Someone I met today works at a clothing boutique.
"Do you work somewhere else?"
"Well... I work at The District, so I might look familiar with that."
"Oh! I see that makes sense."
Problem is, I don't frequent clubs. I know a few people who are into that scene, but she doesn't know any of them personally.... At least I don't think so. Maybe I know her from Instagram pictures, which then makes me feel like a creepy stalker.
Someone I met today works at Home Depot.
We were there today because my dad needed a ladder... at 930pm. I wonder what employees think of people who are coming in at the last minute buying random home improvement tools.
Someone I met today is really a group: the wait staff at Kuru Kuru.
I think this is the first time I've had an overattentive waitstaff. I was trying to have a conversation, and they were always there... Which is good, but not so good if you're really into the conversation and trying not to get interrupted every single time.
Someone I met today smells strongly.
Not in a bad way, but in a showered in a bottle of cologne kind of way. What I know of this person also is sleazy. His glibness paralyzes you into a forced politeness as you slowly suffocate because of his smell.
Because I know him, he said hi, and gave me a hug. I smelled like him for 3 hours.
Someone I met today works at Kona Coffee Purveyors.
I actually think I met her before and even talked about her... So oops if it's a double. I don't know if she remembers me, but I definitely remembered her. She was super friendly today like she usually is. Then it occurred to me...
At what point does someone become a regular? is it when both parties acknowledge it, or only one?
All in all, I think we accomplished a ton on vacation. Did we do everything we wanted? No. But did we have fun? Tons of it!
Organization is the key to success so I'll help you out by putting my map on the bottom of the page.
I think so. NYC felt foreign and also like home. It was definitely one of the few places I've notably felt different. I knew I was physically smaller than a lot of people, and I was increasingly aware of the fact that I am a minority in some places of the world. How I look doesn't matter much, but I think you're unconsciously aware of it in quiet times, like going through the subway or walking in the streets and seeing people who don't look like you.
But despite that, there were always people who were friendly and willing to engage conversations with us. Many of the employees of the places we went to were kind, and joked with us and our good fortune on skipping lines, or shared in our amazement. During periods of downtime, I made small talk with different people and shared some laughs with them. This was especially helpful when standing in Nintendo's line for 2 hours and sharing the bathroom code for the nearby Starbucks. It was even more helpful when I sweetly asserted my position as first for the only bathroom at Dominique Ansel. The guy I faced was much taller than me.
Knowing yourself is important, and asserting it is too. No one is going to stand between me and any bathroom I need to use.
Speaking of bathrooms, the first thing I learned is that Iceland has some great bathrooms.
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I learned that Iceland still has cairns that dot the northern landscape. Tam and I thought they were shrines for most of our trip until I googled "Iceland Rock Tower" and got cairn as the third hit.
When talking to my Food Walk Guide, I learned Icelandic people care deeply about their environment. Like Hawaii, it struggles to keep up with the demands of tourism. They also keep their culture alive, parallel to developing a global nation. I remember watching locals speaking to each other in Icelandic but easily switching into English for us.
Because of the way that their local and national governments operate, it also seems like there's a lot of involvement from their citizens to engage in civic duty and responsibilities. Iceland also has high voter turnouts and a variety of parties that participate in the system. Even from reading the local news on long car stretches, people were willing to share their perspectives on topics that affect them..
I think there's a lot of camaraderie from small communities, especially in a place so isolated and extreme. My dogsled guide alluded to this when he poked fun at island people liking their independence; he knew we were from Hawaii after all.
I also noticed that people are rude everywhere. Maybe it's something I learned from working in retail; I could sympathize with the waitress who was rudely and loudly asked to split a check 7 ways in a fancy restaurant. It manifests differently; like in the people who trashed Skógafoss, to the Asian tourists loudly playing a video in a rest stop and the American tourist who tried to correct them in a language they didn't understand. I mean it's all perspective, since certain behaviors aren't considered rude in certain places. Being aware of how people respond to you is a skill that constantly needs to be developed.
Traveling can encourage that I think, but so can awareness in your own day to day life. There were instances I saw young tourists get annoyed looks by locals because their behavior didn't adjust for the environment or culture. I even saw a man reprimand three college aged kids for being obnoxious. I saw a lot of young tourists, and whether or not they funded their own vacations, I hoped that they saw their experience as a beautiful privilege.
I can't wait to travel somewhere new again. It won't be for a while, since I have to save my vacation time for upcoming weddings. But who's to say that you can't make small adventures in your everyday?
If you wanna do what we did, check it out below! Make sure you call Peter Luger two months ahead of the date you want to eat.
You can fly to Akureyri, but I don't recommend it during the winter... You never know what the weather will be like. There are also very few car rental places up there that let you return the car in Reykjavik.
Last full day in NYC!
After a good night's rest, and no dinner because we were pooped, it was off to the streets. We were picking up stuff we wanted to bring home as gifts and snacks, while exploring one last place.
A few blocks down from our Airbnb is Sweatshop. It appeared to be an Australian coffee shop. Tam doesn't drink coffee in the morning, but I do! I had some kind of toast and he had something with bacon. Delicious. We were going to have a busy day so we had to be on our way!
We took the subway on a weekday during rush hour. Holy crap is it the most congested thing I've ever experienced. I wouldn't compare it to being packed like a sardine because we were closer and tighter than that. When I say we, I mean everyone I shared that subway with. The experience was definitely suffocating to say the least.
While heading to the Charging Bull, we walked through a church I remember once going to. I couldn't remember why. Though, I had been on a Hamilton kick and we were entering the lottery for the tickets. Funny because we stumbled upon this.
Hamilton's Grave
Complete with newly placed flags.
I've been here before, but Tam hadn't. We took some pictures before heading off. I know the status has faced some controversy recently because of the little girl next to it. I think they're both cool as standing works of art.
We headed over to the World Trade Center Memorial. We weren't really interested in taking a tour. The last time I was here was when I was 13 or 14, on the cusp of becoming a high school freshman. I only saw the beginning stages of the memorial being built, with the cavities in the ground. I didn't know what they would become until today.
The placement of the squares are meant to reflect the exact locations of the World Trade towers that fell. Loved ones lost have their names etched in stone around the perimeters. From them, falling walls of water trace the square, all flowing towards the middle.
From here, we went into the Oculus. Without repeating the story, I made some small chitchat with a man who has worked with the WTC Memorial since its inception. He shared with us something that felt like a secret:
Only near the equinoxes do the shadows illuminate the fallen towers.
Last one
How could we not?
We also walked through Central Park, which definitely was not snowed in like the last time we saw it.
We wanted to try these giant cookies we saw in a Youtube Video. We were lucky to have a short line at that moment, since the small shop filled quickly afterwards. Tam was salty about this place because the lady forgot to pack some of us cookies. I don't forget.
Everyone who knows and talks to me everyday also knows I had been flipflopping over the idea of getting a Nintendo Switch. At Tam's insistence, I followed the Nintendo World twitter to see when they would stock it. Today was one of those days. We waited in line for 2 hours to get me a Nintendo Switch.
Was it worth it?
HELL YES IT WAS.
Duh.
Like Charging Bull, the last time I was at Nintendo World was when I was 13 or 14. The amount of Nintendo branded stuff was awesome! I basically was living my childhood in this moment. The store is red and white, very much like our favorite powerups. It's also very brightly lit and has console stations so people can engage with the games.
My credit card got declined when buying the Switch. The cashier warned me it might, since it literally is the only Nintendo storefront in the world and is frequently marked as fake. Also, I was spending more than $500 which is the daily limit on my card. It was fine, I used my debit card so I could secure my purchase. I also picked up some cute swag for my friends because HELL YES NINTENDO.
My mom's friend, Gigi, joined us for dinner again, bringing along her nieces. We were on hour 10 of our day with no break in between, but it was worth it.
With this final meal, we signed off from NYC! Our flight was the next morning, and as fun as vacation is. I was glad to be going home.
Someone I met today works in education technology.
He works at a very rich school locally, and he stood out because he remembered the last time we met. That happened to be the same time last year. He commented that he remembered me from last year, and we got to talking about our jobs and how we got to where we are.
Neither of us have degrees in technology or education, yet here we both were. Our journeys to this point in our lives were marked by detours outside of what our degrees dictated what we should study. Granted, he is much older than me, but shared the same passion for technology and learning like me.
I always enjoy education events because you can see people who are genuinely excited about cool stuff. Though, there are sometimes sour people because they don't like change. Oh well.
Someone I met today was very fixated on money.
He was talking to a coworker of mine very enthusiastically about some of our products and future updates. While talking he shared that he runs a fiberoptics company. Most of the conversation revolved around technology and its uses; though it eventually turned to the men this person knew.
"One of my friends is a VC. He's rich, and he's been an angel investor for some startups. Anyway, I'm in the Claremont Hotel, and we go to dinner. It's like $55, and the man asks me to split it. Can you believe it? I told him I think I can handle it this time. I mean it's only $55, but could you imagine? With all that money?"
He then shared a similar story about how this man didn't just buy a new tent for Burning Man. I guess he couldn't just believe that someone didn't want to waste money. Personally, I admire people who continue to be sensible and frugal despite having mass amounts of it.
Though, I think I could treat someone to lunch every once in a while.
Someone I met today was rude.
I mean, I met rude people all the time. He seemed alright, but when I turned to my coworker he mouthed to me:
"I don't like him."
Immediately, I switched him out with someone else. My coworker shared with me that he insulted the amount of knowledge he had. I know what it feels like, someone dismissed me solely because I didn't have the personality of a "technician" and was more like a "salesperson." It probably doesn't help that I'm a female in technology. I can say that because the solution I suggested in that instance was the same as the male coworker after me. The customer took that explanation, but not mine.
This coworker thanked me for rescuing him and we watched the man from afar. I wonder how often people get belittled at their jobs. Probably none if they're not in the service industry. It isn't really a surprise that they somehow they feel better than the rest of everyone else.
There's grace in knowing you don't know everything. Without that, you're basically a tactless jerk.
Someone I met today is a college student.
I was volunteering at the Special Olympics and was paired up with some college kids. The one I sat next to is 19, and just finished his sophomore year. He is tall with elfish features; pointy ears and a playful face that gleamed with mischief every time he smiled.
We talked a little bit and he liked reading, enjoyed soursop, and had atemoya fruits in his yard. Every time he talked, and even the way he responded to me reminds me of my brother at that age. The same amount of enthusiasm and similar types of responses. I think that endeared him to me, because I do miss my younger brother sometimes.
Then, a girl showed up. She's a member of the same academic club. He turned her attention to her completely, and it was then I realized he might like her. Maybe. I'm terrible at telling, and I took no offense to it; one of my good friends was with me anyway. When this boy left, he said bye to all of us.
As he walked away, he turned around and looked at no one else but her.
Someone I met today owns a local lumber company. I got the bonus of meeting one of his team members.
He was nice and slightly hesitant about his purchase, but we had been making small talk and having playful banter. His team member was fun and playful, often making jokes at his expense.
Me: "How long have you had your business?"
Him: "25 years."
Her: "it's funny you asked, it's on our business cards."
Me: "Would it be funnier if I told you I just turned 26."
Her: "Yikes."
Eventually he and I got to talking a little more.
"Where'd you go to high school?"
"Sacred Hearts."
"I see. How's the reputation of the school?"
"Well, it's been a while since I've been at the school, but I hear it's doing well."
After a little pause, I asked:
"Why are you asking about the school? Do you have a daughter?"
"Oh no, you see, I went to Iolani, and I knew some girls who went there. They were a little naughty."
"Are you trying to say that I'm like that?"
"Oh no, not like that, you've been very pleasant. It's just been a while since then, so I was wondering."
"Well, it's definitely been more than 25 years."
His coworker laughed. But all in all, it was a fun interaction. Probably the best one of my day.
Someone I met today is a mom.
I was in line at Costco, waiting to order a pizza and hotdog combo. That line is brutal for anyone but especially if you have children. The young woman in front of me wore scrubs, and had two children running and chasing each other around her. She addressed me only because they ran into me and she told them to cut it out. She had no real way of enforcing it; as she was continuously scrolling through Pinterest on her phone.
After she got her food, I waited about another 5 minutes to get mine. The table I got... Was next to hers. I observed her eat her salad, continuously scrolling through her feed as her husband interacted with the children. I finished my pizza and peeked over at her; she was done with her salad but still scrolling.
The husband and I made eye contact once, and it was half-apologetic, the other half was embarrassed. I mean, their kids were still being a bit noisy. It didn't bother me, though I'm sure he thought it did.
Everyone needs a break from their life at times, right?
Someone I met today asked me an honest question. It was clear he was a tourist, so I took no offense to it. Though, I suppose I could see it being weird if I had a different perspective on the matter.
"Do people really say aloha to each other here?"
My coworker and I exchanged glances. Both of us had affirmative answers for the question, she started.
"Yeah, some people do. It's not common, but it isn't weird."
"Oh, I just thought it was only a tourist thing."
I jumped in.
"I have friends who've extensively studied Hawaiian culture. For them, it's a large part of their lives so the language is just an extension of it."
I walked away at that point. There wasn't much else to say.
Someone I met today was a little kid at Rainbow's Drive Inn.
I was standing in line when I saw this kid inching in front of me. It didn't look like he was trying to cut me, I mean he was also half my size. When the window freed up, he looked at me apologetically and said, "Oh, I'm just gonna ask for a box."
I smiled and nodded at him when he ran up to the counter and asked for a takeout box. The cashier gave him one. I only know that because I was saw a woman at another table watching him. We made eye contact when he ran back to her, his mother.
I remember when I was younger that my mom would make me ask for things I wanted or needed from food places. I hated it back then because I didn't want to and I was embarrassed, but I did it anyway. Why not?
I think it's a good skill. You need to learn how to ask for what you want eventually.
Someone I met today is an old friend's son.
I was at the Memorial Day Lantern Festival at Ala Moana Beach Park. Once the ceremony finishes, people crowd the shores, waiting for a moment to release their lanterns into the sea. Written on them are their wishes and memories of loved ones gone by.
As I prepared to fight the crowds, I saw someone familiar to me. An old coworker from my last job. The funny thing about getting older is that you don't change much in looks. He certainly didn't. I approached him and enthusiastically said hi. We hadn't seen each other in years, and greeted each other as such.
His son was there, and he was much bigger than when I last saw him. Taller, and older of course. The funny thing about changing and growing up is that you also become more yourself. Some people don't like when I say that, because it means I don't think they've changed.
I assure you, I do. I know everyone changes, but there are parts of you that are always you. Like my friend's son, he was still as sweet and kind and respectful as I remembered. Did he change? Yes, he was more confident than when he was in high school. But the parts of him I remembered still were there, just expressed differently. Maybe that's all it is; the way we express ourselves changes even as some of our core remains the same.
We joined together and weaved through the sea of people. When we reached the shore, we watched as the waves ebbed and flowed, carrying our hopes for our loved ones gently from our hands.
Someone I met today is a podcaster. She rolled into the store buying some small items, less than $30, which is virtually impossible in this store. They weren't large accessories either, which indicated to me she already had the big stuff she needed.
"Cool! So what do you do with your device?"
"Oh, I do podcasts."
"What's your podcast called?"
"Offshore, we do it with Civil Beat."
"Wow! You guys did that podcast on racism in Hawaii, you know that video was really popular right? Tons of my friends shared it."
"Really? I didn't know that."
"Oh, don't you guys have a metrics counter?"
"Our media company handles most of it, so I don't see it."
She apparently got started with Civil Beat and was hired onto Offshore once it branched off. Below is the video I was referencing.
We had one full day in Brooklyn and we spent all of it eating and walking around the neighborhood. It was the first sunny day in a while, and we were ready to make the most of it.
Read MoreSomeone I met today works at a recycling center.
My mom and I went to recycle cans, and he was there. Super nice, though you could tell he was over his work day. To be fair, it was hot out. Nothing super interesting.
Someone I met is a manager at a food place.
He was wearing a hideous coral shirt and short set, that had pineapples all over it. Not to mention, there were 3 people with this awful combination. Eventually, I stopped him and asked what they were all wearing it for.
Turns out, when he moved to Honolulu, he saw the shirt and bought it. The next manager who moved here also saw the shirt and bought it. Then, the third manager heard about it and also bought it... And the shorts. Not to be outdone by their peer, they also bought the shorts.
So #PineappleFridays is a thing at The Street in the International Marketplace. Also, if you're curious, here it is at Urban Outfitters.
