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Jan. 21, 2005 I lived about 2 years in Honolulu in the 1980's and can comment on the weather and some other topics fairly reasonably. First and foremost is the weather. The usually published average high and low temperatures in Honolulu for July are 87 and 71, while the official January average high and low are 80 and 65, with the daily high dipping 7 degrees interseasonally. I don't know exactly where those temperatures were measured, but my opinion is that they're doctored or, at the very least, collected very selectively by choosing the most favorable spot in town. From glimpsing temperatures on banks and other buildings around Honolulu, I'd put the July high and low at 92 and 75, and the January high and low at 74 and 62, with an interseasonal drop of more like 18 degrees. I know my method is not tremendously scientific, but there is a definite cooling in mid-December. If you go down to Waikiki on a summer night, you'll find hundreds of people out on the beach or in the chess pavilions there or in adjacent Kapiolani Park. Tank tops, tee shirts, shorts and beach slippers are de rigueur at that time. But if you visit Waikiki on a winter night, you'll find far fewer people, and those who do come out usually have on thermal coats or hooded sweatshirts and long pants. Not only might the temperatures be in the lower 60's--they even dip into the upper 50's--but also many times you have a stiff breeze. Honolulu has one of the highest average wind velocties in the US, what with the ever-blowing trade winds. Another factor is rain. Hawaii, all in all, is not very rainy, 20 to 25 inches a year, only about double the desert metropolis of LA. But in the winter, there's a fine drizzle, almost like the spray from an aerosol can, that starts and stops a dozen times a day sometimes. There are beautiful days in January when the temperature is 80 and the skies are blue, but in my opinion, that is the exception rather than the rule. Often you have 72 degrees and gray skies. Definitely this is an improvement over Milwaukee or Pittsburgh, but if I had just sunk $10,000 in a vacation for my family, I'd be disappointed with that kind of weather, which can sometimes last a week. On winter mornings, at Waikiki and at Ala Moana, another, larger beach two miles to the north, when the temperature is around 65, it's fine in the sun, but all morning long little clouds come scudding seaward from the Koolau Mountains to the east, and you get 5 minutes of sun and 5 minutes of cloud till noon. Inland on Oahu Island, in the mountains, in villages like Wahiawa, the temperature is even cooler than in Honolulu, 40's being not unknown. All in all, weatherwise, I'd say Hawaii is a great place to live, but it's iffy for a winter vacation. You might be lucky, but then again, you might not. It would be best to go in November or early December. When I was there, and presumably now too, prices were 50% higher in Hawaii than on the mainland. According to articles in the Honolulu Star at that time, the demand for technical and professional people was quite low. Jobs relating to tourism were plentiful. So, if you plan to move there, it would be advisable to line something up first if you're a chemist or an engineer, for example, unless you don't mind waiting on table. The last of the nine monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, was deposed in 1893 by a cabal of Caucasians, that is, US-born or US- descended lawyers, who had taken over the reins of government during the reigns of the Queen and her predecessor, King Kalakaua. They founded the Republic of Hawaii, which lasted till 1898, when Hawaii became a US territory. Fearing that the Hawaiians, who are classed as Polynesians, would conspire to turn the tables, the usurpers outlawed the Hawaiian language, now virtually extinct. These acts did not exactly endear the Caucasians to the Polynesians, and to this day, many Hawaiians manifest some hostility towards haoles. Also, many Hawaiians feel physically superior to Caucasians, with some justification. They tend to be better-looking, bigger and more muscular. Intellectually they lag somewhat. Many, many Hawaiians are perfectly friendly and harmless. I recall two very kind, cheerful Hawaiian ladies that I met there. But if you're alone in a predominantly Hawaiian town, especially among teen-agers, it would definitely be worth your while to be alert. If some sullen 275-pounder comes running after you with a two-by- four, you'd be wise to hurry off. Hawaii has no native mammals Goats and pigs that live in the mountains are thought to be descendants of runaways introduced by the Polynesians. Native birds are also rare. You do see mynahs, plovers, gulls, egrets, pigeons, bulbuls and white-eyes, mostly introduced. So if you think you'll find all kinds of fauna, you'll be disappointed. Oahu is overfished already, so don't bring any poles or bait. Honolulu Zoo is in Kapiolani Park, right at Waikiki. Honolulu has many beautiful street trees, coconuts, dates, banyans, baobabs, tamarinds, mahogany, casuarinas, ceibas, pandanuses (kahala), monkeypods and royal poincianas, but these are mostly introduced trees. The mountains abound in forests, but Hawaii is not a jungle. You´d never know you weren't in Georgia. Oahu, that is greater Honolulu, has a population of 875,000, a good-sized city, but not a megalopolis. Some consumer goods may not be as easy to find as in New York, and you don't have very convenient access to alternative sources. It's 5 hours by plane to LA. For me, books were difficult. Books in European languages just are not available, nor can you expect to find anything on, say, differential equations. Best- sellers and Hawaiiana are plentiful, and shopping malls are great for ordinary stuff like clothes and furniture. There's plenty of night life, including shows, bars and restaurants. ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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