Need help-regarding molokai (restaurants, zip code, plantation)

[PacificFlights]

The difficulty in explaining things to people who have not visited Hawaii is words and phrases used on the mainland means nothing or something different on Hawaii. If I was going from Williams Gateway airport to Goodyear airport the directions on the mainland would be. Exit airport, go north to highway 60. Take 60 west to Interstate 10. Take interstate 10 west to Goodyear. Exit and go south to Goodyear airport. On Hawaii it would be. Exit airport. Go Utah to highway 60. Take 60 from New Mexico to Interstate 10. Take Interstate 10 California to Goodyear. Exit and go Mexico to Goodyear airport. Once you visit Hawaii, all that makes perfect sense.

[KonaKat]

You know the old saying, "write what you know"? Then you can't go wrong.

[Mar0]

Originally Posted by PacificFlights

The difficulty in explaining things to people who have not visited Hawaii is words and phrases used on the mainland means nothing or something different on Hawaii. If I was going from Williams Gateway airport to Goodyear airport the directions on the mainland would be. Exit airport, go north to highway 60. Take 60 west to Interstate 10. Take interstate 10 west to Goodyear. Exit and go south to Goodyear airport. On Hawaii it would be. Exit airport. Go Utah to highway 60. Take 60 from New Mexico to Interstate 10. Take Interstate 10 California to Goodyear. Exit and go Mexico to Goodyear airport. Once you visit Hawaii, all that makes perfect sense.

Here on Kauai the directions are "Leave da airport and after the Mcdonald's turn left. You go past a few houses and at the yellow one w/ the mango tree turn right. Then you go down the road till you pass your auntie's house and then you're there." I don't even know the highway numbers here!

Anyway it has been said over and over again but it is so hard to understand Hawaiian culture w/o experiencing it. There are so many differences in social customs between the mainland and Hawaii that it is very difficult for an outsider to understand. So many different cultures make up local Hawaiian culture that one must understand the individual cultures (fillipino, chinese, japanese, portagee, hawaiian, haole, puerto rican, etc etc). Molokai is even harder to understand because of its unique history and also the current situation of the island. Molokai is very resistant to change and really embodies old Hawaii (and here I was thinking Kauai was old school!).

But if you do choose to write about Molokai, don't forget to mention the good kine pakalolo there...(okay so i don't really know firsthand, but multiple ppl have brought it up to me when i mention my intentions to visit. and thats not even really my thing...so yeah).

[hotzcatz]

Even experienced writers pull boners. Mitchner had Hawaiian beauties putting banana flowers in their hair. How totally not happening is that?

Does it have to be a book about Molokai? Can you just make up an island? How about Oahu? That's a more mainland comprehensible island than Molokai.

Hey, when we give directions around here, it's always turn makai at where something-ner-other used to be. None of this easy stuff like turn left at the mango tree!

[lauleahere&there]

Originally Posted by Mar0

... Then you go down the road till you pass your auntie's house and then you're there."

How true is that! I gave up giving people my address. I just tell them "It's Uncle XXXX's old place. They know.

[mogon]

Originally Posted by Mar0

... I don't even know the highway numbers here!

I never heard any local ever use highway numbers. In fact, there are many of them that have to look up their "street address" because their "address" is simply, e.g., "Filipino Camp."

Anyway it has been said over and over again but it is so hard to understand Hawaiian culture w/o experiencing it. There are so many differences in social customs between the mainland and Hawaii that it is very difficult for an outsider to understand. So many different cultures make up local Hawaiian culture that one must understand the individual cultures (fillipino, chinese, japanese, portagee, hawaiian, haole, puerto rican, etc etc). Molokai is even harder to understand because of its unique history and also the current situation of the island. Molokai is very resistant to change and really embodies old Hawaii...

Post of the day. ^

Write what you know.

[hotzcatz]

No highway numbers and not even names, sometimes. We just call it "the road" since there is only one even though it is a "highway". There is also "the old road" which is what's left of the highway when the new one was built. Our "highway" is a two lane blacktop road which goes through small villages and the fastest posted speed is 55. I'm not sure how different highways are on the mainland, but around here, that's the highway.

Nobody EVER uses those mainland directions of North, South, East and West, either. Islands are round and have mountains in the middle, the roads go every which way and sometimes one road will go a little bit of all those mainland directions before it gets to where you wanna go.

Then of course, if you are writing a book about Molokai, the characters will have to eat at some point. What will they be eating if they are on Molokai? I haven't been over there for a couple of decades or so, have they built any chain restaurants there yet? McD's, KFC, Taco Bell, etc?

[Afishwithabike]

Originally Posted by Mar0

But if you do choose to write about Molokai, don't forget to mention the good kine pakalolo there...(okay so i don't really know firsthand, but multiple ppl have brought it up to me when i mention my intentions to visit. and thats not even really my thing...so yeah).

Thanks for the laugh!

But will the original poster even know what we mean by pakalolo if she hasn't been to Hawaii? Hmmm.....

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by uwakimono

Hi everyone, I'm a 21 year old student who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, I'm very interested in writing a novel that I want to base on Molokai. So I've gone out and bought up books, went to the library, surfed the web and found ...well not much in terms of information pertaining to the actual island of Molokai. I know enough now about it to be able to write on it, but since I'm sort of trapped into school work and family responsiblities I'm can't just fly over to Hawaii and check it out myself. So I'm looking for any information on some things if anyone is able to help me.

Until you get an opportunity to "talk story" with Uncle Waltah and Auntie Joyce you'll probably never capture the true flavor of Moloka'i. Both of them would probably say the following:

"Stay young yet. Get plenny time fo' write one book on Moloka'i. Try wait."

It took the late novelist James D. Houston several years and numerous visits to Hawai'i to write his "Bird of Another Heaven."

[mogon]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Then of course, if you are writing a book about Molokai, the characters will have to eat at some point. What will they be eating if they are on Molokai? I haven't been over there for a couple of decades or so, have they built any chain restaurants there yet? McD's, KFC, Taco Bell, etc?

Unless something's changed in the last couple of years, no. Not even a Subway

Molokai Restaurants - Reviews and Ratings of Restaurants in Molokai - New York Times Travel

That list, though, unaccountably leaves out my favorite restaurant in all of Hawai`i, the Kualapu`u Cookhouse in Kualapu`u (this restaurant does a transformation between lunch and dinner -- although dinner isn't served every night. By day it is a decent plate lunch kine place; by night it has some extraordinary food. The best lilikoi ribs I've had anywhere were here).

The other place that is good (and cheaper by night than the Cookhouse) is Molokai Pizza Cafe -- which often has, contra its name, Mexican night, seafood night, etc. Very decent.

And speaking of differences from the mainland, Mana'e Goods and Grindz is the only restaurant and grocery on the entire east end. When I was last there it was touting the fact that it stayed open late -- until 7pm!