The People You Meet

Aloha,

One of my goals when I go to a new place is to fit in. I have a huge problem with being seen as a tourist so I do everything I can to look an act like a local wherever life takes me. Some places are more difficult to accomplish this task than others but in most circumstances I have been sucessful. My fist steps in fitting in always includes learning the lingo, as long as it is not a completely different language, dressing like a local and learning how they interact with one another so I can do the same. Today I met a few people who helped me to expand on my blending in. One of the things that I have noticed since I have been on the Big Island is that the locals always are willing to lend a helping hand, and provide advice to one another. While this is a decent sized community everyone is here to help everyone else. I learned some very insightful cultural norms today while wandering around downtown Hilo from auntie Bev, a lady I met in a Go Local t-shirt shop, which is kinda funny cause she was helping me become more like a local. :) "First" she said, "It is very expensive to live here so you have to look for the sales. The sunday news paper is alway good at showing you where those are. It is also good for finding a job. Second." she told me "go to the farmers market! It is the best place to get any kind of fruit and vegetables you want for really cheap." and finally she told me "honey, don't let any one short change you. You have to let them know your a local, show respect to your elders by calling them auntie or uncle and take pride in what you get to experience because it is a wonderful place." she also gave me a flower and explained that you notice a lot of women around the island wearing flowers in their ears. She said it is  not just for show or a fashion statement, a flower in the right ear tells people that you are single and a flower in the left lets them know you are taken :). As I walked out of the shop, putting the flower in my right ear, all I could think about was what a neat idea it was.

 Continuing my walk through town I stopped in a dive shop to see if I could finish my advanced certification through their dive masters. Of course I ran into yet another lovely person who kindly introduced herself, said she too went to the University of Hawaii and offered me a job in the dive shop. Let me tell you this if I keep getting offers to work in dive shops down here, this being the second time, I am eventually going to take someone up on it! :)

Aloha from this beautiful Big Island and I will have more to share soon :)