I spent too much money today.
I went to the timeshare presentation for a $150 AmEx gift card. i thought I could just quickly get in and out since I'm already an owner and with two contracts to boot. After 3.5 hours (it was supposed to be just 60 minutes), I got rid of those two contracts in exchange for a deeded contract with 2/5 more points, which essentially upgraded me to VIP. And I'm in the hole for about the cost of my car. *sigh*
Somehow, I don't feel bad about it at all. Will, the sales guy, seemed so trustworthy. Maybe because he opened the door for me when I was about to enter the building. Maybe because he's married to a Filipina. And maybe because he shared a lot about his life, his Iron Man competition tomorrow, his wife's birthday today (so he's taking the family out to dinner although he'd rather go to bed to rest for tomorrow), his children, his trip to Italy with his family.
However, I didn't really want to take on more debt until I pay off my car. On the other hand, I don't really want to take back the two old contracts. I suppose I'll just have to tighten my belt for now.
It was already 2pm by the time I left with my gift card and a nice canvas and leather tote bag (which they called a beach bag but I wouldn't bring a canvas bag to the beach because sand would stick to it). I thought I could get lunch at the farmer's market, but I couldn't find it. It was supposed to be between Banana Joe's (which is now Chocolate Nut Factory) and the mini golf course. The cashier of the Subway by a nearby station said that it's probably not today.
So I headed south to go shopping for muu-muus. The young lady who gave me the gift card suggested a couple of places -- Hilo Hattie's in Lihue (where the airport is) and Coconut Market in Kapaa/Wailua. I figured I'd try the Coconut Market. But along the way, I found a series of stalls with the colorful Hawaiian print dresses, so I stopped by to check it out. The sign said "Noka Fair" and I think that was in Kapaa.
There were more stalls in the back, like little beach stalls on a boardwalk. I thought I'd do a counter-clockwise loop through them. In the second to the last stall, I was looking at a few dresses when a young bearded man rushed in and went behind the counter. He asked where I was from and we started a conversation while I looked. There were a couple of tops that were supposed to be "one size" (fits all), but those tend to not fit me. He said he just sold one yesterday to a woman who was bigger than me.
I kept looking around. He had a bit of everything. Some wooden bowls caught my eye, and, when I picked them up, he said they were made of koa wood, which only grows in Hawaii. He said that cutting it is forbidden, but people are allowed to take any trees that have naturally fallen, so they are rare and expensive. Long story short, he gave me a $10 discount which covered the sales tax.
The interesting part was that he kept telling me about the other things in the store, including some pendants that he himself carved from koa wood. Soon, he was telling me his life story too. How he met his wife. How he came to the US and his work history since. His two little children.
I had already purchased the bowl and he had already packed it for me, and we kept talking. He even took down a folding chair from the attic because I said my back was hurting. So that prolonged the conversation.
Just a month or so ago, he gave up a good paying job to take over this store from a cousin. I suggested that he create an Etsy store and it turned out that he just did, less than a week ago. So I gave him advice for online marketing and I promised to send him more online resources when I get home. He was worried about his English skills (he came from Palestine), so I suggested that he hire a student to do that for him.
When I left, he went back to painting a panel on the side of the building. That's probably where he was when I arrived at his store, which explains why he was rushing back in.
Anyway, the Hawaiian print dresses were around $30 and I'm not likely to wear them in public outside Hawai'i. So I decided to keep looking.
I had turned into Coconut Marketplace yesterday when looking for a place to have lunch after leaving the airport. I thought it was a small strip mall, but today I realized that it is a fairly good sized shopping center. It had smaller stalls besides the long buildings. And grass areas that made it look somewhat like a park. I found Teva sandals for $80+ in men's sizes. And more Hawaiian print dresses for $30 also. And the designs were boring too.
It was already around 6:30pm, so I decided to have dinner at a food stall "Coconut Thai & Chinese Cuisine". All the seating is outside. You had to order through a window. I ordered the garlic fish and lychee bobba drink. Both were good. The bobba drink is like flavored crushed ice with bobba at the bottom. And the lychee flavor tasted natural. It was so good, but I had to take it with me because it gave me at least three brain freezes.
I met two people today who told me their life stories. I've been told that people feel the urge to tell me their stories, either in person or online. Even things that they never told anyone else before. A long time ago, a close real life friend said it's because I'm a good listener. But they have nothing to worry about. I tend to forget things anyway, so their secrets are safe. :)
I haven't decided what to do tomorrow yet. Maybe it'll be a quiet day indoors. Unless they start doing more construction on the parking lot.
Again, photos later.
(While checking out some brochures for tours, a woman asked me where the Coconut Fish Cafe was! I couldn't remember whether it was before or after the Coconut Marketplace. So I suggested that she look it up in Google if she had a smartphone, and she didn't think of Googling it! She was with a much older gentleman who smiled warmly. For some reason, they feel like Minnesotans because of their friendliness, or maybe because the woman reminded me of my ex's cousin. I should have asked.)
Monday, October 07, 2019
Sunday, October 06, 2019
I got lei'd
That's an old joke but I couldn't resist. :)
It's been a long hot day, but I am in Kauai, where I'll spend the next seven days.
I'm not really superstitious but maybe it's a good omen that the flight number is 1111 and the gate number was 69.
The "1111" luck came into play when I was able to get a seat that would normally cost an additional $35-40, but when I changed my seats after checking in online, it showed as free, so I changed my seat assignment to an empty row. And no one sat in the other two seats. The three seats across the aisle were also empty until a couple claimed them after the plane door closed. I decided to check in my carry-on anyway because I've had problems with my surgery site each time I lifted anything heavy.
I think the couple sitting in the row in front of me took the "69" luck to heart, because they ate each other's face practically the entire flight. I figured they were honeymooners.
SuperShuttle picked me up close to 7am, although I was downstairs since 6:30am. I thought I could skip the first step of check-in because I already got my boarding pass in my phone. It turned out that i still had to go to the kiosks to get my luggage tag printed out before dropping off my bag in Step 2.
Lots of people but TSA PreCheck line went reasonably faster with no incident. (Unlike my experience at Phoenix, AZ last July.) The five-hour flight didn't feel long either. They had several movies in different channels in the personal screens,
It was supposed to be rainy in Kauai for most of the week (I checked the weather online), but it was gorgeous today with nice fluffy white clouds. A bit too hot for me though.
I also reserved an economy car, but when I arrived at the rental car lot, the assistant said, "Would you like an SUV? It's the same rate." Naturally, I said, "Sure!" A very lucky trip indeed! It works hard going uphill though, so it's just like a regular car. And I have to point my toes to reach the pedals. Short-people problems.
It was only 11:30am local time when I left the car lot (I think it's a 3-hour difference from California because of Daylight Savings Time) and check-in is allowed after 4pm. So I passed by Coconuts Fish Cafe (which was on the way) and had the recommended fish tacos (which they are supposed to be well-known for). The tacos looked small but were filling. There were two tacos, one in its own small plate. They were piled high with fish (I don't know exactly what kind of fish, but, based on its texture (a bit chewy), I'd guess it was catfish. Each taco was topped with a cabbage salad and then a tomato-based salsa and then little cubes of mango. It was good, but I think I should have gone with the poke bowl. Nice ambiance though. Surfers and big waves on the TVs with some mellow surfing music. And the wooden tables were shaped like surfboards, with the fins in one end. The side of a nearby building had a large mural of a breaching humpback whale.
The same shopping center had Safeway so I did a bit of shopping too. Mostly breakfast food.
The drive was really nice. Once in a while I could see the deep blue water with a narrow strip of green near the beach. And the white foam of the waves. A little more inland, I'm reminded of the Philippines. I had a flashback when I realized that the soil is red. When I was 14, we moved to Bataan to live with my dad who found work there, and it struck me how red the soil was. So the scenery was a mix of red soil, lush greenery, and blue sky. Bataan felt quieter though, but I wasn't driving then, so I didn't have to pay attention to the road. Kauai even smells like the Philippines. I thought of stopping to take pictures but decided to get going. I was already not awake enough for driving.
After checking in, I was sent to the concierge desk to pick up my parking permit. And I think it was a set-up. It's a timeshare company so they want to get people into their talks. But I'm already an owner and I don't even use all my points, so it's pretty moot for me, but they'll give me a $150 American Express and discounts for the local tours, so I'll go anyway.
"My" concierge Marina was very friendly and a joy to chat with. The first thing she did was give me a purple orchid lei. Real orchids! I mentioned that I made reservations for a boat tour and a luau for Wednesday only and none for the rest of the week. So she made several recommendations. It turned out that there's a part of the island that is not accessible by car. The area is called Na Pali. My choices were by boat or by helicopter. I like the water, so I think I'll go with the boat. So I'll go tomorrow to the presentation so I can get the discount because the tour is kinda expensive. But I'll still drive around the island as far as I can go and take pictures. She gave me a map highlighting interesting places to go to. And a calendar! I guess I won't get much done on my novel on this trip.
The one-bedroom unit is twice as big as my apartment. It has a patio but no view of the water. Nice big trees though. Three large fans but no air conditioning. Everything looks fairly new. Large screen TV. Free wifi.
Photos later. Having problems uploading them.
It's been a long hot day, but I am in Kauai, where I'll spend the next seven days.
I'm not really superstitious but maybe it's a good omen that the flight number is 1111 and the gate number was 69.
The "1111" luck came into play when I was able to get a seat that would normally cost an additional $35-40, but when I changed my seats after checking in online, it showed as free, so I changed my seat assignment to an empty row. And no one sat in the other two seats. The three seats across the aisle were also empty until a couple claimed them after the plane door closed. I decided to check in my carry-on anyway because I've had problems with my surgery site each time I lifted anything heavy.
I think the couple sitting in the row in front of me took the "69" luck to heart, because they ate each other's face practically the entire flight. I figured they were honeymooners.
SuperShuttle picked me up close to 7am, although I was downstairs since 6:30am. I thought I could skip the first step of check-in because I already got my boarding pass in my phone. It turned out that i still had to go to the kiosks to get my luggage tag printed out before dropping off my bag in Step 2.
Lots of people but TSA PreCheck line went reasonably faster with no incident. (Unlike my experience at Phoenix, AZ last July.) The five-hour flight didn't feel long either. They had several movies in different channels in the personal screens,
It was supposed to be rainy in Kauai for most of the week (I checked the weather online), but it was gorgeous today with nice fluffy white clouds. A bit too hot for me though.
I also reserved an economy car, but when I arrived at the rental car lot, the assistant said, "Would you like an SUV? It's the same rate." Naturally, I said, "Sure!" A very lucky trip indeed! It works hard going uphill though, so it's just like a regular car. And I have to point my toes to reach the pedals. Short-people problems.
It was only 11:30am local time when I left the car lot (I think it's a 3-hour difference from California because of Daylight Savings Time) and check-in is allowed after 4pm. So I passed by Coconuts Fish Cafe (which was on the way) and had the recommended fish tacos (which they are supposed to be well-known for). The tacos looked small but were filling. There were two tacos, one in its own small plate. They were piled high with fish (I don't know exactly what kind of fish, but, based on its texture (a bit chewy), I'd guess it was catfish. Each taco was topped with a cabbage salad and then a tomato-based salsa and then little cubes of mango. It was good, but I think I should have gone with the poke bowl. Nice ambiance though. Surfers and big waves on the TVs with some mellow surfing music. And the wooden tables were shaped like surfboards, with the fins in one end. The side of a nearby building had a large mural of a breaching humpback whale.
The same shopping center had Safeway so I did a bit of shopping too. Mostly breakfast food.
The drive was really nice. Once in a while I could see the deep blue water with a narrow strip of green near the beach. And the white foam of the waves. A little more inland, I'm reminded of the Philippines. I had a flashback when I realized that the soil is red. When I was 14, we moved to Bataan to live with my dad who found work there, and it struck me how red the soil was. So the scenery was a mix of red soil, lush greenery, and blue sky. Bataan felt quieter though, but I wasn't driving then, so I didn't have to pay attention to the road. Kauai even smells like the Philippines. I thought of stopping to take pictures but decided to get going. I was already not awake enough for driving.
After checking in, I was sent to the concierge desk to pick up my parking permit. And I think it was a set-up. It's a timeshare company so they want to get people into their talks. But I'm already an owner and I don't even use all my points, so it's pretty moot for me, but they'll give me a $150 American Express and discounts for the local tours, so I'll go anyway.
"My" concierge Marina was very friendly and a joy to chat with. The first thing she did was give me a purple orchid lei. Real orchids! I mentioned that I made reservations for a boat tour and a luau for Wednesday only and none for the rest of the week. So she made several recommendations. It turned out that there's a part of the island that is not accessible by car. The area is called Na Pali. My choices were by boat or by helicopter. I like the water, so I think I'll go with the boat. So I'll go tomorrow to the presentation so I can get the discount because the tour is kinda expensive. But I'll still drive around the island as far as I can go and take pictures. She gave me a map highlighting interesting places to go to. And a calendar! I guess I won't get much done on my novel on this trip.
The one-bedroom unit is twice as big as my apartment. It has a patio but no view of the water. Nice big trees though. Three large fans but no air conditioning. Everything looks fairly new. Large screen TV. Free wifi.
Photos later. Having problems uploading them.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Still seeing Dutch
The day of my trip back was a very long day. I woke up at 5am Amsterdam time, and I went to bed after 8pm Pacific time. I was awake for 24 hours.
Checking out and getting to the airport via the big orange bus was pretty straightforward. So was the first leg of my journey.
At Dublin, they do the pre-screening for US-bound passengers. The customs form is automated now and, being short, I had to step back to get my face inside the green square for the machine to take my picture. The agent commented, "You have a long flight ahead of you, Eleanor." He was right.
I had the window seat in a two-seater row, thinking that it would be easier to get to the bathroom if I needed to, because I would only have to get past one neighbor. And, at the same time, I could get sleep since I'd be by the window. I was wrong on both counts.
My neighbor was a large man who had some mobility problems. Getting up was difficult for him, so I had to go to the bathroom when he did, so I wouldn't have to make him get up unnecessarily. And he took up both the middle armrest and some of my space, so his elbow poked my side, which startled me awake after only 5 or 10 minutes of sleep. After trying three times, I gave up on sleeping and watched movies instead.
I've been lucky that it didn't take long to get my checked-in luggage. Maybe because it's small. Uber didn't take long (yes, I got it working again). But rush-hour traffic had already started, so I quickly picked up my laptop and car at work and successfully stayed awake on the drive home.
1.
I'm glad I bought a cheapie phone from Amazon. I got it because my Nexus 7 tablet was starting to act up, and I didn't want to get stranded without an Internet connection. I used it almost exclusively while I was there. Plus, its smaller size made my purse lighter. My data plan with T-Mobile worked fine in Europe without additional costs, except when I was in Luxembourg. I simply moved the sim from my tablet to the new phone.
The power bank was also a lifesaver. I used it almost everyday, both with the phone and with the LG 360 camera.
Google Maps is another lifesaver! It's more useful than paper maps or bus/train schedules. You need an online connection to get directions, however, but the maps themselves are downloaded to your phone so you'll always have that. If you get directions with it, it might even give you the platform where your train is, and that's incredibly useful if you're in a very large station, like the one in Antwerp. Tip: Save the places where you stay, the major train stations, and the sites you want to visit so it's easier to find them, even if you're offline.
2.
I wish I had more time to read about the areas I was going to visit before going there. But I'm glad I focused on just a few places to visit, because it can become overwhelming.
Surprisingly, for being non-religious, I'm still drawn to cathedrals and their beautiful details, inside and out. But it is also the paintings of Dutch masters and the Dutch ceramics that I drew me to these countries.
3.
This trip is not as emotionally charged as my trip to Spain two years ago. It's still emotionally charged, because I met old-time friends, but not as strongly, because I didn't meet lovers this time. Still, meeting online friends in person really changes the friendship and makes it deeper, more meaningful, even if you still don't get together much.
4.
This trip also doesn't feel as foreign, maybe because it's not as strong a culture-shock, since Dutch people speak English pretty well. And I have been mistaken as a local (maybe because of the blonde hair) until I talk back in English with my American accent.
5.
On my train ride from Luxembourg City back to Amsterdam. I noticed that the signs and announcements went from French near Luxembourg City to Dutch near Amsterdam. After several days, I've been able to figure out some of the Dutch words because, if you say them out loud, they sound very much like their English equivalents. I've always been interested in languages and these trips make them more interesting.
Checking out and getting to the airport via the big orange bus was pretty straightforward. So was the first leg of my journey.
At Dublin, they do the pre-screening for US-bound passengers. The customs form is automated now and, being short, I had to step back to get my face inside the green square for the machine to take my picture. The agent commented, "You have a long flight ahead of you, Eleanor." He was right.
I had the window seat in a two-seater row, thinking that it would be easier to get to the bathroom if I needed to, because I would only have to get past one neighbor. And, at the same time, I could get sleep since I'd be by the window. I was wrong on both counts.
My neighbor was a large man who had some mobility problems. Getting up was difficult for him, so I had to go to the bathroom when he did, so I wouldn't have to make him get up unnecessarily. And he took up both the middle armrest and some of my space, so his elbow poked my side, which startled me awake after only 5 or 10 minutes of sleep. After trying three times, I gave up on sleeping and watched movies instead.
I've been lucky that it didn't take long to get my checked-in luggage. Maybe because it's small. Uber didn't take long (yes, I got it working again). But rush-hour traffic had already started, so I quickly picked up my laptop and car at work and successfully stayed awake on the drive home.
Post-trip insights
I am still kinda in a post-travel daze. I still half-expect signs to have Dutch words in them. My night dreams are still about traveling and sightseeing. I still smell Europe.1.
I'm glad I bought a cheapie phone from Amazon. I got it because my Nexus 7 tablet was starting to act up, and I didn't want to get stranded without an Internet connection. I used it almost exclusively while I was there. Plus, its smaller size made my purse lighter. My data plan with T-Mobile worked fine in Europe without additional costs, except when I was in Luxembourg. I simply moved the sim from my tablet to the new phone.
The power bank was also a lifesaver. I used it almost everyday, both with the phone and with the LG 360 camera.
Google Maps is another lifesaver! It's more useful than paper maps or bus/train schedules. You need an online connection to get directions, however, but the maps themselves are downloaded to your phone so you'll always have that. If you get directions with it, it might even give you the platform where your train is, and that's incredibly useful if you're in a very large station, like the one in Antwerp. Tip: Save the places where you stay, the major train stations, and the sites you want to visit so it's easier to find them, even if you're offline.
2.
I wish I had more time to read about the areas I was going to visit before going there. But I'm glad I focused on just a few places to visit, because it can become overwhelming.
Surprisingly, for being non-religious, I'm still drawn to cathedrals and their beautiful details, inside and out. But it is also the paintings of Dutch masters and the Dutch ceramics that I drew me to these countries.
3.
This trip is not as emotionally charged as my trip to Spain two years ago. It's still emotionally charged, because I met old-time friends, but not as strongly, because I didn't meet lovers this time. Still, meeting online friends in person really changes the friendship and makes it deeper, more meaningful, even if you still don't get together much.
4.
This trip also doesn't feel as foreign, maybe because it's not as strong a culture-shock, since Dutch people speak English pretty well. And I have been mistaken as a local (maybe because of the blonde hair) until I talk back in English with my American accent.
5.
On my train ride from Luxembourg City back to Amsterdam. I noticed that the signs and announcements went from French near Luxembourg City to Dutch near Amsterdam. After several days, I've been able to figure out some of the Dutch words because, if you say them out loud, they sound very much like their English equivalents. I've always been interested in languages and these trips make them more interesting.