Island Time ? Fact or Fiction?

[hotzcatz]

You can take rocks, it's okay. That myth started when they used to use horses and mules to go visit the volcano and the tour guides didn't want folks loading the animals with rocks. But, if you feel the need to send the rock back, go right ahead. The park has a whole display case of "repatriated" rocks.

I think a lot of "island time" comes from when things have to be shipped in. If you're in the middle of a job and your tool breaks, the parts aren't easily available. If it is a specialty tool, there may not be any to buy or rent. If you are installing something from off island and they are out of one part, you're gonna wait for awhile until it is shipped in.

There is also a cultural bias towards not taking work seriously. The Kingdom of Hawaii had to import workers from other places to work the sugar plantations. Local folks couldn't think of any good reason to work that hard. A lot of that cultural bias comes from the weather. There is no reason to work like crazy so you will live through a harsh winter. No need to grow a lot of food in the summer and stash it away to live on over the winter. Food is year round. That's a pretty basic need which drives a lot of the mainland (and other cold places). Now food can be shipped in from just about anywhere, but for generations that wasn't the case. It is still valid for the construction trades who want to get most of the work done in the summer.

[ZhugeLiang]

Definitely fiction. People would get fired for attendance constantly at my place of work.

[Jeepers Creepers]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

Definitely fiction. People would get fired for attendance constantly at my place of work.

Island Time is an illusion, like "The American Dream". People believe , what they delude themselves into believing, or from what others can make a profit, by repeating as existing, such as "paradise". Congress calls their gathering, in "session", and, the world calls it "goofing off" with benefits. The best way to hide laziness, sloth, and ho hum/mundane, is by using a slick sounding term or metaphor. Pick any analogy that excites others' senses, and it reinforces your apparent credibility, while fabricating a mental illusion for those less informed to dwell upon, until such time as they see/endure reality.
Aloha.

[Jungjohann]

I live here. Been here for over two months. Island time exists, not so much as 'clock' time, but more of a way of looking at life and others in a way that is different than the mainland. It's something that you either 'get' or you don't. If you don't, then you won't make it past the legendary 'two year' mark. Kind of hard to explain to someone who doesn't actually live here...

Aloha and okoledakine

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Jeepers Creepers

Island Time is an illusion, like "The American Dream". People believe , what they delude themselves into believing, or from what others can make a profit, by repeating as existing, such as "paradise". Congress calls their gathering, in "session", and, the world calls it "goofing off" with benefits. The best way to hide laziness, sloth, and ho hum/mundane, is by using a slick sounding term or metaphor. Pick any analogy that excites others' senses, and it reinforces your apparent credibility, while fabricating a mental illusion for those less informed to dwell upon, until such time as they see/endure reality.
Aloha.

And now that I think on it, Island Time perpetuates some bad stereotypes as well, giving people the idea that Hawaii residents are lazy and have no standards. Nonsense.

I recall getting curious looks from people when I told them that I only had one job. What does that tell you?

[McFrostyJ]

I always thought "Island Time" referred to the pace at which most people move. My first trip to Hawaii (as an adult) I was driving across Maui saying, "Why don't these idiots move their ass!" But after being there for a week, I slowed and got into the Hawaiian pace of life. When I came back to Oregon I found myself driving down the highway saying, "Why don't these maniacs slow the hell down!"

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

And now that I think on it, Island Time perpetuates some bad stereotypes as well, giving people the idea that Hawaii residents are lazy and have no standards. Nonsense.

I recall getting curious looks from people when I told them that I only had one job. What does that tell you?

It tells me that Hawaii needs to abandon the requirement that most employers have to provide nearly free health care for any worker that averages over 19 hours per week. It has been a disaster to the average worker. People work 2 and 3 part-time jobs because of it.

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by mdand3boys

It tells me that Hawaii needs to abandon the requirement that most employers have to provide nearly free health care for any worker that averages over 19 hours per week. It has been a disaster to the average worker. People work 2 and 3 part-time jobs because of it.

I believe having "group insurance" through employment is one of the major benefits to being employed in Hawaii. Yes, some employers dodge the requirement by hiring 2 part-time workers instead of 1 full-timer. But I'd venture that most people working 2 jobs are doing it because of the high cost of living here, not due to having health insurance mandated.

Hawaii's Health System

But perhaps the most intriguing lesson from Hawaii has to do with costs. This is a state where regular milk sells for $8 a gallon, gasoline costs $3.60 a gallon and the median price of a home in 2008 was $624,000 — the second-highest in the nation. Despite this, Hawaii’s health insurance premiums are nearly tied with North Dakota for the lowest in the country, and Medicare costs per beneficiary are the nation’s lowest.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by CyberCity

I believe having "group insurance" through employment is one of the major benefits to being employed in Hawaii. Yes, some employers dodge the requirement by hiring 2 part-time workers instead of 1 full-timer. But I'd venture that most people working 2 jobs are doing it because of the high cost of living here, not due to having health insurance mandated.

Hawaii's Health System

I agree I don't think there is some mass conspiracy to dodge the healthcare requirments - the maintenance and overhead to schedule employees would outweigh the cost of healthcare - I think there are a lot of full time workers who need a part time job to make ends meet.