Amber and Princess Prettypaws

Well, when last I wrote, I was eagerly awaiting getting into my house-sitting house for the summer, and not so eagerly awaiting sharing it will some middle aged european guy. But oh well!

At 5:20 PM sharp, Cheryl and I left the lab to pick up her cousin Anne (who’s house I’ll be sitting) to take her to the airport. We arrived to get our last-minute instructions, and before I knew it they were asking if I’d be ok, and suddenly they were gone! And me with a beautiful house all to myself in a gated community in the hills of Manoa!

My responsiblities were to include keeping the plants watered, taking care of an orphaned baby bird, getting the mail, and keeping the family cat, a petite Siamese named "Princess Prettypaws" (princess for short) company). Not too bad a job!

I had just gotten settled in to check my new range of cable channels where there was a knock at the screen door. Carl, the guy who’s sharing the house with me for 2.5 weeks, had come by to say hello, although he wouldn’t be moving in until Thursday. He’s a short man, and he sounds alot like Jean Claude Van Damme. . .but I think I could kick his butt if need be!

After he left, and after looking through all the cupboards in the kitchen to take stock of my food situation, I decided I needed to make a run to the grocery store. Ignoring the paranoia in my head that insisted I didn’t go because who knew what I’d run into, I put on some jeans, hopped on a bike, and coasted down to the local Safeway Grocery Store. Let me confirm that things ARE extremely expensive in Hawaii. I mean come on, 6 bucks for a gallon of milk? 3 bucks for a loaf of bread? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!
But I bought myself some potstickers (Chinese dumplings with chicken and pork inside!) for a treat, and went back home.

I made myself dinner, took a lovely shower, and then curled up with Princess on the couch for some quality cat-time—best spent by lazing about and doing very much of nothing. And so ended my first day in the Manoa house.

Thursday itself was not eventful, except that Carl moved in. I arrive home very late, so we just watched some ER together. So far, so good :)

Friday was the first day I had to ride the bus home. So I got online to www.thebus.org to find my route home, after one of the student workers, Sam, recommended the number 6. I thought I had a good idea where to pick up my bus, but as I made it to the busy intersection of Ward and Ala Moana, my confidence faded and I begin to wonder where the heck I was actually supposed to go. The bus stops on Oahu are plainly marked, but they do not include information as to which buses stop there. Bah to that. I found a woman sitting alone at the bus stop ahead of me, so I asked her for help. But unfortunately, I had uncovered a fellow student newly arrived to the island, so we just talked in confusion to one another, not getting much more information than when we started. She told me the tale of her trying to use a transfer pass that was an hour old and being told by the busdriver that she didn’t accept any "free-loading haoli’s"

Racial slurs are alive in Hawaii, and "haoli" is often used on a white person, an outsider, but apperently the literal translation is "one who has no soul" It is the one thing I think that makes this place not so fabulous. There is some animosity towards white people here, but nothing violent. Just resentful.

I decided to try my luck for the #6 down the street, and was just in time to see it leave from a bustop across the road. So I sat for 30 minutes waiting for it to come round again, only to realize that it would take me on the west-bound part of the loop, while I wanted to go east-bound. So I ended up riding in the freezing air conditioning through the decrepit west of downtown section of Honolulu. But eventually, by nightfall, we had made our way back to the manoa valley, and I spotted my Safeway and hopped out.

I walked home, enjoying the quiet and the warm wet air. My walk home was so nice, as I had to walk uphill after entering the gate, past the stream and the slowly blowing jungle that contained it. It was like Jurassic Park, and I almost expected to see raptors on the loose trotting down the street. But thankfully I didn’t :) From the crest of the hill, I could see all of downtown Honolulu aglow. I think I’m going to like it here.

I woke up this morning ready for adventure! Cheryl took me back to the windward side of Oahu to go sea kayaking. As we drove over the Pali highway, she asked me if I had any pork on hand. I didn’t, which was good. She told me that the Pali was once the site of a great and bloody battle, and that it was called Pali because it described the color of the cliffs after the battle—red with blood from all the warriors who had been tossed over. Legend has it (man, I love that phrase!) that it is bad luck to carry pork over the Pali, because the restless souls of the dead men will be drawn to it, and will follow you home.

I was glad I hadn’t brought any with me :)

Sea kayaking was tremendous fun. The water was again that magical color of aqua-turquoise, and there is something so wonderful about paddling around all alone, avoiding the shallow coral beds and keeping your kayak facing the waves. It’s just sublime. And I arrived intact back on shore, having not gone overboard once and without a sunburn. Although I AM covered in freckles now I think, as I sit in the Lab in my bathing suit and sandals. This place is neat that way. For awhile there, some had a surfboard parked under a bench in the lobby. Soon I’ll hop on the bus again, and take it all the way home. Another day almost done, and poor Princess yowling for a friend. It’s nice to have someone to come home to :)