Since we were working at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, we chose to live in the nearby town of Kailua. Downtown Kailua was all brand-new, in a way that almost looked suspicious.
fancy condo complex that takes up several blocks by downtown
I especially noticed a housing complex that reminded me about something that had happened near Texas Tech when we were students. A big housing complex right near the center of the action means that something else had to be torn down first.
In Lubbock, there was a large neighborhood just across the street from campus. It was called North Overton. A local real estate mogul named McDougal was in the process of buying up the entire neighborhood. It was an impoverished community, and he largely purchased from landlords rather than homeowners. At that time (around 2006), one could rent a home in North Overton for $500 a month or sometimes less. McD's new plans included huge apartment complexes targeted at Texas Tech students, and single family homes that would be selling for $250k-$350k in a couple years. McD once referred to this as "affordable."
As architecture students, we had some knowledge of gentrification. While researching, it made us wonder- where did all the old tenants go? What happens when the cheapest rent in town isn't available anymore? Years later (2018), I told this story to Moani, a Hawai'i InterVarsity staff leader. "What did the students do? Was there a protest?" she wondered.
I felt so ashamed to say, "No." No one cared. I did write a paper about it at the time, and most of our friends mocked McD. He built a larger-than-life statue of himself in the courtyard of the new apartment complexes, one arm gesturing out toward the rest of the neighborhood. We'd pose like him and sarcastically say, "All of this... will be bulldozed." Stephen was especially sad about historical homes that were knocked down. Savvy professors noted the cheap construction style of the new apartment, and students who lived there agreed that the walls were pretty thin. I remember a friend paid $1200 for a two-bedroom apartment. At the time, my housemate and I were splitting $550 for a two-bedroom duplex. So there was a stark difference in pricing.
College students, in our time, did not protest. We witnessed protests when we went abroad- French separatists in Quebec, and students angry about tuition hikes in Puebla, Mexico. But not American students.
While I was learning about Hawaii's history from InterVarsity, Stephen was doing his own research. 75% of Kailua had recently been purchased by a single family, the Alexander Baldwin Company.
Museum tour accolades
They had purchased it from another set of families, Castle and Cooke. Both of these were part of the third-generation missionary families who over threw the monarchy of Hawai'i. They took the power away from the native people -- and they still have it!
Alexander Baldwin also owned Matson for many years, which has a monopoly in shipping in and out of Hawaii.
Tour of the original missionary family homes on Maui
Music
Our first year, I joined the Honolulu Wind Ensemble. It's the largest community band I've been part of. We mostly performed at malls!
Ala Moana Mall - Centerstage Concert
Here's a video of that concert.
Sonoe, one of our ISM students and I were in band together. For most concerts, Aloha is proper concert-wear.
with Sonoe
Oahu adventures: we went to a wonderful outdoor concert by Jack Johnson. We've been fans since college, but never would have planned to be on the same island.
Emergency!
2018 was a dramatic year for Hawai'i. On January 13th, at 8 am we received this frightening text.
Seek shelter? We had no idea what we could do. (Mandy wisely researched this later: here's the correct option.) The whole situation felt unreal to us- we weren't even that scared. We made our morning tea and coffee, told each other, "I love you. Thanks for giving me a good life!"
Constant updating of news sites seemed to indicate it was a mistake. And 38 minutes later, we received a follow up alert.
Stephen wasn't at work that Saturday, but some of our co-workers are crew were on the job site. The safety team had to remind everyone to come down safely from the building. Don't jump! They shut the site down. Our superintendent Brian drove home to be with his wife. Susan our QC decided to stay on base instead; several military families were evacuating to underground bunkers. She noticed there were no supplies in the bunkers, but multiple families brought their pets along. She thought the dogs were going to start looking tasty after a couple days!
A family in our neighborhood did know a safe place to evacuate. We chatted with neighbor Greg who was timing everything. He said there's only 15 minutes to get to safety after a missile alert. He always has an emergency bag ready to go! But he was slowed by his older parents who were trying to pack up their cats and kitty litter. They had a key, or a code to get into an old water tank in the neighborhood. It did take them more than 15 minutes, but they got inside. This cut off their cell phone service. They did have a wind up radio that eventually told them it was safe to leave.
Our backdoor neighbors were both Marine pilots. It crossed our minds that they should have been alerted and racing off to the base if it had been a real emergency.
2018 was also the year Kilauea started erupting, and Hurricane Lane hit the coast. These did not have a personal impact on us, but everyone had disaster related conversations.
I volunteered with the lay leadership team, which gave me an educational look into how churches are run. My favorite job was being a reader of scripture or weekly prayers. I also took home and hand-washed communion towels each week- a boring but necessary task.
Fundraising for Chocolate Extravaganza with Caroline and Jessie
Our priest Father Christopher left Hawai'i in 2018, and the congregation hired supply clergy each week during the search for a new part time leader. We enjoyed visits from Canon Frank Chun, who read the gospel message from Da Jesus Book, a pidgin translation of the New Testament. Chun was a consultant on the text, which came out in 2001. The Old Testament will be completed in 2020.
This week’s gospel reading from Da Jesus Book: Mark 10:35-45. “Whoeva like be da leada guy, he gotta be da helpa guy first.”
Palm Sunday service
Jane, Caroline and I with Presiding Bishop Curry at the Renewal 2019 conference
I played horn at church for our final week. I also got to open the service many weeks by playing the pu (conch shell) with three notes. We practiced some other local traditions: singing the dosology in Hawaiian, praying The Queen's Prayer during a certain season, and listing Hawaiian queens and kings with the the saints.
Father Christopher sent us Psalm 46 as a reminder during the challenging year of 2018.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea; Though its waters rage and foam, and though the mountains tremble at its tumult. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold....
Our favorite times in Waikiki generally involve a trip to the Blue Note Hawaii. We went to a few comedy shows and saw live music by Willie K and Kahulanui, a Big Band / Island fusion group.
Mason, our head carpenter, hosted an amazing BBQ at his house. He's a local who worked for Absher last time they were on the islands, so the team was eager to re-hire him.
Celso & Mason
with Huong and her daughter Lily
Brian and his wife Diane came with us from Washington to Hawai'i. First they lived in Kaneohe by the base, but later moved to a high rise condo in Waikiki! (Normally the traffic is bad, but since Brian came to work by 5 am, he was fine.) They had fun exploring all the best places to eat, and always had great plans.
Lava cafe with Diane
A good bye party; Celso (Safety), Ginger, David (Quality Control), Huong & Nick (Assistant Superintendent), Steve (Quality Control), Brian & Diane (Superintendent), and Brady (Nick's son).
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