We're spending the holidays in Kailua, Hawaii with our daughter and her husband and our 3 month old grandson, Denali and our son Ben who lives in Taiwan.
Before we left, the temps had been cold (below zero) in Fairbanks for most of December. In fact, the last time there was such a long streak of minus temps was in 1971. When we left, we put our coats in the garage so that the person picking us up upon our return can grab them on the way to the airport.
There are multiple comparisons, mainly by Hawaiians, about the similarities between the two states. For me, I can't see it. Maybe the relaxed attitude of the residents. Maybe the isolation from the rest of the U.S. and the often stated high prices. But that's about it. Besides the obvious (climatic differences and population demographics), it is really crowded here. Even on the least populated islands, the unoccupied lands are privately owned forcing high population concentrations.
10 Things I Like About Hawaii
Great beaches with public access
Dramatic sunsets
Access to snorkeling
Seabirds, flowers and whales
Hawaiian quilts
Strong sense of uniqueness in the residents
Public transportation
Friendly people
Scenic views
Unique music and dance
10 Things I Don't Like About Hawaii
Traffic jams
Commercialism
Expensive rents and real estate prices
Hot and damp climate
Mold and mildew
Camping and hiking is extremely limited on Oahu and some other islands
Residents get discounts- visitors get gouged
Chance of hurricanes
Snobby attitude of some residents that they are better than the visitors
Bugs
You might ask- why do I come here? Well, besides the 10 things I like, our only grandchild is now here. Also, in terms of getting warm in the winter, flying to Hawaii is cheaper and more available than other warm climates.
I'll be back in Alaska on Thursday morning. It will be good to be home, but I'll miss my kids.
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Flying in Alaska in October
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Tetlin views from the school. Last week, I spent a few days in Tetlin. I flew from Fairbanks on 40 Mile Air to Tok (1 hr, 45 minutes, $210...
3 comments:
You are being too kind about the snobby attitude...I just call it racist attitude, and I was born and raised (on Kauai). My ethnicity is not hawaiian but I am as local as you get (filipino, chinese, spanish blend) and it peeves me to no end how some "locals" view visitors or as they say "haoles" as nuisance tourists. I grew up near a naval outpost and often there would be kids from the mainland that enrolled in the catholic school that I attended. It always bothered me how the other kids would treat them as outsiders, so I always made the effort to befriend them. On the flip side of the coin, now that *I'm* the stranger in a foreign land, I know what it feels like in regards to a snobby attitude! Great post ^-^ ...I sure miss home.
Snobby attitude? You are too kind. I call them ignorant racists, people who have no clue that the world is more than the confines of an island state. I was born and raised there, and it peeves me to no end how some "locals" treat newcomers. It is utterly shameful.
hi pat,
i am thinking about moving to alaska to teach. please contact me bellay79@gmail.com. i would love to ask you some questions.
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