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i'm a tea drinker and can assure you that you can find most things you could want here. there's some really great stateside tea purveyors. even a few teahouses in town. you can get virtually any fancy (or not) tea you want. spring/first flush tea shipments are coming soon. i get mine shipped from a store in new york. and for the daily stuff… regular bagged brands like twinnings and pg tips can be found at the local supermarket.
you'll need a car to explore the less central parts of the island without being at the mercy of the bus schedule. car rentals are not that expensive. we rented on weekends before buying a car.
Been a while since I last checked in! So - found out yesterday our visas have been approved, very exciting.
I didn't get either job I applied for at the uni - they hired from within their... something, I forget what. Anyway sounds like I drew the short straw.
I've been very fortunate however as my employer is willing to re-hire me on my return to the UK (and produced a letter for the embassy to that effect) and if I am successful with an EAD application, will be happy to supply me with freelance work. (Tax will be the next issue for me to figure out there, but I need a breather from paperwork for a while first!)
So, we'll be out there for just over nine months, with potential to extend. Once we have our passports back we'll book our flights and are planning to go out mid Sept in order to find a room or flat to rent before my wife's job starts. We've got £5k put aside so far and will have saved (and spent part of) £8k by the time we move, to cover flights, the time until first pay cheque, emergency funds etc etc. Eventually another £1500 will arrive from my last pay cheque and our tenancy deposit.
My in laws have written up a letter of support that should my wife's pay be delayed due to SSN issues they will cover any costs. They've offered us money quite a few times during our application period but we're adults, both working full time for now, so even though we only paid for a wedding and a house move (and wife's month of unemployment between contracts) last year, and a pretty darn expensive belated honeymoon this year (that I would NOT have booked had I known we'd be moving) I don't want to accept help until we actually need it. Very lucky to have them on our side.
So, we'll be a bit skint, but it's still looking pretty positive. We've got in-laws to fall back on and I'm very happy to know I won't be scrabbling around for a job when we come back. My mother's written up a letter saying we can stay with her indefinitely on our return too while my wife looks for a job (very kind, she's not got many beans to rub together, but in laws live on Isle of Wight which is not a very practical place to be).
Embassy didn't want to look at any of these letters, but hey, I can always use them when we need to call in all these favours!
I've also found a literacy charity I'd like to volunteer with in order to stop my brain from turning to pudding whilst unemployed (and to keep the old CV rolling).
Hope you're all well - now's the time to tell me all the must dos on Oahu... bearing in mind our limited budgets!
You can go online and reserve a camping spot at Bellows Beach Park for very little. You get it for the weekend and you can sleep with the rolling waves singing you a lullaby. That was one of my favorite things EVER. I saw a guy tie a hammock between two trees and that was it. We slept out under the stars on cots.
Wow that sounds great hunterseat. We really enjoy camping, a very risky affair in British weather (I once woke and found the tent next to us had been blown over a clifftop during the storms that night, thankfully no-one hurt but lots of gear lost) so sleeping under the stars will be a real novelty!
Further back someone mentioned clothes and I missed it. I wasn't exactly planning on buying clothes as our funds will be limited, and though British weather is well known to be miserable, I have holiday and summer clothes I was hoping would translate. By which I mean:
cotton summer dresses
fabric and rubber flip flops (slippers?)
cotton and linen shorts
cotton t-s/camis
Birks (though mentioned they could rot?)
ballet pumps (never ever wear those on hol tho so not sure they'd get much use but makes me feel a little smarter)
cotton cardis
cotton trousers
bikinis
hoodie? jeans? beloved black pleated midi skirt? cotton biker jacket? lightweight poly waterproof jacket?
... does this sound sensible? I have walking trainers too but my feet nearly melted in them in Cambodia. Is there a 'must buy' item of clothing I ought to put aside money for? I wear mainly black, white, and neutral colours (I'm nowhere near cool enough to say it's 'Scandi chic' but...) so I won't be coming with any gaudy tourist shirts. I'm kind of colour-averse.
You will have to budget for at least 1-2 Aloha shirts (aka Hawaiian shirts). You will need to wear them every Friday.
Manoa valley is a nice place to live but you should try to at least get a used car (parking will be an issue) or a moped to get around. Manoa valley is known as the cool (weather-wise) place to live.
Thanks Vacanegro. Mm, will be leaving our car with the in-laws to sell when we move so should have some free cash if we find we need a car (sounding likely!). Parking issues - ah. We live in a touristy village here and have to do at least three runs around the local streets before finding anywhere, often a good five minute walk away - not fun when carrying a big food shop, and streets are so tiny it's not like we can drop bags off then drive on, or someone'll just plough straight into you. (Here's an example - tho this one has double yellows - if curious, not posting MY street of course! https://brightenupmumbles.files.word...lage-lane1.jpg) So we'll be prepared for that, though won't enjoy it of course!
Yes to all the items on your list including trainers, which you can use on hikes. I have many pairs of birks and they haven't rotted. That should cover you for a while and then you can buy additional items when you arrive. That way, you have time to observe what is common and buy missing items to suit your style.
Before I moved, I read lots of things about things getting moldy and rotting. (Plus, some people who said you don't need air con.) I think that's a YMMV kinda thing. I haven't had any item rot and I definitely need AC.
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