Vivinavi : Hawaii : (United States) Hawaii

• SJDummy
• mail
• 2023/10/02 (Mon) 19:35
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If you search the Exchange Plaza by entering "contact" in the search box, you will find past topics on contact, which may be helpful.

• nuiloamama
• 2023/10/02 (Mon) 19:43
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I buy mine at Sam's.

The receptionist is English, but the medical interview asks if you take any medications, but you can fill out the form online in advance.
The pre-test is in simple English, such as "chin up".

The optometrist is a Japanese American and understands simple Japanese.
No.1 and No.2 are only words like which is easier to see ？ or
Read this character ～, so I always ask for Sams.

Optometry fees are covered if you have insurance.
I am about $ 60 because of my age and I get glaucoma, cataracts, intraocular pressure, etc. seen together I order my contacts from the glasses section next door, but
they give me a prescription and I can also buy them by mail order.

If you have insurance, your contact purchase will be covered.

I have also purchased from other ophthalmologists,
the prices are very different.

• Halo
• 2023/09/30 (Sat) 19:34
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If so, then the insurance coverage varies from policy to policy, but it does not mean that you have to pay the full amount of your own insurance.
Full co-pay is for people who do not have insurance, for example.
There are usually three types of insurance, （ a doctor ） who is like the first clinic you see when you decide on a family doctor,
ophthalmology, and dentistry, so if you are living here, which one is the insurance you want to buy?
And by insurance that you can get in Japan, do you mean travel insurance or something like that ？
（ Travel insurance had a duration or something, right? ）
I don't know what you want to use the insurance for, so I think it is difficult to answer your question
if you don't have a clear idea of what you intend to use the insurance for.

• SJDummy
• mail
• 2023/10/01 (Sun) 20:10
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You say "enrolled in the US," but the insurance situation is quite different between Hawaii and the mainland US, so I don't think we can have a blanket discussion about the US.
I have HMSA's Medicare Advantage ™ (PPO ™) insurance here in Hawaii, but usually a family doctor, specialist, or even a dentist will see you first and send you a bill afterwards that takes your insurance coverage into consideration. Lab tests （ X － Ray or blood tests ） also get billed later. As far as I know, the only people who have to pay the full amount out-of-pocket at the time of the medical exam are those who do not have insurance here, as Halo mentioned.
For travelers from Japan who have travel insurance when they leave Japan, I think it is common for them to pay the full amount here at one time and receive payment for the portion covered by their insurance after they return home. However, there are some travel abroad insurance policies that sell "cashless ・ medical services," so in the case of such policies, you will not have to pay the co-payment.

• Pink Lion
• 2023/10/01 (Sun) 20:34
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＞ Halo and SJDummy

Thanks for the detailed explanation.
I understand now. I am relieved to know that my employer will provide HMSA insurance and I will be charged the amount after the insurance coverage.
I was suddenly concerned when I heard someone say that even if you have HMSA or other insurance provided by the company, you have to pay the full amount once you get it. If that is not the case, I am relieved. Thank you for your response.

• レモン
• mail
• 2023/09/21 (Thu) 08:26
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Thank you ！
Are you perhaps the same person who answered my previous question about food handlers ？
It would be nice to be able to do it online even though it costs a fee ！ I see the test is in quiz format ！
One more thing I would like to know if possible, I think the certificate is valid for 3 years, if I want to keep it, do I have to take the test again ？
Thank you very much.

• nuiloamama
• 2023/09/21 (Thu) 13:28
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Yes ！
You gave the same answer about a year ago.

The Hawaii certificate is valid for 3 years.
I will take the course again when it expires.
I used to be an aiea, but it expired so I took it online.
I'll post the site I used.

https://www.statefoodsafety.com/food-handler/hawaii-food-handlers-card

• レモン
• 2023/09/21 (Thu) 14:08
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Thank you very much ！
I had not seen this site.
I am in the process of looking for a new job in the food and beverage industry and don't have to get it yet, but some of the jobs I've seen state that it's already been obtained or will be within a period of time, so I'm going to try! ！
I'm also glad the retest is free.

• nuiloamama
• 2023/09/21 (Thu) 14:40
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A food handler certificate is an advantage when applying for jobs.
I'm in the group that got hired after I got it.

It's not that hard and
it's good to know for your own life.
Good luck.

• レモン
• 2023/09/21 (Thu) 14:41
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Thank you ‼️

• ハワイファイブオー
• mail
• 2023/08/25 (Fri) 17:20
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I also did a lot of research on private schooling for my children, but
I realized that with our family budget, I would have to work very hard to afford it.
We moved to an area with a good reputation for public schools at least.
We found a good school with a nearly 100% college-going rate, so
my child is now a student at a university in the Mainland.
College is even more expensive, so it's not easy.

• yoshman
• mail
• 2023/09/19 (Tue) 15:41
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For Kindergarten-6th grade, it is not as important to attend a private school if you can get your child into a good public school. This is not always easy though and you have to either live in a good district or get a Geographic Exception (GE). Some parents of course believe that private schools are the best and if they can afford them, its no problem. However please keep in mind that tuition is only one cost. You also have to factor in books, after school care, extracurricular activities, summer school, etc. Extracurricular activities start off cheaper when children are small because the lessons are usually once a week for a shorter time. By the time they reach middle school, these activities can be adding thousands of dollars every year. Some parents feel that private schools are more important at the high school age, BUT do not want to take a chance so they apply their child at a young age and get in when the application process is easier (no SSAT entrance exam tests). Ultimately, you should really look at the finances, if you are going to be struggling to keep up, it is definitely not worth it. There are many good public schools and if your child is smart, they can succeed anywhere. Better to spend time with them when they are young than to work many hours and let someone else (private school) raise them. There is no denying that many good private schools offer a good network and environment, but not at the cost of you and your partner struggling. 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce and the largest cause of divorces are financial struggles.

• Aloha
• 2023/09/20 (Wed) 21:16
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When my children were still small (around 2 or 3 years old)
the topic of conversation among my mom's friends was private or public school. It was.

We were both working at home, but private school was never an option.
We were able to at least enroll him in a public school with a good reputation in GE.
In exchange for private tuition, we were able to give her a variety of lessons.

Fortunately, I was able to enroll him in a school with a high percentage of students going on to higher education and he is attending a university in the Mainland, including scholarships, after receiving recognition in his field of study.
As Hawaii Five-O said, even more universities are expensive and difficult, though. I worry a lot about my children's future and school. I think it would be good to hear about the experiences of different people to help you 😊.

• Halo
• 2023/08/09 (Wed) 21:57
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I'd like to add, I believe the fees are the same as IACE and JTB. Just because it's an online order mailed
doesn't mean the fee is higher, but the postage is. That's the only difference. If you compare the sites, you can see to some extent that the fee is about $10 for both.

• さくら
• 2023/08/09 (Wed) 22:10
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Halo thank you very much for your very kindness ！
Yes. It's about the name and so on. I've been making a lot of mistakes lately (like forgetting to bring a present to a birthday party), and I'd like to have someone check my purchases if possible. If I try to use the rail pass and it doesn't work, my travel plans will be in trouble ！.

• koco
• mail
• 2023/09/19 (Tue) 12:39
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Yesterday I bought a Japan Rail Pass at HIS in Ala Moana SS.
I first tried to buy it online from IACE Travel, but when I tried to buy it together, I got an error message even though I wanted two tickets, one for me Japanese and one for my husband （ American ）. Maybe it's because we have different statuses ？ I decided not to apply for them separately because it's too much trouble. On that point, at HIS, the staff is right in front of you, so whether you are Japanese or a gaijin, they can make sure that your name is correct and you can make the purchase.
Like Halo, my passport has my American family name in parentheses, but it is slightly different from my green card, so I got a copy of my residence card from the consulate. They also confirmed this.
The amount was also one person ＄ 338. I didn't have to pay any fees or postage, so in the end it was probably cheaper than IACE Travel.
It was very convenient to buy the tickets right away because it was not crowded in the evening.

• Pass
• 2023/09/19 (Tue) 13:55
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Thank you Koco, I will try to get a copy of the book.
I ended up buying mine last week at HIS!
A few days before that, the price dropped to $ 213 per person, so I thought it was worth the wait. I think IACE will add Sipping fee ！
and Handling fee $ 10.

• Pass
• 2023/09/19 (Tue) 14:04
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Add
My $ 213 is a 7 day pass and Kaco's ＄ 338 is a 14 day pass.

• nuiloamama
• 2023/09/09 (Sat) 20:29
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I used to go to Anytime,
18 month contract, $ 34.99 per month.
I think it was cheaper with a 2 year contract.
There is no joining fee.
It was good because I could use it when I went to Japan.

I currently go to Planet Fitness.
This one has an annual membership fee of $ 35th.
The monthly membership fee is $ 23.
The change use is simply because Planet is now in my neighborhood.

• マッスルボーイ
• 2023/09/10 (Sun) 17:15
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＞ #2nuiloamama
I am astonished that it is cheaper than Japan. Thanks for the valuable information.

• お金
• 2023/09/06 (Wed) 10:17
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Koji
It certainly depends on future moves ！
Thank you ‼︎

• あめ
• mail
• 2023/09/08 (Fri) 06:34
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I used dollars this summer.
If you use an Amex card, there is no fee. The rate is exactly what you see on TV.

• お金
• 2023/09/09 (Sat) 22:34
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Thank you, Ame ！
I will check my credit card fees. I might as well use dollars where credit cards are accepted.

• こーの字
• 2023/09/10 (Sun) 07:08
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Most airline co-branded credit cards should not charge overseas usage fees.
Normal credit cards are said to charge 1-3%.
You can also compare the fees of your card and the fees when you exchange dollars to yen in Hawaii or Japan.
Currently, the exchange rate is 147 yen to the dollar, so I think it is more economical to use dollars.

I think it is because of Corona, but it was convenient to be able to pay small amounts by card at convenience stores （ 100-yen stores only accept cash and electronic money ）.
I took Amex (no fee) as main card and Visa (1% fee) as sub card.
Amex was accepted in most places, and I paid with Visa when it was not available.

• お金
• 2023/09/10 (Sun) 10:05
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Thank you very much, Koji.
It seems to be a good idea to use credit cards without exchanging cash for dollars ！
It helped because it has been too long since I have been to Japan and I had never experienced such a weak yen.

• さてさて
• 2023/09/01 (Fri) 17:04
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Even if you didn't swim, you played in the sand at the beach or took them to the Toddler Program at Paki Park.
We also had an annual pass for the ZOO, so we often took walks in the ZOO.
We also went to Toddler Time at Kahala Mall every week. It was nice to make friends with other kids around the same age in the Toddler Program at the park. At home play, we did sticker books and paper crafts together. Lots of picture book reading too. You also let them play in the bathtub with shallow water. We also gave them plastic bags and went with them to pick up plumeria at a neighbor's house.
My children have already started elementary school, but when I see children around 1.5 years old,
I miss my own children when they were small :)

• ひよたま
• mail
• 2023/09/01 (Fri) 20:41
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Well, well, well, thank you.
I see that some of the parks have Toddler programs ！
and the Kahala Mall ！ There is certainly a Zoo.
I will try to find one near my house.

• たまひよ
• 2023/09/02 (Sat) 15:24
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All aboard
Thank you for your enthusiastic post ！
It took quite a while to be reflected here, I just read it. Thank you for your concern. But I'm not troubled by it. I just wondered how you all are spending your time. You have had a checkered life, blessed with a very nice young lady .

• 子離れ中ママ
• 2023/09/04 (Mon) 11:17
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I started taking my children to preschooler meetings at church and temple before they turned one, not so much for my children's sake, but more for my own relaxation. I think it was more for my own relaxation than for my children's. When they were about one year old, I started attending parent-child classes at IJCC (International Japanese Christian Church) and parent-child classes at Makiki Church. I also purchased an annual pass to the Honolulu Zoo and Children's Discovery Center, which I often visited. We also took them to Family Sunday at the Honolulu Museum of Art. I also enjoyed the playground at the Windward Mall, which was designed for small children, and when they were about one and a half years old, they took gymnastics classes, rhythmic classes, and group baby swimming lessons with friends, with a teacher coming to our house. I took them to the park every evening and kept myself busy, but now I think it would have been better if I had set aside a little more time to just laze around at home with my child. I thought I had started attending preschool, but in the blink of an eye, I was a college student. The time when they spoiled me and followed me around with "mommy, mommy," seemed long at the time, but now when I think back on it, it really was just a moment, and I really love these precious days. Enjoy the time you have with your adorable children.

• たまひよ
• 2023/09/04 (Mon) 15:06
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Thank you, weaning mom ！
You have been very active ！ My son loved milk so much until recently that he was afraid to go out much if we ran out on the road. Once we were delayed on a flight to an outlying island, and she was so impatient and traumatized when we ran out of milk, both on hand and at the store. In the end, he slept and we were able to get through the situation. The museum is nice It hasn't been open for a while in Corona. We will certainly have much less time together once preschool starts, so I'm looking forward to enjoying the time we have now .

• こーの字
• 2023/08/13 (Sun) 14:34
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In my case,
I bought a Note 2014 from Hertz with about 2 years old, 21,000 miles on the rental car.
It was just under $16,000 including warranty, etc.

Maintenance ・ Repairs are basically done at a Nissan dealer.
Repairs large and small have come in so far. Oil changes, tire changes, batteries, of course, but also suspension parts replacement, paint baldness repair, etc. In about 8 years, I have spent $8,000.

Insurance is about $700 a year with StateFarm, and taxes and inspection are about $300, or $1,000 a year.

Finally, gasoline is $70 per month for a Town to Kaneohe commute.

So
initial investment $16,000 and running costs for the next 8 years （ not including gas ） are about the same.

For reference.

• 日本車好き
• 2023/08/15 (Tue) 21:18
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Toyotas are very popular in Hawaii.

A friend of mine drove a Toyota for 15 years and sold it for a quarter of the price he paid for a new one.

After the Corona, rental cars were unusually expensive and there may have been a lot of demand.

If you drive it nicely （ No smoker, No pets ) Considering that you can sell it for a good price, I think leasing it is a waste.

• bettyさん
• 2023/08/17 (Thu) 16:40
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Your opinions are helpful.
You're right. Cars are hit or miss. Japanese cars are hard to break and easy to sell. That's why they are popular.

• All aboard
• mail
• 2023/09/01 (Fri) 06:26
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If you are planning to sell your car, Toyota is the best choice. Mileage is not so important unlike in Japan.

• All aboard
• 2023/09/01 (Fri) 06:55
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If the goal is to sell the car later, I think Toyota is the best choice, whether it is a new or used car. The Honda Odyssey was bought by a cab company, and with its own maintenance, it has been revived and is in demand in its own right. I feel like my car is a bit like a horse. By the way, the old Japanese Honda scooters like the Rattata and Tact still cost buyers about $3000 $ over here because they have more horsepower and longer life than a 50cc moped with a 95cc engine upgrade.