Down To The Basics

This is going to be a boring post, but I first want to apologize for not posting in so long. Several people informed me that they actually look at it often and reminded me when I used to read others websites.

Anyways, this post is to catch up everyone about what I see on a daily basis, or the basics of my life. I don't even think my parents know what my house looks like. So with no further adieu here is what is important to me.

This is our backyard.

I take pride in keeping the back yard looking nice, must have had that burned into my brain when we were helping my father weed rose beds at the age of 3-5. Most recent addition were all the veggies on the right (i.e. tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, chiles, basil, beans, kale, papaya tree, lemon tree) and the hanging plant (strawberries...so delicious). The next and final piece to the back yard is a hammock. I dug the hole last week and received the hammock in the mail today. Am I suppose to dig holes and drill into the house? Nope. But it has been my dream to have a hammock so :P.

The Truck, The New Bike, and Me. Aloha style!

This truck has given me so much crap, but I love it. I have always wanted a small truck and when Baum (my roommate who I share the truck with) said he was game to get one I was thrilled. Well, it took forever to come up with the money to get the truck and when we finally did, not 12 hours later, it got towed away. Yeah, who would have thought you can't parallel pack in front of your own garage door? Not here. Then a week later we got it stuck in the sand (Great advice Doug). A few days after that it wouldn't start and sat in our garage for over a month (didn't have the doe to fix it). Well, long story short and $750 later, it's back. So far so good.

Don't F#@K With This Truck.

This is our only alarm system and to date the snakes that guard each entry point has worked flawlessly (knock on wood). Where they were when the tow-truck guy came is an ongoing investigation.

The Locale Eatery.

Yeah this is where we get our cook on. It's a slight upgrade from the last apartment that only had one square foot of counter space. This Kitchen has a dishwasher, which is keeping the plies of dishes at bay.

Dinning Room.

Used mainly for beer-pong with the rare occasion of what it is supposed to be used for; eating.

Where The Magic Happens.

Ha Ha. This is why MTV is bad for our nation. Anytime I ever see anyone's bedroom I picture an episode of MTV Cribs where the macho guy always has some corny a$$ saying about how much play they get. On to other things. We finally got this bed a few weeks ago after sleeping on an air mattress for 3 months. Thank You Craigslist! We can honestly say that most of our house has been furnished for under $1,000. That's three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Gotta luv it!

The window that the light from the storage center's street lights spews in from.

Hopefully soon this space will be used up by a computer desk or table of some sort. Right now though I am digging the free space. To the left out of picture is a walk-in closest. Sounds cool, but it just turns into a heaping pile of clean clothes. We have some hangers, but they just don't like to have clothes on them. They tell us it cramps their style. We'll have to talk to them about that at some point.

His and Hers.

So sweet. Kristine and I finally have some space to do our separate things. Somehow though her hair creeps over to my side! We truly share everything, always and forever.

The Rest of the BR.

Nothing special. Pretty standard issue.

Salvation Army Hook-up.

Found this tissue box cover, at least thats what I call it, at the local second hand shop for $5 bucks. Even though it is not a necessary item I love how cool it looks with all it's little tile pieces.

Well, there you have it. Now you all know what my house looks like. I have some other material for a few more posts so be sure to check back soon. Be safe.

Labor Day/Kristine's BDay and Catch Up

The supposed Two Moons. Pretty cool anyways.

I know Labor Day has past, but I really enjoyed the weekend. The whole house went out to a beach on the north shore. It was kind of barbaric how we set up camp. The guys went and got the wood (which, during the process I stepped on a rusty nail) and the girls went to the beach to make the campsite. I must say that everyone, both guys and girls, did an excellent job. The bonfire was a hit and the food was delicious. Baum and Bernice experienced nothing but fresh air between them and the wonderful and vibrant stars and Kristine and I utilized the tent that I brought out here. All and all it was a great time.

People around the bonfire.
Someone walking around the fire and Kristine.
Just Baum, the Moon, and the Ocean.
Baum's rest spot for the night. Nothing sweeter.


Our little setup at 5:30am (Pacific)

Also, this past weekend was Kristine's birthday. The move to Hawaii has strained the pockets a bit, but we were able to enjoy one of the days. She was strutting around in her new Sanuk's smelling like vanilla.

F.Y.I. Baum and I are assistant coaches for the cross country team. The kids inspired me to start running again since the 10 years of competitive running had left me in a somber mood. To compete takes dedication and concentration. Especially the past year. Man I never worked so hard. It paid off, but I needed a small break. A small break turned into one month then two and so on. I'm looking forward to running the Honolulu marathon, but I'm more excited about potentially doing a 100-mile race here on the island. Yes, you did not read that wrong. 100-mile. I still have to apply for the waiting list. And yes again. There are other people that enjoy running very far over very hard course. Anyways, I think we are heading into town (Honolulu) for First Friday, which is a giant block party full of clubs, bars, and art galleries that is celebrated on the first Friday of every month. Later.

This was only 4 months ago yet sometimes it feels a lifetime away

A Typical Weekend

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost-

Wa'ahila Trail

It's the weekends that I have really grown to enjoy here in Hawaii. Actually, that can be said for everybody in my house. It usually starts with some sort of festivities at someones house on Friday night. Most go to town (Honolulu), yet we chose to stay at home. We invited our newly married couple Nicole and Doug Dye, friends of ours who did a fantastic job of introducing us to the island, over last night and we all enjoyed some "talk-story" (conversation in pigin), a few drinks, and Guitar Hero. Our friend Nicole was in a trance as she rocked out Go-Go's "We Got the Beat" about twelve times. After they left Baum, Kristine and myself duked it out in Rummy 500 till 3am (Congrats Baum!). The weekend had unofficially begun.

Our Favorite Farmer's Market

The weekend doesn't officially start until we go to the Farmer's Market near Diamond Head. Truthfully, the weekend does not feel the same if we don't make it to the market. With $20 bucks in hand and 30 minutes to go (The market goes from 8am-11am and I never get there early enough) I'm in my element! I run around trying to get enough food for the week and snag the best deals. With fresh mangoes, pineapples, hibiscus ginger juice, tropical flowers, deep fried green tomatoes, oh how the list goes on. I think you get the point. Anyways, the market is just the start. After working all week we need to go release the stored up tension and there is no other better way than to go hiking.

Kristine enjoying the wind and view up at St. Louis Heights

Not far from the market you can find one of the best hikes on the island. I have only been on a few but it's hard to imagine many are better than the Wa'ahila Ridge Trail in St. Louis Heights. Bernice, Kristine and I ventured two hours up and one hour down this amazing trail. I had done it once with the previously mentioned Dye's, but it still takes my breath away as I am sure it did Bernice's and Kristine's.

The trail starts off dry then turns to muddy brush the rest of the way up. The two girls marched right up the mountain leaving me in the dust to take pictures behind them. The vegetation, a mix between indigenous and invasive species, keeps you on you toes blocking the view until the most beautiful vistas.


A lone, native flower. It makes you think, "Can I stand out, be different, and survive when everyone around me are fighting for the same thing as me?"

The first time I did this hike with the Dye's we came across the lone hiker that we saw on our way up. At one of the look-outs we chatted with him, a local, about some of the vegetation along the trail on our way up. "Most of the plants are invasive species along the edge of the trail." he began with a sly grin on his face. "They kind of take over and squeeze out the other plants. No Respect." he said as he pointed with a limp wrist at the plants at our knees. He continued, "You can tell which plants are natives. They are kind of on their own. They only take the space needed for them to grow and they respect all the other plants around them unlike the invasive species." To some his description of the plants may seem straight forward, but to those who live here it's the ever present issue of the U.S. occupation in this remote area. It's always present, even on a hike, that you are an outsider.


Let's play: Where's Justin!? Answer: Far from Home

The hike pushed my limits slightly today. The girls kept the pace up as we ran down the mountain. It makes me think, "When am I going to start training again?" Only time will tell.

Ode To My Furry Pal

The One. The Only. Kona.


Slightly pathetic, but yes, I do miss my furry friend Kona. She was all that and a bag of tricks. There are times when I brag that I once had the best cat that EVER lived. I think the last time I did that was just last week.

C'mon. How many cats do you know that played fetch? Or farted to the point where she could clear out a room full of people (If you don't believe me than ask C.T.)? Or who made such a mess every time she ate that people thought we had a dog?

Kona making a mess as usual.

Honestly, I will always remember her. I still speak about her like she was my child. She kind of was. First apartment with Kristine. She was the first pet that we could call our own (I didn't name her. That's another story). Not only was she the best kitty she was also the most beautiful.

Kona being mischievous.

And man could she ease the tension after a rough day. It's like she knew we needed someone to lighten up the atmosphere. Kona always came through when we needed her too.

A common scene in the Harris/Williams residence. Me talking to Kona and her pretending she understands English.

Sometimes I have to take a deep breath when I think about her. A cat might seem trivial or silly to some, but she was my friend and part of my small family. I know I cursed her out under my breath when she woke me up at 5:30 am (sometimes even earlier) on a work day when I could have slept until 6:30 am, but I would trade almost anything right now to have her running around the house here. I'm sure a few others would too (sorry Williams family!). Anyways, I miss you Kona!

The 0-cean Beckons

Powerful.




Beauty.




Essential.


These are the first few words that arose from the depths of my personal hard drive when I thought of the 0-cean. It's been one month and counting since our arrival to Hawaii and it's hard to escape the force that the 0-cean has on people here. For some it's a place of recreation and fun while for others it's a place of survival and necessity; although each end of the spectrum does not exist without containing a small portion of the other end.

I'm fortunate to be able to experience both sides of these two extremes. While you can see the "well-off" hitting up the streets of Honolulu and Waikiki with their Louis Vuitton bags, brand-new surf boards and $100 bathing suits you can also see, only 33 miles away, the people spear fishing and shore fishing in Wai'anae for their dinner. And can you guess what I see every morning and evening while going to and from work? Yup, I see the survival and necessity end of the spectrum. I'm O.K. with that though. It's more real. No fluff there. On this end of the spectrum you must pay your dues to the 0-cean; it's not just given to you. And this mantra applies to the residents as well.

The real reason for this post is that surfing has still eluded me here on the island. Every talks about it and I see it on occasion. I'm still waiting to purchase a vehicle and a darn mattress before I can fork over the dough for a long board. It's only a matter of time. Miss all those who are reading.

This past week....

Sorry for the boring title, but Kristine and I have been out and about this past week.

This past Saturday, after one of Kristine's interviews, we drove around Manoa Valley, about 10 minutes outside of Honolulu. We were just exploring and found an unmarked garage sell. The gentlemen were very nice and we walked away with a bamboo rug, a hand woven laundry hamper, a magazine basket, a 29" T.V. with built in DVD/VCR/AM/FM and two of the best oranges I have ever had in my life. First of all, the oranges here are green and yellow and they aren't that acidic. Kristine described them the best, "They are like oranges after they have been squeezed and sugar has been added."

We also found Manoa Falls on Saturday, which we went hiking up the following day with our roommates and another friend. Manoa Falls is a 100 foot water fall in a rain forest. Every book we read on it said it was a grueling hour of a hike, but the experts that we are, it only took us 30 minutes so we continued up the mountain to the top. After several torrential downpours while walking through lush bamboo forests we made it to the top after another hour of basically non-stop hiking. Everyone was a trooper and we enjoyed getting into the woods and up the mountains. In total we hiked about 5 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes. It still amazes all of us that this trails is literally 15 minutes from downtown Honolulu. That's like finding a 100 foot waterfall in Central Park.

On Monday, with the same crew, we headed to the south east corner of the island at 5 am to catch the sunrise at our most favorite swimming hole called "The Blow Hole". To our surprise there was already traffic at this ungodly hour.Anyways, this beach is about 100 feet long snuggled down in a cove which rises about 45 - 50 feet of lava rock on all three sides. It's quite secluded and we had the beach to ourselves for a good 3 hours. This time was filled with some journal writing, snorkeling, body surfing and cliff jumping.

Also on Moday we checked out Pali Lookout, which is a famous 985 foot cliff where in 1795 King Kamehameha I defeated the Oahu armies by using western fire power to force them off the cliff. The cliff looks towards to north east and is quite windy. The was one spot where the wind came channeled up the valley and comes of the rock with great force. It truly felt like we were sky-diving.

Tuesday graced us with a phone call from a gentleman that I went to high school with named Kenny. I bumped into Kenny at the first day of work and low and behold, he too works at Wai'anae High. Kenny has been here for 1 year now and has been showing us around. He took a bunch of us "newbies" to Maunawili Falls in Kane'ohe. This was more of several smaller waterfalls cascading down the mountain. after a 30 minute hike we reach the falls with only one other family there. We had this gorgeous place to ourselves. Kenny promptly started off by showing us where you could cliff jump. We dove in and found the water to be, let's say, um, refreshing. The pool was very deep and myth has it that nobody has ever touched the bottom. This is said to be because it is the gate to Hell. That was fun to know as I was trying to dive down and see how deep it was, haha.

Well, we had an eventful beginning to the week. The rest of the week brings work, which I began today. More on that later!

A Whole Different Style

Hawaii. USA territory since 1898 and an official state not until the year 1959, Hawaii is relatively new to our country. Many people often overlook this fact and think that Hawaii is just like every other state, that is, Hawaii is a place where a white middle-class boy can feel comfortable. Well, truth be told, I'm having a tough time adjusting to the many different cultures and this is where I will spend the next year.


One tourism book stated that if America is the "Melting Pot" then Hawaii is the "Melting Wok". It truly is. It's a "Melting Wok" of many proud cultures and for a minority, this can be difficult. For me, each day brings new epiphanies and with those, many more challenges.

Since arrival things have been hectic. Rental cars, visiting touristy sites, signing leases, new job, FIRST JOB, professional develop meetings, exploration of the island; these all encompass my daily activities. Kristine and I have been working hard to get settled in.

Today was a great day. We scored a rug, a hand woven straw laundry basket, a smaller basket, outdoor chairs (free) and a 29" T.V. for $70. Those items may sound trivial, but each item makes us one step closer to having a home. One step to feeling complete. One step to fitting in.