“Honolulu on Oahu, the main island of Hawaii, is a city made of concrete, which is without concept in the landscape clapped. When I moved there, I lived the first months in a basement apartment that had no air conditioning. It was hot and humid, and I was pretty unhappy. I was followed by my wife, who had a commitment to write their doctoral thesis.
We had studied both biology in Jena, and I felt I was in the University city also totally comfortable. I’m not the person who needs to change. In Jena, I had a team of my friends, my hockey and my hockey, I wanted to get away. But a long-distance relationship to my wife I would not have also keep. She was pulled a year and a half in front of me to Hawaii, and I flew with many suitcases, my hockey equipment, and our two cats, Taiga, and Kira, to her.
fortunately, my mother came and helped me with the Luggage. We were five days on the road, because we made because of the cats, made a stop on the US East coast and US West coast. The first two weeks in Hawaii, we were all together on holidays, we explored the island, visited the Pearl Harbour Museum. But when I began to take care of my life, brought me to the everyday life. My first challenge: I had to look for a job.
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thanks to a special visa for my wife can I apply for a work permit, but if your body is not extended at the Uni, I can’t work in the USA. I’m so dependent on it. At the beginning, I did an internship in the Institute, in which she also worked, and later received even a half-time position. However, it was not good for me, I felt very lonely, I missed the team sports, and somehow I came in touch with the people.
to ride a Bicycle was my salvation – though it looked On one of my trips, and a truck cut me, we met, and I suffered an acromioclavicular joint disruption. Luckily, I’m insured through my wife sick. After the accident, I had to spend two months on the Sofa, in this time, I took contact to a society, which campaigns for the rights of Bicycle riders and teaches children to ride safely wheel.
Finally, I had found the connection. I helped on a volunteer basis, and organised, for example, a 100-mile race on the island. As I helped a hemiplegic Hawaiian name, Kimo, took part in a special bike part in the race, I had my first real moment of Happiness in Hawaii. He was so happy, ride, together, we have managed to do that. This has moved me very much.
Marcus judge, Kimo, he was in a bike race
helps a Few months later, than my wife with the seminars at the University of ready, and for her doctoral thesis had to investigate, we moved to Maui, so on a different island of Hawaii. It is generally very difficult here to find an apartment that you can afford. The rents are enormous, Craigs List, classifieds portal, we found a small house on a mountainside in an altitude of 1000 meters. If we now look out of the window, we see the Pacific ocean. In the summer it’s up here much more pleasant, and even now in the Winter, we have during the day between 15 and 18 degrees.
We pay for our 60 square meter 2000 dollars, which is expensive, but at least we can afford it. Only saving is difficult, because everything here is quite expensive: For one and a half litres of milk we pay five dollars, an Apple cost $ 1.30, and a half-edible bread $ 7.50. Go out to eat, we can’t afford, even for a Fast-Food menu, you have to pay so much for a dish in the Restaurant.
fortunately, I have now found my absolute dream job. I work for the Mauna Kahalawa (West Maui Mountains) Watershed Partnership, an organization committed to the preservation of the forests on West Maui.
We ensure that invasive plant species do not displace the Hawaiian plants that farm animals such as pigs, goats and cattle to penetrate in the forests, and we do public Relations, so that the population gets an awareness for the natural. We are a motley crew, half of my colleagues comes from Hawaii, but all have roots in other countries.
The most beautiful, I find this sense of community, we all fight for a good cause. We work four days a week, ten hours a day. Often we fly with the helicopter on a remote mountain summit, to work in the woods. Here, no tourists will come back and usually not even Hawaiians. I feel very unique, like a chosen one who has the privilege to be up here.
However, Hawaii also changes. Many residents can no longer afford the high Rent and have to move to the mainland. There are already independence of thought, some of the Hawaiians want to break away from the United States. Many also find Donald Trump to be impossible. It is embarrassing that he is the President.
Angela Merkel, in contrast, is perceived very positively, as a representative of the democratic free world. As it is withdrawn from the CDU party chair, my friends were worried that her time as Chancellor was thus also immediately past.
I can very well imagine to stay here any longer. People are much more relaxed and more positive than in Germany. Here to share his positive energy, here this is the Aloha idea is actually, so that is other friendly with you, supported you with compassion. All of that is now spilling out already me over.”
Video: Hawaii from the air
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