hi, HI.

Well, my friends, it's been a while.  I would like to promise you that I will not abandon you this time, and that I will be a faithful blogger from now on.  But I cannot promise this.  But I will try harder.  Here's just a bit of my new life, here in Hawai'i. 

Oh look, my new habitat.  Well, actually it's Dolly and Lou's house.  It's so cute.

Greeted off the plane with leis and kisses from Dolly and Lou.  Actually, most of the people here greet you by hugging and kissing you, even when being introduced for the first time.  That's what they would refer to as, "big island love."

Dolly made this tofu very pretty.

Papaya. (It has now become one of my main food groups.) 

My first friend.

A few things I've learned while being here:

Carry an umbrella with you at ALL times.  Even if you're running into the store for two minutes, because a torrential downpour is possible at any time.  Even when the sun is shining.  Hilo is on the east side of the big island (the big island is actually called Hawai'i, and Hilo is a city).  It has a tropical rainforest climate and is the third wettest city in the U.S. 

Hawaii's state fish is the Humuhumunukunukuapua`a.

The Hawaiian language has 12 letters.  A few new hawaiian words I've learned:

Mahalo - Thank you.

Pupus (Pronounced poo poos).  Hawaiian appetizers.  How is it used?

"Uncle Norman is eating all the pupus!"

Haole (Pronounced how-lee).  This word basically refers to any foreigner.  How is it used?

"That is Bob and Brenda.  They are a haole couple."

Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain from sea level to the top of the mountain.

But Mauna Kea, (which is on the big island), is actually over 10,000 m

from where it begins on the sea floor.

This is what the drive across the big island is like.  Not lush and tropical like I expected. 

These hills are called cinder cones, you can read more if you check out the link below.  The road described, Saddle Rd., is the road we took to get to the other side of the island.

http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2007/03/cinder-cones-on-big-island-of-hawaii.html

bye friends.