Honolulu, Hawaii: Day one

Hi again!

If you haven't read my other post yet, read Hilo first, since I was first on the itinerary!

We docked in Honolulu, Hawaii this morning. I still have tomorrow here but I won't have time to go online so I figured I would write and put pictures up now.

This morning I had an FDP (field directed practica) for my Sino-US Relations class to Chinatown. We walked to the area and then watched a short movie on the area. The theatre we watched the movie in was really cool. The walking tour was cool too. The picture below is me and Sun Yat-sen. (Anyone who emails me who he is without looking it up gets an extra postcard! cekaiser@semesteratsea.net Meghan... you should totally know this by now!) The chocolate was laying on the bottom of the statue... people give him offerings. The Chinese are freaking crazy. They give a statue chocolate... why not eat the chocolate?

This picture is of the oldest apothecary in Chinatown. It smelled HORRIBLE!

After the tour Gen, Kelli, and I skipped out early. They were going to a Dim Sum restaurant that was going to cost $20. Why pay that when we'll be in China in a couple of days? So we went back to get free lunch. (Well not free... I payed for it in my fees already)

There we met up with Jill and decided to go to Waikiki Beach! It was so great to go swimming in the ocean! (Although my throat kind of hurts from the salt water right now) The water was pretty warm. (I think... its hard to tell when you haven't been in it in a really long time) We went from about the middle all the way to one end which was really cool.

After swimming we got the other members of our group who decided to not go swimming and went shopping. I'm actually totally proud of myself because I managed to completely change from my swimsuit to a dress without any difficulties while on the beach in front of tons of people and without anyone near me. It may be my new greatest accomplishment. But I did end up buying a tshirt later and wearing a tshirt and shorts because the dress was annoying me!

In the mall area were my favorite things ever: LIVING STATUES! I took pictures with them and gave them a dollar each.. I was just so excited to see them. I also shopped a bunch too but didn't buy anything except for a hair clip.

Afterward we went to meet a bunch more people on the beach, where I saw the sunset! It was ssssooooooooooooooooooooo pretty! I loved it. We didn't stay for too long after it set, but it got a ton cooler once the sun went down so we got a shuttle/ taxi thing back to the ship. A bunch of the people ate at the ship, but Jill and I went to a brewery where I got a wedge salad and a mushroom/ swiss burger. It was very good and probably the last good meal I'll have until I get to Japan.

I'm going to leave now, with just a couple parting comments:

1) Someone get grandma a copy of this or sit her in front of the wwdot so she can read this.
2) I may not write again until Japan except for about Pearl Harbor tomorrow and there won't be any pictures.
3) Connor: plan on studying abroad when you're in college! It's great and much more fun then random school hang-outs (even though that is fun!)

Love you all,

Courtney