  They're usually outfitted with couches and televisions, for "the boys."

4) Paniolos- Hawaiian cowboys.  There is a lot of cattle country on the big island.  Happy cows come from California...happy cows also come from Hawaii apparently.

5) A back porch is called a lanai.

6) Vog- volcanic fog- think smog, but from a volcano.  Nasty stuff that socks in the island when the winds don't blow it offshore... this cannot be good for my lungs...

7) Kama 'aina- local- show your Hawaii State ID and restaurants and other places give discounted prices.

8) Canoe paddling is the official sport of Hawaii.

9) Parking spaces appear to be much smaller than on the mainland...maybe because we are on an island with limited space...perhaps...?

10)  Centipedes and Brown Recluses are the creepy crawlers to watch out for out here.

11) "Hawaii Casual"- don't even worry about fully dressing up out here...ever...

12) "No rain, no rainbows."

13) Aunties and Uncles- any adult's title to a child that isn't their parent.

14) Black sand beaches only last for about 500-600 years because the coral changes them to white sand beaches.

15) Everyone and their mother has a dog out here.

16) There is officially rumor of one, count it one, bolted climbing route on the whole of the Big Island of Hawaii...

17) A majority of Hawaiians don't visit the ocean too often.

18) Random things will continue to happen no matter where you are on the Big Island- like the coffee barista offering to share a house with you because you are looking for a place to live... or meeting a guy from Jamestown just down the bar from me....

19) Fish is a staple source of protein here for most families- beef and chicken are actually too expensive.

20) The Harbor, like most marinas in the world I would imagine, has its own community, where everyone knows everyone and will jump at the opportunity to help out someone in need.  It has been one of the most pleasant surprises on this island recently.

Aloha nui loa,
M.

"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."
-Buddha