Gween Tuhhhhhhduulll

SO, really quick story. I can't get over it and I'm LOLing right now just thinking about it. hahaha 

...OK, So, when I first got here I unpacked all of my stuff, and I realized that I forgot my beach bag! At the time, I was so excited to hit the sand that I didn't really worry about it and I just brought my Coach purse. Yeah... not such a good idea... I couldn't even go into the water because I was too nervous to leave my bag there! There are bums ALL over the place here that would snatch that thing up in a heartbeat. Needless to say, I needed to buy a beach bag. 

So anyway, after my first day at the beach I was walking into the hotel lobby past this little convenience store when this cute little beach bag caught my eye. It was the color that I LOVE (this purpley, pinkish color) with hawaiian flowers all over it. So I walked into the convenience store to buy the bag. Like most places, it was crowded with about 10 Japanese people. (They are ALL OVERRRRRRRR) Visual: 6 foot blonde girl in a sea of 4-foot-10 Japanese people. LOL. gosh. So anyway, I picked up the bag and walked up to the counter to pay. The man that was working the register was Japanese as well. So I was standing in line with all these crazy asians surrounding me. They are very nosey by the way. If you get into an elevator with them, walk next to them on the street, anything, they are ALL up in your business, checkin everything out. 

I handed the bag to the chubby japanese man working at the register. Then, out of nowhere, the man looks up at me through his HUGE coke bottle glasses, gives me a HUGE SMILE, points at my bag, and basically screams: "GWEEN TUHHHH-DULL!!!!!" *HUGE GRIN!!* 

So me, I have NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

ME: *polite smile* "Whaaaaaaaat?" 

JAP MAN: again, *HUGE GRIN , pointing to my bag* "GWEEN TUH-DULL!!!!" 

I look down at the bag and I and see that there are a few hawaiian green sea turtles on the bag as well!! I didn't even notice before! THEN, to top it off, this LITTLE TEENY japanese boy that was in his dad's arms, mimicking the man, looks at me and says " GWEEN TUH-DULL!!!!" 

OMG I DIEDDDDDDD!! I was like YEAH!! GWEEN TUH-DULL!! LOL. 

Hilarious. I literally can not look at that bag without thinking about gween tuh-dulls. LOL. Ok, now I'm going to drink rum on the beach! YAY! :) 

ALOOOOOHA!

Aloha from HAWAII!!! Gosh. This is the most beautiful place on earth! I guess I will start from the beginning...

The whole journey began when I hopped on a crop duster in Ithaca, NY for a loud, bumpy, air-sickening (but short!) ride to Newark Airport. When I arrived in Newark I had about an hour to get some food and then I got on a MUCH BIGGER 767 to Honolulu. All was good and I was excited. I had taken a lot of time looking for the perfect plane ticket. Cheap, a connecting flight close to home, and most importantly, the fewest stops and shortest layover time. I thought I had it ALL figured out. That is, until I was 40,000 feet in the air, in a single tiny cramped seat, on a plane that was over-airconditioned at a frosty 55ish degrees, next to a mean old german man whose english vocabulary consisted of the words "sprite" and "coke, diet" for ELEVEN HOURS STRAIGHT.  FML. This is how I felt. 

To make it worse, I didn't plan ahead with snacks or anything. The only thing I had in Newark was the cheese off of a slice of pizza that ended up having hidden onions on it (gross.. and why would you hide them!? A very unpleasant suprise). The "meal" on the plane consisted of a teeny little TURKEY hotdog (wtf), chips, and a mini pack of Milano cookies. THATS IT. The pretzels and cheese and crackers that also appeared didn't do much for me either. Needless to say, I was starving. Borderline hypoglycemic. And then, right when I thought for sure I was going to pass out (or SNAP), german Grouchy Mc Groucherson reaches down into his bag and pulls out a grocery bag.  I creeped over his shoulder to see what had and about died. A WHOLE BAG OF CANDY!!!! I'm talkin' king sized reese cups, hershey bars, snickers, everything you could imagine! TEASE!!!!!!!!! This guy didn't even acknowledge that I was ON the plane the entire flight let alone offer me a damn candy bar!! I spent the rest of the flight contemplating my stealth candy bag sabotage. Boy is he lucky he didn't fall asleep. 

Anyway, after we landed in Honolulu it was all better. I was FINALLY IN HAWAII!! I made my way to the baggage claim and waited for my new purple suitcase to appear. You know those signs that are posted everywhere with the broken-in-half stick figures that say "Lift with your legs, NOT your back!"???  Yeah well, my advice would be to follow that rule. I underestimated the weight of all my shit and basically ripped my shoulder out of it's socket as I pulled my bag off of the carousel. OUCH! I was all by myself so there was nothing I could do but deal with the pain, whining and swearing (out loud) the whole way to the taxi pick up. As I walked, the pain intensified, and I began to whine louder. A LOT louder. FINALLY these 2 guys noticed my misery and came over to help me. 

I shared a cab with them and learned that they were from NYC and here to surf. They paid for the cab ride and then invited me to go to dinner with them! They were so nice! They paid for my dinner as well and then we made plans to meet up the next afternoon so that they could teach me to surf!! And that is where Amanda's Amazing Surfing Adventures come in to play. More on that later. 

Anyway, so I learned to surf! And I LOVE it. Dave and Eddie left to go back home today but they took me out for dinner once more in the three days that they were here. Guess over-packing pays off! View from the expensive hotel that Dave and Eddie stayed at: 

More stories to come, including the Pearl Harbor Tour, Vladimir, "Gween Turtle", and several installments of Amanda's Amazing Surfing Adventures! Too long for one post. 

In other news, today was the first day of my rotation! It is basically AMAZING. I don't have to be there until NINE (time to surf before work! yay!) and today I got out at 330! I'm def not expecting THAT every day... Dr. Kalauawa (lol) had a light schedule today. The only thing that sucks is I'm pretty much moving backward as far is clinical stuff when compared to my other rotations. I didn't get to see ONE patient today. I had to "observe." I was like dude wtf. I'm gonna be a PA in 2 freakin months. I think I know how to do a history and physical by now. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. It's all good though, I will worm my way into the exam rooms before they know it. No problems! ('A 'ole pilikia!)... lol It's actually what they say instead of "you're welcome" in response to Mahalo which means Thank You. I learned that one from my pearl harbor tour guide, "Cousin Ted". haha. 

A hui hou, Until we meet again! Aloha! :) 

Wrapping up the ROC

I can not believe this rotation is over already. I have 2 more days here in the ROC before I go home and then back to school for my test on Thursday. Once again, this rotation has followed suit with all the others: I live a lonely sad existence for the first 3 weeks and then the very END of my stay, I start making friends and really get a chance to go out and have some fun. Then, as has happened before, I get, "Oh man! Well, it's too bad you're LEAVING, or else I would invite you to (INSERT FUN ACTIVITY HERE)" How annoying!! I can NOT let this happen for my next one. 

Speaking of my next rotation, OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO HAWAIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!! I am so excited! I definitely have that "little kid at Christmas" feeling right now. I can't sit still when I start thinking about it! This time next week I will be lounging in the white sand on the beaches of Hawaii! My DREAM life!! Gosh. I don't even know what to do with myself. 

You should see my suitcase. Its so ridiculous. I packed TWELVE BATHING SUITS. Yes, you heard me, TWELVE. Do I REALLY need to  bring that many bathing suits?? Really? The answer is NO! But I'm doing it anyway. Jeez, I hope I have time to fit my rotation in to all of my plans. 

The only thing I really wish is that someone would come with me! Even visit for a short time.  A month is a LONG TIME to be all alone even if it IS in Hawaii. I'm trying to get my momma to come and visit me while I am there :) I REALLY hope that works out! It would make me SO HAPPY! 

Anyway, I'm going to run off some of this excited energy (and maybe some chub while I'm at it HA), and then PACK ALL MY STUFF. Probably should study too while I'm at it since I DO have a test in like 4 days. fml! 

ahh!!! I can not WAIT!!!!!!! :D

MY DAY OFF aka: Day of Nothingness.

I feel so BLAH today! I don't know what is wrong with me! I haven't done ONE THING the whole entire day. I was going to go to the gym. I didn't. I was going to do my homework. I didn't. I was going to take a shower. I didn't. I was going to take a nap --- well, I did THAT. But wth, really? I think I have a vitamin deficiency. 

Anyway. I'm sick of Rochester. It's not that I dislike it here or anything, because I don't. I think it might be that I'm going to HAWAII next and I want this one to be OVER!!! Yeah, I think that's it. 

PS, I love the ER. I applied for a job that was posted in Hawaii, just for the heck of it, to see if I could get an interview while I am there. I emailed the HR person my CV and stuff. The person sent me a very nice email back that basically said thanks for applying but we don't want someone fresh out of school. 3 years experience required. Oh well, guess that means I'll have to try again. Maybe they will get desperate and call me back later. 

So, the whole Hawaii beach body thing is REALLY not coming together as planned. Jim and Pat feed me like there is no tomorrow, and I literally have NO self control whatsoever. I got a gym membership and started getting trained by this huge like 300lb musclehead dude last week. He basically KILLS me every other day, which would be GREAT if anything was happening to my body. But it isn't. I only have 2 more weeks! It's crunch time. Maybe I should lay off the oreo cookies that are in the patient room at work.... hmm ....or not. I guess Hawaii will just have to deal with the whole albino beached whale look that I've got going on. Gross. 

Anywho. I guess I'll go do something. Probably eat..... fml. HURRY UP MAY 23!!!!!!!!!!!!!!