Was it a dream

Okay so I promised to write about my 16 hours in Honolulu. I had checked out some guide books before I left however I didn't really check them out as thoroughly as I should have so that said, when I arrived in at the airport my only goal was to rent a car.

I hoped on which ever rental car bus stopped outside the terminal first (effective price comparison, I know) - good job Avis. I am one of those people that can be sold oceanfront property located in Saskatchewan...some days. Today the Avis lady offered, for $10 more American dollars, a red mustang convertible.....uh.....hmmmmm.....$10 I am gonna go with ..... BRING IT. Except I was kind of cold, it was about 16 in Honolulu without the sun and for 11 days I enjoyed 25 without the sun and 33 with the sun....so I was chilled, good thing the car had heat.

I threw on the heat, programmed my GPS and headed to the YWCA, now for those of you that frequent the YWCA, just as an FYI they don't give out free towels anymore. Please don't presume I went for a workout by the way, I went to take a free shower (well free with my membership) but don't you hate it when you assume something and its not there....so yeah no towels, free or otherwise, available at the YWCA. Good thing I had a sarong.....

Once I was washed up and ready I programmed the GPS, and might I add right here what an amazing little machine, to hit up Oahu's north shore. The only thing I really knew about the North Shore was Blue Crush. Yep that was my only real exposure, I am that cool and knowledgeable.

It was pretty awesome to see first waves that size and then surfers. Now here is where I should have done some research before just going. Then I would have known there were beaches all along the north, east and south coast of Oahu......in any case, I changed in to my bathing suit and sarong and laid on the beach (it got to be 26 degrees) and enjoyed the sound of the waves and resting on a white sand beach with the sun's rays on me for warmth, really I couldn't complain at all.

In any case, I drove from public beach to public beach stopping at every single one along the way and laying around and going for a dip in the ocean. Really not bad for a layover I thought (better than on the way there when I froze trying to sleep at the open air airport....

My jaunt along the coast took me about 6 hours and the only thing I really wanted to do was check out the Polynesian Cultural Centre....except it was closed. Seriously closed the whole entire centre and the only day it was closed for the month of January. Give me a break. I half heartedly called some adventure businesses (shark diving) but at 1.30 pm it was full for the day. I am not even sure I would have gone, shark diving give me a break. You are lowered into the water in some type of cage and the sharks swim around you, yeah I have been to Parliament no need to engage in this.

So the drive was pretty chill no like crazy wacky curves or death defying drops and I took my time, pulled over whenever, ya know just enjoyed it. As I was finishing the coast drive I saw a sign that said Pearl Harbour. Well what the fox I thought, so I exited. Again here is where some research would have been handy.

I was leaving the coastline but didn't really notice because somedays I have my head in the clouds and don't pay attention. Because if I would have paid attention and did some reading I would have known I had to go through a mountain to get to Pearl Harbour given where I exited.

So as I continued on the one way road, I notice the other way road was not attached to my one way and then I realized that the road was going up the mountain. The road didn't curve to the mountain it was literally built to rise with the mountain. I HATE HEIGHTS. No really even though I flew across the world, I hate heights and driving up a mountain there is a person who can attest that I had to put my head down and control the hyperventilating while she drove. Yes that is true. Except this time I was driving and was alone on a one way road on cement stilts what the hell was I going to do?

I opted to just go slow so I was in the right lane (please note that slow traffic stays to the right in multiple lanes, this is pet peeve that it appears many drivers in Saskatoon don't know). I was okay going slow and even started to enjoy the view then I went around a corner and guess what...TUNNEL.

Give me a break, serious a tunnel its not enough I have drive up the side of a mountain on a road on cement stilts but now I have go through the mountain. good. I was thrilled...not. The tunnel was 1.8 miles (I odometered it) doesn't seem like long but when your shitting your pants its fricking long. I made it through and promised myself I would find another way back to the airport.

Pearl Harbour was interesting and not just because I had to change in the backseat of a Mustang in the parking lot (seriously not recommended). There is a monument in the harbour that they ferry you too that sits above the sunken USS Arizona, prior to the ferry ride, there is about a 15 minute movie with all real footage of the events. Not bad as it was free. I think there was some other parts that charged but I never went there.

I made my way back to Waikiki and drove. No really just drove. What an urban jungle. Man by the time I made it to the end of the street, I was stressed (too many people and too much traffic) so I didn't even bother parking I just kept driving. It was dusk so I drove up Diamond Head Crater to take a look at the view. I wasn't able to take pictures because I didn't read Photography for Dummies and the pictures didn't turn out so sorry peeps your just gonna have to check it out. Don't ask what Diamond Head crater is either.

Besides the street that brings you to Waikiki was filled with Prada, Coach, Hermes, Winston's all places I couldn't afford to go into so what really would be the point.

I was admiring the view of the city and the ocean and thought shit I should eat. I had stopped at a couple mobiles on my drive but nothing substantial so started driving. (I should mention that I had a GPS in case you were all like man this chick is amazing didn't even need to consult a map.)

Anyway, I was driving aimlessly trying to find a place to eat that wasn't Taco Bell (there are a lot, kinda like our Timmy's) and guess what I found? The Hard Rock Cafe, hahahahaha destiny really. I pulled in and had a decent overpriced meal.

I returned the car with no damage (was there ever any doubt) but I did keep putting the windshield wipers on because I was confusing them with signals, damn Fiji messed up my driving.

I didn't fly first class back and as a result did not get a very good rest from Honolulu to San Francisco, ya know flying coach again. I got off the plane and literally started to shiver, damn it I knew I should have given my jacket away. I had to wait 1 hour before the shops opened before I could get a sweater....a Berkley one (shout out to Professor Wheeler). I just slept at San Fran, I couldn't see no damn bridge so found chairs that allowed me to stretch out and slept for a good 3 hours.

I had a five hour layover in Calgary (I know the milk run) and my friend Shelley picked me up so I could at the very least leave the airport and maybe hit up an Olive Garden.hehehehe Just some advice, don't travel for 30+ hours and have a martini, you will get drunk immediately.

I got home before the Air Canada scheduled arrival time and was very thankful for a nice hot shower and my room. Life didn't stop while I was gone (oddly enough) and I jumped right back into the thick of things at work and and in my band election. I am thoroughly thankful for the opportunity to recharge my "battery" and am ready for the 2009. Bring it.

Canada

Oh Canada what a warm and inviting country...okay not. Totally barren and freezing is more like it. I had actually blocked out of my mind what snow looked like and when I saw Saskatoon I sneered. Not deliberately just because I thought aaah man, I forgot about this.....in any case I am back, back to work, back to life including the Muskeg Lake elections on February 9.

The trip back was excruciatingly long but not painful. I guess I will stop drop and roll here and back the fox up to the drive to Nadi to catch the flight. After securing a taxi to take us, in which the words used were "you have good taxi, we have good money" in which he assured us he did....I guess we should have defined good taxi, because I didn't think it was so good while we were driving through the downpour that the downpour was in the cab as well, jhahahahahaha. Yep there was a hole (not a drip or leak but a hole) that allowed for the downpour to enter the cab as well. yet the thing was it was only where I sat.....hahahahaha Elijah and Matonga were fine and of course driver. Because it rained the most of the way, pictures were few and far between. Too bad though because it is truly a beautiful drive. About an hour before Nadi, there is a turn in which the road leaves the coastline and goes inland, so we stopped at the coastline and took some pics and then jumped around in the ocean (why not I was already soaked). Matonga offered to sit in my seat from this point on. Well wouldn't you know it, the rain stopped, lmao...of course.....

We got to Nadi in good time and while I landed there on the way I didn't go into Nadi town and man the floods did some serious damage. Potholes that were ridiculous in size, businesses that were obliterated man it was so sad. Matonga is in the army there and was telling me that he had cleaned up some of the schools the week prior (more rain is expected this week) and it was way worse. Suva was/is very lucky they were not impacted as such.

I dropped my things at the airport and admit I have this thing for Hard Rock cafes. I am sure there are many of you reading this rolling your eyes thinking how commercial , get over it, its my thing. In any case, Hard Rock Cafe opened a restaurant in Fiji, man I laughed so I convinced Elijah and Matonga to check it out with me. The restaurant is located in Port Denarau, which is kind of the central point for the boats to take you to the islands on the western side (where many of the resorts are located). So to me its like fake Fiji, ya know the postcard with white sand beaches and blue green ocean. Denarau is about 20 min from Nadi and it is amazing the change from driving through Nadi to Denarau...fake Fiji, golf courses, model homes it was weird.

In any case, they have totally fixed up the port in Denarau in the last five years, it is like a shopping complex from Canada, all concrete and glass but you drive through the Sheraton resort so lush beautiful golf course with palm trees swaying, very swank. We get there and find the Hard Rock I buy my swagger and we decide to have a beer. Elijah went off to see his ship buddies and I sat with Matonga. While we were sitting there Matonga says to me "I have never seen this place before" man I was shocked and laughed. I told him it was funny because this is what many tourists see of Fiji which made him laugh even harder than I was. So weird, two weeks prior here he was less than 10 km away cleaning up a school. Bizarre.

We didn't stay long just to get some swag and a beer, which by the way for those of you that enjoy a Fiji Gold or Bitter there is a new beer in town. Fiji Premium, I did not like it, it gave me a headache and before many of you say well yeah, it was truly only one. We went back to the airport to wait to board and just joked around (by the way ladies Matonga wants a Canadian wife I told him I had many cousins and friends and I would be in charge of the protocol, so let me know).

It was nice to have that time with Elijah we had a good many laughs and I will miss him. As I will the family. Boarding the plane I had a very heavy heart but a smile. I was worried about going back for a number of reasons - five years is a long time to be gone maybe people won't remember me, maybe I had changed, maybe they had changed, maybe my big mouth would get me in trouble with the military government, maybe this maybe that. But you know what, it was all good. Despite some of the changes - some I didn't appreciate, some I did - I still love and value the people and relationships I have there and the new relationships I made.

I was able to take time to think about things, really think about them. Think about faith and what that means to me. I am not one to wax on about religion, anyone who has spent more than five minutes knows that I am not religious, but that doesn't mean I lack faith. Fiji is a nation in which their faith is intertwined in their life whether its personal or professional. In some cases, their faith is their life. So it provided me an opportunity to think about that, where does faith fit? For the bons it just fits - be good to one another, be thankful, be forgiving, be honest, be gracious, learn and be human.

Now anyone that reads this can come back and say well your not that way all the time, no I am not because I am human - I make mistakes, I am not always nice, or forgiving and thankful or gracious (try to be brutally honest) but I try to learn and where I can make amends I do try. And if its not reciprocated such is life.

I am thankful I did this to my family, my friends and myself for helping me make this decision to return and to my family and friends in Fiji for being so welcoming. I learned more about myself which I think is always a good thing, looked at things I could change or strive to achieve (like school for all those that are saying your thesis hello) lamented about failed friendships/family relationships and what I could have done differently and for the most part I came to the conclusion that I am happy with the person I am today. Little rough around the edges, could lose a few but that's what keeps us going hey, opportunities to improve ourselves. Anyway, I will end it there because its getting too serious. I will write about my one day in Hawai'i either later tonight or tomorrow.

Super funny man totally funny all you need to know for know is Bons rented a convertible red mustang and hit up the north shore....LMAO. I haven't forgotten about the pictures or videos, I managed to get them off the camera on to the computer so just have to get them organized.

peace.