To see all the Hawaii residents interview responses see the Index, just Click Here.
To take this survey yourself, Click Here
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What Is Your First and Last Name?
Jon Watanabe (Jon – do you have a photo I can put here? Maybe 300 pixels wide, a head shot?)
Do You Have a Website or Something Else You Would Like Us To Link To?
No.
Which Hawaiian Islands Have You Lived On?
Oahu
How Many Years and Months Did You Spend Living in Hawaii?
I grew up in Hawaii. I stayed for 36 years.
How Many Members of Your Family Stayed in Hawaii With You?
Single – just me.
Pets – Choose One That Applies
One pet.
If You Had a Pet, Would You Recommend Pet Owners Moving to Hawaii Bring Their Pets to the Islands?
Yes.
Was Your Income Adequate to Do 90% of What You Wanted To Do Beyond Your Normal Living Expenses?
I pretty much had enough to spend going out each month.
What Were Your Main Activities Outside of Work – And, Did You Find You Had Enough to Keep You Occupied?
Training Jiu jitsu mostly.
Did You Find It Easy to Make New Friends in Hawaii? And, Were People “Like You” Easy to Find?
Since I trained JIu Jitsu, it was easy to make friends from other schools and such but outside of that, I usually keep to myself but I think its easy to make friends in Hawaii.
Did You Experience Any Incidents of Racial Discrimination, Hate, Etc? Can You Please Explain As Much As You’re Willing?
I experienced no racial discrimination or any kind of hate from others. I think its hard to be racist and live comfortably in Hawaii because the people of Hawaii are usually brought up to mix with others and not cause uneccessary tension.
What Did You Think About the Traffic and Parking Situation?
Traffic was bad due to the merges on the freeway and for the amount of cars on the road and the size of Oahu. Parking was usually bad too. Especially during Christmas.
What Do You Like Most About Living in Hawaii?
1.) Since residing in Thailand, I miss and liked how people driving in Hawaii were always very courteous towards other drivers as they would let people go, wave a hand to say thanks for letting them go, wave a hand to say sorry if they made a mistake, and people in Hawaii USUALLY drive with common sense unlike most drivers here in Thailand.
2.) The weather is not too hot or not too cold.
3.) If not for the traffic, everywhere is easy to get to.”
What Did You Dislike Most About Living in Hawaii?
“1.) Things being sent from the states is usually more expensive or at times free shipping etc, is not available for Hawaii.
2.) You cant go very far in Hawaii like how you can in the states and places like Thailand where you can travel through states or provinces.
3.) Everything is more expensive in Hawaii.”
Rate Your Happiness Living in Hawaii…
3 – very happy. (3/10)
Did You Have Any Experience With Public or Private Schools in Hawaii?
I went to and worked at public schools in hawaii. The only problem was (which is the same problem with the whole education system in America), the laws especially with special education.
Was There Enough Shopping On the Island?
No, I had to always order hard to get items. Food and clothes shopping was OK though.
Roughly How Much Money Did You Spend on Food Each Month?
Just me, about $100 a month.
Do You Have (Did You Have) a Business in Hawaii?
No
Is Hawaii the Ultimate Place to Live Whether You Have Money or Not?
I wouldn’t say its the ultimate place to live but its one of the ultimate places.
Anything Else You Want to Say???
Vern’s Comments
Mahalos Jon for sharing that with us. You are the first local to answer the questionnaire, and your experience helps to give us a good picture what is going on there from a local’s perspective. I found it interesting that you haven’t had any racial discrimination living on the islands for so long. I wonder if that is because you were local and in the majority or not.
If you have lived in Hawaii in the past or present, and you would like to take this short survey – here is the link:
What do you think?