08-04-2016, 06:50 PM
I bought my chainsaw at Garden Exchange rather than Home Depot. I'm retired white collar --bleached white-- and I had no idea how to use a chainsaw. They gave me a lesson and made sure I knew how to operate it before I left. Then, when a friend I loaned it to snapped the cord (pulled hard on an "easy pull" cord), they fixed it in 30 minutes with a wink at my warranty and a nominal fee. Then when the chain wore out, I bought the replacement chain there and they popped it on while I waited for $5. Thinking about buying a hedge trimmer. I will go there for that, too.
Safeway has almost everything I need and shopping there provides a really good gas discount, but I make it a point to shop at KTA at times for the unique cultural experience (always get a thrill out of going to KTA), for Mountain Apple brand products, and products unique to KTA, such as Jaboticaba Jam. They also have really low prices on anthurium bouquets. And they label many products in Hawaiian. I was a language major in undergrad and saving the world's dying languages is an important endeavor. Saving the Hawaiian language is possible and I am glad KTA is doing its part. I also like the fact that although KTA is clean, they aren't determined to sanitize the store to the point where you absolutely cannot get any hint of what all they sell there. I like it that there is a certain earthiness to the enterprise.
Local milk is usually much more expensive. I bite the bullet and only buy local milk (which sometimes is on sale at Target). I am disappointed the Big Island's only dairy is gone and I want to do my small part to support the remaining Hawaiian dairies. I prefer not to drink milk that arrived here on a container ship from America, even any difference in taste I detect is probably imaginary.
I buy my coffee locally, too, although I pay more than I would for Folger's. I get it from a local guy, Scott Wiley. He and his wife have a coffee farm. They are super-nice and it makes me happy to get my coffee right from the farm, usually roasted the night before I pick it up. Try that at Safeway.
I make it a point to patronize local performances. East Hawaii has many extraordinary actors, singers, performers, and musicians. Some of the musicians are truly extraordinary and often have a day job, like selling used cars. That blows me away. It's like that song, the Piano Man, I wanna say "man what are YOU doing here?!" So, I occupy a seat when I can.
I don't avoid mainland-based businesses like Target, Safeway and Home Depot. They employ many islanders. I just make sure that local businesses are in the mix. Without them, East Hawaii would lose some of the character that drew me here in the first place.
And when East Hawaii loses its character, and its characters and gets the brown snake.....I'm leaving.
Safeway has almost everything I need and shopping there provides a really good gas discount, but I make it a point to shop at KTA at times for the unique cultural experience (always get a thrill out of going to KTA), for Mountain Apple brand products, and products unique to KTA, such as Jaboticaba Jam. They also have really low prices on anthurium bouquets. And they label many products in Hawaiian. I was a language major in undergrad and saving the world's dying languages is an important endeavor. Saving the Hawaiian language is possible and I am glad KTA is doing its part. I also like the fact that although KTA is clean, they aren't determined to sanitize the store to the point where you absolutely cannot get any hint of what all they sell there. I like it that there is a certain earthiness to the enterprise.
Local milk is usually much more expensive. I bite the bullet and only buy local milk (which sometimes is on sale at Target). I am disappointed the Big Island's only dairy is gone and I want to do my small part to support the remaining Hawaiian dairies. I prefer not to drink milk that arrived here on a container ship from America, even any difference in taste I detect is probably imaginary.
I buy my coffee locally, too, although I pay more than I would for Folger's. I get it from a local guy, Scott Wiley. He and his wife have a coffee farm. They are super-nice and it makes me happy to get my coffee right from the farm, usually roasted the night before I pick it up. Try that at Safeway.
I make it a point to patronize local performances. East Hawaii has many extraordinary actors, singers, performers, and musicians. Some of the musicians are truly extraordinary and often have a day job, like selling used cars. That blows me away. It's like that song, the Piano Man, I wanna say "man what are YOU doing here?!" So, I occupy a seat when I can.
I don't avoid mainland-based businesses like Target, Safeway and Home Depot. They employ many islanders. I just make sure that local businesses are in the mix. Without them, East Hawaii would lose some of the character that drew me here in the first place.
And when East Hawaii loses its character, and its characters and gets the brown snake.....I'm leaving.