A tolerable sunset

It is shameful how much I take Hawaii for granted. I mean, look at that sunset. That’s actually a 6/10 by Hawaii standards. It’s the equivalent of getting on a New York City subway car that’s less crowded than expected. A pleasant surprise, but certainly nothing one remembers five minutes later.

This was probably a 9/10. It was remembered for 30 minutes.

The good-bye gatherings are starting to accumulate. Earlier this week, two of my dear friends from the Marshall Islands just happened to be in Honolulu at the same time. We had an emergency convening and I dragged Cindy to join us. She experienced one of the most important aspects of Pacific socialization–it’s never time to go.

This picture is funny because Cindy is really tired

Tonight, several of our friends treated us to dinner and drinks at the same place we were married, which is where I took the meh sunset picture. The ease with which we can just go sit by the ocean is laughable. I did it earlier this week because I didn’t know what else to do. The following day I stayed home because I didn’t want to do the same thing two days in a row.

While walking through the park after dinner, I was reminded of a conversation we had with my college friend Pete, who visited us last year. We had finished picnicking and were walking to our car through the same park. Pete, who lives in New York City, asked, “Uhh, is it safe to walk through the park at night?” What a silly little man. He didn’t know that Kapiolani Park is less stabby than Central Park. Pete may not have the sunsets, or the ocean, or the park without knives, but hopefully he rode a less crowded than expected subway today.

Nine days to Seattle. Nineteen days to China.