February 28, 2006
Hawaii and the Soft Bumps of an Academic Life
It's been over a week since my last blog entry and I have a good reason for the absence. As you can see from the photo above, I was taking surf lessons in Oahu, HI. This is a photo of me after just one day of lessons. Okay, it's not a photo of me (and I did not take surf lessons), but I did take the photo at what is famously known as the Bonzai Pipeline.
I actually was in Hawaii for 8 days to attend a very intimate, very interesting conference on the current state of multiethnic families in the United States with a particular focus on multiethnicity in Hawaii. The conference was limited to around 40 scholars from around the country. Perhaps the greatest highlight (for me) was the opportunity to meet and consult with Dr. Emmy Werner (who has her own Wikipedia entry!), professor emeritus in the Department of Human and Community Development at the University of California-Davis.
Lucky for me, the conference was scheduled from Tuesday thru Thursday. So, in order to get "cheap" airline tickets, it worked out for me to arrive on Saturday and depart on the following Sunday. In other words, I bookended the conference with 2-3 days of holiday before and after. Unfortunately, living in Minneapolis, I had to travel on NorthWORST Airlines and lost a full day of holiday due to mechanical problems with the planes. I arrived at the airport on Saturday morning at 8 AM but didn't depart from Minneapolis until 8 PM! The first plane had frozen pipes and they could not shut the fuel door. The second plane had a right engine that would not turn on. Lovely. I think I spent a total of 5 hours sitting on these two planes. Finally, the third plane was "just right." Of course, I ended up missing my connecting flight out of Los Angeles and had to sleep in a rundown Clarion Hotel (courtesy of Northworst) to catch a Delta flight the next morning.
Once in Hawaii, I was happy and rested. I was over my cold and enjoying the warmth. But there were a few more soft bumps in my trip, notably getting re-sick (likely due to the 36 hours of sitting in an airport and in airplanes) and relatively rainy weather while there. Still, I could not complain and I took full advantage of this early spring break.
On that note, here are a few more photos from the trip. This is a view of Lanikai Beach which is the most beautiful beach on all of Oahu. I stayed here one night and revisited later to go kayaking. It is pristine with the softest sand and clearest waters. If you had to stay at one place in Oahu, this is the place. Plus, I heard from locals that this is where many of the cast members from LOST live while filming. Unfortunately, I did not see any famous actors. However, I tried to do my best pose of feeling lost and looking for other survivors from the plane crash.
Here are two photos from atop Diamond Head which is just Northeast of Waikiki Beach. It is a great view of the city and a fun walk up the crater. Be prepared to climb because there are about 100+ steps to climb to reach the top.
Last is a photo taken from Highway 83 which runs along the North Short of Oahu. It is a beautiful drive along the coast.
rich, you totally fooled me with the surf photo! the conference sounds so interesting and rewarding. I have not had many opportunities to attend some of the more intimate conferences out there but hope to do so in the coming years. The last two I attended were on the study of cultural self. It was fascinating and intimadating.
stine