Archive for island life
April 7, 2008 at 6:35 am · Filed under island life
Evan participated in a youth camp over the past couple of months, learning about the dynamics of multi-sport events, health, and safety. The camp ended just in time for the participants to run in the Lavaman Aquathon for youth - a 200 meter swim followed by a 2k run. We are not a multi-sports kind of a family, but I was thrilled that he was showing an interest in *any* kind of activity for more than two days - we’re still trying to discover that boy’s passion.
He finished the race in just over 28 minutes, then promptly announced matter-of-factly, “I don’t think I’ll do another one of those!” So much for THAT idea.
March 29, 2008 at 6:51 am · Filed under island life
March 26, 2008 at 2:21 pm · Filed under island life
Last weekend we drove from Pahala to Hilo and back, which took us past Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. On the first pass, we could see some smoke from Halema’uma’u Crater, but not a lot. There was a slight smell of sulfur in the air. Coming back, the smoke plume was much more evident and we could see the smoke drifting along the coastline (and then inland, right to where they boys were!). This smoke is the result of a gas explosion that happened inside the crater last week that scattered rock over 75 acres.
Access to the overlook at Halema’uma’u Crater is closed for safety reasons, but the scientists have installed a webcam that updates every 5-10 minutes. It’s a pretty amazing scene and a perfect opportunity for couch geologists to have a look at what’s going on (without dealing with respiratory issues!).
March 23, 2008 at 2:17 pm · Filed under island life
Husband napping. Kids still in jammies (at 2 pm). Because of this:
We left Friday to pick Brad up at his music workshop and stayed an extra day and then some to see the lava flowing into the ocean at Kalapana. Currently, the lava is flowing mostly underground so there wasn’t the opportunity to get up close that we had hoped for. Even so, it was incredible to see. Unfortunately, nighttime photography isn’t my forte (though it has piqued my interest), so while many photos were snapped, few were wonderful.
We didn’t get home until midnight or so, thus the lazy day today. Well worth it, though.
March 18, 2008 at 6:02 am · Filed under island life
Carrie said in the comments of a previous post:
I just did a freelance assignment on the history of Hawaii - it’s fascinating! I have to admit I was woefully ignorant - especially of how horribly the Americans and Europeans treated the Hawaiian monarchy. Do any hard feelings remain over that?
I started to reply via comments, but my reply got long.
It’s pretty incredible that most Americans have no idea about the history of how we acquired these islands, isn’t it? I know that every region has its own histories and heritage, but it does amaze me that the overthrow that happened here has been so glossed over by history.
Yours is a hard question to answer. There is sometimes an assumption by mainlanders that the locals are hard on haoles (Caucasians), but we haven’t found that to be true. The local people we have had the pleasure of meeting have been warm and wonderful, and have hosted us at luaus and birthdays and blessings. That said, as haoles, we’ve been in the minority at those events! One friend of my husband’s was so pleased to have us attend his birthday party. He was buried in lei, and grinning when he told us, “not too many Hawaiians invite haoles to their parties!” This was priceless to my husband because it was a kind of acceptance, an acknowledgment that he’s a good guy, and not “one of THOSE haoles”. We were also the ONLY light-skinned people there.
Read the rest of this entry »
March 16, 2008 at 3:27 pm · Filed under island life
What do you say when a Grammy Award winning musician asks if your son can come to his workshop to help teach? Mmmmyessss! Brad is off today for five days of music and fun and food, and it’s entirely up to me to keep Evan occupied while he’s missing big brother. It will be a lonely week!
March 15, 2008 at 3:27 pm · Filed under island life
If you’re at all curious about the current eruption, go have a look, here. Beyond the lava flow that’s been reaching the ocean on and off over the last several weeks, Halama’uma’u Crater is giving off sulphuric gas that’s taking the air quality in Volcano National Park to dangerous levels. For reference, here’s a photo I took of some kids I know sitting in front of the crater:
The white you see at the edge of the crater is rock, not smoke.
Here, the crater as of today, looking in the same direction:
Click over to the USGS site and you can actually see the red incandescence.
UPDATE 3/27/08:
A number of people are clicking through directly to this post (Valley Moms, who are you??). I’ll add a direct link to the webcam at Halema’uma’u, in case you missed it here.
March 15, 2008 at 11:53 am · Filed under island life
I like to think this blog is charming in its randomness [insert sarcastic snort here]. I also like to think it’s beneficial, at least on occasion to the people who stop by. I know it’s helpful to me, as it kind of gives me a chance to think things through casually, warming up in a sense for the “real” writing I do.
I’m pondering a project (always) and would like to tap into your collective wisdom, if I may. Forgetting for a moment about my randomness, let’s focus specifically on my posts about Hawai’i. Assuming that you find those particular posts worth reading, what is it that you particularly like to read about? The fact that we were crazy enough to move here? Local culture? Food? The language? The history? Is it a chance for you to virtually visit the islands? Can you pinpoint it for me?
Taking another angle, if I were to ask you what I should share about our time here in my next post, what would you like to know? What question do you have about our Hawaiian adventure?
Please share your thoughts via the comments.
March 11, 2008 at 7:24 am · Filed under island life
The Hawaiian language, with its proliferation of vowels and diacritical marks, can be overwhelming. Especially to newcomers trying to follow driving directions! If you’re at all curious about how the language sounds, swing by this page to listen to twenty-five common Hawaiian words pronounced properly.
March 10, 2008 at 8:41 am · Filed under island life
Eons ago Shelly commented about the terrain here, surprised that it wasn’t all lush and green. I finally managed to remember to take a photo of one of the old flows that has yet to grow any vegetation. I *think* this flow is from the 1850s - relatively new in terms of land. You can see a lighter colored flow in the background, with a newer, darker flow in the foreground. In the distance is the ocean, though it’s hard to see because of the vog. From the Keahole Airport, north to Kohala - about 30 miles - the highway is flanked on both sides by views like this. Not exactly what the visitor’s bureau is showcasing, eh?
« Previous entries ·
Next entries »
