Vacation Day Six: Hilo

Today, my parents and I went on a botanical garden tour in Hilo.  I had wanted to see lava again like last time, but it's not flowing close enough this time.  The bus driver/guide took us to several spots along the way and talked briefly of some history of the Island, including the two tsunami's that devastated the “old” downtown area. (It's built up/restored, and you can go shop there, but only if you take a taxi or rent a car)  He also pointed out different plants along the way, including umbrella trees – which are called “monkeypod” trees.  I have no idea why. 

When we arrived at the park it was about 10:35 and we had until 12:05.   I thought this was plenty of time, but with all the flowers and waterfalls, we were half way trough and only had 30 minutes left.   My father had pulled away from my mother and I, as he wasn't into taking as many pictures as we were... well I am.  :)  My mom takes more then my father, but not as much as I do.    The unfortunate thing in my opinion is none of the flowers were native to Hawai'i  (they each had placards saying what they were and where they were from)  and I'm not sure how many of them were considered “Hawaiian”.  As I learned yesterday, most of the “native” plants were brought by the Polynesians and other cultures.  The only true native plants are ones that could have survived getting here on their own over the ocean.   But I'd still consider plants that natural grow all over the island and are not invasive to be native... or maybe “semi-native”.   I still was unable to have time to get anyone to ID the flowers I took pictures of yesterday.

It was a short trip – we made it back to the van just in time.  I'm sure they wouldn't leave without us as they did a count, but I'm not sure what happens when someone doesn't show up in time.   I missed out buying plant seeds though. :(   I hope there is a store in Kona that sells approved plants and/or seedlings.   Though I want something as native to Hawai'i as possible.  

After we ate lunch, Mom and I went back into town and Helo Hattie's where I purchased another pearl... and agonized over jewelry.  I really want some black coral, but it is expensive and they didn't have smaller studs, which I'd prefer.   I also want to save money for mounting at least one pearl.   I DO want to mount one in the gecko I saw- that is cute – and the sterling silver one is not bad in price.  But I'd like a pretty piece as well.. not gold this time but something I can wear with silver.   We also went to Radio shack (I had called Office Max and they did NOT have an AC adapter),  and gasp!  Found the adapter!  This is why I'm typing this now.  *Does dance of joy. *   70 something bucks (probably close to 80)  a bit more then the one I saw online earlier – but I didn't have to order it.  Also I can use it I think for laptops and netbooks (I have to check)  or at least a variety so it's possible I can use it as a backup to my laptop, which would be good.   I think it may have a surge protector as well as there is some other little thing that I currently didn't connect, I'm going to check out what it is later.   The lady at Radio shack was nice enough to take the whole thing out of the package and connect my netbook to test it for me. :)

Now I'm back here.  It's after 4:30 and I want to check out a Jewelry event- I need a choker.  I don't know if I'm going to do the inch by inch where you can pay by the inch and make your own chain, or if I'm going to buy the adjustable chain. 

Ok it's now 8:36 and I'm back.  I bought an adjustable silver necklace instead of the inch by inch.  The inch by inch is basically various gold and silver PLATED and most was thick.  The idea was to design your own... I guess you could maybe put sections together.   Well I just wanted a basic chain, nothing fancy.    I wanted a gold choker too, but they were more then I wanted to spend.   I asked if it was a faux pas to ware a gold pendent with a silver chain, and the person helping me never heard that expression before.  (and yeah I pronounce it fa O paw not fa-ox like I've done in the past)  Anyway he said that there was a lady who wore a $3000 gold pendent with a silver chain so... guess I can do what I want.   

I also ate a very quick dinner consisting of cheese and grapes.  They have a “cheese tray” with different cheeses and I LOVE cheese.   Then I attended a “ball room dancing class”  As feared there were no single guys.  :(   But hey if I didn't go I would never know right?   And they taught the “cha cha” I'm like “this is ballroom dancing?”  To me ballroom dancing is elegant gowned ladies being swept across the floor... OK I think “Renaissance” when I think of ballroom dancing... so I thought I would learn a waltz or something similar. Oh well.

I missed the sunset.   I guess you really need to go out about 15-20 minutes before the listed time.  I went out about 5 before and really – the sun was already down below the water.  I also don't get it.  It seems like the sunset here has been getting earlier and earlier instead of later and later- it started at 7:04 and now is listed as 6:49.   At home I think it has to be at 7:30 by now.   I wonder if it's due to different placements of the islands?  

Lastly I decided to go to the comedian Tim Kaminsky.  Apparently he is a “use the audience” type of comedian.  I know he did that in his little preview earlier this week but I didn't realize his whole show was like that!   He was funny but it's scary for me because I don't want to be drug up on stage.   For that reason I sat almost literally in the center of the theater.  A little bit toward the front but far enough back so I wasn't “in the front”.   And right in the center of the row.   I thought his first routine was a bit inappropriate.  He picked two women and had them – one at a time then both at once... become his arms.  That is they had to stand right behind him and put their arms under his pits and were supposed to gesture with their hands to what he was saying.   That was ok up to the point in time he mentioned riding a horse and the woman behind him started bouncing up and down.

Then the next part he brought a BUNCH of people – mostly guys – up to the stage.  He said we were going to re-create a great movie.... the Wizard of Oz.   He went down the row and asked each person their name and what they did and where they were from.  He made fun of the guy from Utah through this whole thing - I guess people from Utah are supposed to be backward?  The guy took it in stride.  (NOTE do NOT go to a comedian show if you don't want to be made fun of.)  Then he got to one guy who said he was an engineer.  … Tim said “of what a train?”  the guy said something and next thing you know Tim is going “a ROCKET scientist?”   I don't know if the guy really was or not or if it was something close enough for Tim to use as a gag.   He DID get to use the line “This isn't Rocket science” later though when the person couldn't get his part right.  

Then he got to the two women ---  the first one said she was in pharmaceuticals.  The next one?  She was a pharmacist.   Both ladies looked at each other and started laughing.  Of course Tim did too.   Sometimes real life is funnier then anything made up.   What's worse is the guy next to them was in medical supplies.  There was also a Doctor a few people before them...   named “Bong”  (the guy was Asian.  I don't know from where)  - of course that was joked about.  Bong took it in stride though. 

After this everyone was assigned a place to stand and got a part.   One guy was in a striped shirt – green and white – and was dubbed “Waldo” because of this.   He was instructed to go behind the curtain off stage right – way off.    Bong was asked to go behind the curtain and just stick out his head.  As Tim walked away, Bong acted like he was chocking by sticking his tongue out. 

One poor guy with close spiked hair was designated as a “chia” pet so he got to be Toto.  He had to be on his hands and knees and if he sat up then Tim yelled at him.  He did get knee pads though.  His part was to rub against “Dorothy”'s leg when Tim made a barking noise.  Toward the end of the show he went over to Tim (on all fours) and lifted his leg instead.  We all laughed.  However, I found out that this happened at the show my parent's went to as well – so I guess he's instructed to do that, which makes it less funny then if he had done it spontaneously.

The “where's Waldo” guy also was instructed – which was obvious but in this case still funny.   First he came out where he was supposed to.  The next time he came out from the right.   The gag BTW was when Tim would say “where's Waldo”  the guy who was Waldo would run out to the stage and hold out his arms  and the audience would go “THERE's WALDO”.   The third time he was dressed in the red and white striped sweater and hat and came from a completely different area – so we never knew which direction he would come from.   At the end of the show we were instructed to say there (or here)'s Waldo if we saw the guy again.  I have horrible eyesight so I wouldn't be sure if I had the right person.