Rain.

YEAY!

An End, and a New Beginning!

As of this Thursday, I am taking a permanent sabbatical at work (i.e. they don't need me anymore) and will be dedicating myself full-time to my favorite person - no, not me (although I'm a close second) - my little Chuchi!

There are other reasons I'm happy to be staying at home:

1.  No more 3 hours of commuting!  Ever since school started back up, traffic has been HORRIBLE, to say the least.  I've been late to work every single day since mid-August (my tardiness has nothing to do with me not having a job anymore, I assure you).

2.  No more having to get ready in 10 minutes and out the door in 20, with an 18-month old in tow.  I can actually have breakfast at home, and feed my child something nutritious in the mornings.

3.  I can finally organize the closets.  I haven't had any time to do it since starting work a week after moving into our house.

4.  No more heels!  I hate them, no matter how cute they may be.  Give me a pair of flip-flops (or "slippers") as they call them here, and I'm happy!

I'm also going home this week, to enjoy some much-needed free babysitting and time off from mommyhood to do things like get a pedicure and sleep in.

Aloha!

Trees, flowers, and a beach shot

Around Town - Part 1...and a shout-out!

Since I work downtown, I told myself that I should go exploring at least once a week - it's hot outside and once a week is about all I can do right now.  I can't wait for Fall, when I can take my lunch and eat it picnic-style on the Palace lawn (you'll have to stay tuned for that post).

Luckily, Chinatown is just down the street from my office, and I can go whenever I need a break from my corporate job.

There are tons of open markets with all sorts of fruits and vegetables.  Some foods I recognize...

...and some I don't.

And then, of course, no tour of Chinatown would be complete without hanging ducks...

and Jellyfish!

In other news, my new friend Emily at Finding my Aloha gave me a Sunshine Award! Yeay!!

I'm passing it on to Laura at Sealaura whose blog is about celebrating the coastal lifestyle, one day at a time!




ALOHA!

Hawaii's Favorite Snack

Photo Courtesy Flickr
So what is it? It's Spam Musubi!

It's like sushi, except that the protein is Spam. They grill it, put it on top of rice and usually use the seaweed as a wrap to hold it together. They're found everywhere - convenience stores, supermarkets, and local restaurants.

I'm an adventurous eater, a food snob, a "foodie" if you wilI...but I draw the line at "mystery meat." Have you tried Spam?

Aloha!

Hawaii Bucket List

Here are some of the things I want to do while in Hawaii. So far, I've completed one - watching Polo games on Sundays!

Pick sea glass Surf Watch pro surfing competition Polo Sundays Moonlight Kayaking Paddle Surf
Picnic at sunset on the beach Whale and dolphin spotting Horse-back riding on the beach
See an active volcano Jump down a (small) waterfall Acquire original Heather Brown art
Find Japanese glass floats Snorkel Collect Hawaiian fabric Ukelele concert Hike Diamond Head

Humble Abodes

I was curious to see what a million dollars buys you on Oahu, and after some quick research on realtor.com, I wasn't really shocked. But I thought I'd play "realtor" and give you a virtual tour, in case you were looking for a vacation home.

This first house is located in Haleiwa, an adorable historic surfing town, boasts over 2100 sq. ft., has beautiful wood floors, with updated bathrooms, and an ocean view! It's listed for $1.4 million. Not too shabby!

(all photos courtesy of realtor.com)

There's the ocean view!

Open floor plan

This second house is actually a condo, located in the prestigious and desirable Diamond-Head area. This 900 sq. ft. unit's best feature is the view. Even the most mundane of tasks - like folding piles of laundry - would be a relaxing meditation.

Nice-sized bathroom

Pretty kitchen with marble counter tops....

...but where's the bedroom, you ask? It's in the living room, of course!

I don't know why they don't call this a studio! It's completely unrealistic for anyone with a child, or a dog. We'll have to pass on this one. Good thing, too, since we don't have $998,000 lying around.

This third one is considered a Town Home/Row Home and it's located in the same area, Diamond Head. It's a little more spacious: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and over 3,500 square feet!



The view is amazing, but if I lived here, I'd constantly complain about the kitchen, the carpet, the gold mirrors, and even the tile in the bedroom. I know, it's ON the beach, but whatever. Next!

We're still in the Diamond Head area for this next home. 3 stories, swimming pool, and ocean and sunset views (although no pictures of these are provided). Here are the pictures we can see:


I love the kitchen, but I would decorate it differently. If someone wants to buy it for me, as is, though, I wouldn't object!


And finally, if you are the Duggars, the Gosselins, the 9 by Design family, or a person who just likes to clean all day, here is an 11-bedroom home for you. Yes, you read that correctly. 11 BED-rooms.


It's 3,200 square feet, has 6 full baths, 3 open parking spaces, and has a "hill/mountain view"

Curiously, these are the only 2 pictures shown. So I'd be a little wary.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour. I'll keep researching...

Aloha!