Bridian Hikes to La'ie Falls.

Back in May my biology class got to hike up to La'ie Falls to help with a forest restoration project. About a year ago some campers went up past the falls to the top of the mountain and they lost control of their fire and it burned most of the side of the mountain. The plants have regrown, and you can't really tell there was ever a fire. But the plants that were regrowing were invasive species and they were killing all the native Hawaiian plants. So our job was to go up there, cut out the invasive species, and put a poison onto the roots that would decay it from the inside. The hike up took about an hour and a half, but there was beautiful scenery along the way. It was quite a challenge trying to hold onto the steep side of the mountain, especially with knives and a bottle of plant killer in our hands, but we managed. The scenery was, of course, beautiful. On the way down the mountain we stopped at the falls and went swimming. The water was actually pretty cold, as was the air because we were high up and close to the ocean.




Around that same time I got a job at the Polynesian Cultural Center working as a waitress at a Luau. It's pretty great. I have to say my favorite part of the job is the trendy, fashionable dress.



In all seriousness, dress aside, I do love my job. I get to meet people from all over the world. Everyday is a new challenge, trying to understand heavily accented English, using my mediocre Spanish, and saying hello in over fifteen different languages. I guess that's also my favorite part of going to school here; there aren't a lot of people here from America, and most Americans aren't from the mainland. I've met people from places that I'd never even heard of (and trust me, I've heard of most countries, thanks to my mom and her creative summer school lessons). I've made friends with people from every inhabitable continent, learned phrases in languages I'd never thought I'd come in contact with, and been motivated by some amazing stories. There was a girl in one of my classes who was the first girl from Madagascar to go to an American college. The PCC offers scholarships for students from other countries who want to go to school here, so there are tons of students who come from dire situations and who've never had such a good opportunity to have such a great education. It has helped me be more aware and grateful for the blessing of school, family, and being raised in a great country with lots of opportunity!

And on that note, here is a dead fish.

Bridian Lives in Hawai'i.

So I decided I should probably start updating my blog again. Since I have tons of free time. I don't know how to catch up or go back and tell about all my adventures, so I'll just start with where I'm at now. I'm going to school in Hawaii, and it's everything I ever dreamed it'd be :).

We found out recently that they're filming the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie at Turtle Bay, the resort that is ten minutes away from us. So Keri and I




took the bus down there and went exploring. We never did see the ship, any cameras, or any famous people. But we did find a seal!



I'm aware that it looks like it's dead...Keri and I both thought it was. I was going to touch it right as a wave came up and washed over it, causing it to start thrashing and we realized that it was alive. Which caused us to run away screaming. Because seals are so dangerous...you know....



Another noteworthy event is that last week we went to Hanauma Bay, which is one of the best snorkeling places in the world!



My camera died as soon as we got in the water, of course, but I got a few pictures:



Okay so it was only one picture and it wasn't very good, but you get the idea. Anyway, we found out that we get in for free (because we're students) so we will be going back there for better pictures. After we decided we were done snorkeling (because gear broke, we were tired, someone started hyperventilating, the usual) the guys decided to bury me in the sand. And make it look like I was getting eaten by a shark. This wasn't as much fun as it looks. Every time I breathed (which I have to admit...I do often) I was yelled at by a chorus of discouraged artists.



Well that's it for now I suppose. I'll probably blog every time it rains, since all activities out here require sun! :)