Have you ever been to the Pearl Harbor memorial? It is technically called the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, but you know what I’m talking about. It’s that sunken ship that is literally a water-filled tomb to over a thousand men that bleeds 2 gallons of oil every day. It still holds 400,000 gallons within its massive bulk so it is pretty safe to say that unless ordered to be drained it will continue to bleed through our lifetimes and even those of our children and their children. Unless a war even worse than the one that caused the monument turns the tides once again and there are no more generations to fight. Why bring up such business? Well I went to the memorial yesterday after landing here in good old Hawai’i. Despite exhaustion and my bone deep cynicism I was touched. I am not one to express emotions or feel an overwhelming sense of…anything, so when it does happen I feel it is something to share. Just remember, good old Boris let us know when the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes. Some things are just noteworthy.
To keep things somber and reflective we could continue with a discussion of the recent episodes of Glee, but let’s face it you didn’t come here for that. You came to hear tales of adventure and romance. Obviously you haven’t been paying attention. The most you will get here is PG travel with a side of pop culture. And away we go…
Today it came down to the age old struggle of whether or not to leave the house. Yup, 3 weeks in and that is what it’s come to – the honeymoon is over. What I truly wanted was to do nothing more than sit on my couch and watch Sex and the City. That’s right Gina, I want what you got. I did drag myself out of the house eventually and went to the oh-so-glamorous Aloha Swap Meet. It happens at Aloha Stadium which once a year hosts the Pro Bowl and thrice a week hosts a dirt mall. However, it is a well-publicized and respected dirt mall. I may have gotten a present for you Rachel. Perhaps.
It was now time to start exploring the island like a big girl. This is when I discovered the unifying theme of the Pacific Islands – Lexi getting lost. There are road signs here. They just don’t tell you the information you want to know. When trying to get on the H3 from Aloha Stadium maps all look like it is a direct shot from the stadium to the freeway. What the maps fail to show and the signs fail to make clear is that at that exact point you have to go via the 78 which turns into the H3. I like to call the search for the proper freeway “getting to know your surroundings”. I feel it has a nicer ring than “groping for direction with annoyance bordering on homicidal rage”. Were I in Bali I would merely pull over and converse with a local. These conversations would range from a lovely interlude in broken English while sitting on a stoop with a Coke to ludicrous pantomime while pointing in front of you and saying the name of the town you wanted to go to in different tones and stresses until a spark of recognition took to light.
Despite my rather poor sense of direction I did complete the preplanned itinerary for the day. I just didn’t have time to stop very long at any place. I can tell you this: O’ahu is breathtaking, tiny, and the speed limits suck (25/35 in town, 45/50 highway). Throughout my travels of the windward side of the island today the whimsy with which roads change names and maps gloss over facts was a recurring reminder that while I am in the USA, I am definitely not home. Grid system cities, I miss you. Speeding, I miss you. Annie, my darling Hyundai, I miss you most of all.
Mother, please don't take that last part personally.
Did you visit the dole pineapple plant? Or go to a luau? Your car misses you too. She said to say she wishes you were here driving her around again. It's the only action she ever gets...
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