Swine Flu Outbreak in Hawaii and How to Prevent Spread of Swine Flu
Three Hawaii residents who returned from the Mainland to the islands got infected with swine flu, but have since then recovered. The male Army soldier had symptoms after a trip to Texas. His wife, a civilian, also developed symptoms. The third victim is a school-age child, who came down with swine flu after a trip to California. All three have recovered and there are no new swine flu cases in Hawaii at this time. The state of Hawaii continues... [Read more]
I saw a horrible accident! Honolulu’s streets are dangerous for pedestrians and bikers
I just saw a horrible accident. It happened at around 8 pm, Saturday, October 4, 2008, at the intersection of Mahukona Street and Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu. I just came out of a restaurant and waited at a traffic light. At that time, a charter bus from the company Superstar was turning right and suddenly I heard a loud bang. At first I thought that it hit another car. When I crossed the street, I could see the front of the bus and... [Read more]
Sometimes it is a challenge to get to Waikiki from Ala Moana with the Honolulu City Bus
The Honolulu City Bus system has been rated America’s number one city bus system. And yes, it does a good job usually, but not always. There are not enough city buses that go from Honolulu to Waikiki. Let me tell you a story from yesterday. I wanted to go to Waikiki from Ala Moana Shopping Center and thus I was waiting for the bus to come. I was sitting about 30 minutes at the bus stop and nothing. In the meantime many other busses came... [Read more]
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Honolulu
If you are about to arrange immigration papers in Hawaii the place to do that is at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Honolulu. Their address is: 595 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 View Map Their office is located right in front of the Restaurant Row near downtown. Here is a picture of their building. Read More →
Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu flooded?
In all the years I have lived in Hawaii, one of my favorite places to go to has been Ala Moana Beach Park. Friday afternoon I went for a casual swim and on the way there I noticed that the Ala Wai Canal was unusually full, and when I got to the beach park, I saw something I had never seen before – there was water near the second lifeguard tower on a big part of the beach. Was that just the hide tide or the high waves? I don’t think so.... [Read more]
Independence Day, 4th of July Fireworks Show at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, 2008
Independence Day, 4th of July, is a big event and a holiday all over U.S. and people in many cities gather and celebrate the day. The peak of the celebration is the evening fireworks. Just like the other U.S. states, Hawaii celebrated with fireworks as well. The fireworks show took place in Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu where the approximate number of people gathering in the park reached 50000! I was there too and yes, it was really really... [Read more]
Honolulu Friends of the Library book sale, 2008
The largest annual Honolulu book sale If you love reading books, you should not miss the 61st annual Friends of the Library book sale taking place at the McKinley High School cafeteria, starting Saturday June 28 and ending on July 6. The book sale hours are: June 28 and June 29: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 30 and July 1-2: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 5: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 6: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. At the book sale you can find books on different... [Read more]
Surfer’s paralysis (myelopathy) - beginning surfers beware!
When one thinks of the dangers of surfing, things like sharks, sharp coral reefs, high waves and strong currents come to mind. But who knew that surfing on even a calm day on a harmless beach could be dangerous? A recent newspaper article about a young man who became paralyzed after taking his first surf lesson on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, caught my attention. Even though only a small number of beginning surfers are afflicted by this largely... [Read more]
Memorial Day 2008 Hawaii Lantern Ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park
Yesterday (05-26-2008) was Memorial Day and the annual lantern floating ceremony took place at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu. This year it was the 10th anniversary of this lantern floating celebration. It has become a tradition for Oahu’s residents to pay respect to the ones who did the “ultimate sacrifice” in wars they fought for the United States. The lanterns are set afloat into the ocean and they float along the... [Read more]
Hawaiian vog (volcanic smog)
You think Hawaii is always sunny and blue? Well, you are wrong. Hawaii can be pretty gray too, especially when under vog (volcanic smog). Occasionally, the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii produces volcanic smog, which gets blown all the way to Oahu and Kauai. In days like that the air is very hazy and looks like there is dust all over in the sky. You cannot even see the mountains sometimes. To see what I mean, just scroll down and see... [Read more]
The average pay in Hawaii and facts
Hawaii is a very expensive place to live. Many come to Hawaii because they dream to live here, but sooner or later they are forced to leave because they can’t catch up with paying the bills. Many families have two or even more jobs, so they are able to cover the most necessary expenses. The middle class person makes around $15 an hour. Many jobs though are still in the range of $8.00 - $10.00. Thus for those people $15 an hour is a luxury.... [Read more]
Jet skiing in Hawaii
Jet ski - Flying across water! Is jet skiing breathtaking or obnoxious? The wind and water rush by so they take your breath away. It’s like a roller coaster on waves – you bump up off the face of a wave and fly for 30 or 40 feet and splash down to do it again, and again. What can be more fun than flying over the open ocean in a jet ski at top speed? Or, what could be less fun? The noise is deafening. Make it stop. You duck your head... [Read more]
Why life and food are so expensive in Hawaii?
When I first came to Hawaii in 2004, a plate of lunch was $5.50. Today the same plate of lunch is $8.90, which is $3.40 more. At the same time pay has not really gone up at all. But rent, on the contrary – it went up. Back in 2004, the average rate to rent a room was $500 to $600 per month, and the same room today is at least $800. Of course, it depends on the area where you want to rent, but the overall trend is that the prices go up.... [Read more]
How to find a job in Hawaii – Craigslist tips
Well, there are many different ways to get a job in Hawaii. For example, you can try to browse the job adds in the Honolulu Advertiser or Star Bulletin (the two daily local newspapers in Hawaii and both are among the most popular media resources). Or if you prefer you can try an employment agency. There are many local agencies that will be ready to help. However, you should be careful because some of the agencies will subtract a certain... [Read more]
