I’ve realized that in my posts I don’t share as much about people as I should – I just talk about myself. Sorry. That gets boring – my life is enhanced by the people I meet and the experiences I have with them, not by my chit chat rambling about everyday random things.
So, as a bonus addition to my Hawaii trip, I’d like to introduce you to my 82 year old hostel roommate, Lidmila. Lidmila is Canadian citizen who emigrated from the Czech Republic, back when it was Czechoslovakia. She escaped to Cuba during the war, and eventually ended up in Canada. Her English is excellent, and greatly enhanced by her Eastern European accent.
I ate breakfast every morning with Lidmila, and she would always be the first one to greet me when I walked into the hostel (shared by eight women, two rooms of four.) She was in Hawaii to escape the Canadian winter for two months, though she said her family (two daughters and six grandchildren, most of them studying to be doctors) was worried about her on her own. (That’s why she was staying at the hostel, so she won’t be alone in case something happens.) Lidmila had great stories, great advice, and was great at listening. Another thing she was great at? Busting out the funniest one liners when you least expected it. She said she learned English by watching a lot of sitcoms, and it’s apparent that the humor wasn’t lost on her. By the second day of knowing her, I was already starting to write down some of her quotes, just because they were so funny and cute.
Here we are during a lovely sunset walk on Waikiki Beach. Lidmila came to Hawaii for the first time nearly 40 years ago, and was on her ninth trip back this past winter. I enjoyed hearing how much things have changed in Hawaii from someone with firsthand experience. She spent her days feeding the fish (with free bread heels she took after the hostel finished serving breakfast), staying inside during the hot sun hours under doctor’s orders, then swimming for an hour or two, and finally going for a walk in the evening. I looked forward to coming back to the room in the evenings and chatting with her to exchange stories about our days. Here, I’d like to share a few of her best quotes with you, as she really is a prime example of why meeting people can be just so much fun while traveling.
P.S. All of these quotes need to be imagined with an Eastern European accent – think ‘I’s’ that sound like EEEE and roll your Rs a bit. Also, keep a straight face - think deadpan humor.
Me: “My ancestors? Well, I’m mostly Norwegian, then a little German, Irish, and Swedish.”
L: “Czech?”
Me: “Nope, I’m afraid not.”
L: (shrugs) “Eh, maybe next time!”
Me: “Lidmila, did you sleep well?”
L: “I always sleep well, I on heavy sleep medication for the past twenty years!”
Liliana (our Chinese roommate): “I made some extra food, please try some!” (leaves the room)
Lidmila: (leans over and whispers to me) “For three months in her country I eat the food – that is enough for me!”
Lidmila: “My head and mouth are confused. I am not.”
Liliana: “Lidmila sorry, I’m almost done with the microwave.”
Lidmila: “Eh, I’m here til March 20th. I’ve got time!”
Me: “Oh, the Australian girl is gone?”
L: “Yes. She talk too much, but I usually don’t listen. Messy room too. I think her mother send her away to have a nice, quiet, clean house for one month.”
Me: “I hope you find the hummus at the grocery store – it’s above the cheese, okay?”
L: “Okay! I can ask. I have mouth.”
Me: “Diamond Head was a great hike! But even though I went really early, it was super crowded with Japanese tourists, so I had to wait in line.”
L: “Yes, they try to take over this place in 1941, now they doing it again.”
L: (telling a story about her childhood) “I remember my mom told me not to do it, but of course that is like telling me “DO EEET!” so I ran down the terrace and fell!”
Me: "Oh, did Lena (our 60 year old Swedish roommate) come back from her daytrip yet?"
L: "Yes. She is outside on the balcony now because she drunk. Many snore tonight, sorry!"
Lidmila’s best feature is her passion and joy for life – I spent many happy hours talking with her and listening to her stories. After laughing together over our peanut butter toast, she would always sum things up by saying, “Oh, life is fun. Enjoy life.”
Words of wisdom from a very special and inspiring lady. Enjoy life!
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