Tuesday in Hawaii

I think it’s the tiki lamps that I love most of all. They are lit every night along the streets of Waikiki. They, along with the clean, double-wide stone sidewalks and palm trees and tropical flowers, give the city a lovely, laid-back feel. I just love this city! It’s magic. Everyone here is happy because they are honey-mooning. Or on vacation. And if they are not vacationing but working here, they are kind and friendly, because what’s not to like about living in Hawaii??

It’s sure not Chicago. Hawaii is a laid-back, “hang loose” kind of culture. We must deliberately slow down and smell the plumeria. Watch the sunset (which happens at exactly 7:15 every night). Don’t be in a hurry. Chillax, folks.

When I dine, I am all about the ambience and less about the food. We’ve been choosing to eat al fresco whenever we can, sharing our meal with interloping birds and watching passerbys on the sidewalk. One night we dined at a restaurant on the beach with a view of Diamond Head, a live trio of musicians serenading us with Hawaiian ballads.

Last night we attended a luau, because everyone who visits Hawaii must attend a luau. It’s mandatory! It was at the elegant Royal Hawaiian hotel, next door to our Sheraton Waikiki. We were given fragrant leis, fed a schmorgasbord of traditional Hawaiian dishes such as kalua pig, mahimahi and poi, and entertained with songs and dances from the Polynesian nations. It was spectacular!

Being a blond, I am definitely in the minority. The locals are generally of Hawaiian and Polynesian ethnicity, and, other than some vacationers from the continental U.S., the majority are from Japan. Exotically beautiful black-haired peeps that make me stand out like a sore thumb.

We’ve had an abundance of sunshine every day, with scattered rainshowers that make me laugh. They come in for 3 minutes, lightly mist us with just the gentlest of wet, like a spritz of cologne, then scurry on. We get about 10 of those a day. The sun is intense this close to the equator, and my fair skin is getting a tad pinkish.

I am in love. If I could find a way to make a living and import all my favorite people, I would definitely not be coming home.