Hawaiian Hospitality

I have noticed a strange, yet consistent mannerism here on the Island that leaves me puzzled. Whenever I ask one of the locals a question, I get only a one word response.

"Do you carry soy milk?" I asked at the grocery store.
Reply: "Yes."

"Do I rent the cabins here?" I asked at the Visitor's Center.
"Reply: "No."

"Is it four quarters to do a load of wash?" I inquired at the laundromat.
Reply: "No."

Beyond those one word responses were silent stares.

"Well, do you know how much a load of laundry costs?" I asked more direcly this time.
"Yes,"was the attendant's one word reply.
"How much then?" I was persistant.
"They're five quarters," she said.
Finally an adequate response.

So apparently a 20-questions game is needed here to obtain any information beyond the standard 'yes' or 'no' answer, with each question probing deeper toward a full sentence response.

I had to walk away laughing after one such conversation-game today. I had asked a woman working at Marshalls whether she knew if they carried a particular item.
Standard answer, "No."
"Do you know which store might?" I asked
Standard answer again, "Yes."
"Which one?" I probed.
"It's closed on Sunday," she said.
Ah-ha, a full sentence. We were getting somewhere. "Could you tell me where the store is?" I continued.
"It's in the industrial area," she said.
Two complete sentences. I was making progress. "Where is the industrial area?" I asked. "I'm not from the Island."
"I didn't think so," she said. "So you wouldn't be able to find it."

So,there you have it. Someone who can find her way around the world couldn't possibly handle directions on an island. My 20-questions had failed. I'd lost the game.

"Thanks anyway," I said and I left.