The Maui Goodness

One of our editors just stumbled upon a great article in Maui Weekly about the problems with cat overpopulation on Maui.

Some of the statistics claimed are:

• There are anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 homeless cats on Maui.
• As many as 250 cats are euthanized EVERY MONTH at the Maui Humane Society.
• The organization of 9th Life Hawaii is expected to have reduced kitten births over the next 5 years by as much as 50,000!

Our previous stance was that people should be giving money to Maui Humane Society to help. We now realize that donations would be better put towards organizations like 9th Life Hawaii that are actively working towards “No-Kill” solutions to the kitty overpopulation. If you’re in favor of non-lethal neuter/spay programs, please contribute a few bucks to 9th Life Hawaii by calling (808) 572-3499. Phyllis Tavares is the executive director and can be easily reached if you’d like to donate, volunteer or just learn more.

Mahalo Phyllis and everyone else involved for putting so much time, energy, and love into reaching out to our troubled feline friends.

Donations can also be mailed to: 9th Life Hawaii P.O. Box 476 Makawao, HI 96768

Please read the comment from Candy Aluli.  She has some very insightful information on the Maui Humane Society.

Beginning this Month, August 2008, The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has made it mandatory for Beach Weddings on Maui to require a permit. And after much initial confusion and frustration within the wedding industry, permitting has begun with surprising ease.

Those getting married on Maui will have no worries concerning permits for beach weddings. The permits are easy to get and very inexpensive. The initial confusion over the process spawned from the DLNR’s inability to explain how it would work. Since then, the wedding industry has been given adequate information to make the process simple. For those getting married on a Maui beach without a wedding coordinator, your chosen officiant should be able to take care of everything for you.

The recent crack down on illegal transient vacation rentals has become a reality for many Maui landlords and especially for one in particular. California resident and Maui homeowner Stephanie Rager is having legal action brought against her by Maui County. If she is convicted, she will have to pay up to $200,000 for repeatedly renting her home after having been warned. The case against her is strong, and it seems that the County will be making an example of her. Though the maximum penalty is not anticipated, Maui Lawyers are licking their chops.

Meanwhile, condominium communities zoned for vacation rentals will continue to prosper as well as hotels and resorts.

The island of Maui, and all of the Hawaiian Islands, have a major cat problem. With no natural predators, and near-ideal conditions to live, feral cats are breeding rampantly all over. Without control over breeding, these kitty populations are growing exponentially. With rapid growth comes more collisions with vehicles, starvation, and disease.  The problem is becoming increasingly evident with regular feline casualties littering our roads.  (Driving in paradise can quickly become depressing.)  Though it’s a difficult task, the only possible solution is to spay and neuter all Maui feral cats. The bulk of the cats live primarily in inaccessible areas making any action by the Maui Humane Society extremely difficult.

The Axis deer population is also exploding on Maui. Originally, a handful of deer were brought to the island over 20 years ago. Now Herd populations are estimated at around 10,000 on Maui. Deer predators consist of hunters, cars, and feral dogs. Hunters are given the right to kill as many deer as they’d like, everyday of the year, except for Christmas. Though Axis deer are naturally resistant to most disease and parasites, they do carry risk of contaminating Maui’s watershed area by possibly passing livestock and human diseases. Crop damage has become a more regular problem as well as substantial damage to golf courses used as grazing areas at night. Endangered plants are also becoming more rare with the abundance of deer foraging.

Efforts are being made on many levels to control the deer population, but the kitty problem is being widely ignored. Contact the Maui Humane Society to see how you can help.  Call to volunteer at (808) 877-3680 Ext. 37 or Make a Donation.

A question we’re often asked stems from the stigma attached to the islands about local tension and racism. Stories regularly float around about local Hawaiians beating up haoles and tourists. Is this True?

Yes and no. In any community, you’re bound to find bad seeds and racism. We don’t live in a perfect world. On the other hand, Hawaii sees polar opposites in this subject, along with everything in between. One person may display anger and prejudice while the next may exude the spirit of aloha with smiles and bring you into their ohana. It’s a very strange thing in the islands. At the same time, the same person can have both of these characteristics only in different situations. In general, you most likely will not experience any of this tension.

Who is most likely to display these negative feelings and where does this all come from?

Localism and tension is mostly expressed from the local youth. Through history, teenagers have proven their need to express their angst through rebellious behavior. What better way to fit in than to join those against? Most of this stems from the recent history of the islands and it’s transformation into a global economy. Most of the people living on Maui and all the islands survive because of the tourist industry. The influx of disrespectful tourists and the increasing dependency of the local population to their dollars further give tourism an ugly face. The slow death of industry on the islands has increased this fact. The Pineapple isle no longer grows pineapples due to the low cost of fruit production in central and South America. This is just one of many examples where the Hawaiian Islands are becoming solely dependant on tourism. The other major source of income on our islands is from Real Estate. Living in paradise is an attractive thing. Prices for land have skyrocketed due to the outside interest of developers and vacation dwellers. The strength of our real estate market is another reason for the interest and value in our land. When the rest of the world crashes, our land is still worth almost as much. The local people are hurt by the inflated prices created by the wealthy looking for a home on the ocean, most of which will only spend a week out of the year there.

All of these factors have stretched the spirit of aloha to its extent. One of the biggest problems faced in tourist acceptance is their general ignorance of the land and people. Our local people hate to see our land treated like garbage, but ironically we’re noticeably the worst when it comes to littering.

The bottom-line: Stereotypes exist in all cultures because a small group from their population acts collectively in a certain way. This shouldn’t reflect the whole culture, but it often does because it makes a bigger noise than that of the happy, helpful, and quiet. These stereotypes create more stereotypes in the way people treat the effected people. The cycle continues until everybody hates everybody for some reason or another whether or not it’s specifically true in that instance.

How to avoid localism and racism?

Respect the land and it’s people. Learn by doing research before you go. If you understand each situation before you get involved, you’re less likely to do something that will harm the fragile and slipping culture of Hawaii. This goes for local customs (ex. Taking your shoes off when entering a residence), the environment (ex. Don’t stand on the reef or take coral or sand home), boundaries (ex. Get permission before trespassing on private property to access natural features and attractions), and ignorance (ex. Expect some stereotyping of yourself by others and blow off any negative vibes.)If you are confronted with racism and local tension, ignore it and walk away. As in any situation, unprovoked antagonistic behavior cannot be reasoned with. Just because the thoughts behind these situations are irrational doesn’t mean that that person could possibly see the light. They don’t want to.

For the most part, the people of Hawaii are wonderful, caring people that will bend over backwards for anyone. Don’t let the very few bad apples ruin your good times.

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for half of my life and on Maui for the other. Since being on Maui, I’ve seen 100 times more celebrities than I ever did in LA.

Why do celebrities come to Hawaii? Hawaii is the closest tropical vacation getaway to LA. Also, paparazzi are not quite as prevalent on the islands. Don’t get me wrong, paparazzi are still here, but islanders are not fond of their invasive tactics. Most islanders are hard on these parasitic people. Another reason comes from the many film locations available here.

Britney Spears is a regular to Maui, Hawaii. She and her crew of bodyguards jaunt around South Maui with her family on a regular basis. This editor watched Britney change her shirt at a table at Tommy Bahama’s Maui restaurant as well as fall a sleep at the table during her meal. Her mother was taking care of the kids, while their bodyguards frantically patrolled the restaurant and it’s complex for the 3-4 paparazzi that had been following her.

Not only do high-profile celebs regularly visit Hawaii, many have second homes here. To name a few, Helen Hunt, Carlos Santana, Randy Travis, Willy Nelson, Woody Harrelson, Roseanne Barr, and Kelsey Grammar have Maui homes. Oprah happens to own many parcels of land, much of it in Hana. Willy Nelson spends a large amount of time here and also owns a restaurant in Pa’ia called Charlie’s. On occasion, you’ll find Willy playing a couple sets there. Many celebrities were born here. Presidential candidate, Barack Obama was born on Oahu as well as musician and surfer Jack Johnson who owns a home in front of Pipeline on the North Shore. Bette Midler was born in Hawaii and has a home on Kauai.

Mike Myers spends a good amount of time each year on the South Shores of Maui as well as Alice Cooper. Cooper is a big golfer, which makes for a strong attraction to the many world-class Maui golf courses. Many athletes come to Hawaii. Kareem Abdul Jabar visits as well as Horace Grant. Horace is one of the most low-key and nicest of all the celebrities to visit Hawaii. Not only is he extremely generous, but also Horace is polite and a pleasure to be around. Another surprisingly low-key celebrity, when in Hawaii, Paris Hilton spends a good amount of time in the Wailea area of Maui. Cameron Diaz also enjoys Hawaii. She is a regular on Oahu and is a decent surfer.

On Kauai, Ben Stiller, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Crichton, Drew Barrymore, and Natalie Merchant own second homes. Many cast members of the hit NBC TV show “Lost” have homes on both Oahu and Kauai. Most of the filming is done on Oahu. Since the State of Hawaii has issued large tax breaks and incentives to the film industry, movie and television filming has become increasingly attractive on the islands. The fact that the Hawaiian Islands are home to some of the most beautiful spots on the planet also make our islands popular with filmmakers. Recently both the last addition to Indiana Jones and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have been filmed here, particularly on the neighboring island of Molokai.

Most of the information has been confirmed by reliable sources. Some of the above information is word of mouth and may not be accurate. �

What Is Island Fever?

Island Fever is the phenomena of feeling claustrophobic from the close proximity of each shoreline, and feeling disconnected from the outside world. This is a pretty common thing on the islands, seeing that we’re out in the middle of the biggest ocean in the world. Most people move away after a few months to a few years because of a lack of family and the necessity of having all the amenities of the mainland at their disposal.

Who Generally Gets Island Fever?

Typically, someone who doesn’t use the resources available on the island gets island fever. This means that they don’t appreciate and use the ocean for leisure activities, or take park in the many island communities. People from big cities find it most difficult to adjust to island living because of the lack of resources. There are fewer choices in restaurants, bars, shows, and large events. This coupled with the loss of getting anything you want at the local store can be discouraging for those that aren’t used to driving across the island. City-folk also have trouble because of the slow pace of life here. The heat brings with it a lack of desire to work. It hits everyone. Your own laziness is easier to handle than when you need to deal with someone else’s laziness. When you really need something NOW, you’re probably going to have to wait for it. When on the mainland, you can make it happen NOW. There’s also the expense of everything. From homes to groceries, everything costs more. Well, almost everything.

How Do I Keep From Getting Island Fever?

Those that last on the islands take advantage of all the wonderful free things to do. For example, when you might spend $100 at a bar or club on the mainland, you go to the beach or park with some store bought beers. To last on Maui and on any of the Hawaiian Islands, one must build relationships with those that are living there and you must learn to appreciate all the amazing things that these islands provide. One of the things that turn people off from living here full-time is the clickiness of island residents. In that, I mean that people are less likely to pursue a friendship with someone who’s only been on the island for a short period of time. Most people would think that their being standoffish is a form of snobbery. This is not the case. In fact, the reason people shy away from new arrivals is because most people here have made that mistake before. It’s hard losing a friend after investing a lot of time with them. And because most people that move to the islands move away shortly, this is a regular occurrence until you toughen up and only let certain people in. This is also the case with finding a job here. Why invest a bunch of time training someone to do a job when they’re only going to be there for less than a year? In most industries on the islands, finding someone that’s in need of a job is easy, and at the same time it’s risky to hire someone new to the island. This is one of the few instances where both supply and demand for jobs remains high.

In order to live happily on the Hawaiian Islands and stave off Island Fever, one must put in an effort to meet longer lasting residents, enjoy the many free activities that the islands provide, slow down and anticipate the laziness that EVERYONE has, learn to deal with not having all the regular amenities of the mainland, and it helps to make bi-yearly trips off island.

Here are 10 ways to save money and not lose the bank when traveling in Maui, Hawaii.

1. Rent a Condo
The big fancy resorts are great but you can share a 2 bedroom condo with friends for 1/2 the cost of one room.

2. Eat In
The first tip is crucial on this one. If you have a kitchen where you’re staying, you’ll save a fortune on meals. Eat at least breakfast and lunch here. You can make sandwiches for lunch on the road. Hit up Costco on the way in. Also, do a couple of BBQ’s instead of pricy dinners every night.

3. Plan Plenty of Beach Days
The beach is free. Even some mor elaborate beach activities are cheap. Snorkeling can be done for near to nothing a day in rentals.

4. Don’t get Sucked into Tourist Traps
They are everywhere. Figure out what you want to do online before you arrive on the island.

5. Watch the Airline Prices
Some airlines to Hawaii will offer incredible deals last minute. Get on their mailing lists.

6. Rent an Economy Car
Gas is more expensive in Hawaii than any other state in the nation. You will be driving a lot, so save on gas with a smaller car. Plus, economy cars are cheaper per day to rent.

7. Read the 101 Things to Do in Maui
Choose your favorite 30 and then widdle it down to the free activities. You’ll be plenty busy still and will have a blast.

8. Get Up Early
Maui is best enjoyed during the day. This way you’ll hit the hay earlier and eat less expensive dinners. You’ll also spend more time doing cheap daytime activities.

9. Give Your Bar Tab a Rest
Though it is illegal to drink on the beaches, there are plenty of places you can go with a 6 pack and save $200 on Pina Coladas. This is where tip #1 comes in handy again. Make cocktails at home before you go out.

10. Buy Small Souvenirs
You’re going to want to bring home the 6 foot tall wooden tiki god, but you’re better off picking up a small bag worth of souvenirs at the shops or boutiques to give out to friends.