Christine,
It's more than just Japan, which went bust around 1990-1991.
I remember being at the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Waikiki
around that time watching all the well-dressed young Japanese
women walking around with Chanel etc. shopping bags. No More.
Agriculture here has been cut back dramatically due to
inability to compete with lower-cost producers such as
the Phillipines. It just made no sense to grow sugar
cane when they had to pay the truck driver $20/hr and pay
for his health insurance, while elsewhere the pay was a
few dollars a day.
There is some shift towards producing coffee, specialty
woods, and organic vegetables, but it takes time to
develop these new crops and find markets for the production.
When the Sheraton Hotel re-opened in Po'ipu last winter, over
10,000 people showed up to apply for 800 jobs. The total
population of the island is only 56,000.
And, last month, the flagship department store Liberty House
declared bankruptcy.
Thanks for your advice on the fleas. Luckily, I found them
within five weeks of my cat getting out of quarantine, and
have only been bitten a few times. They go for the ankles,
so I've taken to wearing tights around the house. Also, my
current living situation runs only until June 30, at which
time I have to find a long-term rental.
The new products appear to be more effective and safer than
what was available a year ago. Unfortunately, with a long-hair
cat who I can't bear to keep inside, it's impossible to control
fleas here without using *some* type of insecticide. The
once-a-month tablet Program (lufenoron) is just not enough.
It needs to be supplemented with the once-a-month insecticide
Advantage (imidacloprid).
David |
