Partying into 2002!

Happy New Year's!

Gosh, it's hard to believe that 2001 has come and gone. An unforgettable year for myself (a Boston College graduate!) and for the world (September 11th). I actually got a little teary eyed watching New York's ball drop in Times Square-- I said a silent prayer for my friends and family that weren't around for the coming year. At least they're in a better place now...

On a brighter note, I spent Hawaii's New Year's partying at a club called the Maze. Fabulous club with three different rooms of music and only a few blocks away from the hostel on Kuhio. We were going to watch the fireworks at Aloha Towers, but the Maze won due to proximity and the fact that so many of us were going. In true MaryAlice & Heather style, we convinced all our roomates to come and party with us. The new English duo and the Russian were a bit hesitant, but a few gin & tonics and champagne toasts later everyone was up for going out. I can't believe how cheap it is to go out on New Year's-- just a $10 cover charge!!! Sure beats the typical $150 advance-reservation bars that I normally frequent in New York on New Year's. Everyone looked at us like we were on crack when we told them what we normally spend-- I guess New York is in a league of its own.

Two days ago, Heather and I rented 2 for 1 (price) mopeds... we're all about the coupons. We've been eating McDonald's Big Macs for the past few days because of these fabulous coupons-- 2 Big Macs, 1 Large Frie, 1 Large Coke AND an apple pie for only $2 a piece! Ok, so the little things amuse us these days... and so much for our tropical diet. So anyways, as we're renting the mopeds a few guys ask us if we want to come along with them to a few scenic sights and Hanauma Bay. Two of the guys are from LA, the third is a military dude (the military men are everywhere-- you can spot their haircuts a mile away. Now if they would only start wearing their cute little uniforms....) We had a fabulous day with them which turned into dinner & numerous drinks. Saw a great bikini contest at Moose's, which evidently takes place every Sunday. Irish Rose was a fun bar with live music (an older crowd, a bit humid in there) and Red Lion was enjoyable. Speaking of humidity.... I am going nuts with my bad hair days! I envisioned myself with luscious blonde hair blowing in the cool Hawaiian wind as I sipped my Mai Tai's-- not afro freaky hair that looks like I've been driving in a convertible too long. I am quite scary looking when I wear my hair down... how am I going to survive without a blowdryer, curling iron or anti-frizz cream??? (good thing I am worrying about superficial appearances and not, let's say, world peace or the fact that Australia is frying to a crisp due to it's out-of-control brush fires. Our Mexican neighbors' flight to Australia was cancelled because Sydney might go up in flames. Hmm, maybe I should read up on that?!)

So we're both having fun. Quite a few sights still to see. Yesterday we went snorkelling at Hanauma Bay-- lots of beautiful fish, especially when you walk along the crevice to Witches Brew. Today we're supposed to go to the Pearl Harbor exhibit, but Heather is still sleeping and I've only had a couple hours of sleep. Why am I awake??

My knee is doing ok. Still a bit swollen, but that's to be expected considering it's only 3 weeks after surgery and I've walked a billion miles on it. Overall, it feels great. More later...

Love, MaryAlice