Libraries, Beaches, Snorkles & Turtles

Me and Meg getting a long for once!

So last weekend is where we start our tale. It seemed like any ordinary day. First, we were just cleaning. Later that day though, we decided to stop by the library to get our library cards and see a book sale. When we went to get our cards, though, the lady got a bit snippy, and asked if I was, in fact 18 years of age. Hmm…18? Am I 18?! Yeah, lady…just a for a bit. Yikes, well evidently getting a library card is like getting a new social security card and requires and act of congress, picture ID and proof that you live on the Island. The card is good statewide, so they have to be sure I guess. We would have had to go home to get the proof, so we just left.

As we were leaving, we decided to continue and see the book sale held by the Friends Of the Library at Kapolei (FOLK). Children's books were only 50 cents so the roommates were excited! I didn't find anything that interested me, but they found 26 books for their classroom. The lady was just about to count them when she asked if they were teachers, they said yes and she said, "I'm glad I asked, you get a discount" (yes a discount on 50 cent books). They were going to give them all 26 books for 5 bucks. Then she asked where we worked and we said Wai'anae, and she said she couldn't take money from Wai'anae and gave the books to us for free. We couldn't believe it and Amy got a touch emotional and gave her a big hug. It was the biggest show of kindness yet since we've been here.

After that whole thing, we left for Cabanas beach and it was gorgeous. The beaches slope was very steep from the beach to the water and climbing it was really part of the charm and fun of this particular beach. Evidently people see turtles here because of the clear water is easy to see through and the turtles really like the area. However, no such luck for us. We heard stories about climbing Lahi Lahi, the mountain in the picture behind my pale okole (butt). It is a tough, steep climb, but I guess it is worth it for the view…Let’s add that to our list. We walked that way to see turtles near the jetty, but the ground was too frickin hot and we ran all the way there just to run straight back. Amy and Meg were standing in a shadow for this one so it was a little more bearable.

Meg and Amy by Lahi Lahi in the shade

Me in front of Lahi Lahi burning my feet on the sand

After another lovely week of school that was cut a little short due to some field trips, we tried to go out for a happy hour excursion. However, we drove all the way to Honolulu and I couldn’t get into the club due to inappropriate dress (RSN jersey from Softball). Instead we ate dinner at a Mexican Restaurant and went to see a dollar movie, “Cars.” It was pretty darned funny. I feel as though I would be amiss if I neglected that my darling, Amy Lee cried for the anthropomorphized Lightning and The King.

Saturday, we went to Sunset Beach on the North Shore and fell in love with it all over again, Amy and I went snorkeling and we swam a bit, and laid on the beach with some friends from Wai’anae. (Amy can be seen modeling the snorkeling gear we all bought from Costco here.) The beach was amazing and the fish were so cool. I can’t wait to take some pictures of these fish and the valleys in the reefs. It almost seems fake already and it has only been one day. On the way home, after we’ve been on the island for a month and a half, we saw....

our FIRST TURTLE!!!! I will call her, April O'Neil. She was very cool. We saw another going into the water and yet another swimming out, but then changed their mind and left again.

Sunset Beach

More Sunset Beach

It was a lot of fun the past couple weeks and this upcoming week is a short one for school, so I’ll be back adventuring again soon. Until I see some more thins to show you….

A Week Late in Coming...

This past weekend, we (the three traveling Waianae teachers) ventured once more to the Waikiki coast. This time, we focused on the Earth instead of Ocean. We hiked up Diamond Head seen above from the Mai Tai the weekend before. Diamond Head is the signature mountain and volcanic crater of Oahu. In fact, if you weren’t aware that Diamond Head was a volcano, you might not even know until you look down from the top.

To begin the hike, you drive through a gate that is immediately proceeded by a long tunnel, which is actually a wall of a volcano! Pretty cool. You drive through the side of a mountain. After you drive in, you start the hike from next to a military base from inside the volcano! So you start hiking and there are little turn outs for you to take pictures like this one right here of the roomies.

While climbing, you have to go back and forth and wind your way up the side up a cliff. There are two long sets of stairs and two tunnels to walk through. One of the sets of stairs goes up so far that you think you are still running up, but in fact, you have been walking for the second half, but you’re still moving your legs as fast as you can. It just isn’t quite as fast. Haha….You then move on to a spiral staircase up about two stories. At the end of that, you have to climb up a small, three-rung ladder and at the top of that you have to duck to get through a pill-box-like opening to walk up one more set of stairs to finally reach the top of the top. From here you can see down into the crater where the base and the parking area were, as well as see the ocean in the distance past the crater wall. If you look down the other sides you can see a beautiful lighthouse (the one we saw from the catamaran) and then further down you can see some gorgeous trees, homes and parks, and even further down, you can see Honolulu and Waikiki.

This is the view into the crater from the top

Some homes and surf that Waikiki is known for

Lighthouse

Waikiki and Honolulu, there is an ampitheater in the middle

It was a gorgeous view and a great hike but it was only 7/8 of a mile each way, just straight up and down. After the hike, we grabbed some breakfast and headed to Waikiki beach. The part of the beach we went to was ok. The beach was no way near as cool as Ko Olina or Pupukea, but it was something to see. The cooler parts of Waikiki were further down the strip. We checked out some of it, but not all that much, just walked (mostly looking for a Jamba Juice, which we never found but settled for a Cold Stone). It was a lot of fun, we stopped across from the zoo and saw some hula competition for a bit. We then went to visit a new found friend, and friend of Amy’s aunt in the Waikiki area, but closer to the bay.

It wasn’t until Monday at school, when I explained to a co-worker from Waikiki that there were more banana-hammocks and pairs of guys than I’d ever seen, that I found out that the actual name for that part of the beach is Queens and imagine the shock finding out it was a gay beach. Haha…well either way, I’d prefer the north shore to Waikiki anyway.

This weekend is our first three day weekend, so perhaps there will be some news to tell

School, Roomies, and the Westside Boozin'!

Well, we’ve been on the island for three weeks and we’re working on week number four already. The time has been flying, but at the same time, my first week of classes went by so slowly. The kids seem all right. I definitely see what teachers must see in those little fellers, but I definitely don’t see the negative side; the robbers, murderers and hoodlums that other people on the island see.

I wish I had some pictures to put up from the school but I don’t…so suffer. These last couple of weeks have been super. We have made it to the beach at Ko Olina every Saturday barring this one. Ko Olina is amazing. It is a gorgeous beach, man-made with concrete under the poured sand, but it the views as you can see, are absolutely unbelievable (see right). Anyway, last weekend we actually went to the North Shore at Pupukea Beach. And I have to tell you, if you get the chance to stop by there, you should. It’s gorgeous and the sand is all coral so walking through it was like getting a foot massage. And laying on the beach is like laying on a temperpedic foam mattress. SO crazy that we live here for reals.

This week, I had my first real week of classes. There are 180 students in my classes. I teach six sections of Life Science (aka biology). The teachers in my department are good times. I enjoy the department head. He reminds me of Barnett from BC. Very open to suggestion and very excited to be teaching. For those of you who happen to know PCC, there is a guy there named Szmodis who IS Eric Williams. Not even kidding!! The world can hardly contain one E. Will, so let’s just say that we can all be glad that there is an entire continent and ocean between the two of them. That much Williams may implode the universe. I can’t say that for sure, but if you’ve met him, you’d know what I mean.

Yesterday, we celebrated the first week of school with our first night out. The roomies went out on the town. This is a photo of us just before going out. Then, we went out to go on a Sunset Booze Cruise out of Waikiki Beach. The captains were funny, and Megan got a little closer than we did, but we all had a blast.

A view from the boat, as the sun was just going down...

It was hard to keep the Maitais in the cups, but even when it wasn’t spilling on everyone, it was getting emptied the old-fashioned way. (See Example!) Later this week, I’m planning on recovering from the three long islands and 12 maitais I threw down all night. After the cruise with a gorgeous sunset we went out to a few bars and had some dancing with Ames…It was a blast…evidently I was annoying to walk back to the car with, but that happens sometimes. I would like to see Waikiki in the day time, but there is a giant wall of fish that I’d like to see again day or night…super cool…but…anyways…

A nice view of Diamond Head off the coast of Waikiki for all your enjoyment.

Until the next crazy escapade in town…enjoy this little picture of Drunk T and A...