Tuesday, March 18, 2008

St. Patrick's Day in Hawaii

Well, the green here isn't the same as the green anywhere else. I think Hawaii has probably the lowest % of Irish people here but people here certainly want to party like they've got Irish blood! There was a block party here where a street which had a couple of Irish bars, O'Toole's and Murphy's, was closed off so people could wander in and out of the bars and carry their drinks onto the street. There was a beer tent, sort of ,that also had some food. Good old corned beef and cabbage sold next to some sushi...only in Hawaii. While there were plenty of people sporting green shirts, pants, hats and logos painted on their faces, there was no green beer...but plenty of Guinness and Jameson. There were so many people, it was just too much for me. I was getting squished and couldn't see much of anything above everyone's head.

What's a good block party without some rain to fall on the good times...had flash downpours for about 15 minutes, where it would stop then start again...we didn't know what to do, should we wait or should we try and go for it. By that time I was starving and needed food! You know how I get when I'm hungry!

How did you spend your St. Paddy's day?

Helen "Blarney" O'Kim

Monday, March 17, 2008

Sunday in Waikiki































































The pictures from top to bottom, left to right:
1. group of dancers from Japan
2. hula dancers
3. traditional dancers, men and women, from Japan
4. Chinese lion dancers
5. 5 mascots for the Beijing Olympics
6. Korean dancers (from Korean association in Hawaii)
7. represents a god in Japan (can't remember the name)
8. a lantern mikoshi

I woke up this morning thinking it was going to be like any other Sunday, you know, a little exercising, breakfast watching the water and the people out surfing, kayaking, swimming and maybe even sailing. The marina's right across the street, there's a closed-in lagoon next to that and then a beach protected by a reef or breakwater in the park up the ways a little. So early in the morning and I can already see people out and about. It's quieter at this time as there aren't many cars out yet but it sure picks up quickly as people realize it's going to be another sunny day.

I meandered about the apartment for a bit, I think to procrastinate about going for a run. My days off are the only days I think about running since I walk to and from work. Also, it's too hot in the evening and by the time it's cool enough, it's too dark. Not that I don't feel safe, I just don't know my way around well enough to go around in the dark. So I go off running along Waikiki beach and I find a path that has stations along the way where you can do exercises like circuit training. It's sort of similar to what they have on the chip path in Manhattan Beach except those are all in one place and these are spread out. Kind of cool...I'll have to try it out next time.

Running along the beach also gave me the opportunity to experience a church service Hawaiian style! It was on the beach, where I sat on a mat, watched a woman hula dance during worship, enjoyed the warm sun on my body and a cool breeze blowing. I mention this because a friend of mind asked me if I had found a church. When I replied to her, I hadn't but now I found one. It was very easy-going, relaxed where the minister worse a Hawaiian shirt and shorts and sandals, actually crocs. (As far as the Hawaiian shirt goes, I've seen a lot of people wearing them as their business casual attire. Both men and women wearing the Hawaiian print.)

In the afternoon, I went to the Hawaii Convention Center where there was a performance stage, craft fair and tables where you could try your hand at different activities. This was all about the Honolulu Festival which was a celebration honoring the close relationship between the Asian people and Hawaii. Of course, I was late so I barely had time to walk around. I noticed that most of the performers, craft and activity tables were related to the Japanese culture. I guess that's because of the huge influence that the Japanese culture and people have on Hawaii. Later on, I watched the parade down a major street in Waikiki. There were over 80 floats/organizations in the parade, many of the people having come from Japan. There were many hula groups from Hawaii and Japan, dancers, Chinese lion dancers, a Chinese delegation to honor the Beijing Olympics with the mascots, people representing the many tribes of Taiwan, ,a group from Fukua, China, aboriginal dancers from Australia and Korean people representing the associations in Hawaii. The last part of the parade were the various mikoshis which are portable shrines to house the gods. They ranged from small to very large. To top it off, it rained for about 10 minutes, most of it was a sprinkle but there was about 5 minutes where it was a good dousing. Fortunately, it was near the end of the parade.

All in all a great day...got to enjoy some new experiences, the sun, the rain and an attempt to get this body into shape. If it wasn't for this appetite of mine and the love of food, then I'd be seeing that six pack instead of feeling like I'm carrying it around in my belly! And I don't even drink beer! Oh, well, I can only hope that this great weather will continue to entice me.

How was your day?

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Total Well Being

This weekend I went to a total well being expo at the convention center nearby. There were some interesting, to put it mildly, things. They ranged form movement classes on pilates, yoga, gyrokinesis, dance to speakers on topics, such as holistic medicine (cool!), atlas evolution (about how the realigning the atlas bone can solve many problems), miracle cleanse (how parts of the large intestine correspond to parts of the body and that blockages can cause problems and cleansing can solve them). There were other topics, such as medical alchemy, unconditional love, matrix energetics, which I didn't attend. There were also exhibitors presenting all kinds of products that were designed to promote health and wellbeing. It seems people here are very much into all sorts of things that don't always just focus on western medicine. Since there are so many Asian cultures here, there's a greater influence of eastern medicine, holistic medicine.

Beautiful Day!

After coming home from work today, I spent an hour or so out on my lanai, enjoying the warm sun. The apartment faces west so I get to enjoy the sunset, how the sun reflects over the water as it goes down and sometimes plays hide and seek with the clouds. Other nights, the sky was a beautiful pink, not tonight though. I enjoyed a glass of wine and toasted all of you out there who don't get to enjoy the view.

It's amazing how relaxing it is here, even though it's a new job and new city. I don't have all the things going on after work that I did back in L.A. where I'd have to rush home, relax for a little bit and then go out again. Now I get home and I don't have to do anything if I don't want to. Or I can read, watch a little tv, surf the net or just veg...it's awesome!!!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

another week, another dollar

Well, I got my first paycheck from my travelling company...my first thought was wow, it's a lot less than what I was making. Then a reality check hit..oh, yea, I'm in Hawaii and I don't have to pay rent! And it was only one week's worth...still, it'll be less than before. Oh, well, them's the sacrifices one must make for working and living in Paradise. I guess I can handle it for the next 3 months.

I'm still getting used to this blogging thing. I'm not used to voicing my thoughts, as those of you who know me can attest to. Not much happened this week, the usual, walk to work, work, walk back from work and then just chill. I haven't used the pool/spa, just because I burned my shoulders walking last week and I want to give them a chance to heal up (no peeling, yet, hopefully not), although now I'm going to have to somehow even out the burn/tan so there are no funky tan lines going all over the place. Again, a sacrifice from living where it's so sunny!

Honolulu has an art walk on the first Friday of the month. Yes, I did partake, and yes, my lips did get numb!!! Hey, for $3 or $3.50 martinis, who wouldn't? There was also a restaurant that offered free food and you know I'd go there! I went with a couple of people from work and it was fun. Happy hour in Honolulu is really not much different than in Hermosa Beach, just better drink specials! Unfortunately, it's only once a month ;)

I'm writing this Sunday morning, eating my on the lanai and watching the ocean. I can see surfers, a few boaters and what looks like a boat carrying snorkelers just offshore. I'm so high up that I can see how the water is so clear that I can see the bottom of the ocean near the shore.

well, that's all for now, catch you later

Saturday, March 1, 2008

1st week in Paradise

my first week


views from my apartmentview of Diamond Head crater, looking north

Well, the first week here in Hawaii has come and gone. It's gone by so fast! I think I'm still getting used to the time difference. So when I have to leave for work at 7am, my body still thinks it's 9am. Why am leaving that early, you ask? Well, I'm trying to use this wonderful weather to jumpstart my exercise routine. So I'm walking to and from work, which is about 2.5 mi each way, probably a little less because I'm cutting thru a couple of park/open areas. I've cut my walking time by almost 10 miles!. I'm also trying to eat breakfast. The hard thing is that lunch is at 1130am so by the time I leave get home after work I'm starving and eat munchies! BAAAADDD!!!!

The first week of work has found me getting used to a lot of new things. Queens Medical Center is the tertiary care trauma center, not only for the Hawaiian Islands, but the Pacific, so they get patients from as far away as Micronesia. Where is that? I'm not even sure, I'll have to look it up on Google. It's a huge hospital, with 500+ beds, residency program (no cute ones seen yet!) and it is quite nice inside. It even has what looks to be a decent cafeteria menu (Hawaiian style, of course) . The hardest thing to get used to is the computer documentation. It's supposed to be easier to read (which it is), unfortutely the ones who really need to use it, ie. the doctors, don't really use it much. So their notes are still largely undecipherable and they often still write in a regular chart which makes more work on our part to read their stuff as well as what's in the computer. It's supposedly takes less time to complete, but that's not true. Even though I'm still getting used it, I'm finding it a slow process. There are a lot of travellers here (6PT, 2OT), all from different parts of the mainland. They're quite busy. The staff have been very helpful in my learning process.

Honolulu, what can I say! It's a cosmopolitan city with a much greater Asian influence than one could have imagined. I would say Caucasians are the minority. They cater greatly to tourists, especially Japanese ones. Many of their signs are in Japanese as well as English and there are many Japanese (as well as other Asian) restaurants. Don't see too many Mexican restaurants. I walked down a major street towards Waikiki and it's so eclectic in what stores are here. There are high priced stores, like Prada, Coach, Kate Space, interspersed with sourvenir shops.

I walked from my place to Diamond Head Crater which is on the east side of Waikiki. It's about a 4.3 mi.walk and the last /.8 05 to the top of the crater is all uphill, with many steep steps. So I had to take the bus back home..boy, my feet are tired! (I also ran this morning which also adds to why my feet and legs are sore - it was a beautiful morning but already hot at 930am) What a beautiful site the crater is though, it's lush and green and from atop the observation tower, you can see what the crater looks like a big bowl! (makes you want a big bowl of ice cream in this warm weather).

Around here, I can get around by walking or taking the bus (the system is really good). I plan on walking quite a bit so I can have that beach body, tanned and lean, for all the surfers! no, maybe the resident doctors! Just kidding.

As you read this, I hope you will write in how you day, your life are going. As exciting as this life may sound, it's always nice to hear about back home and the friends and family that I've left behind but not forgotten.


1st day in Paradise

Well, the last day in L.A. was hurried and chaotic, as usual for me, leaving some things to the last minute. My roommates have been great in helping me out as I prepared to leave and when I'm gone. I'm going to miss seeing them, laughing with and at them as I will with all my friends in the L.A. area. They're like my family as my parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew are so far away. Why am I going even further away? It's for that last adventure before I settle down closer to them (crossing fingers so plans don't veer too much).

The flight was delayed by 45 minutes and by the time I got my bags, picked up the rental car and got to my new place, it was 9pm Hawaii time (11pm CA timet). I was tired from the trip and the lack of sleep the night before from packing. It was hard to see my surroundings since it was at night, but I could see that I had an ocean view and I was close to the ocean.

The next day I awoke early, still on CA time, and it was raining! It ended up raining on and off all day. From my lanai (balcony), I could see the ocean and the west part of the island, in between the tall buildings. I'm on the 41st floor so I have a pretty good view. Being on the west side, I can imagine what a sunset I'll be able to see! I had to go grocery shopping, prices for some items, like produce, are more expensive, but some items are comparable to CA. I plan on eating healthy while trying to get fitter by taking advantage of the great weather and locale. I did take a walk to see how far away work is...certainly doable. Sun didn't start to set until about 630pm.

Monday morning I awoke with excitement, anticipation and a little nervousness. The sun didn't rise until about 630am. Walked to work and got my blood pumping for the day. The orientation was a little overwhelming, with computer documentation, different wings of the hospital, new names to remember but I'm sure I can handle it. There are 2-3 travellers in PT and OT, almost half of their staff.

Broke in my feet with my first blister, having walked more in the last 2 days than in the last 6 months total. Am going to check out the exercise area, pool, sauna and spa sometime over the next week or so. There's 2 major shopping mall less than a 10min walk from where I am, I can see the bigger one from my lanai...I can see my hard earned dollars already flying away!

So who's going to be the first to visit me!!!