I’m still just a tad too jetlagged to write coherently about the two topics I’ve been mulling. So instead, here, in no particular order, are things I learned in Hawaii.
* Even overcast rainy-ness seems glorious at 70 degrees on a tropical island when you’ve left a foot of snow behind on a not-so-tropical island.
* Pineapples grow OUT OF THE GROUND. Out of the ground, I tell you! And here I was, thinking my whole life, that they grew from trees. They are bromeliads, which may be one of the coolest words, but strangest plants around.
* There is a delicacy called shaved ice. It is what I’d call a snow cone. Except way better. And you can get condensed milk drizzled on top, which at first sounds like it could be bad, but it is so, so good!
* It seems I’m on an unintentional SCBWI-Obama tour. The last one I did in ’08 was in Chicago, just weeks after the election. Now Honolulu, where I got to see the condo building where Obama’s grandma lived, the school he went to, and the Baskin Robbins where he worked. So I guess I need Boston and DC speaking engagements before I’ve collected all towns Obama has called home?
* I get lost in the middle of Hawaiian words. So getting around for five days sounded a little like this: “Oh, we need to go down Kala…mumblemumble to Lili’o… that L street….” Also, there are apparently no B’s in Hawaiian!
Tags: Hawaii, obama, who woulda thought?
Oh to be in Hawaii….I learned the pineapple thing from watching Survivor. I had no idea the things were on bushes until then, either.Welcome back!
really on trees?
glad you had fun.
Lol. Sounds delightful. What took you there?
I was speaking at the SCBWI-Hawaii conference. Ooh la la!
To get a little nitpicky, I have to point out that it’s actually called <>shave ice<> in Hawaii. No d. Unless you’re from the Big Island, in which case it’s ice shave. But I’m glad you didn’t mind the rain!Trisha
The Hawaiian words bit made me laugh out loud!