So today we had a going away lunch for Jen. Ten of us from the office went, including my boss (Henry) and Diane. It was nice to be able to get to know them all a bit better, and have them see me outside of these meetings where I just sit silently because I don't know what's going on yet. On our walk back to the office we stopped at the Maritime Museum to look at the exhibit the USFWS co-sponsored/created. It's a cute little area about the islands and has an activity room where the kids get clipboards and covers for their shoes and go do "biological research" on this fake island. It was fun to look around and the museum itself has a lot of cool stuff.
It sprinkled on us a bit while we were walking; that was my first Hawaii rain. I'm glad it's not like Jamaica where every afternoon at the same time it pours for like twenty minutes and then stops. That was a little strange.
I got an email from "Cupid" today suggesting that we go get coffee sometime this weekend. I went ahead and agreed to it, but told him he had to make the plan since I'm new here. I hope it goes well; it'll be nice if I'm able to make a friend, and I imagine he has other friends I could get to know too.
Other than that, my plans for the weekend are pretty open. People keep telling me I'll be "brown" soon, so I'll need to get to the beach and work on that. I also want to explore some more, now that I'm getting my bearings and starting to get to know names of streets and the like. I'm also going to have to try to avoid Ben some -- he rented a car and was asking what my plans were. He's very nice, but I don't think I could do a day trip with him and his walrus mustache. You don't have to tell me; I already know I'm going to hell...
Hey! I finally have a USFWS email account! I already don't like Lotus Notes as much as Outlook. I'm getting really antsy in the office. It's incredibly quiet in here and about 3pm, so I really wish I could just head out. But Jen's still here, and she's my ride home =)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Skipping ahead in the story
I saw huge sea turtles basking on the beaches of the North Shore today!! How cool is that? There are volunteers at this particular beach where the turtles like to go who hang out to make sure no one disturbs the turtles.
Jen drove me up to the North Shore to meet some of the people at the Oahu Refuge who I'll be working with. So today I got to drive all around the island. It's just stunningly beautiful. Even if you don't make it out to visit me, the East and North Shores of Oahu are not to be missed. I got a quick tour of the Refuge as well and got to see four species of endangered birds. Also very cool. Blake works on the refuge and will be working closely with our Youth Conservation Corps crew, is quite possibly the most relaxed, laidback person I've ever met. He's also promised to take me to the Oahu Forest, another refuge, where I'll be able to see some of the indigenous plants on the mountains. Apparently most of the plants you see covering the mountains are not native to Hawaii. I'm actually learning a lot already. Who knows -- maybe I'll be a nature girl by the time this trip is over!
Well, my back is itching like crazy from a sunburn I got on Monday...gotta go do something about that.
Jen drove me up to the North Shore to meet some of the people at the Oahu Refuge who I'll be working with. So today I got to drive all around the island. It's just stunningly beautiful. Even if you don't make it out to visit me, the East and North Shores of Oahu are not to be missed. I got a quick tour of the Refuge as well and got to see four species of endangered birds. Also very cool. Blake works on the refuge and will be working closely with our Youth Conservation Corps crew, is quite possibly the most relaxed, laidback person I've ever met. He's also promised to take me to the Oahu Forest, another refuge, where I'll be able to see some of the indigenous plants on the mountains. Apparently most of the plants you see covering the mountains are not native to Hawaii. I'm actually learning a lot already. Who knows -- maybe I'll be a nature girl by the time this trip is over!
Well, my back is itching like crazy from a sunburn I got on Monday...gotta go do something about that.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
My first impressions
Well, it’s hard to start a blog without internet. I’m writing this in Word for now, but when I feel more up to it I’ll go to Safeway to use the free wireless. It’s actually a dream of a suburban grocery store. It has tables outside and inside and even has a section with leather armchairs, like a fancy Starbucks. Of course it also has a Starbucks. And a nut bar. Because one kind of cashew is never enough.
I feel like I have so much to tell that I don’t even know where to begin. I’m going to have to be disciplined about my writing and do some every night or else I know I’m going to lose moments I want to keep. So I’ll just start and hope I get everything down.
I’m sitting outside right now. It’s about 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 27th and really nice out. Warm, with a nice breeze. The bunkhouse has a little backyard with picnic tables and tiki torches. Being out here makes me a little lonesome for all of you =) You’ll just have to join me when you come to visit!
So back to the beginning. I had a terribly long day of travel on Sunday. The eight hour flight from Dallas to Honolulu was the longest flight I’d ever been on and after having flown already, there were a couple of times I was ready to jump off the plane. On the way to Dallas I had an entire row to myself, so I was able to stretch out and get a couple of hours sleep. Luckily I had stayed with Karri and Ittai on Saturday night so I had a great night’s sleep to start with. Even so, by the time I landed in Honolulu I was pretty much exhausted. Jen (the woman I’m replacing) met me at the airport and had a little sign with my name and presented me with a beautiful lei. I had her take a picture of me wearing it, so I’ll figure out how to post that. It was really great to have someone there to help me with my luggage and get me home without having to deal with cabs.
We got to the bunkhouse about an hour after I landed. It’s in Waikiki, in an area that reminds me a lot of Pacific Beach in southern California. Kind of an aging hippie, surfer part of town. It definitely is separate from anything touristy, which is really nice since I’m sure I would get tired of that during my six months here. There were two guys staying here already, so the single bedroom was taken. I stayed in a room with bunkbeds, but alone, for the first two nights. I have the single bedroom starting today and for the rest of the time. I’ll put pictures up of the bunkhouse soon too. It’s not bad, good kitchen/living room and the nice backyard I’ve mentioned already. My biggest problem with it is that there aren’t tubs in the bathrooms. Be prepared for me to beg for a bath in your hotel rooms! The house itself is surrounded by a chain link fence, which is topped by barbed wire! One of the guys commented that it’s like we’re in a cult or something. My mom thought that was pretty accurate: “You are. It’s the federal government.” Overall, it’ll be a fine place to eat and sleep, and I won’t need it for much more.
I slept for about twelve hours Sunday night and woke up feeling pretty good. It was time for the beach. It’s about a twenty minute walk from the house to the nearest beach and the public library is on the way. How great is that? Even though it was Memorial Day, the beach wasn’t terribly crowded. I had plenty of room to lay on my towel and read The Thirteenth Tale – thanks for the rec Lauren! (By the way, I read My Year of Meats on the plane and I’d highly recommend it. Look it up and see if you’re not intrigued by its summary.) I got in the water too. Not as warm as the Caribbean, but definitely warmer than the water in San Diego! After my lounging I walked around the beach park for a while. That was the first time I felt even a little lonely/homesick (I know, it hadn’t even been twenty four hours…). There were a lot of big groups hanging out and grilling because of the holiday. But, I knew I had a barbecue to go to later that afternoon, so I persevered =)
Mark, one of the guys staying here, let me know that morning that we were invited to a barbecue at Diane’s house. At this point I had no idea who Diane was, but Mark promised it would be a good time. When I got home from the beach and showered I was tired again, but told myself that I couldn’t back out of social events on my first day, especially when I was so worried about being lonely. So Mark, Ben, and I took Mark’s truck out to Kailua. It was about thirty minutes inland from Honolulu, in the mountains. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t think to take any pictures until it was dark out, but Diane said I’d be back, so I’ll get pictures then. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Their house looks out onto this huge, green, lush mountain with crevices down it. Diane said that after a heavy rain they’ve counted thirteen waterfalls. Unbelievable.
Mark and Ben were a riot together. Mark’s a younger guy, probably early thirties, about 6’4”, shaved head and a soul patch. He’s incredibly warm and welcoming and instantly made me feel comfortable. As an employee at Midway Atoll he is there for six months at a time and then comes back for a little civilization. He was here this time because his wife is coming in after finishing up her school year as a professor in Guam, where he previously worked. Midway is one of the remote northern Hawaiian islands about 1200 miles from Oahu where USFWS has a wildlife refuge. Apparently it’s crowded with albatrosses. Mark’s promised that I can come see them when they return in the fall. I can’t stop thinking about “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge.
I feel like I have so much to tell that I don’t even know where to begin. I’m going to have to be disciplined about my writing and do some every night or else I know I’m going to lose moments I want to keep. So I’ll just start and hope I get everything down.
I’m sitting outside right now. It’s about 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 27th and really nice out. Warm, with a nice breeze. The bunkhouse has a little backyard with picnic tables and tiki torches. Being out here makes me a little lonesome for all of you =) You’ll just have to join me when you come to visit!
So back to the beginning. I had a terribly long day of travel on Sunday. The eight hour flight from Dallas to Honolulu was the longest flight I’d ever been on and after having flown already, there were a couple of times I was ready to jump off the plane. On the way to Dallas I had an entire row to myself, so I was able to stretch out and get a couple of hours sleep. Luckily I had stayed with Karri and Ittai on Saturday night so I had a great night’s sleep to start with. Even so, by the time I landed in Honolulu I was pretty much exhausted. Jen (the woman I’m replacing) met me at the airport and had a little sign with my name and presented me with a beautiful lei. I had her take a picture of me wearing it, so I’ll figure out how to post that. It was really great to have someone there to help me with my luggage and get me home without having to deal with cabs.
We got to the bunkhouse about an hour after I landed. It’s in Waikiki, in an area that reminds me a lot of Pacific Beach in southern California. Kind of an aging hippie, surfer part of town. It definitely is separate from anything touristy, which is really nice since I’m sure I would get tired of that during my six months here. There were two guys staying here already, so the single bedroom was taken. I stayed in a room with bunkbeds, but alone, for the first two nights. I have the single bedroom starting today and for the rest of the time. I’ll put pictures up of the bunkhouse soon too. It’s not bad, good kitchen/living room and the nice backyard I’ve mentioned already. My biggest problem with it is that there aren’t tubs in the bathrooms. Be prepared for me to beg for a bath in your hotel rooms! The house itself is surrounded by a chain link fence, which is topped by barbed wire! One of the guys commented that it’s like we’re in a cult or something. My mom thought that was pretty accurate: “You are. It’s the federal government.” Overall, it’ll be a fine place to eat and sleep, and I won’t need it for much more.
I slept for about twelve hours Sunday night and woke up feeling pretty good. It was time for the beach. It’s about a twenty minute walk from the house to the nearest beach and the public library is on the way. How great is that? Even though it was Memorial Day, the beach wasn’t terribly crowded. I had plenty of room to lay on my towel and read The Thirteenth Tale – thanks for the rec Lauren! (By the way, I read My Year of Meats on the plane and I’d highly recommend it. Look it up and see if you’re not intrigued by its summary.) I got in the water too. Not as warm as the Caribbean, but definitely warmer than the water in San Diego! After my lounging I walked around the beach park for a while. That was the first time I felt even a little lonely/homesick (I know, it hadn’t even been twenty four hours…). There were a lot of big groups hanging out and grilling because of the holiday. But, I knew I had a barbecue to go to later that afternoon, so I persevered =)
Mark, one of the guys staying here, let me know that morning that we were invited to a barbecue at Diane’s house. At this point I had no idea who Diane was, but Mark promised it would be a good time. When I got home from the beach and showered I was tired again, but told myself that I couldn’t back out of social events on my first day, especially when I was so worried about being lonely. So Mark, Ben, and I took Mark’s truck out to Kailua. It was about thirty minutes inland from Honolulu, in the mountains. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t think to take any pictures until it was dark out, but Diane said I’d be back, so I’ll get pictures then. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Their house looks out onto this huge, green, lush mountain with crevices down it. Diane said that after a heavy rain they’ve counted thirteen waterfalls. Unbelievable.
Mark and Ben were a riot together. Mark’s a younger guy, probably early thirties, about 6’4”, shaved head and a soul patch. He’s incredibly warm and welcoming and instantly made me feel comfortable. As an employee at Midway Atoll he is there for six months at a time and then comes back for a little civilization. He was here this time because his wife is coming in after finishing up her school year as a professor in Guam, where he previously worked. Midway is one of the remote northern Hawaiian islands about 1200 miles from Oahu where USFWS has a wildlife refuge. Apparently it’s crowded with albatrosses. Mark’s promised that I can come see them when they return in the fall. I can’t stop thinking about “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge.
The disclaimer post
Hi everyone! I just wanted to get something up asap, so I can feel better connected to everyone, so it's just a bare bones blog right now. I'll figure out how to get pictures up and make it prettier in general =)
Also, I'm going to go ahead and change the names of people I meet out here, but some of you from the mainland will probably be mentioned by first name. If anyone isn't ok with this, please let me know!!
The title is makeshift for now, so if anyone has any great ideas, pass them along! Mahalo!
Also, I'm going to go ahead and change the names of people I meet out here, but some of you from the mainland will probably be mentioned by first name. If anyone isn't ok with this, please let me know!!
The title is makeshift for now, so if anyone has any great ideas, pass them along! Mahalo!
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