Whoa

I’ve been back in Hawaii for about a week now–been slow getting back into posting mostly because the past three weeks have been a surreal roller coaster for me.  Being in NY was crazy.  It felt as if I’d never even been in Hawaii. It was no trouble adjusting to the cold, people, or space.  I did notice that it was really easy to smile at people.  I used to be the most stressed out person in almost any given situation when we first left NY but being back this time and around friends I felt like the most relaxed person in the room.  It was a very interesting shift in perspective.  It all happened way too fast.  I’m in Hawaii now as if I were never in NY and K and I are going back in a week for Christmas.

Since I’ve been back we haven’t done very much.  It’s been raining constantly and we had flash flood warnings from the EBS for three days.

Because of my long plane rides and the gray weather here I got sucked into reading the Twilight books.  One of the rainy days we went to Windward Mall to watch the film.  They’re all wretched.  The whole lot of them.  But it passes time quickly and at least I know what everyone else is reading.  My favorite parts of Windward Mall are the pet store, the movie theater, Borders books, and Swirl the caramel apple store.  I like the caramel apple place because they slice it for you.

I’m basically opposed to the pet store.  But it’s really hard to resist the bunnies and the puppies.  I think they sedate all of them because they all look so sleepy and satisfied.

We visited Tamashiro Market again and Tropical Farms (for mac nuts) so that I could make our favorite mahi mahi dish.  That was fun.  I love the mac nut farm–especially their deeeelicious mac nut coffee.  We did a belated Thanksgiving-style dinner since K and I weren’t able to spend it together.

I finished the third Twilight book and couldn’t find the fourth one in any of the big chain bookstores or the little ones nearby.  We went to 3 bookstores.  I almost gave up.  But then I found Barnes and Noble at Kahala Mall.  What an AWESOME book store to find.  Easily the biggest of all I’ve seen while living here.  They had many ‘Breaking Dawns’.  I bet K that I wouldn’t read it until we were flying home next week.  He doesn’t think I can, but I’m very disciplined with that sort of thing.  Especially because it’s the last book.

Kahala Mall is great in general.  It’s not nearly as fancy as Ala Moana, or even as well stocked as Windward but it has a really wonderful community/family feeling to it.

It’s carpeted which I love. There’s an Apple store.  And it smells delicious.  I don’t know what it is but it smells like weekends.  We got a personalized Christmas ornament at Santa’s Pen.  K thinks it’s funny that I know how to say mele kalikimaka all of a sudden.  I think it might be because of the song.

Christmas and Birthdays are my ultimate favorite.  But this year it came so fast and has been marred by my personal losses.  It makes me sad to be away from home, snow, people, and that feeling of everything being purposeful and special.  Hawaii is festive for sure, but it’s different.  I’m looking forward to being in NY with K next week.  I hope that the Christmas in me kicks in.

We headed to Waipahu after the mall.  My friends Wayland and Desiree were dancing at ‘Pasko’ at the Fil-com Center.  We didn’t get to see them dance but we had some yummy food and dessert.

I feel a bit rusty at blogging.  Maybe it’ll be better later.

Maligayang Pasko!