Island Life

Well I am a little over a 3rd done with my time here in Hawaii, (***sigh). Sometimes I am tempted to just want to stay but I can't because I would turn into a beach bum. Anyway life is great here. I guess I just wanted to give you guys an idea of what my life is like here. ITS TOUGH.....I have class till 1 monday wednesday friday and tuesday thursday until 10 am. Then the rest of my time is spent at the beach surfing or hiking to waterfalls in the mountains, like this one.






My best surfing friend is Tony. We get along great. He and I have the best time together catching waves and chasing girls. lol.

Yeah I know I look white but this was in our first few days here.
A few weeks back all us guys put on the best 80s gettup we could (ok its not that great but its all we had) and we rocked the welcome dance. You should have seen the people look as we walked into the dance.


The other day me and a bunch of friends went to Honolulu and rented mopeds.

It was great. We had a blast but got the crap scared out of us when one of the girls crashed into a wall. She was alright but had to pay for some scratched paint of the bike. At the end of a day of cruising around the island like hells angels with the wind in our hair along the beach we decided to catch some waves at sunset. We rented longboards and went out as the sun turned the water red. It was so fun catch waves while looking across the ocean at the fiery sunset.



All you could see was the dark surfer silhouette of your friends against the red sky and warm red water. Then exhausted from so much fun we went shopping for some small stuff and ate a good dinner then headed for home. Amazing! Also I have come to find that surfing is the most therapeutic thing in the world for me. I LOVE IT. Whenever I am stressed or worried a few waves calms me so well its unreal. See all this tempts me to stay but.......I would end up being a beach bum and with only 2000 students and only half or less of them from the states its tough socially. Still I love my island and as long as I am here and have my board, LIFE IS GOOD!




See This is more recent. I am getting a little more tan tan. lol

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Underdogs

So the other day I am in the cafeteria eating and my phone rang. I pick it up to here my friend Jordan (who is striaght out of the 70s with his curly fro and hippy clothes, and love everybody attitude). He was out of breath and told me that in five minutes his dodge ball team was playing and they were short one person. So I ran to the gym in my still wet swim shorts (wet from a great day of surfing) and my slippers (flip flops), I was just gonna play barefoot. I got there just in time to see our ragtag team just put together randomly waiting to play. I found out I had to wear shoes so I ran home and changed. Finally we started playing. Sure it was great fun but every team but ours seemed way serious. We were laughing and yelling, it was great. Then I found out that is was a double elimination tournament. Still I didn't care. We lost our first game but then won the next two (a game is best 2 out of 3 sets). Then I found out why it was all so serious. If we won we got tee shirts and some of these other teams had been together in a bunch of different intramural events. Anyway we got all the way to the finals but it was to late so we moved the game to two nights later. The team we were playing was apparently the team that won all the intramural events. The were stone faced serious. By the way out team acted it seemed our motto was "for hells sake its just dodgeball". We also had the disadvantage cause we had to beat them twice because they had never lost and we had. Anyway long story short, the underdogs kicked there A's, and the were all pissed off. It was funny. Even the lady who was in charge of the shirts was happy and said, "those guys always win everything, they are really mad".






So just like the ragtag revolutionary army, Rocky, Rudy, Ghandi, we, the ragtag underdogs were victorious and will shortly receive our shirts with "dodgeball champions" written on the back.

My Girlfriend

Yep thats right I now have a Girlfriend. She is so beautiful and I am crazy in love with her. She is very nice, if conditions are right but when she gets pissed she throws me around and the other day she smacked me in the head. She is about 3 to 7 feet tall depending on wind conditions. Yep thats right I am in love with the ocean and more especially her curves....the waves. Actually to be more honest I haven't really gotten to know all that many girls here because whenever I take them with me to the beach I leave them behind and go hang out with my Girlfriend.


I really love surfing but I want to preface this blog with the fact that I AM NO GREAT SURFER! Sure I can catch some waves and ride but I am no hardcore wave shredder. Still I have been doing it a lot. There has been a pretty solid North Shore swell this spring that has continued later than normal. So conditions have been awesome. For all of you that don't know North Shore Oahu which is fifteen minutes from where I live is the greatest surfing location on the planet. All the biggest pro surf competitions are help here. Still, this is all in the winter when the swells get as big 30 to 40 feet high in some spots. THAT IS INSANE. ITS LIKE A BUILDING FALLING DOWN. Luckily in the spring and summer its a lot calmer and smaller. Surfing really is a great sport and I don't think it gets enough respect. Sure everyone knows the pro golfer Tiger Woods. Oh....wow.....he can hit a little ball a few hundred yards. Yet yet many don't know about guys like Laird Hamilton who voluntarily stands in front of mountains that fall down and rides them like a pro.
Whats more amazing a nice straight drive or Laird Hamilton at Teahupoo Tahiti.


Heck I would take a punch to the face from Mike Tyson before going in front of that wave. Surfers get a bad rap and are portrayed as losers and true...... some are. But thats not what surfing is about. Surfing was created by the Hawaiians purely as a form of recreation.


So surfing is really all about fun. In my favorite surf video "Step into Liquid" one of the best pro surfers is asked who he thinks the best surfer is....his reply "the one who's having the most fun". Thats the beauty of surfing. Its so cool to see 60 year old guys on longboards still riding with there sons and sometimes grandsons and all of them having fun together. One of my best buds here, Toni, and his brothers have surfed together for years. His brother lives here in Hawaii and the other day he went and surfed with us. It was cool to watch them cheer for each other as they took wave after wave. Oh here is a pic of Toni, he is the good surfer of the group.



Also a week ago I took some girls down to the gentle surf of Waikiki to teach them. To surf. At first they were having a little trouble but slowly started to get the hang of it. But one girl had not really got a wave so I showed her some things and pushed her in front of a wave. She stood up and rode it all the way to shore. I don't know who was yelling louder, her or me. See that what its all about. FUN. It also is so incredibly different depending on conditions and where you go. The other day I went to a gentle spot near campus called Goat Island. Is was near sunset time and I paddled out and was all alone. The water was warm and lapping quietly against my board. All there was was the sound of the waves and the beautiful red sky in front of me with the silhouette of the palm trees on the horizon. I took wave after glassy wave. Another surfer cam out and we made small talk. The next morning, still on a high from the sunset surf, made a 5:30 surf run with a buddy I have from Brazil named Gabe. The sun rose and the water was glassy and clear as we took the fun waves in. Surfing can be so relaxing or Scary as Hell.

The next day we went to North Shore and the waves were dropping some 7 to ten foot waves on the bigger sets. I got out and my heart was pumping and I felt a little out of my league. I was with Joey Pugh who body boards well and Tony and his brother who are both pretty good surfers. A few sets came through but I was a little unsure and didn't take them.

Then a solid 7 footer came and I decided I had to. The wave came up behind me and I paddled hard. I felt myself lift up. Tony and his brother watched and thought I was gonna eat it and they said that when they saw the wave crash they thought " Ouch he just got crushed". But to their surprise I emerged with arms in the air cheering. When the wave came it walled up hard and My nose dropped sharply but I was able to get up and turn down the face. It was the greatest rush. I felt on top of the world and suddenly found my courage. I got several other good waves but none as big as that first one. I also got crushed a few times.


Actually I got smashed pretty hard one time. The wave flipped my a few times and I landed on my board with my head and actually chipped a part of my board. I also lost my necklace in the water. Still beaten bruised and sunburned it was a great day!

Yeah that me. Joey got a GREAT SHOT!

So yeah I have a Girlfriend, the ocean, and there is nothing I like doing more than surfing with her.

So here is my poem

"Ode to the Surfer man"

Heres to you great surfer man
you with a body so tan
you charge the raging sea
with a long straight surfboard in hand.
and leave all the hot chicks behind
to the other guys on land
Up and down a fall or two
but it is not so bad.
When you get back you will just lie
about all the great rides you had!


Aloha and I miss you guys

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My Confession

Well everyone I have a confession to make. I am a mommas boy! Yeah.... I love my momma, even though I am posting this the day after mothers day. Hey I said I love my mom not that I am punctual. Well the reasons I love my mom go on and on. It amazes me that she hasn't died of exhaustion. Just giving birth to eight children takes more energy than whats necessary to power a nuclear sub. The crazy thing is that not only did my mom give birth to eight children she somehow raised us and we all (with the exception of me) turned out pretty much sane. I will never forget growing up at the farm and the terrible shrieks of anger when we came in with muddy feet or the shrieks of glee when Mom finally got her finally got tile floors.....(i guess my mom has some weird hang up on flooring). I also will never forget the endless trips to football practice where we would always arrive a few minutes late and I would have to run extra because of MY MOMS tardiness. As I ran those long extra laps I would be so angry at the injustice and think that my mom should be running not me. So thats why I did well in track!!!!! Its all so clear now. Well I guess I should thank you Mom.I also remember the special bonds I made with coaches late at night as we sat and waited for my mom to pick me up from practice 30 minutes late...lol. Thanks Mom. But in all seriousness my mother is a saint. I am so lucky to have two parents that fulfill their roles so well. From my Dad I have learned to be a man. I have learn to work, to study, and how to be tough and self sufficient. From my mom I have learned to love, to care, to nurture and befriend all. Actually both parents have taught me these all these things together but it seems like they have there areas they are more specialized in. People often praise my optimism and I know that I learned that from my Mom. In whatever situation we are in my mom makes the best of it. People also say that I seem cheerful. Well again thats not me.....I learned it from my cheerful Momma. The list goes on and on. My Mom has fulfilled her role as a mother perfectly. Yep, I lucked out getting Alexis Hansen for a mom and as you can see I have been happy about that from the start.

Now I am a little bigger and a little less cute but I still am happy and love the Mom I got.

And there are 7 others who feel the exact same way.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM (a day late)
I LOVE YOU

Waterfalls in paradise

The other day I finished class and decided it was time to break the law. Near our campus is a trail into the mountains to a waterfall called sacred Falls. This park is closed and full of signs that let you know this. Still, hell itself is not going to keep me back from a waterfall in paradise. So called a few friends and we loaded up in Willy and headed for the park. We snuck in and began our hike. We headed up the trail past a few papaya farms and then entered under a thick jungle canopy along a stream.



The dark tropical clouds loomed along the mountain tops in front of us and occasionally the Jungle canopy would open just enough to let us see the super steep mountains we were headed towards.
It was about an hour walk through the Jungle, then suddenly we came out of the thick foliage and into a deep canyon and after rounding a corner there it was. Our waterfall in paradise.

It was great we swam in the dark green pool and played under the waterfall for an hour all by ourselves. We took pictures and goofed off then headed back down but of course had to take a picture to celebrate our rebellion by a park closed sign.
On the way down we laughed and talked about how cool everything around us was. We didn't think it could get any better.....but like Hawaii always does we were in for better. We found a wild Guava tree, and there in the jungle ate wild guava to our hearts content!

It was so good!
So if you are wondering how I am doing.....I am pretty sure you can tell.

ps. ok ok I know you are all wondering why I am still white as an albino in a snowstorm......*Sniff* I dont know why *Sniff* but promise eventually I will get one.

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WILLY

The cars name is willy and holds 10 beach bums at a time....and yes we painted on the stripe and winged w. Still the sad part is that my tan is slow in coming..lol

Getting settled

Well I did it! I am settled in here and having a blast. How did this happen you ask? Well it all began on day two of my adventure when we finished with orientation about 1 in the afternoon and I realized that I had the rest of the afternoon to do .......whatever. So off I went on an adventure and quest to find "the car". I grabbed my stuff and began hitch-hiking south towards the town of Kaneohe following a lead on a car for 500 bucks. I finally got a ride with a really cool guy that for a few extra bucks took me all the way past where he was going to the car. And there he was, a brown 89 ford aerostar minivan with no seats in the back. After a test drive i was sold, but I was clever and pointed out every flaw I could and got the guy to sell it half off for 250. Armed with my new car I headed north following a lead on a surfboard for 150 dollars. Upon meeting with the cool surfer dude I talked him down to 120 and bought my board. All that was needed then was surfin buddies to fill my van. So over the next few day I began to meet some really cool guys and girls at various orientation and social functions. Now there are far to many girls to mention so I wont.....lol. But some of my buds are: my roomate JJ. Hansen. He is from penn and just got back from Taiwan where he served his mission. Good guy. We have clicked and have had a lot of good laughs. Adison Raider (cool name huh) is a big guy from California who served in japan. He is a really relaxed guy and with deep voice. Steve Ferrin is a bud from last time though not from the exact same group. He is a great piano player and a way nice guy. Britton is a guy from Washinton. He is the one young guy in the group who has not gone on a mission. Crazy kid who loved to yell out that van at every girl we pass "AROHA"- (which is aloha with a thick fake asian accent). He is a funny kid who fearlessly talks to any girl in any situation. Emerson Bustamonte is a way cool mexican kid,that served in Washington. I joke with him in spanish all the time. And Toni is from Tennessee and a hardcore surfer who finished his mission in Honduras. He is your typical surfer and is really good. He also is always full of good advice on surf spots and techniques for posers like me. lol. So with this group of good buddies (and others I have not mentioned) we have had tons of fun. We officially named the van "Willy" and decided to upgrade him a bit. We got spray-paint and painters tape and made a cool black and yellow stripe down the side and a winged w on the hood. It actually turned out good. (sorry the pics of the van and board will be posted shortly). So since then its been non stop fun, except my classes which are a math class a religion class and a Hawaiian culture class. Actually its not so bad......I just forgot how to add and subtract. I guess I should have paid attention in high school. But as to the good times today was a perfect example. In the morning I had class then helped a girl move and her and her friends upon hearing that we were going to the beach wanted to come. So about noon we loaded Willy up with 6 girls and four guys and about 5 surf boards and headed into the solid waves near pipeline beach to a break called pupukea on northshore Hawaii. We rolled up all packed in but were elated to see some nice 4-5 foot swells rolling in. We spent like the next 3 hours surfing to our hearts content. Conditions were good and lead to some pretty sweet rides. Still we certainly didn't look like pros but it was fun. We then headed down to Waimea Bay at sunset. Just picture it. All of us in the setting sun jumping of the 20 foot rock into the warm clear water to cap off a great day of surfing and fun in the sun. Actually don't picture it. Just check me out taking the plunge from the rock.


So basically I am settled and enjoying life

I love Hawaii!
Leave a comment and preferably one that doesn't make me feel guilty for being here...lol