Things That Surprised Me About Hawaii

Things That Surprised Me About Hawaii

1. Chickens. Wild chickens run free here. Like, lots of them. Walking to the grocery store? Oh. That's just a chicken in you path. Finding your car in the parking lot? Oh, there's a pack of roosters just roaming around like they have no place to go. Unfortunately, they really don't. Stray cats are also a thing, but there are not as nearly as many cats as there are chickens.

(Random rooster that was roaming the Dole Plantation walking area.)

2. No Updated Music. I can't recall one store or restaurant that played any music that was released after 2000. I've only noticed music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's playing in restaurants and grocery stores. Or Hawaiianish music, which is totally awesome because it just adds to the Hawaiian effect, but that's a different category. I have a friend out here that plays guitar, and when we get together to sing he never knows the songs or artists that I am talking about. He's never heard 'Counting Stars' by One Republic. He doesn't know who Ellie Goulding is. He's really into music so at first I just thought he was a music snob, but then I realized that there is no 97.1 ZHT out here and the stores are always playing Beatles music and such... So ya. Just interesting.

3. Outdatedness In General. The moment I stepped off the plane into the Honolulu airport, I felt like I was in a timeless-retro dimension. The airport looked like it was built in the 1960's. The decor, the colors, the furniture, even the cement screams retro. That's generally what most of the buildings and infrastructure are like out here. Definitely not like Orem, where they knock down the old Pizza Hut building just to build an entire new building for Chick-Fil-A (see State Street across from the library and police station). Speaking of fast food, I passed this gem the other day: an old-school Taco Bell building.

My theory is that since the Hawaii was made a state in 1959, a general surge in tourism and building took place at that time, and not much has been updated since. That combined with the slower pace of life in general is why there is sort of a retro-timeless feel out here. Honestly, I like it. It gives you "permission" to let go of some of the stuff that would be a big deal on the mainland. 


4. Blue Stop Signs. Ya, that's what I said. Would it ever cross your mind that a stop sign would be anything but red? I have no explanation for this. 

5. No freeway system. Well, that's not entirely true. In Honolulu, there's a freeway system. But nowhere else on the island of Oahu. There is literally only one road that gets you everywhere, and it runs along the perimeter of the island. That is it. No 6 lane freeway system that conveniently takes you to any major city like we have in Utah. It's just a 2 way road that lines the perimeter of the island and goes through each town, so if you want to go anywhere, you've got to take that road. It's kind of nice because you're almost always in view of the ocean. The simplicity of the road system contributes to the laid back attitude of the island. 


6. Pineapple is old. It takes on average 2 YEARS to grow a pineapple!!! The fruit you are eating, is literally 2 years old. Next time you eat a pineapple, ask yourself, what was I doing 2 years ago? And then be grateful for how much work actually goes into producing food. 

(Side note- pineapple is not a native fruit to Hawaii. It was brought here by outsiders, but turns out, it is a really good environment for growing the fruit.)



Well that is all for today! Thanks for reading. :)

Sincerely,

Coolianaire