Day 13: Waikiki Job Safari and Tour (M & J)

By popular demand and some coercion from JR, I'm back and ready to write about day 13! It all started out with a bad omen when I went for a run to the fabled waterfalls near our house, which JR had already tried and failed to find. I was similarly unsuccessful, and came back disheartened with a slight ache in my knee. One of our housemates, Elsa, was there when I got back to inform me that I went a mile too far, when in reality all I had to do was turn left...I guess not everybody is meant to find the waterfalls.

Elsa was headed into town though, and offered me a quick tour around on her way there. We are quite fortunate in this respect, to not only have a room in a nice house here in Manoa, but also to have some chill housemates to share it with. Even when there is girlish giggling (JR of course) coming from our room until late in the night and some housemates need to wake up at 5am, they take it like a champ and even offer us a ride into town the next morning.

Here are some spots we visited today:

 Above: (top left) Ala Moana beach, (top right) The view from Diamond Head (bottom left) Kaimuki (bottom right) Ala Moana skyline

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Once I made it to Waikiki, the most touristy beach in Hawaii, I wandered into every possible business venue to ask if they were hiring. It turns out the first restaurant offered me an interview, although they're not hiring, and that was the extent of my success. Afterward I rewarded myself by laying out on beach for a bit before catching the bus home. But, I fell asleep and a few hours later awoke because of an intense burning sensation on my face. Severe peeling, even on the underside of my nose, has reminded me of the mistake ever since.

 

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And finally, a response to the last post: I think Kuya J's little diatribe on my speed and usefulness is rooted in my laid back mentality in searching for jobs and keeping up with the blog. I believe, however, that he has been too jaded by law school and by 3 years in NYC to realize that he has just come to expect fast and consistent service. But that's the beauty of Hawaii--everyone is so friendly and easygoing here, people constantly take time out of their quotidian lives to give a tour to a friend or offer to help a stranger, even if it means being late for something important. Well if a place actually does have the ability to transform a person, perhaps Hawaii will be good for law grads fresh out of NYC to mellow out a little so they can learn that sometimes a hike to see waterfalls or relaxing on the beach is more important than finding a job immediately or writing on the internet. (Matt)

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John's admittedly overly long response:  I believe the implication in Matt's above response is that, among other things, (1) I do not know how to relax, (2) I am not friendly, (3) I am not appreciative of Hawaii's beauty and opportunities and (4) I ask too much of him.  In the following section, I will respond to each perceived accusation in turn.

(1) I do not know how to relax-  I do hope Mattie realizes how difficult it was for someone in my position to go against every rational convention by moving out of NYC and Cali to Hawaii for three to four months in order to get away from the hustle and bustle for a little while, and just relax.  While rainbows are nice, my very heavy school debt is not. In addition, I believe that he confuses "laidback"  with doing absolutely nothing.

 (2) I am not friendly- I believe this to be an inane and completely baseless observation and do not believe that any argument is necessary to defend my opposition to it.

(3) I am not appreciative of Hawaii's beauty and opportunities- To the contrary, I have spent almost everyday here either at the beach or on a hike.  Plus, a part of appreciating Hawaii is about going out there and meeting people and really learning what the culture and mindset of its people are about.  I hope and attempt to accomplish that somewhat during my internship, and through my interactions with other locals.

(4) I ask too much of him- Who believes that expecting at least one post from a supposed co-author, on a daily blog, after a five day wait, is super-irrational?  One post doesn't seem like too much to ask, now does it?  As a final point, "slower" doesn't always necessarily mean "better," having a goal doesn't mean you're not easygoing, and "doing something for a friend" includes someone actually doing something for the cousin who has already done everything for both of them in Hawaii. Finally, I still think Matt needs to take some things more seriously at times, and grow up a little bit.

Updated Epilogue: Holy crap.  Due to the outcry regarding my overly "meanie" words towards poor, itty-bitty baby Mattie, the latest being from my concerned Mother, who actually called me today in due part because of this post (hello, Mom), the above section has been edited down to the most cogent of points, minus the slightly condescending and acerbic tone.  I admit, I may have gotten carried away with my response above.  My apologies.  However, some lessons must still be learned.  As the saying goes: "You mess with the bull, you get the horns."  You get the horns, my friends.

(Note: The full bazooka-blast version is still available upon request.)