Friday, May 26, 2017

Doing Hawaiian Island Tests in Okinawa

Hawaii Destination Specialist Certificate


Still in Okinawa



Last week I took some gruelling tests, to get certified in Switzerland but, didn't go there. 

There's something special, you may not know about me.

My grandmother and mother were 100% Swiss and I'm half Swiss, too.

They both went to Heaven. Just me and my Swiss Army Knife are here in Okinawa.

Oh, and one of my daughters has been to Switzerland and brought back a brass cowbell. 

I put the gadget on the dog's collar. It's just a miniature thing and, so is the dog.

The Travel Agent Academy, hooked me up with Switzerland Tourism.

They have their own Travel Academy and, I went to it online. It wasn't easy.

The application was the worst part. They grilled me pretty good.

See, I'm not a travel agent. "What are you trying to do, trying to get into our academy?"

The American Travel Agent Academy, sent me there's, what I told them.

Travel professionals, aren't always agents. I do travel photography and writing.

So, I showed them some of my credentials. It felt like I was being looked at by the CIA.

After awhile, they let me in and said, "You can do it."  So, I did.

Once, I passed all the tests, they made me a Switzerland Travel Expert.

There were languages, history, culture, transportation, festival, sports and location exams.

It's beautiful country but, they get snow. I don't really want to go there.


Hawaii poster, Waikiki, travel



Hawaii's a Possibility




This is a place, I been to and, wouldn't mind visiting again.

It snows up in the mountains, there sometimes but, I'd stay at lower elevations.

Years ago, I used to get sent there for conferences, boring conferences.

All these years, I thought I had been going to the Hawaii Island, the big one.

Whenever, we weren't confrontating, I was out in Waikiki celebrating.

Matter of fact, what those conferences were about, slips my mind, at the moment.





Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau



They have their own courses over there and, are hooked up with the Travel Agent Academy.

That's where I've been going for the past few days, from my office in Okinawa.

First, I took the courses, to become a Hawaii Destination Specialist.

What an eyeopener that turned out to be. Hawaii has a bunch of islands.

All the times, I'd been to Hawaii, I was on Oahu, not Hawaii Island. Who'd a thunk ?



Certificate, Hawaii Destination Expert



There's no sense, staying a specialist, when you can become an expert.

So, that's what I've been doing, over the past 48 hours.

Geography, history, culture, language, festivals and transportation of six Hawaiian islands.

Yellow flip-flops are probably, acceptable attire, over there.

So, I might have to go back and, visit one of these days and, bring the bride along.

Do romantic stuff like, horse riding and, shooting live volcanoes with my Pentax.

Honey, don't that sound like fun ?

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