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Sunday, August 29, 2010
More photos
Architecture
On the way to the Science Museum we walked past part of the moat that surrounds the Imperial Palace and also through a very beautiful gateway. Such things are very common here in Japan. I find that a little amazing in Tokyo because the Americans (us) bombed the city very heavily (fire bombs) during WWII and so much of Tokyo is actually "new." In some places, you see photos on historical markers showing the utter devastation caused by the bombing. But, when the city was rebuilt, it was not just built for functionality. Much of the city was rebuilt for beauty as well. I will try to take pictures of Sam's part of town (where his school is)--it is so gorgeous. But, for now, a few pictures of the moat and the gateway at the park where the museum is.
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| Note the algae on this part of the moat. Sam was very concerned about the little duck to the left heading toward it. |
The Japanese Bathtub
Our apartment has a Japanese (as opposed to a Western) bathtub. I find this concept very interesting. Our bathroom is split into 3 sections (very convenient given that four of us live here). One part holds the toilet (also known as the bidet), another has the sink and lavatory, and the third has the bathtub. The section with the bathtub is very ingenious. The floor of the bath tub room is made to drain water. So, when you bathe or shower, you can just let the water go everywhere because the floor itself has a drain. No need to worry if the boys splash or if water spills out. As for the tub itself, the Japanese tub is much shorter than an American tub, but it is also much deeper. The tub can fill to about 3 feet of water. It's nice and deep, but as you can see in the photo below, you can't really stretch out. Sam is a little nervous about bathing alone in the deep tub so in the photo below it is a shared bath. :)
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| Sid would die if he knew this picture was posted! I am a dead woman. |
Stairs
As promised, I am going to talk about stairs. Japan is not for the infirm or handicapped. I think I have mentioned that we walk to the subway to go where we need to go. What that really involves is walking to the station, walking down into the station via stairs, walking to the correct subway place (which involves more stairs or, if one is lucky, an escalator or two). I don't think anyone here has a stairmaster. I am not exaggerating when I say that we climb about 1000 stairs a day. And, the staircases are so tall that often they have to be split up into levels for safety reasons. I took a picture last night of a moderately sized staircase that we walk at Kojimachi Station to get out of the station. It is not as big as the staircase at Nagatacho, the larger station. And, at one of the stations, the staircase is literally like climbing a mountain. The boys said it is like a giant staircase at Universal Studios.
Methane Monument
Okay, as you can see in the pictures below, at the Science Museum Sid and I took Sam to there was a Methane Exhibit. Essentially, on this floor of the museum various types of energy were highlighted. Nuclear energy good; fossil fuels bad; methane fuel a viable alternative to some other fuels. Since this is an interactive science museum, all of the exhibits have some "hands on" aspect for the kids. In this one, the child pushed on various balloon type devices in order to make the statue of the naked little boy pass gas. I can't see this one in America! :)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Stairs and the Science Museum
I am posting tonight to say I will post on Monday about stairs and the science museum. I hope to put up a picture I took of the Methane Gas exhibit. Needless to say, there would be no such exhibit in America!!!! :)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sid Makes Dinner
Sid is in the kitchen making dinner--like any good man should be. Unfortunately, he is less successful at operating the devices than I was the other night. I was in the family room part of the kitchen toying with the new Slingbox--our connection to American television--and all of a sudden Sid got all afluster. He had put taco shells in the broiler and somehow some aluminum foil that the old lady had lined the broiler with reached up and set the taco shells on fire. No damage, but a lot of flurry on our part as we tried to put the flames out. So, up for dinner? Taco meat. No shells.
Free Money for Kids
Yesterday and today we spent registering as aliens (getting our "green cards"), signing up for the National Health Insurance Plan (free for us!), and signing up for our Ku's Children's Support Plan (we will get about $260 a month from our city just because we have kids). It is very interesting given the debate over national healthcare at home to be taking advantage of all of these services in Japan. But, I told Sid that I do not think it would work the same in America. The Japanese seem so driven to do a good job--regardless of what job it is that they do. I went to Big Camera to buy a printer and the nice salesman literally ran to find out answers to my questions--and he was getting no commission or anything. It's just his job to take care of customers. I figure it's the same with doctors here--no big salaries; just doing their job. I find I really like shopping here. Even when I don't buy anything the clerks pay a lot of attention. I will miss that when I come home! :)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Grocery Shopping
We went grocery shopping today one ku over--in Minato-Ku. The store is National Azabu--it caters to those of us who need our peanut butter and crackers. But, we found that American food (and American-like food) comes at a price. We paid $11 for some applesauce to put in the kids' lunches, $30 for Tide, and I don't even want to tell you what I paid for a guilty pleasure (a little package of Pepperidge Farms Sausalito cookies). I should also mention I paid $8 for 2 cups of kraft shredded cheese. :( Soon we will have to eat like Japanese people or be broke. koi-so (sad).
The Big Azabu was very crowded. And, I found the Americans to be less polite than the Japanese we meet everyday. But, the store delivered and that was a plus. When our groceries came there was dry ice in with the frozen food to keep it fresh. We made witch's brew in the sink. Sam loved that. I made pasta with tomato sauce and peas for dinner. The peas were terrible. Really terrible. The are some strange British brand and the stove buttons are all in Japanese so I had to guess at temperature so they turned out very mushy--more like gruel than vegetable.
We saw a very nice Japanese grocery store that I hope to return to. It looked very clean and much less crowded.
The boys are driving me crazy and I am more than ready for school to start. Except that without Graham I can't really find my way around. But, I am ready for a little time to myself. You don't get much of that in 850 square feet crowded with an old lady's fur coats and empty boxes! Graham starts school tomorrow. Sam has one more week off.
Did I mention the fridge already? It has three sections. We aren't sure what the bottom one is for or if it is cool or frozen. We also can't figure out the trash system--everything has to be divided up just so--so I made Graham eat all the peas tonight because I was not sure where leftover food should go. Our trash is piling up because the landlady only speaks Japanese and we don't know where to take the trash or how to divide it. :( It sits out in our hot, steamy laundry drying room. Yes, that's right. In Japan the apartments have washing machines, but not dryers. You hang your clothes around the house, on the porch, and in a hot, steamy room that provides a view of hanging undies most days.
Tomorrow my new pillow cases and toothbrush holders will arrive along with sheets for the boys and a coffee maker for Sid. We can't wait. Someone emailed asking me if Japan is really that different from the US. Hmmm. I never felt this excited about McDonald's back home. Hard to say if that is because Japan is so different or because I have become a fast food junkie on this trip. :)
The Big Azabu was very crowded. And, I found the Americans to be less polite than the Japanese we meet everyday. But, the store delivered and that was a plus. When our groceries came there was dry ice in with the frozen food to keep it fresh. We made witch's brew in the sink. Sam loved that. I made pasta with tomato sauce and peas for dinner. The peas were terrible. Really terrible. The are some strange British brand and the stove buttons are all in Japanese so I had to guess at temperature so they turned out very mushy--more like gruel than vegetable.
We saw a very nice Japanese grocery store that I hope to return to. It looked very clean and much less crowded.
The boys are driving me crazy and I am more than ready for school to start. Except that without Graham I can't really find my way around. But, I am ready for a little time to myself. You don't get much of that in 850 square feet crowded with an old lady's fur coats and empty boxes! Graham starts school tomorrow. Sam has one more week off.
Did I mention the fridge already? It has three sections. We aren't sure what the bottom one is for or if it is cool or frozen. We also can't figure out the trash system--everything has to be divided up just so--so I made Graham eat all the peas tonight because I was not sure where leftover food should go. Our trash is piling up because the landlady only speaks Japanese and we don't know where to take the trash or how to divide it. :( It sits out in our hot, steamy laundry drying room. Yes, that's right. In Japan the apartments have washing machines, but not dryers. You hang your clothes around the house, on the porch, and in a hot, steamy room that provides a view of hanging undies most days.
Tomorrow my new pillow cases and toothbrush holders will arrive along with sheets for the boys and a coffee maker for Sid. We can't wait. Someone emailed asking me if Japan is really that different from the US. Hmmm. I never felt this excited about McDonald's back home. Hard to say if that is because Japan is so different or because I have become a fast food junkie on this trip. :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Ikekaburo
Today we celebrated Sam's birthday and so we went to Ikekaburo. That is one of the districts north of us. It was like Times Square on New Year's Eve (it was a Saturday night--for those of you in NC, we are 13 hours ahead of you). We went to an aquarium on the 10th floor of what seems to be a giant shopping mall (Sunshine City). At the aquarium, you could pet all kinds of sea life: a shark, jelly fish, turtles, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers. They also had an owl on a leash. It was like being back in America 100 years ago before people thought animals should be treated humanely! But it was fun. We did a little shopping afterward. Sam left his DS on the plane and we have been unable to recover so we hoped to buy a replacement. But we can't because of the whole region thing. At any rate, we ate dinner at Shakey's Pizza. Anyone remember Shakey's Pizza? It was okay, but once again, stingy with the water!
I find it amazing that Japan has almost no water fountains. It is so hot and everyone walks everywhere, but it is so hard to find free water! I am surprised people don't just faint and die out in the hot sun on the street.
We also ate at McDonald's again today. In Ikekaburo it was cheaper than the one near us.
I bought a pillow. Did I mention that the Japanese generally use one of two kinds of pillows--either feather or bean. Yes, bean pillows. I opted for a 16 yen cotton one.
It's been a long day, but when I get a chance I'll post pictures of Ikekaburo. :)
I find it amazing that Japan has almost no water fountains. It is so hot and everyone walks everywhere, but it is so hard to find free water! I am surprised people don't just faint and die out in the hot sun on the street.
We also ate at McDonald's again today. In Ikekaburo it was cheaper than the one near us.
I bought a pillow. Did I mention that the Japanese generally use one of two kinds of pillows--either feather or bean. Yes, bean pillows. I opted for a 16 yen cotton one.
It's been a long day, but when I get a chance I'll post pictures of Ikekaburo. :)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Ugh, Japan
Well, I can't say that Japan has not generated some smiles. When we arrived at Narita Airport, Sam needed to use the restroom so I took him and waited by the entrance. Pretty soon I heard him screeching and talking to himself and then a little later he came running out. The toilets in Japan are more like European toilets in that they all have a bidet feature. Sam thought he was flushing the toilet, but instead he had turned on the water and it squirted out on him. :)
The Japanese are also very polite and well-disciplined. It is amazing to walk the streets and ride the subways here--there is no litter anywhere. It is so clean. And, all the trash everywhere is sorted (for those of you who are into recycling)--Tokyo recycles just about everything and if you don't separate your trash you are in big trouble! People are also very quiet. I always know where Sam is (and so does everyone else). He is (as at home) the loudest person within many blocks.
Our apartment has a few defects--the main one being that the owner left much of her stuff here. Our dressers and closets are full of fur coats, paper products, and mothballs. The Japanese love mothballs. At any rate, every nook and corner of our little place is filled with this woman's belongings. She is very nice, but I truly think she might be a candidate for a Japanese version of that hoarding show.
Despite all the hoarding, we found ourselves needing a few things--like drinking glasses. So, we went to a big store--Big Camera. All the big department stores are located at subway stations and they carry an odd variety of things. Big Camera had cameras, cell phones, etc., but also cooking utensils and clothing. I wanted some sheets of my own and pillows--everything is white or beige. No color at all. And, I still don't have a pillow--I could only find feather which makes me sneeze.
We eat at McDonald's. I don't mean ate once there. We eat there often. Our ku (district of Tokyo) is a business district and aside from 7-11 has no real food stores and 7-11 and Lawson's don't really have all that much American food. (Picture a sandwich with some sort of fish mixed with corn between two pieces of bread with the crusts cut off here) And since we have not yet ordered any food from the Flying Pig (a delivery service that shops at Costco and brings the food to you), we have to eat out. We mostly eat at McDonald's--fortunately serving up 3 meals a day. We have eaten other places--an Italian restaurant where you had to buy your water to drink (Italian water) and got no refills, and 7-11. Yes, my friends, perhaps your local 7-11 is not serving up much by way of hot food, but here in the Big T you can get an assortment of hot goods like chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and some less identifiable products. I am hungry. Send food. American food.
Graham had his school orientation today. It went well. I think he will like it. He already knows his way around the subway--he is so smart. I will take him with me when I need to go somewhere instead of Sid. Graham knows just how to get where you need to go.
We took a cab today. We paid only what the fare was--no tip. In Japan, there is no tipping. People are just supposed to do their job without further remuneration. I like that aspect of things. And, the people work very hard. We saw people on the subway on the way home from work at 6-8:00 at night--like a lot of people. And, they all hurry around. The streets have no benches (even at stops) nor do the subways really. Everyone hustles around. At McDonald's at lunch people sit and read or work--we saw couples where the man was reading something and the woman was flipping through a magazine. No one really talked. They just did their own thing quietly. At least until Sam sat down. Then they tried to do their thing quietly.
Sam is very popular. He is already good friends with the McDonald's lady.
It's hard to find Dr. Pepper here. I am hungry and need caffeine.
Well, enough for now.
The Japanese are also very polite and well-disciplined. It is amazing to walk the streets and ride the subways here--there is no litter anywhere. It is so clean. And, all the trash everywhere is sorted (for those of you who are into recycling)--Tokyo recycles just about everything and if you don't separate your trash you are in big trouble! People are also very quiet. I always know where Sam is (and so does everyone else). He is (as at home) the loudest person within many blocks.
Our apartment has a few defects--the main one being that the owner left much of her stuff here. Our dressers and closets are full of fur coats, paper products, and mothballs. The Japanese love mothballs. At any rate, every nook and corner of our little place is filled with this woman's belongings. She is very nice, but I truly think she might be a candidate for a Japanese version of that hoarding show.
Despite all the hoarding, we found ourselves needing a few things--like drinking glasses. So, we went to a big store--Big Camera. All the big department stores are located at subway stations and they carry an odd variety of things. Big Camera had cameras, cell phones, etc., but also cooking utensils and clothing. I wanted some sheets of my own and pillows--everything is white or beige. No color at all. And, I still don't have a pillow--I could only find feather which makes me sneeze.
We eat at McDonald's. I don't mean ate once there. We eat there often. Our ku (district of Tokyo) is a business district and aside from 7-11 has no real food stores and 7-11 and Lawson's don't really have all that much American food. (Picture a sandwich with some sort of fish mixed with corn between two pieces of bread with the crusts cut off here) And since we have not yet ordered any food from the Flying Pig (a delivery service that shops at Costco and brings the food to you), we have to eat out. We mostly eat at McDonald's--fortunately serving up 3 meals a day. We have eaten other places--an Italian restaurant where you had to buy your water to drink (Italian water) and got no refills, and 7-11. Yes, my friends, perhaps your local 7-11 is not serving up much by way of hot food, but here in the Big T you can get an assortment of hot goods like chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and some less identifiable products. I am hungry. Send food. American food.
Graham had his school orientation today. It went well. I think he will like it. He already knows his way around the subway--he is so smart. I will take him with me when I need to go somewhere instead of Sid. Graham knows just how to get where you need to go.
We took a cab today. We paid only what the fare was--no tip. In Japan, there is no tipping. People are just supposed to do their job without further remuneration. I like that aspect of things. And, the people work very hard. We saw people on the subway on the way home from work at 6-8:00 at night--like a lot of people. And, they all hurry around. The streets have no benches (even at stops) nor do the subways really. Everyone hustles around. At McDonald's at lunch people sit and read or work--we saw couples where the man was reading something and the woman was flipping through a magazine. No one really talked. They just did their own thing quietly. At least until Sam sat down. Then they tried to do their thing quietly.
Sam is very popular. He is already good friends with the McDonald's lady.
It's hard to find Dr. Pepper here. I am hungry and need caffeine.
Well, enough for now.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wishing to return to Hawaii
Well, this will be short as I am tired. We arrived in Japan today. The internet is really hard to figure out and all the directions now come up in Japanese on my computer. Argh. Also, the apartment is not quite what we'd hoped. The owners are very nice but it is lived in by a little old lady and every nook and cranny is stuffed with junk--everything from plastic bags from the store to dusty knick knacks. There is literally nowhere for us to live. And, I am very frustrated with Best Buy. I hate them and will never purchase anything from there again. But, I am so tired I have to save that story for another day.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Pictures
For those of you who are my Facebook friends, I am uploading a whole bunch of photos there. I am not gifted at editing yet so they are in no order and are a mess. :)
So sad to think about leaving Hawaii
Today we are getting ready to send some more stuff to Japan and to send some things home that we will not need anymore. It is is so sad to think about leaving here.
Yesterday we went to Wet n Wild. My mean boys talked me into riding some things with them. On the Raging River they told me that there was a big drop so I was cowering and screaming the whole way (only to find that there was actually no drop--just a lot of swishing about in an inflatable boat). Then, we went on the Tornado, which they assured me was just like the Raging River. It was not. There was a 60 foot drop which propelled us into a tornado-like funnel that took us up and down on the sides in before plunging into a pool of water. It was terrifying. Sam, of course, just laughed.
Well, it's on to figuring out what to pack. :(
Yesterday we went to Wet n Wild. My mean boys talked me into riding some things with them. On the Raging River they told me that there was a big drop so I was cowering and screaming the whole way (only to find that there was actually no drop--just a lot of swishing about in an inflatable boat). Then, we went on the Tornado, which they assured me was just like the Raging River. It was not. There was a 60 foot drop which propelled us into a tornado-like funnel that took us up and down on the sides in before plunging into a pool of water. It was terrifying. Sam, of course, just laughed.
Well, it's on to figuring out what to pack. :(
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Addendum
I forgot to add a little tidbit about my baby, Sam. A couple of days ago we went to the International Market at Waikiki (this huge place of little shop shacks and eateries) and there is this place where they have oysters in buckets and for $14.95 you get to pick an oyster and they pry it open and you get to keep the pearl inside. So Sam did that and we had a necklace made for me out of the pearl. As we were driving around today he insisted that we have to go back to the International Market. When pressed on why Sam said that he needed to get Bella one of those pearls. :) Already a Ladies Man at 7.
Hawaii
Well, the boys have now joined me on Oahu. (That is probably why I am unable to post to this blog--they are wearing me out!) In just these few short days we have gone swimming under a waterfall at Waimea State Park, visited a wind tunnel up in the mountains, gone snorkeling off a boat, eaten (and regretted eating) at a Chinese truck on the side of the road on the North Shore, done the Dole Plantation Maze (with the customary pineapple whip at the end), and clambered aboard the Missouri to see where Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese signed the surrender papers after World War II.
Oahu is so beautiful. The mountains just seem to rise up out of the sea like hulking green dragons. It's hard to imagine anyone ever wanting to leave. Although, the traffic is terrible island-wide so maybe one would wish to move to one of the other islands.
We are dealing with the difficulties of having so much luggage in such a small room. And, we are all wearing dirty clothes as there is no laundromat on site. We will have to do laundry soon, though. Sid has worn his underwear for days (which is better than Sam who decided that since we only have dirty clothes he is not going to bother with bathing at all--other than swimming in the ocean and pool!). Even though Hawaii is fairly cool and breezy, people need to bathe and do laundry!
Oahu is so beautiful. The mountains just seem to rise up out of the sea like hulking green dragons. It's hard to imagine anyone ever wanting to leave. Although, the traffic is terrible island-wide so maybe one would wish to move to one of the other islands.
We are dealing with the difficulties of having so much luggage in such a small room. And, we are all wearing dirty clothes as there is no laundromat on site. We will have to do laundry soon, though. Sid has worn his underwear for days (which is better than Sam who decided that since we only have dirty clothes he is not going to bother with bathing at all--other than swimming in the ocean and pool!). Even though Hawaii is fairly cool and breezy, people need to bathe and do laundry!
Monday, August 2, 2010
I am the Skipper
Today we had our own private tour of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Memorial, the Oklahoma Memorial, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. All of the places were fascinating--especially since we got to see them from angles that normal tourists can't because they are not allowed on site. Our guide was one of the advisers for the film Pearl Harbor (the one with Ben Affleck) (he is also the host of that show called "Unsolved history"--in reality he is a national park service employee and very, very knowledgeable. His name is Daniel Martinez). He did not like the final product so much, but one of the interesting consequences of the movie was that in cleaning up afterward the crew rediscovered some of the original damage done by the Japanese attack. So, we got to stand on the airfield and see the marks made when Japanese aircraft strafed it 60 years ago. It's somewhat unimaginable the amount of damage done by a single plane.
The Oklahoma Memorial was very touching. There were marble columns for each of the hundreds of men killed. But the Arizona Memorial was the most interesting place we visited. The ship is still there--with men still on board--rusting. Almost 1200 men died on the ship on December 7. Some of the survivors have chosen to be buried at sea with their shipmates in recent years. The memorial itself sits on top of the ship and you can see pieces of it rising up on either side of the memorial. We had a private tour of the memorial and threw flowers in on the remains of the ship. It was really touching to think how many young men died on that ship--average age somewhere around 18. As we looked out across the water at the USS Missouri (the ship on which MacArthur and the Japanese signed the peace treaty) a huge rainbow spread out over the ship, encircling it.
A ship captained by two naval personnel takes you out into Pearl Harbor. On the way back up to the visitor center I got to skipper the ship and then park it. It was so fun getting to turn the big wheel. But, I found that I drive a ship like I drive a car--as I was parking it I made a bad turn and bumped it into the "curb" giving everyone a jolt. I was skipper for a day but I don't think I will be recruited! :)
Tomorrow we have panels where the survivors will talk and where Japanese who were in the internment camps will talk.
The Oklahoma Memorial was very touching. There were marble columns for each of the hundreds of men killed. But the Arizona Memorial was the most interesting place we visited. The ship is still there--with men still on board--rusting. Almost 1200 men died on the ship on December 7. Some of the survivors have chosen to be buried at sea with their shipmates in recent years. The memorial itself sits on top of the ship and you can see pieces of it rising up on either side of the memorial. We had a private tour of the memorial and threw flowers in on the remains of the ship. It was really touching to think how many young men died on that ship--average age somewhere around 18. As we looked out across the water at the USS Missouri (the ship on which MacArthur and the Japanese signed the peace treaty) a huge rainbow spread out over the ship, encircling it.
A ship captained by two naval personnel takes you out into Pearl Harbor. On the way back up to the visitor center I got to skipper the ship and then park it. It was so fun getting to turn the big wheel. But, I found that I drive a ship like I drive a car--as I was parking it I made a bad turn and bumped it into the "curb" giving everyone a jolt. I was skipper for a day but I don't think I will be recruited! :)
Tomorrow we have panels where the survivors will talk and where Japanese who were in the internment camps will talk.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Welcome to Hawaii
I arrived at the airport in Honolulu at about 2:00 in the afternoon on Friday--or, for those of you in NC, at about 8:00 in the evening. I was tired and bedraggled, but had reserved my shuttle in advance. So, things would run smoothly, right? The shuttle company forgot me. So, after waiting a considerable amount of time I called them and they sent a shuttle guy. It was just me and the shuttle guy. And, he was lonely. It took a little more than an hour to reach my hotel and in that time I learned everything about my shuttle guy. He is 50, he likes orange drink from McDonald's, his second wife dumped him for his best friend and he wanted to kill her so he moved to Hawaii, etc. Luckily, he informed me that since I was married he wouldn't hit on me. Ugh.
The hotel was nice. I had pricelined the Hyatt Waikiki. It was a huge hotel with different towers. I was on the 40th floor. After checking in, I went down and hung around on the beach watching all the people--and there were a lot of people. The beach is very different from those in NC. Waikiki is what you think of when you think of island paradises. There are huge trees, palm trees but also these beautiful huge old trees that look sort of like giant bonsai trees. The beach itself has been fixed for different purposes. There are places where people (mostly kids and beginners) surf as there is nothing to block their ride all the way to the sand. And then there are places made safe for kids to swim--there are sort of little sea walls--they look like dark boxes lined up horizontally along the coast about 30 feet offshore--that keep the big waves out.
Up and down the street along the beach there were people playing different instruments (hoping you'll put money in their cans), surfers walking with their boards, and people of every variety. There are a ton of Japanese and Koreans here in addition to the many natives. So, there are all kinds of languages whizzing around you as you walk along your way.
The sunset was magnificent. Looking over the sea the little white sailboats became fuzzier and fuzzier as the sun started to melt into watermelon shadows. And then on the curve of the land you begin to notice the little twinkling lights of the city that stretches out around the bends and twists of the sea.
Back at the hotel I could see the city creeping up the mountain from my lanai (balcony). And, as there are no mosquitoes or anything here I left the door open all night and let the cool sea breeze in. It was great--until 2:30 in the morning when a group of drunken men started pounding on my door and cursing at the key card that they couldn't get to work!
There are lots and lots of people staggering around drunk at night around Waikiki.
I'm in the dorm at the University of Hawaii now. The seminar starts today. So, I'll let you know how Pearl Harbor is!
The hotel was nice. I had pricelined the Hyatt Waikiki. It was a huge hotel with different towers. I was on the 40th floor. After checking in, I went down and hung around on the beach watching all the people--and there were a lot of people. The beach is very different from those in NC. Waikiki is what you think of when you think of island paradises. There are huge trees, palm trees but also these beautiful huge old trees that look sort of like giant bonsai trees. The beach itself has been fixed for different purposes. There are places where people (mostly kids and beginners) surf as there is nothing to block their ride all the way to the sand. And then there are places made safe for kids to swim--there are sort of little sea walls--they look like dark boxes lined up horizontally along the coast about 30 feet offshore--that keep the big waves out.
Up and down the street along the beach there were people playing different instruments (hoping you'll put money in their cans), surfers walking with their boards, and people of every variety. There are a ton of Japanese and Koreans here in addition to the many natives. So, there are all kinds of languages whizzing around you as you walk along your way.
The sunset was magnificent. Looking over the sea the little white sailboats became fuzzier and fuzzier as the sun started to melt into watermelon shadows. And then on the curve of the land you begin to notice the little twinkling lights of the city that stretches out around the bends and twists of the sea.
Back at the hotel I could see the city creeping up the mountain from my lanai (balcony). And, as there are no mosquitoes or anything here I left the door open all night and let the cool sea breeze in. It was great--until 2:30 in the morning when a group of drunken men started pounding on my door and cursing at the key card that they couldn't get to work!
There are lots and lots of people staggering around drunk at night around Waikiki.
I'm in the dorm at the University of Hawaii now. The seminar starts today. So, I'll let you know how Pearl Harbor is!
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