ローカルガールの華麗な生活2001-08-04　Honeymoon in French Polynesia

July 31, 2001　Honeymoon in French Polynesia

At first, it wasn’t even an option. Tahiti? No way. It was too far away, too expensive, and too unfamiliar. We were thinking more along the lines of Lana`i. But in the end, we couldn’t have made a better choice.

French Polynesia is a beautiful place. The streets are clean, the people are friendly, and the ocean is pristine. We had a great time decoding French and Tahitian words, exploring the islands by car, swimming in the crystal clear waters, snorkeling with the fish, and simply enjoying the adventure of a foreign country. There really wasn’t much to do, but that’s probably what made the trip so wonderful. We relaxed, and just enjoyed the each other’s company.

Besides Tahiti, we also got to visit the islands of Bora Bora, Huahine, and Moorea. They were all incredibly gorgeous, but we enjoyed Bora Bora the most. On advice, we stayed in an overwater bungalow, in a resort on its own private motu (island.) It was incredibly expensive, but worth every penny. My friend wasn’t joking when he described it as “heaven.” There’s no better way to explain it!

We could see the water below our bungalow, and could feed the fishes through a glass table that opened up. We could swim from the deck of our own bungalow, and shower off before coming back in. We could watch movies all day long (not just ESPN and CNN, which are the only English channels in French Polynesia!) We could rest with the sounds of the water (literally) surrounding us. Sounds too good to be true? I wouldn’t have believed it if I weren’t there.

It was so hard to leave, and although we can’t afford another vacation in Tahiti for a long time, we are already talking about our next trip there. After all, it’s not that far away (only five hours!), it’s not that unfamiliar (we quickly found ourselves saying “Bonjour!” and “Maururu!”), but it is expensive!

Susan Sensei’s English Lesson #85（スーザン先生の英語講座）

For two years I taught English in Japan, and was “スーザン先生” to my students in Ikaho town, Gunma Prefecture. I will try and introduce new words and phrases for the Japanese visitor to Hawaii. Here is this week’s situation:

【今週のレッスン】
ホテルのチェックアウト時間は正午、でも空港には4時までに行けばいいのでまだまだ時間があります。待ち時間にショッピングでもできたらなあ、とは思っても荷物が邪魔…　多くのホテルではチェックアウト後も荷物を預かってくれますよ。そういう場合には、
You have to check out of your room at 12:00, but don’t have to leave for the airport until 4:00. You’re thinking that it would be nice to go shopping for a while, but your bags are too troublesome to carry. Many hotels will hold your bags for you. Just ask,

“Is there any way you could hold my bags for me until 4:00?”
「4時まで私の荷物を預かっていただくことはできますか？」

Some hotels will even offer you a small room if you’d like to take a quick shower before you leave again. It may cost a little extra, but it also may be worth it!
さらに身支度を整えるためのお部屋を提供してくれるホテルもあるようですね。追加料金が必要かもしれませんがそれでも価値はあるかも！

Loco Girl’s Profile（ロコ・ガールのプロフィール） Born in Hilo, I grew up going fishing with Dad, shopping with Mom, and trying to be a good “big sister” to a younger sister and brother. A Waiakea High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa alumni, I taught English in Japan for two years on the JET Program. I love doing a lot of things-shopping, reading, lettering, making jewelry & crafts, watching Friends-and that’s just the start of my list! I like being busy, and am active with the JET Alumni Association (JETAA) and the Honolulu Junior Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJJCC.) My family and friends are, of course, very important to me, and are why I live a very typical, happy, local-style life in Hawaii and will never leave!