Day 26: Makiki Heights and Mis-communication (M)

After our extended splurge weekend, its time to return to our mission: get jacked. So, in an effort to burn off some of those tequila shots and lumpia, I went on a little hike in Makiki that our housemate, Elsa, had recommended as a [paraphrased] "nice, gentle hike". And it did start out quite nice, with cheerful families strolling by, beautiful scenery, and native plants lining the trail (top right: taro plant clusters. bottom right: a yummy strawberry-guava branch). -------------------------------------------------------

But the trail quickly sloped upward, with rocks and roots providing the only footing, and the easygoing families were replaced by hardcore hikers with camelpaks and hiking poles. The path led out onto a ridge bordered by two cliffs, and I was informed by some passing hikers that we were only 2 miles from the top! With thunder clouds rolling down the mountain and the sun on the horizon, we gave-up and retreated back home to avoid being chased by wild boars or those pesky boulders that the trail signs kept mockingly warning us about (see left).
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Needless to say, the trail was not quite what I was expecting earlier that morning when I set-out for an easy stroll through the mountains. It was a good hike, nonetheless, and I learned to take Elsa's description of easy hiking trails as a generous understatement of the truth (except if you're a strong hiker, which I'm not...JR's not either). -------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, continuing with examples of my poor communication skills, today's quote of the day shall be themed "Verbal Misunderstanding of the Day"--this one was a convo between me and our housemate, Tami:

Tami: Oh, Matt. Don't forget we need the rent and utilities by tomorrow.
Me: [confused] You need the red ukulele by tomorrow?!
Tami: What? No, rent and utilities. It's the first week of October.
Me: [smiling and nodding knowingly] Ok, red ukulele it is!

In my defense, the Hawaiian accent is a hard one to understand. And, sometimes, I just have ukuleles on my mind.