August 11, 2012

Honolulu Zoo

We are so thankful to have a zoo membership! Although it is "all the way in town," it is nice to be able to go and play without having to make a full day trip of it. It is a small zoo, but it has plenty to offer for the little ones. Here are some of the highlights!

Plants

Keiki zoo with interactive exhibits and petting zoo



Elephants! We saw their old enclosure and now enjoy the giant place they call home now. If you come when they're getting fed, you'll get a show too!

Playground - there is a large play structure in the shade. Unfortunately, I only have pictures of the alligator from the "baby" half of the playground and a tree that my kids thought was a jungle gym.


Giraffe sculpture to climb

And of course, the animals!!!








My favorite animals:
*These pictures come from many different trips, as you may have noticed due to the changing size of the keiki*

August 2, 2012

Kamaʻāina - Local


Who doesn't like to save money? For most touristy things, there is a military/kamaʻāina discount. We're not military, but we quickly figured out how to qualify for the kamaʻāina discount! Sorry Michigan, but one of the first things we did when we arrived was to trade in our "great lakes" IDs for ones with rainbows on them.
It allows us (and sometimes friends that are visiting!) to try out new things for a lower price. So instead of just buying a kayak, we can try it out and see if we like kayaking before buying one and then having it take up space in our garage. And it allows us to stay at a hotel like this for a not-as-ridiculous price. 
Or eat here and order more than just an appetizer!


However, there are two sides to the word "kamaʻāina." Literally it means "land child," so we will never really have that official title since we weren't born and raised here. However, we can aspire to "local haole" if we live here long enough (haole means "white", which is a whole different post!).

It's also important to note, people from that are from Hawaii are called "locals," and that can apply to people of many races. But you are only "Hawaiian" if your ancestors were Hawaiian. Sometimes people say "native Hawaiian" to clarify, but usually "Hawaiian" means they are ethnically from Hawaii. And just please don't use "natives," since it brings to mind the idea of the "hostiles" from Lost and maybe isn't the best term for people anywhere.

So, we might qualify for the kamaʻāina discount, but if you ask if we're local, we'll have to say no. For now.