had a great time with Mr. and Mrs. Sato today. Sato-san really impressed me on his surfing level since last year. he practiced a lot and it paid off as he caught so many good waves today at rockpiles. the waves were small, but super fun. i even pulled into a knee high barrel today. it was so cool watching the lip go over my head while i was looking right at diamond head. small barrels, big barrels, they all feel the same. we ate some pho, drank a smoothie, and had a great time. what a lovely couple!
heard about the heat wave in japan? probably the hottest summer ever. all my friends telling me “better not come now because it’s too hot and you will go crazy!” yeah, i don’t like hot, and yeah, i will go crazy. 23,600 people were taken to the hospital for heatstroke in july alone. 27 of them ended up dying. how hot is it? 40.7° Celsius = 105.26° Fahrenheit. atsui!
hawaii was voted number 1 for the most expensive state in america to live.
No. 1: Hawaii
Avg. home price (Honolulu metro): $742,166
Half gallon of milk: $3.41
Pound of ground beef: $3.99
Monthly energy bill: $333.51
Doctor visit: $101.80
2013 cost of living rank: No. 50 (most expensive)
2012 rank: No. 50
what’s not included in this survey is the medical insurance here. i pay $1,200 every single month just for medical insurance!!! and you wonder why 1/3 of people living in america have no medical insurance. and once something happens, it’s the end. all in all, i live in paradise and i’m super happy. but there is a big price tag. love it, or leave it. or in japanese “shigataganai.”
