Post #113363 by Urban Tiki on Thu, Sep 9, 2004 2:26 PM

On 2004-09-08 16:32, Tiki_Bong wrote:
Well, I know this sounds quite Polly Ann-ic, but I love the Tiki lifestyle because it allows me to rationalize away my heavy drinking.

Okay, if I had been more honest, this would have been my primary attraction.

Some great responses here. Some of them have put into words feelings that I had that I wasn't totally aware of.

I just finished reading Michener's Hawaii, and it portrays how the haoles (as well as the Chinese and Japanese that are imported to do the labor) prosper much more than the native Hawaiians. They look down on the Hawaiians who, they feel, lack ambition. The Hawaiians are always happy, joyful, and carefree, generously sharing everything with anybody. Others own the land and the plantations and make enourmous profits, but who is better off?

Having been involved in Wall Street investment firms for 20 years, I've wrestled with this question many times. The Tiki Life helps me balance the shear joy of life with the stress, responsibilities, and sacrifices that I make in pursuit of the almighty dollar- it brings balance into my life. That, and Rum, and Tiki Mugs...