Saturday, 8/11 early

Ah, my last morning in Hawaii. Why couldn't I sleep in past 5:30 am, especially after going to bed around midnight? Who knows. I have been slow getting out of bed, slow moving about, but I have already gone down to renew my parking pass (overnight parking expires at 6 am, which makes sense during the week, but no so much on a Saturday.) However, it is raining, not really a downpour, but a pretty consistent morning drizzle. So now I am back, sitting here typing this last update from Hawaii, before getting ready to shower, pack, and then do stuff until I have to return the car to the airport around 3:30. Who knows exactly what is going to happen later this morning, but I will be gone for about 5 hour or so before I head to the airport.

Yesterday early afternoon was spent running to Manoa marketplace one last time, to get some bread to eat up the last of my cold cuts and some soft drinks. Then it was off to the bus to get to the airport, which took, as I figured it might, closer to 90 minutes than 60. I can see why people just opt for a cab rather than wait for a bus. Once there, the first check in process at Budget went quickly (I beat a shuttle bus) but then you had to go out to the booth in the lot where you picked up the actual keys. However, the car I was assigned they could not find, so I ended up waiting for about 20 minutes before they finally decided to upgrade me and get me out. So instead of a Nissan Sentra I got a Nissan Altima, and since there was a manager there, she cut my daily rate in half. So with insurance (and I figured getting the CDW waiver, now as much as the cost of renting the car) the whole thing should top out around $60 bucks. Since I'll be heading out with some people this morning, they'll probably contribute some of the cash for the car. We shall see.

I also couldn't originally check in for my flight. United said since I was flying with Hawaiian, I had to check in with them, but they use different confirmation numbers. I then found my e-ticket # and I was able to check in that way. They offered me an upgrade to first class for $50, but I am only flying to the Big Island and the flight is 45 minutes. Seems stupid right? However, it comes with two free checked bags and the use of the airport club, and since my checked bags to the mainland would have cost $70 dollars, it was actually a bargain. Hawaiian also issued my boarding passes for the United flights, so I think I am checked in completely. Which means, at least at the moment, that was the greatest bargain I have made so far. No 1st class upgrades on United, but that is okay, I am still in extended economy and that means extra leg room for both legs of the flight.

Well, last night was spent in our final get together at Roger Ames' house. Let me tell you, he lives in Hawaii Kai, about a 30 minute drive from campus, on a hillside, with an excellent view as you can see from the pictures I'll post below. We had some good food, good drinks and some excellent company. Left at 5:30 and returned around 10 pm. I decided not to go out as I was tired and still needed to fix my check in status. Anyway, I am glad I staid home and I feel much more relaxed this morning. LOL at least I am headed to Kona this afternoon at 5:46 HST.

Alright, here are some last pictures for you to enjoy!

Sign in front of the EWC

Last stroll up to the Manoa Valley. Hey it's sunny!

Peter, Stanley, Fred and Roger being silly and greeting people as they enter Roger's house.

Bowing to everyone and greeting them in a mix of Chinese and Japanese.

From Roger's porch or lanai...that's Diamond Head in the distance.

The garden below. The only thing missing is a pool.

Roger's home office: his pride and joy.

His view from his desk is just a little higher up than one of the earlier pics.

There you go...his late afternoon view.

Diamond Head from the other side.

Sunset 1

Then some clouds...

Then a fiery sunset...

Mahalo to one and all for following my blog while I have been gone. I am both wanting to get home and also knowing that in a few days I am going to be missing Hawaii. I think I am going to try and come back to an Infusing Institute in about 2 years or so, depending on the topic.

Friday, August 10, morning

Just like last time, things have gotten busy as the institute is running towards it's conclusion. Yesterday was an excellent lecture on the future of "sino-capitalism" by one of the most entertaining and informative presenters there have been. Then it was a brief lunch on campus from one of the food trucks I discovered earlier in the week, and then back for my presentation in the afternoon. Mine was at the very end of the session, and while it went well, my beautiful powerpoint presentation did not come across as well as I would have liked. I needed to tweak a few things, but more importantly, the transfer from my Mac to the PC version changed a few things. Oh well...it still went over well.

We then went to get a beer from the campus pub in the so-called Manoa Garden, which turned into a small get-together with about 10 people, including two of the directors. We then all decided we were hungry (and they also kicked us out at 6:15 when they were closing...shortened summer hours!). We decided to go to a Japanese restaurant and it was an interesting family style meal. Not bad in the end for a bunch of different types of sushi, about $44 with tip per person. More than a little relaxed after a few beers with sushi, it was back to the dorm, and we got back around 10:15. I decided it was quiet and therefore the best time to do laundry. Besides, not really tired, it seemed like the best idea and a way to limit the amount of laundry I will need to do when I get home. Especially since I am turning around and heading back out of town on Wednesday. I may not really even unpack all that much.

It's just about 8am at the moment. This morning is the rest of the presentations, then I need to head back to my room briefly before picking up a rental car from the airport (since they don't allow one-way rentals here, i.e. no picking up the car in Waikiki and then returning it to the airport tomorrow). So that should take about an hour and a bit to get there by bus. I should be back around 4 o'clock, which will give me enough time to quickly get ready for the group dinner this evening. The group dinner is our last formal event as part of the workshop. We our expected to be back around 9:30. I think some of the people will likely go out, but I am probably going to come back to the dorms and pack, since checkout is early at 10am tomorrow morning.

Once I am checked out, the plan is to take the rental car and go see part of the island. Maybe head up to the Dole Plantation, or drive around part of the island I haven't seen this trip. Maybe peak in at the new Disney resort, who knows exactly. About 2:30 or so I'll make sure I am headed back to the dorm, then pick up my luggage, change (which was a smart idea two years ago) before heading to the airport to get there by 3:30 or so. Then it's hop my inter-island flight to Kona on the big island at 5:46 pm. 90 minutes later, it's hop on the United flight to Denver, and on Sunday morning, at like 7 am, hoping on the flight from Denver to Orlando. It means I should be in by 1pm-ish, and then home by 2:30, depending on when my luggage arrives and how fast Allyssa and Ryan drive back to Melbourne.

I know a pile of mail awaits me. I'll probably stay at home on Sunday, off to work on Monday and Tuesday, and then I fly out to Indianapolis on Wednesday through Monday. It's going to be a whirlwind 72 hours at home. Anyway, everything after going to class this morning and picking up the rental car is pure speculation, so I'll try to post tomorrow morning before I pack up and go, and then on Sunday or Monday for a final wrap up once I get back to the mainland.

Morning, Wednesday, 8/8

Sorry I have been quieter the last few days, but I have been busy here. Presentations are due at the end of the week (mine is Thursday afternoon) and I have been spending Monday night and Tuesday night after the movie working on my presentation. It is done--I finished at 12:45 am last night! So that is one relief off my shoulders. The talks on Monday were interesting, with one on modern Japanese popular culture including Hello Kitty, and the other was on Chinese power and water problems from a scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. The popular culture lecture was interesting, but too many people were asking "me too!' questions which meant that she really couldn't finish what she was working on. The afternoon presenter was very political, and while I didn't agree with everything in her pro-environmental stance, it was nevertheless an interesting and informative talk. It's one of the reasons to come to something like the EWC and the ASDP institutes: to learn and to hear about topics from angles you might not consider.

That went ditto for yesterday's lecture on feminism, food security and nuclear power. It was a very political discussion and while I didn't agree with most of it, I again learned something I didn't know much about before hand. It is interesting, in hindsight, that some days I knew a lot already about certain subjects, and on others I was a complete neophyte. I am certainly leaving here with more information than I had when I arrived, but unlike the institute two years ago, I don't think I am leaving with tremendously more knowledge than I had when I entered. Mostly I think that is because where the gaps I have, especially in historical information, really wasn't filled in, and areas that I did have, sometimes the material didn't do more than gloss over the subject briefly in the need to be comprehensive. Don't get me wrong, this has been a rewarding experience, I just wish it had been more. Maybe the idea of covering two countries really needs to be only one. I don't know.

There was a movie from Taiwan last night. It was a comedy, romance and musical and it was interesting in its own way. I did pay attention for most of it (though I was thinking about my presentation for much of the 1st hour). I do have to say that the movie choices were far better than those in 2010.

Yesterday afternoon was running about and sending packages off to respective parties so I have less to carry home in my luggage. I still have some last minute shopping to do. This morning it's off to class on Japan again, then a special extra lecture on Tibet, then later this afternoon I think I am going to Waikiki to do some shopping. I did decide to get a car on Friday afternoon, and then drive it back to the airport on Saturday. It's not much more expensive than a tax ($60 versus $40 for the taxi) but it gives me some transportation to spend Saturday morning after early check out (10:00 am) and before I have to leave for the airport (3:00 pm) doing something on the island. Maybe I'll take a run out to the Dole Plantation or head to the Bishop Museum. I haven't decided yet, but it worked out last time and it should do so again this time.

Anyway, time for a shower and get ready for class.

Beach, Lighthouse, and Kona Brewery Pics

WWII bunkers at the very top of the ridge line

WWII bunkers at the very top of the ridge line

WWII bunkers at the very top of the ridge line

Cristin being silly with beer mats and corralling all the beer on the table, including my sample glasses.

The gang's all here.

A cool print of a samurai in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki taken while waiting to drop off the car

Pali Lookout Pictures

 

  These pictures are of the north east shore of Oahu looking from the place where the last battle took place before King Kamehameha conquered the island.