12 More Days Till Puna!!

[CaveManRogers]

I'm getting there Jan.11 and I can't wait. I'm bringing no more than I can carry, money for rent, etc...Any of you who live there maybe have some advice? I know I'll meet people who won't like me just because I'm from the mainland, but maybe there are some cultural differences I should know about? Just wondering if anyone has any tips for me.

[nani1970]

Welcome to Puna.

[dwedeking]

There are a ton of mainlanders here. Relax, and don't try to do the "this is how we do it in xxxyyzz" and you'll be fine. I am white as can be and from So Cal. Accepted no problem because I didn't try to make everyone fit into the San Diego stereotype.

http://www.wedekingphotography.com

[OrchidIslander]

There will always be people who dislike you for whatever reason. There will also be people who you will get on with. Don't worry or fixate about it because if you do you are sure to see "dislike" when that might not be the case at all. Just be yourself and appreciate being able to land here. Bring something positive to the party. This is a wonderful place to be although it is not for everyone. Welcome and I hope your experiences here are as rewarding as mine continue to be.

[CaveManRogers]

Thanks for the welcomes. I'm from right next to the inner city and my town is a total cultural melting pot...We don't try to make anything fit in. I just thought there may be some things people do differently in HI that I'd be unaware of and might come off as rude or something by mistake. I do imagine my experiences in Puna will be pretty fantastic no matter what.

[missydog1]

Most of the people you will meet will probably be from the mainland at some point, unless they are waiting on you. The true locals aren't particularly eager to talk story to strangers, not out of dislike, but they have lives ... although there are wonderful elders who do love to talk to those who will listen.

I don't know if you have ever lived in an area with a tourism economy. Hawai'i is both different and not so different from any tourist spot. In other places I have lived, where I was the local, we would just ignore the visitors and newbies as it was the only way to feel grounded in the place. I mean, if you pay attention to all that energy swirling through, you lose sight of your own business.

If someone was around for a while, eventually they would make it into the field of vision.

Yes, there are custom differences, but I can't think of a list. Just read people and back off if you sense they are annoyed, and as was said, don't waste your time on thinking about how people are responding to you. People here are typically very nice to strangers.

The main customs I can think of are about driving, like horn honking is reserved for a real emergency warning, not done out of annoyance. People let other drivers in (or out) out of courtesy. Drivers often wave or shaka to each other to communicate.

One important custom is to take your shoes off before entering a home. Some people will then tell you it is OK to wear shoes, but never just walk into a home with your shoes on without finding out what is the custom of that home.

[CaveManRogers]

Thanks Kathy! That is the first I'd heard about the shoes and I'd been doing lots of reading. I can be a bit oblivious, so I'll try to keep that in mind. Don't drive (too expensive, like using my feet ,etc...). I'm from New England, I guess people do come here to see it but I've never noticed. But I'm only from a tiny little part of it..

[KeaauRich]

I think the most important advice is to respect the local culture and accept that things are different here. Bring *lots* of patience, because almost everything takes longer here than you are used to (and often for no apparent reason). For example, it's almost impossible to "run into the grocery store to pick up a few things..." Inevitably, at least one of the items on your list will be unavailable or so outrageously expensive that you can't force yourself to buy it at that store. You'll also run into people you know who want to chat or you'll be hindered by others chatting amongst themselves oblivious to those around them. All the tutu's take their half of the aisle from the middle...and all families with children naturally expand to fill the width of any aisle

The longer you're here, the less patience you'll need because you'll eventually adapt to the pace....and maybe even learn to love it (unless you need a building permit, in which case the local culture finds excessive frustration about the pace of progress to be entirely acceptable...). Just keep reminding yourself that the things that you find frustrating at first are often the very things that drew you here. Most of us here enjoy life, we don't rush through it...

[terracore]

If you want to take advice from somebody who is only 1/2 way there, ditto what keaaurich said. And if you think your local/state government has red tape, you haven't seen nothin' yet. In Hawaii, beaurocracy is an art form.

[DanielP]

Be patient, go slow, listen and observe, don't talk too much, lower your expectations, smile, enjoy, conserve your cash, be a little wary.

Dan

P. S. I think that I saw a post on craigslist for a caretaker wanted in Fern Forest.