28 November 2006
Where I Work, Part the Second
Mauna Kea (Hawaii's oldest resort, which is incidentally closing after the New Year due to enormous earthquake damage)
22 November 2006
Gobble Gobble!
Happy Thanksgiving, you turkeys!
(Wild turkeys wander the neighborhoods here, much like squirrels or chipmunks might on the Mainland. I have yet to see the wild donkeys or wild pigs about which the highway signs warn you, but I've encountered the turkeys a number of times, once even being stopped completely in traffic while a group...gaggle?...flock?...of thirteen turkeys crossed the road--the one day I didn't have my camera.)
I count my blessings each night and offer up thanks many times during the course of each day. It's no wonder that Thanksgiving has morphed into my favorite holiday...a chance to focus on celebrating good health, good friends and good food...that is a holiday I can get behind.
Hawaiian Graffiti
Graffiti happens here in Kona, but not in the usual way.
(Why does that not surprise me.)
Rather than use the traditional spray paint, it is local custom to gather coral from the sea and then drive up to highway, park on the shoulder or one of the stopoffs along the way, hike onto the lava fields and "write" things by placing the white coral on the black rock. It's scattered all up and down the Queen K Highway. I haven't participated as of yet, but I probably will before I go. It's an eco-friendly way to leave a personal stamp on this place: a little "I was here" offering. Plus, it's considered bad juju to mess with anyone else's work, so potentially the corals could remain in any given formation for who knows how long; I have seen one that spells out "Girls Week '05!"
I drive on the Queen K almost daily, since it's the way to all the places I work, so I have somewhat of a familiarity with the landscape and the coral words it whispers. About ten days ago, this one appeared, and I did a delighted little double take:
(Why does that not surprise me.)
Rather than use the traditional spray paint, it is local custom to gather coral from the sea and then drive up to highway, park on the shoulder or one of the stopoffs along the way, hike onto the lava fields and "write" things by placing the white coral on the black rock. It's scattered all up and down the Queen K Highway. I haven't participated as of yet, but I probably will before I go. It's an eco-friendly way to leave a personal stamp on this place: a little "I was here" offering. Plus, it's considered bad juju to mess with anyone else's work, so potentially the corals could remain in any given formation for who knows how long; I have seen one that spells out "Girls Week '05!"
I drive on the Queen K almost daily, since it's the way to all the places I work, so I have somewhat of a familiarity with the landscape and the coral words it whispers. About ten days ago, this one appeared, and I did a delighted little double take:
Where I Work, Part One
I decided NOT to go with the Dolphin Job, and stick with what I already had and loved. I work for a Nanny Agency that essentially contracts me out to the hotels and resorts in and around Kona, of which there are easily a baker's dozen. Tourism is the backbone of this town.
I love my job for a number reasons, and thank my lucky stars I have it. It is easily the best part of living here for me, having this kind of job. Among other benefits, I get to spend time in all sorts of places on the Island I might not otherwise have been privy to, beaches and terraces and private mansions and clubhouses. It's a real trip and I *always* take my camera.
Today's post begins a multi-part post series entitled, "Where I Work." All pictures in this and any forthcoming "Where I Work" entries are pictures taken from various job assignments.
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful...hate me, instead, because this is my office:
Can you tell what that last one is?
Yep, you guessed it! There are two sharks that live in a huge pond at this resort, theMauna Lani. For some reason, watching them swim around and around thrills me to no end...I could sit on one of the benches there and watch for hours, I bet.
I love my job for a number reasons, and thank my lucky stars I have it. It is easily the best part of living here for me, having this kind of job. Among other benefits, I get to spend time in all sorts of places on the Island I might not otherwise have been privy to, beaches and terraces and private mansions and clubhouses. It's a real trip and I *always* take my camera.
Today's post begins a multi-part post series entitled, "Where I Work." All pictures in this and any forthcoming "Where I Work" entries are pictures taken from various job assignments.
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful...hate me, instead, because this is my office:
Can you tell what that last one is?
Yep, you guessed it! There are two sharks that live in a huge pond at this resort, theMauna Lani. For some reason, watching them swim around and around thrills me to no end...I could sit on one of the benches there and watch for hours, I bet.
15 November 2006
Happy Birthday!
To me! These are the flowers I got from my parents. One of my favorite things of all time in the history of the world is getting flowers, and to have such a beautiful bouquet arrive at my doorstep, all these millions of miles away from home, well, it makes for a very happy birthday, indeed.
Thanks Mom and Dad! They smell just as delicious as they look! Love you!
14 November 2006
Entirely Too Much Fun With Cameras and Mirrors
After another day out on the boat, my skin emits a slight warmth and shows a crimson color that looks way more uncomfortable than it actually feels. What I learned today was that UV rays do NOT, in fact, penetrate my sunglasses: I have two huge white circular areas surrounding my eyes. Hooray in the name of anti-aging, boo hiss in the name of looking absolutely ridiculous all afternoon and evening.
I tried to take some pictures to illustrate my raccoon-esque eyes, but soon discovered that using the flash only blended the colors of my face together, and to take a picture at night without the flash requires a steadiness I simply do not possess, thereby causing all those shots to be blurry and fandangled.
It became sort of a quest, to take this elusive photo of my face. And then, it just became kinda fun to futz around with lighting and angels and the mirrors. No, this is not my bathroom--I was sitting tonight for a two year old who was fast asleep while I had my mini photo shoot. Some of the pictures sort of capture the original intent, the sunburn, but not nearly to the extent you would get in person. And also, my hair is getting long!
I tried to take some pictures to illustrate my raccoon-esque eyes, but soon discovered that using the flash only blended the colors of my face together, and to take a picture at night without the flash requires a steadiness I simply do not possess, thereby causing all those shots to be blurry and fandangled.
It became sort of a quest, to take this elusive photo of my face. And then, it just became kinda fun to futz around with lighting and angels and the mirrors. No, this is not my bathroom--I was sitting tonight for a two year old who was fast asleep while I had my mini photo shoot. Some of the pictures sort of capture the original intent, the sunburn, but not nearly to the extent you would get in person. And also, my hair is getting long!
08 November 2006
Things I Bought Today
I was on the phone with my mom tonight while I was shopping for a new swimsuit. Here ya go, Mom, here's the one I ended up going with!
And wouldn't ya know it...I also found sunglasses that MATCH! It's like it was meant to be...
And wouldn't ya know it...I also found sunglasses that MATCH! It's like it was meant to be...
04 November 2006
Dolphin Journeys
This morning I drove to the :
Got on the "Dolphin TLC":
With Captain Nancy and Marc, the crewmate:
And Tiffany the dog:
And Pluto, the other dog:
Yes, today I spent the morning on the ocean, experiencing one of the most spiritually satisfying experiences of my entire natural born life: I swam with dolphins.
Lots and lots of dolphins.
The dolphins, probably three or four dozen over the course of the four hour trip, were friendly and playful and talkative. (Um, and horny. Yes, I saw dolphins doing it today.) There were baby dolphins and middle size dolphins and big, huge dolphins. While I was in the water, the closest a dolphin came to me was maybe three feet away. That's really close. They were graceful, magical. I was mesmerized, and strangely enough, felt like I had been swimming with them my entire life. It felt almost natural.
I was there to begin with as sort of a "working interview," and according to everyone involved, it went swimmingly (heh.) I will meet with Captain Nancy again this week for paperwork purposes, and if we can get all the logistics ironed out, I could very well be doing this on a weekly basis. Captain Nancy owns her own business that takes tourists out on the ocean to, you guessed it, swim among these fascinating creatures. I will be her crewmate on the boat a couple days a week, and be the Executive Office Manager another few days a week.
Although there are places here on the Island that let you swim with dolphins in captivity, these dolphins are wild in the ocean, and are spinner dolphins, which means they catapult out of the water at random intervals and twist and spin in the air before diving back in. Even though they usually do their twisty tricks in sets of two or three, I hear it's not all that common to get a picture like this one, with a dolphin completely out of water:
All in all, a smashing day. Here's to brand new experiences, and the absolutely fabulous surprises life has in store for us sometimes...
Swimming with dolphins! I love my life.
Got on the "Dolphin TLC":
With Captain Nancy and Marc, the crewmate:
And Tiffany the dog:
And Pluto, the other dog:
Yes, today I spent the morning on the ocean, experiencing one of the most spiritually satisfying experiences of my entire natural born life: I swam with dolphins.
Lots and lots of dolphins.
The dolphins, probably three or four dozen over the course of the four hour trip, were friendly and playful and talkative. (Um, and horny. Yes, I saw dolphins doing it today.) There were baby dolphins and middle size dolphins and big, huge dolphins. While I was in the water, the closest a dolphin came to me was maybe three feet away. That's really close. They were graceful, magical. I was mesmerized, and strangely enough, felt like I had been swimming with them my entire life. It felt almost natural.
I was there to begin with as sort of a "working interview," and according to everyone involved, it went swimmingly (heh.) I will meet with Captain Nancy again this week for paperwork purposes, and if we can get all the logistics ironed out, I could very well be doing this on a weekly basis. Captain Nancy owns her own business that takes tourists out on the ocean to, you guessed it, swim among these fascinating creatures. I will be her crewmate on the boat a couple days a week, and be the Executive Office Manager another few days a week.
Although there are places here on the Island that let you swim with dolphins in captivity, these dolphins are wild in the ocean, and are spinner dolphins, which means they catapult out of the water at random intervals and twist and spin in the air before diving back in. Even though they usually do their twisty tricks in sets of two or three, I hear it's not all that common to get a picture like this one, with a dolphin completely out of water:
All in all, a smashing day. Here's to brand new experiences, and the absolutely fabulous surprises life has in store for us sometimes...
Swimming with dolphins! I love my life.
Hilo (aka The *Other* Side of the Island)
Hilo is the main city on the east side of the Big Island. There are three ways to get there from Kona; the way I took was to drive up north to Waimea and then back down the other coast. It takes about two and a half hours that way, and is the prettiest. Hilo is known as the "wet" side of the Island; very green and lush and rainforest-y.
Surfers!
I took the above picture standing on a bridge. After I took that picture, I turned around and took this next picture off the other side of the bridge. It's like a mid-waterfall photo-op.
The reason I made the 2.5 hour trip to Hilo was for Black and White Night, an outdoor event in downtown area where shops, galleries and restaurants stay open late, bands play at various mini-stages and dancers perform different Hula dances:
Everyone is encouraged to wear black and white, and mostly everyone did. Some people wore shorts and tshirts, some people were in evening gowns and tuxedos! It was neat to see the streets filled with different expressions of the two colors.
Surfers!
I took the above picture standing on a bridge. After I took that picture, I turned around and took this next picture off the other side of the bridge. It's like a mid-waterfall photo-op.
So, while the nooks and crannies of Natural Hilo are seemingly prettier than the Kona side, the town itself is nothing to write home about:
The reason I made the 2.5 hour trip to Hilo was for Black and White Night, an outdoor event in downtown area where shops, galleries and restaurants stay open late, bands play at various mini-stages and dancers perform different Hula dances:
Everyone is encouraged to wear black and white, and mostly everyone did. Some people wore shorts and tshirts, some people were in evening gowns and tuxedos! It was neat to see the streets filled with different expressions of the two colors.
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