Life on the Islands

My life continues island-style... not much forward progress, a lot of downtime.

Here's my impressions of Hawaii...

First of all, it's a long way from anywhere. That isolation definitely has its impact. The population density as well - especially here in Oahu - also forces folks to get along. I remember looking at Jenny's house on google earth, and it's just amazing how tightly the houses are packed together. Jenny's house is 411A... there's also B, C, D, and E, all down the same alley way. A final factor in getting to know your neighbors is that with the temperature - there's no need for heating, and only sometimes air conditioning (most people have window units), so houses are often little more than four walls keeping the rain out. No insulation at all. So not only are you close, but the windows are all open, and everyone hears everything that goes on in this area. And that's the way it is all over Oahu...

Yet despite the population density, nothing on Oahu behaves like a city, even Honolulu. Yes, there is an "interstate" highway. In short stretches, you might even get to go 55 or 60. Most places - even, often, on the freeway - it tops out at 45 or 50, regardless of what the speed limit says. And aside from a few freeways, there are few multi-lane roads.

Here in Kailua, most of the neighborhood streets - even the arterials - are one lane each direction, and narrow at that. Going over 25 would be stupid. People walk a lot here - loads of kids are out on their own, especially those carrying their boogie board/surf board en route to the ocean - and above all, man, you're on Hawaii time... slow down. There's just no point to going faster. It must be hell if you were late for something...

Even with all the people, there's still large chunks of the islands that are preserved. Especially over here in Kailua, the mountains and the Pali are very close; all of that is undeveloped. It contributes to a sense of being in a tropical paradise... the lushness of this place is amazing. The vegetation constantly threatens. It wants to take over houses, to take back what was taken from nature...

And nature is all around you. Here at Jenny's house, there's an abundance of lizards, all different kinds. When I came the first time, in 2004, we saw an iguana-relation, about 2 feet long, hanging out in the kitchen. Birds all over the place too. I haven't actually seen any wild pigs, but apparently people do go hunting for them. And in the ocean, the fish...

Then, of course, there is the ocean. We're a 10 minute walk - even with two small children - to Kalama Beach. Further down is Kailua. Further down from that is Lanaikai. Kalama and Kailua are gorgeous; Lanaikai is a complete gem. Mahina and I were building a sandcastle today, and she said, "I need better sand." I replied, "Sand doesn't get much better than this, Mahina." Damp, not wet, easily molded... golden, fine, warm. Everyone seems to be at the ocean - lots of people go running along the beach. The water is plenty warm to swim in; on a good day, you get waves enough to body-whomp or boogie board.

Once you've had your swim and built your sand castle and rinsed off as best you can - loaded the car with more sand on the way home - darkness is falling (about 7:15, even now) and it's time for dinner and sleep.

Hawaii, notably, has the most consistent temperature of any place in the world. I'd say normally it's between 65 and 85. Even my cotton clothes here have been waaaay too warm... linen, maybe. I've never been in a place where I so badly wanted to just go naked. No wonder Mahina does so much... As it is, the amount of flesh that is shown is quite understandable as soon as you have to deal with the heat.

It's a poor substitute, to read these words compared to taking your first whiff of night flowers when you step into the airport - the airport is open-air - and just to think, ah, I can relax. It is a wonder, truly, that anything gets done here in the islands.