Hawaii
By Alice Henry
@IreneVincent (15960)
United States
August 26, 2016 11:21am CST
A good friend of mine, just moved to Hawaii with her husband who is now stationed in Honolulu. She has been sending me photos on Instagram and telling me all sorts of interesting things.
I’ve been to Hawaii twice and know quite a bit by myself, but how about this? You may know that people in Hawaii use a hand gesture to greet others. You fold down the middle three fingers in your palm and with the thumb and pinky finger extended, you wiggle your hand. I was familiar with that.
But, did you know what that hand gesture is called. It’s called “shaka.” I didn’t know that. Did you?
Also, the word “Mahalo” is on all the rubbish cans. Do you know what that means? It means “thank you.” I didn’t know that. Did you?
She also told me that Hawaii is very remote. I already knew that, of course, BUT I didn’t know HOW remote. She told me that Hawaii is over 2300 miles from California, about 4900 miles from Japan and over 5200 miles from China.
All I know is that it was a VERY LONG flight from the east coast of the USA, which is where I flew from both times.
8 people like this
9 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Aug 16
Hawaii is a place I have never been to and likely never will. Can't drive there.
3 people like this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
You must not like to fly. It's a very long flight out over the Pacific with no place to land until you get there. On our flight they told us when we had passed "the point of no return" That basically means halfway. So, that if we encountered any problems we would continue on to Hawaii and not try to turn back. It's rather scary when you think about it. But, hundreds of flights go to Hawaii every week.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
@JohnRoberts I agree. The hassle is ridiculous. I haven't flown anywhere for quite a few years now.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Aug 16
@IreneVincent I have done my fair share of long distance flights and the expense and airline/airport hassle isn't for me anymore.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
Yes, it's a nice place to visit, but it's a long way from home. And I wouldn't want to live there.
1 person likes this
@122037 (284)
• Vancouver, British Columbia
26 Aug 16
@IreneVincent Mee too. But I want to travel there for a few days
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40037)
• Toccoa, Georgia
26 Aug 16
In 2001, my husband and I traveled to Hawaii and stayed on Wakiki Beach on Oahu. That photo above is exactly what we saw. We climbed to the top of Diamond Head and toured the USS Arizona and Battleship Missouri. We spent a week there and I would love to return someday.
We went there at the end of May 2001, 3 months before 9/11 happened. We thought how lucky we were to go when we
did, before all the security checks at airports started. We traveled from Atlanta Georgia and it was a real long flight.
No, I didn't know the meanings to the hand gesture or the word on the rubbish cans.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
Yes, we stayed at a hotel on Waikiki also and one thing we did that was really FUN was to ride on the outrigger canoe. That was something we really enjoyed doing.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
27 Aug 16
I enjoy learning and sharing new information. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
Yes, Hawaii has a lot to offer for vacationers, but truly I do not like the idea of living on an island permanently. I lived on the island of Okinawa for 18 months and I had the bad feeling that if a war began or some other catastrophe, we would be in BIG trouble, because all the food supplies would be cut off. Even drinking water was shipped in on a weekly basis.
Hawaii does grow lots of pineapples but much of the other food is imported from other countries.
Just saying.
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
@paigea Yes, crops COULD be grown there, but the tourist dollar is what supports Hawaii's economy now. I'm sure there are gardens and such but most people who live there are involved with the tourist industry in one way or another. Or so I've heard.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
26 Aug 16
@IreneVincent interesting thoughts. I never thought of all that. Of course more Could be grown there.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
Volcanoes are scary, but it seems as if the ones in Hawaii are just bubbling over all the time, instead of blasting away half the island. Italy does have their volcanoes too, as well as other countries.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (21492)
• London, England
26 Aug 16
@IreneVincent True, I haven't heard of them dishing out surprises like the ones in Iceland and Italy
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
Yes, it is expensive. My friend had hoped to live off the base, but rent was outrageous, she said. Something like $2500 a month for a three bedroom house. Yikes. For them, they get to buy at the Commissary and BX so it isn't quite as bad.
@CinnamonGrl (7086)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
26 Aug 16
I did have a trip to Hawaii several years ago, Oahu. So different from my foresty town. I really enjoyed the colorful birds and even the bugs! I was also struck by the number of rusting cars in yards, contrasting with the colorful beauty.
Two of my internet friends just moved over to Hawaii from southern California. Now would be the time to meet in person, lol.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
Interesting. I didn't notice any rusting cars there in Hawaii, but I surely DID notice rusting cars when I visited the Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Really old cars, turned upside down and tires removed. I was surprised to see that.
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
26 Aug 16
I graduated from high school and got married in Hawaii (we were military.) It really is a beautiful place.
My favorite class was Hawaiiana, but I never did get the hang of the hula, although I learned to sing Silent Night in Hawaiian.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
26 Aug 16
My friend is enjoying things in Hawaii very much. They will be there for three years. She is sending lots of nice photos on Instagram. What is amazing to me is that the Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong about that.
