Dear Diary part II

10/19/06 - 2:25 pm - Bus stop in Pearlridge

I'm here... and it's definitely an adventure. I'm trying to strike a balance of time between experiencing things and writing about them, so I'm going to try to sneak in writing whenever I have a free minute. I'm waiting for a bus to Waipio to meet with Julie, the owner of the Outback there. I was supposed to be there at 2, but I spent the last 70 minutes waiting for buses. The bus system here is actually really extensive; it's just that the house I'm staying at is up at the top of a giant hill and not really near a bus line. Life here so far is not that far off from what I imagined... I wasn't expecting paradise of course, and that's not what I got. But now that I'm here, I'm able to form a more accurate picture of the island in general.
Things that I was expecting:

• Cultural diversity
• Awesome landscape
• Green everywhere and beautiful exotic plants (For all you "fact" buffs out there, yes I know they can't be exotic if they grow here naturally... shut up)
• Friendliness and the "aloha spirit"

Things that surprised me in some way:

• The huge percentage of Japanese population
• The amount of rain
• The humidity: It is wayyy humid here. By the time I hike up the hill to my house I am covered in sweat and I STINK. People tell me it's always like this... that is one aspect that I really should have done some research on. Either I get used to it soon, or I'm moving again... I hear Alaska is nice! At any rate I'll definitely be requiring A/C wherever I decide to move.

[I'm on the bus now but there must have been an accident because we are at a standstill. Will I ever get to see my new store? Grrr]

Back to my story...

I woke up at 6:30 this morning and as I looked around I remembered that outside my bedroom window was Hawaii. I have to say it was a good feeling (even if I had forgotten to pack my sock/underwear drawer). I walked out on to my patio as the sun was coming up over the ridge and checked out our view of Pearl Harbor. I'm going to try and take pictures of everything, even if it makes me look like a compete tourist. But right now this traffic jam is pissing me off so I'm going to stop for now. Remember kids, if you're feeling jealous in any way, think of me sitting on a bus in a traffic jam, staring out the window looking at the rain. Aloha for now...

10/20/06 - 11:30 am - Bus to Hawaii Kai
Last night was the end of day 1. Things I did:

• Moved into temporary house
• Got job at Outback
• Got bus pass

Places I went:

• Outback
• Downtown Honolulu
• Ala Moana Shopping Center
• The Shack in Mililani

Things to do tomorrow:

• Develop pictures
• Buy monitor
• Look for housing
• Buy shoes and stuff
• Blog some more

6:55 pm - Daiichi restaurant in Aiea

I'm hungry as hell. This is going to be a very well-deserved meal. I spent the last 2 hours at an internet cafe looking for housing, and I'll probably go back after dinner. This is completely crazy... I'll be homeless in 4 days and all I have are my internet-researching skills to pull me through. On the plus side, I went to the beach in Waikiki this morning and finally got to get my feet wet in the Pacific Ocean. After that I took -- never mind my meal is here I'M STARVING goodbye.