Things You Don't See in My PNW Neighborhood

If you only saw Oahu from the airport

to Waikiki Beach,

you might want to jump back on your airplane.

This area is....

umm....

interesting.....

and boasts of things not seen in my PNW neighborhood.

 

 The homeless seemed very comfortable

 in this beautiful city park.

This guy even has a wicker table.

 

This is not a camping spot. 

This is a city park.

This guy even has multi-colored tarps

and a cooler.

I guess they aren't chased out in this neighborhood.

 

Laundry is frequently seen hanging on balconies,

in garages, along fences.

They are honestly green,

not just boasting,

but taking action. 

Many of our housing areas forbid hanging laundry.

 I guess sleeping on the beaches is fine, too.

The rules in this island neighborhood are different, too.

Riding without helmets is legal.

 I was a little worried about these kids.

I understand why laws are created to protect people.

 This run down bus  was one of many

that really sell food. 

On the other side there were

picnic tables full of feasting people.

I don't think this neighborhood has a Health Department

that inspects these "kitchens."

 I would love to find these yogurts

in my neighborhood.

The flavors were amazing!

 My 7-11 doesn't sell these snacks.

Some were good,

some were interesting,

some were disgusting.

We read the fine print and found out

IKA is squid.

Not the jerky we buy

in our PNW neighborhood.

 My sickly philodendron is in a pot

the size of this leaf.

This is a gun range.

Yep, right next to the highway.

My kids were jealous to see these kids chasing birds on the beach.

Once, we were almost kicked out of a museum because

one of my kids, along with a few guests from Paraguay,

chased a pigeon.

The museum employee threatened us by yelling,

"It's HIS home!"

Another time, a child of mine was yelled at by several PNW moms,

for chasing ducks at the beach. 

OK, he also threw a football,

while chasing the ducks away from our lunch,

but  he did miss by a mile.

I always thought it tragic that they valued the duck's well-being,

more than my son's.

He wasn't scarred for life,

but I was.

Even though there were interesting things

that made me thankful for my PNW home,

Hawaii is still

Hawaii.

And,

you don't see this sight,

in my PNW neighborhood.