When San Diego is your home base, everywhere else pretty much sucks. I love me some San Diego / La Jolla!
It's definitely not for everyone, many feel the same way. Local Japanese residents form most of the power base, and it's rare for mainland people to integrate easily, it took me years. What locals resist are loud dominating mainland haoles, the loud American type. It's a great place if you fit in. It's unfortunate though unless you're born there you don't get trusted much. Very big cultural divides re power, though everyone gets along. Learning pidgin helps. This is all true https://www.livinginhawaii.com/12-reasons-you-should-not-move-to-hawaii/
I’m actually heading to Hawaii Kai in two hours to see a friend who just landed. But I agree with everything you said. I actually worked for the rail project for a year and it was a mess.. that thing won’t finish until 2030 at least
I came here with family when I was 13. I didn’t move to Hawaii Kai, my family isn’t rich. We moved to Waianae (the ghetto) but lived in a nicer part. The stigma towards whites is real and it was a struggle at first making friends and what not (never had trouble with the ladies tho lol they love nice looking white boys). But luckily at age 13 I was conditioned quick and held my own. Waianae is the toughest city on Oahu, it’s where UFC star Max Holloway is from (he graduated a year after me). The thing is, the locals don’t hate all whites, they hate the Haole. Basically a white person who comes to Hawaii and disrespects the land and the people. The amount of tourists that come to these islands with no care in the world and treat the island like crap is overwhelming and I understand why the locals get upset.
You musta had iit tough in Waianae, props for making it! Stinkeye and k.. haole day survivor wtg. True re locals got no love for know it all mainland haoles.. I outlasted competitors, who left, because of one simple word... RESPECT. I miss my clients http://daytradinguniversity.com/clientsken.htm and kailua beach, and char siu manapua, and wahines, and zippy's chili and kama'aina life
Brah only white boy in my class! It was hard in the beginning but honestly being from Jersey helped me a lot. That east coast New York Tri-State aura helped me navigate and make friends with the right people in Waianae. I've seen other mainland kids move here from places like North Dakota, or Wisconsin and its completely different for them. But I was already conditioned by visiting my grandmother in Kauai every year while I still lived in Jersey, so I've always been in Hawaii. Looking back I really am blessed with such a comeuppance, its unique and not many can say the same!
I traded from Honolulu for months in 2000 but it was tough getting up at 3AM weekday to trade... ofc I am up now. ODESZA!