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[taxea]

oops, my bad

[erchess]

puzzled

I didn't check anyone else but you have a profile page where I learned that you are retired from law enforcement. I viewed it by clicking on your nic..

[taxea]

thank you my dear

okay, I finally figured it out...silly me. They changed the whole page format when I wasn't looking and I never scrolled down far enough. Aren't you clever. taxea

[BHoffman]

Portagee

Curious - you use the word "Portagee" often to indicate some sort of gaffe. What does it mean?

Wikipedia indicates it is a derogatory racial term applied to people of Portuguese descent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portagee

[JohnH]

Bob:

My understanding of the term is that it's derogatory as well, and at one time there were lots of Portugese who emigrated to Hawaii to work on the plantations.

Maybe racial epithets aren't as big a deal in Hawaii. At least that was my experience. The last time I was there I accidentally cut too close to someone on the freeway and drove the next 5 miles with him speeding along beside me yelling and calling me a #%*^%*&%^* haole. I guess he felt that my rental car and the sunburn gave him the right to treat a visitor that way.

[taxea]

When I was growing up in Hawaii we all made fun of each other and many of the jokes here are of an ethnic nature. Then PC came along and people seem to take offense. In the day, the only derogatory word was haole but that was also used to describe anyone that is caucasian. I don't subscribe to things being ethnic slurs because I grew up with the likes of Frank DeLima, as well as, the lack of being judgemental or prejudice.

Portagee jokes here are like dumb blond jokes on the Mainland. I do understand what you are saying. My mom hates the word. I tell her she is Portuguese and I am portagee because I only have 1/2 her blood.

I use the term "portagee moment" because I am too young to have "senior moments".

Bob, I'm sorry for what you were subjected to when you are here. That is not the way a true "local" would treat anyone. We have had such an influx of Samoans, Micronesians, etc that it unfortunately reflects badly on the true "locals".

So what I am saying is words can only be judgemental or derogatory if you let them be. I choose not to let them be. taxea

[JohnH]

Oh, I understand that this guy wasn't representative of everyone in Hawaii.

In this case there wasn't any doubt that what he said was intended to be derogatory. But who knows - maybe his job regularly exposed him to the obnoxious type of tourists and he had just had enough that day. I was at fault and would have apologized if the opportunity had presented itself, but he was so outraged I didn't feel comfortable trying any sort of communication, especially at 70 mph. Besides, people who erupt into road rage often carry weapons.

I sometimes feel guilty about thinking of him this way, but memories are what they are. Now, 20 years after the event, he is etched in my memory speeding down the Kamehameha Highway (I think that was it) in his pickup truck screaming at stupid tourists. Probably an erroneous impression on my part.

[taxea]

John H...while we are on the subject...

Do you know how to tell a tourist in Hawaii. He is the one who pulls over on the freeway to put the top up on his convertible when it starts to rain.

Here are a couple more "Hawaii-isms" We "shaka" a thank you with our hand out the window whenever someone gives us a break on the road. We never use the horn unless absolutely necessary...and believe me I have sat on mine a couple of times.

The term haole became derogatory because during WWII the soldiers would get the local girls pregnant and then leave. They are the ones that gave haoles a bad name.

okay, back to work. taxea

[JohnH]

I like the convertible story. My wife lived in Hawaii for about 6 months (long before we were married) and she knows lots of "tourist" jokes - I'll ask if she knows that one.

When this incident happened she just calmly said "You know 'haole' isn't a compliment don't you?" I replied that initially I wasn't certain, but after the third or fourth time he preceded it with the #*%$*, I was pretty sure he wasn't telling me to have a nice day.

[taxea]

That was pretty funny. Actually I am the author of the tourist joke. I saw it happen on H2 one day when I was driving toward Wahiawa. All I could say as I watched them was "tourists"!

And that can be derogatory too depending on the inflection...which is why I do subscribe to PC. taxea

[erchess]

Got to ask

Why would someone driving a convertible not stop to put the top up if it started to rain? Wouldn't the water be rough on the interior even if it were not unpleasant nor a problem for safe driving?

Please understand that I have only ridden in convertibles three times in my life always with the top down the whole time and no threat of precipitation and I have never been to the Aloha State.

[taxea]

erchess...During the rainy months (Nov-Apr) we can have some very serious rain over parts of the islands. Like 3 inches an hour or more. The rain is warm and refreshing for the most part and we frequently have what we call liquid sunshine. That is when it just sprinkles. If you are at the beach or walking around you know that the rain will stop and the sun will dry you in no time so locals don't carry umbrellas unless the forcast is for heavy rain. Even with that, the usual attire for me is shorts, tank top and slippers, rain or shine.

Convertibles are designed so that, when driving at 50+ on the freeway, the rain blows over the top of the passenger compartment. You don't get wet even when the rain is enough to turn the wipers on. To actually see someone pull over to the side and put the top up because the sky ahead is dark is really pretty funny. Anyone who lives here knows that you will drive through the rainy area a lot quicker than it took to put the top up.

I'm keeping all your addresses in my business acquantances file. If you ever plan to visit please feel free to email me ahead of time and I will give you a list of places you should see.

Who knew I would start blogging on a tax forum. taxea