Hawai'i, Haole, Potato, Potahto

Aloha,
Been in Hawai'i 2 full days now (wow, is that all?)
Just want to write a quick recap and post some pics.

So far so good. My flight was smooth, Hawaiian themed, and included a meal! Pesto penne and chocolate cake. Nice. I had an hour layover in Honolulu, where I felt disgusted by tourists and comforted myself with a small Frappuccino that cost $4.45. Ahhh, the disgust fuels itself with more disgust. Somewhat happier, I hopped on the next plane and experienced the most beautiful flight of my life, watching as we passed island after island. It was surreal. Definitely a crucial time for a window seat.

I flew into Kona around 2:30 and my hosts, Bob and Beryl, were waiting for me, holding up a sign. Isn't that sweet?! They were so nice, chatting with me as we waited for my bag, and waited, and waited, and waited. The bag apparently didn't get off the plane with me. So we went to lunch and returned to the airport afterward. Thankfully, it had arrived. It was a gorgeous day and I was happy to be back in tropical air. Apparently, I came just after the storm and it was as clear as it ever gets. Bob and Beryl then showed me some places on the way to the farm, including the beach:)

Got to the farm and saw the accommodations. Pretty sweet. I have a studio with its own little kitchen, a pretty comfy bed, a nice shower, a tv with a million channels, internet, and a very nice roommate named Tim. He's a 24 year old cook from Australia. The only bad thing about the place are the annoying roosters. They crow at the oddest hours, usually quite early, and one in particular does it just outside our window. There are a number of chickens too, some adorable baby chicks, and I believe 6 cats (that's Sophie pictured, she has one eye). They are the friendliest cats I have ever seen. I quite like them, and I'm not much of a cat person. Yesterday, I saw the most amazing creature, called a Jackson's Chameleon. See pic!

Tim has been showing me practically everything about the work. Yesterday we mostly sorted coffee beans and roasted a bit, and today we washed, dried, milled, and sized beans. (that work picture is of Tim sizing beans and Bob milling them) Today he showed me around the farm after work and we picked some fruit. The highlights: sweet basil, oranges, lychee (sooooo good), and tons of avocado!!! To give you an idea of their size, I'm posting a picture of me holding one.

Another challenge about this place is that it's pretty isolated. There isn't really anything within walking distance, so, just like a typical suburb, you have to drive everywhere. Luckily, Bob and Beryl have like 4 cars, which they let Tim drive (eventually hopefully me too). We drove down to the beach last night for this bbq for the new guy named Joe. Well, he's not exactly new. He was here for 7 months before, and now he's back to stay at another farm, but for 2 weeks here at our farm (not worth going into details). The beach was beautiful, as was the sunset, and the magnificent sky of stars (never seen so many in my life!). So we get down there and I'm all excited about the idea of seeing a "local" scene and maybe meeting some more authentic people. Oh my god. It was like a haole nightmare. (Haole is the Hawaiian word for gringo). I felt like I was in Cancun. I hate to come across as judgmental but it felt like white trash. There, I said it. That's how I feel.

At one point during my first work day, Beryl called on me to help her translate to some Mexicans who drove up to the farm. I was so relieved. Finally some non-haoles! Well, it wasn't as enjoyable as I expected.
Something was different and sad…the girl in the back looked at me with what looked like disgust. That never happened in Costa Rica. But I understood.

Well, it's too soon to tell. I'm going to stay positive and hope I find some culture here. And if not, at least I know where to find avocados:)