Aloha!
Finally, I'm here in Honolulu. I arrived late Sunday night - actually, just last night, and already I feel like a lot has happened.
To recap the past several days. In LA, I enjoyed Luis and Karen and Lucy's hospitality in Rancho Palos Verdes. Luis and I were in the same year at MIT; on top of that, we both grew up in San Francisco. He even went to the boys' Catholic high school that was in front of my family's house, but we didn't meet until we were, I think, sophomores in college. Anyway, he's an engineer, and sorry, Luis, I won't even try to explain what you do. Karen, his wife, was a few years behind us in school, and now she works for Pfizer on program development (nondrug related) after having completed med school and a preventive medicine residency. Lucy is their surrogate daughter, that is, she's there very cute and affectionate pound-rescued dog. I enjoyed a relaxing couple of days in all their company in their beautiful ranch-style house.
Then, after a slight detour to the Long Beach port to put my car in que for shipment (they said it would take anywhere from 3-5 weeks - oh boy), I moved slightly north to Manhattan Beach to enjoy the company of my good friend Melanie (we've often leaned on each other and shared some good and bad times both in pediatric residency and afterward), Warren (her nonstereotypical physics professor partner), Abby (her enchanting daughter, who is in the intermittent throes of the terrible twos), and her endearing mother (visiting her irresistable granddaughter). It was fun just hanging out and walking down by the beach together. There happened to be a huge open team volleyball tournament and ocean swim this past weekend at Manhattan Beach, so the crowds were out in force, but how fun. On top of all that, Melanie's from Hawaii, so she helped me start searching for a place in Honolulu and gave me all sorts of advice, to which her mom would add occasional helpful comments. Unfortunately, our time together was short, and all too soon, it was time to go to the airport. (By the way, thanks for the ride, Melanie!)
So now I'm here, in beautiful, though very warm and muggy Honolulu (fortunately, the drive across country in all sorts of hot weather was good training). I've already got my official Hawaii Dept of Health ID after spending the morning signing what seemed like endless forms. But from now through the end of this week or however long it takes (hopefully, not longer), my job is to find a place to call home. Not an easy task. It seems like the whole world is looking for an apartment to rent. I went to one showing (of a pretty crappy apt that was outrageously overpriced) and at least 7 other people also showed up at the open house viewing. After this afternoon's experience, I have the sinking suspicion that I will have to pay twice what I paid in Atlanta to get something maybe half as decent or as large. [sigh] The price of paradise.
At least I'm finally here! Yea!!!!!!!
That's it for my posts to this particular blogsite. If you want to hear more, you'll have to email or call me. :)
To recap the past several days. In LA, I enjoyed Luis and Karen and Lucy's hospitality in Rancho Palos Verdes. Luis and I were in the same year at MIT; on top of that, we both grew up in San Francisco. He even went to the boys' Catholic high school that was in front of my family's house, but we didn't meet until we were, I think, sophomores in college. Anyway, he's an engineer, and sorry, Luis, I won't even try to explain what you do. Karen, his wife, was a few years behind us in school, and now she works for Pfizer on program development (nondrug related) after having completed med school and a preventive medicine residency. Lucy is their surrogate daughter, that is, she's there very cute and affectionate pound-rescued dog. I enjoyed a relaxing couple of days in all their company in their beautiful ranch-style house.
Then, after a slight detour to the Long Beach port to put my car in que for shipment (they said it would take anywhere from 3-5 weeks - oh boy), I moved slightly north to Manhattan Beach to enjoy the company of my good friend Melanie (we've often leaned on each other and shared some good and bad times both in pediatric residency and afterward), Warren (her nonstereotypical physics professor partner), Abby (her enchanting daughter, who is in the intermittent throes of the terrible twos), and her endearing mother (visiting her irresistable granddaughter). It was fun just hanging out and walking down by the beach together. There happened to be a huge open team volleyball tournament and ocean swim this past weekend at Manhattan Beach, so the crowds were out in force, but how fun. On top of all that, Melanie's from Hawaii, so she helped me start searching for a place in Honolulu and gave me all sorts of advice, to which her mom would add occasional helpful comments. Unfortunately, our time together was short, and all too soon, it was time to go to the airport. (By the way, thanks for the ride, Melanie!)
So now I'm here, in beautiful, though very warm and muggy Honolulu (fortunately, the drive across country in all sorts of hot weather was good training). I've already got my official Hawaii Dept of Health ID after spending the morning signing what seemed like endless forms. But from now through the end of this week or however long it takes (hopefully, not longer), my job is to find a place to call home. Not an easy task. It seems like the whole world is looking for an apartment to rent. I went to one showing (of a pretty crappy apt that was outrageously overpriced) and at least 7 other people also showed up at the open house viewing. After this afternoon's experience, I have the sinking suspicion that I will have to pay twice what I paid in Atlanta to get something maybe half as decent or as large. [sigh] The price of paradise.
At least I'm finally here! Yea!!!!!!!
That's it for my posts to this particular blogsite. If you want to hear more, you'll have to email or call me. :)
1 Comments:
No photo's of the legendary hawaii?
aloha,
thierry
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