Adventurous foodie? Getting there

Recently my friend Priya invited me out to dinner at her place. She said her and her international friends go out, buy groceries (different theme/cuisine) every time and they come home and cook together.  On this particular night it was Korean night.  Our first stop, Palama market for Korean groceries.  I had never been in a Korean market before - VERY INTERESTING!  I wouldn't be able to tell you what most of the stuff in this first pic is, but at the very top (end) is dried/seasoned codfish and the light and dark grey stuff next to it is dried anchovies. Yes, they bought both of these.

There were 7 in our group.  Priya and her brother who are from Guam, myself (Fijian), Aki who is Japanese, Marco full Italian, Yang who is Chinese and his girlfriend from China as well.  In the pic above, at the very bottom of the pic is Beef Tongue. Yes, tongue. Next to it the bacon looking meat is actually pork belly (VERY DIFF FROM BACON), up on the right is the pork rib (albi?) very very very delish, and next to that is chicken. We also had mushrooms, onions to grill, all the anchovies/codfish/sprouts/etc to enjoy and lettuce to make wraps.

Needless to say everything was super delish and the 7 of us devoured all the food very fast and we were pleased with the results of the hotplate bbq. Very adventurous and delicious dinner indeed. :)

One oh fo suweee (cont'd)

Ok, so let me start off by explaining the title of this and the last post... one oh fo suweee is actually the radio station 104.3 but the dj on Fridays has this interesting accent and says 104.3 in such speed and with his accent it comes out "one oh fo suweeee". :)  Lois, Carlos, Jules and I all joked about this non-stop. I don't know, I guess you just had to be there to get it :)

So lets see, we left off on the last post on Sunday beach picnic at Nanakuli Beach in the Waianae part of town.  On Monday Lois, Jules and I headed off to the North Shore at 7 am in the morn. Yes, its an hour drive so we had to get a head start. Our destination? Kualoa Ranch on the north east coast of the island. :)

We had planned to do the half day excursion which included 2 tours and a lunch buffet. For our two tours we decided on the movie tour which entailed us being bussed through a small portion of the ranch and areas of land being pointed out as the movie tour.  Example:  "See that hill over there?" "Well that hill was in the movie Jurassic Park"  "See that mountain over there, that was the background in this ___ movie" "see that dirt road, that was in 50 First Dates".  Honestly, the tour was not all that spectacular - they shouldn't be selling it as a movie tour.. but I can't complain too much, the scenery was gorgeous. :)

This is the Jurassic Park Hill where the professor and 2 kids are walking and suddenly a herd starts running towards them and they hide behind a huge log/tree trunk off to the left of here.

Interesting note - this is Godzilla's foot and apparently originally 8 ft deep. Every morn the ranchers would have to rescue the cows that had fallen in over night. :/

This pic does not do justice to these gorgeous mountains.

Chinaman's Hat on the left and turtle island in the center - its called turtle island due to the shape. Do you see it?

Myself, Julie and Lois enjoying the ocean breeze and being out on the beautiful water. Lovely day indeed.

The Pond was more than merky - it was the worst water I've seen on the entire island, luckily it was just a man-made fishing pond and was separated from the ocean which was back to beautiful teal waters.

After the Ocean adventure, we were taken back to the ranch where we enjoyed a quick buffet lunch and then we were off to Shark's Cove to snorkel! :)  We had heard so much about this place we couldn't wait to go.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise and what a tourist hotspot! :)  The pic below is courtesy of another blogger as we girls did NOT take our cell/cameras out to the beach for fear of them being stolen.  Gorgeous, isn't it?  Now imagine 200+ snorkelers in this same area.. yes, the place was SWARMING with people but it wasn't bad at all.. the 3 of us certainly enjoyed our time. :)

After snorkeling we had certainly worked up an appetite.  It was 630 now and we were hungry - we decided to try out the various shrimp trucks. Giovanni's is the most popular on the island, and where we headed first, unfortunately though we reached at 645 and they were closed for the day. Boo!  :/  Luckily though, they referred us over to FUMI's Shrimp truck where we enjoyed coconut covered shrimp, tempura shrimp, lemon/garlic, and spicy shrimp.  It was delish and satisfying. :)

The next morning was Lois' last day so we decided to visit Pearl Harbor. Oh dear.. if you plan to visit, definitely pack your handkerchief.  Prior to visiting the Arizona memorial, you go to an auditorium to watch a 30 min video on the history of Pearl Harbor.. oh my goodness, I was a big ball of mess. Magarmuch ke asoon (meaning alligator tears), oye.. I got sooo emotional watching this video.  *sigh* I am just in awe of the courage that people showed that day - nurses treating victims, fellow civilians and military men pulling their comrades out of the burning water - yes, burning water. *sigh* I am just beside myself. I don't understand why, why do a small number of people make decisions, bad decisions and hundreds of thousands of innocent people then have to pay for it. Not just at Pearl Harbor but all around the world - everywhere, war - why? Why for power/greed/ego. Ugh.. this all makes me very sad. :(

Anyhow.. the video made me very very sad but the memorial was peaceful and solemn. 

After the memorial, Lois and I were invited to an authentic home-made Mexican meal at Carlos' place with awesome Mole made by Julie - yumm!

Afterwards it was time to rush Lois to the airport.. so sad - so many days of fun and laughter. Missing my dear amiga very much.

Myself, Lois and Hustin. 

One oh fo sureeee!

So much to update on since Memorial Day... where do I begin? :)

As mentioned in my previous post, I did quit my job.  I didn't have a plan B, but I knew I had to make the change.  It was a tough decision though as it was a great, stable job - but for some reason, it wasn't the right fit for me.

I had gone on a few interviews on jobs that I had searched on Craigslist but I also interviewed with a few local temp agencies - I figured it would be a great way to check out other industries.

One reason for leaving my current job was because I realized I didn't want to spend my days here on the island working behind a desk.  What could I do? I wanted to find a job where I worked with people/interacted with them - maybe a job working with tourists, but doing what?

I didn't know what, but I knew I had to find something.  I found an ad on Craigslist for a local firm looking for a part-time legal secretary.  Though I wanted to leave the legal field, I knew the odds of finding a good paying job would be in legal.  I applied and was called in for an interview right away.  Luckily they loved me and offered me a job on Weds, the 30th which also happened to be my last day on the job.  They offered me a 25/hr work week, with medical benefits included, at a pay rate of $23/hr.  Not anything near what I made in the bay area but friggin fantastic pay for Hawaii considering most jobs available on Craigslist are offered for a pay rate between $8-11/hr.  I was really happy and accepted the offer right away.  Later that day I received a call from a head hunter who said she loved my resume and submitted it to another firm and they wanted to interview me. I informed her that I had just accepted a part-time offer for a job that I will be starting the following week. She said it didn't hurt to explore my options and I agreed so I went for the interview. They absolutely loved me and wanted to hire me as well.  Unfortunately, it would be similar to the job I just quit. Working for a law firm behind a desk 8 hrs a day (great pay) but a completely stressful job. :/  The pay would be the same as the job I quit, but the work load was the same.  Considering I was jobless, I shouldn't be picky.. Shoot, what do I do? Do I take the part-time position, which would get me health benefits and enough salary to pay rent/car payment/insurance and offer flexibility in my schedule but not enough to survive - must find a supplemental pt job - or do I go with the full time offer for security but at the risk of being unhappy once again???

Needless to say, after much deliberation, I decided to go with my gut feeling and stick with the part-time offer. :)

Now that the job hunt was out of the way, it was time to party! :) Yes, my friend L was visiting from Cali on Thursday. I picked her up from the airport after the interview and we headed straight for the Polynesian Cultural Center. I've been there more times in my 5 months here than most people who have lived on the island all their life! :)

We arrived at the center around 5 pm. Just enough time for us to take the canoe ride that takes us through the center of the PCC grounds. Absolutely beautiful views - the canoe was pushed by two large and handsome men at the back of the canoe while a third PCC employee was at the front giving the tour. :)

First photo of us together for the wild/crazy adventure weekend ahead. :)

This bizarrely interesting plant travels a few inches every year till it reaches water. 

After the canoe ride, we went for our luau buffet dinner and the HA, Breath of Life show.  We left the PCC at 930 and I was sure L would be knocked out from jet lag, but no. :)  We reached home and enjoyed a homemade cocktail out on the lanai (balcony) and enjoyed the city light view and giggled into the wee hours of the morning. :)

Friday I woke up early and ran to an interview (the one mentioned above for the full-time job). I rushed home afterward, picked up L and headed to Waikiki to pick up Jules. Another friend of a friend who was visiting from Cali.  The three of us went out in search for a delicious breakfast and ended up at a diner on Ala Moana that served Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Coconut Syrup - YUM!

Next we took a drive down the coast from Waikiki to Hawaii Kai, to Waimanalo, to Kailua to the Byodo-in Temple, to H3 on our way back to town.  I dropped off Jules with our friend C and Lois and I headed home, had dinner and got ready to go out for the "first friday" event in down town.

The Art Walk this month sorta "blew". Nothing exciting to see/report.  We ended up at a lounge next to ManiFest Downtown where Kelly met up with us. The music was great by the Quadrophonix, but then they started to sing so we had to get the heck out of there. :)  We decided to meet with the rest of the group down in Waikiki.  Parking in Waikiki is tough - the validated parking is hard to find and when you do find it, its still not worth it. Luckily I found a place that allows you to park after 7 pm till 7am for $7.  We parked there and walked to the "Top of Waikiki" for happy hour. It was myself, R, Judge Judy, Kel and L.  We had a great time and even had a cherry stem tying contest. :)  Next we were off to Moose's -our regular spot for dancing.  I was beside myself with joy when the dj played a rack city tune with the Dhol Mix.. Finally. Finally I got to hear some bhangra music in my new town.  Anyhow.. as Jules described the week before, the bar is full of walking STDs. Yes, absolutely gross guys who can't leave the girls alone to dance.  We hightailed out of there by midnight.  L and I called it a night after dropping our friend Kel off at home.

The next morning Lois and I went out to Wal-Mart to purchase some snorkeling gear before heading to the Parasailing event (we had purchased a groupon with our friends C and Jules).  We reached the venue by 1 pm, but they were running behind.  We went out at 2 and I must say it was sooo worth the wait and the cost ($30 per person).  The water was absolutely gorgeous and though we were nervous, we couldn't wait to do it.  I have lots of pics to share, though they're on a disk which is in L's possession, so as soon as I have access, I'll post the pics.

After parasailing, the 4 of us were famished so I suggested we head to Teddy's Burgers in Hawaii Kai. Absolutely delish burgers, and a great local spot.  

After dropping C and Jules home, L and I decided to test out the snorkeling gear we had purchased earlier in the day in the pool at home. :)

Snorkeling in the pool too silly? We think not! :)

Though we looked silly, we were glad we tested out the gear at home because breathing through the mouth takes a while to get used to and getting used to the mask as it is rather uncomfortable. After a while though we were both experts and couldn't wait to head to Hanauma Bay the next morn to test out our newly acquired skills/equipment. :)

After getting ready, we headed out to Waikiki again. This time I took L to the international market so she can do some souvenir shopping. Though the title says International Market - there's nothing international about it - they're all the same. :/  If you do visit though, feel free to bargain.  There were a pair of pearl earrings that L liked that were priced at $15.  We offered $10 and the lady accepted. :)

After the market, we headed out to Harbor Pizza and Pub to meetup with C and Jules.  There were now 6 in our group. We had parked in Waikiki and taken the bus to Harbor Pub. From the pub, we decided to head to the 777 Club to see a show but it turned out to be a korean karaoke bar.. ugh, our ears - no bueno!! :)

The ride there was quite interesting as C drives a very small Suzuki Reno and there were 6 in our group - how the heck were we going to fit?  C drove, Hustin sat in the front as he was the tall one in the group and us 4 gals sat in the back. That was interesting. :)

I'm in the corner with R practically on my lap with Jules on hers and L on Jules' lap. Fun ride - we were constantly on the look out for "po po's"  :)

We go to the 777 and did I mention the singers - oye, there should be a law against awful singers being allowed to sing. Or at least the screamers.

Though this was a bizarre twist in our night (as we were planning to go out dancing and we end up here of all places), we did have a LOT of fun singing and laughing.  At 2 am the group decided we still wanted to dance - where do we go. Hustin suggested we head out to Asylum in chinatown.  The rest of the group had never heard of it so we decided to give it a try.

OYE, another bizarre twist.  Asylum turned out to be a club where people do drugs and dance to trance music. Not a rave, but electronica/trance.  The only "light" in the place was blacklight (or is it blue light) - the one that makes white's look insanely bright/purple.  Anyhow.. none of us (except for Hustin) had ever been to such a place and we were grateful that we were there in a large group so it made us feel safe.  Surprisingly - everyone there was super chill and no one bothered us at all - in fact they were extra friendly and inviting.  In the "weed room" people were lighting up to the left and to the right and they were sharing with those around them. Yikes... the second hand smoke here was enough to make you pass out from OD! We immediately went back inside to the dance floor - we were out by 430 in the morn.  

I caught a pic at the right moment of L dancing with the LED (LCD?) disco ball in the background

So at 430 we were thinking, were to now?  We headed back to Waikiki in hopes to catch the sun rise.  It was only after we reached the beach that we noticed the sun rises in the north east - if we wanted to see the sun rise we should have gone to Kailua or something, but no, here we were at Waikiki at the crack of dawn. We figured we'll do breakfast at the famous "Lulu's" but they didn't open till 7 am. Oye, another 2 hours of stalling/walking around. :)

Waikiki at 5 am in the morn.  I can't believe we'd been up the entire night. We were all yawning like crazy, but we trooped on. Breakfast was calling us. :)

A great shot of L on the beach

With the scenery sooo beautiful here, its hard not to take a great photo. :)

Banyan trees are everywhere. :)

After breakfast we gave Hustin a ride home who lives in Salt Lake, just past us (in Makiki).  When reaching Hustin's place, he asked what L and I were planning to do. L had been wanting to hike Koko Head so this morn seemed like a good time to do it.  If we slept now, it would ruin our entire Sunday.  So Koko head it was. Hustin decided to join us.  We ended up at Koko Head around 10 am - after giving the two crazy folks a ride there, I checked out in the back seat of my car - I was KNOCKED OUT, and these two were hiking - insane I say. Insane.

After their hike, we headed to the famous Hank's Hot Dog Stand in town and then off to home so we can gather our stuff for a picnic on the beach.

We followed Hustin to Schoffield Barracks so he can drop off the Jeep he borrowed from a friend - we got a chance to see what the army base is like.  Civilians aren't typically allowed. 

We ended up taking a drive to the West coast - Waianae looking for a beach and found the perfect spot at Nunukali Beach.

There's so much more to update but this blog entry is getting long, my battery is at 12% on my laptop and it is now 2:15 in the morn and I still need to explain the title of this post. :)  TBC....