Hacks for University of Hawaii at Hilo Students living in Hilo Part III - Groups to Meet!

In the first post on what to do in Hilo, I talked about places to visit.  My second post about Hilo, I continued my list of places to visit and talked about free events.  In this post, I will be talking about making friends with local groups and keeping busy with organizations around town.

Let's face it!  Hilo is a small town and you may not think there is much to do and not many people out there to meet.  You'll be surprised about how many groups are out there looking for new members and starting fun projects.

Let's get our Nerd On!

1.  Geocaching
Supposedly, this whole thing started at the advent of GPS and just testing out the system.  Little did they know, their experiment would start a world wide phenomenon that involves using million dollar satellites to find cheap Tupperware in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere.  The Group on the Big Island is very laid back and you get to find some of the best places to explore when searching for these caches.

2. Ingress
I'll be honest, I know NOTHING about Ingress but I have lots of friends doing this AND I'll be starting this up when I go to BKK at the end of the year.  Just watch the video.  All I know is I was told to join the RESISTANCE Team or BLUE TEAM (I don't care.  Do whatever you want!)

3.  HawaiiCon - Volunteer and get into the Conference for FREE
Well, if you work the required hours and so forth but you'll be able to save over a $200 if you go this route and love to geek out at Sci-Fi/Fantasy Conferences.  This one is fun and laid back and it's at an AWESOME locations.

4. Panaewa Zoo & Friends.
On Wednesday and Saturday each week, you get to chill with the animals.  Wednesdays were my favorite days, "Enrichment Days" for our petting zoo pals.  We got to take our the goats, Jellybean and Jose (R.I.P.) for a walk and visit all the animals and give them treats.  On Saturdays, you helped to bring them to the petting zoo area and got to keep them company as they are harassed by kids.  I LOVED working at the zoo!  My favorite time of year is Christmas at the Zoo!  My inner (and outer) kid has a field days on this day.

 

 

I was in the cage with the Lemur for X-Mas at the Zoo watching him eat his banana.

5.  Volunteer for the Downtown Improvement Association
There's one particular program I love, "Let's Grow Hilo" where they decorate downtown Hilo with edible plants.

6.  Basically Books First Friday's Read Aloud
Whether you are an avid reader, a thespian, a public speaker or just plain bored, stop by on First Friday events on Hilo Bayfront and read passages from your favorite book or any genre or rating.

Banned Book Week (this was banned because the little boy is naked on a few pages)

Actually, there is an awesome interview of Stephen Colbert & Maurice Sendak that I'll add to the bottom of the post 

7. Couch Surfing
If you love meeting people from all over the world and have an extra room, couch, or floor space, host someone from couch surfing.  It's one of the best organizations I've even joined to made some great friends through this group.  I cannot stress how much CS has enriched my traveling experience and being a host to my hometown.  If you have questions about the Island of Hawaii, check out my profile and PM me.

8.  Big Island Road Runners
This group of runners are some of the friendliest people I know, no matter your skill in running.  Whether you're a novice just starting out or an experienced marathoner/ultra runner, this group of people are there for you.  Even if you don't run, it's really fun to help out at events and meet new people!

9. Join a Performing group.
There are a few theaters throughout the Big Island and it seems like a cast call every month or so.  Keep an eye out for Cast Calls at Palace Theaters, Volcano KMC theater, Aloha Theater, UHH Theater and a few more.  It's a great way to keep busy, meet knew people and test the capactiy of your memory and mobility.

10.  Trail Clean ups and Beach cleans up.
Keep an eye for National Trail Day, a national event but also a fun educational one where you learn about the trails you are cleaning up, the history of the area as well as its significance.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows

The Colbert Report
Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows

Memory Lane 懐かしい... Samoa

Piula Caves (Fatumea) of Western/Independent Samoa are not just stunning but memorable...if you are willing to take the challenge.

In 2013 the last week of July, my family and I went to Samoa for family business and on the last day, we went around the island to see some of the sights.

These caves are beneath a Methodist Churcha at Piula Theological College.  There's a fee to pay to swim but make sure to be respectful and keep clothed while on the grounds and wear your swimsuit only in the pools.

These caves are actually two caves that are connected by a small itty bitty underwater pathway and if this were the US, it'd be shut down because it wasn't OSHA and ADA compliant/certified etc.

Needless to say, you could get hurt.

Well, my husband and I went into these caves to snorkel and check out but we had NO idea where the opening was and just walked back and forth from one cave to the other.  It seemed that one cave had a definite end to it and the only way to get out was either through the entrance or at the cave opening.

I'm scared of caves, underwater passages, drowning, dark spaces, tight spaces and death.

Pretty much everything that you can think of, that cave had it so we carefully swam toward the back of one of the caves where the exit was a definite wall and a definite opening at the bottom, entering into the other cave.  (The other cave was confusing because you would swim past the hole and not realize it but it still extended back)

We had almost given up on trying to do it but for some reason be got ballsy and decided, it's now or never and we'll definitely regret it (In hindsight, yeah, we would have)

We used the cave that was easy to find the exit and it was pretty clear where the exit was because the light from the other shone though the back where there shouldn't have been any.

I was the strongest swimmer of the two so after our eyes adjusted to the lighting, I held my breath and examined how deep it was to get to the hole.

Not bad.

After that, I caught my breath and I dove to the hole and looked through it to see if it was a tunnel or if it was a long way to the surface of the water etc.

Also not bad.

I caught my breath again and dove to the hole, slightly through it to have a good look-see and gauge if I can get to the surface.

I could and I did.

When I went through the hole to look at the water level, I knew I had enough breath left to make it to the other side so I did just to prove it can be done.

That part was scary!

I also had to get back before my husband was going to freak out and so I took a big breath - because at this point, I knew I could make it - and went back under.

It was definitely one of the scariest things I've ever done and conquered but now I had to convince my husband it was doable as well.

Each time I went down, he would also go down with me to keep an eye on me a bit and then come back up for air except the last time.  When I came back to the other side where he waited, I knew he was nervous but he was definitely relieved.

I coached him on what to do since he saw where the hole was and how to just push yourself against the rock to propel you to the surface.

He calmed down and I went first and he followed closely behind me.

I stayed down a bit to watch and make sure he came through the hole and we both swam to the surface.

He also proclaimed that to the scariest thing he's done.

Piula Caves on Bucket List!

On a different note, the caves have a lovely fish pond - don't eat the fish - that you can swim with and the water is so clear you can see them as though looking through glass.

You can see me and sorta see that fishes.  There are too many ripples but it is still a very pristine body of water.