HAWAII ON2 - Day 6 | Aloha Hawaii

With the alarm buzzing at 4am, I dragged myself out of bed and got ready to go. Having showered the night before, all I had to do was dress and pack up the last of my things. With a sigh and one last look around the room, I exited and took the 22 floors down for one last time.

Since our room was in the nearby tower and not the hotel itself, I had to wheel my luggage onto the sidewalk and up the stairs to the "front desk" to check out. Being so early and still dark out, it was a little intimidating to be walking the street. I was struggling with getting my bag up the stairs when a man approached me and asked me if I needed help with my bag. As a testament to how nice people really are in Hawaii, this big burly guy proceeded to take my heavy bag up the stairs for me. Being from LA, and trained to be wary of strangers, I was surprised and impressed by the unexpected chivalry. I was half expecting the guy to go running off with my bag. But instead, the guy was a complete sweetheart --- and he bid me a good trip as he placed my bag in front of the reception area at the top of the stairs. This gesture reminded me of something someone once said to me, "You have to trust people sometimes."

The shuttles for Diamondhead Vacations were punctual, if nothing else. There was only one other passenger in the bus --- a talent agent from Los Angeles. Our driver was very friendly too --- saying he wished he could have been the driver on the pickup from the airport because he was great at pointing out some great local (non-touristy) places we could have visited during our stay.

The airport was practically deserted. I was able to get through the Agriculture check, check in, and security check rather quickly. The walk to my gate was freaking LONG. And because it was so early, none of the shops were open yet. I could have used a Venti Unleaded Drip from Starbucks. But the whole place was still asleep. Next time, I may need to plan my return trip for later in the day. Getting to the airport so early was not a good idea.

I passed the time at the gate talking with Marvin -- the other passenger from my shuttle bus. We were on the same flight and we chatted about our visit to Hawaii. The plane boarded on time (7:15am) and right after I clicked my seatbelt on, exhaustion took over and I fell asleep as we were taxi-ing to the runway.

All in all, it was a FANTASTIC trip. Started out kind of crazy, but turned out wonderful. It broke my heart to leave...but I am mollifying myself by promising that I will return next year to attend the Salsa Festival again.

Tomorrow?? Back to the real world....

HAWAII ON2 - Day 5 | Farewell & Alone Time

Today was Ruth's last morning in Hawaii.
The lonely pangs began last night, but rather than put a damper on our last hours together, I pushed through...until now.

I awoke to find Ruth gone. After talking until 4am that morning, she was sweet enough to let me sleep in while she ran down to McD's to get us breakfast. As luck would have it, she got stuck with the "new girl" on the McD crew and rookie got the order wrong. When Ruth got back to our room, she realized that she was mistakenly given someone else's order. So I threw some clothes on and we ran back over there together to get our correct orders --- Rice, Scrambled Eggs, Spam, and Portuguese Sausage --- ONLY in Hawaii. (((McSeriously???)))

After breakfast, I couldn't let Ruth return to the mainland without visiting our favorite store --- ABC --- one final time. LOL So we stopped in for a quick second and turned in our receipts (which totaled over $100 --- so sad) for a free gift. With my new reusable Hawaii bag in tow, we went back up to the hotel to gather Ruth's things, went down to the front desk to check her out, and officially check me in, and wait for her shuttle to the airport

As I waited with her, I was struck with the realization --- I'm blessed with many friends. And I'm always thankful. Going out...hanging out with friends...is always fun. But it's very rare to find a good friend you get along well enough to travel with — and not want to commit murder or rather, be minus a friend, by the end of the trip. Ruth was the perfect traveling companion. Over the past 4 days, we seemed to laugh non-stop, we bonded...connected...and there was the underlying commitment to take care of one another while we were away from home. I felt very comfortable and completely unfettered on this trip. And with this thought, I let the pangs of loneliness hit me and I was overcome with sadness because she was leaving.

It was quite a different feeling going back up to the room on my own. Housekeeping had come and gone...taking my rollaway bed with them...and I had the place all to myself. I absently flipped through the TV channels and half thought to just hole myself up in the room until evening. But I had promised Ruth that I wouldn't become a hermit on my last day...that I would venture out --- take the bus or a walk --- and have a bit of an adventure of my own. Being from LA, I'm quite "mentally defective" when it comes to public transportation. I'd spent the last few days telling Ruth that getting on a bus freaks me out because knowing me and my horrible sense of direction, I'll get on the wrong bus and end up on North Shore, when all I wanted to do was go to the mall down the street. LOL

But a promise is a promise...So I channeled my sense of adventure and my determination to make the most of my last day on the island, grabbed my backpack, and decided to take the half mile walk to the park/beach where the Salsa Festival Beach Party was going to be. Incidentally, the Festival was being held at the Prince Kuhio Waikiki --- and Waikiki Beach was literally a block or two away from the hotel. But because they needed the space and a permit for an event for over 100 people, they had to hold the beach party at Ala Moana Beach which was closer to my hotel.

The Black Eyed Peas makes for a great walking soundtrack. I got to the park in no time at all...and I proceeded to walk along the entire length of the beach shoreline looking for the party. I got a few strange looks from the families that were gathered for their Sunday picnics. I may have looked a little too long at them, trying to figure out if they were the Salsa festival peeps. I didn't see the party, so I sort of gave up and circled around the other end of the beach up to the park area which was closer to the street and headed back to the hotel.

I love discovering little bits of street art --- on the sidewalk I found a spray-painted word "HAPPINESS" and an arrow pointing towards the direction of my hotel.

At the end of the path, I finally found the Salsa party...I spotted the dancers and followed the bachata music to the picnic. The fare was simple --- fruit punch, water, chips, salsa, and dip, vegetable cru d'etat, and the funkiest hot dogs I'd ever seen --- I dubbed them "Red Dye No. 5 Dogs" --- because I'm almost certain, no matter how many preservatives you put into something, that color wouldn't occur naturally.


I spent a couple of hours mingling, dancing, water-balloon-tossing...and after an afternoon in the sun, I decided to head back to the hotel to rest up before going to the closing social. Rest didn't come very quickly for me though, because a friend asked to come back to the room and sleep off an eye condition and headache. I couldn't say no to someone who needed my help. And while Ive known this person for quite some time...I can't say were were close friends, so while he crashed out for a while, I used the time to pack and run down to ABC on the corner and pick up a few souvenirs to share with friends and family back home --- Okay...I admit, I also wanted to say "goodbye" to the ABC folks. Aside from Ruth, I saw more of the ABC employees than anyone else. I felt like we were friends. LOL

After about 3 hours, my friend finally woke up and I had to send him on his way back to the Festival. I think he was half expecting me to get ready and share a cab ride with him to the social. But I begged off...wanting to take a nap myself and telling him I'd just see him later on at the festival. Once he was gone and I was on my own again, the exhaustion kicked in. I debated on whether I wanted to get all dressed up and take the bus to the social. The "tiredness" won the battle and I ended up finishing up with my packing, showering and settling in for the night. It was nice to just have some "me" time.

At Midnight, once everything was packed and I had my clothes and things ready for the flight the next day, I set the alarm on my phone, and went to sleep.

HAWAII ON2 - Day 4 | Dance, Dance, Dance!!

Saturday was all about dancing.

Ruth 's friend, Clem came by treated me and Ruth to breakfast at a pub on the marina. They had a fantastic Crab Benedict. A larger meal than normal for me, but it seemed justified because I planned to dance it all off.

After breakfast, Ruth and I caught the bus to the Festival. Time for some WORKSHOPS!!!

10am - Partnerwork On2 for Ruth & Rio-style Brazilian Samba for me

11am - Pachanga w/ Mambo Shines

12noon - We were going to take an On2 Partnerwork and Mambo concepts class but we weren't "feeling" the instructor, so we left the hotel to go for a walk and find a snack. We walked down a few blocks to Waikiki Beach to people watch and snap a few photos (proof we were there LOL) and on the way back, we found a shaved ice shop. I had an ice treat with condensed milk and sweet red beans --- similar to the Filipino dessert "halo halo"...and Ruth had a taro smoothie.

1pm - Latin Hip Hop class with ReKreation --- hot routine!!!

After that class, there wasn't anything else on the schedule we were interested in taking, so we hopped a bus back to our hotel to relax for a bit.

For some reason, we didn't get back to the Festival for the social dance until really late. We were on vacation mode and moving kind of slowly, I guess. The place was packed when we got there. This time, I made it a point to dance with more new faces...rather than with people I already knew. I have to say it again --- people here dance REALLY WELL. The teachers here really know what they're doing. :)

Though I danced more this night than on Thursday, I felt like I didn't have "my feet under me." There are times when I get that strange vibe and I can't connect --- my styling was "off" and my turns felt very cautious and unsteady. Ruth had a charlie horse in her calf that she couldn't dance or stretch away. We didn't seem to be doing too well. I think the trip was finally catching up with us... LOL...Guess we can't party like the young ones anymore...We stayed as long as we could, but didn't dance as much as we wanted to. We still managed to stay close to 2am, though. At the end of the night, we took a cab back to the hotel...and Ruth began packing her bags because she was flying out the next day.

There was a nice bonding moment as we were trying to go to sleep...talking in the dark...Ruth in the bed...me in my rollaway cot...girl talk and sharing...It was nice --- Kind of rare to be able to travel with a friend and get along so well that you don't actually want to kill each other by the end of the trip. I couldn't help but feel sad knowing that she wouldn't be there much longer.

Around 4am, we were both fading fast --- falling asleep mid-sentence --- so we ended the conversation and crashed out.

HAWAII ON2 - Day 3 | After the Excursions

I returned to the hotel about an hour before Ruth. Grabbed a quick bite to eat at McD's --- Filet O' Fish meal since it was Friday (LENT) --- Incidentally, I didn't actually remember it was Friday until I was staring up at the board wondering what to order. I had managed up until then to avoid eating meat --- Hawaiian Rolls and Coffee for breakfast and Almonds & Dried Mango for a snack while I was at the Memorial. This was my first real "meal" of the day.

I had a bit of "me" time while I ate my meal and watched a little TV.

Ruth came in about 40 minutes later --- a bit more tan and looking very relaxed and tired. Her kayaking excursion also included a one-hour body massage. LUCKY GIRL!! After rinsing the seawater and massage oil, she settled in for a nap and I followed suit since I wasn't feeling well and didn't sleep much the night before. Our tentative plan for the evening was to wake up in an hour, get ready, and take the bus to the Festival to dance for a few hours and then cab it to 8 Fat Fat 8 for some Karaoke with an old friend of Ruth's.

I opened my eyes after 11pm to find Ruth awake and watching TV.

Me (still groggy): Are we still going out?

Ruth: No, it's late and you needed to rest. We both needed to rest.

Me: I'm sorry to have slept so much. You could have just left me here and gone out on your own.

Ruth: It's okay. I'm tired too. Let's just get some sleep because we have a big day tomorrow.

And that's how we rolled on our Friday night in Honolulu.

Like the Partay Animalz we are..........................We slept in.

***SMH***

HAWAII ON2 - Day 3 | Solo Excursions

On today's agenda - solo excursions --- kayaking for Ruth and Pearl Harbor/USS Arizona tour for me. In other words, hunky instructor eye-candy for Ruth and uh, failed middle-aged standup comedian-turned-tourguide for me. Hmmm...I don't think I planned this well. LOL

Ruth left early to go to another hotel for her shuttle pickup. My shuttle would be picking me up at my hotel around 9am, so I got ready and headed down to grab some of the "free Continental Breakfast" that's offered. No time for a real meal before my pickup...

8:30a - Old white folks sure dig their free Continental breakfast. Just had a little old lady shove past me to bogart the last piece of toast. Go on with your bad self, granny!

8:45a - Two sweet rolls and a cup of coffee later, and I'm outside in the sunshine and sprinkles to wait for my bus.

9:07a - My shuttle bus is here. Very fancy!

9:15a - The public transportation system here is phenomenal! And the buses have an amazing turn-radius - dang!

9:31a - Uh oh -- I'm on the funk bus - Prince's KISS is playing on the radio. :)

9:36a - The bus and trolley drivers here have cajones!!! They are fearless!!!

9:40a - Transfer to our actual tour bus...still fancy. :)

945a - And now, the sarcastic banter & comments from the audience begins. Really old guy in the back yelled out, "What about sex???" --- in answer to something the bus driver was commenting on. (((shaking my head))) This gonna be a LONG tour. Why didn't I bring my iPod?

Some of the interesting tidbits the driver/tourguide rattled off:

• 2 out of 3 jobs in Hawaii are tourism or travel-related.

• Medium-priced house - 2bdrm/2bath/1,000 sq ft average price $500k

• There's 47 ABC Stores in Waikiki alone. (Not sure if this is true, but it very well could be) This chain is worse than Starbucks when it comes to the number of locations.

MY PILGRIMAGE TO PEARL HARBOR:

I've been wanting to visit Pearl Harbor for several years -- even when I first visited Hawaii several years ago to attend a friend's wedding. I'm really not much of a history buff, but after learning about WWII in history classes and watching PEARL HARBOR numerous times, I was curious and eager to visit the memorial.

Since Ruth had already visited the Memorial on previous visits, she opted to go kayaking. Having been connected at the hip for the past 48 hours, I'm sure she welcomed the alone time. And somehow, it felt appropriate to do this tour on my own. As the tourbus approached the Visitor Center, we were reminded again that no bags were allowed on the property. Because of 9/11, extra security measures had to be integrated. So now, you can only take things in your pockets. No bags or anything that can conceal anything. Of course, no food or outside beverages were allowed.

The Visitor Center was self-guided. We could opt to purchase an audio tour and walk around the property with a headset or explore at your own pace. To avoid rehashing every detail I saw (and I saw a LOT) and risk sounding like a page out of Wikipedia, I'll just say that the place had a very solemn energy throughout. From the Commemoration areas and museum at the visitor center to the 23-minute movie and ferry-ride to the Memorial itself --- one could only venture out with respect and a bit of sadness at everything that's seen. Being in the Memorial structure itself, which stands over the hull of the sunken USS Arizona, is a surreal experience.

It was astounding just how shallow the water was. Bits of the ship still appear above the surface. Even 69 years after the event, you can still see oil seeping out from the top of the ship...amazing. Further to the end of the Memorial is the Shrine...a wall that lists all of the souls that were lost on the ship that day. And to the left of the wall, there is a smaller plaque which lists the names of the men who survived the attack at Pearl, but upon death wished to be laid to rest with their brothers.

Overall, there was a very somber energy --- not surprising, because we were, after all, in a cemetary. 1,102 of the soldiers that perished still lie entombed in the sunken vessel. Being there is very grounding and it reminds you just how precious and precarious life can be. It was very humbling.

After that experience, it was hard not to feel wasted and exhausted. All of us were silent on the ride back towards Waikiki. Not much was said on the "city tour" that the driver was giving us. We saw other parts of the city --- the city hall, the old and new governor's mansions, 'Iolani Palace --- said to be the only Royal properties on U.S. soil, the statue of King Kamehameha, the Punch Bowl, the National Cemetary where several soldiers from WWII are buried, and the Blaisdell Arena which is where Elvis performed. Sadly, those landmarks paled somewhat in comparison after visiting Pearl.

Enlightened and humbled...

HAWAII ON2 - Day 2 | Salsa Festival - First Impressions

Day 2 --- Heading to the Salsa Festival

8:20p - LA could really take some lessons from Honolulu's amazing public transit system. You really don't need a car here.

8:50p - where's the #20?! We've been waiting here almost 30 minutes!

8:57p - Uh Oh... I'm starting to develop a cough. F#%$ing post-nasal drip!!! Bah!!! :(

8:59p - Finally saw "5-oh" drive by. Was just telling Ruth earlier that we haven't seen Hawaii Police anywhere. Weird.

9:04p - The bus we've been waiting for stopped running at 6pm. DUH!!

9:30p - We're finally at the Congress. Time to register, get our shirts, and go in!

This is my very first out-of-state Salsa Festival/Congress. I haven't been to the LA one in quite some, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a little intimidating to walk into a room full of dancers you've never seen before - not knowing who the "big fishes" were, who the instructors were, — all levels and styles of dancers intermingling....but at the same time, it was also refreshing not to know who was who. I simply enjoyed watching all of the dancers...how they moved...gauging how well the guys lead the ladies, etc. There was a whole new mix of personalities to figure out and it was kind of cool to be the "newbie".

Some of the highlights and main points for me:

• The ratio of ON2 dancers to ON1 was probably around 4 to 1. Awesome!!
• Clearly the caliber of instructors in Hawaii is much greater! Everyone dances really well here. Scary. LOL
• The performances were surprisingly great...Most notably, ReKreation from Houston, TX and Serena Cuevas. (Note to self: I need to blog about these performers later.)

Good salsa buddy, David Solivan flew out at the last minute for the Festival. I only danced a few times --- twice with him...dealing with these allergies and congestion the few dances I had nearly did me in --- lungs on fire and everything. It was warm in there and I was sweating, but I think it was more of a cold sweat since I was sick. I felt like I had to really pace myself, otherwise I'd be down for the rest of the week. All in all, I was perfectly happy to sit and watch all the dancers. Ruth and I ended up staying longer than we intended. We almost closed the place down.

Not too shabby for our first night at the Festival.

HAWAII ON2 - Day 2 | Resting, Relaxing, & Ready to Dance

Thank God for my neti pot. I brought one with me because somehow, I knew I'd need it. I'm now testing the claim that regular use of a neti pot shortens the duration of a cold. We'll see. I'm definitely feeling better. Still congested --- but for now, it's a head cold...and I'm doing everything I can to keep it from becoming a chest cold.

Walked to the coffeeshop on the next block for breakfast. Chai Latte & McD's breakfast sandwich for me. Coffee & Belgium waffle for Ruth. Incidentally, only in Hawaii will McD's serve breakfast platters with rice, eggs, Spam, & Portuguese sausage.

After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel to hang out at the pool. Our original plan included going out and exploring Waikiki. But we were both tired and the thought of basking in the sunshine and cool breeze was more appealing.

On a side note, there's an ABC General Store on every corner here. I've seen the inside of at least 3 of them and I haven't even been here a full 24 hours.

At the pool, a guy overheard our conversation and asked if we were in town for the Salsa Festival. We all sat in the jacuzzi and talked for about an hour. Abron is a transplant from Portland. He's a regular in the salsa scene in Honolulu. Looks like Ruth and I are guaranteed at least one dance at the Opening Party tonight.

While sunning and pooling, the breakfast wore off, so we went up, showered and changed and went off to try the nearby Chinese buffet. Hey, no way can Filipinos pass up a buffet opportunity. Food was good, but sadly, even being in beautiful Hawaii doesn't disguise the mediocrity of Chinese buffet cuisine.

Back from our late lunch/early dinner...we are stuffed and we ate too much, but that's okay, since we'll be working most of it off on the dancefloor tonight. We're currently back in the hotel room --- ready to take a nap --- and rest up before catching the bus to the Hilton Hawaii Prince Kuhio for the official start of the Festival.

More later...

HAWAII ON2 - Day 1 | Acclimating, Adjusting, and Allergies

As luck would have it, just as my plane was descending yesterday, I started sneezing and wheezing....my body on cue to start breaking down since I was officially on vaycay. CRAP!!

I've been here in Hawaii for a little over 24 hours and I've spend most of my money on medication and kleenex. With my body adjusting to the climate, the allergies are in full force. And I absolutely REFUSE to get SICK. After two hours of sleep the night before, the crazy drama with my car, and the flight in, I was EXHAUSTED - physically and emotionally.

After a little sightseeing and a visit to the local mall—which would be the probable equivalent if "Del Amo Mall" & "Rodeo Drive" had a baby—we grabbed dinner and drinks with one of Ruth's old friends and walked back to our hotel.

The time difference makes it feel like time stands still here. My body was definitely still on LA time. Hiking the mile back from the mall at 9pm was a struggle.

A hot shower and a Benadryl later, I knocked out for the evening. Thank goodness Ruth was exhausted too --- she was able to sleep through my "log sawing"...It's hard to sleep when you can't breathe through your nose.

HAWAII-bound | Day One - Flying out!!!

DAY ONE --- 3/16/2011

6:20a - Traffic this early?? REALLY????

6:40a - Tire blows out/shreds on my way to the office...one exit away (La Tijera). Thankfully Freeway Service Patrol spotted me when I hit my hazards and pulled over. I didn't even have to pick up my phone to call.

7:20a - Stressing the hell out. Still on the fwy. The patrol guy couldn't get the bolts off my rim. Three diff trucks showed up. Three service guys and None of them could get it - my wheel key was cracked. :( that's what I get for getting fancy ass rims.

7:35a - Patrol finally decides to tow my car. Alison meets me at the gas station to take me to the airport.

7:45a - Finally at LAX. (Thank you, Alison - for the ride and for helping me stay calm.) Called Dad en route to LAX to deliver an update. He advised me to enjoy my vacation and he'll take care of my car..."Don't worry," he says. THANK YOU, DAD!!! See? I'll ALWAYS need you!

8:00a - Got my bag checked. Two things: 1) Why did I bother to check in online and print my boarding pass yesterday? It didn't get me through any faster. And 2) I thought you could check one bag for free with Hawaiian Air. I was wrong. :( $25 per checked bag. What?!?!? Oh well.

8:15a - Getting through security took a while. Not sure why people raised such a big stink about the body scanners. They weren't a big deal. I have nothing to hide and if a TSA agent is going to get all hot and bothered over an infrared scan of my wobbly bits? More power to him!

8:40a - On board. Last texts to family and friends before takeoff and this phone's going on "airplane mode."

9:00a - Time for takeoff!

9:15a - "Fasten Seat Belt" sign is off. Outta the way!! I've gotta PEE!!!

9:30a - Kids in row behind me kicking my seat. Should I go off? Or consider it "turbulence"? I don't give a F#%*. I'm on my way to Hawaii!

10:00a - Everything costs MONEY! Can't even watch an episode of GLEE w/o paying! Thank God for my iPhone and iPod --- and for one of the few free features on this plane - USB charging ports!!!

10:40a - Complimentary Breakfast Frittata and Blueberry Muffin. Sustenance!!! Yay! I was starving. No time to stop b/c of my car drama this morning.

Food is actually tasty...or maybe I'm just THAT hungry.

10:50a - Note to self: Fly FIRST CLASS someday just to see what it's like.

10:52a - Just added to my "Wish List": a new iPad. Angry Birds looks so cool on it.

If I had a Mac Air, I'd have brought it with me to watch movies. My MacBook is so bloody heavy! But I'm loving my iPhone right now!! #applegadgetsrock

11:02a - 3rd cup of coffee. Only slept 2 hrs last night. I should be knocked out even w/ all this caffeine.

11:34a - I had a major case of GAS. Was trying to chill out and not get up again. Didn't wanna be known as "Bathroom Lady." But the cramps won. Feeling better. Now I can play Angry Birds w/o interruption.

11:38a - 3 hrs, 15 mins to go. That's a LOT of Angry Birds.

So many iPads and mini laptops around me. Looks like me and my iPhone are out of style.

11:50a - Just spoke w/ girl next to me abt her iPad. Wow!!! I really want one now! :) She told me sales tax is about half in Hawaii. Hmmm.........

11:53a - 3 more hours...maybe I should try to sleep for a while.

12:53p - Closed my eyes for roughly an hour. Couldn't fully fall asleep. So tired. Two more hours in the air - about 1,000 miles to go.

12:58p - Lovey-dovey, cuddle-happy couple across the aisle from me is kinda annoying. Wish I was better at recognizing celebs. The guy looks like Hugh Laurie from HOUSE MD...or, a drunken rockstar from some Indie band. Where is Alan when I need him??

Lots of interracial couples on this flight.

1:45p - To the couple sitting in front of annoying cuddlers. HOW did YOU TWO end up together??? #heartwantswhatitwants

Maybe Rocky and Di were right... Perhaps I have to turn into a helpless female to snag a man. I think I've been going about this the wrong way. I'm too strong and independent?? Really?

But wait. I AM helpless. See post from 7:45a.

1:57p - One hour to go. Captain just asked if there was a doctor or RN aboard. Assistance is needed two rows ahead of me (37E)

Oxygen tank just went by.
Hope they're ok.

2:17p - Agriculture Forms. I forgot. Hawaii thinks they're a whole other country.

37 minutes till we land! Woot!!!!

2:26p - Less than 30 mins to go...I can feel our descent. The recycled air is making me sneeze.

Time to turn off electronics!!!

2:54p / 11:54a Hawaii time - We have landed!!!! Woot!!