New Zealanders living in Hawaii - your experiences? (Honolulu, Kaneohe: health insurance, how much)

[MarcNZ]

I am currently exploring my options on places in the US to move to later this year and I've seen there is some interesting work going on in my field at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I would love to hear the experiences of any kiwis who have made the move - pros and cons.

Specifically, I've been reading through the threads on this forum for a while now and it seems to me that the main critisisms made by people moving from the mainland to Hawaii shouldn't really be an issue coming from NZ.

Firstly, "island fever". Is this something you actually experience? I've never experienced this in NZ and was wondering whether it is something that happens when the island gets small enough, or whether it was just something that people who don't grow up on islands experience. I know the first time I went to the interior of North America I felt slightly uneasy knowing I was so far from the ocean, being surrounded by so much land.

Secondly, "being a haole". Am I right in assuming that this is just the hawaiian word for pakeha? (of which I am one). That is, unless there is a swear word attached, it's just a descriptor not an insult? My guess would be that the people who generally complain about how they are treated are really going through culture shock and it's just paranoia. I've had friends from the far south visit me in Auckland who have commented about feeling uncomfortable, but it's all in their imaginations. They are just not use to real multicultural society.

Finally, "how expensive everything is". Again, how much worse can it be than NZ? We have to import a lot of stuff too, that's just the way it is on an island. I don't even think about it that much. The same goes for how much you earn, a number of people talk about how much less they earn in Hawaii than the mainland, but for me the salaries in Hawaii look like a step up from salaries here, so it's all relative.

So, any kiwis out there (or anybody else who wants to make a comment), please let me know whether I've got things right or not. I'm considering a number of places accross the US, but hawaii appeals as the culture and lifestyle seem to have a familiar yet different quality to them. Also, anything else you wish you had known about beforehand would be most appreciated. Cheers.

[feebee]

Gidday!! I am about to move back to Honolulu from Wellington. Married to part Japanese guy born and bred in Kaneohe (on the windward side)...we lived in Honolulu from 2001 - 2005. We met in Japan so I was used to living as a 'minority' so that side of things was not a prob. Never had any issue getting jobs, maybe helped that my last name is now Japanese. I would say that the biggest probs I had were people not understanding my accent lol and it isn't even that strong of a kiwi tang (in my opinion anyway).
Island fever - yes, I got it after 4 years, so we moved to Lodon then to NZ and I HATED being back in NZ and wished for the sun and lifestyle I had left behind in Hawaii. Can't stand Welly :-( But after living in 3 countries in 3 years and now having 2 small boys, priorities have changed and Hawaii is where I want them to grow up (helps having their grandparents there too)
Expensive - yep, it can be. That said, my hubby and I used to save $20,000 a year and we only earned $60,000 between us so it depends on your wants and needs. Some stuff is cheaper, there used to be a 50 cent/$1 movie theatre (someone tell me its still around!!!) and you could watch older runs of movies for a bargain. My hubby was just back in Honolulu and said that the food prices there are def cheaper than NZ. And better quality in Hawaii, esp the local grown produce. Health insurance is one thing to look out for, if you are employed by the uni you should be covered, but if you have to pay for coverage for your dependents then it could be up to $800 or more per month. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!
If you are keen to live in real diversity, then you will enjoy Hawaii! If you a open, friendly, and kind then people will like you (just like anywhere) and at the very least they will love your accent!
I could go on and on, but my vote is for Hawaii!!

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by feebee

There used to be a 50 cent/$1 movie theatre (someone tell me its still around!!!)

Do you mean the one in Honolulu at Restaurant Row? It's now a $1/$2 theater ($2 on weekends), but it's closing at the end of the month.

[MarcNZ]

Thanks feebee. It says a lot about Hawaii when you have had the opportunity to live in several different places, but are ultimately chosing Hawaii to call home. It's interesting that you eventually felt island fever yourself, I guess that it must be something to do with the size of the island, not just the fact that it is an island. But it's reasuring that it took quite a while.

I'm not really too concerned about the salaries in Hawaii, it's just something I noticed a number of people discussing on this forum but I wondered whether they were really that bad (by our standards) or if it's just that they are lower than the mainland. I'm actually just finishing off my PhD so the reality is that I'm use to living on practically nothing anyway and regardless of what I end up earning it's going to be a huge step up from now Also, I'm still single and don't have any kids yet so nobody will be depending on me financially which takes some of the pressure off.

The insurance is an interesting one, I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the subject trying to wrap my head around it all, as you would know coming from NZ it's all quite foreign. Copays, deductibles... a bunch of new terms to learn.

In a couple of months I'm going to start approaching universities and companies across the US for positions and given the current economic situation I know I will probably not have the luxury of being picky about where I end up, but as I've been learning about various places I do keep coming back to the idea of Hawaii. Great weather and a rich culture, it's pretty hard to knock really. And the fact that it's the closest part of the US to family back in NZ is a nice bonus too.

Good luck with the move back, you must be getting very excited. Given the weather we have had here over the past month or so I bet it can't come soon enough (he says sitting beside a heater, looking out the window at the rain ).

[feebee]

Hi again! Yeah, I'm sitting at work and the indoor temp is 11 degrees!! We have the heating turned on and it says 30 degrees but I still can't feel my feet. Its an open plan office and everytime the door opens, the wind just comes on in.
I hope you get an offer from somewhere awesome (like Hawaii)!
And newUHprof..oh no, don't tell me the cheap movie theatres are closing!!! There was also one in Kailua...

[EdelweissNZ]

MarcNZ - Spooky ! My husband is just completing his phd at Auckland uni and has applied for a post doc position at Uni of Hawaii at Manoa too......... in fact I almost thought he was you until I read that you are single with no kids

We're still waiting to hear the outcome of the position., but from what I've have seen the cost of housing appears to be the most expensive outgoing...... a lot more tham here in NZ. Other living expenses seem to be relative to here in NZ, as you say we import so much anyway...

Given NZ's diverse multi culture, I thinking that it would seem like second nature to us to live in Hawaii. The team I work in consists of a NZ, english, spanish and Indian

Although today is sunny, given the recent kiwi weather, Hawaii gets the thumbs up from me

[MarcNZ]

^ that is spooky

Hopefully things go well for your husband and he gets the position. I've got my fingers crossed for you .

Would you mind if I asked whether your husband has done his oral exam yet? That's one thing I've been a bit concerned about. I should be submitting my thesis soon, but in my department the oral exam can take place anytime from 3 months to a year later. I want to apply for post doc positions, but technically won't be "post" doc until after the oral exam. Because of the massive variability in how long it takes before the oral exam I can't exactly wait around, but I just don't know for sure whether US universities will consider somebody for a post doc before they have officially graduated.

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by MarcNZ

... but I just don't know for sure whether US universities will consider somebody for a post doc before they have officially graduated.

Academic training is different everywhere. In the US sciences, we generally apply for jobs the year before we finish, but starting the job is contingent upon finishing. So our letters of recommendation and cover letters will say things like "newUHprof is completing her thesis "scientific stuff you don't really care about" under my direction, and will graduate with her PhD on such-and-such a date." But for us, all exams are done long before the thesis is written... the idea of the exams is to prove you have what it takes to do research.

I think in humanities it is more common to get and even start postdocs before officially graduating.

So you should be sure that your letters and cover letters are very clear about expected completion and what remains for you to do. It should be no problem. Except that the academic job market sucks, and UH is hardly hiring at all as far as I can tell. (My department has 3 open positions which we are not allowed to fill until... who knows when?)

[EdelweissNZ]

MarcNZ......... hmmmmmmmmmmm I swear you could be my husband in disguise

He is in a similar position, about to hand in but has been told that the oral can be anything from 6 weeks to 6 months. HIs advisor has said that he will do his best to get the exam as soon as possible if he gets the job and apparently they can do video conference oral exams... if I remember rightly the other applicants are also in the same finishing position, so maybe it doesn't seem to be a issue ??? don't quote me though !

I'm hoping we hear soon, I'm keen for a new challenge although of course I will miss NZ and my friends (I WILL NOT miss Aucklands dreadful drivers though!)

[MarcNZ]

Originally Posted by newUHprof

our letters of recommendation and cover letters will say things like "newUHprof is completing her thesis "scientific stuff you don't really care about"

haha, that's so true

Originally Posted by newUHprof

But for us, all exams are done long before the thesis is written... the idea of the exams is to prove you have what it takes to do research.

I guess the system is a bit different in the US then, or maybe you just have a different name for it. We can also call the oral exam the "thesis defence". It's not exactly an "exam" in the standard sense.

The way it works in our system (which is based on the British one) is that after we have satisfied our supervisors that the thesis is finished it is sent to two examiners outside of the institution where we did our research. Usually one of the examiners is at a university somewhere else in NZ and the other is at a university in another country. They read the thesis (this is why we have such a variable timespan before our oral exam) and one of them will submit a written report to the other.

The one that received the written report from the other (usually the more local one) will then have an opportunity to grill us face to face for as long as they like about our research (hence the term "oral" exam). Typically they will make some recommendations about changes or possibly even some additional work. Only after we have satisfied them and resubmitted our thesis are we considered to have officially completed our PhDs.

Originally Posted by newUHprof

I think in humanities it is more common to get and even start postdocs before officially graduating.

So you should be sure that your letters and cover letters are very clear about expected completion and what remains for you to do. It should be no problem. Except that the academic job market sucks, and UH is hardly hiring at all as far as I can tell. (My department has 3 open positions which we are not allowed to fill until... who knows when?)

Yes, I agree, the job market definitely seems to have taken quite a hit lately. I'm in engineering, which at least seems to be holding its ground a little better than some areas, but even it's not in great shape. If I had been finishing a couple of years ago I would have felt quite confident picking where I want to go first and then worrying about which job to get in that location. Now It's quite different, I will be applying to jobs in a variety of places and which one I get will define where I actually go.

Annoyingly, there are actually quite a few jobs I'm technically qualified for being advertised in Hawaii (and across the rest of the US) that unfortunately require security clearance. As a non-US citizen I can't apply (no mater how much I promise to keep secrets )

Originally Posted by EdelweissNZ

apparently they can do video conference oral exams...

That's a really interesting idea, I will have to sound out my supervisor about this option too. If my oral exam doesn't take place for a year or so, then I don't mind coming back to visit family anyway, but it would be a pain (and expensive) to get overseas and then have to fly back a short time later for it.

Originally Posted by EdelweissNZ

I'm hoping we hear soon, I'm keen for a new challenge although of course I will miss NZ and my friends (I WILL NOT miss Aucklands dreadful drivers though!)

What? you mean you don't enjoy thousands of cars driving too fast, too close together and randomly cutting each other off?