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.