Another Shade of Pearl Harbor Day

Today marks the day 69 years ago that Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces drawing the USA into WWII. A few hours later and across the International Date Line the United States Protectorate of Guam was invaded and occupied for nearly 3 years. The only United States soil to be occupied during WWII. Until moving here I had never heard the story of the Island or it's neighbors during WWII . Did you know that the Enola Gay took off from Tinian, a small island about 100 miles north of Guam on her bombing runs to Nagasaki and Hiroshima? I've found some old newsreel footage that tells the stories and I hope that you will take a few moments and watch some of the history of this place that we have become so fascinated by.

Here is some video of what Asan Beach and Apra Harbor look like today. 

Literally, earlier today :)

Vote Early and Vote Often

'Tis election season in Guam. While the stakes are unusually high with the Democrats on the verge of being ousted by the mid-term elections on the mainland, here on the island this one is the "Big Enchilada." The Governor's seat is up for grabs as well as all the seats of the island's legislators. Because the Government of Guam appears to exist to keep as many Chamorro people employed as possible, the largest voting block on the Island is the GovGuam employees. The issues revolve around who can perpetuate that by any means.

The political atmosphere on Guam is very similar to the mainland with frequent dips into something that sometimes resembles a banana republic. Despite those lapses democracy remains intact and vibrant. Campaigning has been constant and unabated since we moved here five months ago and has risen to a fevered pitch. I can only speculate as to what the island looks like without all of the campaign signage and look forward to it's removal in the weeks to come.  

Republicans and Democrats with nary an Independent in sight.  Despite some mild mudslinging and political chicanery it is comparatively more civilized than it's parent system on the mainland. But watching it unfold does give you a feeling for how it might have been 40-50 years ago. Candidates are much more accessible to their constituents. A common sight to see is a "Wave." The candidate will stand by the side of the road or at big intersection and wave at all the cars making eye contact with each. Usually with anywhere from 2-200 sign-wielding, t-shirted supporters. Of course a lot of honking goes on with it too. Pick-up trucks with large signs protruding from the back or pulling a trailer with even larger signs, daily roam the island playing loud music and blaring supportive rhetoric for the candidate from huge speakers mounted high. Oh yeah, flashing lights, they always have flashing lights. On the weekends these vehicles lead scores of others in "Motorcades" around the island, stopping for an impromptu static display of their support for their candidate clogging traffic for miles in all directions.

All leading up to today, election day.

 The streets were eerily absent of those displays until you got close to a polling place. All of the last minute emphasis was concentrated to the places the voters would be most subjected to them. Driving past a school or municipal building today was akin to running a gauntlet. On each side of the entrance was a tent with it's respective gubernatorial candidate's signs and a free buffet(okay, now I am wishing I had registered to vote.) Keep in mind, no electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place is the law. Candidates and their supporters lining both sides of the street, waving hands, waving signs, shouting campaign slogans, and of course honking, perpetual honking. Pleasantly enough when people were able to shout directly into the open car window they shouted "Thank You!" every time. Methinks they know something that people on the mainland forgot a long time ago.

Bon Appétit Guam

French cooking is arguably the best food on the planet (I like Italian). Guam is a long way away from France, geographically and gastronomically. A lot of Guam's culture is an aggregate of different flavors from all over the world brought here by their occupying people and added to the local fare. It is safe to say a Frenchman has never set foot on Guam.Or if he has, he bid a hasty retreat in defense of his alimentary canal.
All Chamorro food has the commonality somewhere in the preparation where the words "pound it on a rock" are found. Don't get me wrong. The food tastes good and there is always plenty, but it is best described as rudimentary in preparation and presentation. As a matter of fact some of my favorite Chamorro eateries are found in various public parking lots. Some of these nomadic concessions of gastric compunction are found outside places like the DMV where long lines are the norm and your presence on the premises is a long term commitment. A captive audience, as it were.

Again, let me stress. I am not complaining. It's just difficult to objectively evaluate a meal when you always have to eat it standing up balancing your soda in the crook of your arm.

One of the best examples we experienced recently was BBQ at the beach catered by one of the best local eateries. BBQ is always very well-done heavily marinated pork, chicken, and beef served frequently on a kabob.

Keleguen is a tasty staple at any affair on the island. Consisting of a meat like fish, shrimp or chicken combined with green onions, lemon juice, peppers, coconut and salt. All finely chopped and served as a salad, it has a fantastic flavor with a punch at the end. I have never seen it presented in anything except a large Tupperware bowl...I'm not sure what that means. Be careful not to take too much the first time. You can always go back for more. 

A truly authentic meal must include fish often prepared in coconut milk or vinegar. Very tasty if you can get past the fact that it still has the head and tail on it. 

SPAM, truly enjoyed at breakfast but never really frowned upon if included in other meals. I guess that is the American contribution to Chamorro cuisine. Brought here in mass by the military during WWII when fresh meat was absent. It represents a symbol of hard times on the mainland but on Guam it is celebrated with proudly displayed T-shirts and bumper stickers and is commonly served even at Burger King and McDonald's.

But alas, if you fear that is all there is to eat here, don't despair. Considering the Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Spanish influence on the island, the choices of food here are as vast as the planet itself, save for the escargot, mon amis.

Yokoi

During WWII Guam was the only American soil occupied by the enemy. There are so many amazing stories from that time. Everywhere that you go on the island there are historical markers that tell some of the stories. This is one that I find particularly amazing.
Toward the end of the war Guam was liberated from the Japanese forces that had invaded three years earlier. While on the island the Japanese carved out caves in the dense jungle to hide in. For many years Japanese soldiers that were left behind used these caves to hide in and elude capture from the men of the island who hunted them for retaliation of the atrocities perpetrated on the people of Guam during the occupation. It took several years to round them all up. In 1972 two men checking out their fish traps stumbled upon a Japanese soldier who had been living in the jungle since WWII just south of where we live in Yona. The following is found on Jeff's Pirate Cove website and gives a better description of the story than I could ever tell.

The Story of Yokoi

According to news accounts, Sergeant Yokoi (Imperial Japanese Army) was found and captured January 25, 1972, after hiding in the jungles of Guam for twenty-eight years. The capture of Sergeant Yokoi was headline news worldwide. The story of the lon man's twenty-eight years of hiding and surviving with very little contact with "civilization" captured the attention of the world. When Yokoi stepped out of Guam's jungles he stepped out from the silence of the Talofofo river valley into the jet age. Remarkably Yokoi had correctly calculated the time that had passed while in the jungle and knew that the year was 1972 when he was captured.

A tailor by trade, Yokoi was uniquely suited for survival on the island of Guam. He was practical to a fault, rarely imagined problems, or let his imagination hinder his perceived need to hide. Yokoi was not alone in the jungles of Guam all of the time he was in hiding. Eight years prior to Yokoi's capture, two other Japanese soldiers died of malnutrition and disease. The two soldiers that hid out in the same area were the only humans Yokoi had any contact with. It was agreed between the three Japanese soldiers that they should limit their contact between each other as to avoid detection. Yokoi buried his compatriots in a cave and directed officials to this site soon after he was captured.

Yokoi was able to keep from getting ringworm, lice infestations and other infectious diseases by bathing frequently and thoroughly. He was remarkably healthy when he was found. He lived by trapping shrimp, fish, and rats and eating jungle vegetation. His movements were restricted to the night hours. The thick jungle in the area where Yokoi stayed helped him remain hidden.

Jesus Duenas and Manuel DeGracia were out checking fish traps when they saw Yokoi near a small river. Manuel and Jesus thought at first that Yokoi was a young man from their village who sometimes roamed the jungle.

Approaching Yokoi under this impression, they surprised Yokoi. DeGracia and Duenas were able to subdue Yokoi and brought the man out of the jungle tied and only slightly bruised. Little credit seems to be given to the fact that Manul DeGracia was gentle with the man. Japanese stragglers were ruthlessly hunted down and killed by local men who despised the Japanese as a result of atrocities committed by Imperial Japanese forces during their occupation of Guam.

Two grenades and a 155mm artillery shell were the only weapons found in the caves. The cave where the two compatriots were buried, as well as Yokoi's cave, were cleverly concealed and absolutely impossible to find if you did not know where to look.

Yokoi's twenty-eight years of hiding and deprivation can be seen as testimony to the strength of the human spirit, or as just another sad episode in the ongoing saga of warfare. Yokoi returned to Guam several times since his capture. He visited Jeff's Pirates Cove and enjoyed our great food and seaside setting. Sergeant Yokoi died in 1997.

Shake Rattle N'Roll or IF THE ISLAND'S ROCKIN' It's Just Another Beautiful Day in Paradise!

As you may have heard we had an earthquake last week here on Guam. All right, you probably didn't hear anything about it. Turns out it's not that big a deal, happens all the time.  5.2 is large enough to make note of at the US Geological Survey and the local news, but that's about it. Except for Amber and the boys, no one else on the island made a single comment about it to me. Matter of fact, I didn't even feel it. Here I've been waiting all my life to experience an EARTHQUAKE, and I'm standing right here and MISSED IT! Well, actually I was walking and as I was passing through the living room I heard what I thought was thunder. I got to the bedroom and Amber was sitting on the bed looking mildly alarmed and said, "Are we having an earthquake"? "Nah, just another thunderstorm" I said. I completely blew her off! Sorry Hon...next time I'll listen to you better. You see, she has some experience. That was her second 5+ quake. The first being right after she got to the island while the rest of us were still in Iowa.

Our house has a few cracks in the walls above doors
from earthquakes. 

But never fear, two days later while sitting at my desk we had another one. Smaller one. Didn't make any headlines. But I felt it and heard it. I went running out the back door where the electrician was working on the air conditioner and yelled "Did you feel that!"  "What? ........ Earthquake?"  he said. And then a big grin spread over his face and he said "We get them all the time". Okay, now I feel really stupid. He might as well called me a silly haole [hou-lee, -ley] and told me the next time it happened I wouldn't be so impressed. I wondered how safe the buildings are. But while they were installing the  new air conditioner in our kitchen, it took them 40 minutes to drill a 2 inch hole through 12 inches of concrete and steel rebar.
Turns out that it wasn't even a big enough quake to get noticed. Nothing in the news or even the USGS website. Oh well, I felt it and heard it and now I can say I've lived through it! When we lived in Clinton, MO there was a 3.3 magnitude quake. Some people said they felt it. I think the person that felt it the most was the guy who printed up all the "I lived through the Great Clinton, MO Earthquake" t-shirts. Yeah, right in the old pocket book.
Anyway it was an uneasy feeling. Best described akin to the feeling you get when you step on something and it moves under your weight and you feel like you are about to fall......Only, I was sitting....

School Daze

Guam Schools......Deep breath, let it out slow....this is a tough nut to crack and we had less than 2 months to do it.
There are basically three school districts in Guam. Public schools, private schools and schools for military families.
The latter are on the military bases and from all descriptions they are identical to public schools on the mainland. We have no access to them, so attendance there isn't a consideration.
The public school system is an incongruity. We have not experienced them firsthand, but every opinion that we have solicited has been identical. The school buildings are in shambles. The outside looks like an abandon warehouse in need of repair and painting. Typhoon shutters falling off and hanging by one corner. Graffiti everywhere. The grass needs mowed and fences are rusty and falling down. Reportedly the maintenance of the restrooms is contracted out to a private company so inept that a part of daily school supplies is a personal cache of toilet paper. I heard a story of a boy who never went to the bathroom at school. Always "held it" till he got home. That's dedication....or desperation.....or, well....Freud may have said something about that.

The schools are big and long bus rides are the norm.

DOE makes GPA payment, avoids disconnection

Financial difficulties are a daily staple in the local news. Lately power was about to be shut off to all of the Department of Education properties the day before school was supposed to start because they had missed a monthly obligation of $200,000 against a million dollar debt to the Guam Power Authority. It was narrowly averted by a dramatic intervention from the Guam legislature to provide the funding needed. There seems to be a constant state of political chaos between the school board and all aspects of the Government of Guam.
The flip side is the teachers and staff are passionate and caring about education and the students. They successfully surmount all obstacles and students thrive despite the environmental challenges they face. There is a constant need for teachers in the public schools. Possibly, after a few years of teaching on the island they move to the mainland or to private schools to teach. "Brain-drain" is a problem. Young people don't often stay on the island after college.
Private schools are plentiful and diverse. Almost all of them are religiously based. There are a lot of Catholic schools since most people on the island are Catholic. Academic curriculum varies more than we bargained for. While looking for a school for Levi and Josiah we inquired with a small evangelical institution that appeared to be what we were looking for in a lot of ways, but the curriculum was entirely self-paced with a minimum of instruction from the staff. Tough for someone who has just made a HUGE move and REALLY tough for someone who is just starting his educational career and has a....uhm.....let's see....how shall I put this?.....questionable....limited....short.... minuscule....attention span. Sorry little brudder :(

2 Minutes after walking through the door.
This one will be alright.

Tuition is high at the schools that can get away with it. I think they are probably really good schools. The problem is, so do they.
We ended up deciding on, albeit guardedly, a school called Saint Francis. It's a catholic school that has a wonderful scholastic curriculum that we are familiar with, and the boys will be exposed to the theological teachings of the church but will not be compelled to practice them. We are presenting it to them (well, Levi any way) as an opportunity to learn something different than what we believe and to hold it in that context.

The teacher was late to school
the first day and at this point
was talking more to himself
than the class.

During the orientation for the 6th grade I was able to speak frankly with the theology instructor and he informed me that they have students enrolled every year with varying beliefs and welcome their diversity as long as they keep an open mind. Levi witnessed the conversation and later reaffirmed that it would be interesting to find out "why they have all these statues around" and why Jesus is hanging on all the crosses there at the school. I am sure we will have some discussions at home on differences between theologies (snort...we already have) but I really think that will open up a dialog with our sons that should help us reinforce Christianity in their lives. Better than not talking about it at all or even worse as evidenced by the trends in public school systems right now.

While searching for media for this blog I found this and couldn't help but add it. Remember the School House Rock videos on Saturday mornings. I'm really conflicted on how apropos this one is now.

The Island is OUT OF ROOT BEER!

While preparing to move to Guam, the prospect of living without some of the things of normal everyday life crossed my mind. What kind of clothing would we find here. Did everyone own cars, bicycles, scooters or walk to wherever they were going. Gas, tires, furniture, Internet.
What if they don't have cable TV!
Would there be more than one grocery store on the Island? How different would the food be. I wasn't sure what to expect.
I remember a friend, a young doctor, who went to the missionary field in Africa for a short time. He came back about 40lbs lighter. No one told him food was scarce and he would need to bring some with him. He declared he would never be able to look at a can of Spam again. (an island breakfast favorite by the way)
Guam may be missing a couple of things, but you would hardly notice. See, the nice thing about it is, only about 20% of the people here are Chamarro. (native Guamanian) The rest are from all over the world, mostly Asia. That diversity has infused Guam with so many more choices, even if something were missing....you can easily find something else to take it's place. For example, while there are McDonald's, Taco Bell and TGIFriday's and Ruby Tuesday and the sort,  there really are very few American style restaurants. But if you ate at a different Asian eatery every day of your life it would take you a few years to hit them all.
The general cost of living is higher. Almost everything here has to be brought by container ship. Milk, almost $6 a gallon. If you can find it in gallons. Mostly it is sold in half gallons at $4.
Gas, it was $3.74 a gallon the day I got off the plane and it has stayed unwaveringly there for 7 weeks. Not a penny higher, not a penny lower. Ever. Every single gas station on the Island. Hmmm......A more conspiracy minded person might make more out of that. But I digress....
Internet is fast and available to probably 95% or more of the people on the island. So is cable TV. (collective sigh) And cell phone coverage is very good.

Automobiles are a different story. We brought one with us and have been looking earnestly for another. Used cars are virtually non-existent. I have found only 2 used car lots on the Island. They drive them till they are dead and then park them in the yard and get a new one. I did manage to scrounge up a "Guam Bomb" as they are affectionately know and will start saving money for it's eventual successor. At least I can get the boys to school and start looking for a job.
So really everything here is pretty much like it was at home. With the marked exception of some missing faces, we have everything we need.

Although........funny thing....a couple of weeks ago I noticed our favorite Taco Bell's root beer dispenser was out of order, so was the other Taco Bell down the street, and the KFC and Subway, and the movie theater! Every place that sells Pepsi products has no root beer syrup for the pop machines!

 !!!OH NOOO! THE ISLAND IS OUT OF ROOT BEER!!!

Nomanisan Island

July 21st was Liberation Day in Guam.  It's like having a second 4th of July, only bigger. 
The Guamanians celebrate the liberation of the Island from occupation by the Japanese in WWII. Guam was the only US land occupied during the war.

During the occupation the inhabitants were imprisoned in concentration camps, murdered, and abused in every definition of the word, for 3 years. Many Guamanians from that era are still here and at this time of year they retell their stories of slavery and abuse. Enduring these atrocities would make some very resentful but these people instead feel a great sense of pride and patriotism. They truly "took one for the home team." 

This annual celebration has instilled a sense of patriotism in younger generations that is clearly displayed at this time of year. The Boys and I went down to "Marine Corps Drive" to witness the Liberation Day Parade. People starting preparing for their spots along the parade route a full 24 hours in advance. The canopies were going up and the barbecues and beverages were tested for the big event the next day. I'm not sure how long the parade lasted, we left after 2.5 hours.

What we did see though, told the story. Line after line of young Guam men and women in every branch of the military. Army, Air-Force, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, and National Guard. When each group marched past there was applause from the crowd and cheers went up when a family member went by.

As with all Americans their patriotism comes with a price. Since we have been here 2 of Guam's brave sons have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country in Afghanistan. While Guam suffers with the status of a territory the United States benefits and the people of Guam remain unswervingly patriotic.

Rules of the Road or Haf Adai In A Hatchback

Driving in Guam is an acquired taste. Although the "Rules of the Road" are those of the mainland, the practical application is a local flavor. When a mainland driving habit is in direct conflict with an island vice, a gentle tap on the horn is given...for if nothing else the people of Guam are unwaveringly pleasant.
My first month driving here was unnerving. Everywhere I went I was incessantly honked at. Eventually I realized that there is a slight overlap in interpretation of these rules by the islanders and they were honking at each other as much as me. I now am comfortably participating in the gentle volley of horn "aide memoire."
There are some rules however that are clearly debased, even in their most liberal interpitation.
Red lights apparently do not apply until the last car at the end of the longest line of traffic goes through the light.
Stop signs.....more of a suggestion really.
Additional obstacles on the island make driving a challenge. Street signs are blown down during typhoons and don't get replaced. That makes finding your way around a bit tough. But eventually you come back around to some place that you're familiar with and start over. After all, it is a small island. Nobody gives directions by street name. They describe landmarks and draw maps. I believe we could piece together a complete map of the island made of the napkins, sticky notes and receipt paper that we've stuffed into the glove box of our rental car. And that would be better than any map that you can purchase.

Most of the main thoroughfares have a raised median running down them prohibiting access to businesses on the other side of the street forcing you to drive past and come back up to where you just came from. U-turns give the illusion that the island is twice as big as it really is.
After all of that though you inevitably come to a scenic overlook of the vast Pacific causing a blissful moment of visual ecstasy.
Only a brief moment however because you've slowed down...HONK!

The Guam Dichotomy

It is hard to imagine a place short of Eden embellished more in natural beauty than Guam. Emerald mountains rising out of the blue Pacific Ocean, ringed in coral reefs and beaches teaming with life. The tropical forests are saturated with flowering fauna of white, yellow, blue, red and seemingly every shade of purple. Take for example the Hyacinth, a tree of shiny dark green leaves laden with clumps of flowers. Each blooms appears to be a spark of sunshine in-and-of-itself, starting with a bright yellow core that fades rapidly into white pedals so pure they may be the raw material for celestial robing.

Appreciating the creation that is Guam is hard though. Neighborhoods transform rapidly from palatial gated estate-like homes to shacks saturated with the castoff remnants of years of socioeconomic squalor. At times the island's beauty can seem virtually obscured by the overwhelming volume of household trash, rusting appliances and junk cars. What appears to be symptomatic of sloth and exhaustive environmental disregard is probably more rooted in civic disconnect and political corruption. The Guam EPA struggles with charges of mis-allocation of Federal funding and the removal of it's top administrator under a cloud of suspicion. This purely bureaucratic machine appears to hamper the removal of offending refuse more than facilitating it. Attempts to implement recycling programs are thwarted by arbitrarily implemented regulations just when the process becomes profitable. Hopefully the island will slowly become cleaner as a municipally run recycling program has just begun to gear up and the potential for privateers to thrive may become more viable as the bureaucracy is dissolved.

When you get past the initial discomfort elicited by the debris of civilization and realize that the stark contrast does not belong in this place, Guam is a fantastically beautiful place.

Not bad....just...different.

I started this blog because it was the thing to do. "Everybody is blogging" " Do you have a blog? " I rapidly found out that I didn't think my life was that interesting or didn't want everyone to know every little detail. So the last couple of years I have restrained myself to sparse Facebook status updates often deleted before they are even minutes old.

Three weeks in Guam have given me infinitely more blog fodder.

For example our first trip to the local grocery store forced me to come up with some way to handle the "eeewwwww"s and "gross! these people eat this" comments that were coming with every summit of the freezer divider in the meat department. I attempted a "learned dietary behavior out of necessity of available local resources" explanation that was cut off by a squid at the end of the next isle - followed by an eyeball cast sideways by a nearby Japanese lady.

It then became obvious that since we are now living among them, we were going to have to embrace these things that were so different. Yeah, that's it. Instead of belching the guttural potential dislike for something that we know nothing about we need to realize that things here are not bad...just different. Not only food, but in most aspects of life on a small island in the Pacific. Some of it we will try, and... some of it we will leave for the more...uh, culturally experienced. In the mean time we can remain grounded by McDonald's, Taco Bell and KFC in the event that we are tempted to stray too far from home.

If you were born in Missouri.....

You can't always wait for snow.

I'm glad I have a little brother because.....

"then I have someone to take baths with!"