A very first.

I have experienced a lot of firsts here in Hawaii. However, this first I am not so very happy about. I have lost my voice. I am straining to talk to people and it is only making it worse. I have never lost my voice before. If you know me, you know I'm a talker too and it is VERY hard to sit and not talk. I have pretty much tried to trap myself in my room so I have no one to talk to. It isn't working though because I just tell my friends to come and see me in my room. Anyways, I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I just have a common cold and that my vocal chords are just strained from coughing so much. I was told to take a cough supressant and expectorant and that I would be fine in a couple of weeks. This makes me sad because I am supposed to sing in the Fiji Day celebration at the PCC on Sunday but I doubt that I'm going to be able to. I ask you all to pray for me!! I would really appreciate it because I have been working so hard for this all semester. Thanks!

Also, another first, I rode my bike to work. It is actually the first time I've ridden it somewhere (besides the parking lot). It was interesting. I just kept pedaling and praying that I wouldn't tip over or get my feet caught in the pedals. I was super scared but with practice I'll be able to ride it everywhere.

Polynesian Cultural Center

This past week I have been sick but on Saturday I ventured out of my room and went to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) with one of my friends. We were lucky and one of my friends that works there gave us her discount so we could get in for really cheap. I love the PCC. It is so much fun. My friend and I didn't see much except for Fiji village. We are both friends with all of the Fijians and Erica is from Fiji herself. We got there and Vika asked me to videotape her dancing in the canoe show. The only catch was that she didn't have a videotape for the camera she got from school. So, while Erica watched the "culural presentation" in the Fiji village I was running all over PCC trying to find a shop that sold the tape she needed. I finally found it and I went to the canoe show and did a wonderful job videotaping (in my opinion). After that, we all hung out at the Fiji village. I bought some poi balls which the New Zealanders use and everyone was trying to "teach" me how to use them. They were all joking that Fiji was turning into New Zealand. After that I went to the "cultural presentaion" where my friends were dancing a new fan dance from Fiji. I have a video of it and I'll post it later because I'm not using my computer. I then went on a bilibili (or bili squared ;) ) raft ride. It was fun. My friend was pushing us around and he kept threatening to jump off. The canoe tour guide told everyone I was his hostage. I was really surprised by the bilibili because it is really small and I was afraid that I would sink it but my friend said it would take a lot more than me to sink it. Then it was time for us to leave. I was kind of sad that we didn't get to see other villages but we were having so much fun at the Fiji village that we never left.

Later that night, my friends Erica and Tina went with me to the night show called "Horizions" It showcases all of the countries represented in the PCC. It was amazing. My friends kept laughing at me because I was just sitting there in awe. I loved it. Let's just say that if you come to Hawaii and you do not see the show you are crazy. It was fun too because a lot of my friends dance in the night show and we were picking them out. I cheered really loud which was a bad idea because I was already losing my voice. Overall though, it was a great day.

Sunday turned out to be a not so good day. I was awake in the middle of the night because my throat was on fire and swollen. I took some medicine hoping it would calm it down a bit but it really didn't. I finally fell asleep around 5:45AM. For those of you who are not members, it was General Conference weekend which is when the leaders of the LDS church speak to us. It happens every six months and there are two sessions on Saturday and two on Sunday. Anyways, needless to say, I missed both Saturday and Sunday so I'm going to have to make it up. I've made a vow that I will try to watch one session each night this week but we'll see how that goes because I have two group projects due this week. I will however get them watched or read. I'll post pictures and video from Saturday later!

Pretty Moments

So I have been having some good moments here at BYUH. I call them my pretty moments. A couple of weeks ago was the Fiji Club gospel forum and we were all asked to dress in traditional Fijian attire. My friends were very gracious and they gave me a sulu. Here is a picture of me in my sulu:
It is basically a wrap skirt. They traditionally wear it under shorter skirts or dresses but they sometimes wear them by themselves--which is what I did. I felt like their Barbie doll because they chose my outfit and then told me how to do my hair. I even put make-up on!! It was really fun and I felt pretty for once. After the forum, my friend Vika and I took some pictures and here is one:
She is hilarious! Right after this one she looked at me and said,"Why are you wearing those glasses? Take them off! People want to see your pretty eyes in the picture!" I was laughing so hard. It's not exactly what she said that was funny but it's her accent and how she said it that made it funny. Then, we started making faces and playing with the camera and she took this very controversial picture:
I posted it as a profile picture and one of my friends asked, "What's up with your profile picture? That 's not the Jenn I know!" Apparently it was a very scandalous shot. Who knew I had it in me?

Last weekend I went to the Samoan club dance with my friends and my friend Erica and I took an hour each getting ready to go. We did our hair, our make-up, EVERYTHING! Then, we decided to stop at the Fiji Club pool party on the way to say hello. Well, when we got there, we decided that we would rather go swimming than dancing. So, we ran back to our dorm rooms and put on our swim suits and went back and went swimming. We did all that work for 5 minutes. Here is a picture of us after we got all ready:
Here is a picture o us when we actually made it to the dance:
I personally think we look better after swimming than before. That's just my opinion though. The dance was fun and I danced forever. I feel super comfortable dancing here because there are so many girls my size who are "shaking what their mama's gave them." I feel so blessed to be here.

I just want to say that I am doing well and still loving every moment of being here. I love Hawaii and all it has to offer. I never regret the decision I made to come here. I hope you are all doing well! Moce! (Pronounced Moe-They...It's Fijian for bye)

Random thoughts and things

Aloha! Things have been going well down here in the islands. I had an exciting weekend last week. I went to the Ala Moana shopping center for the first time. It was awesome. I was in designer heaven. It was also a first for me because I bought make-up. Yes...I did say that I, Jennifer Whitmore, bought make-up. It is the mineral kind and it is SO easy to put on and feels nice. I also went to wal-mart, twice, in less than 24 hours. It was so nice to be able to go and get everything I needed. I bought a bike too so that is good. Now I just need to remember how to ride a bike!

I've started my job here. I am a secretary in the Religion office. I put grades into the computer, unlock the building in the morning and run the office when the main secretary is gone. I love it. It's so different from my last secretary job though. This office has more men than women, it's religion based and I have a lot more responsibility. I have to get FERPA trained and because of that I get paid more than others on campus (which is still WAY less than I was making in Oregon). Well, I'm off to work now! Miss you all!

Busy Day

I am having a very busy day today but I just needed to take a break so I thought I would write a new blog post. I am supposed to be studying for a test in Microeconomics but I just don't want to. That class is insanely hard!! I'll get it done though and then I'll go and take my test and hopefully get at least a B.

This past weekend was been fun. I went to Waimea Bay Beach on Saturday and got fried. I'm starting to get quite the tan. That's a first. On Sunday I went to this wonderful Fijian couple's house for their son's birthday party. I ate chicken curry and it was SO good!! I love the Fijian culture and I love learning about it. The Fijiian people are so humble and so giving. It almost overwhelms me sometimes because they are so giving. I have to be careful about what I say or they will be right there to help whether I want it or not. I am definitely Fijian at heart. I tell people I'm from Fijii and they believe me but then I laugh and tell them I'm from Iowa. It's alright though. Hope you are all doing well! Much love to you!

Time Differences

A lot of people have been wondering what the time difference is between where they are and Hawaii so I'm going to tell you:

Oregon/Washington- 3 hours ahead
Idaho/Utah-4 hours ahead
Midwest-5 hours ahead
East Coast-6 hours ahead.

Hopefully this will eliminate the early morning text messages or phone calls. I love you all very dearly but a girl needs her sleep! Mahalo for consulting this blog post before calling/texting!

Settling in Nicely

So I've been settling in nicely here in Hawaii. I have been blessed with wonderful friends from all over the world. I am loving my ward (church group) and I have been called (asked) as the Relief Society Secretary. I got a job on Friday and I'm going to be a student administrative assistant in th Religious Education office. It way different from working at the Division of Extended Programs and I miss that job but it will be fun. The only down side is that I have to go to work at 6:30AM twice a week. My main duties will be to input grades and make rosters and unlock the building (thus the reason for the 6:30AM time). Each day I wake up I have to pinch myself because I'm in HAWAII!! I can't believe it. Each day presents a new miracle. Oh how I love this school and the wonderful people here!!

Circle Island Tour and Waimea Bay Beach

Bula vi naka! That's Fijian for Hello, Good health to you. I am loving it here in Hawaii. There is never a dull moment. This past weekend has been the best so far. I went on a circle island tour of Oahu. We went to the Valley of the Temples, the Swap Meet, Pearl Harbor, and WAL-MART!! I had never been so excited to see a Wal-Mart before. Trust me, when you are living on an island in the middle of nowhere and the closest store is 45 minutes away you will be glad to see one too. Anyways, the Valley of the Temples was fascinating. We went to a Budhist temple there which is a replica of one in Japan. It is fascinating to learn about different religions and cultures. After we left there, we went to the swap meet. It was overwhelming. If you ever come to Oahu the swap meet is THE place to go for CHEAP souvenirs. It is huge and you can find anything you want there. I got some t-shirts and leis for my family and it cost me less than $10/person. I got an airbrushed tattoo and it was cool. After that we went to Pearl Harbor which was sobering. It really put a perspective on what people give to keep this place free. The memorial was gorgeous and well done. If you didn't know, any survivors of the USS Arizona can be buried in the water with the rest of their ship mates. It was touching to go there. Then, when we left there we went to Wal-Mart. I got all of the essentials I needed including a FAN which I was very grateful for. On the way back to campus we stopped and got Matsumoto's Shaved ice which is world famous. It was good but honestly it wasn't that good (nobody get mad at me!). I love shaved ice though so it was wonderful to have one. Here are some pictures from the tour:





Today I went to Waimea Beach and it was absolutely gorgeous! The water was calm and it was the right temperature. It was sunny and the wind was blowing gently. Let's just say this was the best day to go to the beach. I don't have any pictures of Waimea and that makes me sad but I know I'll be going back there.

Beach Time!

Aloha! So today I went to the beach. It was incredible! It was windy but warm and nice. I sat on the sand for awhile and then I went into the water. The waves were so powerful! My friend, Noelani, taught me how to jump the waves so that your body moves with the current. After that short lesson, I didn't see a wave coming and I totally got thrown under. I drank a HUGE mouthful of ocean water and it was disgusting. I recovered from that wave and then as soon as my head came up from under the water another wave came and threw me back under. It was intense. In the process of trying to get out of the water I cut my knee on the sand. I made it back to shore and then I just sat there for awhile. After that, Noe made me go back into the water saying that if I didn't go back in I would be afraid later. So I went back in and everything was going fine but then I realized that I couldn't touch the bottom anymore and I started panicking. Noe realized that I had gotten caught in a riptide and came back out to help get me in. I was freaking out but Noe kept me as calm as she could and we made it back in. I've decided that I like looking at the water more than being in the water. I'm going to try the beach thing again though and hopefully I'll get the whole ocean currents, wave sets and everything else figured out.

When I got back to campus I got my ID card and got tested for TB. I have to go back on Wednesday to see if my test is negative or positive. I looked for a job too at the Polynesian Cultural Center too but they were all for dancers and I'm definitely not one. I'll hopefully find a campus job.

Here are some more pictures!




Hukilau Beach
Ocean Waves
My Knee.
Another shot of my skinned knee. Wish I could have gotten a good one!
The ocean! The water was SO nice!
A shot from my plane ride over.
The courtyard from my window.
The Courtyard from my window. It was pouring rain.
A Palm Tree!!
Me hanging out in my room.

Adventures in Paradise

So today was my first full day in the wonderful state of Hawaii. I had some adventures and some boring down time. First, I woke up and I ate breakfast. It was weird food so I just had a waffle and some cereal. Then, I went and waited around for the bookstore to open. I needed some stuff so I was hoping the bookstore would have some of it. The bookstore was small but very well stocked--except for the things I needed. Isn't that the luck? I bought my books and a longer ethernet cable and that was it. After that, I got lost going back to my Hale. I just ended up going the wrong way so I made a circle of campus. It was good though because it helped me see where things are at this place. I've been having a rough time navigating campus because I haven't gotten my orientation packet yet with a map. I got here too late yesterday which was annoying. After I found my hale, I took a nap. This jet lag thing is CRAZY. I feel like I'm never going to get used to the time change. I then woke up and decided to go and find the beach and the grocery store. I got lost. I finally found the grocery store and I bought a lot of the stuff I needed. It was not cheap. Items are at least twice as expensive here than on the mainland. After that, I couldn't find the beach. Go figure. I'm on an ISLAND and I can't find a beach. I asked for directions but I got tired of carrying my groceries and wandering around so I just headed home. On the way back to my dorm, I decided to try a new route and it cut about 5 minutes off of the trip. For those who are wondering, the first route took 3-3 1/2 Kelly Clarkson songs to find and the second route only took 2. I know, lame, I'm counting time by songs now because my Mp3 player goes everywhere with me. I find that it is easier to ignore the heat and the dripping sweat when you're jamming to a song. When I got home, I watched Dr. Who the rest of the afternoon because I was hiding from the heat. About 6pm I went to eat and they were serving some kind of food with tofu for dinner so I just made a grilled cheese sandwhich. I think I'll get very used to those here. So, the rest of this night I've just been organizing my room and asking the RA questions. I have a tentative date to go with an RA named Penny to Costco on Tuesday. I hope and pray she comes through on her plans because I am desperate for a new fan and a pillow.

The bugs are going away now because I have sprayed every square inch of my room with RAID and I have ant traps the whole way around my room. I told you, those ants don't stand a chance against me. Aloha!

Aloha from Hawai'i!

Aloha! I've made it to Hawai'i finally. It has not been without its fair share of issues getting here. For starters, I was supposed to arrive in Hawai'i on Thursday afternoon but I barely left Monmouth. Why? Well, on the way to the airport I told my mom that I didn't feel very good. We decided to leave to the airport thinking it was nerves about moving. I was wrong. I got home and got VERY ill. It was awful. I don't know if I had the stomach flu or food poisoning but I don't ever want it again. I rescheduled my flight which was not cheap and then just slept all day Thursday. Today I woke up feeling ready to go. It was a good day to move. I was still a little quesy but I knew that I could make it.

The flight over was LONG! It was a 5 1/2 hour flight so I was done with airplanes when I landed in Maui but I still had to go to Oahu. The flight wasn't so bad. Actually, I sat next to this really friendly girl and we became fast friends. We talked a lot and then they announced that the movie screens weren't working so we would have to rent mini digital players if we wanted to watch anything. The girl next to me volunteered to split the cost of one with me and we watched the movie titled Never Back Down. In my opinion, if you haven't watched this movie DONT. It was predictable and an over done plot. After that I watched the movie Over my Dead Body with Eva Longoria-Parker. It was super cute. I liked it. I recommend you watch it but not more than once.

After I landed in Maui, Tara (the girl next to me) and I figured out that we had the same flight to Oahu so we hung out in the airport together. It was nice t have someone to talk to. Then, I finally arrived on Oahu!!

It is amazing! It is gorgeous! Words can not describe this place. It is magical. I am in love with an island... Anyways, I made it to BYU-Hawaii and I am moved into my dorm. It is a place to sleep but I hope I don't have to spend too much time in my room after the semester starts. I moved in and there were a zillion ants crawling all over everything. It was pretty gross. They were even in my bed! I quickly discoverd, however, that hairspray makes a GREAT bug killer in a pinch. Then, after I got tired of battling the never ending stream of ants I finally gave up and asked the RA what to do. She gave me some bug spray which I have soaked my room with and I will at least be able to sleep tonight. Tomorrow I am going to Wal-mart and I'm going to buy Blackflag and Tarro traps. Those ants will not live to see another day!

Here are some pics from my journey so far:


From the airplane. That is not sky but OCEAN!
Another shot from the airplane. This is of Oahu.
On the way to my Hale.
Car shot so it's not that good.
My dorm room...so far. Once I get rid of the ants I'll start decorating.


My fold out desk. I was just beginning to set up my laptop and stuff.

Mahalo for reading! Check back soon for more!

Praxis I

I had to take the Praxis I (PPST) on Monday at 8:30AM so Sunday my mom, my sister, and my friend Tinisha went down to Eugene, Oregon. Tinisha is from Eugene and she wanted to visit her parents so we dropped her off at her house. Then we tried to find our hotel. It took us three sets of directions, a lot of harsh words, and a few headaches to find our hotel. After we checked in we chilled and played games. Then we went to bed because I had to get up early so I could get to University of Oregon's campus at 8. They wanted me there early to fill out paperwork. So I got up on Monday morning and my mom and I followed the directions that were written down and we ended up on the wrong end of the road! The website for the campus said it was on W 13th st but they ended up being on E 13th st. So after a few calls I finally got the testing center and they were able to give me directions. I finally got there, at 8:30, and the receptionist was really sweet. She could see that I was frazzled so she told me to take my time and breathe before I took the test so I could concentrate on it. I finally walked in a sound proof room with 5 or 6 computers in it that was laced with some heavy duty security cameras and equipment so that didn't make me feel any better. Then, I started the test and I finally calmed down. I thought it was a fairly easy test. At least the reading and math sections were. I got 177 on math and 178 on reading. I only had to get at least 170 so I was SO excited about passing. I don't know what I got on the writing section yet but let's hope and pray that it is over the minimum. I'll keep you updated. My next big adventure is to pack and then I'm off to Idaho. On my way there I'll be stopping to see my dad in Colorado so pray for me to have strength to see him!

A million miles a minute and still going faster and faster.

I feel like life is going a million miles a minute right now. Things are going extremely fast. It seems like every time I look around something in life is changing. I hate that feeling yet love it. I only have one week of work left and then I'm off to Idaho to help Becky move to Washington. On the way to Idaho Falls I have a lay over in Denver Colorado so I'm taking a HUGE step and I asked my dad if we could go to dinner or something. We'll see how that goes. It will either be really fun or absolute torture. Once I get there I'll help Becky pack and then we'll go to Washington. After that we'll come back to my house and hang out for awhile where I will then be preparing to move to Hawaii. There is so much I feel like I have to fit into my schedule and yet I feel like I'm standing still watching everything fly by me at a ridiculous rate of speed. Is that even possible?

On a lighter note, I got new glasses! They are purple with orange on the inside of the frame. They look pretty good. I'm still getting used to them. I think that I will like them a lot more when I can actually see out of them. It has been a long time since I got new glasses and my prescription has changed quite a bit. Here are some pictures of them:
What do you think? Do I look more mature yet sophisticated? I have no idea. Anyways, that's all for now. Keep reading and leave me comments!

Politics and such.

So I have been thinking lately a lot about politics. Who I am going to vote for is a huge decision to me. The President of the United States get to make a lot of decisions for us. Along with those decisions, the President sets the budget and helps decide Congress's agenda for the next four years. So it comes down to one question: Who am I going to vote for and why?

I thought about this long and hard and I am not ashamed to say that I am voting for Barack Obama. I have read and listened to what he has to say and I like it. He is religious and family oriented. He can bring great change to our country. Before this presidential race I was a strong Republican. I was even a strong Republican when Mitt Romney was running. However, I can not and will not vote for John McCain.

I'm sure you're wondering why. Well let me tell you. My father and his wife are friends with John McCain (seriously!). My father's wife is heading McCain's campaign up in Colorado. She is apparently really into politics and such. Anyways, I know their character. They have lied to me and my sister repeatedly. My father lied in court to a judge. My dad's friend who was his divorce lawyer has lied for my dad. I know the type of people my father associates himself with and they are people who have no good character. However, these people are GREAT at putting up a false front. They look honest and trustworthy and then you get them into positions of power and they lie, cheat, and steal their way to the top. So that is why I can not and will not vote for McCain. I realize that I am judging someone I have never met but I know who my father chooses to associate himself with. So, before you vote for McCain, please think deeply, long, and hard about your choice. Is he as trustworthy as you think? Maybe he is but chances are he isn't.

I know that politics is a backstabbing lying game but it doesn't have to be. We can choose to stop putting people of bad character into positions of authority.

Another Day, Another Dollar, and a broken finger.

So it has been awhile since I have written on here. Not so good for me. Anyways, for those of you who don't know, I have been working at Petsmart for the last month. Now, unfortunately, I am going to have to quit. This makes me extremely sad because this is the first job I have actually liked. I know you're probably thinking that I'm psycho for liking a job in the wonderful retail world but I'm not. I have made some amazing friends from working there. Also, I get PAID to pet and greet, and play with dogs, kitties, goats, rabbits--whatever may come through the door. That is a dream job for me because I LOVE animals. However, I am moving on to bigger and better times in my life so leaving my job makes everything worth it.

Now, onto the broken finger. If you have a weak stomache I suggest avoiding this part. A few weeks ago, my sister and I were horsing around in our backyard. Then I knew that she was going to spray me with the hose. So, to avoid getting cold and wet I tried to run inside. In the process of that, I lost my balance and grabbed the door jamb to catch myself. It wasn't a very good idea. At the exact time I grabbed the door jamb, my sister slammed the sliding glass door shut. As you can probably guess, my hand was in the way of the door. At first I was shocked. I didn't know what happened. Then I looked at my hand, saw the blood and my brain registered the pain. Let's just say that I have NEVER screamed so loud in my life. I started hyperventilating and crying. My mom came running and grabbed me and put my bleeding finger under cold running water. It took at least 2 hours to get my finger to stop bleeding. We thought we would have to go to the emergency room but my mom convinced me that I'd be alright. Instead I got a blessing and then had our family friend who is an EMT come and look at it. The blessing didn't help much except for calming me down. That's alright though. After about two weeks, I decided that I probably should get my finger looked at and the doctor took x-rays and said that it was cracked in 3 places. None of the cracks are on a joint though so that is good. They are located on the tip of my right hand ring finger. It hasn't been a plesant experience but I have been managing. If you must know, I have actually been pretty excited about the fact that I have broken my first bone. It's kinda cool.

On August 21st I will be embarking on a new journey. I will be transferring to BYU Hawaii!! I can hardly wait. Everything is in place and ready to go. I am especially anxious to make it down there. I am nervous but I know I'll love it!

Another Step

I made another step in the process of transferring to BYUH. I bought my plane ticket! YAY!!! The stress of that is now off of my shoulders. I am now just trying to figure out financial aid and housing. That will be fun and exciting. I have been offered a single dorm room so that makes me ecstatic! If you have ever lived with me, you probably know the "joys" and horrors of it. Now nobody has to be subjected to my hostile tendencies. I hardly plan on being in my dorm but at least I have a place that is all my own. More updates to come!

First Blog

So I thought that it was time for me to create a blog. I have so much going on in my life and no time to tell everyone everything that is going on in my life. So here is list of what's new in my life:

1) I am transferring to BYU-Hawaii this fall
2) I am getting a job for this summer somewhere
3) My sister is engaged and going to be getting married on October 18th

That about sums it up. Pretty boring huh? Anyways, hopefully I'll remember to use this site and that I'll remember to update it often. We shall see won't we?