06-24-2006, 05:00 AM
Between frequent visits over the past six years and living here full time a year and a half now, I can attest to the usefulness of the four simple rules outlined above, especially the part about slowing down. (Some of you might have noticed that my postings here on Punaweb have mellowed over time as I learned to adapt to the pace.)
I also agree that the unpleasantness towards newcomers, such as it is, seems far less prevalent in Puna than elsewhere on the BI. My gay partner and I, both haoles, have been warmly greeted all up and down our road in HPP by neighbors of all imaginable ethnic groups and combinations thereof. Our race is obvious, and they have certainly had enough time to figure out that we are gay. No problems whatsoever.
We have, however, encountered unpleasantness that we believe to be racial on a few occasions outside Puna. Once, at a beach park near the Hawaiian Homelands neighborhood in Hilo, we were given serious stink-eye by some thuggy looking characters and told that the park was for "locals only." A couple of other times in other places, the reverse aloha was more subtle, but unmistakeable. Our take on it was that these were unpleasant people, and not necessarily representative of all the folks in their group.
The bottom line, though, it the fact that this sort of unpleasantness is widespread on the mainland to one extent or another, just with a different angle. Here in Puna, I have felt accepted and even nourished by my wonderful neighbors of all races and orientations.
We have some problems in Puna, mostly centering around how to provide adequate community services in the face of strong growth, but I don't think a hostile racial environment is one of them. Aloha is alive and well here on so many levels.
Aloha,
Jerry
I also agree that the unpleasantness towards newcomers, such as it is, seems far less prevalent in Puna than elsewhere on the BI. My gay partner and I, both haoles, have been warmly greeted all up and down our road in HPP by neighbors of all imaginable ethnic groups and combinations thereof. Our race is obvious, and they have certainly had enough time to figure out that we are gay. No problems whatsoever.
We have, however, encountered unpleasantness that we believe to be racial on a few occasions outside Puna. Once, at a beach park near the Hawaiian Homelands neighborhood in Hilo, we were given serious stink-eye by some thuggy looking characters and told that the park was for "locals only." A couple of other times in other places, the reverse aloha was more subtle, but unmistakeable. Our take on it was that these were unpleasant people, and not necessarily representative of all the folks in their group.
The bottom line, though, it the fact that this sort of unpleasantness is widespread on the mainland to one extent or another, just with a different angle. Here in Puna, I have felt accepted and even nourished by my wonderful neighbors of all races and orientations.
We have some problems in Puna, mostly centering around how to provide adequate community services in the face of strong growth, but I don't think a hostile racial environment is one of them. Aloha is alive and well here on so many levels.
Aloha,
Jerry