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I could not stop laughing while I was reading your post! I live in Northern VA travel to New York with work from time to time. It's ok there but not a place I would ever want to like everything is " RIGHT ON TOP" of everything and most of the apartment are so small you hear everything going on next door. So the family member from New York I can see why the shop everyday that is really what they do there "RUN TO THE STORE OR DELI ! But my reason for wanting to come over there(to be with Grand Kids) will be ok even at home here I am a pretty laid back person I work and come home. A trip to "WALMART" is fun to me! But I must admit I DO LOVE TO EAT OUT!! cooking is just not me since the kids are grown, but I will cook if need be. Now about these "COCKAROACHES" I HATE BUGS they give me the heebegeebe"s!! My Son told me something about the bugs before but him being a guy I just thought he was pulling my leg! He said he don't care how clean you keep your house you will see cockaroches, lizzard things on the wall so this is TRUE? I am one of those people if a bug gets on me I flip out! Looks like I won't be able to come there until May 09 my plan was to live there for 6mos then come back here for 6mos but after speaking with my Son he is trying to get me to come over from June 09-April 10.
Um, yeah, well, there will be cockaroaches no matter how clean your house is. Big ones that fly so they are easy to spot but if you have a cat, they will catch a lot of them for you. Just wish they would then eat the pesky things and not leave them on our slippers outside the door! It is so hard to get cats to behave.
Those lizard things on the wall are house geckos and they are really, really well liked in Hawaii. Do not hurt them, shoo them out or complain about them or lots of folks will be terribly appalled at you. Geckos eat the mosquitoes and small cockaroaches and without geckos in your house there would be even more bugs than there are now. I have a gecko who lives behind the soap dish by the kitchen sink. He comes out to catch bugs and he also likes to lick up drops of chocolate milk from the bottom of glasses in the sink. Before he started living there I never knew geckos had a sweet tooth. They don't really have teeth, though, maybe a sweet tongue? Geckos also make chirping noises, you can hear them occasionally go "chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk" as they search out and eat up bugs. They do leave annoying droppings along the window sills, you can complain about that without appalling people as long as the complaint isn't about the gecko itself.
We have no cold winters with snow to knock the bug population back in the wintertime which is one reason we have so many bugs everywhere.
You will see cockaroaches and geckos, with luck you won't see any centipedes or cane spiders. Centipedes are technically considered beneficial since they are predator bugs but I don't like them and the chickens eat most of them found around here. The cat occasionally kills one and I get the rest if I see them. They do have a very painful bite and you don't want to meet one. They are easy to spot, though, since they are generally around four to eight inches long and one-half inch to two inches wide. The cane spiders are pretty shy, don't attack people, don't make messy webs and make pretty good outside the back door pets. We had one living near the porch light for a long time. They are big and scary looking though, they can get up to about hand sized for a large one.
We have great traps for the roaches that we put all around the perimeter of our house. Between those and the geckos, we haven't had many problems. Just make sure you never leave anything out, cap your toothpaste, wipe down the counters, etc. Now the ants on the other hand....
I had the same island fear you did. It was irrational, I know, but I was like, "I can't just drive away!" But really, you don't think about it. It's not like the island is so small that you can see all the edges of it, and after a while you sort of forget.
Kapolei is near a retail area- they're building a Super Target there, due to open in March. There's also a Home Depot and I think a K-Mart, but I may have that confused. There are places to eat here, you just have to have an open mind and not be a picky eater.
I dont think it is "island fever" that gets to me. it is the blantant descrimination, racial slurs, rudeness, ignorance and intolerance I see here on Oahu. I for one cannot wait to be free of this place.
Also, the entire "we reserve the right to discriminate based on race" is quite disgusting. Ironically, Hawaiians voted for change... yet are unwilling to change...
Things people get away with here, would be a hate crime in wait on the mainland. I do not see anyone here talking about places you cannot go if you are not hawaiian... beaches, schools, jobs...
Not to mention criminals here get slaps on the wrist, and contuinue to commit crimes...For such a small area as well... the registered sex offender list is huge for Oahu alone.
I'm sorry your experience in Hawaii has been such a bad one. Beaches, parks, shopping, all State and City and County parks and recreation areas are open to everyone - locals and tourists, etc. However, let it be known that all Military Installations are NOT accessible by everyone.
Blatant discrimination is a little too harsh a description. It depends on how sensitive you are to the word "haole" which locals use to describe Caucasians from the mainland. African-Americans and Latinos are a minority, and assumed mililtary personnel. However, that doesn't mean people don't like you. Hawaii is a culture with "locals" who are mostly Filipino, Japanese, Chinese and Korean as these ethnicities were hired to work on the sugar and pineapple plantations.
Our current governor, Linda Lingle, is a non-Hawaii born Jew, our lieutenant governor, James "Duke" Aiona, is a Hawaii-born former judge, and our Mayor, Mufi Hanneman, is a Hawaii-born, Harvard-educated, Samoan.
I do agree that criminals get "slaps on their wrist" and that as a local "Hawaiian" (not a blood-native Hawaiian) I have been vocal to my representatives about change in the laws. But one voice does not appear to be enough. I have co-workers that complain but don't write or speak to their local government representatives. What good does that do? Be proactive, write to your local representatives. Even if you are only stationed here for a few years, you should still try to let your concerns be known to those people in government that can implement the change.
Please realize that although there is discrimination, as found in any city around the world, Oahu has many wonderful things to do and your ethnicity will NOT prevent you from participating.
Sorry to get off topic. Kapolei is on the West-side of Oahu, about 45 minutes drive from Downtown Honolulu. It's more affordable right now and growth is happening as Kapolei is suppose to be our 2nd City. You may be able to find work, but knowing you would be gone for 6 months at a time, may limit the number of employers willing to hire you.
Although you do have to get on a plane to get off the island and even visit another county, if you enjoy what the island has to offer, that concern will disappear.
Go to Craigslist and peruse their housing on Oahu. Type in Kapolei and the number of rooms, price limit, and see what comes up. That will give you an idea of what rents are like. Maybe you and your son's family can find a 3 or 4 bedroom townhouse to rent. Rents are going down a bit. I used to rent out a place for $1500 but will be lowering it to match the market.
Also keep in mind airfare from Hawaii to VA can run $800-900 roundtrip. Being that you'd be taking a one-way trip every six months, the cost could be even higher. Did you think about selling your VA place and just relocating to Hawaii full-time. If your daughter will be moving out, then maybe consider moving to Hawaii and being with your grandkids full-time! I think the health industry is always looking for good people.
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Auwe (Hawaiian for "too bad/so sad")
