Hilo (low income, fit in, insurance) - Big Island - Hawaii (HI) -The Island of Hawaii - City-Data Forum

MMoon17 · 11-09-2011, 04:44 PM

I have been to Hilo a few times, but never more than a week. I have a phone interview in a few days for a position in Hilo. After taxes my salary would be $31,228 approximately. I don't know a soul in Hilo or in Hawaii. I'm 27, cauasian (which I hear could be a problem especially since I will be working primarily with locals that are low income), and not to mention a practicing Jew.

Obviously this would be a huge adjustment for me. Vacationing and living in Hawaii are 2 different things I know. I found rents on Craigslist for furnished rooms which are very reasonable ($500-$700 bills included seems to be the norm).

If I even get the job (I have a fairly good chance) how would someone like me make friends (very shy on top of it)? I would be very, very afraid to not have anyone nearby. I'm really nervous about that.... Kona would have been my first choice since they do have a bit more mainlanders there and they have a synagogue, but Kona was not an option. As much as I have enjoyed visiting Hilo I don't know if I would be really depressed living there.

Does anyone have any advice? If I get the job I will take it. I'm right now living with family working part time and I hardly have any money left due to paying for insurance, paying back student loans, etc. Would it be hard to meet single people in Hilo that are actually welcoming to making new friends?

Looking forward to hearing back.

Thanks

whtviper1 · 11-09-2011, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMoon17

I have been to Hilo a few times, but never more than a week. I have a phone interview in a few days for a position in Hilo. After taxes my salary would be $31,228 approximately. I don't know a soul in Hilo or in Hawaii. I'm 27, cauasian (which I hear could be a problem especially since I will be working primarily with locals that are low income), and not to mention a practicing Jew.

Obviously this would be a huge adjustment for me. Vacationing and living in Hawaii are 2 different things I know. I found rents on Craigslist for furnished rooms which are very reasonable ($500-$700 bills included seems to be the norm).

If I even get the job (I have a fairly good chance) how would someone like me make friends (very shy on top of it)? I would be very, very afraid to not have anyone nearby. I'm really nervous about that.... Kona would have been my first choice since they do have a bit more mainlanders there and they have a synagogue, but Kona was not an option. As much as I have enjoyed visiting Hilo I don't know if I would be really depressed living there.

Does anyone have any advice? If I get the job I will take it. I'm right now living with family working part time and I hardly have any money left due to paying for insurance, paying back student loans, etc. Would it be hard to meet single people in Hilo that are actually welcoming to making new friends?

Looking forward to hearing back.

Thanks

You can meet single people in Hilo, you have to not be shy - get outdoors, chat up people, etc - just like anywhere else, it takes time. But the "hardly any money" comment gives me the most pause - Hawaii is a very expensive place and the bills add up, even in Hilo. (And make sure you bring an umbrella!)

PacificFlights · 11-09-2011, 04:55 PM

Close your eyes and pretend its any city in the USA, (forget about you being white or Jewish) how would you make friends? Too much is made of race and religion. It would be the same as a american of Mexican decent and Catholic moving to Arizona, or a New England black Jehovia whitness person moving to Texass, or a Hindu practicing US citizen of India decent moving to Washington. The way they will be treated in the US is the same way you will be treated in the US.

hotzcatz · 11-09-2011, 05:17 PM

Hilo is a lovely town and there is a very large university presence there these days with quite a few younger folks. You could take a class or two at the University and you'd meet lots of folks there. A few other options would be to join a club of some type, depending on what your interests are. As for religion, you may want to try a Buddhist temple, they are more of a philosophy than a religion and you can be a Buddhist as well as a Jew as far as I know. It isn't the same as a synagogue, but it would be a place to practice faith.

Usually, the best way to make friends with folks in the islands is to let them know that you enjoy living in Hawaii and want to stay here. It can be heartbreaking for the local folks to make new friends all the time just to have them leave. I know there's all the facebook, twitter, cell phones and such to keep in contact with, but it's just not the same as having face to face friends. If the folks here know that it's safe to make friends with you because you are going to stick around, they are much more likely to take you to heart.

There are lots of folks who gather for different reasons. Paddling clubs, wood working, quilting, gardening, folks playing frizbee golf (or something with nets and frizbees), soccer, orchid club, baseball, fishing, etc. Find folks gathering together for something you find interesting and join in. Another option is to volunteer at someplace such as the zoo. You'd meet other people there. Since you'll have a job, too, and one where you meet folks, that might be another option for meeting friends.

MMoon17 · 11-09-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whtviper1

You can meet single people in Hilo, you have to not be shy - get outdoors, chat up people, etc - just like anywhere else, it takes time. But the "hardly any money" comment gives me the most pause - Hawaii is a very expensive place and the bills add up, even in Hilo. (And make sure you bring an umbrella!)

I know I have to be the one to make the first "move" so to speak. I will force myself to do it.

I was raised in Los Angeles and Palo Alto. These are very, very expensive areas. $500-$700 for me a single person with all utilities included is cheap. I mean the average seemed to be $500 which is roughly under $17 a night. I used to get paid about the same and lived in a $1000 unfurnished studio with no utilities so for me it is a bargain. I could actually save much more money in Hawaii than people think. I don't eat meat, don't go out to eat much, and I'm not too exciting. I pretty much eat the same thing each day which is oatmeal (no milk) in the morning, a spinach salad for lunch, and something frozen for dinner. Snacks are basically pieces of fruit and granola bars.

MMoon17 · 11-09-2011, 05:56 PM

[quote=PacificFlights;21648788]Close your eyes and pretend its any city in the USA, (forget about you being white or Jewish) how would you make friends? Too much is made of race and religion. It would be the same as a american of Mexican decent and Catholic moving to Arizona, or a New England black Jehovia whitness person moving to Texass, or a Hindu practicing US citizen of India decent moving to Washington. The way they will be treated in the US is the same way you will be treated in the US.

I usually just made friends through work and by going to my synagogue type of events in the community. I know the second one is out, but I could make friends through work. I know the people at the place are old enough to be my mother and father and have families so they probably have better things to do then to go out at night with me.

MMoon17 · 11-09-2011, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Hilo is a lovely town and there is a very large university presence there these days with quite a few younger folks. You could take a class or two at the University and you'd meet lots of folks there. A few other options would be to join a club of some type, depending on what your interests are. As for religion, you may want to try a Buddhist temple, they are more of a philosophy than a religion and you can be a Buddhist as well as a Jew as far as I know. It isn't the same as a synagogue, but it would be a place to practice faith.

Usually, the best way to make friends with folks in the islands is to let them know that you enjoy living in Hawaii and want to stay here. It can be heartbreaking for the local folks to make new friends all the time just to have them leave. I know there's all the facebook, twitter, cell phones and such to keep in contact with, but it's just not the same as having face to face friends. If the folks here know that it's safe to make friends with you because you are going to stick around, they are much more likely to take you to heart.

There are lots of folks who gather for different reasons. Paddling clubs, wood working, quilting, gardening, folks playing frizbee golf (or something with nets and frizbees), soccer, orchid club, baseball, fishing, etc. Find folks gathering together for something you find interesting and join in. Another option is to volunteer at someplace such as the zoo. You'd meet other people there. Since you'll have a job, too, and one where you meet folks, that might be another option for meeting friends.

Hmm yeah taking a college class sounds like a good idea. Thanks. I will do that if I get the job!

My father was into Buddhism actually. I feel a little funny about going to a Buddhist temple, but I will give it a shot. To me it is sacrilegious to pray around a bunch of Buddhist statues when I don't consider myself to be a Buddhist (I'm not that giving either, but that's another story), but again will try it.

I would consider volunteering if my job wasn't nonprofit lol. I would volunteer on and off while working in the nonprofit industry, and I really didn't enjoy using my free time to do "good deeds" that I already do to put a roof over my head and food on the table. Hopefully I will find a club or something like you suggested around people roughly in my age group. I'm into traveling, snorkeling, foreign/independent movies (probably not too big in Hawaii I would imagine), and vegetarian food.

hotzcatz · 11-09-2011, 06:03 PM

Oh, no worries, then. If there are older folks where you work, especially aunties, just explain to them that you are shy and aren't sure how to make friends with folks. The aunties will have advice for you. Be respectful of them and they will be a treasure to you.

Keep a smile on your face, or at least a pleasant expression and folks will smile back and chat with you as you go about your day. Hilo is pretty small town so folks like to talk story. If you were in a larger town, folks wouldn't have time to talk to everyone, but in the smaller towns, folks chat with each other a lot more. Shootz, if you can get Wednesdays off, you can come to our quilting group. The aunties there will have you fixed up with a lot of friends in no time. Unfortunately, we are 42 miles from Hilo so that would be long distance friends.

There is a big section in the newspaper each week about the goings on with all the clubs, meetings, events, etc. Pick at least one if not three of them to go to each week until you have so many friends you don't have time to read the newspaper anymore.

hotzcatz · 11-09-2011, 06:06 PM

Hey, there's a scuba diving/ snorkeling group that meets in Hilo. If you looked for the "Punatalk" forum, you'd find the scuba group. Puna is the area outside of Hilo town, but if your job is in Hilo, being in Hilo itself would be easier.

Tiger Beer · 11-09-2011, 06:21 PM

I just looked up synagogues on the Big Island.

Looks like there is one, but not near Hilo:
Kona Beth Shalom

I'm sure they'd know members in Hilo though. Might even be something in Hilo as well.

As an aside, can goys visit or attend services at synagogues? I've always been interested in learning more about the religion, in general.

(Hope 'goy' is the right term, picked it up by reading Philip Roth)