Even though I've never had a permanent address in Hawaii, I've always considered it my second home. I've never viewed it as a "vacation" place the way people might think of vacation in Greece or Thailand or other places like that. Since my mom grew up there, visiting was just "going to Grandma T's house". It just happened to be a 5 hour flight from Seattle. I've lost count, but I'm guessing I've made the trip at least 25 times in my life. As a kid, we'd go pretty much every year. Hawaii was more about family and Summer Fun day camp than it was about beaches and paradise. Back then, I didn't know what paradise really was. I just knew that I could expect an annual trip to play with all my cousins there, to eat the mangoes off my grandma's mango trees, to boogie board in waves so big (compared to me) that they would knock my shorts off, and to eat lots of spam and shave ice.
Over the years, it became more and more a part of my life. I got my first job in Hawaii, got my first driver's license in Hawaii (and then my first speeding ticket), got temporarily kicked out of my grandma's house for talking back to her (until 10 minutes later when she forgave me - or forgot about it), got a tattoo in Hawaii, bought my first property in Hawaii. I've made new friends, I've made playground rivals, been stung by a man-of-war, jumped off cliffs, practiced yoga, and basically did everything a local does (except surf - because I'm scared...I still have images of my friend BJ's swollen foot, full of purple dots where the sea urchin spines broke off into his foot while surfing).
But only when my friends started coming to Hawaii with me did I start to look at it through the eyes of a tourist. Rather than playing in the yard chasing lizards and hanging out at the Fun Factory video game arcade, we were off to get that best plate lunch, or try to get 10 layers of tan so we could show off to our friends back home. Luaus, day excursions, para-sailing, and ABC stores suddenly became a reality rather than something that was just in the brochures at the airport. I started to realize that Hawaii wasn't just a second home, but it was actually a destination that other people wanted to go to, even if they didn't have family there.
After moving to Europe and traveling all over the continent, I realized that I looked at these new places the same way that my friends and other tourists look at Hawaii. So I decided to try to look at it through the eyes of a true visitor on my recent trip, to really appreciate what I had taken for granted all these years in my life. And that means you get to read a blog about it.
I decided to make the trip from Warsaw because it was my cousin Scott's daughter's 1st birthday. I'd been wanting to go back for a while, since I hadn't been since I moved to Warsaw (2.5 years ago). I figured I better do it before too much more time passed. Most of my cousins there have kids, and the kids were growing up so fast without me. I had memories from 2010 when my aunt and uncle hosted a pool party at the country club for the kids (but actually I think they had the party for me). I had a great time running around, screaming, jumping in the pool, and rolling in the dirt. And that was before the kids even showed up. Some of the bigger ones could almost beat me up, and I generally spent the time trying to become their favorite uncle. I had to see them soon before they grew up and forgot about me. Do you remember when you were a kid, and at some family reunion some strange old guy would come up to you, rub you on your head and say "Ohhhh I remember you when you were this tall (holds hand out waist-high) and we used to play _______ (fill in the blank) and you used to do ________ (some embarrassing thing). Remember that?!". You'd smile and nod, but would really have no idea who this weirdo was or what they were talking about. Maybe they had you confused for your brother. After they'd leave you'd ask your parents and they'd try to explain. But you'd still have no idea. Then you'd spend the rest of the family reunion trying to avoid the person, because it was awkward. Well, I didn't want to be THAT weird old guy, so I had to get to Hawaii to make them remember me. ASAP. And to make sure they were looking forward to my visit, I wanted to bring something to them from Poland, a land far away and foreign. But what? Vodka? Toys? A Polish girl? Since I couldn't decide, I brought all three.
Asia (that's her name) had never been to Hawaii (or to the US for that matter), so she was very excited for the trip. But I'm sure very nervous. In fact, I was nervous for her. She was going to have to meet all my cousins and family and basically all the chaos that come along with spending nearly 3 weeks in a 1-bedroom apartment with my parents. But since I wanted to see Hawaii as a tourist, this was actually going to help me. Now, for those of you that don't know Asia, let me help you with something. You might be thinking about the irony: "Tristan went to Europe and met a Polish girl named Asia". Well, she's not the continent. Asia is the "nickname" for Joanna (seriously, it is, I don't know why, but it is - like I've said before, nothing makes sense here). So we call her Asia. It's pronounced like "Tasha" without the T; not like the land that has lots of Asians. Because that WOULD be ironic. So now that that's settled, let's talk about the trip.
First of all, the flight from Poland to Hawaii sucks. We had a long layover in London (but got to see a few friends there so that was nice), and the total trip took 48 hours door to door. Even though the travel was terrible, after we landed, those 2 days disappeared from memory and all we knew was that we were in Hawaii, for my first time as a total tourist. The land of paradise. Just like on TV. But wasn't someone supposed to greet me with a flower lei and a kiss on the cheek when I arrived? Hmmmm, I guess those TV shows are all liars! (to be fair, my mom did bring a lei for Asia, but not for me...sniff).
We spent our time on the islands of Maui and Oahu, and it was really great to see my parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and all the kids, just like old times. You know the feeling when you see a person or a place, or hear a song, and your mind flashes back to when you were a small child? That's how it is when I'm in Hawaii (so it's not really possible for me to be a total tourist). Everything seemed the same as it was 25 years ago. My aunty Roberta made spam musubi (for me and the kids), my dad insisted on getting shave ice every day, and I had to ask my parents to take me to the mall. It's a weird feeling that I can't really explain. But I'm sure everyone has that with someone or something in their lives.
We spent a lot of time visiting family...my mom's 2 brothers and sister, their kids (aka my cousins), and the grandkids (6 of them all between ages 1 and 7). Kai and Sera were very active, playing sports and running around in their yard. Kai and I played basketball in his room and he dunked in my face. Sera can kick a soccer ball harder than I can (seriously...but I have better form because I don't kick with my toes). Emi is a ballerina, Ryan has his own iPad, Kayce plays t-ball with the boys (and still wants me to pick her up and swing her around like when she was half her size - it was much easier then), and Torie just turned 1. We went to dinner with my Aunty Margie (who once asked me to my own Prom) and cousin Katie and her new husband. We also visited Uncle Tony and Aunty May (my grandmother's sister). Uncle Tony told us about the day Pearl Harbor was bombed, how he could see the planes flying over, the bombs exploding like fireworks in the Harbor, black smoke everywhere, and the extreme chaos and fear. He also shared about how this led to the hateful racism against the Japanese Americans, his father arrested by the FBI at gunpoint, and how people thought they were all spies and traitors. And then how he signed up to join the Hawaii Territorial Guard and then the US Army to fight for his country and prove the haters wrong. This part of history has always fascinated me, and someday I'd like to share my grandma's story about her time in the internment camps and dealing with losing her freedom just for being Japanese (and also being interrogated by the FBI for writing words in the sand on the beach). Anyway, that's a story for another day. Even though this was a significant part of his life, he seemed more distraught by the fact that his legs have recently prevented him from playing his weekly round of golf. At the age of 90.
Another great part of Hawaii is the food. There are a few places that I must go to every time I'm there (both on Maui and Oahu). Zippy's is obvious. Waiola's in Honolulu for shave ice - duh. Any Korean BBQ place that has meat jun and shoyu potatoes - definitely. Guri Guri "frozen dessert" in Kahului - everyday if I could. And as many "local" plate lunches from various spots as my stomach could handle. And the food at every family dinner is always great. It's always some mix of Japanese/Chinese/Hawaiian that cannot be replicated anywhere else. It's just "home" food.
While my mouth stops watering I guess I should talk about tourist stuff. So there are a few main things that everyone must do when they go to Maui: Drive the Road to Hana, Snorkel Molokini, and go up to Haleakala Crater.
The Road to Hana is a long windy road (wine-dy with lots of winds, not windy with wind) that took about 8 hours round trip (we used one of the audio guides you play in your car CD player and it helped a lot). There are many beaches, short hikes, waterfalls and lookout points along the way. It's quite beautiful and I recommend it to anyone at least once. We didn't make it all the way to Kipahulu for the "best hike on Maui" because we had spent so much time enjoying everything else on the way. Maybe next time.
Molokini is a crater off the coast, where boats take tourists every day to snorkel with all the fish. Asia had never been snorkeling and at first wasn't comfortable being out in the middle of the ocean. But she insisted that "if all these children and grandmas can do it, so can I." We chased the fish and turtles around and took some pictures to prove she was there. I just had to swim and take pictures with one hand, because she wouldn't let go of the other one. While snorkeling I noticed a black blob swimming at the bottom, then disappear from sight. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so I stared in the general area to see if it would happen again. And it did. A black blob moved quickly then disappeared into thin air (or thin water). What the? I had no idea what I was looking at so I went home and googled it. And when we went to the Maui aquarium and saw one, I could understand why. Octopuses are really cool animals. I didn't take this video, but this is exactly what I saw.
We drove up Haleakala crater one morning, and it just happened to be the worst timing of the trip. Every day it was pretty sunny and 80 degrees. Only one day did it rain (and I mean RAIN). And it happened to be the day we drove up the mountain to get a good view of....clouds. Usually it's a great view of the island, but all we saw was this.
We went to a bunch of beaches (my favorites were Kapalua and Makena), the Old Lahaina Luau for the first time (great food, nice show, cool atmosphere, excellent and friendly service), and to the International House of Pancakes (seriously, my cousin took us to dinner here - speaking of which, all of my cousins bought us dinners at one point or another...see, they still think of me as the little cousin and like to take care of me...awesome!). Torie's birthday party was a lot of fun (160 people for a 1 year old's birthday!), complete with Hello Kitty and Raphael from TMNT. And a jumping castle. We also spent some time shopping: Waikele outlet mall, Costco, Longs, even the larger than normal Asian food section of the grocery stores. I came back with an extra bag, filled with just food I can't find in Warsaw.
On Oahu we hiked Diamond Head crater, an easy hour hike, up to a gorgeous view of the island, searched for bargains at the Aloha Stadium swap meet (although it seemed like every time I bought something, 2 booths later they were selling the same thing for cheaper), visited the USS Arizona memorial, drove around in our Mustang convertible, went to a few beaches (Ala Moana and Lani Kai, among others), and I even tried to do some open water swim training. During the swims I let my imagination get the better of me and started to panic after just a couple hundred meters. Every time I saw a shadow, or something move (or another person), I would stop and wanted to get out of the water. For some reason this is totally fine with a snorkel, or just bumming around, but when I'm "training", I prefer that all the creepy crawleys go far, far away. And the water to be perfectly clear of rocks, coral or sand. And to be only 2 meters deep. With nobody else around. And fresh water. And no waves. So basically I prefer swimming in a pool.
But since I was a tourist, I didn't need to train too much. Instead, I just enjoyed my time in paradise.
On the way home, I stopped in San Francisco to visit Byron, Ben and some other friends for the weekend. BJ, Kevin, Kelly and Nestor also came into town just to hang out with me, which was great. We spent a day in Tomales Bay shucking oysters, had some great meals (burritos, donuts, and other healthy food), and generally had a nice, relaxing weekend. It was another reminder that SF might be the place for me when I return to the US.
Until next time, Aloha and Mahalo!
Over the years, it became more and more a part of my life. I got my first job in Hawaii, got my first driver's license in Hawaii (and then my first speeding ticket), got temporarily kicked out of my grandma's house for talking back to her (until 10 minutes later when she forgave me - or forgot about it), got a tattoo in Hawaii, bought my first property in Hawaii. I've made new friends, I've made playground rivals, been stung by a man-of-war, jumped off cliffs, practiced yoga, and basically did everything a local does (except surf - because I'm scared...I still have images of my friend BJ's swollen foot, full of purple dots where the sea urchin spines broke off into his foot while surfing).
But only when my friends started coming to Hawaii with me did I start to look at it through the eyes of a tourist. Rather than playing in the yard chasing lizards and hanging out at the Fun Factory video game arcade, we were off to get that best plate lunch, or try to get 10 layers of tan so we could show off to our friends back home. Luaus, day excursions, para-sailing, and ABC stores suddenly became a reality rather than something that was just in the brochures at the airport. I started to realize that Hawaii wasn't just a second home, but it was actually a destination that other people wanted to go to, even if they didn't have family there.
After moving to Europe and traveling all over the continent, I realized that I looked at these new places the same way that my friends and other tourists look at Hawaii. So I decided to try to look at it through the eyes of a true visitor on my recent trip, to really appreciate what I had taken for granted all these years in my life. And that means you get to read a blog about it.
A bit cloudy from the top of Diamond Head, but it'll do
I decided to make the trip from Warsaw because it was my cousin Scott's daughter's 1st birthday. I'd been wanting to go back for a while, since I hadn't been since I moved to Warsaw (2.5 years ago). I figured I better do it before too much more time passed. Most of my cousins there have kids, and the kids were growing up so fast without me. I had memories from 2010 when my aunt and uncle hosted a pool party at the country club for the kids (but actually I think they had the party for me). I had a great time running around, screaming, jumping in the pool, and rolling in the dirt. And that was before the kids even showed up. Some of the bigger ones could almost beat me up, and I generally spent the time trying to become their favorite uncle. I had to see them soon before they grew up and forgot about me. Do you remember when you were a kid, and at some family reunion some strange old guy would come up to you, rub you on your head and say "Ohhhh I remember you when you were this tall (holds hand out waist-high) and we used to play _______ (fill in the blank) and you used to do ________ (some embarrassing thing). Remember that?!". You'd smile and nod, but would really have no idea who this weirdo was or what they were talking about. Maybe they had you confused for your brother. After they'd leave you'd ask your parents and they'd try to explain. But you'd still have no idea. Then you'd spend the rest of the family reunion trying to avoid the person, because it was awkward. Well, I didn't want to be THAT weird old guy, so I had to get to Hawaii to make them remember me. ASAP. And to make sure they were looking forward to my visit, I wanted to bring something to them from Poland, a land far away and foreign. But what? Vodka? Toys? A Polish girl? Since I couldn't decide, I brought all three.
Asia (that's her name) had never been to Hawaii (or to the US for that matter), so she was very excited for the trip. But I'm sure very nervous. In fact, I was nervous for her. She was going to have to meet all my cousins and family and basically all the chaos that come along with spending nearly 3 weeks in a 1-bedroom apartment with my parents. But since I wanted to see Hawaii as a tourist, this was actually going to help me. Now, for those of you that don't know Asia, let me help you with something. You might be thinking about the irony: "Tristan went to Europe and met a Polish girl named Asia". Well, she's not the continent. Asia is the "nickname" for Joanna (seriously, it is, I don't know why, but it is - like I've said before, nothing makes sense here). So we call her Asia. It's pronounced like "Tasha" without the T; not like the land that has lots of Asians. Because that WOULD be ironic. So now that that's settled, let's talk about the trip.
Asia and me at the Old Lahaina Luau
First of all, the flight from Poland to Hawaii sucks. We had a long layover in London (but got to see a few friends there so that was nice), and the total trip took 48 hours door to door. Even though the travel was terrible, after we landed, those 2 days disappeared from memory and all we knew was that we were in Hawaii, for my first time as a total tourist. The land of paradise. Just like on TV. But wasn't someone supposed to greet me with a flower lei and a kiss on the cheek when I arrived? Hmmmm, I guess those TV shows are all liars! (to be fair, my mom did bring a lei for Asia, but not for me...sniff).
We spent our time on the islands of Maui and Oahu, and it was really great to see my parents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and all the kids, just like old times. You know the feeling when you see a person or a place, or hear a song, and your mind flashes back to when you were a small child? That's how it is when I'm in Hawaii (so it's not really possible for me to be a total tourist). Everything seemed the same as it was 25 years ago. My aunty Roberta made spam musubi (for me and the kids), my dad insisted on getting shave ice every day, and I had to ask my parents to take me to the mall. It's a weird feeling that I can't really explain. But I'm sure everyone has that with someone or something in their lives.
We spent a lot of time visiting family...my mom's 2 brothers and sister, their kids (aka my cousins), and the grandkids (6 of them all between ages 1 and 7). Kai and Sera were very active, playing sports and running around in their yard. Kai and I played basketball in his room and he dunked in my face. Sera can kick a soccer ball harder than I can (seriously...but I have better form because I don't kick with my toes). Emi is a ballerina, Ryan has his own iPad, Kayce plays t-ball with the boys (and still wants me to pick her up and swing her around like when she was half her size - it was much easier then), and Torie just turned 1. We went to dinner with my Aunty Margie (who once asked me to my own Prom) and cousin Katie and her new husband. We also visited Uncle Tony and Aunty May (my grandmother's sister). Uncle Tony told us about the day Pearl Harbor was bombed, how he could see the planes flying over, the bombs exploding like fireworks in the Harbor, black smoke everywhere, and the extreme chaos and fear. He also shared about how this led to the hateful racism against the Japanese Americans, his father arrested by the FBI at gunpoint, and how people thought they were all spies and traitors. And then how he signed up to join the Hawaii Territorial Guard and then the US Army to fight for his country and prove the haters wrong. This part of history has always fascinated me, and someday I'd like to share my grandma's story about her time in the internment camps and dealing with losing her freedom just for being Japanese (and also being interrogated by the FBI for writing words in the sand on the beach). Anyway, that's a story for another day. Even though this was a significant part of his life, he seemed more distraught by the fact that his legs have recently prevented him from playing his weekly round of golf. At the age of 90.
Valentine's Day cake with Kai and Sera
With Emi and Ryan after Old Spaghetti Factory
Another great part of Hawaii is the food. There are a few places that I must go to every time I'm there (both on Maui and Oahu). Zippy's is obvious. Waiola's in Honolulu for shave ice - duh. Any Korean BBQ place that has meat jun and shoyu potatoes - definitely. Guri Guri "frozen dessert" in Kahului - everyday if I could. And as many "local" plate lunches from various spots as my stomach could handle. And the food at every family dinner is always great. It's always some mix of Japanese/Chinese/Hawaiian that cannot be replicated anywhere else. It's just "home" food.
Some of my favorite Hawaiian foods - lau lau, spam musubi, chicken long rice, and kalua pork
While my mouth stops watering I guess I should talk about tourist stuff. So there are a few main things that everyone must do when they go to Maui: Drive the Road to Hana, Snorkel Molokini, and go up to Haleakala Crater.
The Road to Hana is a long windy road (wine-dy with lots of winds, not windy with wind) that took about 8 hours round trip (we used one of the audio guides you play in your car CD player and it helped a lot). There are many beaches, short hikes, waterfalls and lookout points along the way. It's quite beautiful and I recommend it to anyone at least once. We didn't make it all the way to Kipahulu for the "best hike on Maui" because we had spent so much time enjoying everything else on the way. Maybe next time.
Black sand beach along the Road to Hana
Waterfalls all over the Road to Hana
Molokini is a crater off the coast, where boats take tourists every day to snorkel with all the fish. Asia had never been snorkeling and at first wasn't comfortable being out in the middle of the ocean. But she insisted that "if all these children and grandmas can do it, so can I." We chased the fish and turtles around and took some pictures to prove she was there. I just had to swim and take pictures with one hand, because she wouldn't let go of the other one. While snorkeling I noticed a black blob swimming at the bottom, then disappear from sight. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so I stared in the general area to see if it would happen again. And it did. A black blob moved quickly then disappeared into thin air (or thin water). What the? I had no idea what I was looking at so I went home and googled it. And when we went to the Maui aquarium and saw one, I could understand why. Octopuses are really cool animals. I didn't take this video, but this is exactly what I saw.
Snorkeling Molokini
Octopus at the aquarium
It changes color!
Checking out the sharks and rays
Watching whales from the condo
Couldn't quite get the perfect picture
We drove up Haleakala crater one morning, and it just happened to be the worst timing of the trip. Every day it was pretty sunny and 80 degrees. Only one day did it rain (and I mean RAIN). And it happened to be the day we drove up the mountain to get a good view of....clouds. Usually it's a great view of the island, but all we saw was this.
Great view!
We went to a bunch of beaches (my favorites were Kapalua and Makena), the Old Lahaina Luau for the first time (great food, nice show, cool atmosphere, excellent and friendly service), and to the International House of Pancakes (seriously, my cousin took us to dinner here - speaking of which, all of my cousins bought us dinners at one point or another...see, they still think of me as the little cousin and like to take care of me...awesome!). Torie's birthday party was a lot of fun (160 people for a 1 year old's birthday!), complete with Hello Kitty and Raphael from TMNT. And a jumping castle. We also spent some time shopping: Waikele outlet mall, Costco, Longs, even the larger than normal Asian food section of the grocery stores. I came back with an extra bag, filled with just food I can't find in Warsaw.
Are you supposed to say "Hello, Hello Kitty" when you meet her? Seems redundant.
Torie and her mom, and all her famous friends
What the??
Pig cooked in the ground at the Luau!
On Oahu we hiked Diamond Head crater, an easy hour hike, up to a gorgeous view of the island, searched for bargains at the Aloha Stadium swap meet (although it seemed like every time I bought something, 2 booths later they were selling the same thing for cheaper), visited the USS Arizona memorial, drove around in our Mustang convertible, went to a few beaches (Ala Moana and Lani Kai, among others), and I even tried to do some open water swim training. During the swims I let my imagination get the better of me and started to panic after just a couple hundred meters. Every time I saw a shadow, or something move (or another person), I would stop and wanted to get out of the water. For some reason this is totally fine with a snorkel, or just bumming around, but when I'm "training", I prefer that all the creepy crawleys go far, far away. And the water to be perfectly clear of rocks, coral or sand. And to be only 2 meters deep. With nobody else around. And fresh water. And no waves. So basically I prefer swimming in a pool.
Lani Kai beach
But since I was a tourist, I didn't need to train too much. Instead, I just enjoyed my time in paradise.
On the way home, I stopped in San Francisco to visit Byron, Ben and some other friends for the weekend. BJ, Kevin, Kelly and Nestor also came into town just to hang out with me, which was great. We spent a day in Tomales Bay shucking oysters, had some great meals (burritos, donuts, and other healthy food), and generally had a nice, relaxing weekend. It was another reminder that SF might be the place for me when I return to the US.
Oyster picnic in Tomales Bay, north of SF
Until next time, Aloha and Mahalo!
