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| Shabbat dinner with my sister Linda, Brother-in-law Marvin and Nephew Jason via a Skype video call. I t was 12:15 my time (lunch time, and 6:15 east coast time in Buffalo N.Y. We lit candles said the blessings over wine and bread and just talked story (kibbutzed) while we ate. Much cheaper than the $1200.00 rt. airfare from Kauai to Buffalo N.Y. |
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| My sister Linda and brother-in-law Marvin visiting Kaua'i in 2008 when airfares were still affordable. They found a roundtrip from Buffalo including 5 nights hotel in Honolulu for $700.00 each. There have been no good flying deals since. This blog also appeared as my column in The Kaua'i Garden Island News on 12-16-13 http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/enjoy-the-holidays-with-the-greatest-alternative-to-flying/article_9dd8cf90-6606-11e3-9f57-001a4bcf887a.html |
Where I live is one of the most expenses places to live in the United States. A loaf of bread can cost $8.00, a dozen eggs $7.00 and a simple meal at a food-truck can cost $15.00, more than a sit down restaurant in most cities.
Airfares from Kaua'i, where I live to Honolulu an 80 mile trip can cost upwards of $350.00, a round-trip to go a mere 80 miles. All this because a few years back a select group of who we call "contrarians." (misplaced yuppies and hippies protested a ferry system Hawai'i was about to embark upon)They said it would bring drug dealers and the homeless to our island, like drug dealers do not fly? So now with the airlines having a monopoly they charge what they want and get it from the tourists, while locals on limited budgets can only dream of getting off island.
I have been wanting to visit my sister for quite a while, she lives in Buffalo N.Y, and the cheapest airfares are upward of $1200.00 to get to Buffalo from Kaua'i. The last time I was off island was in 2006 to attend a friends wedding in Honolulu. Back then Go airlines had specials of $25.00 round-trips, no such thing anymore.
How does one compete with expensive airfares? Well here's what my sister and I did, we got together for a Sabbath dinner via a Skype video call. The best part, Skype is free computer to computer anywhere in the world!
Last Friday I had Shabbat dinner with my sister Linda, Brother-in-law Marvin and Nephew Jason via a Skype video call. I t was 12:15 my time (lunch time,) and 6:15 east coast time in Buffalo N.Y. We lit candles, said the blessings over wine and bread and just talked story (kibbutzed) while we ate. Much cheaper than the $1200.00 round-trip airfare from Kaua'i to Buffalo N.Y.
What a perfect way to use technology. I did not have to deal with some bratty kid kicking my seat, did not have to deal with the perverted TSA agents scanning and feeling me up, did not have to deal with some drunk or smelly person sitting next to me, or some 400 lb person cramping my space.
Skype not only saved me over $1200.00 in airfares but saved me a dog sitting fee, the cost of medication to relieve my anxiety of flying and days of jet lag.
We avoided all the negativity of flying and travel, and the best part, when dinner was over we could sleep in our own beds.
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| This blog also appeared as my column in The Kaua'i Garden Island News on 12-16-13 http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/enjoy-the-holidays-with-the-greatest-alternative-to-flying/article_9dd8cf90-6606-11e3-9f57-001a4bcf887a.html |
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...
12 comments:
Via facebook, "They said it would bring drug dealers and the homeless to our island, like drug dealers do not fly?" - as usual you set up a fake argument and then argue against it. I never heard the drug dealer or homeless arguments. The arguments that I heard were the guarantee of mongoose to Kauai, the fact that Honolulu tourists would come with full tanks of gas, food in coolers, etc., and use our resources without spending a nickel here, the increase in traffic, the opposite spending reality of Kauai people going to Oahu and spending their money instead of locally (so a net negative to our economy on both ends), and that the superferry was pushed through illegally without an environmental assessment as to how many whales and dolphins would die from multiple his speed blades flashing along the top of the water between islands. Either you were not paying attention, or you made up fake arguments to make it easy to argue against for yourself.
Buy yourself a nice affordable boat Bra,
Chuck those were not excuses, I was here. I heard it all. I led pro-superferry rallies in 2007 and 2008, The irony we have cruise ships and freighters that are far more damaging to the environment than a state of the art catamaran ferry. believe me, if an airport had to be built now, it would nor be able to pass Environmental impact studies. Gary Hooser who was a state senator at the time now a Kauai county councilman was a prime anti super-ferry advocate, He helped the airlines achieve a monopoly. How can an island community not have a ferry service? The people protesting were not locals, they were the transplanted contrarians. I had so many locals telling me, "Kimo thank you for doing what your doing, we just don't like to protest. I truly believe the silent majority wanted the ferry and they were just not brought up to protest things.
Gary, great idea, however there are very dangerous currents in the Hawaiian channel that I would feel safer having a professional skipper navigate.
And Chuck, my point of the blog was how to save money by using Skype...
per column; "Excellent"
Bettejo wrote: "Loved your column Kimo. Good advice. Kisses to Obama and your delightful family. Please don't blame those of us who opposed the super ferry. We need an inter island ferry. It would be wonderful to have. A great tourist attraction. A pleasant journey. We do not need a dolled up Super Ferry designed with one purpose in mind: transport Strykers. My head would have been Happy Skypedays"
I recommended your column
Loved your column Kimo. Good advice. Kisses to Obama and your delightful family. Please
don't blame those of us who opposed the super ferry. We need an inter island ferry. It would
be wonderful to have. A great tourist attraction. A pleasant journey. We do not need a dolled
up Super Ferry designed with one purpose in mind: transport Strykers.
I fear I speak to deaf eyes.
Bettejo Dux
posted discussion site, Dec. 16, 7:33
Guess you didn't like Laughter.
Two more chapters to go. Sigh. Love'ya'ma
per column,""Good one! I'm not sure who will be offended, it'll be somebody, but I liked it!"
Thanks Chuck, I am sure I will offend the anti's, the food trucks, the airlines, Hooser and the irony is it's about saving money having fun by using Skype! stay tuned!
funny, now have a weird image in my brain! ;D)
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