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Hi all, I have been browsing through a few of the threads relating to moving to Hawaii and am need of some advice.
My husband has been offered a transfer from his current office in London to their office in Honolulu, the post will last two years and after this we intend to move back to London. We will be bringing our pet dog with us and be living in rented acommodation in Honolulu.
We have recently returned from our Honeymoon in Maui and fell in love with the laid back atitude, culture and general friendliness of the people we met. When the oppertunity of a transfer came up we thought it was a no brainer and started to look into the reality of making such a move but on reading and researching about the acceptance of "outsiders" amoung other topics I have started to have second thoughts. We understand that all the islands are different and what we experienced earlier in the summer was a possibly "tourist treatment" intended to make us feel welcome and spend money but really felt that the Hawaiian culture and traditions were ideal for our way of life. We don't intend on moving to Oahu and living as a "British" couple but integrating into local life, culture and traditions, as we do whenever and wherever we travel to. But reading some of the comments on relating threads it looks as though this may be a little more difficult than we maybe, naivley, thought. I am now a little concerned that being blonde haired/blue eyed and my husband being half Burmese we will have difficulty fitting in and maybe subjected to racism and prejudice despite our attempts to observe the loacal Hawaiian way of life. More worringly I have read on relating threads of beatings and threats made "outsiders" living in Hawaii.
I would appreciate any comments or advice anyone living in Honolulu, from any background or walk of life, may have for us.
It is all about you, if you are open, friendly, polite you will have no problems meeting people and being accepted. On the other hand if you are rude and not respectful then you will have trouble. Just treat people the way you want to be treated and be a good neighbor and you will have the best 2 years of your life living Aloha.
Show honor and respect for the Hawaiian people, their religion, and their traditions. Be smart and don't venture into areas where you obviously don't fit in. Learn how to pronounce words properly, especially place names, but don't try to talk pigdin. Some locals are easy to make friends with and some aren't, so it's just like any other place. I'm a blue-eyed blond and have never had any problems.
If you are only committed to 2 years, go for it! You will truly appreciate every minute of your life here and 2 years will fly by. If for some reason you are homesick, you are only committed for a relatively short period of time!
I have the same concerns about moving my children to HI. I keep reading the same comments " If you are nice, they will treat you nice, but if you are rude, locals wil not treat you well." I teach my children to be respectful and nice to people, no matter how you they treat you. Hopefully they will not have any problems, but I think that people are over exagerating about being bullied and beat up. I can't imagine that such a diverse place with such friendly people could really be going around beating people up just because they are different. ( I'm hoping my optimism is correct)
My husband is white with blue eyes and when he had hair it was blonde. He has had no problems fitting in- and although I am Hawaiian I rarely leave our home so people have no idea that he is married to a local woman.
He is outgoing and friendly and is very conscious of being respectful to people and differing cultures. He is bluff and hale and has never been 'threatened', 'bullied' or made to feel unwelcome.
Hawaii is not for everyone- but it seems that those who have the most difficult experiences were disdainful of island life, culture and had issues with 'island fever' and distances from friends and families that had been left behind.
Be open and friendly. Become active in your community and show a willingness to become more than a tourist and you will be amazed by how quickly you become a part of an ohana. Good luck and enjoy this adventure that has come your way.
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