Ten worst things about living in Honolulu (Hilo, Hana: apartment, houses)
OahuIncludes Honolulu
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
(My sister, from Chicagoland, wrote some of the negatives of living in Honolulu)
1. Cockroaches - That's right. Their may not be snakes on the island, or very many other bugs for that matter, but for what the island is lacking in small gross creatures, it makes up for with it's abundance of cockroaches. And you can't escape them either, they're everywhere.It doesn't matter how clean you keep your apartment or house, they will find a way. I'm scared to get up and go to the bathroom at night, because who knows what's crawling around on the floor. I don't even want to think about it. And do you know some of them fly? I've seen it first hand. It's disgusting!
2. The price of an "average home" - When I say average home, I mean a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, with the size yard of someone who lives in let's say a very close suburb of Chicago. If you know what I'm talking about, then you know how small of a yard that is, barely anything. The average price for a home like this is $600,000. Not very many people here can afford this, so their is pretty much an upper class and lower class, barely a middle class at all. It's sad to see so many homeless people, and so many people with houses worth millions, not million, millions, living blocks away from each other, it just doesn't seem fair!
3. Drivers - I know where ever you go, you hear people complaining about the drivers in their town, and they think their town has the worst drivers. Well, I'm hear to tell you that this island has the worst drivers I have ever seen. I don't know what the problem is, or where these people took drivers training,or if they have ever had driver's training in their lives, but it's enough to make you scream sometimes!!!!
4. Drugs - This island is filled with drugs and drug users. Crystal meth is HUGE here. It ruins so many people's lives. Marijuana is barely considered a drug here. I smell it on a daily basis somewhere in Waikiki. For people who teach at schools here, they have a three strikes and your out policy when it comes to drug use. Does that sound a little too relaxed to you? Would you like to send your child to a school where their teacher uses drugs and the school knows about it, and still allows them to teach there?
5. Racism - Although it's wonderful to have so many cultures living together in one small place, it also creates tension among races. Haole (this is what they call white people, they say it's not meant to be derogatory, but I think it kind of is) kids have it really bad in the schools. If you live here and you're white, for the protection and safety of your child, you either homeschool them or send them to a private school that costs up to $15,000 a year. It's nuts. I heard of a school that shut down for a couple days recently because fights were breaking out between Hawaiians and Samoans.
6. Commercials - Okay, this is small, but it's a huge pet peeve of mine here. On T.V., I would say almost half of the commercials here are advertising for places that aren't even here, like Kohl's or Target for example. Neither of those stores operate on any of the Hawaiian islands, and yet they play their commercials all the time. And I love Olive Garden, and they keep torturing me with pictures of their delicious food, when they know full well that their aren't any here.
7. Traffic - You would think, on this tiny island, that you'd be able to get anywhere fast, because you can't really go that far anyway, well, you're wrong. Again, if you think traffic in your town is bad, spend a rush hour here. It's a nightmare. On the west side of the island, if you work in Honolulu, which most people do, plan on spending an hour and a half to two hours each way on your commute each day. What makes that sound even worse, it's only 20 miles away, think about that for a little while.
8. Language Barriers - I think this has become my motto here, and I will take it with me for the rest of my life, "Even though you're both speaking English, that doesn't mean both of you are hearing the same language." I have never seen so much miscommunication in my life, and I was not expecting this at all, but it makes sense. Everyone uses their own framework of mind when processing information, and if you grew up in a different culture where words we use as Americans mean one thing, that doesn't necessarily mean that will be processed in the same way by someone else who grew up in another culture. It's hard to explain, but you'll know what I'm talking about if you've been in that situation before, it's definitely a "lost in translation" kind of thing.
9. Relaxed Atmosphere - You might think, "what's so bad about that, that sounds nice and refreshing." Sure, if you're on vacation, but when you are trying to live your everyday life, it's extremely frustrating. Whatever you do in a normal day, plan on getting accomplished half of those things in one day living on this island. Everything takes forever.
10. Island Fever - Even though it's wonderful being in a tropical paradise, it does get old from time to time. I mean, their is only so much to see. I hate to say I feel like I've already taken for granted my beautiful surroundings. Pretty soon we're going to have to start exploring these other islands. It's not like living on the mainland, where if you want to go somewhere, you hop in your car and go. We have to fly where ever we go.
1.) They actually taste good if deep-fried and dip in a sauce made of shoyu, vinegar and chili pepper
2.) Hawaii is my paradise...we get by
3.) Yup, us locals are just too friendly and say thank you too much when we help others turn from a parking lot onto the road
4.) Pakalolo, it's just like music or TV, change the channel LOL!...walk the other way LOL
5.) We only frown upon those who make blanket statements, race has absolutely nothing to do with a negative reaction by a local. It's what you do or say, it's not racism or prejudice
6.) I don't watch TV, I'm busy playing with my daughter or having bbq with my local Haole neighbor who happens to be one of my closest friends.
7.) I walk to work, barefoot now that my slippers are broked LOL
8.) I still haven't learned straight English but who cares. Everyone i talk with understands me and I understand them...including my local haole friend I bbq with
9.) I never try to do too much in one day; what's the rush anyway
10.) Yup, we call it island style and it never gets old; family, friends, bbqs, music, dancing and a whole lot of love and aloha. This is our culture, no matter where you stay in Hawaii. Live, local, late breaking from Hilo to Hanalei it's all island style. LOL
Marijuana is barely considered a drug here. I smell it on a daily basis somewhere in Waikiki.
Marijuana is not a drug though. It's a plant that grows out of the Earth. Think about it objectively, or at least try to. There's no processing involved, it's just there, growing. No human created it, it was here before we arrived. If there is a God out there, why would such a thing like marijuana be placed here by God? Furthermore, if we cherish nature, why are we banning plants?
Drugs are things that are made up by people in labs, like aspirin, anti-depressants, and even meth. They're not natural, we have no real idea of what effects they have over generations, and you should keep that in mind if you ingest any of them. Some drugs aren't that bad, but things like anti-depressants have been shown to cause things equally as bad as meth. Yet they're still "ok" because they're legal.
Hawaii is a medical cannabis state. If you don't like pot smoke, you shouldn't move to Hawaii, as there will probably be patients and enthusiasts alike smoking.
[b]6. Commercials - And I love Olive Garden, and they keep torturing me with pictures of their delicious food, when they know full well that their aren't any here.
This one I can understand....Olive Garden was one of my favorite places for take-out when I was working in Charlotte, NC. Lucky I have Puka Puka Kitchen here in Hilo!!
Marijuana is not a drug though. It's a plant that grows out of the Earth. Think about it objectively, or at least try to. There's no processing involved, it's just there, growing. No human created it, it was here before we arrived. If there is a God out there, why would such a thing like marijuana be placed here by God? Furthermore, if we cherish nature, why are we banning plants?
Drugs are things that are made up by people in labs, like aspirin, anti-depressants, and even meth. They're not natural, we have no real idea of what effects they have over generations, and you should keep that in mind if you ingest any of them. Some drugs aren't that bad, but things like anti-depressants have been shown to cause things equally as bad as meth. Yet they're still "ok" because they're legal.
Hawaii is a medical cannabis state. If you don't like pot smoke, you shouldn't move to Hawaii, as there will probably be patients and enthusiasts alike smoking.
1) I did not write this top 10 list.
2) DEFINITION OF DRUGS - Drugs are any substance other than food that change the structure or function of the body or mind.
>>>Marijuana does have many chemicals including THC.
>>>Marijuana IS a drug.
3) Smoking marijuana ....
-Causes cancer
-Reduces memory, reaction time, and coordination
-Impairs judgement
God created a lot of things, but it is people who misuse them.
Last edited by SouperStar34; 04-14-2008 at 07:39 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
