|ˌnôrmələˈzā sh ən|

What can I say? Its been two and a half weeks since I moved to Hawaii, and I don't quite know if I have made sense of what has been going on around me. Maybe writing all of this down will help me out on some level, or maybe it will confuse me even more.

Last weekend really helped me to feel at home in Hawaii. On Friday, my housemate Jan took me on an adventure around Oahu. She took me first on a hike around Makapuu. We saw the place where the Humpback Whales will come in in a few months and also the most amazing blue water surrounding a lighthouse.

 

  

After getting in a good workout that morning, Jan took me into the Waikiki area. Though many tourists see the main event (hotel-lined streets, restaurants for all, etc.), she took me to a back street and beat me up! Just kidding. She did take me down a back street and bought me some "shave ice." This is the same treat that President Obama got for his daughters when visiting his home, Hawaii. Shave ice is like snow, flavored like a snow cone. I had ice cream in the bottom of my shave ice. It kind of tasted like a dreamsicle. 

Later on Friday, after thanking Jan a MILLION times for showing me around, I met up with some of the other students in the cohort for some Friday night fun. I was really worried about meeting new people in Hawaii and making friends, but these people make it very easy. We had some drinks at Mai Tai's Bar, had some burgers, then a few of us went off to Chinatown. I had a wonderful time, and hope that this trend continues with all of the awesome people in our group.

On Saturday, I was invited to go to the Dole Plantation with another MEdT (Master of Education in Teaching) student. The Dole Plantation is kind of a rip off, but it was fun. The other student's family friends were in town, and they had two awesome elementary-aged boys. We raced through a pineapple maze, boys versus girls. Unfortunately the girls beat us, but it was fun to hang out with the little guys. In Hawaii, if you are younger than someone, you might address your elder as "auntie" or "uncle." So on Saturday, I was uncle Austin. :-)

Later on, I met back up with that same group and went to see a movie on Waikiki beach. They have sunset movies on Saturday night, where people line the beach with blankets and watch movies on the GIANT screen. I had more shave ice.

Sunday involved me going to a few different churches, just to check out the Catholic scene. I first went to the Cathedral downtown, thinking it might be like my old church, the Basilica. I was wrong. It was nice, but I just didn't fit in. I then drove about 25 minutes to another town, called Kailua, up the windward coast. I liked that church much better, and the priest was SO kind to me. Another MEdT lives up there, so she invited me out to lunch. Kailua is a beautiful little town, with a breathtaking beach. Seriously, who dyed the water that color of blue?

Monday began my week of immersion into the local schools. I will spend this week at Moanalua High School (about 5 minutes up the hill from the USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor). Unfortunately, this school is on the other side of about 1 hour of driving in the morning. Boo. How far does one hour of driving get you in rush hour here in Hawaii? Only about 15 miles. So, the living situation may change in the near future.

I suddenly feel very busy. At the same time, not as a result of any coincidence, I am feeling so much less homesick. Business and homesickness seem to have a complimentary relationship: one diminishes and the other thrives. Fine with me!

I am still getting a feel for the program, the living situation, and the schools. At this point, I know that I can survive the semester, so I being very observant about how I am doing throughout this time. If for some reason I am very unhappy here, I will then move home around the holidays. If I am very happy here, I'll visit Minnesota over the holiday break.

Still looking for a job.
Beginning my 5 week substitute teacher training in 2 weeks!

Thanks for your support- give me a call any time!