Sunday, March 29, 2009

Where do I begin? Again.

Well ladies and dudes, back again for some more updating. The job front is looking up. I will be starting more on my training type position this week and with that I am hoping for a more consistent schedule. The store itself seems to have gotten considerably better since I first arrived here, the new employees are doing an excellent job and most of the older ones that are still here seem to be giving positive progress. Next I will be working on employees in other locations as well as some new products and overall procedures for the company.. I hope.

I'm still kinda broke, but I am starting to find ways to have fun without spending the cash. I suppose it is easier to get by without money here than most places. As long as I don't end up a homeless bum living on the beach I will be happy I think ;)

I regret to tell you that I do not have any new and crazy culinary experiments as of late. I will work on that for you. There are all kinds of exotic foods to be had here. Maybe I will head to Chinatown and get some REAL exotic ingredients!

So I am thinking that once my lease is up here at the end of June I will try to move a little bit out of Waikiki. I have been finding that I love spending my time with close friends and smalls groups of people, but crowds and the hustle and bustle of the city really drains me physically and mentally. I am pretty bad at finding places to live and even worse at bargaining with people. I try, but man do I SUCK at it. So if anyone has any suggestions on where or how to get a deal then let me know!

Mahalo
Pete

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I know, I know, everyone wants teh updates!

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone! I am here at the crack of midnight, just now getting my first sip of a beautiful (even if it is from a can) Guinness Draught. The sweet malt makes me remember good times and good friends, if only every beer could bring such nostalgia...

I come to you today with a little bit from inside. Most of you know that I don't always let out my emotions and feeling for everyone to see. It's just part of who I am, sometimes I am content with that and sometimes I desperately wish that I could change it. Tonight however, I am in the mood to share some of my inner thoughts, many of which have come to me from my time here in Hawaii.

Actually I should say from my isolation here.

One thing that has come to me is that, much like that old saying "Home is where the heart is", nothing really makes a person feel like they belong in a place or at least are comfortable in that place more than friends. Now don't get me wrong (dad, mom, family), family is where I truly feel loved. Unending love and complete acceptance from my family is one of the greatest things in my life. Yes even more than coffee (I know, right?). However the friends I have found, trusted, and loved for all these years show me a little bit more. What it tells me now that I am far from them all is that there is a reason I have made these people a part of my closest circles. They are awesome, awesome people whom I respect and admire for a myriad of reasons! I would certainly consider myself less of a man if these people were not in my life. For that reason I say that what makes a place, city, state, or whatever worth living in is those connections and the warmth that is felt from even the most inane days with those people you call "friend". It also makes me feel that calling someone friend should maybe hold more meaning. There are people who I have only known for weeks or months that I call friend who deserve it, and people I have known for years who I still consider an "acquaintance". Gives more meaning to things if you ask me.

Alright, now that all of the people who don't really know me got bored and left it's time for Hawaii! I know that I should have posted pics of the shop I am working in right now about 3 months ago. Better late than never?

Welcome to the order counter. Yes that is a Mistral espresso machine for you coffee nerds.












If you would like a close up just for proof here it is....

Yay for me. It is a little worse for wear though. The poor thing makes more shots in a day than I used to make in a week...











From the order counter you can see our bean counter to the left. We sell ALOT of Kona coffee every day as well.














I didn't take any pictures of the tables and chairs. They are tables and chairs after all. Sorry to disappoint..

So that is essentially the customer view of Honolulu Coffee Co. at the Moana Surfrider Hotel. Kinda shocking that there weren't any customers in those pictures actually. The place is always hopping.

Mahalo,
Pete