My cousin is flying in for a vacation/family reunion (of sorts) in June and the last time I seen her was just last July at our wedding. Before that? Maybe about 25 years ago. We were tight back then and the funny thing is we just started emailing each other a few years ago and we picked up right where we left off. What trips people out is that she haole. Well, hapa-haole.

Last year she paid an arm an a leg just to attend our wedding so this time around I told her to just book the airfare (which is an appendage by itself) and I would help her out getting a deal for the hotel and car.

We all know that the kama’aina rate is always lower than the rack rate but here’s another “useless” fact.

* Did you know that membership has it’s benefits? The two most popular are the Entertainment cards and AAA - which are 50% off the rack rate, kama’aina is usually 25% - both which are generally lower than the kama’aina rate.

Wassap Wit Dat?

I used to work hotel das why - get choke “lower” rates that they no like say dey get but you have to ask and show proof, now in the internet age if you book online you do tend to get a better deal than a travel agent or calling direct too.

We all live Hawaii so we know more than anyone else in the country that it’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know. So I start asking my friends that work in the travel industry for some hook ups. Two work in the hotel industry and one works for a car rental agency. The hotel? Little tough on the rates considering it’s “peak” season but the car, no problem.

So now what?

Ask again. Ask my friends fo’ ask their oda friends and so on.

No bu’lai. You either have done that or been on the receiving end of that and doesn’t it all seem to boil down to if the person you “may” help out is significant to you or if the friend asking is really asking for a favor?

You get da, “eh, if can, can, no can, no can” (no mattah one way or anoda) or “nah, Brah, if you can hook ‘em up, would be good.” (Brah, need da help so do wat you can).

My cousin? She need da help so I still looking for anything and everything for her cause family yeah? Das wat we do.

I’ve gotten “discounts” at a popular sushi restaurant, employee pricing at various stores and so on from friends and I also return the favor anyway I can whether it be hook ups of my own (in the past - pizza, hotel, discounts etc.) or the good ole’ fashion ”manual labor”. But isn’t the point of getting a hook up getting a deal? But we kama’aina and no mattah wat, seem to return more than we receive….guess das why we no ka oi wen it comes to Aloha yeah?

So wat kine hook ups have you’ve given or received? Do you “overuse” your hook ups? Do you offer anything back other than “thanks”?

How’s about not even using your hook up “power”? How many of you work at some place and no even use the “benefit”? Sad, but I must say I work at the paper but no read ‘em except for the weekend…sometimes (but I do clip out coupons for friends when asked). I had a friend work at a restaurant that they don’t eat at, a clothing store that they don’t wear and even one at a car dealership that they don’t even have a car with.

So wat - Anybody like hook me up wit anything?

Get coupons I can clip………..