Bred, Born and Raised in Hawai’i
The title of this post is what I use when prompted to complete an “about me” section added with “something I consider a miracle from the gods.” From this brief sentence you can learn a lot about NEENZ. For instance you already know that my parents were living in Hawai’i when they decided to have me, and through the duration of the pregnancy. Also, since I was raised here I not only have a good understanding of the local culture, but know my way well enough around the State. And finally, since I consider it a miracle, I have a love and appreciation for my home, Hawai’i. From the Mind of NEENZ are my thoughts, visions, and experiences shared with you with primary focus on living in Hawai’i.
My friend, Ryan Ozawa, posted, Chris Pirillo on Hawaii. For those who don’t know who Chris Pirillo is, his “about me” page precisely describes him as a technology evangelist meaning he’s a trusted geek who knows his stuff. For that reason, I follow him on Twitter and saw that he shared he was vacationing in Hawai’i, but learned from reading Ryan’s blog that he had recently posted “Reasons I Might Never Move to Hawaii” on YouTube.
I watched the almost five and a half minute long video and although I didn’t agree, I understood his reasons, I mean we’re all different and what I consider a miracle from the gods, may be bleh to someone else.
Some of Pirillo’s concerns are easily dissected by a knowledgeable local person. For example, Pirillo describes Hawai’i as too touristy. Of course he’d have this perception since his experience is from a cruise ship, but on a normal day for me I never encounter any tourists, unless I venture into the “tourist district” of Waikiki or now, Lahaina. Otherwise, my everyday conversations and dealings are with residents. But, I welcome any questions current or prospective tourists or residents have about Hawai’i. A good resource for this is the online forum, HawaiiThreads.
Another point Pirillo tries to make is that Hawai’i is too hot, and he lives in Seattle because of its weather. While he may have a point, it’s not entirely correct. Ryan shared about Mount Wai’ale’ale on the island of Kaua’i one of the wettest spots on earth only rivaled by a place in India during a monsoon season. Furthermore, if you ask anyone whom has called Hilo their home, they will tell you that overcast skies are the norm throughout the year. And, if he had asked any one of us living in the state the past few weeks we would have said, “It’s freezing!” since we were experiencing sixty degree weather.
One of Pirillo’s reasons has to do with broadband, something I would defer to Ryan or Burt Lum who is part of the Hawaii Broadband Task Force because I wouldn’t know the difference between good broadband or great broadband. I do however know that there are many residents in Hawai’i that love the illumination of a screen as well as the sunshine.
But, because he titled his post with the word, “might” perhaps on his next visit, not that he would change his mind completely, but highlight the value of Hawai’i. Like Ryan, I believe though that in order for him to achieve this he has to, hang with the locals. Ryan graciously extended the offer, and I would be more than willing to play “puka shell tour guide” too and emphasize the “social” in social networking, but while I’m good for places to eat and family fun, to fulfill Pirillo’s geek fiend, Ryan is my Obi Wan Kenobi.
