My friend literally couldn't get away from Honolulu fast enough! (apartments, relocation company)

[The French Maid]

I have never been to Hawaii mainly because I never had the itch to go although every person I know has been and I hear amazing things about it, especially Maui.

However, I have to share the experience my friend had when attempting to relocate to Honolulu from Oregon. She is a single (no kids) energetic 30 year old who was anxious to move from the 9 months of coulds and rain that plague Portland, OR. She wants warmth and sun... that's her thing. She is an out-going and very positive person just looking to start her life and maybe find that right person.

She got a job with one of the larger companies in Hawaii. She had one maybe two interviews with them and accepted the job. She never had a face to face with the people at the company and she never had been to the big island which I thought might be a problem. I don't believe in ever moving anywhere without seeing it first

She quit her job at a very well known company, gave up her GREAT apartment, the relocation company came and picked up her car, and belongings and she flew off last Sunday morning and left all her friends and family behind. Later that evening she called and was very distraught... mainly because she felt displaced and was in a state of shock over what she just did. I told her she was just going through a HUGE change and that once she found a place to live, she would start feeling better. I also told her that she would meet new people right away because she is just that kind of person.

Well, by Tues morning, she was already booked to come back. She called me and I picked her up from the airport. I asked what in the world happened and she said it was one of the worst experiences she ever had. This is a girl that does NOT exaggerate.

She said she looked at 6 different apartments (I believe one was 2800 per month) and they were all in bad areas. She said the two nights she stayed in her hotel, she heard gunshots and there were always cop cars and sirens. She said she was the only (sigh) how do I say this without getting slammed ....white person in most of the areas. She said there were no trendy, downtown, single type areas and that some of the places she was walking were just downright scary during the day and she wouldn't walk there at night. She said it was filthy, trashy and people just threw their trash on the street, in other words, no sense of pride whatsoever.

I told her she probably didn't hit the "right" area on the island and she stopped me dead in my sentence and said "I walked EVERYWHERE and it was the same"... She did say there was Waikiki but that it wasn't a suitable place to start your life since it was mostly geared to tourists. She said "I'm there to work and live, not party with the tourists every night."

She told me on the way back from the airport that (and this is a girl that LOVED Hawaii since she was a teenager) I NEVER want to see that place again! I said "even Maui"? and she said YES, I AM DONE!

Then as we were driving back into Portland, the place she do dearly wanted to get out of and was very negative about, she sighed a big relief and said "oh Portland, I missed you!" I have to say I was stunned

The good news is she got her apartment and job back but the bad news is she will have to pay for the shipment and services of the relocation company. It hadn't left the docks yet.

So given that, can some of the folks here shed some light on this story? As I stated before, I have never been to Hawaii but my friend is someone that is a pretty positive person and she was downright traumatized.

Thanks

TFM

[Brav989]

You mentioned the Big Island and Honolulu...which place was she living? As for her being one of the only whites, well, white are a minority in Hawaii. You can expect to not see everyone be your same colour . I've been to different parts of Hawaii on different islands. Saw some bad areas saw some good ones. Been in areas where I was the only white person as well. Never really bothered me honestly. I just think she made the mistake of making such a huge move/decision without really thinking it over or ever visiting. Massive culture shock I'd guess. If it's any consolation, Portland has more shootings/murders per capita than Honolulu.

[The French Maid]

It was Honolulu that she moved to.. Sorry about the confusion.. shows how much I know about the geography of Hawaii

[manoagirl]

Originally Posted by The French Maid

She said she looked at 6 different apartments (I believe one was 2800 per month) and they were all in bad areas. She said the two nights she stayed in her hotel, she heard gunshots and there were always cop cars and sirens. She said she was the only (sigh) how do I say this without getting slammed ....white person in most of the areas. She said there were no trendy, downtown, single type areas and that some of the places she was walking were just downright scary during the day and she wouldn't walk there at night. She said it was filthy, trashy and people just threw their trash on the street, in other words, no sense of pride whatsoever.

TFM

For $2800 per. month she should of been able to get a decent apartment. I could get a decent apartment in Beverly Hills, CA for that amount. It sounded like her expectations were too high, and that is why she felt let down. Also the island has a way of "Spitting people out off the Island" that don't belong here, especially when they make statements, like "Filthy trashy people" they are the first to leave!! Instead of her developing some culture understanding of why their were so many poor people she decided to show how prejudice she was. I don't even think that she realized she was being prejudice as in prejudging her surrounding until she had to live among Brown people.

It also sounds like she was extremely naive and negative and just couldn't adapt to being a minority. A truly positive individual will make the best of any given situation. She was given an opportunity and she blew it and sounds like she is looking for someone to blame other than herself. The Island people did not fail her, they gave her a chance by offering her a Job. She failed herself and her Island employer because she was unwilling to make the most out of the opportunity and make adjustments. The bottom line is she was intimated by Island life.

[The French Maid]

To be fair, she didn't say the people were filthy and trashy, she said that the place was trashy as far as people throwing their trash around.

I can't really say what she had in mind when it came to "island" living but given that she didn't visit before she moved was not the wisest of choices.

She is into nightlife being that she is young and single so perhaps there wasn't any of that to be found. Perhaps she did realize she made a HUGE mistake and did a quick U-turn and is blaming everyone but herself but I have heard her blame herself many times over. I just know she hated Portland and now she realizes it ain't that bad. I guess this is a classic "maybe the grass isn't greener on the otherside" story.

[manoagirl]

Originally Posted by The French Maid

She is into nightlife being that she is young and single so perhaps there wasn't any of that to be found. Perhaps she did realize she made a HUGE mistake and did a quick U-turn and is blaming everyone but herself but I have heard her blame herself many times over. I just know she hated Portland and now she realizes it ain't that bad. I guess this is a classic "maybe the grass isn't greener on the otherside" story.

I am from Honolulu and there is plenty of nightlife here for someone young. Her being a young single Haole female with a job should of made her experience even better and more pleasant . I don't think she gave the Island a chance.
Haole men can sometime have it harder than Haole women especially if they are young blonde and good looking guys . Often times they are mislead to believe it is due to their skin color when in fact many times it has more to do with jealously and competition.

Many people that have children that have to go in the public school system also have it more difficult, but many adjust. She should of had the time of her life here!!!!

[HankDfrmSD]

I think those of us who know Honolulu would like to know the name of the Hotel she stayed in, or at least the street it is on and the nearest cross street. If given that information, some of us might comment.

Hank

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by The French Maid

I have never been to Hawaii mainly because I never had the itch to go although every person I know has been and I hear amazing things about it, especially Maui.
->My friend literally couldn't get away from Honolulu fast enough!<-
TFM

Trashy locals - yes, dumped the leftover plate lunch out the car window at Ala Napunani and Ala Ilma-

Have a 2 to 3 BR here for around $1,900-

Sink eye - lots of that and one just has to 'love' the that stink eye out of em, takes years-

Due to the pettifogging politicians the zoning is a mess, driving on a four lane street in a nice business area and you turn onto a two lane street expecting to go one block to another intersection of two or four lane, no can, one is on a paved cow trai in a dumpy looking mix of homes and small business l- like auto repair sheet iron buildings from the 1920's-

As the sun sets the police/fire/ambulance sirens start along with the autoalarms, then the flights start taking off hauling then tourist out of here-

To much of the "ALOHA' is liking to that y'all come back now, yo here-

Same 0' same 0' as one can see this 'love one another' any place one lives-

by the by: The Muff dumped anuff poop into the Ala Wai to receive a 'commendation' from the federal environment agency-
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1609927/posts

http://starbulletin.com/2006/03/28/news/story03.html

[leilaniguy]

Your friend stayed all of 2 days, then decided to leave after only seeing what was in walking distance of her hotel? I have to say her bad experience was her own fault, not Hawaii's.

[SkyBob]

"I told her she probably didn't hit the "right" area on the island and she stopped me dead in my sentence and said "I walked EVERYWHERE and it was the same"..."

I don't mean to nitpik your message but, Damn, in just a few days she walked EVERYWHERE? I'm sure I couldn't keep up with her. And I have to believe she really didn't give the island a chance.

If I heard gunshots and sirens I'd be nervous too but that's not been my experience and this is the first I've heard mention of that.

Bob