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Im on the verge of being kicked out of the place I live very soon in NYC . My cousin is moving to Keneohe bay and is willing to take me into his home rent free .
Im 22 with experience as an EMT and Highschool Diploma , Im looking for advice on how to get back on my feet too be able to support myself . I know its expensive to live in hawaii but I dont have many choices , Im trying to stay positive and would like advice from the locals .
Quote:
Originally Posted by LegateLanius
The person Im going to move in with is going to help me along with him wife , Im just bringing a suitcase with my clothes and some cash .
Okay. You've got one thing going for you and it's huge. FREE LODGING. We'll assume that you will have no worries about being tossed out on the street, thanks to your cousin being the leaseholder of that lodging. That's an enormous advantage over others who have, pardon me for saying, your lack of skills and job prospects.
Practically speaking, your EMT skills will get you nothing here. Note this very important entry on the FAQ page regarding Hawaii EMS/EMT requirements:
>>Does Hawaii recognize a certificate from another state?
In other words, toss the idea of using any EMT skills you might have out the window. It's not going to happen. Kapiolani Community College turns out a very fair amount of locally grown EMS personnel. Absolutely no need to make room for a mainland transplant EMS employee. To get an EMS job here you have to have local credentials. If you want to pursue the EMS angle you need to go back to school, here on Oahu.
Can you get a job? Sure. Minimum wage or slightly above. The opportunites are diverse---server, stock person, Walmart greeter. I think you get the gist here.
But, in all fairness, an entry level job may be all you need to survive, rent-free.
If you do decide to come here please be extremely nice to your cousin and his wife. They're bearing the brunt of this move and you will be along for the ride. Please pick up a vacuum, wash the car, scrub the toilet, do the laundry, bring home a bucket of chicken and bags of groceries once in a while, fill the gas tank on occasion.
Otherwise, family or not, they're going to start to resent the freeloading.
Since you asked for advice from the "locals" (and that's a politically charged description, BTW---I will always be a "resident" but never a true "local" but I get what you mean) and got a boatload of advice from people who don't live here I thought I'd pipe in.
WHTVIPER, I can certainly see your POV here too. But the OP has one huge advantage that very few young unskilled potential transplants have---a free crash pad and family support. And for all those who are prone to WHTVIPER-bashing, please bear in mind that he does actually live here, as do I. He's been here for less time than I but I'm sure he has seen his share of people coming here and leaving and has seen enough to form some very credible opinions. Most who bash him have little or no experience in Hawaii. It is a very unique place here and you truly have no idea until you've lived here for a good while.
To the OP: What the heck...come on over. You're young enough to consider it an adventure and have no dependants to worry about. If you decide to leave after a while you haven't lost much, having had so little in the first place.
Last edited by PaliPatty; 05-24-2012 at 12:15 AM..
WHTVIPER, I can certainly see your POV here too. But the OP has one huge advantage that very few young unskilled potential transplants have---a free crash pad and family support. And for all those who are prone to
I'm always open to hearing other views - thanks Patty for being civil (and while we don't always agree I respect your opinion) - and thanks for finally someone on Oahu responding. And, its just my opinion this seems a recipe for disaster. An opinion, jeez. Not once, did I tell all these folks they were wrong - I didn't agree with their opinion, that's it. The personal attacks against me have been petty at best - but hey, its a public internet forum, if I or anyone takes things personally on here that is kind of silly.
I do get the free rent - really. But, I have to balance that the op is seemingly in a desparate situation (no money). Airfare from NYC is $1,000. Bag fees - ship some boxes - just to get here isn't a small expense. I also mentioned in another thread, there are over 40,000 unemployed in Oahu. Then you got to get back to the mainland at some point.
I still recomend the military.
There are so many threads about min wage jobs in Hawaii - they tend to cap hours at 20 per week. So, you don't get healthcare. What if you get sick. For you 20 somethings - what if you go hiking and fall with no insurance?
If you do get full time work at min wage, here is the numbers.
Full time minimum wage workers in Hawaii earn a total of $290.00 per week and approximately $15,080.00 per year (based on a 8 hour days and a 260-day work year) before taxes.
That's if you get those hours.
My point all along is - coming here with no money - no apprarent special skills - competing with jobs with the locals - usually isn't a recipe for success. If the op doesn't get a job relatively quickly - then what?
Last edited by whtviper1; 05-24-2012 at 12:57 AM..
Okay. You've got one thing going for you and it's huge. FREE LODGING. We'll assume that you will have no worries about being tossed out on the street, thanks to your cousin being the leaseholder of that lodging. That's an enormous advantage over others who have, pardon me for saying, your lack of skills and job prospects.
Practically speaking, your EMT skills will get you nothing here. Note this very important entry on the FAQ page regarding Hawaii EMS/EMT requirements:
>>Does Hawaii recognize a certificate from another state?
In other words, toss the idea of using any EMT skills you might have out the window. It's not going to happen. Kapiolani Community College turns out a very fair amount of locally grown EMS personnel. Absolutely no need to make room for a mainland transplant EMS employee. To get an EMS job here you have to have local credentials. If you want to pursue the EMS angle you need to go back to school, here on Oahu.
Can you get a job? Sure. Minimum wage or slightly above. The opportunites are diverse---server, stock person, Walmart greeter. I think you get the gist here.
But, in all fairness, an entry level job may be all you need to survive, rent-free.
If you do decide to come here please be extremely nice to your cousin and his wife. They're bearing the brunt of this move and you will be along for the ride. Please pick up a vacuum, wash the car, scrub the toilet, do the laundry, bring home a bucket of chicken and bags of groceries once in a while, fill the gas tank on occasion.
Otherwise, family or not, they're going to start to resent the freeloading.
Since you asked for advice from the "locals" (and that's a politically charged description, BTW---I will always be a "resident" but never a true "local" but I get what you mean) and got a boatload of advice from people who don't live here I thought I'd pipe in.
WHTVIPER, I can certainly see your POV here too. But the OP has one huge advantage that very few young unskilled potential transplants have---a free crash pad and family support. And for all those who are prone to WHTVIPER-bashing, please bear in mind that he does actually live here, as do I. He's been here for less time than I but I'm sure he has seen his share of people coming here and leaving and has seen enough to form some very credible opinions. Most who bash him have little or no experience in Hawaii. It is a very unique place here and you truly have no idea until you've lived here for a good while. To the OP: What the heck...come on over. You're young enough to consider it an adventure and have no dependants to worry about. If you decide to leave after a while you haven't lost much, having had so little in the first place.
For the record, I never addressed the OP.
I saw what I considered to be a truly meaningful post below the OP and commented on THAT.
I don't really think anybody was bashing viper. They just didn't share his viewpoint and he was just as vocal about his views as the others on the opposing side. They have reasons for how they feel, viper has reasons for how he feels. They had a difference of opinion.
I hope we aren't getting to the point where we feel attacked just because someone doesn't share our opinion. And it would also pay to drop the idea(if we have this idea) that it's the other posters job to convince us that they're right. There are no "right" answers here. These are just opinions.
But at the same time, when we realize that someone doesn't share our opinion-why continue to beat a dead horse?
I saw what I considered to be a truly meaningful post below the OP and commented on THAT.
I don't really think anybody was bashing viper. They just didn't share his viewpoint and he was just as vocal about his views as the others on the opposing side. They have reasons for how they feel, viper has reasons for how he feels. They had a difference of opinion.
I hope we aren't getting to the point where we feel attacked just because someone doesn't share our opinion. And it would also pay to drop the idea(if we have this idea) that it's the other posters job to convince us that they're right. There are no "right" answers here. These are just opinions.
But at the same time, when we realize that someone doesn't share our opinion-why continue to beat a dead horse?
I don't know why you felt it necessary to highlight some of my post with bold print in your original response. Confusing.
This is a discussion---a message board, after all. If one feels that there is "dead horse beating" going on, one has the right to leave the discussion. The mention of that dead horse pretty much signals that the discussion, for the dead-horse-mentioner, is pretty much over. They may feel the need to admonish but frankly, it will probably fall on deaf ears.
There is rarely wholesale consensus on message boards. It's the nature of the beast.
I don't know if it's the job of other posters to "convince us" of the "rightness" of their viewpoints but it certainly is a characteristic of lively message board discussions. Different viewpoints, observations, rebuttals. The occasional snippy/snarky response, the puffy-chested righteous comeback, blah blah blah yada yada.
And yes, in certain discussions, the opinions of those who have actual experience with the subject matter may hold more weight than those who are just tossing in opinions from a very distant peanut gallery. As they should, IMHO, but YMMV.
JMHO, of course. ;-)
I disagreed somewhat with WHTVIPER's POV here but I could certainly appreciate it. And I would probably lean more towards his viewpoint if the OP ends up in the ER with a head injury from a surfing accident, weeks in the ICU with no health insurance, and a living breathing example of my tax dollars at work.
But I digress....or do I? Maybe not---I've seen it, more than once, with variations on the above theme. I've lived here for quite a while (and not in a delusional bubble by any means) and I have to say that the level of self-delusion that exists in Hawaii is absolutely incredible. Truly unique.
I am hoping the OP has enough of a sense of self-worth and motivation to see this as an opportunity to grow and learn and become self-sufficient. Time will tell.
Imua, kid. ;-)
Last edited by PaliPatty; 05-24-2012 at 03:19 AM..
I keep a box of tissue at my desk because every single month there is someone weeping in my office because they can't make it in Hawaii and they've had to blow their entire savings and borrow money from mom and dad or someone else to get back to the mainland - and then have to move in with mom and dad because they have no money left - zero, zilch, nada. And these are people in positions that are making more than minimum wage.
They often move here with their boyfriend or girlfriend - and only 1 person can get a job - they can't support themselves (or someone gets pregnant) - more money is spent than income can provide for - someone gets sick and they have medical bills - they have unplanned trips to the mainland because of a wedding or funeral (anyone look at airfare lately).
The scenario of I have to move back rather than I'm moving back bacause I don't like it here is far more common. The 20 somethings that come here and make $50K and have to borrow money to move home aren't feeling adventurous after the fact - they are generally miserable.
What he said.
And this in no way diminishes the achievements of those who have come to Hawaii and gone on to live good lives here (and the descriptive "good' is relative to the individual, of course, and in no way subject to my personal definition---to each his own). For heaven's sakes, not everyone crashes and burns (case in point: ME, lol). But this is so very very common a theme here and it's why I often refer to Hawaii as one big revolving door.
It's amazing, really, to watch the progression from sheer joy, optimism, confidence and enthusiasm to dismal resignation, defeat, and the realization that yes, it would be best to just leave and cut your losses.
We're not making this stuff up, people. Nobody is being mean, although that seems to be a common misinterpretation.
Speaking for myself, I'm only sharing my opinions based on what I've actually seen and experienced since moving to Hawaii.
Last edited by PaliPatty; 05-24-2012 at 03:15 AM..
If you do decide to come here please be extremely nice to your cousin and his wife. They're bearing the brunt of this move and you will be along for the ride. Please pick up a vacuum, wash the car, scrub the toilet, do the laundry, bring home a bucket of chicken and bags of groceries once in a while, fill the gas tank on occasion.
Otherwise, family or not, they're going to start to resent the freeloading.
Pali, your entire post was great, but I wanted to highlight this statement. Positively true, and I hope OP comes back to read it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fire&ice
I don't really think anybody was bashing viper. They just didn't share his viewpoint and he was just as vocal about his views as the others on the opposing side. They have reasons for how they feel, viper has reasons for how he feels. They had a difference of opinion.
That is my take on it too. I haven't seen any bashing of viper, but I have seen him say some really tacky things ("op is going to get knocked up and be a drain on society" or something like that). I felt that while all of us thoughtfully considered his viewpoint, and did not disagree with it, as his point is indeed extremely valid, he refused to acknowledge that perhaps his way is not the only way. I too hope that differences of opinion are not misconstrued as bashing. I posted a few days ago that this topic is like politics or religion, we're not going to agree. However, I have really enjoyed this discussion a lot, and got to know a few of the posters much better.
Okay. You've got one thing going for you and it's huge. FREE LODGING.
:
But, in all fairness, an entry level job may be all you need to survive, rent-free.
:
the OP has one huge advantage that very few young unskilled potential transplants have---a free crash pad and family support.
:
To the OP: What the heck...come on over. You're young enough to consider it an adventure and have no dependants to worry about. If you decide to leave after a while you haven't lost much, having had so little in the first place.
Thank you for chiming in PaliPatty, good read . Though I believe I, and several others, were making exactly the same points:
1. free lodging and family support in an expensive city is a big factor where rent eats a big chunk of income
2. young enough at early 20s to enjoy the adventure, higher tolerance for long hours low pay, and no worries about family responsibilities, mortgage, etc, IF he has a compatible personality profile
3. not much to lose compared to present status in NYC
I guess offering my 2 cents from the perspective of a once upon a time, early-20s person who took similar risks in equally or more expensive cities (and find above points as good enough advantages to improve someone's odds), albeit not earned in HI itself - I recognize that some people may feel(rightly or wrongly) my recommendations lack the credibility of a HI source (argumentum ad verecundiam?) where others may agree the extrapolation is sufficient. I personally still feel that HI is not among the hardest places out there to survive and thrive for a capable but resource-challenged, early 20s transplant but obviously there's no way for me to prove my point now since I am already far from being early-20s and I don't fancy giving up resources just to prove a point even to myself. (Though I probably would if I were in my early 20s )
I don't know why you felt it necessary to highlight some of my post with bold print in your original response. Confusing.
This is a discussion---a message board, after all. If one feels that there is "dead horse beating" going on, one has the right to leave the discussion. The mention of that dead horse pretty much signals that the discussion, for the dead-horse-mentioner, is pretty much over. They may feel the need to admonish but frankly, it will probably fall on deaf ears.
There is rarely wholesale consensus on message boards. It's the nature of the beast.
I don't know if it's the job of other posters to "convince us" of the "rightness" of their viewpoints but it certainly is a characteristic of lively message board discussions. Different viewpoints, observations, rebuttals. The occasional snippy/snarky response, the puffy-chested righteous comeback, blah blah blah yada yada.
And yes, in certain discussions, the opinions of those who have actual experience with the subject matter may hold more weight than those who are just tossing in opinions from a very distant peanut gallery. As they should, IMHO, but YMMV.
JMHO, of course. ;-)
I disagreed somewhat with WHTVIPER's POV here but I could certainly appreciate it. And I would probably lean more towards his viewpoint if the OP ends up in the ER with a head injury from a surfing accident, weeks in the ICU with no health insurance, and a living breathing example of my tax dollars at work.
But I digress....or do I? Maybe not---I've seen it, more than once, with variations on the above theme. I've lived here for quite a while (and not in a delusional bubble by any means) and I have to say that the level of self-delusion that exists in Hawaii is absolutely incredible. Truly unique.
I am hoping the OP has enough of a sense of self-worth and motivation to see this as an opportunity to grow and learn and become self-sufficient. Time will tell.
Imua, kid. ;-)
I highlight with bold print the part of any post that I'm responding to. It's a common practice that I've learned from watching other posters. No more no less.
And I agree with the point you made about how on message boards people rarely reach a consensus. About the point of people's opinions having more weight because they live in the location of question-I agree with that if the poster is offering information about the location.
However, I've already stated that I never addressed the OP. I don't live in Hawaii and I wasn't giving the OP advice about living in Hawaii. I was giving my opinion on one the post I read.
My opinion doesn't have to HOLD WEIGHT here, because I'm not trying to advise anybody on whether or not they should move to Hawaii.
I confirmed that you can't have permanent guests in military housing....
As much fun as it is to romanticize being young and carefree, it sounds more like the OP is not making a wise decision. More like heading towards the young and homeless if he/she doesn't think it through.
I confirmed that you can't have permanent guests in military housing....
As much fun as it is to romanticize being young and carefree, it sounds more like the OP is not making a wise decision. More like heading towards the young and homeless if he/she doesn't think it through.
and since that is a key part of the plan, kinda changes the game Big Time.
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. Though I believe I, and several others, were making exactly the same points:
)
