Hi Peter, these videos have gone a long way towards understanding the aloha spirit, and why people are so laid back and nice. I never could "get" what that really "meant" by just reading about it, but your explanation has really clarified what one's mentality has to be in order to be successful there. All the best.
I've been working on making this move for a little under a year now, and as I've come to realize how difficult it is to simultaneously live your current life while saving up for a move like this you have shown me that it's sort of like a life interview. Similar to earning a job, but instead earning your place in a special culture. It's such hard work to get here that you can't possibly want to be the same person as you were when you left. You've really made me understand how much more important my attitude and reputation are going to be out here, and it makes this "club" I'm hoping to join even more special to me. The harder it's become to make this move, the more I'm determined to make it work when I do finally get there. Aloha and thanks for the information and inspiration!
@@livehawaii I was hoping you woild do a video on the healthcare jobs. I will be a nurse this year, and am wondering about pay, opportunities, and if i can live with that job in hawaii.
Brian, Tony from NYC, I feel the same I am also looking to make that move to Oahu, and I agree it is hard, joining Peter's community well help me a lot, who knows we could end being friends out there Aloha
Peter, Another great video. No profound comments, just want you to know how much I appreciate your videos, and look forward to each new one. On all of my trips to Hawaii, I cannot remember anyone being angry or mean-spirited. My goal is to get to Hawaii for at least part of the year when our younger son graduates from high school in 2 years. Look forward to the launch of the online community. Aloha from Green Bay, Pete
I am a single mother with zero funds saved but with the decision that HI is the best place for me. My son is only 2 and naturally I need to consider how well this would suit him as well. Choosing an island has been the most difficult task, LoL. I currently live in Delaware and miss the small town vibe we had when I was a kid here. In all honesty, HI and DE have a lot in common with HI having everything I need to leave behind here. I also struggle with seasonal depression (SAD) that completely disrupts my life and I get less than 5 months of mental zen a year. Weather is a huge driving factor in choosing the islands. I have seen Honolulu is on top 10 lists of places for single mom's to thrive. From your point of view, is this true? What are the pros and cons of each island for a single momma. My job skills would easily suit the tourist and restaurant industries, and I know that finding a job with my skill set won't be too difficult out there. I am used to the everyone knows everyone, related to each other thing, but folks over here, can be very...racist. I blame the lack of diversity. Hawaii's diversity would be so refreshing, though I do understand that being white could bring some oppression my way once there. One thing I am NOT interested in knowing about is the dating scene for someone in my situation. I am looking for: the best place for a single mother of a toddler to "start over" in the islands. Consider the availability of things like childcare and activities for children, best doctors, crime rates (violent and sex crimes...not thieves on the beach),etc. I'm not worried about the schools too much and I've already learned the public schools are considered bad, but I believe a parent will make or break education, not the school. We have the internet now, LoL. Single moms are no stranger to struggle, so the con of it being financially tough is truly whatever to me, however, I want this move to be permanent as I know I will love it there, so I must take into account the costs of living for a single parent! At the beaches here, the cost of renting is close to that of Oahu, with lower wages. Servers here get $2.23/hr plus tips. Minimum wage is $8.75 And we ranked #1 in the country for worst tippers. From what I understand, in HI, servers cannot make less than $17/hr combined hourly plus tips? Obviously that is my go to jump start job on the islands and am wondering if you could weigh in on that. I am on your email list already through your website and will check out the link mentioned in this video. I want as many options for income as possible. My family will most certainly have an aversion to the move, so IT HAS TO WORK! But I am a strong, smart, patient and determined lady :-) Thank you!
Thanks for the great comments and all the detail. Stay on the list. I have a plan. If you haven't taken the quiz yet, you may want to try that as well. But honestly from what you were saying, I think you are the exception and not the rule. So I don't know if the quiz will apply to you very well. That said, I think the public school will be your biggest challenge. It's less about education and more about the culture.
Make sure to have your child learn Pidgin(Hawaii Creole English) as well as English. It's not broken English. Pidgin is its own language and it will go a long way in connecting with people.
Hi Peter, my computer crashed and I lost my place on the comments page of '12 reasons you shouldn't move to Hawaii'. I found the original article on Google and I clicked where you said the conversation had moved...it says join the conversation in the comments below but the comments aren't there. I hope you can please show me where they now are because it was such an enjoyable interesting conversation and I was only about half way through. Thanks for the great stuff!
I just love your videos. The views of gorgeous Hawaii while you drive are just so seductive! And the content the tips and comments and connections are so appreciated.
Tony from NYC, Aloha Peter love love watching your videos, when I visited Hawaii for the first time I immediately felt really comfortable like I been there before, so had 1 week vacation and I ended up and for a month, came back home and I was crying for almost a week , I felt like I lost something and would never see again still have that feeling, seeing your videos makes me feel better and I well get there by either hook or crook I try to keep my Aloha spirit and help or volunteer, but living in NYC it's hard, people not so Aloha here everyone is for themselves which I hate. Can't wait to see more videos and questions about Hawaii Maholo Peter
I have had good and bad in Hawaii as far as the locals. I try to fit in and they just turn into highschool attitudes waaaay too much jealousy and can get pretty ugly. Very sad. 😳 Nice driving video..the AINA is beautiful. 🗻🌈🌅🌴💜✨
Each island is a bit different but I can only speak for Kauai since that's where we live. The people are extremely friendly here on Kauai. In fact, I've said that Kauai wouldn't seem to be as beautiful if the people weren't as nice as they are. They help make this place the most wonderful on earth. I wouldn't live anywhere else.
As you know Jay, it really is a matter of how you live in your perspective. I'm sure you know of stories where people have had horror stories and others where people live in Paradise. The only difference between the two is the people themselves.
What are the social needs, interest, concerns of Hawaiian society. How about community or even charity projects in Hawaii? Is there any need whatsoever? Or is Hawaii so heavenly that doesn't need any kind of social program? Thanks.
Yes, swimming and surfing are permitted activities because they are fundamentally socially distant. What you can't do is hang around the beach with a party
I was thinking weather for sure. Winter in the Northeast will make you dormant and Summer in Florida will make you hostile. Although these places get nice weather for some of the year, no place I can think of besides Southern California has such nice year around weather.
Symmetry Financial Exactly! In DE our summers get down right humid and gross. I love it though, LoL. But the winters...the overcast skies. When I looked into relocating someplace warmer/sunnier, I initially considered SoCal, but it's too dry there. I like green scenery. Lush landscapes. And tsunamis have warnings. Earthquakes don't. I do agree about the weather affecting the kindness of Hawaiians. Sunlight does greatly affect and help regulate serotonin and dopamine levels. Plus, the clean air from the trade winds and relaxed atmosphere keep stress down and reduce humid/muggy conditions (like summers on the east coast from nyc down). Not to mention the weather keeps the conditions for outdoor activities alive all year, promoting physical activity, also regulating brain stuffs. Green is a calming color and everything stays green there, too. I'm willing to bet, if we reevaluated the weather and it's contributing factors scientifically, there would be a direct correlation between the weather and kindness of Hawaii residents. This is not to say it's the main factor, but it has to affect it!
I use to own horses, so are there places on Oahu to horseback ride? From the late 1970's- 1987..I used to visit every year, many people thought I was a local resident. I had a job internship from college, the Hawaii job was $4.10 per hour, and Florida job was $5.10 and housing. Yes, I chose wrong, because I knew more about Hawaii, then, then Florida. Yet , I used it as my foot in the door.
I really want to move to Hawaii. I have a job prospect, it would pay 45k, less after taxes and insurance of course. Can my son and I live well on Maui for that?
Aloha Peter Kay! I would love to ask you a question. How is the uber/lyft scene on the big island? I'm interested in Kailua Kona. Thanks for your advice and energy!
Have you lived on Oahu since the mid 80s, or have you also lived on any of the other Hawaiian Islands? Maui owns my heart, but I’m hoping to get to the north shore of Oahu one day, and I’m curious about their similarities and differences. Mahalo!
“Queens is the second-largest in population of the five New York City boroughs with a population of 2,230,722 as of the last official US Census count in 2010”. I wish I lived in a place that had a approximate total of 1 million.
A video idea ! Since you have lived in Hawai’i for so long, how would you describe the night life? What to expect event wise and how often (Luau’s etc.) Specifically for Honolulu and Oahu, do you do anything special for holidays?
Hello Peter Kay, me and my wife want to live in Hawaii. My wife is already retired. I will retire in 2019. I'm a golfer. We both love beaches. Which island is right for us? Thanks Timothy
Peter, I think I found the first video that I don't agree with anything you said. Those are not the reasons people are nice in Hawaii. I only have two reasons why people are nice in Hawaii.1. Everything is about family. Nothing is more important in Hawaii than family. That's why the people of Samoa are friendly, the people of Mexico are friendly, etc. When you put family before money and everything else, it makes you a better person. You said this in one of your other videos, people on the mainland tend to value money over family which doesn't make them either happy or friendly. It's also why we call everybody uncle and auntie, so we show them that we see them as family. I didn't realize my calabash uncle and auntie weren't my "real" family until way later in life (I'm talking in my 20s).2. RESPECT. I don't know why I haven't heard this word in any of your other videos. Respect is a very big thing in Hawaii. Respect the land, the people, the elders, everything. When you respect other peoples feelings and other peoples values, you can get along with each other. I have democrat and republican friends, while I can disagree with what they are saying, I also respect that is how they feel.
I've been thinking about your reference to the word "Respect" and I think it reflects much of the Asian subculture in Hawaii. I use other words to mean the same thing, such as considerate, kind, and accommodating. I don't disagree with you on your word. I'm just using a different phrase to express the same feeling.
Clearly family is a big deal in Hawaii and I've commented on that in more places than one. I don't think that's what makes us special however. Everywhere around the world family is important. What is it about this place that's different from everywhere else? I think it's two things: the Hawaiian base culture and the fact that we live on a small island in close proximity.
Peter, valuing family doesn't make one special, but I think it does make people nicer (which was the point of the video) when they value that more than other things. Puerto Ricans live on a tiny island and value family a lot, which also makes them really nice genuine people. People in England live on a relatively small island and that doesn't make them nice (doesn't make them not nice either). Long Island is a small "island" and they are not the nicest people in NY. Martha's Vineyard is a small island, but I heard there are some uptight rude people there.
All of those places you mentioned value family yet the nice factor varies wildly. Interestingly, Puerto Rico is very similar to Hawaii and (from your account) they too are friendly. Your other "island" examples, while technically islands, don't have the kind of isolation that Hawaii does. And England is an island like Australia is and doesn't really count. If you think about it, it's really the small isolated areas (and they don't have to be islands...just highly isolated areas with small physical space where a relatively small group of people interact on a regular basis) which seems to correlate with friendly people. Good discussion.
You have the least numbers in gun violence because you have only 1 million residents in the entire state. Chicago has some of the highest gun violence in the country yet more strict gun laws than Hawaii or California.
How many intruders have you had to shoot in your life? How many times has your home been broken into while you were there? Of course things happen but you would spend your money more wisely on prevention rather than violence if you're really that worried about home invasions. There are all sorts of measures you can take. You are looking for reasons not to move here if that's what hold you back.
Very informative videos and I too love the islands having visited many times since 1990 for business and personal reasons. Most residents are great. However, the very wealthy are like the very wealthy anywhere: entitled and exclusive. Young “native Hawaiians” (a total joke as volcanic islands have no natives) struggling financially, males in particular, resent affluent whites and any minor altercation quickly escalates. So called natives can no longer afford real estate, and many jobs in hospitality, retail and tourism now require Mandarin and Japanese fluency due to the rise in Asian tourism skills few locals have. Honolulu is crowded beyond belief. The gridlock is LA level at rush hour going through the city. Big Hollywood and hedge fund money has moved behind walls to Kawaii for a reason.
@@livehawaii hi. I'm still in the process of watching them. What I'm getting so far is how the westerners come there and don't embrace the Hawaiian culture. And I can completely understand that. It's completely wrong to insert yourself in a culture that is different and then demand that everybody else conform to you. That's just not fair. If you want to go someplace where the culture is different, you need to be prepared to embrace that culture and be respectful.
@@janelles708 Kind of like how muslims have taken over Detroit, MI...and we westerners have pushed them out. Oh wait! It hasn't happened that way...they've taken over the entire culture of Detroit, demanding sharia law be implemented! ITS ALL racism, Hawaii or no Hawaii, Muslim, White whatever...its pure racism, and in Hawaii's case, against white people! :-)
I would think there's always room for a good car salesperson if that's what you're saying. But you also will need to be accepted by the culture, that might be a bigger issue.
@@JaiUneGuruDeja Congrats! It's a really cool car. When you figure out how to do a video that look like mine with a 360 swivel capability please let me know!
Dude I hear you. I put my two daughters through high school here and it was really rough. But today has NOTHING to do with what you can do with your life and who you can become. That is 100% up to you and never let anyone tell you it's not.
Honestly, Hawaii is amazing! & I’ve met amazing people! But let’s touch base with reality, not everyone is nice. & I’m the nicest person ever, I don’t look for trouble & stay respectful. But I’ve encountered some rude people living here. The local girls can be very aggressive, in Honolulu you can find really stuck up shallow people, lots of drug addicts on the streets who hate tourist and who instigate fights. Hawaii is not what I thought it would be. I’m sorry but I have experienced no aloha what so ever living on Oahu. Even my Hawaii friends from Kauai and big island say Oahu is stuck up. Sorry but this video is false
I never said that everyone is nice. Of course there are bad actors wherever you go. However, I can tell you that if you truly have experienced “no aloha whatsoever“, then you are doing something wrong
Peter Kay Living in Hawaii um no? Who are you to tell me what experiences I’ve been through or how people have treated me? I’m not doing anything wrong? People have different experiences. Just cus you had more of a positive experience, doesn’t mean everyone else will? I’ve even heard from my Hawaiin friends who come from different islands say there is no aloha I. Oahu? They tell me how bullying is a huge issue in the school system, how there’s segregation on the islands between race. Don’t tell me there’s something I’m doing wrong! When you don’t even know the story.
Just like you make statements that this video was false, and you claimed that there is no aloha whatsoever on Oahu, I can also tell you that is false. So if you want respect, you have to offer respect. And so far you have not been very respectful. Everyone has a story to tell, and I don’t discount your story. But don’t discount mine either.
Peter Kay Living in Hawaii my experience there is no aloha! & I told you I’ve met amazing people on the island! I’m just saying not everyone is nice! & I feel disrespected by you saying “I must be doing something wrong” like everyone is so righteous in Hawaii. Please get over yourself.