News From Guam

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 09:08 AM

life begins!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 02:25 AM

I hope so! The alternative is unacceptable.

Not much to report. I did my laundry (everybody cheer) but other than that the weekend was quiet.

The canoe has gone to Palau as has the crew. The canoe left on a barge on Monday, the crew left on Saturday. They have a week to repair any damage and learn how to sail him without falling off. The trip to Palau was donated by the shipping company and the return trip was paid for by the Festival committee. Unfortunately the return trip includes stops in Shanghai, Hongkong, and one other port and the canoe has to be transhipped at each stop. We are worried that we will only get busted wood when it comes off the ship in Guam, whenever that happens.

Assuming our canoe arrives safely our next order of business is to rebuild our canoe house. After that we start carving on our smaller two man canoe. So far it only looks like a log but Manny can see the canoe inside.

My prime order of business after Palau is to paint the house I will be moving into. It needs paint bad, inside and out. The nice thing about a smooth concret wall is that you can use a roller and that is just what I intend to do. First hit it with the power washer, roll on a coat of paint, move to the opposite wall, hit that with the power washer, roll on a coat of paint, then go back to the first wall and give it the second coat. Next day do the other walls. Then it's inside for the finicky work. The landlord needs to do some work in there and I need to build some stuff before I move in. I will have the power turned on and start banging out bookcases so I can unpack my library. I need to make some space so Wakana can ship her books in from Japan. Sigh, it figures I would take up with a reader...

I just wish I could read her books but the are all in Japanese. Her brother sent her some antique Japanese comic books (late 1960s and early 1970s) and she was thrilled. Of course I couldn't make out anything in those pages but they didn't seem to have a problem with nudity.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 12:48 PM

Joy, indeed!

Don't forget to move that box of boulders I packed for you in Maine. They might even come in handy.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 11:38 PM

Actually boulders from Maine would make a nice addition. Want to send me a couple of tons?

I have been playing around making table top fountains. I made one for a friend who was getting married. It used a blue 12" ceramic/stoneware bowl, a field of polished stones, a ridged upright piece of stone, two upright pieces of driftwood, some seashells, and her wedding invitation. The water comes out from under a shell on top of the ridged piece of stone and ripples down behind the invitation into the field of stones and shells. The invitation as delivered to me was rolled up and inserted into a clear plastic decorative tube.

The other one I built uses a smaller bowl (only plastic) and a ceramic flower pot. The flower pot is tall with a bell mouth like a trumpet. The sides are decorated and it stands on four little feet. It's only about four inches tall. While building the other fountain I knocked the pot over and broke a large piece out of the rim. The new fountain has the broken pot lying on its side in a field of stones with the piece next to it and water flowing out of it over the broken part.

Fun!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 11:42 PM

I've enjoyed your blog, Brett! Thanks....harp

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Jul 04 - 12:45 AM

You're welcome, Harpgirl. It's been fun keeping it up. Ordinarily when I try to keep a journal I lose track of it within a few days. With this I feel some reponsibility to keep it going because I am not just doing it for myself. Instead I am bringing a little known part of the world to others, and a part of myself goes into it as well.

This morning as I walked across the parking lot Kip called out to me to congratulate me on my retirement. Then he said something that really touched me. He thanked me for my 28 years of service. I didn't think about it til then but I have given (sold?) 28 years of my life to this country. It was unusual that he had thanked me for that.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 06:04 AM

A few days ago I drove by a construction site just inside the gate. There was the usual tableau of engineers and workmen grouped around a hole gazing at something down inside while heavy equipment idled nearby. They had obviously found something they didn't expect and I entertained thoughts of unexploded ordnance closing down our offices.

Today when I tried to go to a meeting in another building I found the roads blocked off in all directions. A few minutes later some heavy equipment, a crane, a huge dump trailer and a flatbed truck came by. The flatbed was hauling the obstruction, a tank, as in a tracked fighting vehicle. They'd lifted it out in one piece, or at least the largest piece that was left of it. It was covered in dirt and roots. What an amazing sight.

Tomorrow morning at 6:45 AM Wakana and I fly out for Palau. I will be away for a few days. I expect it will be a lot of fun.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 09:15 AM

We all look forward to hearing about your further adventures at the South Pacific Festival in Palau. I wonder if they have an internet cafe? I guess we'll soon learn.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Jul 04 - 11:47 PM

Yes they have an internet cafe! I am writing from the local Starbucks Cafe. You can tell it is a Starbucks because of the handlettered sign on the door. And inside you can get Starbucks coffee.

What an adventure! We arrived yesterday afternoon after a flight through Manila. The pilot took us on a tour of the islands from the air before coming in to land. Just picture it, a large Continental airliner flying low and slow over the islands while the pilot gives a running commentary on what we could see out the windows.

After immigration and customs we caught a taxi to our hotel. We are bunking in with Sandy. She had reserved a room with a large bed but we asked to be changed to a room with twin beds. I brought an air mattress and we managed to fit that on the floor between the beds. Not the best situation but better than sleeping on the beach, especially as we have heard that the local mosquitoes are carrying dengue fever,

I hadn't been able to get any sleep before leaving Guam so when we arrived I'd had about 2 hours sleep in the last 36 hours. I needed a nap and so did Wakana. Sandy headed right out and we fell asleep.

We woke about 6:30 and headed for the festival. It was dark by then. The traffic was heavy on Koror Town's main road. We walked about a mile and a half to the festival gorunds to find them closing up. So we walked on the a local restaurant, Furosata's, where we got some supper. They had a lobster special so I had to satisfy my curiosity about the Pacific lobster. Wakana got pork chops with ginger sauce. Hers was wonderful. Mine was... less so. It was a female lobster with a huge egg mass under it's tail. The meat was dry and relatively tasteless. I tried the eggs and they were completely flavorless. Ah well. I hadn't expected them to be as good as Maine Lobster and they completely lived up to my expectations and more.

I felt a suspicious pain in my left foot as we walked back to the hotel. I couldn't see anything in the dark and I had stepped in mud anyway. But my sandal was definitely being unkind to my foot. Once I was home and washed I found a huge red blister on the back of my instep. Walking today is painful but necessary.

The hotel is unlike any I have ever seen. The corridor leading to the room is sheathed in Philipine mahongany plywood and well varnished. The floor is covered in red ceramic tile. The room is also shethed in the same way with white tile on the floor. The shower has a spot heater feeding the shower head. The beds are plywood platform beds with foam mattresses.

Gotta take a break. I'll write more later. The music is amazing!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 01:21 PM

Good! So far our heros haven't been seized as hostages by international drug trafficers or the CIA. I advise avoiding fresh salad, unless you boil it carefully or douse it with iodine (but not too much iodine!).

Wonder if they've hooked up with the rest of the sailors?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Jul 04 - 08:05 PM

Home again! What an experience. I don't have time to go into it here. I checked my email today and found to my surprise that I have sent $500 to somebody using Western Union's services. Don't remember doing that so I guess I have to go freeze my account.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Jul 04 - 10:15 PM

Still feeling the shock and awe of the festival. If our leadership in Washington could formulate this kind of shock and awe then the world would be a much brighter place.

I mentioned the music. Every booth had music from their culture, usually playing on a small stereo, but occasionally with a live performer or group of performers. The Taiwan gooth had a drum band playing bamboo drums and others. The bamboo drums were tuned lengths of bamboo that carried the melody while the other drums carried on a complicated rhythm.

I saw the Samoans dancing and playing pan pipes. The smallest had a high pitch, like a piccolo and the largest must have sounded like a bass viol. I couldn't make out their sound with all the ambient noise. THe amazing thing was that the players were also dancing very energetically! They must have had enormous stamina. They were up there for a full half hour set and didn't stop playing or dancing for very long at all between numbers.

I saw the Polynesians swaying their very seductive style accompanied by guitar, drum, and uke. I saw other dancers re-enacting battles and love stories.

Everywhere you looked at the festival there were bright colors, on the people, in the booths, in the trees, everywhere. People gathered from different nations, chatting and comparing their work. They told jokes and laughed easily without animosity or anger. People helped each other with loads and with hanging banners. It was a very comfortable and happy environment.

Once I get a few moments I will provide more details of what we did. I took notes as I went.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Jul 04 - 10:20 PM

Here is a joke printed in the Palau weekly newspaper, Tia Belau. It seems a man in from the outer islands had never seen a baseball game before. After hearing the explanation and watching most of a game he was getting into the mood, cheering the runners and cursing the umpire. Then a player had to walk to first base. The out islander started to cheer him on exhorting him to run. His friend stopped him and explained he had to walk because he had four balls. The out islander then started to cheer, "Walk proudly, son, walk proudly!"

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: freda underhill
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 11:41 AM

Happy birthday, Brett!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 12:28 PM

Welcome home, dear. Hope that new year of age is resting lightly on you. ;) BTW, I recently visited my sister in Yarmouth & her husband brought home 2-pounders to boil for dinner. Made my day!

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 12:33 PM

Another year older and wiser Brett? Hope it's a good one for you.

Jenny

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 02:17 PM

Happy Birthday, Brett! Celebrate.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 03:44 PM

HB, Big Guy!! Yer doing great!! Keep it up.

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 04:51 PM

Brett -

Happy Day!

JudyB

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 05:34 PM

It sounds to me like you're doing a damn-sight better now than you were a year ago Brett -- and it has been year of the most INnerestin' adventures I must say!! You started this thread just over a year ago, and it's been a helluva ride!

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 07:34 PM

Wow! Thanks for all the good wishes. It was a good birthday. Wakana made me a nice dinner, pork chops in ginger sauce with rice and miso soup, and gave me a lovely card and some gifts. And then I come to work to find all these greetings from my friends. Lovely.

It has been a hell of a ride, Amos, and you are right that I am in a much better place than I was a year ago. This thread has been very good for me, both for what I write here and for the personal things I knowingly leave out.

And now I am 52. Looking back over those years I see a bumpy road, sometimes smooth sometimes washed out, but all leading to the person I am today. There have been some major changes over those years. The boy I was fortunately was changed into the man I am. And I am grateful for those changes. I can see the person I might have become if not for the turns I took on that road and I know I would not have liked him. And I am sure you would not have liked him either.

The changes I have experienced in my lifetime come from a variety of sources, my failed romances, raising my kids, my work experiences (good and bad), my days of poverty and the very few days of plenty. I see that I must be grateful for them for making me this person who can attract and keep such wonderful people as his friends.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 08:41 PM

Not too shabby, as we say here in Maine.

I suppose you might have achieved your presant state of bliss through meditation, or even medication, but sometimes spacial displacement achieves the same state. I suspect it's the romantic explorer in you that kept you open to new experiences and a new culture and I think you've done a great job of exploring. Now, where's the song of celebration?

Cheerily,
Charlie

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 09:37 PM

I am not enough of a wordcrafter to be able to distill my life into rhythm and rhyme. I wish I could express my appreciation of my friends and life in song.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 10:32 PM

I forgot to mention that I have been the victim of identity theft. When I checked my email yesterday I found that I had used Western Union to transfer $500 to someone. I quickly told W.U. that the transaction wasn't mine but they didn't do anything and the money was picked up by a Joseph Barbauto. Then I got a call from the fraud department of MBNA about my LL Bean credit card. It appears this character has been having a high old time with the card number to the tune of $1600 or so. The card is now canceled and the money will not be my responsibility.

You know, this wasn't nearly as painful as the TV commercials for ID theft protection make it seem. I wonder what I'm missing?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 10:46 PM

Sigh. Identity theft? Boo, hiss! I'm glad you noticed before more was taken. What a world.

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 08:58 AM

Happy birthday to the REAL Brett - not to the fake one (may it spend it's next few birthdays inside)

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 06:34 PM

It's OK Sandra, I have that idiot well in hand. It's amazing what living in the real world will do to a conservative red-neck. Get that ignorant fool down in the subconscious where he can be monitored.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Jul 04 - 09:31 AM

I think I forgot to mention that we had giant clam for dinner one night in Palau. We went to a market called Yano's where the three of us each bought a different meal to share. Wakana bought the clam. It was in a metal foil dish, about six inches long by three inches wide and at least two inches deep. The dish was full of clam meat in a kind of butter sauce. Most of the clamn had be sliced into strips, each one the size of the meat from a good sized quohog. But there was also a hunk of meat in there about half the size of my fist. I asked the waitress about the size of the clam. She said she didn't know but that the meat in that dish was HALF the meat from one clam! It was pretty good.

Wakana moved in with me today.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 31 Jul 04 - 11:49 AM

And you are as happy as "clams at high water"? Aw shucks, I best clam up!

Cheerily,
Charley

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 31 Jul 04 - 11:55 AM

A dissertation on clams followed by an afterthought - Wakana moved in with me today...guess who's from Maine! Be very happy, Brett.
SINS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 31 Jul 04 - 12:42 PM

LOL, SIns. Joy to the two of yez, mate!


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Aug 04 - 08:45 PM

Wellll, not exactly an afterthought. Just reporting news without all the personal stuff that's associated with it. I'm sure your guys can read between the lines to guess at the emotions involved.

The newspaper is reporting an outbreak of Dengue Fever on Palau. We were warned when we got there that the mosquitoes were carrying it so we were careful. I think we are OK.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 02 Aug 04 - 09:09 PM

I wish you happy, dear!

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,freda
Date: 02 Aug 04 - 11:46 PM

your news is wonderful Brett - enjoy your happiness, you deserve it.

best wishes

freda

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Aug 04 - 06:25 PM

I talked to Gordon last night. The canoe crew is home from Palau. I'm not sure what the outcome will be but they are trying to schedule a meeting for Thursday. Gordon claims it will not be a grousing session but I think there are frictions that will have to be resolved. Note for the future: Maybe we shouldn't go to these big events without more personal planning and preparation as well as setting some guidelines.

Last Saturday, while carrying boxes for Wakana I stubbed my toe on one of my own boxes. I heard the snap and felt the deep pain that means I've broken that bone behind the little toe. For the last few days that corner of my foot has been black and blue and there is some pain when I walk. It will take a while to heal.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Aug 04 - 09:35 AM

ouch - I've walked on a broken toe, tho I never was aware of breaking it, I just walked on a very sore foot for a long time. I'm used to sore feet & legs, so it was a bit of a surprise to find it was broken.

I had no trouble seeing the break in the X-ray - the podiatrist didn't need to draw around it as a previously 0-shaped sesimoid (spelling??) bone now looked like a very obvious B!!

watch those boxes & packing materials, they jump out at you.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 06:57 PM

Life can sometimes be difficult without actually seeming to be. My broken toe kept me out of the office for a while and then the phone quit working so I had no internet access. Sigh. It seems to be connected to the rain. We had torrential downpours late last week and the phones quit after the first one. They still don't work today but at least it has quit raining. Still cloudy though.

Two weekends ago we went to Palau and last weekend we moved Wakana into my house. Consequently I did no laundry for two and a half weeks! Yesterday Wakana and I washed and dried seven loads! What a job! She seems to think it would be better to wash more frequently. I guess I have to agree with her.

When I was young one of my favorite TV programs was COMBAT!. Wakana grew up in Japan on the other side of the world and is 8 years younger than me. As a child one of her favorite TV programs was... COMBAT! Recently I found a DVD with the first season of the show on it and she and I have been watching a show or two every evening. What a great series. It still stands up even today.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 11:25 PM

Another update from our trip to Palau. Wakana had her heart set on seeing an abai, a men's gathering house, in Palau. There is a very old one in Arai state. The abai is still an important part of modern Palauan society but she wanted to see an original.

We rode out to see the Arai Abai which is the oldest on Guam but the taxi driver didn't know where it was. He did manage to find the Palauan war canoe. It is an outrigger paddling canoe for 40 men. The thing is huge! And it was carved from a single log! Amazing.

The taxi driver took us to the Belau Museum where we knew there was a modern replica of an abai. When we got there we saw a group of people watching dancers all lined up in front of the abai. The dancers were men and boys wearing the traditional thew loincloths and carrying dancing sticks. We settled ourselves on a convenient seat to watch but were hustled away from there because we "could be seen by the camera". That puzzled us but we moved on. The men started to dance but we couldn't see much of them because of people standing in the way taking pictures.

After the men finished it was the women's turn. A huge group of women and girls in grass skirts, panadanas brassieres, and other colorful decorations and headresses took their places before the abai. We tried to get a better look but someone kept shooing us away from our vantage points. It turns out the event was being filmed for TV. If I wanted to see the dancing and ceremonies we would have to go back to hotel room and watch it on TV! The other people that were in our way were "the media" who were recording the event for their various publications. I was mad enough to spit nails! We'd spent good money to be on Palau for just such a sight and we were not allowed to enjoy it because it had to be recorded for those who were NOT there! Grrrr. Sigh. It must be another facet of the modern world.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 09:10 PM

Yesterday I decided to check on the job as chanty singer at the Tokyo Disney Resort Park. I have sent out a number of messages to those who might have some info and am waiting for a reply. That would be fun once I retire.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 12:25 AM

I THOUGHT it had been rainy! Now I know it! I just saw a weather report. The annual average for rain in the dry season (Dec - June) is 30 inches. The annual average for rain during the wet season (July - Nov) is 60 inches. So far in 2004 (the "dry" season) we have received 73.4 inches of rain! June alone gave us about 37 inches!

And now we start the "wet" season.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 06:19 PM

No job in Tokyo. That program has been terminated.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 06:37 PM

I will have to watch PBS for the film so that I can write in and complain about the big American ruining the authenticity of the pictures. How's the toe?
SINS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 09:14 PM

Yesterday afternoon I whacked it on the leg of my desk. It appears to still be sensitive as I voiced some choice comments without intending to and then limped home to ice it and take some Tylenol.

We have an unusual weather anomaly outside. The sun is shining. There are actual shadows out there. In other weather news there is a typhoon churning off to the west of us. It's headed for China. There is a tropical storm northeast of us headed out to the center of the Pacific. And there is a tropical storm to the southwest that has a fair possibility to turn into a typhoon that might head for us.

I understand the eastern USA is having some fears of hurricanes right now so I hope I don't hear anyone questioning my sanity about living in the path of typhoons. It's been over twenty months since our last real typhoon.... Am I nuts or what?

Still, in those twenty months my friends in Maine and New Hampshire have shoveled through piles of snow, slopped though buckets of mud, smacked flocks of mosquitoes, shivered through chilly nights and sweated through hot August days, so I still think I have the better deal.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 10:50 PM

Ah, back to normal, clouds and rain. Would someone please remind me why I wanted to live in a tropical paradise?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 11:49 PM

Gee, Brett -- I don't recall skeeters or snow...or mud... and a few warm days have been tolerable.

You could always move here!


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 10:17 AM

Brett-

It's been relatively cool and wet this summer in Maine, only a couple of days above 90.

We have managed to enjoy the beach a couple of times, and now that the surf temperature is up to 60 degrees the swimming is really wonderful!

The Gooch Island annual picnic/survivor's challenge/sing is on the weekend of 8/21. You could always fly in and surprise us.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 07:05 PM

Well, Charley, I would love to do that but the job wouldn't get done. Not the office job but the renovation/redecorating job. Wakana and I spent this weekend prepping and painting the new place. The landlord came in and worked on cutting out large chunks of concrete where the rusting re-bar was showing through the ceiling.

Back when we first looked at the place I got my truck stuck in the driveway. When I told Gordon about that he was truly puzzled. This weekend he went to look at it and saw what had happened. The neighbor had graded his yard and put in new soil. Tropical Storm Tingting had washed it all into Gordon's driveway in time for me to get stuckin it. Gordon and his son shoveled out over 100 five gallon buckets of wet red mud so we could get into the house.

Today I go off to fight with the utility company bureacracies to get the utilities hooked up to the house. Then it's back up the hill to keep painting. If I am going to live in this place I want it clean and neat for at least the first ten minutes before it gets comfortable.

This morning in the office we had a pot luck breakfast. I brought in donuts. Wakana had rallied her strength and made rice balls, wasabi, shrimp, sour plum, and salmon. I was carrying in the donuts and rice balls when I tripped on the curb and fell. The donuts were crushed under the weight of the plate but the plate was undamaged. I cannot make the same claim. My knee is scraped and the little finger on the right hand was scraped raw with hunks of skin hanging off of it. I came in and grabbed the office first aid kit. So this morning I was reintroduced to the joys of iodine on open wounds. My fingernail is dark red and may be turning black soon. I may have to drill a hole in it to release the pressure. Sigh, it's just one damn thing after another.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 07:17 PM

Brett, do you know the trick of heating up one end of a paper clip in a flame and using that to burn a hole in the nail? It tends to be less painful than drilling (less pressure). I used a pair of needle nose vice grips to hold the paper clip.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 07:19 PM

Brett,

Life has its little lessons. If you're going to be a biped and walk upright on the earth, practice til you get it right!!! :>)

Heal quick, amigo. Falling down is not encouraged!!

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 08:22 PM

Well, I really shouldn't do this but here's the 900th post!

Happy healing!

Charlie