Friday, March 24, 2006

aloha

Are there things you do before you go on a trip? I go through a little "process of events" before going on a trip or back to Hawaii.

One, is that I clean the house. Everyday clutter is cleared, the kitchen and bathroom is cleaned and all the fresh foods used to leave the refrigerator empty. The first time I did this on a trip back to Hawaii freaked Satoshi when he came home that night from work. He said it made him a bit sad to realize that I wasn't coming home for awhile.

The other thing is that I send my bags to the airport in advance. Whenever I go back to Hawaii, there is a bag pick-up service that I like to use. Before finding this service, I struggled many a time with my 30-inch suitcase, rolled it down the street, balanced it on the escalators, lugged it off and on the trains, just to get to the airport. Not to mention, I would have to try to get it down the 3 flights of stairs of our apartment building (with no hand railings...)--all without breaking my neck.

Nowadays, Satoshi usually calls for me about a week in advance and books a day for them to pick up the bags, this is decided depending on your flights. You can choose whether you want them to come in the morning between 10 and 1 or in the afternoon between 2 and 6 or later in the evening between 7 and 9. I usually choose the morning pick-up time because I usually have things to do in the afternoons. (Sometimes they come early, at about 10 or 11, and sometimes they come AT 1.) Usually if you book a round-trip--for them to bring the bags back to your home after you return, the rate is a bit cheaper. I can now go to the airport with just my carry-on and not have to stress about my suitcase. This service is definitely worth every "penny"!

Changing the subject, yesterday was the last session for my beads crochet class. We made a cute little crocheted purse with little fresh water pearls that hangs from a long chain necklace. It wasn't too hard to make and we all finished early, and prepped for our next project which will be done at the next class. After class, a group of us went to have tea.

The next session starts in 2 weeks, but I'll miss the first two lessons, so I'll have to play catch-up when I get back.

Hopefully I'll be able to post some foodie experiences from Hawaii, if not, see you all in about 6 weeks!!

Aloha!*

*"Aloha" is a greeting that we say in Hawaii which is very versatile. It can mean "Hi", "Bye", "Welcome!", "See ya". You can hear this phrase a lot in the touristy areas such as Waikiki. In Japanese, it is the equivalent to that of "Doomo".

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kat,
I am paranoid about my baggage getting lost so I always lug it everywhere with me - but I have my own little habits! I am obsessive about checking that all the lights and appliances are turned off because I am afraid of burning the place down in my absence!

Aloha and have a wonderful time in Hawaii! I look forward to hearing about your adventures when you return!

Anonymous said...

Such a good idea about calling to have your luggage picked up. I never do and end up labouring to carry it!

Have a great trip. Enjoy every minute of it!


Bea

Anonymous said...

I've never looked into a luggage pick-up service ... which, of course, means that I'm always hauling my own stuff like a pack mule. What a great idea!

Have a wonderful holiday! I'm looking forward to reading about your foodie adventures in Hawaii!

bourgogne said...

i've actually considered fedexing my baggage. hahaha. have the best time ever! cute teeny tiny purse. aloha!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is the cutest little bead purse!! You could definitely sell those!

You have excellent 'pre-trip rituals'!! I do clean the house and all that, but it's more of a trip-taking requirement as per DH than my own ritual, lol! You are a good housewife! I usually end up packing last minute, so I make DH take us (me and DD) to the airport and plan our trip around when he can do that, lol, but I do always send our bags home from the airport and then hop on the train or airport limosine (coach-type bus) to the nearest place to our house and then take a taxi from there. I also make sure DH is stocked up on all his essentials that I usually buy for him, like soap, toothpaste, etc. and usually give away perishable items that I know we won't be able to finish.

Have a fabulous trip, can't wait to hear all about it! Aloha!!

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to seeing you in Hawaii! It's been raining every day for last three weeks here in Honolulu. Please bring nice spring weather with you!

K and S said...

thank you everyone!

kat