Posts: 2,314
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quote:
Originally posted by Mauka
KathyH - I resent being called "flawed." I am not flawed but a perfect being, perhaps the only one on the planet.
"Oh Lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way, ..."[  ][ ][ ]
Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,PB,ABR,CRB,CM,FHS
888.819.9669
johnrabi@johnrabi.com
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"
(This is what I think of the Kona Board of Realtors http://KonaBoardOfRealtors.info)
Being yes. Human, not so sure I want to claim that mantle. Regarding Dead Heads in Puna, I always saw Puna as "Hippie District," kind of a repository for old men of the 60s. I would include myself but that would put me in the class of Homo Sapien. When I look in the mirror my face still gets all melty.
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Well, Kathy made a pitch to get back on the OT with her 'sitting in traffic' post, so I'm gonna go with one along that line: I miss seeing a plethora of foreign and domestic exoticars. At least one a day as I rode up and down Alpine Road or Sand Hill on my daily bike journeys for comestibles and errands.
Ferraris, of course, but Aston DB6s, Jag XREs, Maybachs, Masers, GT40s, Cobras, even Checkers and Kaisers for good measure. Course it helped that I lived off Alpine (in Stanford Weekend Acres) so near the $$$$ enclaves. Up early enough and sit on a hill near 280 and one could see all the limos taking Silicon Valley bigwigs off to work. Don't miss the exhaust fumes and little ex-cheerleaders in their huge SUVs chatting on their cells while edging into the bike lane...
-dwajs
-dwajs
Posts: 2,653
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quote:
When I look in the mirror my face still gets all melty.
But are your pores as big as Haleakala crater?
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
oh great! Another image I have to worry about. On Topic - Miss having Indian food delivered. Don't miss - angry, surly people who are too serious for their own good. Measuring distance in time instead of miles due to intense traffic. 95 degrees in the summer and 0 degrees in the winter. More, more, and more.
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Things i miss....elbowroom
Things I appreciate about Hawaii....The aloha spirit
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Joined: Jun 2010
Hi all,
I am pretty thick skinned (you can rag on the Bay Area all you like), but the one thing I don’t like is being called a “troll” for expressing my opinion. I may say something that you don’t like about your beloved home, but I assure you I get no juvenile satisfaction from annoying people. I have spent months visiting Puna, and will continue to so as long as my family is there. Given my extensive experience in Puna, I am very qualified to speak on this subject. I like to hear the good and bad when buying a toaster and I would hope others would want to do the same when they are making a bigger decision to move to Puna. In as much, I think my posts can be invaluable to the outsider or the insider who would like to change this perception. My posts are particularly geared to Californians who are considering moving to Puna. I believe there is great interest in this subject since most Puna transplants are former Californians. Yes, my mantra is “Puna is a bad place to live, don’t move there, especially Californians.”
Why did I search out and post on this forum? Though I never registered to post, I’ve known about this forum since nearly its inception,. I have used it to make plans for visits. I’m curious by nature and enjoy observing the local culture more so than a trip to Volcano National Park (but maybe not as much as snorkeling at Vacationland). I get some of that here. I also enjoy sharing my opinions. Seems simple enough and I don’t know why some of you are questioning my purpose of posting, it is a forum after all.
I had always wondered about the validity of “Aloha Spirit” in Hawaii before visiting Hawaii. I guess I had an almost utopian view, tainted no doubt by consumerism and beloved, but euphoric family members considering the move. When my family moved there, I got an opportunity to see firsthand this was indeed a myth. Hawaiians are no more friendly or less than mainlanders. Some parts of the BI are friendlier than others. For whatever reason, Kona seems to be friendlier than Puna.
Puna is an interesting cultural mix for a State. You have mostly new residents mixed with some true locals and others who after many years have been accepted into local culture. Some things I take for granted in the Bay Area must be earned in Puna. For instance people in San Francisco could care less whether you have lived there for years or weeks. You are accepted right away. I have been to Poihiki and other local spots a number of times and got the looks like “why are you here,” “you can’t surf here,” and downright rude and aggressive comments. I know surfers can be territorial, but I have never felt so unwelcomed in the Bay Area. The Bay Area just seems to be a more accepting community.
What I see in Puna are a bunch of outsiders struggling to fit in a local community that doesn’t really want them. I would prefer not to go through with this song and dance about the place I choose to make my home. I can’t fault the ethnic Hawaiians, as I have had nothing but positive experiences with them. I do believe Californians are ruining their culture. My annoyance is with the native born population – either from other countries or the mainland. These folks need to get a grip. Your NOT Hawaiian, Puna is not your birth right, you didn’t earn it, so stop with the attitude. You have no more entitlement to the land than those recent transplants.
The comparison of Puna to the Bay Area is not apples and oranges. They are both places where people reside. My arguments are for a transplant (most from California metropolitan areas) moving from one area to another and what to expect. Having said that, I don’t believe that Puna is a true rural area in the Midwestern sense. While it is true the homes are spread out, it is a 30 minutes (less bad traffic) from Wal-Mart. There are several mom and pop stores, Malama market, and soon to be a Long’s Drugs (is it up yet?). So I think it is reasonable to expect some good dining and other “big city” options.
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Arrow76,
Not everyone is taking issue with you. I defended your post early on and will continue to do so. Your opinions are valid and have value. Puna is a complex place and that complexity is best understood by anyone thinking of moving here.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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So, are we going to convene a part....er MEETING at KeaauRich house?
I can bring tons of Bilimbi... or some papaya... how about chips & dip.... or maybe cheese & crackers with some whine....
PARTY ON!
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Comparing Puna to wherever you are from depends upon your likes and dislikes as well as where you are from.
I moved out of the bay area because I didn't like the suburban crowds, congestion, pollution, etc. I couldn't afford fine restaurants, abhored shopping. I detested the fact that next door neighbors seldom spoke and mostly didn't even try to get to know each other. All the "stuff" just wasn't important to me.
I moved to very rural Northeastern California where we are an hour and a half from a mall, a home depot, a second grocery store, a shoe store. Etc. Drop-dead gorgeous. Spring-fed rivers. Rednecks.
Puna is sort of a pleasant compromise. Somewhat rural, but reasonable shopping within a half hour, small city ammenaties, and many more restaurants, Trade winds, Scuba diving, warm ocean, tropical gardening, no snow to shovel. I like it. Fewer rednecks.
Dan
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