My First Few Weeks

Now that it has been just over a month since I got here, I have been busy doing all sorts of crazy things. I have so much that I could/would like to write about all these things but because I haven't been very faithful to my new little blog, I have to summarize up to this point. Hopefully I will learn my lesson and not make this mistake again in the future! I will start with my first days at school and orientation. The whole first week for new students and transfer students like myself is jam packed with fun activities. I didn't attend everything, but I loved what I did go to. Most of all I loved the tour of the Polynesian Cultural Center.

THE PCC
January 4th 
 

As we waited for the Canoe Dancing to start, a canoe selling Hawaiian style

ice cream sundaes with sherbet and fresh fruit floated around. I shared one with

someone in my orientation group. It was DELICIOUS!

 

The guy behind the canoe in the water was pushed off by the other canoe pusher. It

wasn't supposed to be part of the performance, and definitely made us all laugh.

About 6 different countries did canoe

dances that were unique to their homeland. This one is Fiji.

We were learning how to swing these around, which is a kind of

hobby that lots of Hawaiians like to do. If you get good you can swing them

around in lots of cool ways, I needed more practice though for sure!

the EDDIE AIKAU
January 20th

There is a big surf competition that is held at Waimea Bay, which is just a few miles north of where I live. This is the surf competition of all surf competitions! Competitors are there by invitation only. There has to be waves with AT LEAST 25 ft. faces, which is HUGE. "The Eddie" has only taken place 8 times in the past 30 years because of how strict they are with what the waves heights have to be. A big swell was predicted so the whole island was in a frenzy about going, and whether or not it would go through. A group of 11 of us piled into a van and made our way down to Waimea the night before. The guys set up a tent amongst dozens of other Eddie enthusiasts already camping there to miss traffic in the morning and not have to miss any of the potential and insane surfing. 

We had fun telling stories and hanging out at the beach.

I even taught the crew how to do "shakey face"!

Tanner

Liz

Andy

Then everyone got settled in for a very tight squeeze in the tent and tried to sleep. Most of us slept horribly. Morning came and as we climbed out of the tent there were already thousands of people all around. After waiting a couple of hours, officials decided that the so-called swell wasn't producing big enough waves. We all went home disappointed but it was still a fun little trip. I just feel bad for all the surfers that flew to Oahu in hopes of competing!

The timing worked out perfectly though because Elder Bednar was giving a devotional at BYUH later that morning. We all went home, got changed and went to listen to what the apostle had to tell us. It was an amazing talk and was written specifically for the students at BYUH. I learned a lot about the importance of a constant personal conversion throughout my entire life. I am so blessed that I attend a University where I can camp on a beach with my friends and hours later be taught directly by an apostle of the Lord. Im really livin' the life out here, there's no doubt about that!

Crab Hunting!

In the first week that I got to Hawaii, I was invited to go with a couple of my roommates and their friends to go crab hunting! I was excited to go, but I didnt know what to expect. We hopped into the back of a truck, hawaii-style, and rode down to Hauula Beach. It was after dark so we had flashlights, and headed towards the shoreline. We quickly learned that crab hunting is not as calm or easy as we first thought it was. I hope that the video helps show how fun and crazy crab hunting really is!

Firstly, you have to find a little hole that has sand dug out to the side of it. Then, you start digging. The crabs dig in a spiral, so you follow along the little hole until you feel the little guy (sometimes not-so little guy). It sounds so simple....it really isnt. Its TERRIFYING! You are literally putting your bare hands down into a dark hole with a creepy little pinching creature. The crabs dont pinch at you while you are digging, at least they didnt get us. Im sure they were trying to dig deeper. When you feel your fingertips hit the shell, it sends shivers up and down! Im not sure why, but its so intense and you get all sorts of anxiety.
Now comes the brave part. Its very strategic, and there are two options. One is to make sure you know where the front is compared to the back. Hold down the top of the shell so it can't turn and pinch. Dig around the back a little, and pinch the sides of the crab from the back. Done! The second option is to scoop the crab right out of the whole, flinging it onto the shore where the crab goes CRAZY!! It looks like a big spider, only much faster. These guys move so quick. You have to be ready with armfulls of sand and when they start running around, you chase after them, throwing the sand to try to bury and stop them. Once you get them stopped, you dig them out the same way as the first option, only now its easier because you dont have to reach into a deep hole! I prefer the first way though, its less scary.
If this sounds easy, its not! And it brought out a lot of screams, even from the guys! I was so nervous to dig them out and hold them but Im glad I made myself do it. Half of the people that came wouldn't do either. After we collected 7 or 8 crabs in a bucket, we let them go into the ocean. It was so exhilerating, I can't wait to take my family and friends when they come out to visit!

Gettin' into the groove of things

Welp, so far I have been in Hawaii for 3 1/2 weeks. Lots has happened, but before I go off on all that, I will explain the basics...

My little college town of Laie (law-ee-ay) is located on the north-east shore of Oahu. I live in "the brick house" on "the point". Most student homes out here have a name that everyone recognizes them by: the brick house, canal house, bus stop house, quiet house, etc. "The Point" is an neighborhood that is located on a small peninsula (if you will) that pokes out into the ocean. It's one street, but a long one; has enough off-campus student housing to make up its own ward. I live with 3 other girls: Chanise Raab, who is my roommate, Britt Edman and Nat Cude, who live in the 2nd bedroom. They are all great girls, which drastically helps with the whole transition of moving away from family and friends to an unfamiliar island in the middle of the great Pacific.

After my relatives picked me up from the airport, I slept at their home and spent my first day, New Year's Eve, with them. We took care of some quick business, taking my baggage to my new home, along with the little life necessities that we picked up at Walmart in Honolulu on the way home from the airport the night before. That night the holiday celebrations were much different that I experience at home in Utah. Hawaiians are CRAZY about fireworks, and more specifically fire crackers! It was a constant noise-fest. The McDonell's and I walked around the neighborhood, block party to block party, eating food and watching firework displays that were carefully fashioned out of poles and wires in order to link together and set off lengthy chains of firecrackers.

The next few days consisted of unpacking, settling in, and either lazying around inside because of crazy tropical "winter" rainstorms or soaking up some sun outside. I tended to be lazier than necessary, but I felt it was deserved because of the difficult semester that just ended and how busy I had been with Katie's wedding plans and the holidays for the previous few months. I didn't mind laying around one bit.

I was lucky enough to get a job out here immediately. My uncle Marty is a professor in the Social Work department and was aware that a new student secretary was needed. He worked his magic and soon I was able to send in my resume and application, business was taken care of and the job was officially mine. I now work up to 19 measly hours a week, which is perfect for a student vacationer like me. I am only enrolled in 3 classes (7 credit hours), and with the part-time job, I find that I have lots of free-time to utilize the beach with. My classes include a Book of Mormon course, Hawaiian Culture, and Fitness for Life. I already enjoy each one a lot, and I feel that they provide a great balance for me out here. I enjoy that I am learning spiritually, culturally, and physically.

The McDonell's have been a super huge help to me since I got here, especially in the first week, but they continually help me with anything I need and more. They are so generous, providing me food when I'm over at their house (which is just a few streets away), taking me to Walmart and Costco when I need it, and lending me some things that I need temporarily like a beach cruiser. They are awesome, and Im glad that I have them here whenever I may need anything.