Hawai'i

There I go! LOST, I am off, I am in the land of ghost, and my picture populates the cemetery.

Since I left I slept: 1 day on the plane, 1 day on the beach, 2 days in a car and tonight I am expecting another day on the plane, on my way to Alaska.

Monday
As soon as I arrived in Honolulu, I took another flight for the big island of Hawai’i.
The big island of Hawai’i is, indeed, big. Apparently it has 13 out of 18 climatic zones, and I chose to hang out in the colder ones.
Achim, the paraglider pilot I contacted before coming here, came to pick me up Monday morning at the airport in Kona (west side) to go and set camp at Hooneka beach, a short stretch of white sand beach, surrounded by cliffs, where you can often swim with a group of resident dolphins.
The beach is nice, but I am not used anymore to see so many palagi and woman in bikini. Mostly hippies, wearing the best yoga pants ever.
There weren’t many people over all, but it felt crowed.
Achim pulled out an inflatable tender from his truck and we paddle away looking for dolphins. Instead we meet a very interesting “dolphin-man” that appeared from nowhere, telling us how magical the dolphins were and how they bring messages and changes. He shared with us a couple of prophecies, which surprised both Achim and I.

In the evening, I dove with Jack Diving Locker, I wanted to experience being in the water with the giant manta rays. It was amazing. The dive masters were very professional but at the same time very good in creating an engaging atmosphere between the 10 divers on the boat. We first did a very shallow dive along a volcanic lava cliff looking for big fish (the highlight was the passage inside a lava tube!) and then we moved on to the manta rays favorite feeding spot and waited for dusk. Describing the feelings of diving with the giant manta rays is impossible; you just need to do yourself. Do it. These animals are indeed giants. And flirty. A couple would constantly come to me, check me out, open their huge mouth right in front of me and then glide up caressing my forehead. I felt cuddled. But also cold and nearly out of oxygen. The warm shower on the back on the boat is also something indescribable, also a must do after the dive! ;-)

“No, I have a ride, thanks, I am camping tonight” ”No, it is a guy that I meet this morning at the airport”. I told to the dive master when he asked me what I was going to do after the dive. I would not usually just take off with a guy like that, but Achim and I have been in contact while I was planning this trip, I was going to get lost on top of a mountain with him anyway, I figure if he was going to kill me he could do it anytime. Plus a man talking about the weather for so long can only be a pilot or very British.

Tuesday
The next day, we drove to the top of Pu’u Loa and I got a couple of flights in. I was nervous at first, but once in the air, a natural. I still have it. I can still fill the wing and the wind, pick the right places to be. I was so happy. It is me!
We set camp for the night and we went to see the observatory to return and find the tend and sleeping bags totally wet! Aua le popole (no problem), these are not really the problems of life. Luckily Achim’s car fit 2 people very confortably, and slepping wrap up to my wing is not really something new to me. Wings will keep you warm at night.

Wednesday
The next day I woke up with the sound of strong wind. “Can I kite?” was my first though… way to strong. We moved into a valley close by, but the wing there was so mellow that I could only flight few meters above the ground. No fun. Achim, let’s go flying somewhere else or let’s go sight seeing.
(The first sight was Freddy, 85 years old, that, coming with his truck from the opposite side of the dirt road at Pu’u Loa stopped me and told me “I knew a wonderful woman was going to cross my path today, and here you are! What can I do for you?”).

So we went to Hilo, where Achim lives, and I had the change to finally take a warm shower and check the e-mail. That is when the world stopped for a moment, because in between the e-mail, one was a very nice job offer hard to say no to. That flatters me, I have been in the market for less than 3 days, I have not advertised at all, and my good star is already shining light on me. I set an unofficial lunch-meeting in Honolulu the next day (call it Serendipity! I do not happen to be in Hawai’i that often usually…!!!), and then Achim and I got ready to go to see the lava flowing into the sea, creating bright red clouds of smoke. There wasn’t any activity when we got there, but few minutes before we got to the cliff, the lava started flowing again. Thank you Pele, the lava goodness, which has the power to create new land.
We drove back to Kona, slept in the airport in the truck again and I left early the next day.

Thursday
One of the most beautiful things of Thursday was to have Marsik to pick me up at the airport in Honolulu. I really missed him! Honolulu is so vibrant, energetic compared with the big island. Tourists are everywhere and yen are accepted as a currency in many shops. After my “interview”, Marsik took me to a bar where wonderful women with incredibly short skirts were serving at the table. I am sure Jeremy could comment on them. I wondered how I could fit leaving here. I cannot wear such a short skirt. It is tropical, sure, but very crowed. But I have to admit, I was also noticed many nice guys. Plenty of opportunities! In Neverland, in 3 years, I must have met no more than 20 single guys… I bet I saw at least 500 in few hours in Honolulu. ;-)
We (Marisk, me, and Marsik’s girlfriend which is wonderful!!!) went for dinner at an Egyptian restaurant. I am moved!

Friday
I made it to Alaska… brrrrrrrrr!!!!!! I did not like the flight attendant saying to run to buckle up to the seats because we were going to have very dangerous conditions. I drugged myself and happily woke up once in Anchorage. Snow Dave and I are now getting ready to drive to Fairbanks and go for a little freezing adventure to Tolovana hotspring… We should be back by Tuesday-Wednesday.

the best job in the world

Hi all, today just do something for me, please…

As I mention before (plan D), I applied for the best job in the world, the islands care-taker in the Great Barrier Reef. I now need you to vote for me! All you need to do it is to go to my site, before this sunday, watch my movie, have a laugh and give me 5 stars! Then, forward the links to all your friends and ask them to do the same.

go to: www.island reefjob.com

select "all applicatant" and then select "American Samoa"... I am the only one there... or go to: http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/most-recent/watch/oxWOFP8azmc?ob=creation_date&desc=1&c=AS&as=25&s=0 or http://www.islandreefjob.com/watch/oxWOFP8azmc?ob=creation_date&desc=1&c=AS&as=25&s=0

If you forward the link to:

• 1-5 friends, Bill Gates will send you a check for $100 within a week.
• 5-10 friends, you will win a new car within a month and have a loved one cook your favorite meal
• 10-50 friends, you will find a bag full of money on the closest beach next to you and/or you will find something you though it was lost forever a long time ago.
• 50-… friends, you will become the next president of any country of your choice and/or a chance to come and visit the Great Barrier Reef and crash on my couch (or guess room).

A friend of mine did not check the link, and the next day he lost his car keys.
Another friend of mine sent the link to 33 persons, and soon enough he found a fat wallet in his garden (it was his, which he lost a loooong time ago).

Remember (if you know me you already know...) I bring good luck!!!

PS: and for the news... Plan E also phoned me last night and I may be considering it too. Plan E is in Honolulu.

a good pilot....

... always sleeps with her wing! Anyway, explanation later, now I have to run to see the lava falling into the sea.
in short, the dive with giant manta rays was AWESOME and a must do. Truly. The mantas are very flirty amazing animals. Achim, the pilot I contacted to fly in Hawai'i is a wonderful person and even spoiled me with chocolate! Thanks!
Flying was great. I still have it. I can feel the wing, the wind... the ground as well... ;-)!
Tomorrow morning I am flying to HNL, tomorrow night to Alaska....

I want to live, I want to die

As I am walking across the airport to board on my plane… leaving Neverland…
Me: “Sara, is that a cat that just crossed the landing strip?”
Sara: “A cat, you are kidding right?”
Me: “Oh no! They are going to shot at him! Poor cat!” (see reference)
Sara: “I just saw a monster quest marathon on tv about a cat-man in Guatemala, spotted in the airport”.
Sara and I are sitting on the Hawaiian airline flight in Pago Pago international airport. This time the restrooms are not working, but they are working on it.

I cannot believe it happened to me. You see people coming and leaving, but somehow it is hard to imagine the day in which you will be leaving too. You are speechless. So much to say, so many hugs, and tears hold behind your eyes.
At my tofa party at work there were two pigs size-2 cooked for me (pigs only come in size 2. That is when they are still young and good for cooking). 3 years ago when I first landed on this island, at the view of the 2 dead pigs on my lunch table I would have though “ohhhh poor babies!”. Now I just feel so honored by it. I got 2 pigs: cool.
The palagi group organized another tofa party for Liz and I (Liz is leaving next week). The theme was LOST (from an American TV series about a plane crash in a deserted mysterious and illogical tropical island – mainly, a place like this). I never saw the series, but I loved all the preparation behind it, from the matching t-shirts, dharma beers, dharmahol, fish cookies… and an amazing cake representing Tutuila with a Hawaiian airline plane crashed on it… Thanks you all for organizing it!!!

It is hard to leave the island. It is a (very relatively!) safe and known nest, but it is time for me to move on. I want to live, I want to die. I want to die knowing that I truly lived my life to my best (with occasionally relaxing breaks of course, hopefully at Gio’s SPA). I arrived at a stall on Neverland. I could not grow professionally anymore; personally, well, I cannot be 26 for the rest of my life. Or I will end up being a very old 26 years old woman with many cats.
It is time to stop being one of the lost kids of Neverland, to go back to the world and to grow just a little bit older (WOW! As soon as I am touching ground in Honolulu I will be 3 years older! How did it happened?). I will be LOST out there; a ghost in a crowed world where people do not acknowledge your presence with smiles or raised highbrows when you walk or drive along THE road, but where fresh vegetable are available to you anytime. What is it really REAL? The rock or the world out there? Is it us, the lost kids of Neverland, or is it them –the wondering ghosts of the cemetery (these are the ones that left the rock). I am going trough some sort of metamorphosis on this flight…

This week has been very busy packing, mailing (where? I am so homeless! Thanks Otto for welcoming all my packs!), cleaning… my fairy ladies once again ran to help me out. Thanks girls!!!!
I also saw “walking man” actually speaking and smiling and I took a bus with one of the most famous person on the island, “bee-beep” guy at the airport. What an unusual week.
All my stars seem to be at the right spot at the right time for me. I cannot wait to have a chance to meet with them all.

“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance;
they make the latitudes and longitudes”

It is 1:30am and I am ready to nap a bit, tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. I will fly to the big island, go diving with the giant manta rays, camp at a beach, and go up the mountain for the next 2 days paragliding. If I survive to this all I will write a line on the blog on Thursday for you to know that I am ok (when I fly back to Honolulu to catch the next fly to Alaska). If you do not hear from me or from Marsik –which I am going to meet in HNL- call the Hawaiian police. ;-)

Friday morning I will arrive in Anchorage, Snow Dave is picking me up and we are going to Fairbanks to get ready for a 11 miles hike to a hot spring out there. We should be back to civilization by Tuesday. Again if you do not hear from me by Tuesday… send somebody to look for us! I hope it won’t be too cold! ;-)!After that, I will be busy with the Iditarod…

I am living, I am living!

last weekend in Savai'i

First stop: Manaia SPA... divine! not to mention how great it is to be with Gio' again. Lucy was my Valentine this year... awesome! ;-)I though i could not possibly leave this archipelago without visiting the very last, and oldest, island, Savai'i (from which the name Hawai'i comes from). How can you tell it is sunday in Samoa?Outriggers, fales, white sand beaches, coconuts... This church had quite a lava flow entering from the main door... don't forget that, like Hawaii, these islands were formed by an hotspot... which means lots of volcanoes....I love this sign too!Like in Rome... churches everywhere!
Finding bird nests in the lava tunnels...Sleeping on one of the most majestic trees in the world! A 30m high banyan tree. Unique. Must do.

The rental car was one of the high light as well... inefficient brakes, volatile roof, hand written license plate, cat pee? we loved it!
This church was destroyed by the waves of an hurricane. It is scaring to think about the power of the sea. Apparently the inhabitant of the village swam to the next village for more protection, while many others hided in the lava tubes.
This is the westernmost place on Earth (or the one closer to the day zone line). Tomorrow is just a sight away...
And here we have an old man having fun trowing cuconuts in the blow hole. It was just a show watching him laughing and saying "come on wave..." But the coconut did go flying out at least 20 meters! very impressing!!! It will be hard not to miss this place... tomorrow I am leaving...
Thanks Lucy for the great weekend!!! I will miss you!! Maybe see you in Bangor, city of happiness, next!

oh my!

I slept on the top of a banyan tree 30 meters high well above any other tree
I said good bye to very good friends
I packed, packed, packed
I did not remember moving was so time-consuming
But I am nearly there... Last day at work today, another run to the post office to mail stuff to a friend's house (I am sooo homeless! what country should I mail my stuff to?)... then cleaning, packing, donations... I am trying to leave with just a backpack, it is easier hitch hiking that way! ;-)
i guess my next update is going to be written on sunday on the plane... my first time free before EXCITEMENT in HAWAII! big island to start.
Diving with giant manta rays, and the camping under the stars on top a mountain to be ready for 2 days of paragliding! Then Alaska....

some other days...

Today I just feel like this. I want an hug. But tomorrow I am going to spoil myself at Gio's place. Italians, tropical rainforest, candles and cocunat oil.... And then explore a new place with Lucy. Few more hours...

Usually Jeremy is very good describing the absurdity or idiocrazy of Neverland (le mafuaga we also love it so much sometimes), but sometimes you are just not in the mood for it.

Lunch:

-“ok, so you pay $1 for the water, $1 for the juice, $4.50 for the sandwich, $6.00 for the burger…”. The waitress says as she looks blankly to me. Oh yes, she wants me to do the math: “so… I own you, let me see, $ 12.50, right?” “Right”, she says, taking the bills.

Paying a traffic ticket (the light of my truck was off one night):

“Did you fix the light”, the… I do not know what her job is… but you pay tickets to her… says.

“Yes, I did”. My proud answer (I changed it myself).

“is the car outside for me to check?”

“Yes”

“Uhmm.. is it hot outside?” (with a look like: "please tell me it is hot and that i should not go out for health reasons..")

“Well, yes, it is not like here in the A/C”.

“Yeah… It is ok (alas "I trust you, i won't go out to check on your truck..."). Just pay me the ticket… $10”. ($10 like anything else on this island: medicines? $10. Teeth work? $10. Doctor visit? $10. Blood analysis? $10.)

Paying bills:

No, actually, I cannot describe this. I still have to understand what happened there. I think most people all they know is that they need to be in the office sometimes in the day to enjoy the A/C. They have no idea of the kind of work they are doing. They all send you to see somebody else, unless you just stand there and say “No, thank, I will do it here, fa’mole mole”. Then explain step by step what they are supposed to do, where to click on the mouse…

10 more days... can’t wait to be homeless!

the new math

I never liked mathematics as much as now.
Today I did this math:

1

+
1

=
2

+
2

I am exchanging my values… I like the idea of owning very little, but being able to experience life to the fullest. I am coming back to me! It was about time! ;-)!!!

Today I just realized that my washing machine can keep me flying for a couple of days… I always looked at it as an ugly white mysterious thing that washes cloths, but not today…
Today, as I was selling it, my washing machine was flying in the sky like a helium balloon, hundreds of tiny ropes hanging from the sides holding up one of the chair from my living room… and happily I was sitting in it, flying, enjoying the best thermals ever on top of Canco hill. I never though that a washing machine could have such a power!

Add my bed to the formula, I have enough for 4 days in Hawaii diving on the reef with giant manta rays at sunset, food, gas, sleep, plane to move from island to island... WOW! why did it take me so long to do this math?

Everything around me is slowly moving into a new dimension, nothing feels so solid anymore… chairs and tables are bubbling away, changing consistency and shape… they may be transformed into a piece of plane ticket to Ecuador… who knows… exciting! less than 2 weeks to go!

I feel this way

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Mark Twain

Heroes, Treasure Hunters, Italians and Latinos

How could these past 5 days suddenly be so meaningful and inspiring?
Is it just I, or the island is changing?

Wednesday: diving.
There is really another world down there, so silent, peaceful, blue. Seeing a snail moving across a coral, or a lion fish standing on the reef takes you to another dimension.

(from http://www.followsabine.com/tvproject/uploaded_images/lion-fish-739346.jpg)

Thursday: I am a beautiful sexy hero.
Thursday I felt a hero. A beautiful sexy hero. The scientists from Ofu (Tom, Sea, Tylor and Carlo) needed a couple of instruments from Hawaii (since theirs broke) and I was able to get them in record time. Like in the Amaro Montenegro advertisement:

“The scientists were in difficulty. The thermoregulator in their wetlab broke and the corals where bleaching, one by one. Only a new thermoregular could save the experiment that would reveal so much about the corals genetics and resistance to climate warning. The closer new thermoregulator available was located thousands of kilomenters away in Hawaii, and the communication ways were very limited. “But I did it”. Through my doctor’s son (I meet the doctor in the morning, he was mentioning his son to me), I was able to get the new instrument to the scientists. Amaro Montenegro, sapore vero.”

Friday: fishermen and treasure hunters.
As I was at the airport picking up the thermoregulator and a couple of more things, I could not help but noticing a big oceanographers crew coming off the plane (you can recognize oceanographers at a distance, same way as you could recognize archeologists). I am curious about them, and –serendipity- one of the crew invites me on board after work.

But order, first there is lunch on Lui’s boat. The best food on island is served on these fishermen’s boat. A small San Diego “little Italy” crew is with us for lunch: Angelo is an American-italian (ok, I have to admit it now, such a thing can truly exist). He has never been in Italy in his life, but he is fluent in Genovese. Not even the people from Genova speak Genovese so well anymore. Italian took over the local languages a bit everywhere, contaminating them. But not in Little Italys abroad; I find this amazing. Lui and Angelo tell me fascinating stories of growing up in Little Italy in San Diego. I wanted to go there now and see the roads where they grow up with my own eyes, and see the shops they talk about. Little Italy changed, they say, but it still has a little bit of that flavor. I want to go there before Genovese would be forgotten or mixed there too. Am I like them? I left Italy 10 years ago, I have no home to go now that I am leaving the island. I am shipping my boxes to a friend in Oregon. Am I becoming some sort of “Italian-???world immigrant?????
Lui will be leaving during the night. I won’t be here when he comes back. But I am definitely going after his son again next time I am in Portland.
WOW, I am going to miss this happy crew!!!!

The oceanographers will be coming in and out American Samoa for the next 9 months. What???? A crew coming regularly in Samoa now that I leave? Bummer! There are 4 guys filming a video for National Geographic. There is a treasure hunter; he is the one with the shoulder-long blond hair in the recovery crew at the start of the Titanic movie. No, he is not the actor; he is the one the actor was impersonating. I talk a bit more with other crewmembers. I never meet oceanographers so vague about scientific work. Usually scientists would talk forever and ever about their projects, but this crew… nope… we are just doing some seafloor mapping. There are two kick-ass instruments from Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, accompanied by 4 guys. It is a privately founded expedition (no close shoes policy enforced). Ladies and gentlemen, the treasure hunters landed in Neverland!

Saturday: Latin night
I cannot but think why this does not happen more often. It is wonderful; it makes this island a true home. Mabel and Maliuska (the minuscule Peruvian twins) prepared a traditional dinner on Juan’s boat. From 7:00pm to 11:00pm we hang out on the boat enjoying each other company. Ivo and his 15 years old cousin or with us too (Lui said something about Ivo, now I understand, he is truly gorgeous). I get seasick after few hours. It is embarrassing as the boat is armored in the safe quite Pago Pago Harbour.
We go to dance at Avaloni down town in Pago. I usually avoid going out, I am generally scared of guys, but with this crew I feel so protected. Once in a while, the DJ puts latin music and we regularly occupy the dancing floor. God I love it! Ivo is a great dancer. I think there are plenty of guys that know how to dance out there… in the world. I start thinking about spending April in Ecuador… The Police appear at the door. “Ops… hide Ivo’s cousin, he is underage! Where did they go?” The Policeman is dancing on the floor with a lady….
A guy I meet a while ago tells me that he heard I am leaving and “please, please, don’t go; really, please, don’t go”. Of course I melt, but I do want to go. I want to go to Ecuador and dance salsa and merengue EVERY night.

Really, what is happening to this island? Is it changing or it is just me?

Johnny walks in later in the night. I am so incredibly happy to see him, I was so afraid I would have to leave the island without having a chance to tell him good bye. Johnny, Lui, Juan… I felt like they always treated me like a daughter. Johnny tells me “Now, how can we approve the guy you are going out with, if you leave the island?”. I hug him. He is a great man.
I met Johnny about 2 years ago, maybe more. He passed on a “island-tour” by my house and I invited him for dinner. Good olive oil for him. He then introduced me to Lui. I met Juan randomly one night I went out for dinner with James Bond.
Maybe it is that they are Italians, or Latin… like me they laugh and enjoy the vino; like me they brake glasses with their hands while talking; they listen and share and teach me. God, I am going to miss these guys!!!
It 3:30 am when I finally go to bed.

Sunday: “La sera leoni, la mattina coglioni”
(“Like lions in the night, like stupids in the morning”).
The 2 weeks mark. Three more flights, on the forth one I will be leaving the island for (relatively) good. I spend the day packing, sleeping, studying, working on my video application…I want to see the Latin crew again, but I still have so much work. I wish last night would had never have ended. I want to dance more, being hold between strong arms, my eyes closed and my nostrils filled with perfume, feeling my partner’ body next to mine and follow his movements. There is nothing like a good merengue or a good salsa, and the effects do last for a while…

fish and bicycle?

As I am running through my stuff, I suddenly realized how many uncompleted things I will leave behind. Creams half used, books half read (I always read different books at the same time, depending on the mood), Italian goodies half eaten…

I got so many visits this month that I got enough chocolate to last 6 months (even though I have to admit I am hitting hard on my addiction these days).

I always like saving the good things for last… I think it is generally human nature.

But sometimes the end arrives earlier than you planned, and you realize you won’t have time to enjoy it all.

It happened to my parents. It happened to me too. When I was about 8, my mom prepared a mozzarella in carrozza (a kind of tastier, healthier, Italian version of cheese sandwich), my favorite dish. I left the cheese center as a last bite, so that my last bite would be the tastier of all, and I could walk away from the table with the higher degree of satisfaction. BUT, suddenly, my brother appeared behind my shoulders, grabbed it and ate it. Finished! Uma! The last tastier bit of mozzarella in carrozza was gone forever. I saved it last, and never had a chance to taste it. Worthless.

It was an eye opening experience, but even so, I still have the tendency of saving the best for the end.

Now I want to leave Carpe Diem, or to be more precise, the verse that come before that: “sapias, vina liques et spatio brevi spem longam reseces” “be smart, drink you wine (-Maria!!! Mil gracias por el vino Chianti!! Lo tome’ con amigos…uhmm… rico!!-), and rescale the hopes you had for a far away future with the ones that will happen soon”.

Moral of the story: I am trying to enjoy all I have at the best these days!

I am sick (uff… again) and today I took the day off to rest. I decided to pick up one of the half-read book, to see if I can finish it. It is called “Kiss my tiara”. It is a feministic book. We do not really have feminism in Italy, so I was curious to read about it. But sometime you need to know so much about American culture that I really get totally lost.

Can somebody please explain me what does this mean?

“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle”. I really do not get it. It is not on wikipedia.

This book won’t make it off-island (although it has great phrases like “every time I break up with a boyfriend I think: this is one less jerk I may end up marrying!”).

Life is...

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"Every morning, when I wake up, I feel very sad about leaving.

Every evening, when I go to bed, I feel very excited about my next adventure.
During the day, I am crossed by a rainbow of feelings, triggered by my six senses: the view of a flower, a dog… the smell of BBQ along the road or of the tuna canneries… the laughter of a group of people, an acid remark at work or a nice one…
Everything is at its extremes. It is either “I am going to miss this so much”, or “I can’t wait not to have to deal with this anymore”.

This week has been a good one. SnowDave came down from (now cold and dark) Alaska to get a full recharge of vitamin D and it is great to have a piece from the past here right now. I have been busy and sickish, so I did not have a chance to take him out walking, but he was still able to enjoy lots of peace and sleep.

The highlights for him were (alas “what to do here for a week, if you are visiting”):

• traditional umu at Tisa’s,
• snorkeling,
• coastal tour,
• hike to Mt. Alava,
• gnocchi night (29 of the month only)
• Palagi Olympics.

The highlights for me were (“what to do here for a week, if you live here”):

• 3 hours in the ER waiting room to get tetanus shot (then I entered in the room and I said that if they can give me the drugs, I could do the injection myself. That worked, because within 2 minutes I had my shot).
• Resignation letter
• More medicines for throat and ear pain
• Gnocchi night (the 29 of the month)
• Scuba diving
• Palagi Olympics

Lucy and I