Sailing in Hanalei Bay...

To view more pics go to my Facebook Album. xo P.

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Green Day - Time of Your Life

Kauai Week One... Paradise?!

After commuting here to work during the past year I fell in love with Kauai and recently moved here. From my first visit to the Garden Isle, I have made a point of sharing with everyone in my life how magical and enchanting I find this place. The people, the culture, the food, the music, the flora, the fauna, the land and the ocean all welcomed me. When I returned to the mainland I couldn't wait to come back. Finally I made my dream a reality.

I want to become part of this community. I want to contribute to making and keeping this the idyllic place I believed it to be. I want to learn more about Kauai's history and culture and to share this information with my guests and tourists to further enhance their experiences. My sense of inspired hope turned to brief but painful regret today when I was schooled by a second generation North Shore local who felt the need to clue me in to their reality. He told me that, "as a visitor I was O.K." but as "an immigrant I would never be accepted by the the locals - at best I will only be tolerated." Further, I was told, I should know that I will be "secretly loathed and considered a parasite, taking a job and land from locals". Citing my experiences during previous visits he rebutted "Sure - everyone loves tourists because they LEAVE!".

I was hurt. This was the first time I had felt the blows of racism. My fantasy was shattered into a thousand pieces. The man I was speaking with had apparently fought all his life to be accepted. Was I now volunteering for the same treatment???

I was so unfamiliar with racism that I looked it up in a dictionary:

Racism is the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

In this community of so many mixed ethnicities I had never imagined that racism could exist. I fear I had misread the acceptance I felt during previous visits.

Subsequently a very wise fourth generation local raised my spirits somewhat. She told me "That it seems that everyone has forgotten that we are ALL immigrants." She said "those in touch with their heritage know that none of us owns this land". She went on to say "Hawaii doesn't need to focus on the past, but on a future of developing healthy and supportive communities for generations to come."

Where does this leave me? Well the scales have been removed from my eyes but being a positive person I choose to share the optimistic vision of my second teacher. I'll work to make reality as good as the fantasy that brought me here. Aloha! P.

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P.S. To view photos of Week 1 click on my Facebook Album.

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Good-Bye Vancouver... Aloha Kauai!

Leaving my Wall Centre Team was certainly sad... but the blessings of fellow employees makes moving on just that much more inspiring!

This lovely sentiment created by the Master Jeddy-Jed was followed by the most endearing going away party...

For more photos click this FACEBOOK link

AND for the AFTER PARTY click this link ;P

Thank-you Club Intrawest & The Sheraton Wall Centre!

Love & Miss You all... xo P.

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Rip Curl & Sashamon

I arrived on island today... You can almost taste the sweetness of the air. It's soft, like the texture of whole milk on your tongue and the humidity wraps me up as if I am being cradled in an electric blanket. The smell of the plumeria is more than familiar, it's calming and the sound of the far off roosters - even at the airport - make me smile. I'm home. xo P.

MAD MEN on AMC this Summer...

From the Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer of the Sopranos; Matthew Wiener, is the BEST television show I have seen in a long time!

Reviewers have said:
"Television's best new drama" Newsweek
"...Possibly the best new show you'll see this summer" Time Magazine
"The sophistication of a feature film" People
"Gorgeous in every way... smart and tremendously attractive" The New Yorker
"So cool it will force you to turn off the air conditioning..." New York Post

If you missed the first season's 8 shows this summer... Catch up on AMC-tv.com or if in the US check HBO's ON Demand or if you are one of the hipsters that have mastered iTunes Download it today!

This past weekend AMC had an 8 hour marathon and while I was packing my life up - to move to paradise, I was reminded how great the writing is, the character development is deliberately intriguing. Add to that the visual details - hair, make-up wardrobe, props, set dec all perfect! Reminding me why Art Direction was once a dream of mine... I guarantee this Set Dec Team had fun pulling the 60's into reality. Plus mark my words the fashion influence of this series will be unmistakable next year... Aesthetics aside it's smart and surprisingly unpredictable. Plus as one of the producers said, "It reminds us how little we have changed. We are just better at being polite". That interests me... though being a child in the 60's I can confirm that reality - at least parenting has evolved.

Don't miss up coming episodes Thursday nights at 10pm... Enjoy! P.
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