BS: Working (at last) in Guam

Subject: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Apr 06 - 11:05 PM

Here we go. The new thread continuing the story of the Burnham Family in Guam. I have a question for those of you who have suffered through this from wherever you picked it up. Would it be better to keep it here or move it to a BLOG site? I'm not fussy but I am wondering if the Mudcat is the appropriate place to be running what is essentially a BLOG.

Click here for the first thread: News From Guam

Click here for the second thread: Springtime in Guam.

Click here for the third thread, Happily Ever After in Guam.

I thought it might be a good idea to provide a little click index to the threads in this journey. If you stumble across this travelogue and decide to bravely take it on you can start at the beginning and follow our adventure to the current date.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: MMario
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 08:18 AM

hey! Don't make me go to two places!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 09:17 AM

HERE!!!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 10:45 AM

Here!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: curmudgeon
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 11:04 AM

Hear! Hear! Keep your good words here, please - Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 11:06 AM

We'll tell you when we're tired of it, Brett. *grin* You are one of us...and one with a unique perspective on places and life. Many of us have met you & Wakana RT, and it's nice to follow how life is treating someone we consider a friend.

If you want to blog somewhere for the rest of the world, that's fine...but like MMario said....

keep on keepin' on!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 11:58 AM

all of the above

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 12:08 PM

Brett-

Do keep posting your latest report here but there is a larger readership out there that you might be able to serve via a blog. You also might consider providing links to your own website for digital images. Some of what you describe is challenging to the imagination and a digital image may help!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 12:34 PM

I like having it here, so I can check in & see how you are doing. I don't always post, but I do read.

love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 01:38 PM

Here!

A thought: If you posted your material in a blog could that eventually impact the salability or suitability of its publication?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: CarolC
Date: 09 Apr 06 - 02:14 PM

I'll read it wherever you post it, Brett, but it is nice (and convenient) having it here.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: open mike
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 12:41 PM

if you post it elsewhere, at least put a link here
so we can find out how, where, etc. to find you..

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: wysiwyg
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 12:47 PM

NOOZ!!! We want NOOZ!

:~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Apr 06 - 02:42 PM

Here!! BUT, bear in mind, it could help to get it published if you blog it, too. Ya might even get a PRIZE!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Apr 06 - 10:34 PM

Hmm, readers speak out! What to do, what to do.... I will consider the future with a wary eye towrds your continued presence.

I've been having trouble with my computer. I thought it was a virus but scans with my own software and using the Symantec website has shown no infection. I guess I'll need an expert, one that doesn't work for money. Anyone know a kid?

I wanted to write some more but I just realized I am late for a party. I guess I better go get cleaned up. Parties on Guam are delicious.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 08:58 PM

Well, as expected the party was delicious. Lots and lots of food. I took my guitar along not knowing if I would get the chance to play it. Usually a party in Guam has a DJ spinning tracks too loud for conversation. In this instance it was only a boom box and the parents shut it off when the kids put in the hip-hop disk. I don't think the kids really cared though the whined about it. They were having lots of fun in the pool.

As usual for a Guam party the table groaned under the weight of the food. The BBQ was delicious. There was also ham, red rice, daigo, lumpia, shrimp fritters, hot dogs, potato salad, kim chee, and several other dishes with exotic and not so exotic contents. I loaded a plate and pigged out. The dessert table could barely carry the weight also. There was a store bought cheesecake and home made brownies. There was bread pudding with a flan topping. Fruit and whipped cream salad were there as well as watermelon. I'm getting hungry just listing this stuff and I just finished breakfast.

We sat and talked and I played the guitar for a bit. Then I loaned it to Gordon't son so they could jam with his uke and the guitar. I needed to talk to the teachers there about how to handle middle school kids. There answer was universal. To a person they just laughed at me. But then they wiped the tears from their eyes and gave me some helpful advice.

On Friday Wakana and I colored Easter eggs. She had never done anything with Easter and I had determined to give her an Easter like the ones I remembered as a child. We were never religious though my parents did give us the Easter story and we did watch the movies they used to run at Easter time (my favorite was Barabas). But we did color Easter eggs and my parents would hide them and the Easter baskets around the house.

She was fascinated by the process of coloring eggs. When I mentioned using crayons to decorate the eggs before they went into the dye she ran for her set of colors. Subsequent eggs had hearts and messages on them. Some of the colors were way too much for her Japanese sense of value. Apparently Japanese will not eat blue foods. She mentioned that to me once when we were at a birthday party and she saw blue icing on the cake.

Anyway, I had a basket and some jelly beans and some chocolate eggs. On Easter morning Wakana found a basket at her place at our table and then had to find the eggs hidden in the living room. She had a great time. Later we drove out and saw all the cars parked in front of all the churches and I told her how important the holiday is to Christians.

Monday Gordon and I went to run some errands. We needed to deliver our taxes into the hands of the officials, pick up a screen door for my house, visit his new backhoe and let him drop off another payment, and go to Kmart. He does taxes for his son and a friend of ours so we were going to be filing for four people. Being the last day we expected long lines.

Now, Guam has long occupied a set of military surplus buildings up on the old Navy air station. Recently, however, they bought and renovated a big building that used to be a huge grocery store up in Barrigada. They moved all their tax and registration offices into that one building. It's a good idea. Maintain only one relatively new building instead of half a dozen old ones. However, they moved in one week before the end of the tax year! When we visited there to pick up our forms you could still smell sawdust in the air.

Anyway, we decided that I would take all the forms in and file them while Gordon drove up to Dededo to visit his backhoe. I think he wanted to be alone with it for a while to dream of future projects. I expected to spend the whole time in line. I knew this because the parking lot was so full of cars that there was literally no place to park. Some cars just kept driving around and around either looking for a place to park or waiting for someone they dropped off. After Gordon dropped me off it took him 25 minutes to get out of the parking lot!

Outside the building they had a row of tables set up with people waiting to accept the tax forms. They would review the forms and date stamp them and your copy. If you needed to pay your taxes you needed to take the form inside. Our friend had to pay and had included a check with her form. Gordon's son didn't have the correct copy of his W-2 for filing. We had attached a copy of the records copy to the tax form. The woman at the table told me I had to take those two forms inside.

Near the door there was a cart giving away diet Pepsi. I had a cup and then entered the dragon's den… to find it was no dragon's den. There was no heaving mass of humanity. There were no long lines. There was nothing to make me thing I was doomed to stand forever shuffling forward slowly through the long years of my life. I walked down to the income tax window where I saw a sign directing me to the treasurer's window or the collections window. I went down, chose the shorter line and was done in 10 minutes. I walked out to the road in time to catch Gordon and keep him out of that hellish parking lot. Easy and quick. I am still in shock.

Poor Wakana taught her second Japanese class on Saturday. She came home exhausted and haggard. Teaching the older kids in the afternoon isn't so bad but the little kids drive her crazy. She really isn't much of a kid person and their endless need for attention and requests for simple things gets to her. Fortunately she had Sunday off. She had to work at World Bridal on Monday but the teaching job has added perspective and now she sees the bridal job as being, by far, the easier, more desirable job. She was still tired on Tuesday and looked forward to a nice quiet day but her supervisor called her to ask where she was. Wakana had incorrectly marked her calendar. She was supposed to be at work. She raced out the door and headed off to the job. When she came home she was worn and tired. She'd had a full bad day at work and then had her adult students for Japanese. I had done some laundry and cooked a stew for her supper.

So now we have a day off. I will go to the Chamorro village for a canoe meeting and she has her adult students this afternoon. We will dine of fiesta plates of BBQ for supper.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Apr 06 - 06:26 PM

Well, I guess I'm NOT working in Guam. Yet another morning when the phone doesn't ring and I do NOT run off to babysit another classroom full of ignorant children. Don't mind me. I'm feeling a little negative this morning.

There was an article in the Tuesday PDN (Pacific Daily News) telling us that the Guam Public School System has sent a team of recruiters off island to find more teachers for the island. They will be at the MERC Education Career Fair in Boston on April 20, at the Minneapolis Convention Center on April 24 for the Minnesota Education Fair, at the Memorial Field House of Indiana University Of Pennsylvania on April 25 for the IUP Teacher Recruiting Fair, and at the Slippery Rock University Teacher Job Fair in Pennsylvania on April 27.

You know, there isn't a day goes by that there isn't some mention in the paper about how desperate the Department of Education is for teachers. There is a new educational initiative that will require the DOE to hire a lot of teachers very soon. They are sending recruiters off to the USA to find someone to educate these kids.

So, I have to ask the question. If DOE is so hard up for teachers WHY HAS IT TAKEN THEM 4 MONTHS TO PROCESS MY CERTIFICATION AND APPLICATION?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Apr 06 - 06:27 PM

Oh, by the way, that is 4 months and counting. They still haven't finished the application or the certification....

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Apr 06 - 12:18 AM

cos DOE is a bureaucracy?

or just because?

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 11:54 PM

I'm not sure if I have mentioned my wrist problem. Some time ago I slipped on a bit of gravel on a steep piece of ground. I caught my weight on my right wrist. It has been painful ever since. I went to the doctor and he sent me to Dr. Landstrom. Dr. Landstrom is one of the foremost surgeons in the USA and he specializes in hands and wrists. The usual medical practitioners here on Guam are good but not great. Dr. Landstrom is one of the best and the brightest.

So I went to hem and he determined that I had torn one of two things, neither of which I can pronounce, and that I am developing a ganglion as well. The bones are fine but something else has let go. I need an MRI to be sure what it is.

And there's the rub. The local MRI machine cannot handle more than 295 pounds. I weigh another 50 pounds more than that. The only other possibility is to go to either the Philipines or Hawaii for the procedure… and I just happen to be visiting Hawaii in June. So that is where I have to go.

In the meantime my wrist is very painful and I am taking lots of heavy duty Ibuprofen. It doesn't seem to bother my guitar playing anymore but I cannot lift anything very heavy without pain and I just reinjured it swatting a fly. Ugh.

Saturday was Earth Day and TSS participated in the celebrations at Ipao Beach Park. We took our two man paddling canoe and enough sword grass and pandanus leaves to keep weaving thatch for the day. They handed out passports to the kids. The kids brought the passports around to various booths and collected stamps. Then they turned in the passports for a free T-shirt. I thought it was a good idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 12:35 AM

Click here for a new set of pictures from Guam. The website is new to me but the pictures are nice.

views Of Guam

These pictures are all from Agana (pronounced a-GAN-ya). The citiy is also known as Hagatna (the Chamorro name).

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:23 PM

Yesterday at the canoe house they decided that sword grass would look awful. They have changed their plan. They will now be using nepa. A load of nepa will be delivered on Friday and we will work all day Saturday on weaving and thatching. By the end of the weekend the canoe house will be finished and the canoe will be installed in its new home. This is great!

My friends al and Sandy have been pressuring me to start performing at the only micro-brewery on the island. Sandy talked to the owners the other day and they are enthusiastic. I guess I need to set up a two hour set list and plan for a regular gig. Funny how things work out. I don't believe there is any pay in it to speak of but that has yet to be determined.

I talked to a couple of the kids (early 20s) who play instruments in our group. I told them about band like Tanglefoot, Castlebay, and Schooner Fare who make music using local stories. I suggested they could write up some of the local legends and sing of the history of the island. The automatic response was that I should do it but I told them I couldn't get that island sound int the resulting song. Maybe we'll work together on it. We have to wait until after finals and after I get back from the graduation.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:58 PM

Brett-

The song project sounds interesting if you can get deep enough inside it. I've been invited to do a similar thing with regard to Antartic Nature Cruises, via some old family friends who act as guides and lecturers.

We're thinking of cannibalizing another of your favorite songs, "A Whaler's Tale," for presentation at Mystic in a Whaling Workshop. We haven't done any whaling songs in years but they decided to stick us into this workshop with some real heavies. I'm planning to do "Fresh-Water Whaling." They may not invite us back!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 10:29 PM

I *love* "Fresh Water Whaling!" I've heard Scott Alarik sing it. Do it!

bbe

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 02:49 AM

Charlie, after all those years of dreaming of performing at Mystic you're going to inflict Fresh Water Whaling on them? Well, at least you won't have to worry about going back. Frees up your future summers...

Don't forget Thirty Dirty Sailors. That's a whaling song too.

We went to a fiesta today. It was my first since I got to the island. They have a fiesta pretty much every month somewhere on this island, our own village has two a year, but I have never managed to get to one.

These are religious holidays honoring the patron saint of each village. They gather at the church for prayers and then meet at various homes for a big feast. We went down to Malesso with Gordon and met Larry and his wife, Frank, Sandy, and a few other people we know. There was an enormous amount of food. A bar served drinks. A DJ spun the tunes and people sat and talked and danced and talked and ate and ate and ate... I'm full.

There is a train of thought that island people in the tropics are not very industrious. Like all generalizations this one is false. Unmotivated people are everywhere. There are a lot of problems on this island but most can be attributed not to a lazy disposition but to poor choices for management of the infrastructure. Nepotism runs rampant here. You cannot get elected unless you are a member of a large extended family. Almost every conversation between people who've just met bears on their family ties and who they know in which walk of life.

All that being said the islanders really shine when it comes to planning a party. The main table was made up using at least three six foot tables. There was almost no room on it to lay down your cup to fill your plate. At the other end was the dessert and salad table made up of two six foot folding tables. That too was groaning under pies, cakes, puddings, and other delectable concoctions.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 08:55 PM

After we left the fiesta we took Gordon home and headed home ourselves. Wakana was still tired from her trying day with the kids at the Japanese School. She had been taking pictures of the flowers at the party. On the way home from Gordon's house she saw some flowers she wanted to photograph so we stopped. The family was home and the father came out to see what the suspiscious strangers were doing in front of his house. We explained and introduced ourselves and all was happiness. We admired the mangoes in his tree and he got out his fruit picker and gave us some. It was a very nice visit. The people here are so pleasant.

The other day I cleaned out one of our closets and pulled out three big boxes full of sheets and blankets. These have been packed away since I moved to Guam. Not much call for blankets here. I decided to give the good ones to my in-laws. I have some very nice Mexican blankets, made of wool and very colorful. I also had sheets for twin beds and old sheets for my queen bed and one of the soft velour type blankets they make in Saco, Maine. They were all musty from their long stay in the boxes. They had to be washed.

Now, Wakana and I decided long ago that we probably would not be in Guam long enough to warrant buying a washing machine and dryer combination. That would be at least a $600 price tag and using the laundromat costs us about $10 to $12 every two weeks. So we've been visiting the laundromat. I mentioned this to Gordon one day. We were checking out a washing machine up at Habitat For Humanity. He works for them as a volunteer. Someone had donated the washing machine and they needed to know if it was a working unit.

The machine was working more or less. We checked it out and found the door safety switch was bad. The machine couldn't tell when the door was open and therefore wouldn't go into the spin cycle. Gordon had been talking about installing a second washing machine at his house. He uses the wash water from the machines to water his betelnut trees. So we loaded the machine on to his truck.

When we got to my house to unload some other stuff we picked up he began to unload the machine. It turned out it was for us after all. We set it up, I removed the switch and connected the two wires together so it would seem to the machine as if the door was always closed and we were ready for washing. Of course we had no dryer.

We suspended some rope under our canopy for a clothes line and we were truly in business. No more trips to the Laundromat. Then, the other day Gordon shows up in our yard with a dryer. He'd found it lying by the road where it had been dumped. He picked it up on a whim assuming it might be persuaded to work. We lugged it around back and plugged it in. Yep! It works. The drum doesn't turn but that is just the belt. The motor runs and that's what's important. It's even the same make and model as the washer. Of course, it's covered in rust and filth. There's some kind of black mold growing on it.. But the drum is clean and the heater works. I just need to clean it up and fix the belt.

So, anyways, we needed to wash the blankets. We ran one load through the washer and hung them to dry. All fine. We ran another load, the Mexican blankets, and hung them to dry. Still fine. Then I loaded the washer with that damn Saco blanket and some sheets and a pair of jeans I found in one of the boxes. We Wakana went out to pull out the wet stuff she found a disaster. The Saco blanket had completely dissolved into shreds and stains. Everything came out of the washer covered in soft fluffy bits of blanket and all that was left was the netting on which the fluffy stuff had been sewn. The white sheets that had been in there were now stained with a suspicious yellow stain that looked like, well, you know, if I didn't know better I wouldn't want to sleep on those sheets. What a mess.

We've been feeding the chickens out the back door. We were warned that doing so would attract a huge flock of the birds but we like to watch them peck and scratch. There is a Momma Hen out there right now with her own flock of chicks, eleven at last count. We have about six roosters that wander in with their hens every now and again. The biggest is white and fearless. Generally he is out there in the morning when I go out to scatter the corn. He doesn't move when I come out the door. There is another rooster colored all in reds and greens and browns and whites. He is beautiful. He isn't as big as the white one but he is also fearless. Generally the others scatter when I come out but those guys hang close.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 May 06 - 12:31 AM

LOL...I had a blanket do that one, too, Brett, though it was all reds and oranges, and maroons, so everything turned pink!

I'd love to see a picture of the canoe house when it is done, and the chickens, and those flowers.

Thanks for continuing to share your writings with us. I love reading them!! And, the music thing sounds really great. Congratulations. I hope the young men will follow up on your idea.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 May 06 - 09:02 AM

I've never had anything dissolve in the wash, but I have deliberately dyed stuff using Indian or Chinese clothing. The fuschia dress was used to brighten up some very shabby cotton singlets (vests), the emerald green silk blouse coloured a similarly shabby white blouse. I've also accidently dyed stuff but that's a different story. And washed tissues with black silk shirts etc.

One day I found lots of strange white flakes inside my supply of plastic bags. Turned out I'd tried to keep one of those modern plastic bags made of environmentally friendly cornstarch. It took a long time to remove all the bags & shake out all the flakey bits.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 May 06 - 06:43 PM

As I write this the Momma Hen with her 12 chicks is out in the back yard. She just arrived and her chicks are struggling down the embankment behind the house. They make a lot of noise. Not as much as the roosters though. I was talking to my sister on the phone the other day while a rooster crowed in the back yard not fifteen feet away. She commented that it was like talking to Billy-Bob in Arkansas. She also complained that it wasn't a very tropical sound.

Photos of the canoe house? I can do that. It might be interesting for   you to see the progress. I need to revisit that photo site and upload some recent photos anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 May 06 - 06:18 PM

Hmm, not so easy. Gotta work on that...

Gordon and I went over to talk to a guy about using vegetable oil as fuel to avoid the high cost of gasoline. This guy has been buying up all the diesels he can get, mostly old Mercedes, and converting them to run on waste vegetable oil. He's a young guy, full of energy and a zeal for this idea. And he's quite a talker. We left there with our heads spinning. But we are also fired up about getting diesels ourselves and getting out of that upward spiral of gas prices.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 May 06 - 11:29 PM

The last two days have been very trying. Thursday it was only a matter of dealing with bureacracy and finding my paychecks for substitute teaching. Friday was upsetting because I was dealing with an insurance company. If any of you are in the insurance industry or linked to someone who is you may not want to read any further. I have nothing nice to say on the subject.

This may require some recapitulation. As you may know I am headed for the east coast next week. I have to stop in Hawaii for a week on the way back in June. You may also know I have injured my wrist and need an MRI to determine the actual cause of the pain. I don't believe I have mentioned the need to see a gastro-enterologist about the pain that causes the blackouts or the podiatrst about the broken bone in my foot and the general trouble I have with those appendages. I had hoped to get pictures of all those areas while in Hawaii.

Well, I got a call from my insurance company. It turns out that the hospital there in Hawaii doesn't have the equipment or expertise to handle what the hand doctor wanted done. He had requested an 'open MRI' which they had interpreted as meaning I was to have a surgical procedure before they shoved me into the MRI machine. However 'open' in this case merely means the machine is built to look at small parts of the body, i.e., it isn't a closed donut shaped machine but a smaller open machine. They didn't know that when they called. They wanted me to change my flight so I could stop in Los Angeles to get the work done at UCLA. This took several phone calls over two days.

Finally I called COntinental and explained what I needed to do. They went through their system and told me that they could get me to LA by June 10 but couldn't get me out of there until mid August! I said thanks but no thanks.

I called the insurance company and told the agent that they win! I paid lots of money for insurance but there was no way for me to get treatment. They will call me back. Maybe they can still do something in Hawaii.

In the meantime I am limping around the house in a special shoe, wincing from the pain in my wrist, and passing out every ten days to two weeks. Life is a bitch sometimes.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: CarolC
Date: 05 May 06 - 11:59 PM

So sorry to hear about your health difficulties, Brett. I hope you will be able to get all of that straightened out soon. But I don't understand why they can't just put your arm and your leg (not at the same time, of course) into the MRI machine, and leave your body outside of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 May 06 - 04:18 AM

sigh, my question exactly. I guess I'm not too smart.

By the way, I found out why my phone has been silent for so long. Apparently the Guam Public School System is going through a bunch of tests and they are not allowed to use subs in this two week period. They told me they would call next week but... I'll be off island.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 May 06 - 07:47 PM

Brett-

Do remind us of your travel plans if they still include Maine and New Hampshire. You probably posted them somewhere above but I, like many Mudcatters, never have figured out how to scroll up and check for earlier posts.

Cheerily,
Charley Ipcar

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 May 06 - 06:00 AM

Itinerary:

Arrive Portland Jetport on May 9 at 10:00 PM

May 11 - Head to Richmond for my daughter's graduation.

May 15 - Return to Portland

May 15 through May 31 - Itinerary uncertain. I want to take a run through the southern part of New England visiting with friends and relatives. I will mostly be in New Limerick visiting with my parents. I hope to get to at least one Press Room fun time and swing in to Mary's song night if it happens at a good time.

That's it. Not much to work with.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 May 06 - 10:48 AM

Brett-

Thanks for posting your itinerary.

Let's see Roll & Go is performing at the Sidedoor Coffeehouse on Friday, May 19th, and some of us will be at the Press Room for the Shanty Sing on Saturday, May 20. Eli and Rebecca are having a joint graduation party in Portland on Sunday afternoon, May 21.

At least one of these events may be of interest to you. To do all may be too rich. If you want additional details, e-mail me.

We'd love to see you again, and we have an updated copy of ROLLING DOWN TO SAILORTOWN reserved for you.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 May 06 - 07:40 PM

Hmm, the coffeehouse is doable, I think. Maybe even the shanty sing. I'll have to add it into the itinerary.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 May 06 - 10:24 PM

I am sitting in Narita, Japan, at the Yahoo! internet cafe. Use of the computers is free. I have several hours to wait for my connection to the States. It is cloudy and cool here, too cool for my shorts and T-shirt.

I miss Wakana.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 May 06 - 10:18 AM

Brett-

If you attend the Shanty Sing at the Press Room you'll get to meet a new group of singers who have been attending from Gloucester and are involved in the rebuilding of the schooner Adventure; Barry and I inspected their work on the boat, tried out the acoustics in the hull, and sang with them at their regular Wednesday gathering at the Schooner Pub.

You are certainly welcome to stay with us in Richmond if we're a convenient stop in your travel plans.

Happy sky trails!
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 May 06 - 11:01 AM

Brett - no song circle this month because Linn is having her Tune It Or Die Party. Need a lift?
Maine Medical must have all the required equipment or Mercy Hospital. I am happy to act as chauffeur. PM me if I can help set up appointments or whatever. I don't like to hear that you are driving and passing out.
As always, there's a bed, a meal and music here for you. I miss you Big Guy.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 May 06 - 04:48 PM

Maine Med is not a choice. My insurance will not work there. Too bad. I appreciate your offer.

I've been reviewing the options for my stay here. I like the idea of going to Linn's for the party. When is that?

By the by, I am now in Maine. I arrived at 11:30 last night and collapsed into bed at 11:30 after 37 1/2 hours from rising from my bed in Guam. I managed a few catnaps in the airport in Newark but nothing more than that. UGH! I feel tired now. My body insists that it's 6:15 AM and that I've been up all night. My daughter better appreciate this.

Also, I hate to confess this but, I'M COLD dammit.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 10 May 06 - 07:37 PM

What do you mean, cold?? There hasn't been a frost for at least a week!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 May 06 - 09:53 AM

I'm sure the little black flies have missed you!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,bbc at work
Date: 11 May 06 - 11:17 AM

Welcome back, dear! Hopping down my way anytime?

love to both,

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 May 06 - 06:59 PM

I am in Virginia with my daughter at last. It's so nice to see her. We had a late lunch and now she is packing her room. I'd like to describe the scene but words fail me. I've seen dumps with more organization.

As for cold, my blood has thinned somewhat. And my sister doesn't believe in heating the house. If you're cold put on another sweater (if you have one). She did generously loan me a sweatshirt... it was a generous act until I realized it was my own sweatshirt.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 May 06 - 08:19 PM

Brett-

Here's an unusual request. We would like to consult with Wakana with regard to our niece spending a year in Japan; she won a full scholarship and has been taking Japanese language classes. But we're thinking there may be a book or two that would be useful to read as a 20-year old American kid parachuting into Japan. Not exactly the book you've been reading, JAPAN FOR DUMMIES, but something sociological...

Does Wakana have her own e-mail address? You could PM or e-mail me that.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 May 06 - 06:54 PM

Charley, we would be happy to help out. I will send you her address. Wakana does not check her email regularly so you may want to let me know you have sent it so I can suggest that she check her messages.

Japan is a trip. The people are so savvy about their own history and geography. In the States you are lucky to find someone who knows anything about either history or the place of the US in the world (other than "WE'RE NUMBER ONE!") In Japan they are continually reminded in their daily lives what makes up their culture. Gojo Bridge plays an important role in the history of Japan. It is still there and is still venerated. (Lookitup! The story is wonderful.)

((I dunno if dad is done with this post but it's been on my computer all day so I am gonna post it for him and he can add to it later. Hi Charley!!! ~Amy))

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 May 06 - 09:53 PM

Amy-

Why, thank you, and congratulations on graduating!

Will we see you in Maine next week as well?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 May 06 - 11:17 PM

We'll all be in Maine day after tomorrow... well, she might be there by Tuesday.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 May 06 - 06:44 PM

Well, the kid is gradiated with a full educimation. The creaking sound you hear is the money tap being turned off.

The ceremony was very nice. The kids were allowed an escort and Amy chose me. We walked the grads into the hall and sat behind our kids. At the right time we hooded them and flipped their tassel to the left. On Amy's left sat a young woman whose escort was her seven year old son. On Amy's right sat a young woman who looked like Megan, my daughter number three who died last year. I took the role of keeping track of the seven year old kid while his mom did the graduation thing. After the ceremony I escorted him out to where he met his grandparents.

The ex-wife was there. The less said about that, the better. She looks aw... never mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 May 06 - 08:03 PM

So are you looking for a place to stay for this Friday night?

We need to know so we have time to clean the entire house, throw out all the garbage that has accumulated since you last stayed with us!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 May 06 - 09:27 AM

So, reading the paper and watching the TV has led me to believe that you will be busy building an ark to escape the flooding. Will we need sea shanties to get over the raging waters that lie between us and New Hampshire?

By the by, I am in New Limerick at my parents' house. Last night they had a house guest who was once a carnie with her husband following a show around the USA! She is English, from southeastern England, and now lives here in northern Maine. Her husband died a year or so ago and she is finally getting out of her grief. Quite an interesting person.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 May 06 - 12:02 PM

Brett-

We are high and dry in Richmond.

I don't know if there is still a Portsmouth; they received over 14 inches of rain.

Maybe you should freshen up "A Long Time Ago."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: curmudgeon
Date: 17 May 06 - 07:59 PM

Portsmouth is safe.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 17 May 06 - 09:42 PM

Well, that might be so, Tom, but I think I'd better stick to margaritas at the Press Room on Saturday rather than risk the water....

See you there!
JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 May 06 - 11:47 AM

I forgot that Friday's destionation was the coffeehouse. I will be there. Charley & Judy, can I beg a bed?

And can I beg a ride down to Portsmouth on Saturday? That way we'll have all day Saturday together. I have some pictures to share as well as some DVDs of life on the islands.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 18 May 06 - 12:32 PM

Sounds like a plan! You have a way to get to the coffee house? We'll be there around 5:30 setting up, so you can arrive any time after that. Or if you want to arrive at the house Friday afternoon, you'll need to coordinate with Charlie - he should be home this evening.

See you tomorrow!
JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 04:41 PM

I still live! I am in Hawaii, not quite the visit in paradise I had hoped for but it's all right here. Details later. Let's just say that insurance companies have a way of screwing up just about everything.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 04:48 PM

One point for anyone in the San Francisco area. There were two women at the hotel. They left yesterday. One of them is Eileen Hazel, a singer songwriter from Berkely. She was in Hawaii worki9ng on learning the language and writing songs in Hawaiian. If you get a chance to see her playing out in the coffeehouses or wherever take it. She's pretty good.

I met them as I sat on the covered patio playing my guitar. I sang Bertha's Mussels and heard their applause. Later they joined me and we passed the guitar around. Eileen sang her Hawaiian songs and her friend, Diane, has been studying slack key guitar and played a few pieces. Not bad. We spent a couple of evenings on the patio swapping music and stories. Fun time. The second evening Eileen brought out her uke and Diane her guitar. We jammed along and enjoyed the soft Hawaiian breeze and cool evening air. Several of the other hostel occupants sat around and enjoyed the time. One kid wanted to participate but the only songs he knew where They Might Be Giants tunes. Without accompaniement it didn't work very well but we encouraged him to sing out.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:49 PM

Nice to know you still walk the earth.

Off to Mystic on Thursday.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Jun 06 - 10:58 PM

I wonder if Brett is back to Guam or has he been shanghaied while in Hawaii? Inquiring minds want to know soon or we'll be forced to continue this thread with our own fantasies!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Jun 06 - 08:16 PM

I'll give it a lift up. Heeeellllllloooooooo, Brett?! Are ye there?!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 09:14 PM

Yes! I am still here! I realized I have been remiss in several different aspects. For one, I have not been maintaining this thread as I should. I just seem to have gotten lazy. For another, my recent entries have only been news of daily happenings. I can't remember when I've described the location or the day or the people or anything else. And lately I haven't even been good at keeping people abreast of my more recent activities. I'm a bad boy. I apologize.

As you know I went to the east coast for Amy's graduation and to visit the parents. I even got to enjoy some musical events. I saw my old group, Roll & Go, in concert at the Side Door Coffeehouse. I joined in the weekly chanty sing in Portsmouth and I went to a chanty sing in Boston. It was a good trip.

The graduation was fun. I have never been accused of being an average parent. I stayed in Amy's dorm room on a mattress on the floor, not something most parents would do and not something most college kids would want. Fortunately Amy and I have a close relationship. She and I enjoy each other's company. On the night before the graduation she took me with her to a post grad party at another college, a school where she has a number of friends. I haven't seen so much alcohol since my own college days. At the party I engaged in a pun contest with one of the kids and sang them a couple of songs, Being a Pirate and Zombie Jamboree. I was not only accepted but welcomed and made a part of the group. As I say, I am not an average parent.

After I left Lynchburg I visited Appomattox Station, the site of the surrender by the Confederacy, the end of the Civil War. It is very nicely maintained as a National Park but none of the original buildings are there. The courthouse burned down before the 20th Century. The McClean house where the surrender was signed was considered from the beginning to be an important site. So, in the early 20th Century a coalition of businesses bought it and took it apart to move to a more accessible location. Unfortunately they ran out of money (or maybe interest). So the house was abandoned in mid move and quickly dissolved into a pile of rotting timbers and bricks. The house on the site now is a copy. The result is a plastic copy of an important site. It was pretty but didn't "feel" right.

The visit with my parents was nice. I love the farm in any season and early summer is one of my favorites. There are few bugs yet and the weather is very comfortable.

It was great to see Roll & Go again. They are really working hard on their music and sound great. Charley gave me a copy of their latest CD. I couldn't listen to it until I got it home but it has been in my car since I got home. Good stuff.

An old friend at the coffeehouse, Allison, who also used to sing with the group, told me of a chanty sing in Boston. Since I was headed to Massachusetts the next day I decided to leave early and drop into the sing. Lynn Noel organizes that gathering and has a dedicated group of singers sitting in a circle looking out at the Charles River. Great fun.

The main purpose of the trip was to visit an old friend who is getting married later this month. She is well and the guy she's marrying seems to be a great catch. I wished her well. I think her life is taking a turn for the very good.

And then Hawaii. Ah, Hawaii, the magnet that draws people from all over the world. A land of mountains and sea, clear skies and friendly Polynesians, traditions and modern life melding in a whirl of color and sound. I wish I could have seen some of it.

You see, I had to stop there because flying on your frequent flyer miles requires a stop somewhere and I had never been there before. Plus I needed an MRI on my wrist and the machine to do it, an "open" MRI, is not available on Guam. Back in April my doctor had requested the procedure from the insurance company and we had been talking with them ever since. You would think, having a month to prepare they would have been ready with the appointment when I got there. But no, they were "…still working on it…" when I called them. They continued to work on it until it was too late and I had to leave Hawaii without getting the work done. To say I am pissed is an understatement. Instead of sightseeing I spent my time at a pay phone running through phone cards trying to get an appointment at a Hawaiian hospital.

But I came home, my wrist still painful and my doctor working to come up with a plan that doesn't require an MRI. And a lot of anger at the fact that I STILL have not seen Hawaii.

Of course there were compensations. I met some very interesting people there as I mentioned in one entry. And the hostel has a very nice atmosphere. I highly recommend it if you want to go to Hawaii and NOT spend a bundle on a hotel.

So now I am home again. Wakana is now working at the university teaching a summer session Japanese class. She loves it. The only time I've seen her spend this much time on anything is when she plays computer games or when she is trimming the brush back from the house. She says she'll be heartbroken when the job ends in two weeks. She is also still teaching at the Liberal Academy in Tumon and loves that work too. The bridal job is gone but not forever. They want her back. The Japanese school is on summer vacation and won't start up again until August.

In the meantime I am finally hearing from the Guam Public School System about my job application I submitted in January. Let me see, it's June so that means it has been, (counting on fingers) five months! And they called to ask if I was certified! I submitted that application in January too so that has also been, let me think, oh yeah, five months! They're still "working on it". I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Their last request from me was to get from the college catalog a description of the courses I took. I had to explain to them that I took those courses 26 years ago from a college that has since become one of the premier osteopathic medical universities in the northeastern USA. That didn't faze them at all. They still wanted the descriptions of the courses.

I called my mentor, my college history professor, and we discussed the classes he was teaching in the 1970s. I wrote it up in a letter and handed it into the certification office. Sigh, this place is so screwed up.

And, in the meantime I have been offered employment working at the Liberal Academy teaching English As A Second Language to Japanese students who would be shipped in from Japan to learn our language. I would have long term employment, they say, and the wages would be comparable with GPSS. What to do, what to do…

And last but not least, next Thursday I will be performing in a one man show of chanties, ballads, and drinking songs at the Mermaid Tavern here in Hagatna.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 09:30 PM

Oh, and I forgot to mention that there is a man visiting his daughter and grandchild here who also works at flint knapping and building Native American flutes. He gave me a bamboo version that he made. Gordon and I went out and cut some bamboo yesterday to try to make some more of them. I love the sound even though they are not good for making my kind of music. It's time to experiment.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 09:42 PM

Good to hear your 'voice' again, Naemanson. Aren't you glad that you are retired so you don't have so much to do?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jun 06 - 11:24 AM

Brett-

So good to hear from you again. We've begun posting the Mystic Sea Music Festival pictures on that thread if you want a look.

This Saturday Nor, Eli and I join Tom Hall and a gang down at Portsmouth for welcoming in the Bluenose-II.

Glad you like ROLLING DOWN TO SAILORTOWN. We sold 50 of the little puppies down at Mystic so someone other than our friends and families likes them.

Do you need any mermaid songs?

This verse from Bob Roberts' "Stormy, Weather, Boys":

Then up comes a mermaid covered in muck,
So we took her below and had a good time...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 06:21 PM

The evening was a big success. The tavern was the usual babble of voices, at times I thought I was playing with anyone paying attention, but then I could see one or two people singing along and I knew SOMEONE could hear me. One gentleman there asked me if I was going to do any Stan Rogers or Schooner Fare. That was the first time I'd heard Schooner Fare mentioned outside of Maine!

The babble of voices died down very often and I managed to sing to a fairly quiet crowd. When I sang Henery The Eighth there was a great response. Old Dun Cow managed to bring out a few shouts of 'MacIntyre' and some knocking on the table tops. They quieted for Last Shantyman and sang along with me on Stowing Sugar Down Below. There was NO singing on Derelict even thought they all knew 'yo ho ho and a bottle of rum'.

Still, everyone wanted to thank me for the performance. Someone bought me a beer even though I was getting my drinks (and meals for me and Wakana) on the house. One table included a group originally from Saint John, New Brunswick. One of them brought the words for Barret's Privateers hoping I was intending to sing that one. I borrowed his paper and sang it anyway.

I left there more than a little buzzed from the beer and the compliments. Wakana was astonished to see me drink three whole beers. She's never seen me drink that much or be drunk at all. I drink so little that it only takes three beers to do me in. But the place is the only microbrewery on the island so the beer is well worth the sup.

Great night!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 08:58 PM

Brett-

Congatulations!

Now if you need a group of back-up singers, we can ship Roll & Go right over. What are the rates for shpping crates to Guam? How long does it take to get there so we're able to pack enough peanut butter and toilet paper? Do we get free beer too?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 07:37 AM

It costs as much for a shipping container as it does for round trip airfare but you can fit more people in the container than in the overhead luggage rack.

Can't say about the free beer but you should pack enough peanut butter and toilet paper for a couple of months at least.

Today Wakana's friend Kyoko arrived from Japan to visit for five days. She seems very nice. We worked very hard cleaning the house for her visit. Then we waited at the airport for two hours before we found out that her plane was running four hours late. Oh well.

Yesterday Gordon and Terry came over and we sat out under the canopy swapping stories, drinking soda and making native American flutes. At one point I looked at the other two and commented on how nice it is to be retired and to be able to do such things. On Wednesday Kyoko wants to try to make a flute too. I need a Dremel tool.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 05:59 PM

Yesterday we took Kyoko for a ride around the island. She is enchanted by nearly everything and, as we have seen before, showing the island opens new insights for us. We see it with new eyes, so to speak. The day was perfect, not too hot and not cloudy. We saw everything that Guam has to offer from sun and surf to carabao grazing alongside the road. We stopped at all the sights. And when we returned to the house we were exhausted. That seems to happen whenever we get visitors. I decided tourists cause exhaustion.

Now Wakana and Kyoko have gone off to the university to teach Japanese. Kyoko will present herself to the students as a Japanese speaker and Wakana will give an extra point to each student who speaks with her.

This afternoon we will go out on Scubaroo to see the dolphins and go snorkeling. We should be completely exhausted when we get home.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Jun 06 - 01:15 PM

It's 3:20 AM and we just got back from the airport where we delivered Kyoko into the care of JAL (Japan Air Lines).

This evening I heard from the Mermaid. They want me to come back to sing... tonight!

Also today I leave the happy realm of the retired person and begin a regular job! Ugh and double ugh!

But this morning I made a flute for and with Kyoko and she seems happy with it. I'm not but then I am my own worst critic.

Sleepy....

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Jun 06 - 07:45 PM

The gig at the Mermaid is a typical bar scene. Even the friends who come to hear me tend to get involved in loud conversations. I have to remember that nobody outside the small circle of folkies understands that folk music has to be listened to. It isn't just background noise like rock & roll is. So several times I ended up singing to myself, basically. But the owners are happy with the sound and even paid me $50 over and above the beer, iced tea, and meals, Wakana and I consumed. I guess my actual take was close to $80 for two hours of singing.

I went to the Japanese School on Thursday to sit in on the classes I will take for the next two weeks. The regular teacher forgot that the Japanese school runs on a different schedule and planned her vacation to time with her children's vacation. They need me to cover her last two weeks of English classes.

At the Japanese school classes are taught in Japanese and English is taught to the kids as a second language. Of course, most of these kids have been raised in Guam and have picked up English anyway but we need to teach them proper English. In August I take over my own class and get to mold a whole new generation of Japanese kids. Muwahahaha!

The kids in these classes are in the first through eighth grade. They are in two classes, first through fourth and then fifth through eighth. That seems to be quite a range of ages but it seems to work for them. I got a kick out of watching the class and helping out when I could. On Tuesday I get to take over and I have no lifline. The regular teacher has already left for her vacation! Gulp!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 03:46 PM

Good luck with teaching English, Brett. I'm sure you'll be getting a lot of attention from your students, especially when you sing.

And it's good to hear that you're well on your way to earning your first million dollars singing at the Mermaid Tavern. Now you have only $999,950 to go!

Here's a "merrymaid" song from C. Fox Smith that you might try to work up:

Told At "The Pilchards"

Tom Pascoe was a fisherman belonging to Portloe,
And when I can't just tell you, but 'tis middlin' long ago;
And overright the Manacles, a-hauling of his seine,
Tom Pascoe catched a merrymaid and let her go again.

Oh, I tell you, she was pretty, I tell you she was neat,
From her head down to the little tail she'd got instead o' feet;
She was pink and pearl and silver, like the sea at break o' day,
And the shiny, greeny eyes of her they stole Tom's heart away.

Now Tom he was a lazy chap and fonder of his beer
Then he was of mending up his nets and tending to his gear,
And that was how it came about the seine bust clean in two,
And Tom he stood there gaping while the merrymaid slipped through.

She popped between the meshes and she flipped her dainty tail,
And there wasn't so much left of her as just one shiny scale,
And Tom he hove a thumping sigh and nothing did he say
But hauled his gear in sorrowful and fished no more that day.

His girl run down to meet him when she saw his boat come in,
But he passed her like a stranger with a kind o' foolish grin,
And he sits down on the sea-wall and starts to mend his gear,
And, says he, "You don't give me the slip next time, my pretty dear!"

And any day and every day as boats could go to sea,
Why, there you'd see Tom Pascoe just as plain as plain could be,
Looking for his merrymaid, and peering overside
And calling to her tender-like to come and be his bride.

His mates they'd shake their heads sometimes and say, "Poor chap, he's queer!"
Then tap their foreheads meaning-like and finish up their beer,
And his girl she cried her eyes up till you'd think she'd never stop —
And then she married Mister Budd as kep'
The general shop.

And his boat got old and leaky and his beard got long and white,
And folks got kind of used to him and said he wasn't right;
And all the little boys and girls 'ud point at him and say,
"Good morning, Mister Pascoe; any merrymaids to-day?"

And the years come and the years went, till one day a feller found
A boat with no one in her, on her lonesome drifting round;
And seeing she was Pascoe's it was plain enough to see
He'd gone to find his merrymaid as wouldn't come to he.

So all you likely fisher chaps as listens to my lay,
Don't have no truck wi' merrymaids — you'll find it doesn't pay;
And don't go yarning with your pals and sitting at your beer
Instead o' mending up your nets and tending to your gear
But remember poor Tom Pascoe and the end what he come to . . .
Well, talking is a thirsty job; I don't mind if I do.

Notes:

From SAILOR'S DELIGHT, edited by Cicely Fox Smith, published by Methuen & Co., London, UK, © 1931, pp. 125-129. First published in the magazine PUNCH, August 24, 1927, p. 206.

"Pilchards" are small fish related to herring and it's also a common name for a tavern as in this poem.

"Merrymaids" are obviously what we think of as mermaids, and one should heed the storyteller's warning and steer clear of such creatures.

Gordon Morris (UK) had adapted this poem for singing, as recorded on FULL SAIL: Inside the Lid, © 2002.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Jul 06 - 10:37 PM

Charley, what a GRAND song! Thanks for posting it!

Brett, you sound busier than when you were working full-time! But, good busy. Still sounds such a neat adventure and, as Charley said, it sure is good to hear your voice, again.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Jul 06 - 09:46 AM

life certainly began at (insert age of retirement)

tho you've had a very interesting time since you went to Guam, Brett & we are so fortunate to share it.

see ya & Wakana one day

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: CarolC
Date: 02 Jul 06 - 11:19 AM

Congratulations on your gig, Brett.

We have a heartwarming story unfolding here (and on the island of Rota) that you may eventually become peripherally involved in. My son's girlfriend (I mentioned her previously in a PM) has been tracked down by her father, whom she has never met.

The father is Chamorro, from Rota (born and raised there), and he retired there about a decade ago after a lengthy military career that took him all over the world. My son's girlfriend is a reporter for a magazine that serves the military community, and he saw her name while reading the magazine. After a few months of reading her articles, he finally sent her an email, a few days ago. Prior to getting the email, she didn't know anything about him except that he was from Rota.

Both of them (my son and girlfriend) have been invited to go live for however long they want on Rota, and they have been told that they would be given teaching jobs if they wanted them. They are pretty keen to do that, and they hope to be going there within the next year.

My son's girlfriend has already written a freelance story about JtS and what he does for a living. I told her about you and your dugout canoe adventures. She said she would like to meet you, and she looked pretty excited about it. I wouldn't be surprised if she decided that you were 'article worthy'.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Jul 06 - 07:11 AM

No problem, Carol, send her over. I think she'll like Rota. I hear it's beautiful but I haven't been able to get there yet. Wakana has been several times (before we met) and assures me it's worth the trip. We'll get over there one of these days.

Tomorrow I begin teaching at the Japanese School on my own. No more visits, no life lines, no back up. The assistant principal was worried that I'd forget to come to work on July 4 so he called me today to remind me that school would be in session.

Today Wakana and I walked up the Namo River. The 'river' runs down past our house, about 100 yards off through the jungle, with a waterfall somewhere in there. Down in Agat the Corps of Engineers has built a big flood control project with concrete side walls and an outlet to the sea. We wandered up from the road looking at the system they put in and enjoying the afternoon. It wasn't too awful hot and we had the wind in our faces going up stream. On the way back we were walking with the wind so it felt hotter. Back at the car I slipped into the water for a quick swim then we came home.

There is a tropical storm off to the southwest of us. It poses no danger for us but the surf on the reef is fantastic. Yesterday the waves were very high and crashed quite spectacularly on the rocky islands. They would rise up from a dull green sea and go from pale green to white as they curled and then crashed on the little islands.

I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure this isn't a dream. The island is so pretty and life is so good here. Between my life with Wakana and the fun things that make up my other time I seem to have the world by the tail. Is there another shoe coming up?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Jul 06 - 08:07 PM

Well, yesterday I taught my first classes in an elementary school. The kids are fun but I had my hands full. They sat in a semicircle in front of me and we stumbled through the first class. I am substituting for their regular teacher until the end of the semester and I do things differently than she does. It is a trial to slow down to the level where they are at but I seem to connect with them.

I teach English as a second language. My first class has the younger kids, first through fourth grade. My second class has the fifth through eighth grade kids. The younger kids were fascinated by pretty much everything. I have some sidewalk chalk I bought to use. I always write too small with the little pieces of chalk and I have never liked the small pieces you get from the school. The sidewalk chalk makes me write big enough for everyone to see what is on the board and I can really get my fingers around it. And I can pound on the board while writing for that wonderful sound that the little pieces can never imitate. AND there is NO screechy sound!!!

And the kids are fascinated by the big pieces of chalk. They are also fascinated with my belly. I don't think they've ever seen a fat teacher. I had to point out to the younger students that it is rude to comment on someone's anatomy.

We are studying consonants with the younger kids. Some of them have trouble with 'l' and 'r' so today we will concentrate on those sounds.

In the older class there was one student who was running wild before the bell rang. Once we got everyone in their seats I made sure they understood that Miss Twyla's rules still stand. And I pointed to a desk up front for ANYONE (looking at the wild kid) who caused any trouble. No problems in the class at all.

I noticed one kid hastely copying the answers from someone else's homework. I took it away from him and after the class I talked privately with him and the other student about cheating. I hope I got the message across

These guys are fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 04:02 PM

The kids are FASCINATED with my eraser pen. I marked up their spelling test with it yesterday and one of them accidently erased one of my letters. She was fearful and excited when she pointed it out to me. Soon all of my corrections were being erased by eager children who had to try the new experience.

Yesterday I took my new Native American flute to class and learned an important lesson. Never show a musical instrument to young Japanese students unless you are willing to see and hear their instruments too. The minute the flute came out of the bag so too did their recorders. We had a lovely musical interlude in the moments before the bell rang.

Did I say these kids are fun?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Jul 06 - 04:08 PM

Oh, and did I mention I am exhausted after a full 6 hour week of working? (yes, that's right, 1 digit.)

As for the other job, next Tuesday I start working with Mr. Yamaguchi at the Liberal Academy. He apparently speaks no English but wants to. Then in September I begin working with the Japanese high school drop outs. We are expecting 10 of them. The boss will set them up in her apartment and send any overflow to Pia Marine, the hotel where Wakana was living when we met.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Jul 06 - 08:35 AM

I started with Mr. Yamaguchi today. He's a young man (30) with a real need to speak English and a job riding him like a hag rides a nightmare. We'll work together on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour and a half.

The kids at the Japanese School are winding down to summer vacation and have enough energy to power a mid-size city. It's hard to keep them on task. It doesn't help that they have no worry about grades. Their regular teacher gave them their final grade for the semester before she left. Still we are having fun with the Boggle exercises. Wakana helped me make red and blue calico ribbons for them to wear as headbands. They pick teams by pulling the ribbons out of a bag. They love it.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Jul 06 - 08:48 AM

Brett-

When you're teaching English be sure to use such common phrases as "pretty good" and "pretty bad" to compliment and confound your students.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 11 Jul 06 - 08:57 AM

Hey, Brett,

I've been away on vacation. It's nice to catch up on what you're doing. Since I teach in an elementary school & since we frequently get new students who speak no English & also because of my experiences living in Korea, your posts are of great interest to me. I'm sure that having you as a teacher will enrich your students' lives.

love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Jul 06 - 06:34 PM

The younger kids are a trip. They are so fascinated by pretty much anything I bring in to the class. One day I wore my nautical singing hat. They all thought I was a sailor. (Funny, when I wore a ball cap they didn't ask if I played baseball...) I have an erasable pen. That really gets them. And I use sidewalk chalk on the board and that fascinates everyone including the other teachers.

The older kids are fun too. I can banter with them and fool them. Yesterday I announced the daily spelling test would have 100 words to each of the classes. The younger kids dutifully but fearfully took out their paper. The older kids protested. Then when the older kids asked for a bonus word I gave them 'Carribean' forgetting that it was on the little sign on the board. Those who went closer to the board to copy it then had 'antidisestablishmentarianism' for their bonus word.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Jul 06 - 07:23 PM

Every child should be so lucky to have such an inventive, flexible, and caring teacher as you, Brett! It just sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for keeping up your postings for us. I look forward to them very much.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 12:55 AM

Except that it's Caribbean... ;-) (And I only noticed that because I had to look it up recently.)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 04:40 AM

Oops!

Today Wakana joined my classes at the Japanese School. She wanted to see how I worked, I guess. We had a good time. We had Show And Tell and a spelling quiz. The kids were very interested in what we shared about our life in Japan and Guam. I took in some copies of the pictures painted by Wakana's mother.

By the way, if you want to look at her work you can check out Mitsuko's Paintings at this website. It's in Japanese, of course, but just click on the paintings to view the galleries.

I realized recently that the kids are learning English from texts that are very middle America. All the kids in the books are white middle class with American names and American activities. The reading assignments only marginally touch on the lives these kids lead. I downloaded a copy of a Japanese fairy tale and read it to them. At first the kids were puzzled but then they realized they knew the story but they had only heard it in Japanese. This was the first time they heard it in English. We had a great discussion on how stories change over time.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,Lana
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 08:47 AM

Lovely paintings, I really like the one of the old tree with the stone leaning on it.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 09:39 AM

Brett-

For the younger children you might see if you can buy a copy of THE CAT AT NIGHT from the used book websites. It's one of Dahlov's books that has been translated into Japanese (soon to be translated into Chinese).

It sure sounds like you're doing a good job of keeping the teaching of "English" interesting for yourself as well as your students. That's a healthy thing to do!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 11:30 AM

Lovely paintings indeed. You've married into a talented family.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Jul 06 - 07:08 PM

By the way, Charlie, would you pass Mitsuko's web site on to your mother, please?

I am indeed fortunate to be part of this family. When I look around at the other people I might have hooked up with (considering my past relationships) I just start appreciating Wakana more and more.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 03:02 AM

Poor Wakana. She's had a terrible disappointment. The job she was hoping for, teaching at UOG, was given to another person. This other person is a friend of ours and excitedly announced it to Wakana at the canoe meeting today. Wakana was very good about being excited for her but shortly afterward quietly asked me if we could leave. In the car she cried and cried. She's asleep now. Poor girl.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 08:36 AM

what a bummer, hugs to you both.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 12:27 PM

Aw. But maybe that clears the way for something even more rewarding.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Jul 06 - 08:02 PM

She's doing better today. It was an awful blow but today she can smile. She's out mowing the lawn and enjoying the little bit of sunshine we've been blessed with.

Weather report: We are into the wet season. In the past the wet season has been very predictable according to the locals. It rains in the morning and then again later in the day. Not so this year. Of course it might have something to do with the tropical storm/typhoon that just bypassed us. We've had relentless rain for a week. Today the sun is shining and we can dry out a bit but I suspect it will not last. There are more clouds than blue up there.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 11:09 PM

Two days ago I noticed a small red spot on my right leg just above my ankle. By the evening it had grown to a large sore red mark with a dark center. Yesterday the doctor confirmed that it is an infection and started me on pills and antibacterial cream. He cut into it and sent a sample to the lab. It's very sore and itches like a son of a bitch. It's about the size of an old fashioned silver dollar with pain radiating out in a six inch diameter. The center is black. It really hurts to walk. Wakana is worried but I think it's a little better today. I keep taking the pills and applying the cream.

Since my last entry about weather on the fifteenth we've had yet another tropical depression roll through here soaking us with rain. It's still a little cloudy.

Because of all the rain the reservoir has been stirred up and our water is a little muddy. Every time the water rises abouve a certain level of turbidity they shut it off. We've been on water rationing for about two weeks now. Ours is the neighborhood that gets its water in the mornings. In the evenings our pressure drops down to almost nothing.

My leg hurts. Time to elevate it again.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 01:30 AM

Naemanson, that sounds very like what was diagnosed as a spider bite (probably the Hobo Spider, here in southeast Alaska) on my friend's leg a few yeas ago. The doctor prescribed Benadryl for the itching, which helped.

The center of the bite eventually fell out, leaving a pit there which in time filled in but she still has the scar.

Nasty stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 03:57 PM

This is not a spider bite. There is a wound in the center, not sure where I got that, which is now black with a white border. The red inflamed area is still growing. I have three little wounds on that leg. A second one is now in the red area and is itching. It too has developed a black center. Must be time for another doctor visit.

Things are a little complicated here by the upcoming holiday. June 21 is Liberation Day. Guam has a huge annual celebration of the liberation of the island in 1944. Events culminate in a parade down Route 1 in Hagatna. Apparently the parade is huge and takes hours to pass. Every village and organization puts in a float. Businesses close all over the island, that is, all but the ones devoted to the tourists. My doctor's office will only be seeing urgent care cases without an appointment. So, I guess I'm off to wait in the waiting room.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 09:27 AM

sounds nasty - if it's not a spider, could it be a spiky plant that attacked you?

happy (restful) Liberation Day

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 09:36 AM

Wow, Brett! Take care of that & keep us informed. Doesn't sound like something to fool around w/.

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 11:00 AM

You temted fate asking about that other shoe. Sounds like a bite to me too. Hot compresses? Better still - a trip to the Emergency Ward.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 06:33 AM

Quest went home today.

In December 2002 a supertyphoon wreaked devastation all over the island. Amid the rubble the remains of a canoe house sat squarely on Quest crushing her spirit and soul. The broken pieces went up to Nimitz Hill where they sat under a tarp and ragged canopy while Manny and the rest of the crew worked to find the right wood and carve it into the replacement pieces needed to make Quest whole again.

Quest moved down to Paseo Park where she sat under a tarp waiting the long months away while modern boats powered past on their way to fishing grounds on the open ocean. Every weekend a tarp was spread and the crew worked carving the bits and pieces of wood needed to bring her to life again. Then, when threatened by weather and possible vandals she moved into the "cage", a locked covered area where we could work on her. Finally Quest sailed again but still she waited in the cage.

While she waited the crew worked to build her a new home. It was slow work, hot and sweaty, delayed by lack of funding and bureaucracy, lack off materials and lack of dedicated time to build the traditional home of a seagoing canoe, a proa from the old days.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of many and the unceasing pushing of a few the canoe house was finished and dedicated. Today Quest finally sits in her new home by the bay, the waters where Chamorros sailed their canoes for thousands of years before the Europeans found them and imposed a new way of life upon them. Tonight she dreams the old dreams undisturbed by the modern cars and boats that pass her, the fishermen who fish with modern gear and speak in languages she could not recognize. She is home and it feels good for us to know it.

Thanks to the crew who worked so hard to get her home. Thanks to Manny who is our teacher and navigator. Thanks to Larry who pushed and paid for so much of our materials and food and drink needed to keep the crew at it. Thanks to Gordon whose sweat and perseverance has made the task possible. Thanks to Anthony, Daniel, Bruce, Al, Ward, Steve, Ron, Tom, and all the others who came out to make this happen. And a special thanks to the Puluwat community who brought their expertise and muscle to the raising of Sahyan Tasi Fache Mwan. Quest is home and where she belongs.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 12:08 PM

You do such a good job telling the story - thanks for the update!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 01:47 PM

Congratulations to you all - and to her.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 07:08 PM

Brett, that is just plumb beautifull. Thanks for painting us the picture.

Hope your leg is better, today.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 02:06 AM

The leg is doing much better, thank you. It's still swollen and red but not as angry looking as the other day. It no longer hurts. The center is black but smaller.

Gordon and Anthony came by to drop off some stuff. They liked what I wrote about the canoe. I had sent it out to members of the club. Gordon suggested I send it to the newspaper so I did.

I've been figuring out the chords to Tanglefoot's Traighlie Bay, a song about successful pirates. It's a good one. If anyone knows tha chords to their Silver Island Mine I'd love to have a copy.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 23 Jul 06 - 07:16 PM

Glad to get a report on that leg, Brett. Your previous message worried me!

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Jul 06 - 09:53 AM

me, too, she says

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 04:08 PM

The other night I was working on Stan Roger's song Giant. I was trying to figure out how to play it in the alternate tuning that he recorded it in. Wakana sat down and looked at the music and then picked up her little accordion. she tried it out and we worked on it together. She was frustrated because she couldn't see the keyboard and the little thing, not much more than a toy, didn't have the range required for the song. So we dug out the old keyboard that I bought for Amy a hundred years ago, stuck some batteries in it and she made much faster progress. It's a Yamaha electronic keyboard with 60 some keys. She played through Giant and then went on with tunes she had played back when she used to play piano. It was a very nice evening.

Wakana uses a different musical system than any I've heard of. When she first mentioned it I was surprised and confused. In Japan kids re taught Do-Re-Mi... as we are in our schools. But the Japanese use it as the names for the musical scale. Do is always C. Re is always D. Thus, if you want to work in the key of F you start with Fa and run up as follows:

FA        SO        LA        LA#        DO        RE        ME        FA

This was quite alien to me and took me a while to wrap my head around. It works well for her so who am I to argue. When she was working out the chords for Giant she was writing her Do-Re-Mi in Japanese characters with the little sharp and flat symbols in standard English.

This week I am substituting for the two regular English teachers at the Liberal Academy. The school has a summer camp for Japanese kids and the regular instructors are working with them. I now have to work with the two Korean students, Ji-Young and Yon-Hee. Believe me, it is no difficulty. Those two are very easy on the eyes. They are each in their mid thirties. One has a 12 year old kid with her parents back in Korea. She is trying to start a Korean restaurant here in Guam. The other is working as a waitress in a Korean bar. She wants to get into the import-export business when she goes back to Korea. She figures knowing English will help. Ah, if I were single and in my thirties again....

Yeah, yeah, I know, bad boy! I know that I already have the best partner I could possibly find. These two are fun to look at and talk to but I would never do anything to jeopardize my chances for another evening like the one I just described. Besides, all of you would hate me forever!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Jul 06 - 08:03 PM

Here's to working up "The Giant" for your next pub performance. I've always loved the song, and was fascinated by its chord transitions which went well beyond the 3 usual ones. I used to do it on the autoharp.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Jul 06 - 04:01 PM

Give me a foot, give me an acre, I am the jolly matchmaker!

Yon-Hee, my afternoon student (female, cute, 36, single, Korean, waitress), needs a study buddy for English. Takashi, my evening student (male, handsome, 30, single, Japanese, engineer), also needs a study buddy. Well, two plus two makes four.

On a no-chance-of-a-relationship note, Ji-Young, my morning student (female, cute, 37, single, Korean, waitress) is already in a relationship. However she is an athletic type and I will pair her up with a group of peole who go hiking every Saturday morning. Hopefully my new student, Sachiko (female, cute, age unknown, married, Japanese, housewife), will be interested in going along also. That will get them out of the Korean and Japanese society and language patterns and into an English speaking environment to practice their new language.

Teaching English can be a very difficult job. I have to speak slowly and clearly, I work with people with heavy accents so I have to listen very carefully, I have to explain words without using most of my vocabulary, and I need to help my students conquer their pronunciation problems and keep the lesson interesting. Sigh, this working for a living sucks. Last week I had to work 24 hours! Of course it's much more than that because I need to prepare for the classes. But I went to work every day! I'm exhausted. How did I ever manage working 40 hours a week?

Of course the men and women I'm working with are, overall, interesting. Takashi is an engineer working for a Japanese firm installing underground power on the island. He is thin and tired all the time. He works incredible hours for a lousy boss. He get Sundays off, sometimes, and has no time to study. He just started studying English and it shows.

Ji-Young is here from Korea trying to start a Korean restaurant with a business partner. She has a Japanese boyfriend. She spends a good part of every day running, swimming, or going to the gym. I hope she knows that business owners don't have time for that kind of thing. She has been studying English for only three months and has made wonderful progress.

Yon-Hee is here from Korea working under a special visa as a waitress in a Korean bar. I believe the job was set up for her by the bar owner, her sister. It's probably just an excuse for an extended visit with an older sister who is trying to get her to do something with her life. Yon-Hee is single but says she wants a boyfriend. She has six more months on her visa and then she has to go back to Korea. She hopes to go home with fairly decent English in her repertoire.

Sachiko is a new student. I know a little about her from my very first experience at Liberal Academy. She was a student then also when I substituted for someone. Sachiko is a housewife. She doesn't seem to have much more in her life right now. If I can pair her up with Ji-Young for extracuricular activities outside the home then her English, which is already pretty good, will improve dramatically.

Next week at the school will be the Japanese summer camp. We'll have thirty two kids screaming around the place with only a few escorts to keep them under control. I, fortunately, will not be one of them. I am off next week. And it's about time for a vacation.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 07:15 PM

Yesterday was my birthday. Wakana gave me two pair of shorts and two DVDs. She had shortened the shorts to a more suitable length, not the knee length half pants that everyone wears but above the knee, a more comfortable length. Later that evening my daughter called me.

In the morning we met Ji-Young at Paseo Park and sent her off with the Boonie Stompers. That is a group that hikes different trails around the island. There are a lot of places to hike here. Then we went to the canoe house to meet with Gordon and Manny. Manny got to talking about life on the island of Polowat and the legends there. Apparently Polowat and the Marshall Islanders share an ancient set of legends about the sons of Rondilap. Manny thinks the legends might have originated there because the Marshall Island group includes two islands named for the sons.

On August 26 our canoe house will host a Pwo ceremony. This is a religious ceremony ordaining new master navigators. We need to build an earth oven. Ordinarily this would just entail digging a hole but most of the area where we want to dig is considered by the government to be archaeologically significant. No digging without hundreds of forms, filled out, signed, lost, found, recycled as peat and then dug up again. The Government of Guam learned a lot about Vogons and applies all those lessons liberally. So we need to bring in a ton of sand, spread it on the ground on top of plywood, so we don't damage the grass, dig the earth oven into that, and then take it all away after the ceremony. Joy.

I did some searching for references to the Pwo and came up with some interesting sites.

Here is a list of Pwo References for a movie about navigation.
The site for the movie has several interesting sub sites. One of the most famous navigators was Urupiy, a man that Manny talks about with something like awe.
Here is Urupiy's biography.
Urupiy came from the island of Lamotrek.
You can see a photo gallery of Urupiy here.

You can see an article about Manny here.
Manny comes from the island of Polowat. There are photos of his home island in this gallery of photos from Micronesia.
If the photos come up on your computer four to a row then you can see the following important things on that page.
Row 16 shows a man wearing a 'thu'.
Row 17 shows a canoe house just like the one we built.
Row 20 shows a canoe similar to Quest in a canoe house.
Row 23 shows a picture of Rapwi. He is the navigator that will conduct the Pwo ceremony at our canoe house.
Row 24 shows a Micronesian meal of rice and coconut crab.
Row 24 shows a paddling canoe similar to the one we are building.
Row 30 shows a small sailing canoe similar to the one we want to build. Actually we want to build a fleet of these.

You can see Photos and a discussion of Polowat here.

Here is a canoe just like Quest under sail. And here is another photo of a voyaging canoe just like Quest.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 10:29 PM

I'm sorry, Brett. I had your birthday listed on my calendar & missed it, anyway. A very happy day after (Here, it's still the 29th!).

love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: freda underhill
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 10:54 PM

Happy birthday, Naemanson - a very well deserved one. It's wonderful to read about your life in Guam and your lovely partner Wakana

best wishes

freda

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 07:14 PM

Yesterday afternoon Gordon called to tell me there is a storm building in the east and headed our way. Sure enough a tropical depression was developing into a tropical storm and was scheduled to be over head by 3:00 AM. I ran outside, put away a lot of the junk we (I) have lying around and took down the canopy. Today it turnes out that the storm will miss us and we'll get some rain and wind. Whew!

Last week Liberal Academy was "closed" so we could host a summer school of Japanese kids. I didn't have any of my regular students. Instead I taught English to two of the mothers of kids in the summer school. One mother, Kumi, brought her daughter, Marina. It was a fun class. Kumi and Sayako had some proficiency in English. Marina, it turned out, has a pretty good vocabulary but no experience in speaking. Getting any of them to speak was a chore. I learned a lot about what I need to do in teaching English.

Marina is one of the cutest kids I have seen in a long time. She has flashing eyes and a wonderful smile. She's thirteen but in another ten years she is going to be a heartbreaker. At one point I had all three of them unscrambling sentences. One of Marina's sentencses, when unscrambled, was 'I like candy.' I asked her about her favorite candy. She hemmed and hawed and consulted her mother in Japanese. At one point, to illustrate eating her favorite candy, she held her fist in front of her mouth and moved it back and forth. Sayoko and I exchanged a look and looked away and let her mother deal with that but inside I was laughing. It turns out she loves lollipops. I hope, it the future when she discovers sex, that she does not remember this incident.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 08:36 PM

Gordon just introduced me to Google Earth. Check it out. Wakana and I can see our house!

Google Earth is a program you download that allws you to view satelite photos of the earth. The resolution is terrific (mostly). Wakana and I looked up our house and it is clearly there though it looks like the picture is a few years old. The house still has its back corner and the neighbor's house has not been built yet.

I looked for my parent's home but the pictures of Maine do not have a very high resolution. Neither do the pictures of Nasushiobara so we couldn't see Wakana's home either. But check it out. If you are curious about Guam about half the island is clear.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,Greg
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 03:49 PM

Hi Brett, I found this thread by accident and went back to the very start. It took me a couple of afternoons to read it all, but it was well worth the time. I was on Guam in the mid-70's, lived on the naval base and remember many of the places you have spoken of. You have a way of bringing words to life. Thank You for sharing.
                                        Greg

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 04:47 PM

Brett-

Check out Google Earth for Georgetown, Maine. For some reason the resolution is high enough in that area of Maine to see our family farm on Robinhood Cove.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Aug 06 - 03:12 AM

Wow, Greg! That was a major undertaking. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Stick around for the next chapter.

Saturday afternoon Gordon called to tell me that a tropical depression was on its way. Wakana and I raced around in the deepening dark and rain getting the canopy down and putting away the junk that seems to expand beyond out outdoor closet. We ate pizza for supper and collapsed on the couch to the sounds of thunderous rain showers. Next day was cloudy and rainy but... no wind. The storm had puffed into existence and threatened us within 24 hours. Just as quickly it had dissipated.

Today I had my class with Ji-Young and got the story on her hiking trip. She told me it was hard. She'd had the wrong shoes and got soaked by the rain. She wasn't able to talk with anyone because she had to keep moving. They were out there for five hours. When I apologized and sympathized I got the rest of the story. She didn't go back last week and isn't going back next week because the hikes are classified as 'very difficult'. She will be going after that when the hike is classified 'medium'. She realized that she liked the experience. I think she is one of those people who love a challenge and one of those hikers was a 70 year old man. I think she doesn't like the idea of being out-hiked by someone 37 years older that she.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Aug 06 - 10:06 PM

What a week! It has been very busy and challenging. I guess I was working with seven students at various times. Two of them brought in additional students! My boss is thinking that I should continue to work with the individual students when we begin the dropout program. I appear to be gaining some popularity with the students. One of the Japanese students told Wakana that I make her comfortable becuase I am familiar with Japanese customs and the language. That's all very well but it doesn't explain why one of my Korean students brought in a friend to sit in on a class.

For me I truly enjoy the work. Most of my students are women, lovely younger women. They are a joy to look at but I adhere strictly to the no-touch rule. I am mature enough to know that looking is OK but closeness is not desired on their part and it wouldn't do my life any good at all.

On an educational level the work is very challenging. Most of the students have paid for classes rather than individual lessons. That means I usually have students working at different levels of ability. Some can understand me very well. Others do not understand at all without a lot of help.

Then there is the difficulty with dealing with Asian women. They do not readily reveal anything. So after you work very hard at getting them to say something, thinking they do not understand, they speak clear English without a bit of hesitation. One of my students is there because her husband (another of my students) believes she cannot speak English. After a few moments of conversation I realized she speaks better than he does!

The school has been running a summer school for Japanese children, teaching them English in the morning and taking them out for adventures in the afternoons. The kids are in Guam with their parents. Three of the mothers decided to take English classes while their kids are in summer school. One mother brought her daughter to my class for a week then the little girl was to join the summer school in the second week. She is the cutest kid with bright dancing eyes and an infectious smile, and very shy. She is also very bright. We had fun working together. After one day in the summer school she asked if she could rejoin my class. She said she'd learn more English from me and then could spend the rest of her day with her mother.

I was very sad on Friday when they finished their last lesson.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Aug 06 - 05:50 AM

When we got home on Friday we found that the air conditioner was dead. We called the landlord and a repairman, a tall Phillipino named June, was out the next day. He determined that the fan motor was burned out. That was Saturday afternoon. There was no chance to get the motor repaired that weekend. Today is Monday and now the landlord has a motor. Tomorrow we get it installed (I hope).

The weather has been cool (low 80s) but rainy. The humidity is very high. I washed clothes on Saturday and hung them up on door frames around the house. Today, on Monday, I finally took them down. They are relatively dry. Paper in the house is like wet cloth. All surfaces are sticky. I hope we get our A/C going soon.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Aug 06 - 01:03 PM

Still loving this SO MUCH, Brett! Thanks for the links to pix and for sharing.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 08:26 AM

The air conditioning is FIXED! And we have no water... "Showered" tonight with a plastic bowl and a washcloth.

Here's a question for those in the know. Wakana has created a very good set of flash cards for teaching Japanese. Does anyone know how flash cards get published?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 10:54 AM

Yea A/C!!

I would assume with the flash cards, one could submit them to a publisher, one that is known for publishing those types; print & package them oneself, in standard postcard size that shouldn't be too complicated; or, see if somewhere like cafepress.com has a blank set which you can set up with your designs. I don't think they do, as you'd have to do a different product for each card. Maybe check with a playing card manufacturer. Also, check with any specialty advertising company.

Good luck, that sounds neat!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Aug 06 - 08:24 AM

Today I had an arthrogram on my wrist. If you've never experienced the joys of the arthrogram take my advice. Avoid it if at all possible.

I was seated in a chair with my arm on the table. The doctor turned on the machine so he could place the needles with the novacaine injections. Then he got out the big needles to inject an X-ray fluid. He had to sink the needles in between the bones in my wrist and then inject the fluid. I'm not sure at which point I passed out. I woke to find the doctor and his assistant holding my legs up in an effort to re-establish blood flow to my brain. After that I was too groggy to notice what the doctor was doing and he finished his work.

I went out, paid for the procedure and headed for home. I hadn't eaten in a long time so I grabbed a chicken sandwich at Micky Dee's. Pulling out of the parking lot I heard a strange noise from the front end. I hoped it was from one of the other cars around me. My wrist was abnormally swollen with all the fluid he'd pumped in there and bleeding from the large needle holes. It hurt like hell. I headed home for an ibuprofen and a nap. When I got to Agat the sky, which had been threatening all the way home, opened up like someone had upended a bucket. My windshield wipers couldn't keep up. There were no puddles in the streets, only lakes and rivers. I was still groggy and my wrist hurt and the power steering pump or the front end was making a funny noise. I was never so happy as when I pulled into my dooryard. In the fifteen feet between the car and the door I was soaked to the skin.

Now the swelling has gone down a little and the pain has been reduced somewhat. I'm headed for bed. It's been a lousy day.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Aug 06 - 12:15 PM

Yikes, Brett! You mean to tell us you didn't consider getting a friend to drive you home?

I suppose, better a lousy day than no day at all. Be aware that though your luck tank is apparently not running on empty, it may be getting close.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Aug 06 - 04:27 PM

Yeah, I probably should have but nobody told me the procedure was so difficult. Wakana was working and I just went of in my innocence to have a little test done on my wrist.

It's funny, last Sunday I decided that I would try to swim a lot more than I do. Every day I drive past Fisheye, a great place to snorkel and swim. Fisheye is a tower that stands in thirty feet of water. Tourists pay to walk out along a bridge and descend the circular staircase to a lounge where they can see the fish swimming in their natural environment. The coral has grown into fantastic shapes and the fish are large and varied in their color and their species. It's a good swim. The water is generally calm and there are few currents. Many of the dive companies take tourist divers there. It's not unusual to see large groups of divers wading out through the shallows for the deep water.

So, anyway, I decided a nice swim every day would be good for me. Unfortunately there has been some other requirement, task, or deprivation come up every day since then! It's not fair!

And there is another chapter in the Government Auction Saga. I did not bid on anything in this last auction. There was a diesel truck for sale but I guessed it would go for about $5,000. Nothing else appealed to me. Gordon, however, is a different story. He bid on several lots including the truck. It turns out I was right about the truck. It sold for $5,500. Gordon didn't get it. He did end up with three overhead projectors, some other electronic gear, and seven hundred and twenty plastic canteens. Remember the collapsable water tanks? Remember the mattress covers? Now he has a surplus of canteens! Sigh. Anyone want one? Or two? Or a dozen?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 07:52 AM

Tonight after work we stopped in at the Mermaid Tavern for supper with some of the crew. The assistant director at Liberal Academy is Dan O'Keeffe. He swam for the American team in the 2000 and 2004 summer Olympics. He runs swimming seminars and coaches teams also. He's a very nice guy and a good person to work for/with. In December they will have the second annual winter loop swim race. The sponsors want to call it Dan's Cup. We had a great time around the table swilling beer and postulating on who would want to compete for Dan's Cup. According to Shinko Dan has lots of girlfriends so I assume they would be interested...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Aug 06 - 10:48 AM

Brett-

"Dan's Cup"? You know there may be a song in this one.

Musing further, have you considered working up "Tales from the Mermaid Tavern"?

There are millions to be made from such a potential best seller.

As your mainland agent, I'd like my 10%.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Aug 06 - 08:36 PM

Charley, Charley, Charley, how many times do I have to tell you? There hundreds of pennies, maybe even a thousand, to made in folk music. Certainly not millions. Just think, a million pennies would be $10,000 dollars! I can't imagine anyone making that kind of money in folk music. I know there are some people who claim to make that kind of big bucks but they travel a lot you know [wink, wink, nudge, nudge]. What would happen if their bags were ever searched. Who knows, they might be smuggling kumquats!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 02:13 AM

q.
How do you make a million in folk?

ans.
start with 2!!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 10:13 AM

Rolls in, rolls in,
My god how the money rolls in, (rolls in!)
Rolls in, rolls in,
My god how the money rolls in!

My brother's a street missionary;
He saves little girlies from sin;
He'll save you a blond for a dollar –
My god how the money rolls in!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 11:16 PM

Then there's the old story of the fishermen (or folksinger) who won the lottery. When asked what he was going to do with all that money he replied, "Keep on fishing (or singing) till it's all gone."

Wakana is out mowing the lawn this afternoon. She loves to cut things. Last week she hauled me into a chair and held me down while she trimmed my beard and hair. At breakfast she looks out the window at the jungle and sighs wistfully wishing for a chain saw. I swear she used to live in the Sahara Forest.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 07:54 AM

For the last nine days the island of Guam has been hosting twenty six Japanese seventh graders and their five chaperones. Liberal Academy has been part of their visit, teaching them English and providing tour operators. Tonight was their farewell party.

For those of you who have or have had teenagers you may remember what they are like when excited. Consider the five men and women who volunteered to chaperone this group. For nine days they have put up with twenty girls and six boys all about thirtten years old. If there is an award for endurance it's being wasted on athletes.

We met at the Holiday Plaza at the VIP Chinese Restaurant. We sat at round tables with a large lazy susan in the middle. The wait staff dropped plate after plate of food on the lazy susan and we worked our way through vegetable dishes, brocolli beef, sweet & sour shrimp, fried rice, and a very spicy tofu dish.

The kids had "organized" an entertainment, demonstrating as only kids can, the mysteries and wonder of Japan. We saw karate and kendo demostrations, half heard riddles, enjoyed origami, and watched them dance to YMCA and the Macarana. They all wanted to be in a picture with everyone else. It was a rambunctuous and noisy evening.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Aug 06 - 07:43 AM

Today was to be my slow day. I had a class with two students in the morning and then nothing for the rest of the day. But... life has a nasty habit of hitting you when you least expect it.

When the boss arrived she announced that two of the other employees were out sick. She wasn't feeling well either. At 2:00 she and the only other employee that was left had to go pick up another load of Japanese summer campers. The sticky point was that there were six Japanese kids in the back room that needed English lessons. There was only one person who could do the job... moi.

I had forgotten how noisy and rambunctious kids could be when you don't share a language and have no time to prepare for the experience. At one point I made up a treasure hunt and sent them out in two teams to search the hotel for various things. Peace reigned supreme for a short time.

I'm tired.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 05:32 PM

Disaster! I just learned that sometime last week the Mermaid burned! The only brewpub on the island is closed and gone! The only place that makes a good pale ale.

Charley! I blame my years with Roll & Go. Remember laughing about the places that closed or were destroyed after R&G played there? Did I acquire the R&G hex?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Aug 06 - 07:02 PM

Come on back to Maine, Brett. We'll even build you and Wakana a pub.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: curmudgeon
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 03:55 PM

Don't mean to add insult to injury Brett, but two of the places that you and R&G played at last year's Maritime Fest have gone out of business. I'm still scrambling to replace them -- Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Aug 06 - 09:03 PM

Ouch! Tom, didn't Charley warn you about the negative side of R&G? We seem to have that effect on places. I had hoped it only applied to R&G but it seems to have attached itself to me!

Yesterday I had to admit to a failure. It was one of my tourist students, a fouteen year old girl. Marin's mother brought her in because Marin has not been succesful in school English classes. I was supposed to give her a leg up. I failed. The kid KNOWS English. She has a very good vocabulary. She can construct sentences. Her pronunciation is good. But she refuses to use it. She would not speak to me unless I dragged the words out of her. Our "conversation" became a string of questions from me, mostly centered around the "What is it?" variety. Yesterday I worked with her for two hours, walking around Paseo Park showing her the sights to be seen there. We stopped at the Jamaican Grill for some of their delicious iced tea. We saw a fishing boat bring in a seven foot long marlin. We watched Manny carve on the paddling canoe and Anthony carve on a paddle. Yet, at the end of the time we worked together she still refused to speak unless forced. It was the classic young-girl-not-wanting-to-talk-with-the-old-man story.

Sigh.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Aug 06 - 11:27 AM

Brett-

The "curse" of the old Portland Folk Club may still be running amok, in the demise of the Mermaid Tavern. But think of the possibilities for a new drinking song:

THE OLD MERMAID TAVERN

Some friends and I in a public house
    were playing dominos one night,
When all a-sudden the bottleman comes,
    his face all chalky white;
"What's up?" says Brett, "Has you seen your Aunt,
    Has you seen your Aunt Mariah?"
"Me Aunt Mariah be buggered," cried he,
    "The bleeding pub's on fire!"

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 04:34 AM

"Hello!" he said with evident false cheerfulness. "I just came from the hand doctor."

It appears the arthrogram was a complete success and now he knows what he needs to do. It appears that there is a torn ligament that needs to be repaired. They will do the surgery on September 7. My right wrist will be out of action for 6 to 8 weeks. He intends to put in some wires that will keep the wrist from moving for that whole time.

At the end of the arm bones is a crescent of three bones that make up the first of the wrist bones. The bone nearest the thumb has separated from its mate and now rolls in the wrong direction when I flex my wrist. The most hopeful scenario is that there is enough of a "tag" on each bone that he can sew it back together using arthroscopic techniques. The next is that there is enough of the ligament there that he can anchor it to the bone with a minimum of intrusion. The most intrusive technique comes up if he hasn't got enough in there to work with. Then he'll have to open up the wrist, steal a piece of bone and ligament from another part of the hand and then attach it in the right place with screws.

All in all it will not be a fun experience.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 08:18 AM

doesn't sound like it will be.

sandra (crossing her fingers that no. 1 is the right one)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 09:27 AM

Youch!

Well, at least they have a clear picture of what the problem is.

If they can't find enough of your ligament to do the job, you could lend them an old guitar string. Are yours still catgut? Duct tape should do a great job of immobilizing your wrist.

But youch!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 12:22 PM

Ooh.... brings back memories! I had three lots of surgery on my left wrist after a bad break a few years ago. People said "lucky it's your left wrist", but I soon found out how many things you need two functioning hands for! That part's a bit of a nuisance.

It took a while, but despite gloomy predictions from some, it's now as good as new. Lets hope your hand doctor is as good as mine was, and lets hope the easiest option works out!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 01:07 PM

Oi, mate. Lemme know if you need someone to give you a hand.   (Groan).

Serously, I wish you great success. Tell him not to use KrazyGlue.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 01:26 PM

..as long as he doesn't finish up like the earth - mostly 'armless (double groan).

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 05:12 PM

CTM (Chuckle To Myself, i.e., not as hilarious as ROTFLMAO. It's all a pun really deserves when a groan is not enough.)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Aug 06 - 06:24 PM

Krazy Glue might be just the thing, ackshully.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 06:12 AM

When the doctor told me my right wrist would be out of commission for 6 to 8 weeks I commented that I would have to teach my left hand to do a few things, such as brush my teeth. He chuckled and suggested a vibrating toothbrush. I thought that was a good idea but that there was the other end of the alimentary canal to think about. My left hand has no experience down there. He said that is what a garden hose was for.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 08:47 AM

your doctor sounds all right!

I was laughing at CTM then I read the last post - good thing no neighbour was walking past my door, it would have been too hard to explain what I was laughing at.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Aug 06 - 09:43 AM

Buy another toothbrush with a little clip to hold the paper.

Don't you have a cat. 5 typhoon aimed at you?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 09:22 AM

Supertyphoon Ioke is indeed headed generally in our direction but seems to be running off to the north. Top sustained winds at last check were 140 knots with gusts up to 170. It's still a long way off but it is a big one. It looks like the eye is as big as Guam! We should be OK.

LOL! I just realized what you meant about a totthbrush with a clip for the other end! Sometimes a I'm a little slow on the uptake.

Last Monday Maiko joined my group of students. Actually she paid for a class lesson but we were able to schedule her for a couple of one on one lessons. When she arrived she had some words in her vocabulary but she couldn't form a definite sentence. Today she asked a fellow student for a ride home... in English! I feel better. This is much better than Marin.

One side note. Maiko is 21 and is as cute and sexy as a young Japanese woman can be. We went through the vocabulary list on Monday and when we got to the colthing words she knew most of them but not "pajamas". I indicated by signs that they were clothes one wore to sleep. "Oh," she said, "No, not me." That was not a mental image I needed just then.

This afternoon a lovely woman walked into the office asking about Japanese lessons. She has a heavy European accent. It turns out she's Hungarian and on the island until December. I asked where she's working. It turns out she's an exotic dancer at one of the strip clubs. She speaks four languages and is bored enough that she wants to try Japanese. I love this place and this job. You meet the most interesting people.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Aug 06 - 09:51 AM

Brett-

Maybe if you explain to the exotic Hungarian dancer that you performed at the Mermaid Tavern, she can get you a try out at her dance club. Maybe you can work out "Sally Free & Easy" as a duet.

Maybe we should revert to discussing battery operated toothbrushes?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 07:05 AM

I think we are safer with the toothbrushes.

I am very tired tonight. I finished at the Japanese School at 3:00, stopped at the laundromat to wash our towels, picked up the mail and bought our drinking water before getting home. I collapsed on the bed and slept for half an hour until a car wreck in my dreams woke me up. Now Wakana's home and we've eaten our leftovers and I am headed for bed as soon as I generate a list of adverbs for Maiko. Tomorrow I woke until noon and then I am going for a swim in the hotel pool.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 10:07 AM

speaking of Hungarian accents (as we were)

My sister started learning Latin in High School, but changed to German as the Latin teacher was a Hungarian who learnt his English from a Scot!

My friend Bernadette left Hungary in her 20's & speaks with a lovely Hungarian-American-Australian accent

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Aug 06 - 11:06 PM

I have a new student starting next week. She is Japanese who has lived for a year in Australia. It will be interesting to see what she sounds like.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Sep 06 - 01:12 AM

Sooo, does anyone want to pick up a quick $300? I need another English teacher for a short term class of 54 Japanese students from September 15 to September 29. The only pre-requisites are that they need to be native English speakers and have either a college degree and/or a teacher's certification.

You have to cover your own travel expenses.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 02 Sep 06 - 02:52 AM

Hi Brett
I guess you'd better put the 12 string down, eh! Sorry to hear about your hand. Hey, you remember that dance from the early 60's, the hand jive? Your new dance student might like being taught that one. Opps, sorry again, maybe I can fill that vacant position & teach her instead? I don't think so, I just remembered about all the steel, bolts & screws in my ankles. Go find a younger english speaker, I don't think I can fill the bill.
That's one hell of a strom you got out there, I'll be watcking for you. If it gets bad just jump on a plane & head for DC & stay till Nov. if it hits school will be out for a while anyway & we'd all be happy to see you guys again.

Best of luck
Barry & Justine

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Sep 06 - 04:11 PM

The storm is moving more to the northwest now so we are safe. It's headed for Japan though so we are worried about Wakana's parents. I haven't checked the storm track lately so I don't know if it is threatening Japan or not. They live about a hundred miles north of Tokyo.

What is/are hakers? The ad at the bottom of the page is for HAKERS.ORG but the lettering is all in a cyrillic script. I ain't gonna click on that one. Couldn't read it anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Sep 06 - 09:23 AM

now Google is telling us about Surplus Military Tents & to Prepare for Emergencies! Do theey know something wwe don't?

I love those Google ads! (but I never click on them, sorry Max)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:37 AM

I should have expected something like this. Some days nothing goes right. This afternoon, after I finished at the Japanese school I had to pick up Yuki at the university... Oh, wait, you don't know about Yuki yet.

Our boss, Shinko-san, has a friend in Japan. The friend has a daughter who wants to learn English and go to an American University. That daughter has come to Guam and will stay with a host family. But... THe host family is off island for a while and Shinko-san is all up tight about some investors who are on the island. She has to entertain them in true Japanese style. So we get the kid. Her name is Yuki, she's 18, fresh out of high school, and eager to get to college. She is one of those women who look a little masculine but when she smiles she has dimples. She's very cute.

ANYWAYYYYY, I was supposed to pick her up at the university and then swing by and pick up Gordon on my way home. He was delivering his son's car to his son's house. How that happened I have no idea.

And that's when the left rear tire chose to blow out.

So there I am beside the road with Yuki and Gordon waiting in the sun. I dug out the spare and found that it was flat. But then a young Palauan couple came by and the young man helped me with the tire and then went off to the Shell station to fill it up. Very nice young man. His girlfriend is a student at the school and is taking Larry's Micronesian history class. She went to the canoehouse last weekend.

But it has been a difficult afternoon. Yuki is asleep, she fell asleep in the car and dropped out on the couch when we got home.

Tomorrow at 9:30 I have my pre-operation meeting at the surgical center and then on Thursday I have my operation at 10:30 or thereabouts. In the meantime the school is overflowing with students and the other teacher is not working out. The last student she worked with asked not to be placed with her again. Ugh!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 11:28 AM

Brett, the best of luck with the operation. I hope the interior condition of your muscles and ligaments is better than expected and the prognosis excellent.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 08:44 AM

Brett-

Know that your support group will be collectively gritting their teeth on Thursday on or about 10:30. Of course we have to assume it is 10:30 AM Guam time and figure out what day and time that is wherever we are in the world. Whatever!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:01 AM

You all can unclench your teeth. No operation. It turns out I weigh 357.4 pounds and the operating tables are rated for 350. They won't let me into the surgical center. My doctor argued with them all afternoon and then called with the bad news.

I may be able to get the procedure done next week at the hospital. Same tables, different policies.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Partridge
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 03:32 PM

Hi Brett,

just read through your adventures in Gaum - don't even know where that is??? but its been good reading. I hope everything turns out ok for you. Positive thoughts in your general direction.
love
pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 04:39 PM

Thanks, Pat. I am having fun overall.

I find I get really tired by the end of the week. Wakana wants me to take a break. It's funny. I am in classes only 21 hours a week but I spend a lot more than that preparing. Plus I am still working on the curriculum for the GED Program. And just because I am in classes for 21 hours that doesn't mean I have the rest of the day off. There is transportation time between Liberal Academy and the Japanese School. And the simple human communication time of talking with co-workers. So my days end up being rather full.

I drove to work yesterday, though, feeling pretty good. Driving down Marine Corps Drive takes me past the ocean along most of its length. Every day it has a different look. Coming home in the evening I drive with a view of the sunset and the ocean looks different yet again. It isn't only the surf breaking way out on the reef but the colors, the texture, the sea and sky at the horizon, and the ships passing way out there, big container ships and smaller Navy vessels, all looking small on that big water.

Even with all the bumps life is pretty good.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 04:51 PM

Last night Yuki was showing Wakana pictures of her and her friends back in Japan. They were having fun, typical teenager fun, and taking pictures. One of those fun times was three of them in a bathtub full of suds. Now consider this, teenage girls, bathtub, camera. In America this would never happen. If it did lawsuits and criminal charges would be the next step. But then to show the pictures to strangers! Uh uh! Yet she was laughing at the memory of how much fun they had. And it was innocent fun. Sigh, Americans are such prudes. Oh, and soap covered all the private areas anyway. I think Yuki is homesick.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 06:36 PM

Good thing you checked to make sure, though...


A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,charlie
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 10:45 PM

still laughing at amos aaahahaa

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 12:50 AM

Would you believe that I averted my eyes and had Wakana check?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 12:53 PM

No.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 12:53 PM

:~)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 06:34 PM

Difficult week. I decided to quit my job at the Japanese School. I end each week so very tired and feeling so bad. I had a temper tantrum at Wakana earlier in the week and then realized I had exploded over nothing. I felt so bad. So I handed in my notice and will be done there as of October 12.

We have a group of students from the Nagoya Foreign Language College visiting Guam to study English. Liberal Academy is providing teachers for three hours each morning. I managed to find enough teachers. We met Friday morning to have an orientation with the students and their chaperones. The students are grouped by ability with group 5 being the least able and group 1 being the most able. They want us to shift teachers every day. I took group 5. Those kids are barely able to communicate in English. I don't know what they are doing here but those decisions are not mine to make.

By the way, when I say kids I mean college age. The 55 students we are working with include 40 women and 15 men. Each class has 8 women and 3 men. On my first morning 3 students did not show up for my class. The same thing happened for all the classes. The chaperones had to drag them out of their beds. The 1 kid who finally showed up for my class was pale and sick though she improved as themorning went on. I believe she was hung over.

Most of the women are training to be flight attendants. The rest of the women and all of the men are in communications courses. We have 7 more weekdays with them. Should be interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 16 Sep 06 - 03:56 AM

Those odds are almost three to one Brett. It sounds like what you're doing out there is more of a younger man's job. Sorry didn't mean to bring up the age issue. (HeHe) What Amos said (HaHa).

Take good care
Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Sep 06 - 02:50 PM

My boss is an Olympic swimmer (2000 and 2004). He was supposed to be off island until the middle of next week. For some reason he returned early and spent his first day back (jetlagged and all) hanging around the resort... hmmm.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Sep 06 - 08:14 PM

It has been a hectic week. We started with five instructors. One was going to be out on Wednesday. Then another told us he'd have to leave after Monday. I scrambled around, recruited my boss and filled the positions with no break in schedule. On Thursday the one who was out on Wednesday came back for one day and then quit after one day. More scrambling. Finally I got to the end of the week with all positions filled and no break in schedule. If I was a nervous type person I'd have been a nervous wreck. Fortunately Wakana was here to help.

On Friday we got home as exhausted as we could be. We collapsed on the couch, too tired to even turn on the TV. The phone rang...

It was Wakana's anthropology professor. He is in Guam for a two week visit interviewing people from Yap and Ponpei. He got her number from one of the professors at UOG. The next thing I knew we were bundled out the door and headed for a restaurant. We stayed there until closing time. When we finally got home I went to bed. I told Wakana that I would smash any alarm clock I heard in the morning.

I woke to an intermittent beeping sound. It was Wakana testing different ring tones on our new telephones. Sigh.

My wrist will be sliced and diced this coming Thursday. Those of you who were worrying earlier can go back to worrying. There's really no need. Dr. Landstrom is one of the nation's top surgeons. And if he screws up my wrist then I have a good excuse for why I'm such a lousy guitar player.

I found this thing describing the number One Billion. I accepted it at face value, as I am sure many others have done. But then I decided to play with it. I think they are wrong.

"A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a.. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

b.. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

c.. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

d.. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

e.. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it."

According to my calculations a billion seconds ago was only 1974. A billion minutes ago is closer, the Roman Empire was still around but Jesus was not. It was the year 103 AD. They are right about the stone age (112,149 BC) but that spanned such a long time that they couldn't miss. As for the last one, they are right again. But that was 2,739,726.03 years ago. Nothing was working on legs back then but insects, I think. I didn't look at the bufget to figure that out. I'd guess they are wrong.

If somone could check my math I'd appreciate it but it isn't important except to show, once again, that if someone writes it down someone else will accept it.

I need to go swimming.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Sep 06 - 05:36 AM

did ya check your figures?

why is ggggggoooooogle advertising New Brita Fridge Filters? did I miss something on this thread?

best wishes for the operation.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Sep 06 - 06:30 AM

I ran the figures up on an Excel spreadsheet. I used the American billion (1,000,000,000) instead on the British billion (a million million).

Wakana's mother has added more pictures to her website. You can check it out at http://www17.plala.or.jp/watercolorist/. Please leave her a message. She loves to get those even if she can't read them. Keep your English simple so she can use her dictionary.

Wakana and I went to the beach today. I wanted to go snorkeling but we went down to Nimitz Beach and waded and swam and generally enjoyed the afternoon. The water was very warm, being shallow, and clear as glass.    As we played we could see a big rain squall crossing the island to the north of us. The sky was dark to the north and bright around us. There were families barbequeing in the park and the smell of their cooking came to us as we waded ashore. We'd just had lunch at Hao Mai's, fresh lumpia and chicken crispy noodles with gallons of their delicious iced tea. After we rinsed our feet and dried off a bit we sat in the car with the doors open and enjoyed the breeze and the view. Very nice.

We are resolved to do this every weekend. While my hand is out of action we will just walk the beach but we will swim once I am allowed to get wet again.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Sep 06 - 09:11 AM

families barbequeing in the park

Really??? That a Guam thing?

;~)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Sep 06 - 10:17 AM

Brett-

Best of luck with your wrist operation. Mother has been enjoying the results of her two carpel tunnel wrist surgeries for the last five years, and is painting up a picture again every 3 weeks. Alison Freeman just purchased one of her new paintings of a massive whale and mermaids/mermen sporting about titled "Blue Moon Voyage."

Wish Roll & Go luck today at the Maritime Festival in Portsmouth (NH). Looks as if we may encounter a typhoon. But never mind the weather as long as we're together!

JudyB and I will be off for the UK for a couple of weeks in October and you can follow our adventures there as soon as we initiate that thread.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Sep 06 - 05:08 AM

Good Luck R&G! Watch out for that windy old weather. Life here has been quite pretty. The other day Wakana and I went out well after sunset. It had been cloudy all day. As we topped the hill we could see a band of clear sky low on the horizon. It was blood red, dark red, with the setting sun too low to see. Pretty amazing.

Lately I've been admiring the sword grass as I drive around the island. It has gone to seed with huge feathery white tufts on top of the stalks. The grass grows six to eight feet high and the tufts toss in the wind like horses' manes.

Tomorrow is our last day with the Leopalace crew. They are off to Japan on Wednesday morning. It has been fun but very tiring. The women are mostly cute and the young men are a mixed lot of handsome and homely. I never could figure out what today's women see in the young men I have met in recent years. Maybe it's a dearth of choice.

Have fun in England, Charley. If you see... well, you know what to say to all our friends over there.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Sep 06 - 11:15 PM

Well Brett, for one thing, their butts don't droop.
I miss you and your lady.
We will toast you with a cup of alcohol-free tea at the Getaway.
Heal soon.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Sep 06 - 09:12 PM

And?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 04:10 PM

Operation yesterday. Typing with left hand. Drugged and dopey. All OK.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 08:35 PM

Brett-

Well, good, I guess. Are you permitted to sip alcoholic drinks? We do recommend "rusty nails" for ameliorating your condition. We do not recommend driving a vehicle, however, after imbibing several rusty nails.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Sep 06 - 03:23 AM

Drinks not an option with all the drugs. Sleepy a lot.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 04:51 AM

Feeling better. Don't need the pain pills quite so much. The doctor says the ligament was cleanly torn right down the middle. He overlapped the ends and sewed it up. The hard part was moving the bones back into their original position. He had to use two stainless steel pins, insert them into holes drilled into the wrist bones and then drag the bones into place. He showed us before and after pictures. The bones were way out of place.

He reports there is no sign of arthritis.

My days lately have consisted of lying around reading and watching TV. Pretty dull. When my wrist starts to hurt (As in increasing pain. It always hurts a little.) I take a pain pill and then a nap. My sleep is full of dreams but they tend to be pretty dull. Can a pill dull pain AND dreams?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 08:03 AM

Brett-

Sounds like you finally linked up with a good surgeon. Things should get better and better.

We had our first frost here in Maine. Time to get out the sweaters and mittens. Oh, I forgot, we're flying off to England on Monday. I wonder if they have frost there?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 11:16 AM

Hi Brett
Hope the wrist is getting nummer & dummer. Here' s your brain on drugs (smile), here's your wrist on drugs@#$%&. Excerise it a lot, don't let it freeze up on you, really, I have a lot of experience with steel, pins, nuts & bolts & frozen muscles. Swimming is just the right thing for it too. Anyway, why not try the Getaway again saaing as your wrist is out of a job, that'll save us from having to hear you play 12 string, HaHa, love to hear you guys singing though. So you're watching the grass grow, eh? And just being a layabout, playing in the surf & turf? Sniffing the salt air & eating lomi, lumpia & ono? It's ashame you gotta work, get that boat & the 2 of you can really do the ocean vagabond, sea gyspy thing. Anymore of this kinda talk & I'm running away. I'd probably go a couple thousand miles south of you though. You can stop in for a visit though.
Take care
Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Sep 06 - 08:20 PM

Hey Barry, what's a couple of thousand miles between friends? Stop in on your way through. We'll take you to Hao Mai's for fresh lumpia.

Talked to home today. They have a wedding scheduled for next week. It will be the third or fourth wedding at the farm. They should know better. All the previous weddings ended in divorces.

Dad says the big maple in the yard was damaged in a recent storm. That's a real shame. That tree was beautiful.

Today is September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, the longest wrk day in the longest work month of the year. I used to hate this month and day. This is such a sweet time of year. I used to drive to work bemoaning my inability to enjoy the days of September. Now I can enjoy them. Retirement is great.

The arm is healing. My only pain now comes from the pair of pins that stick up through the skin. Unfortunately that is a lot of pain. Only 46 days to go...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 06:28 AM

Today I went to the doctor to get my bandages changed. My hand and wrist look pretty gross. There is a large Z-shaped incision on the back of my hand and wrist. It is all purple and red. The two pins run into the same hole but at different angles. The hole looks like a crater, all red and white, and split at the edge. The doctor says he drilled the pins into the bones using the pins themselves as drill bits. His drill turns at about 1000 rpm to do the job. I'm glad I was asleep.

He repackaged it. He expects to be able to put a cast on it next week.

Ugh. I'm tired of this thing already.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:54 PM

Just remember: Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better. OK?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:57 PM

Pain sucks! Sorry Brett.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 12:25 AM

Hang in there, Brett, it does get better. Next time, maybe not look at it when he changes the dressing?

luvyakat

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 03:44 AM

very graphic description! maybe you can screw up eyes tightly while averting head next time the dressing is opened.

love from sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 07:11 AM

Well, I do have some VERY good drugs. The oxycondone makes me sleepy, as does the vicoden. Now I have some naproxin. Of course the side effect is constipation...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 08:04 PM

One thing that does NOT help is that the sky has been grey and cloudy for over a week. It has rained off and on since the operation. I am looking out right now at a heavy steady rain soaking the jungle that is our back yard.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,charlie
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 09:57 PM

Brett,a wonderful thread,ive read it all.descriptive and entertaining,filled with fun and adventure,happy moments and sad,fine writing of a life well lived.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 04:54 PM

Thank you, Charlie. Stick around to see what happens next.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 08:50 PM

Abnd what happens is "200" Greg

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 09:15 PM

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam
And the skies are not cloudy all day...**bg**

luvya!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 12:38 AM

We have lots of buffalo (water buffalo or carabao), some small deer that could be antelope, I suppose, and lots of clouds. We Never have a clear day. There are always clouds, usually small puffy ones. Now it's all dark grey leaky ones.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 06:58 AM

Wakana and I are discussing our holiday plans. We get two weeks off at Christmas time. We will probably go to Rota for a few days, make it our anniversary celebration.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 08:59 AM

Today was my last day at the Japanese School. It was hard to say goodbye to the kids. I felt bad all afternoon. The younger class had planned a goodbye party for me consisting of games. They were noisy and boisterous and sad to say goodbye. At the end of the games they had me sit in a chair and they stood in line in front of me. Each one stepped forward to shake my hand and thank me for being their teacher. They did this on their own, no prompting from outsie the classroom. Pretty cool.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 09:49 AM

what a wonderful way to show how much they appreciated you.

hope you are feeling better & are able to use your hand a bit

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 08:29 AM

Today I was "cast" in a new part. A nice blue cast, fiberglass and hard as a rock. The nice thing is that now I can straighten my elbow. What a feeling of freedom. I bet the removal of the cast will be the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 08:35 AM

By the way, Wakana and I went shopping for a birthday gift for a one year old grand-daughter of a friend today. When we stopped to buy gift wrap I bought a clown nose and wore it out of the store. It felt good to be wierd again. As we went out the door some woman complimented me on the nose.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 11:32 AM

Brett-

Glad to hear you're well on the way to recovery. Not of your sanity of course but what the hey!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, wandering through Wales

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 01:10 PM

Keep that up, Brett, and we will include you in on Wakana's trip to the Christmas Tree shop.
Glad to hear you are feeling better.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Oct 06 - 05:19 AM

While I was in surgery the doctors noticed my heart rate drop to 30 bpm. It didn't affect my blood pressure but they were worried by it. Yesterday I was hooked up to a portable heart monitor that I had to wear for 24 hours. Such a thing plays hell when you are planning a romantic night...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 14 Oct 06 - 01:58 PM

Sounds kinky Brett..."Let's see how fast your heart goes when I do this"

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 12:20 AM

Hmmm, no sympathy from that quarter I see.

We have our first GED student at Liberal Academy. I expected college age kids set on partying and fun. This woman is 28 abd very serious. I hope she is typical.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 12:22 AM

28 ABD? Is that like the lass from Assizes, of several sizes?

Turn her in for a .38, senor.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 10:45 PM

Heyu look, you try typing with your off hand and see what hsafgds

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 11:15 PM

That'll tell him, Brett.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 12:34 AM

us 3 fingered typists have no trouble typing with 2 fingers of our left hand!

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 05:50 AM

LOL!

One of the things I dread about any gathering is the person or persons who go on at length about their illnesses. There are some 'Catters who are suffering through terrible times and yet we hear little from them about illness. I honor them.

I say this because I am afraid this foolish little BLOG has become just what I hate, an endless litany of illness and pain. But when you are sick and house bound there is precious little news to offer.

All this is a lead in to yet another problem... kidney stones. I am in pain and have been all day.

'Nuff said.

Last week I complained to the doctor about pain under the cast. He split it and loosened it up but did nothing to relieve the spot where the cast rubbed on the end of the pins. So, on Saturday, Wakana and I played doctor. No, you gutter minds, not that way. We had our own operation. We used a hole saw to cut into the cast above the pins and took out the four or five layers of fiberglass that covered the pins. Then we cut through the bandages and opened up the area over them. Relief was instantaneous.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 07:01 PM

I swear, Brett, you have married a Wonder Woman. Next it will be surgery with a...saw?**bg** Glad to hear that worked out okay! And, NO, this has not turned into a pity party blog. It is still interesting and fascinating and what ever else I can say to keep you posting, dammit! I wanna hear more, always, just like with Roger the Skiffler's Greece threads.

FWIW, I also have GED. I used to tell folks it proved that I knew something, compared to those high school graduates I knew who just squeeked by with barely passing grades!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Oct 06 - 09:53 PM

I respect anyone who goes after and attains the GED. Many people make mistakes when they are high school age. The GED proves that they wanted to work for their education. And the GED test is much harder than anything they would have encountered in the high schools. Good on ye!

Medical news: Emergency room - 2:00 AM - morphine and CT scan - kidney stones confirmed - feeling better today.

Wakana, bless her heart, is the best wife anyone could ask for. She is a real trooper. Her support and help have really made a difference. I love her dearly.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Oct 06 - 08:33 PM

Yikes! Glad you are feeling better...too much calcium in the water there makes too much in your *water*?**bg** Feel better. {{{{{{Brett & Wakana}}}}}

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Oct 06 - 08:51 PM

egads - what next?

GOOD HEALTH!

you have done enough to support the Medical industry, get out there & start supporting the local history or tourism interests.

sandra (who has also given lotsa money to high paid medical folks this year)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 25 Oct 06 - 12:34 AM

Brett, something like that happened to me. The srews in my foot were backing out & were causing some real pain & I had to go back & have it taken care of. My Daughter told me she could've saved me alot of time & money, she said I could told you that, you've alway had a few loose screws.
Nice relief job, good thing you didn't try to use a hole saw.

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Oct 06 - 04:29 AM

The hand doctor put a new cast on me today. He didn't like my customization job. This time HE left a window in it over the remaining pin. I got a chance to clean my arm before he recast it. Lots of dead skin. UGH! The wound looks ugly. He's got me on an antibiotic because the hole is a direct path to my inner recesses.

The OTHER doctor tried to get the medical report on the kidney stones from the hospital but it appears they haven't written it up yet. So we are into pain management until they figure out what to do next.

But I did get out of the house today. It started out raining but cleared off to a lovely tropical day. The ocean was beautiful, small surf out on the reef, puffy clouds drifting by, idiot drivers on the road...

OH! I forgot to mention another Guam bureacracy moment. Way, way, back in the distant mists of time I applied for a position on Guam's Ethics Commission. I filled out the paperwork, got the court and police clearance, and filed it all with the Governor's office. Nothing happened... until yesterday. I got a call from the governor's office telling me I had been selected for the board. All I needed to do was bring a recent police clearance and sign a form letter (I assume the letter gives my soul to Gov. Camacho).

It's been at least a year since I filed for the position. Fast work.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 25 Oct 06 - 08:57 PM

So you sign this form, and then you are in charge of ethics in Guam?   Hmmm........

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Oct 06 - 11:04 PM

Oh dear!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 02:09 AM

Oh No Mr. Bill, here come the folkies.

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 03:40 AM

Actually it would be a position on the ethics commission.

Remember that Eileen McGann song about being Too Stupid For Democracy? The verse, or refrain, that starts, "Folksingers in the government, and everything must rhyme, folksingers in the government, we'll have a real good time..." Sound familiar?

Knowing Guam it will just be a series of endless meetings with no real attempt to do anything. I gonna do it just to prove that to myself. No use being cynical without a real reason.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 04:05 AM

As you know it has not been my week. Well, I just got home from my first day at work all week. The pain from the kidney stones is under control and seems to be diminishing. I carry, and take, drugs that would get me arrested if I didn't have a prescription for them.

So this morning I headed out to meet my responsibilities to the school and to the new employee that started on Monday without my being there. About three miles down the road I hear a strange sound from the left rear tires. I stopped to look at it and saw that it was very low but still drivable. I was a mile or more from the nearest filling station with air. I slowly turned around and headed back. Not too far I decided to look again. It didn't feel right. Sure enough, it was flat.

Now, you have to imagine the scene. I am by the road, my right arm in a sling, with a flat tire. I am about a mile from the filling station. Wakana is twelve miles away engaged in her busiest day of the week. Gordon arrived home from a trip to the east coast the night before. I haven't even talked to him yet.

I decided to walk to the Mobil station to get a can of Fix-a-Flat. I figured that would at least get me to someone who could repair the tire. I started walking.

I totted up my miseries, the surgery, the swelling, inflamation and pain, the kidney stones, the drugs, the doctors, etc. You know, they say when it rains it pours. Well, that's what happened right after I left the car. Forunately it only poured hard for a short time, enough to soak the grass along the road side and fill the puddles so the speeding cars could splash me as they drove by. Then the sun came out again.

So, it turns out Mobil didn't have any Fix-a-Flat though if I wanted my car to sit by the road all shiny and clean they had everything I would need to bring out hte shine. I finally swallowed my pride and called Gordon.

He had a can of Fix-a-Flat and he brought it by. We pumped it in and the tire came up a little way. We drove it up to the Mobil station and put air in the tire. All was well. I welcomed him home to Guam and he went home.

I drove down to NAPA to buy my own can of Fix-a-Flat and one to replace his. When I got out of the car at NAPA I heard an ominous hissing sound. All the new air we'd pumped into the tire was leaving in a hurry. I got the Fix-a-Flat and drove next door to another Mobil station. I tried my new can of stuff but the gas ran out too fast. I tried pumping up the tire and failed. The hole wasn't allowing it.

Once more I called Gordon. He came down and changed the tire for me (remember, arm in a sling?). Now I had the little donut spare on there. I got the car to Lujan's Tire shop where the rain started again as I got out to negotiate the repair.

It's been a tough day. I am tired and sunburned and still wet.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 09:07 AM

and, as always, an excellent writer!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 10:14 AM

Brett-

I won't say this...No way!

But....

That's what "retiring" is all about!

Whew!

That was a hard struggle.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, rolling over to nap for another hour

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Oct 06 - 03:28 AM

Not much to report on the medical front, Thank God. Wakana has been severely depressed lately and took the last several days off. She has had a lot of pressure at work, she's working with eight students plus doing a lot of office work. And, of course, my medical problems haven't let her relax at home. I feel so bad for her.

But she went out to visit with a friend today. I talked to her briefly on her cell phone and she was alughing and enjoying herself so I am happy again.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 07:02 PM

Some of you may remember way back in November of 2005 that I applied for a position with the government of Guam as an ethics commissioner. It was all for fun. I filled out all the paperwork, sent it in and was told the Governor would look at it soon and I would hear from them.

Last week, let's see, that's nearly a year ago, the secretary at the Governor's office called to tell me they had accepted my application and wouuld be appointing me to the position...

Hmmm, it's an election year. The current governor is involved with a fight for his position... Could it be that... Nah, noboby could be that cynical, could they?

Anyway, you are now hearing from the latest member of Governor Camacho's administration. If he loses the election I'll be out of a job in January.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 07:28 PM

Wow! An ETHICS COMMISSIONER? MAn, that's hot stuff!! Well done, Brett!! I am impressed!
How many ethics do you get to commission on an island that size?

A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 07:29 PM

BTW, if you are going to dabble in Ethics here's the fundamentals:

10 scruples equals a qualm
100 qualms equal a more
100 mores equals a way of life.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 31 Oct 06 - 10:34 PM

Brett-

There's also the ethics assessment best described as "the camel's nose under the tent flap." For more refined ethics calibration it's useful to know the number of "angels that can dance on a pin head." But I'm sure you will do a swell job!

Ethical Quiz:

Question: When is a "spade not a spade"?

Answer: When it is a Republican!

Alternative Answer: When it is a manure fork!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 05:34 AM

Careful with this Dems v. Reps! Camacho is a Republican. I pride myself on being your man behind the lines.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 05:37 AM

I went to the doctor today. Next week he'll remove the cast and pull the pin! I hope my hand doesn't explode after he pulls the pin out...

Next Wednesday night I am going to tune up my guitar and see if I can remember how to play it!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 01 Nov 06 - 08:41 AM

Hmmm - do we know any pin-hauling shanties??

Seriously - sounds like progress. Here's hoping!

All the best,
JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Nov 06 - 06:02 PM

Yesterday we went down the hill to Agat to get our drinking water. We have four five gallon bottles and a three gallon bottle that we use for drinking, iced tea, coffee, and such. After filling the bottles we bought ice cream cones and wandered over to the little drug store. There we met a friend, Cheryl, buying a birthday card. We talked for a while, mostly about her one year old granddaughter, and then went out to talk to her husband, Larry, who was asleep in the car. He told us they were on their way to Gordon's birthday party!

I was astonished. I had not heard of the party, I didn't know, it was a shock, I must have been invited... etc.

We ran home to shower. On the way I had a vague recollection of Gordon telling me of the event. It is a big one, the sixth decade. He shares a birthday party with his good friend Geddell who he has known for many years. There was a huge crowd there, lots of food, plenty of fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Nov 06 - 06:56 PM

Check the pin, Naemanson. There appears to be a memory chip leakage, and one always checks the new stuff first.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Nov 06 - 05:03 AM

LOL!

There is great wisdom in the old saying "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it."

Wakana's great and burning ambition has been to teach Japanese at UOG. She isn't trying for a tenured position or anything. She just wants to work there. So she was hurt and crushed when they had no place for her at the beginning of the semester. Campus politics were involved and she spent many teary evenings working out her pain and frustration.

Last week she was tagged by the university to substitute for one of the professors who has to leave for a family emergency. They gave her a syllabus and a sketchy lesson plan and left it up to her to prepare.

As in all big projects one has to start out correctly. That means, of course, procrastinating until the last minute. Yesterday she woke early, spread out her materials and then did the laundry, washed the dishes, swept the floor, played a video game, took a nap, and then spent the evening at Gordon's birthday party.

Today she has been hard at it all day. She whines and moans about it, complaining, not too seriously, about what she has to do and begging me to teach a class in Japanese. (as a reminder my total Japanese is 'Watashi wa Nihongo ga hanasemasen.', and 'Toile wa doku deska?' I.e., 'I don't speak Japanese.' and 'Where is the toilet?')

I have been laughing at/with her all day as well as doing whatever I can to make the day easier on her. I bought pizza for supper.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 04:00 AM

This morning before getting in my car, I grabbed some CDs from the rack. I didn't really look at what I was grabbing. I needed some different songs in the car.

One of them was Bob Zentz' 'Hove To And Drifting'. As I drove down Marine Corps Drive through Piti, Asan, Anigua, Hagatna, Tamuning, and Tumon, I listened to his music and relived a night in Norfolk with Bob and a few of his friends, sitting in a bar trading songs and stories. The music awoke emotions and brought tears into my eyes, tears arising partly from the themes in some of the songs and partly from the memories of that night and so many others when I sat with friends and music and listened and sang from the heart.

Thanks to all my friends for those memories. And for those of you with whom I have not yet shared such times, I look forward to the opportunity.

If any of you know Bob please tell him of this and thank him for me.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 06:30 AM

I'M FREE! No more cast! My arm and hand are finally clean again. And to make the day complete I passed that damn kidney stone this morning!

Of course the wrist joint hurts like hell. The doctor said it would be a "little" sore for a while. Thank God for pain meds.

After the assistant cut the cast off the doctor came in with some stainless steel side cutter pliers. He said, "This isn't going to hurt the doctor at all." With that he grabbed the end of the pin and pulled it out of my wrist. My wrist looks like hell. The wound where the pin went in is all red and white and puffed up and swollen. But Wakana and I just finished cleaning it and applying the antibacterial ointment. We put on a new bandaid, a big one. I have to wear a splint for the next 6 weeks or so and be nice to that wrist for the rest of my life but it shouldn't hurt after I heal. That will be a blessing.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 07:32 AM

I think I need some of those pain meds after reading how the Dr pulled out the pin.

Or maybe some stomach-settling medicine.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 08:26 AM

Brett-

Happy to hear your wrist is free! Sounds like it will still be some time before you can pick guitar or paddle but getting rid of a cast is a joy!

Those of us in the States who have been living under Republican rule for the last 8 years are now partially free, the Republicans having lost the House of Representatives. The Maine races went well, with Democratic margins increasing across the board; Judy still has her job!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 03:23 AM

The doctor told me that there were 70,000 votes cast in Guam for this last election. We were voting for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, all 16 senators, Attorney General, and a few other elected officials. There were two proposals on the ballot too. Prop A would raise the drinking age on Guam to 21 (from 18). Prop B would allow slot machines at the greyhound race track.

As I said there were 70,000 votes cast but somehow the Guam Election Commission "lost" 10,000 ballots. So there is some question about how the election really came out. Hmmm.

Note, all voting on Guam is done on paper ballots. All we have to do is fill in the circle and slip the ballots into the ballot box.

Further note, it just occurred to me that I have never voted on a machine...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 03:26 AM

Well, I got a better story from the PDN. Nowhere near 70,000 votes cast and no reports of missing ballots. Rumors are free in more ways than one.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 06:19 PM

Wakana and I went to see The Guardian yesterday. By the end of the movie she was in tears. This morning I had to explain the role of the Coast Guard to her. She'd never heard of it before. From the movie she'd thought they were another branch of the military.

The weather has been mild lately, not too hot in the day, nice and cool in the evenings. I've heard there is an El Nino brewing. Is that so? One rumor I've heard is that the el Nino will give us this kind of weather for a long time. I hope our good luck doesn't prove the undoing of other people elsewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 08:36 PM

Our Weather Bureau says the El Nino is back & here it causes drought. Parts of Oz curently are experiencing the worse drought in years.

From their website - Although originally named for a local warming of the ocean near the coast of Peru in South America, "El Niño" now refers to a sustained warming over a large part of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Combined with this warming are changes in the atmosphere that affect weather patterns across much of the Pacific Basin, including Australia. These altered weather patterns often help promote further warming of the ocean because of the changes they cause in ocean currents.

2006/07 El Nino

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 02:39 AM

Thanks Sandra.

I tried playing my guitar today... My fingers are clumsy and my wrist hurts. I'll try again tomorrow.

I should have expected the clumsiness. Lord knows how many mistakes I make in typing. Good thing I edit.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 03:20 AM

curently, I don't edit! Maybe I might, one day. Maybe ...

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 09:00 PM

I've been having great fun laughing at "demotivational" posters online. You can see some of them at this website.

This morning Wakana and I made our usual Sunday morning call home. Dad is working on a model of the slave chaser (a British ship that enforced the anti-slave trade laws) Fair Rosamunde. He is making all the parts himself but was having a difficult time with the deadeyes. I ordered him some from a modeling company in Searsport (Maine). It will be his early birthday present.

Christmas is coming and I haven't started my shopping yet. I am running out of time. PANIC!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 07:14 PM

Big news on Guam! The Hagatna Shopping Center now hosts a new SM store and a new theater! Of course, I have no idea what they might sell in an SM store. Whips, chains, black leather, and latex come to mind but I doubt that is what we will find in there.

The theater is supposed to be very nice and I DO know what happens there.

Wakana's birthday is on Monday and she has forbidden me from buying her a present. I do not plan on following her strictures. In the months previous to this she has been very clear on what she wants and I intend to provide. She's getting an electric chain saw.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 08:31 PM

all wrapped up in pretty paper, & decorated with lovely bows, I hope!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 11:12 PM

Studded with diamonds, I hope!

Good-bye jungle...

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Nov 06 - 02:47 AM

I might be able to do the paper, not so sure about the bows. Definitely no diamonds.

I went Christmas shopping today. I went up to Marianas Handicrafts where we usually buy gifts. We've spent a lot of money in that store and the owner always greets us happily when we arrive. The place is chock full of all manner of hand made crafts from the islands, wood carving, shell necklaces, baskets and woven bags, sarongs, etc. Those of you who got a shell lei from us on our travels have received the benefits of Marianas Handicrafts.

Typical of a male shopper I went in, selected a bunch of stuff and walked out. The owner followed me around and every time I picked something up she would say "That's $4.95 but I can give it to you for $2.50." The ceiling is hung with wood and bamboo wind chimes that hang down shoulder high on me. Consequently she could keep track of where I was in the store by the ringing of the chimes.

As for the stuff I bought I will divvy it up among the people I need to send gifts to and then go back for more if I need to. I also need to go to Butler's to get the larger baskets I like to send home. Anybody want one?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 01:11 PM

It's 3:30 AM and I am awake again. Lately I haven't been able to sleep past this time. It makes the days hell. I don't know what the problem is but I toss and turn and my head begins to ache from the pressure of the pillow. Ugh.

Just so you know, Wakana loves her chain saw. She told everyone what she got for her birthday and then had to explain the she did REALLY want one.

Wakana and I have been enjoying the vicious art of (sometimes) malignant gossip. It is something we do only between ourselves. We have been talking about our students. I have one student, she's 28 and has a killer body and knows it. She is gorgeous. She's one of those women I refer to as "magazine women". She dresses in very sexy clothing. Her hair is permed and hangs across half her face. She seems to peek out from the mass of brunette curls shyly and while speaking in a quiet little girl voice.

This woman infuriates Wakana. She has no depth which is why I refer to her as a magazine woman. This is the kind of woman who has relied on her looks to get what she wants. She peeks out from behind her hair and looks sulky and men fall all over themselves giving her what she needs. Unfortunately she has run into a snag at Liberal Academy. We (the men) are both happily married and aware of our professional responsibilities. Dan, the Olympic swimmer and VP, is single but is aware of the repercussions of starting a relationship with a student. Besides he gets plenty of interest from women who will not wreck his attachment to the school. Chris, our other male English teacher is happily married to a woman who is a full professor at the university. She makes so much money that he can do whatever he wants as work. Consequently he will be a brewer and manager at the Mermaid when it reopens, he works at the public radio station, he is taking Japanese classes and masters level classes at the University, and he puts in a few hours at our school. He's just too damn busy to be able to do anything with a student.

And then there's me. I love to look. As long as she wants to dress that way I'll appreciate the view. But I see her the same way I see a national park, like the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is wonderful to look at but, really, would you want to own one? Besides, as I said, the woman has no depth of character and that's where the real beauty lies. So I look, I appreciate, and then I go home to a real woman and that makes me happy. It makes her happy too. Especially when we talk about that student and how sad her life must be.

And she does have a sad life, in my opinion. She is nearing the end of the time where she can dress that way and act that way and still pull it off. Everyone who truly looks good gets there eventually. The real people are those who realize it and either do something about or compensate by changing their lifestyle. But we've all known those who do not realize that their sexy youth is over. They continue to try to pull off the sexy act well into their not-so-sexy years. She is one of them. The outfit she was wearing yesterday clearly showed that, tight black top that opened to show a lot of cleavage and rode high to reveal her navel, a black micro mini skirt, and white high heeled boots. At the back, showing above the waist of the skirt you could see she was wearing a thong or g-string. And above that her curves are not clear anymore.

She is at the point where she needs to quit playing and apply herself intellectually if she is going to succeed in finding a career and properly bringing up her daughter. Yes, she has a kid, living in Japan with her parents.

Like the Grand Canyon, she looks good but the wear and tear is starting to show. And she has no future but to try to catch a man to take care of her. Sad...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 07:11 PM

I didn't mention Wakana's take on this student. What I wrote above is a distillation of a recent conversation between us about this student (our gossiping). Wakana is, I think, appalled at the woman's lack of depth. She is very superficial in Wakana's opinion. Wakana believes, as do I, that a person's real beauty comes from a person's heart and actions. In this our student is seriously lacking. As I said before, very sad, but I have seen it so many times in the past I should be inured to it.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 10:25 PM

Brett-

You may not have noticed but the Grand Canyon has lots of depth!

LOL

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,charlie
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 10:33 PM

yes,cool thread Brett,but things have a way of working out sometimes.Life kinda rounds out the rough edges.She will find her own in her good time.I myself was a dapper youth,full of vim and vigor,and at 28,lookout! I have matured,of course,and now at 53, things have changed.
My fondest memories remain with Guam, that fine island of happy and kind people,what fun it was.
p.s. I was very distraught to hear Appomattox was a recreation.I swear there was no mention of that during the tour,and I took tons of video,the Mclean house is a fake?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 04:36 AM

The Mclean house is a detailed copy so it could be considered a fake. The original was lost to history because of a fouled up businessman's idea and lack of funding. Many of the other buildings are original but the courthouse is also a copy. The original burned in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Sorry about that.

The student is stepping up the attack. Today she showed me photos of herself taken a few years ago, nude photos. They are very tasteful and artistic, not amateur night with a Polaroid, but still. I think I need to talk to her about her role in a school and our role as her teachers.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 05:54 AM

Yikes! Sounds as though she does need to be spoken to, Brett. Good luck with that.

mainly wanted to let you know I am still reading with great delight and interest. Congrats on your wrist!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 08:37 AM

But then again the vast depths of the Grand Canyon are the product of erosion.

Perhaps some lady/woman at the school should kindly take this student aside and make some discrete suggestions about more appropriate role behavior.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Big Mick
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 08:48 AM

Danger, Brett!!! This seems to be an open, not subtle, suggestion. I would suggest you get together with your employer and discuss how to handle this. I would not want to have any conversation with this woman without others around. To do so opens you up to accusation.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 10:35 AM

Wise and wily, for such a young guy, Mick!!! Been around the block a few times, have we?? :D


A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 06:32 AM

It's funny what news brings out the comments... Appreciate the heads up. I think, and I stress the word 'think', I have it under control. Wakana and I will talk to the boss after Thanksgiving. I'm not a fool. My wife is involved in helping me find a solution.

Thanks for the good wishes on the wrist. I managed to play all the way through Don't Think Twice tonight. My wrist is stiff and motion is limited but the wounds are healing nicely and the fingers still work. My right palm has lost all its tough skin. It is very soft and sensitive. It feels weird.

One of our co-workers invited us to join them at the Hilton for the Thanksgiving buffet. Wakana knows a few of the people who will be there and it will be a chance to get to know this co-worker and her husband better. She is very interesting. She is Burmese (she doesn't use the name Myanmar). She learned English, studied it and has taught ESL in Burma and the United Arab Emirates. Her English teachers were British so she has the most fascinating accent, part Brit and part Burmese. Wakana and I like her a lot.

Tonight, on my way home from work I stopped in at Payless to buy some groceries. It was crowded with people buying their last minute supplies for the big feast day. I tend to lose track of time and then the holidays sneak up on me. But after the rush and madness of a grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving I found myself in a holiday mood.

My boss has a friend who runs a used car lot. I asked him to keep an eye out for a diesel. Now he has one. I've been dreaming of getting a diesel so I can burn waste vegetable oil in it. Now it is time to put my money where my mouth is.

The car is a 1983 Mercedes Benz 240D. It's in fair condition. The body is in pretty good shape but it does have a few spots of bubbled rust. I need to do some serious negotiation. He wants $1500 for it but I think he thinks it is a 1993. Mercedes quit importing the 240D into the USA in 1983 and quit building them in 1985 according to Wikipedia. Of course, I have little faith in that source. It also says that most of the taxis in Africa are 240Ds. It claims they are built like tanks and will run forever. This one has about 171,000 miles on it.

Does anyone know anything that can either support the Wikipedia entry or debunk it?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 06:53 AM

By the by, gang, I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving Day. For those of you in cold climates I hope the day slips by with no bad weather. Actually I hope you all have fine weather and a lovely time no matter where you are and who surrounds you. Raise your glasses and voices and live free and happy.

I give thanks for you and your interest in these words of mine. It has kept me working at recording this new life I've started. I never was one to keep a journal but telling my friends about my life on this remote island has kept me at it far longer than any other journal has lasted. Happy Turkey Day!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 09:24 AM

"Mercedes-Benz first introduced the High Mileage Award in the 1960s to recognize the many Mercedes-Benz vehicles that routinely travel hundreds of thousands of miles — some even eclipsing the million-mile mark.

The current Mercedes-Benz High Mileage champ is Gregorios Sachinidis, a Greek taxi driver who holds the known record of more than 2.8 million miles in his 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D.

The latest Mercedes-Benz to be recognized for surpassing the one-million-mile mark is a 1970 280SE acquired for the Mercedes-Benz Museum Collection from its original owners, George and Luzstella Koschel of Orange County, California. The Koschels bought the car new and drove it for 1,019,000 miles. "

From the MB site.

As far as I see on a quick perusal there are no 240Ds later than the early 80's, although othe rmodels go forward from there.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 03:10 PM

Thanks Amos. I think it is probably a pretty good deal. If he really believes it to be a '93 then I may be able to negotiate a lower price based on the "extreme age" of the vehicle. If he's sharp enough to know what a 240D is capable of then the price won't budge.

Because I am teaching English as a foreign language I have become more aware of the complexities of my mother tongue. Most of us go through life barely considering how complicated and wonderful English can be. Take some time and look up how many idioms are used in English. Talk to a friend for a short time, recording the conversation and then look up your words, one at a time, in an on-line idiom dictionary. It's amazing.

Then there are the words that came to English from other languages. I have a list of Japanese words I like to use with my beginning Japanese students. The list includes typhoon, tsunami, kimono, karate, bonsai, sushi, etc. They love the idea that there are familiar words in English. Of course, that's the last familiar thing they get to see.

The main difficulty they have is pronunciation, of course. Japanese has a limited number of sounds. All vowels always sound exactly the same way. All the consonants (except 'n') are accompanied by vowels.   Some words are made up of one or two vowels. That makes 47 sounds in Japanese and that's all they get. So, their version of the alphabet starts with the vowels, a, i, u, e, o, (their order) and starts with the consonants next, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, sa, shi, su, se, so, etc. CObine that with the fact that you start learning them in Romaji, then Hiragana, then Katakana and you have a full task on your hands.

Yet that is simplicity itself for Japanese who are then faced with English. Considered the difference between the hard sounds of some of our consonants and the soft sounds. Plus they have no 'r'. One of my toughest lessons (for my students) is to get them to pronounce 'ray'. And the pinnacle of success is the word 'really'.

Japanese also has no 'th or 'v'. Adding to the complexity is the fact that the 'th' has two sounds (soft and hard), easy for a native speaker to hear but almost impossible for a new speaker.

English requires the Japanese student to learn how to use more of his/her vocal equipment. You could conceivably speak Japanese only using the front of your mouth with very little lip movement. But English requires the whole set of equipment (from the throat up to the nose and forward to include the teeth and lips) to work in a coordinated process.

All of that pales in comparison to the words that make our language one of the toughest to learn. And there are tons of words that look completely different but sound exactly the same. There are words that have exactly the same meaning but different uses. There are multiple phrases for one use. There are subtle differences in use of completely different words that cannot be used together. There are other words that have to be used together. Sigh, I am amazed at how much work my students face and how much they enjoy the challenge.

One of my current students, Kaori, is a real challenge. She's the same age as my daughter Kelli. She's sharp as a tack and determined to conquer this language. And she has done very well. Before she came to me she had a good command of English and my challenge has been to find the things she doesn't know and teach those. It's fun to present a new concept, watch her puzzle it out, present her with examples, then see the light dawn. Then there is the dismay when I ask her to use the new concept in sentences! Her gaze turns inward, she ponders, I may have to prompt her with conditions that would allow the use of the concept, and then slowly, hesitantly, she brings out a sentence that is usually correct. Cheers and applause and we continue with another sentence. I love it.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 05:34 PM

Happy Turkey Day, Brett and Wakana!

I saw about a dozen of the wild birds patroling a field in neighboring Dresen as I drive down to see mother at the farm today. They really look right at home. Pity I didn't have a 22 with me!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 07:07 PM

I went to see Dr. Landstrom yesterday about my wrist. He gave me some stretching exercises, approved my other self assigned exercises, approved my playing the guitar, and told me not to wear the wrist brace anymore. He also said I can go back into the water! Life is good!

He says my wrist is not quite back to normal nor will it ever be. But I can get back to the things I like to do.

I am almost there on buying the 240D. The dealer had to fix the trunk lid and when they drove it to the garage they found the clutch master cylinder was bad. So they had to replace that too. I hope to take possession soon.

There is a lot going on in Guam this weekend. Yesterday there was a dance festival in Tumon. Today there is a Japanese Festival in Ipao and the island wide Christmas party at Skinner Plaza. Not sure yet what we are going to do. I think I'll go talk to Wakana...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Nov 06 - 07:45 AM

Just another lazy Saturday on Guam. It was cloudy all day. We headed out about 3:00 to go to the pharmacy and the Japanese Autumn Festival at Ipao Beach Park. We'd gone to it last year and enjoyed ourselves though we'd arrived too early to see any of the really fun stuff on stage. This year we decided to go later in the day.

As we prepared to leave the house the clouds that had threatened all day finally opened up and it poured rain. We waited and, as it usually does in Guam, the shower passed.

I had bought a pair of windshield wipers for Wakana (yeah, ain't I a romantic!) and I stuck them on to her car. It began raining as we headed down the hill. Wakana was fascinated by how well the new wipers worked. She kept turning them on and exclaiming about how clean the window was. She's so funny.

The rain let up for the festival. They had apparently gotten some of it but there were lots of people there and the stage was working well. We wandered around the grounds. Last year Wakana had been able to buy some used Japanese novels at the festival and she hoped to do so again. Unfortunately that booth only had Japanese comic books and they are not her cup of tea.

We met the vice-principal of the Japanese School on the grounds and he appeared happy to see me. He told me I could come back if I wanted... I do want to go visit the kids and drop off a holiday card. I also want to show them that I finally got rid of the cast.

We also ran into two of the families we had our Hilton Thanksgiving dinner with as well as one of Wakana's students and one of mine. It was nice to go somewhere and meet up with people we knew.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 03:19 PM

My life certainly is taking some interesting turns lately. Our second GED student arrived. The first I've already described complete with the nude pictures. She is 28. This second student is a 15 year old boy!

Tatsuro is a pleasure to work with. He is sharp and wants to learn. He has a good sense of humor and is working hard. The kid is, as almost every fifteen year old kid is, painfully ignorant of the world and the people in it. When I asked what he does in his free time he just says he "uses internet". He has a diary he keeps on the web (a BLog!) and he writes in it every day.

The other GED "student" has revealed her true colors. She has pretty much given up on actual studying. She rarely attends classes. The boss doesn't seem to care and we have no evaluation method for keeping the students on track so I guess we just let her do what she wants to do. At least she is no longer trying to influence us (men) with her sexuality. And she is still easy on the eyes.

One of Wakana's students, LA, asked me to give her an English lesson. She wanted me to help her with her writing. I agreed reluctantly. After all she is from Canada, the daughter of a Croat father and a Caribbean mother. Her English is very good. Well, the problem was not her English but her confidence. Someone had criticized something she had written and she took it to heart. LA is a very personable and talented woman. She designs and makes jewelry, takes beautiful pictures, writes copy for her catalog, wants to write professionally, and finances it all by dancing at on of the local strip clubs. (Guam has a lot of strip clubs. Between the military and the male tourists there is a large clientele.) So I took the assignment as an effort to reassure her that her style and word use was fine.

And it is. I did not have to exaggerate. She is a very talented writer. We reviewed her descriptions of the jewelry she designs and sells. We talked of other things she could write about and possible markets. I gave her an old English composition text I had lying around and suggested she look at the Writer's Market for ideas on what to publish where. We had a very enjoyable "lesson" in a nice coffee shop. I think she will do well.

I got home yesterday and found that the air conditioner wasn't working. I checked it out. It is a 'split' unit with a cooling unit inside and the compressor outside on the wall. The fan on the outdoor compressor wasn't turning. Sigh. At least we are into the cooler "dry" season. I put that word in quotes because there are two seasons in Guam, the wet season and the not-so-wet season. It poured rain last night… several times.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Nov 06 - 01:59 AM

Today I volunteered to photograph the swim meet on Saturday morning. It is an international race with participants coming from Japan and Guam and other nations. I get to swim out and take pictures of the racers as they swim past. Should be fun.

I went out to view the course today. I was told the buoys were in place but I couldn't see them. I better call Dan and find out if he knows there are no buoys.

I mentioned back on November 22 that I was looking at a Mercedes diesel. Just so you know, I don't have the car yet. The dealer keeps putting me off. He volunteered to fix the clutch master cylinder. Still not done. He says it will be tomorrow....

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 03:38 PM

STILL don't have the car even though I now own the damned thing. But now it's registered and insured and inspected. I pick it up today. Good thing. My Buick died last night. It's been leaking power steering fluid from the power steering pressure switch. Last night I added fluid and drove home. By the time I got there the power steering reservoir was nearly empty.

Anyone want to volunteer to be my buyer for car parts? I generally can't get them here on the island without ordering them. I ordered a new switch and brake pads for the Mercedes last night. It will probably be a month before they get here.

I used my class time with Tatsuro to get the insurance and registration done. We talked in the car. He saw more of Guam than he's seen since coming here. And every place we stopped I encouraged him to speak to the people around us. Poor kid.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 03:11 PM

Yesterday, December 6, was our second anniversary. We didn't do much to celebrate. She worked late and came home to a dinner of fiesta food from the Chamorro Village. We were both too tired to do anything more than watch the tube and go to sleep early.

This has been a very busy time at work. I feel like I'm working full time. It's difficult to keep my students grouped in compatible classes. One student keeps asking for a different time. She is a temporary (tourist) student living with her sister. She is dependent on the sister for transportation. The sister has two small children and my student helps take care of them. Her schedule is not her own.

The sexy student, as I noted earlier, has given up all pretense of being a student. As such the pressure on those of us who would have been her teachers is gone and we males (except for Dan) can enjoy the show without any concern for our marital fidelity. On Monday I entered the office to see her bent over a desk writing a note. The micro-mini skirt she was wearing was too short for that kind of posture. I believe most women wear decorative panties under a short skirt. Something like that would have been better (for her) but the thong only allows a view of skin. You could call a view like that The Pacemaker because it gives the old ticker a jolt.

One of our teachers commented that she has gone into full husband hunting mode. Poor Dan. She has her sights set on him. She is bound to be disappointed. He is in full enjoy-life mode and, for him, that means lots of girlfriends, no interest in marriage.

I got my car yesterday. It's all you could expect for $1500 and less. There is a grinding sound from the passenger side, I think the rear, that indicates a pressing need for brakes and maybe a disk rotor. The steering is little more than guesswork. There is a lot of play in the steering wheel. Not sure what is wrong there but I will figure it out sooner or later. The radio, air conditioning, and most of the accessories do not work.

But it is great to drive that beast. The 240D was a terribly underpowered car. It only had 67 horsepower when it was brand new. Wakana and I went for a ride last night and she kept telling me not to drive so fast. The problem is that the car gives you the impression of speed but in reality it's not going fast at all. There was no point at which we went faster than 35 miles an hour last night.

My problem this morning is to figure out which to drive to work. The Buick leaks power steering fluid like there's no tomorrow. The Mercedes is grinding out it's brakes. Gotta decide.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 03:53 AM

I drove the Buick. If I lose steering I can get to side of the road. If the brakes fail I don't know it until just before the impact.

Gordon and I pulled off the passenger side rear wheel today. the rotor is badly scored. I don't think it can be turned. Tomorrow, or probably on the weekend I will pull it off and take it to a brake shop to see if they will turn it. If not I need a new one.

The rust is iffy. The left side hinge on the trunk lid is rusted off but the right side is OK. I found a case of oil filters in the trunk. Don't know why but they are for the car. I checked with NAPA.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 10:04 AM

Brett-

Your new car sounds like a life-time commitment. Do bring it with you for show and tell when you re-visit Maine in the spring; maybe you can shrink it down so it fits into your checked baggage.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 05:23 PM

Last night Gordon and I pulled the rear wheel off to look at the brakes. That simple job filled me with respect for the people who designed the car. The jack is tall like the old bumper jacks but it fits into a special hole in the side of the car. There's no groveling in the gravel trying to place a wobbly scissors jack under the car. The jack lifts the car easily and quickly.

The wheel is held by five lug BOLTS! I've never seen bolts used to hold a wheel. The disc caliper and rotor look like they come off easily. I am amazed and hopeful. My research on the internet indicates that parts are cheap for this beast. I'm having fun. I wish I'd discovered the Mercedes when I was younger.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 12:46 AM

I'm writing this as a student looks on. I told him about the BLog and what I was writing. Say 'hi' and he can read it tomorrow. His name is Tatsuro.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,Greg
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 01:24 AM

Hi, Tatsuro. I have been reading Brett's adventures since he arrived on Guam. I lived there in the mid-70's and look forward to all of his posts. Although I have never met him, I feel like I know him. I believe he is probably a very good teacher. Good luck.... Greg

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,Greg
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 01:29 AM

By the way, I am from the Hoosier State, Indiana.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 02:22 AM

By the way, Tatsuro is 15 years old.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 01:18 PM

Greetings from Alaska, Tatsuro!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: ClaireBear
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 01:55 PM

And hello from California too, Tatsuro!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 04:51 PM

Howdy, from western Colorado, Tatsuro!

katlaughing

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 05:54 PM

Gidday from Australia

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 10:49 PM

And hello from Maine, where Brett lived once upon a time.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 12:46 AM

Hallo.I am Tatsuro.Thank you for your greeting.
I`m Brett`s student and learning English in Guam.
I came Guam about three weeks ago.
Mr.Brett is such a good teacher!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 01:12 AM

I am not all surprised. It sounds like you are doing fine.

Take a bow, Brett.

Eb

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: GUEST,Partridge
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 01:18 AM

Hello Tatsuro, from Yorkshire in the UK.

Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 07:19 AM

Before he posted his message we looked at a world map to see where all the responses came from. Even though he is a young man with a keen insight into the 21st Century he was impressed by the wide range of places from which people responded. Now if I can just get him to remember to use subject pronouns....

We went to the Micronesia Mall to see the Guam Historical Society Museum. I had told Tatsuro about Shoichi Yokoi and he wanted to know more. For those who don't know, Yokoi was the Japanese soldier who hid out in the jungles of Guam for 28 years after the American forces took it back. Tatsuro was impressed.

The other day I asked him for his definition of adventure. Typically for a young person he came up with something along the lines of tramping wild jungles with limited resources. I explained my own definition which is somewhat less harrowing. I included his adventure, at 15, leaving his native land, to live on his own, learn a foreign language, and go for a GED diploma instead of going to high school... Seems like an adventure to me.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 08:39 AM

gidday, again Tatsuro

Congratulations on going alone to Gaum to learn English! I hope you enjoy your adventure and your English language lessons on the beautiful island of Guam.

Brett, do you still have the PO Box you had last December?

And are we going to see you & Wakana next year? Easter is early - 6th April & tickets are selling for The 2007 National Folk Festival

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 05:06 PM

Yep, same address as last year. I'd thought of changing it because the box is a little too high for Wakana to reach but I usually check the mail anyway.

I'm afraid that we don't have the funds to make any trips this year. We are supposed to go to my nephew's wedding in June but I doubt we'll make that trip either. Besides, my friend Al has a proposition for me that I will take him up on if the opportunity really arises. He wants me to come work for him. He'll feed me but will not pay me a penny. And I am excited enough at the chance that I have seriously begun to work on my weight and muscles. It will be hard work.

Al is the one who is building a boat to travel around the islands delivering mail and medicines. And he wants me and Gordon to make the first trip. I don't have a clue how long we'll be gone but it should be at least a month. And that will be happening around the April-May time frame.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 07:51 AM

wow, my friend Brett-the-Island-Trader! when I casually drop that in conversations folks will really sit up & take notice!

what a wonderful chance for seeing interesting places & meeting new folks, keep up the good work. Besides The National happenes every year & we can wait to see you.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 01:03 PM

Brett-

I really like that scheme of boating around the islands delivering mail and legally proscribed medicines.

Err, have you seen the boat design?

Getting "in shape" is probably a good idea in any event, once your body has recovered from the various operations and affronts of the past year.

With regard to long term plans, Judy and I are considering a re-visit to glorious Australia in the fall of 2007. Sharing part of that vacation might be an option for you and Wakana to consider as well.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 01:39 PM

NOw I'm confused (What's new?): Charley speaks of "proscribed" medicines. Brett speaks obliquely of 'medicines'. Are we contemplating smuggling here?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 09:22 PM

Well, Al speaks of hauling cargo and mail, as well as doing a little smuggling and piracy. Actually it will be LEGAL medicines. And they will be going to the outer islands.

However, I have to give it all up and put a wheelchair on order. I got the news this morning that I have arthritis in my knees. They've been bothering me something fierce lately. I was afriad it as another injury but the doctor looked at the x-rays and pronounced my official geezer-dom.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 07:07 AM

what next? Brett, you are certainly keeping the medical folks in the style to which they would like to be accustomed (or something like that)

Charley - dates in Sydney MUST include a 4th Saturday, somewhere between Feb & Nov, or I will cross you off my list of friends

Brett - I hope your order for a wheelchair won't stop you saving for an Oz visit.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 09:26 AM

Good show, Brett. Love the Island Trader scheme.

Three hundred!!


A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Dec 06 - 11:10 AM

Brett-

Arthritis is no fun and can do real damage if you don't take the proper measures to defend yourself against it. My wife is the resident expert on that, having successfully kept the disease at bay since her early 20's. Part of the winning strategy is knowing what triggers attacks, what kind of medication your body will tolerate and the level of medication that is appropriate, relaxing exercises to reduce stress, but you might consider e-mailing Judy to compare notes.

For my mother, shoulder and hip replacement surgery minimized the problem and she is now completely off the steroids. Some folks have major problems with steroid treatment, both physical as well as mental side effects.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 03:59 AM

Will do Charley. Thanks.

The island trader thing is still iffy. Al is a great guy but I tend to use a little salt when listening to his schemes. Still, I have seen a model of his boat, the Carabao, and it seems like a good design. The boat is long and lean with two outriggers that are half the length of the boat. She runs on a diesel engine turning a prop designed to run half submerged. According to Al that is the most economic design. The prop was designed and built in Germany. The steering system, I can't call it a rudder, is the cowling around the prop. He says it isn't very maneuverable but will make many miles on a load of fuel.

Still, Al is a man of his word and he knows he can get "free" labor from me and Gordon. That counts for something.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 01:50 PM

Brett-

The boat design sounds fascinating.

I wonder how it will perform if there is any wave action.

No rudder? Who the hell needs a stinking rudder?

How about investing alternatively in a collection of Joseph Conrad stories and relaxing in your armchair at home, assuming your air conditioner is working again?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 06:08 PM

The A/C works fine. It didn't take much to get it going after all.

Yesterday we went for a drive in the Mercedes. The A/C doesn't work in that. But we are in the dry season so the humidity is down. The temperature was about 86 degrees in town. We rolled down the windows and headed for Ipao Beach Park.

Some of you may remember that Wakana and I acted as guides for a group of Japanese students from Shodoshima last year. There is another group here again and one of the George Washington High School students called us to join her class in a party at Ipao Beach to welcome the Japanese students. It was a lovely day to be at the park. We ate the food, drank the drinks, and talked with the kids. Then we went up to the new movie theater in Hagatna to see Eragon. After that we took a walk around the shopping center, then around Asan Beach Park (we call it Little Waikiki because on the line of palm trees along the shore) and headed home. A very good day. The Mercedes handled well. We were comfortable and cool enough without A/C.

This morning we will finish up our Christmas packages and mail out our Christmas cards. I don't have addresses for many of you. If you want to PM an address to me I would love to send a card to each of you to thank you for taking this trip with me.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 01:47 AM

I spoke too soon. I got home today to find the A/C dead and the house too warm. Sigh. I'll have to call Gordon.

Christmas is here. I drive under the bright tropical sun and see Christmas decoration evoking memories of snow and cold. I am not a person who is tuned into the passage of time. Events always surprise me no matter how important or how well known they may be. Birthdays fly past without notice including my own. Holidays have little meaning to me any more. All the "little" holidays like Veterans Day, Presidents Day, and Labor Day come up, surprise me, and run off with little notice.

Once more Christmas sneaked up on me when I wasn't looking. Yesterday Wakana dragged me into the living room and reminded me to put up our little tree. She'd bought eggnog so we could do the trimming properly. But it seems like just yesterday we put the tree back into its box. Sigh. And today we received a handful of cards from friends and family. I gotta get mine in the mail...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 10:52 AM

BRett,

There's been some kind of error. It is only Halloween.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 06:50 AM

Oh, whew! I have plenty of time to get the presents in the mail. I can wait for a few more weeks before I have to do anything...

I am really frustrated with my student Tatsuro. He is not making any effort to learn English. I had a long talk with Wakana about him. She'll try to talk to him tomorrow to see if he has some trouble understanding or if there is some other problem. I have to remember he's only 15. I've been working with adults so long now that I am having trouble adjusting my methods to account for his age.

I went Christmas shopping for Wakana today. I got her a... oops, she's looking!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 08:13 PM

I'm sorry. I have been unable to write anything for some time. December was a tough month. We had two people out of work at various times and I had to fill in. I never did find the Christmas spirit that makes the season so much fun. I hope everyone had a lovely set of holidays.

Let's see. Where to begin? The Mercedes is dead. Haven't been able to revive it. The Buick died the day before the Mercedes. I paid good money to revive that one. Someone stole some of the Christmas presents I bought for Wakana and I had to buy more. I couldn't afford to mail the Christmas packages off to the family so they are still in the car. We had to move the office and our "supervisor" proved once again to be no manager. We did the best we could but she didn't arrange for boxes or for a truck. I rebuilt two of the broken down bookshelves before we moved them and made a passing comment that I could probably rebuild the third. She now expects me to do that.

But that's only the negative things that happened. There were lots of good things too. We managed to get the tree up and enjoy Christmas. Wakana made Christmas dinner, her first effort. We had baked chicken legs with mashed potatoes and peas and broccoli. I got lots of shirts for Christmas and a Haig & Haig pinch bottle holding a model of the Quest. My father made that for me and he made a model of a Japanese sailing ship in a square bottle for Wakana. We are on vacation now for another week. Then it's back into the salt mines.

Now it is New Years Day. We went to a nice party yesterday after spending the day rearranging the furniture in the living room. Today we took down the tree and packed away the Christmas ornaments. In a few minutes I am going into that living room for my first formal Japanese lesson. My resolution for this year is to learn to speak Japanese so I can have a conversation with my in-laws.

I went exploring on YouTube for sea shanties and found a little treasure trove. I am going to put the links on another thread.

I went to YouTube because Gordon's son had posted a bunch of proa links in the weekly newsletter. I am going to include them here for you to see what we are doing.

Here is a picture of a modern proa sailing in some unidentified harbor: CLICK!

Here are photos from the local canoe movement on the island. We (the Traditional Seafaring Society) seem to have influenced some other people. We have some members working in both groups. There are pictures here and in the next link of both the other group and some pictures of our group working in the Utt. Good stuff: CLICK!

Here are some more photos of both groups: http://picasaweb.google.com/todosloswhojos

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Dec 06 - 08:17 PM

Oops! That last one should be a link! Here it is as a link. CLICK!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 03:24 AM

The Mercedes is now undead. I cleaned electrical connections, turned off all the mysterious switches on the dashboard and gave it a jump. Damned thing started right up. Pretty cool.

The ships Dad put in the bottles are pretty cool. For weeks leading up to Christmas he kept telling me that Wakana's gift required some assembly. Then he would give an evil laugh. Well, as it turns out he built the ship and got it into the bottle but forgot to mount the flagstaff with the Japanese flag. He provided it with a note saying he expected me to put the flag in place.

BUT! The cork he installed in the neck of the bottle is a solid plug of wood with a toggle at right angles glued into a hole on the INSIDE of the bottle. There is no way in heaven or hell that I will be able to install the flagstaff. So, of course, I have to try. Wish me luck.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 06:57 AM

good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 10:39 AM

Good luck!

And best wishes for the New Year!

JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 02:20 PM

Brett-

Good luck with uncorking the bottle ship. Have you considered drilling the stopper out or emplanting a firecracker?

I particularly like the part in the proa sailing clip where the boat shooting the video runs into a float full of tourists desparately scrambling to escape!

Happy to hear the Mercedes is back on line.

What an icely sleety mess you've missed in Maine this morning.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 06:17 PM

Wow, it looks as though they sail really fast! Thanks for the links, Brett. Beautiful pictures, landscape and people.

Glad to hear the Mer-sah-deez has been ressurected! Luck with the flagstaff and Happy New Year!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 12:19 AM

Our new neighbors are moving in today. We walked over to meet them. He is in the Navy and she is a surgical nurse, Ryan and Megan. Plus Gordon dropped by with his chainsaw and we cut down a bunch of the African Lilly trees that have infested the area between the two houses. We hauled off three pickup loads of tree parts. Now I'm tired.

I was going to go to the post office today but Gordon told me it is a national day of mourning for Pres. Ford. I never forgave him for Nixon's pardon. I guess I can carry a grudge if I really want to.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 06:22 AM

It's Sunday and our vacation is over! Sigh. It's been lovely. Just like being retired... oh, wait, I AM retired.

We didn't go anywhere, we didn't do much, we just relaxed and enjoyed every day at home. Wakana did a lot of prep work for her upcoming semester teaching at UOG. I did a lot of reading, a little writing, worked on my car, and reconfigured my canopy from a pitched roof to a leanto.

It rained a lot, something I begrudge. This is supposed to be the dry season. The weather is cooler but my lawn is still a muddy mess. There is no sharp division between wet and dry season like there is between winter and summer. Sometimes we have dry wet seasons and sometimes wet dry seasons. This appears to be a wet dry season.

It's a pain in the butt because I need to crawl around under the car and the ground is not very inviting. Walking around while working on the canopy each step was a squelching splash. There is lots of grass but the mud spurts up between the blades and muddies the legs almost up to the knees. Sigh.

Gordon and I went to the lumber yard today to get wood for my new workbench. In our family that statement is a cause of some hilarity. My father has built at least seven workbenches at the farm. Mom and my sisters claim that he cannot start any project without constructing a workbench first. So, when I told my parents I needed to build a workbench there was some laughter that rolled through the phone.

But soon I will have an outdoor workbench under a canopy where I can work on larger projects and enjoy the fresh air. I might even be able to fit one end of the Mercedes in there.

As for the car, I need to replace the v-belts, change the oil, replace all the filters, install the windshield washer pump, and replace the rear brake hoses. I probably need to replace the tie rod ends and maybe even a ball joint or two. Time, and a stretch of decent weather will tell. Once I get all that done I can depend on the car to get me to and from work. Now I need to figure out how to pay for the parts.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 06:29 AM

Oh, and I've been working seriously on my New Year's Resolution. I am learning Japanese.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 03:50 PM

There are some more pictures posted on Flickr. You can see them at this address.. The first five pages show construction of the Utt. The fifth page starts with the launch of the new canoe built by TASI. TASI is another group on the island working to preserve the past in canoes.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 03:59 PM

Happy New Year, Brett and Wakana!
I lost my cell phone and looked for weeks then finally replaced it. And there was your New Year's Eve call wishing us all a Happy New Year!
Sorry to have missed you. We will call and surprise you one night - maybe when Deb Cowan is here.
I missed you guys at the Getaway this year.
Love,
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 06:09 PM

Brett-

Very nice spread of pictures! Everyone hard at work and the finished product looks stunning. One photo even shows a sunset. I thought it never stopped raining?

Hey, it's snowing outside. You better check and make sure your snow shovel and scrapper are handy for the morning!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble in Maine

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 02:56 AM

When I left Maine I brought an ice scraper with me. I wanted to leave it by the door so that I could look at it every day as I left the house. I intended to repeat, "Not today, buddy!" every time I looked at it. In recent months I have lost track of the damned thing. Hope it doesn't snow.

The weather lately has be very nice, if a little bit soggy. It has been cool enough to let us turn off the A/C and open up the house. A lovely breeze blows through and keeps us cool. This morning I complained to my father of the cool weather. I actually felt a bit of a chill. He didn't react well to my complaint. It was 25 degrees up at the farm.

I just got home from the university where I did a very foolish thing. I signed up for a post graduate course in English. I think I am going to pursue my Master's degree in English. Wakana is in favor of it and has been conspiring with Dr. Shreiner, the head of the graduate program at UOG. Shreiner was a student of hers learning Japanese at Liberal Academy. At LA I work with the wife of another member of the faculty who also thinks I should go after a degree. I never had a chance.

You know, I do not make this thread too personal. I don't get into the details of my life with Wakana, don't mention the arguments, the tears and the myriad difficulties two people have when they live together. Still, you should know they are indeed there. And sometimes they get pretty bad. Wakana and I both suffer from depression. We take our happy pills and try to listen to our shrinks but sometimes it gets out of hand. On Saturday she packed up and left. Fortunately she forgot her passport so she couldn't leave the country. Now it has blown over but there is a tension in the air. I am running scared.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 08:38 AM

hugs & best wishes to you & Wakana

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 10:12 AM

{{{{{Brett & Wakana}}}}

Try to keep the lines of communication open. I've been there so many times with my Rog, packed up and all. He clams up, then I feel furious and want to leave because he won't talk. Eventually, I cool off, he comes round and we work it out for a while longer. Not saying this is exactly what happens with you two, but keeping up the talking on both sides can help. That, and take a deep breath.:-)

luvyakat

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:32 PM

The trigger for this last incident was pretty bad. She loves teaching, especially at the university. She has spent the better part of the last month preparing for the next semester. She was going to teach Japanese 102. The professor who usually teaches that course would have been teaching Japanese 301. Unfortunately they only have 2 or 3 students signed up for 301 so they may not give that class and that professor will take her 102 class back. Wakana MAY be out of a job, one she loves, one she had her heart set on.

Where I get lost is in trying to comfort her. Obviously I didn't do a good job. Or maybe she just needed to strike out and I was a convenient target...

I don't know.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jan 07 - 05:04 PM

Brett, I know when I am sorely disappointed about something that I have my heart set on, esp. work related, what I need is to know that Rog hears what I am saying, no matter if I am venting or whining. If I don't think I am being heard then I will definitely lash out at him, whether it is justified or not. So...being an attentive listener, for the moment, (and brunt of her anger) might be just what she needs. Just try not to take it personally. When she is able to refocus, then might be the time for feedback on what else she might be able to do job-wise. JMTOT, Just My Take On Things.*bg**

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 05:34 PM

Thanks, Kat, I will try to do better. My problem is my knee-jerk reaction to what I perceive as an attack. I need to control that.

Today she has gone off to the first day of class teaching Japanese 102. The problem is that we do not know if they will let her keep the class. She might come home at any time, in tears, having been turned away. And that could be today or tomorrow or Friday or even next week. I feel so bad for her.

And, as I told someone else, for myself.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 08:24 PM

I'm with katlaughing on this one - if it were me, I wouldn't be looking for an answer and I wouldn't want to hear (yet) that maybe it's for the best - I'd want a major hug and someone to agree that it's really awful that this happened after all the work I'd put into it.

When I was ready for alternatives or able to look on the bright side, I'd make that known. Till then, hugs and chocolate (or her preferred equivalent) and maybe totally unrelated get-her-mind-off-it things (walk in the park, trip to the beach, dinner out or a picnic or whatever works for your folks - not "to make her feel better" but because you want to be with her.

When I'm feeling undervalued, it's important to me to know that people want to be with me - not always easy, as I, too, tend to go ballistic towards my nearest and dearest when I'm stressed. The answer is not logic (even though I generally am logically-minded and usually respond to that) - the answer is a hug (and maybe a trip to town for a hot fudge sundae).

Good thoughts and hugs to you both,
JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: curmudgeon
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 08:43 PM

Listen to the ladies, Brett. And when you have a chance, PM me your phone # and good times to call. Our new phone service includes Guam in the free calling zone -- Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Jan 07 - 11:41 PM

Thanks, gang. I need all the support and advice I can get on this. I agree that I need to hug and commiserate. Unfortunately my past has left me tender on a perceived attack. I need to recalibrate my mouth.

Things are getting back to normal. She is expecting her job to disappear and I am making the appropriate comments and actions. I brought her a little gift today. We are doing better.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 12:11 AM

Ditto on the phone calling, Brett. Let me know good times to call, if it would help.

Just keep hugging and commiserating. Let her know you *hear* her and care.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 06:36 AM

As far as calling times go it really depends on the time difference. We are, I think, about 15 hours AHEAD of the east coast, Tom. I don't know how that breaks down for you Kat. I will PM a number.

She is happier tonight. She's taught her first class and all the signs point to her being able to keep the job. And she's been coming to grips with the possibility of losing the job.

It doesn't help that the woman who would get the job if they took it from Wakana is the same woman who trashed her reputation at the college.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Jan 07 - 06:39 AM

As far as local time for calling we usually talk to the East Coast in the morning on weekends. Wakana and I are usually out of the house during the day and home again around 5:00 PM (me) and 7:00 PM (her).

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 02:36 AM

I told Wakana that I had posted our latest blow up on this thread. She wasn't angry. She wanted me to reassure everyone that she's feeling much better and that she isn't going to move out.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 08:46 AM

Brett-

Sounds better to me.

And please thank Wakana on our niece's behalf for her kind advice about dealing with a rapacious cellphone company while she's a student in Northern Japan.

Charley Noble and JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 08:56 AM

Damn! I was preparing the upstairs for Wakana to move in and Jacqui was working on finding her a job! Nice work, Brett! Now she'll never move to Maine!
Glad it's sorted out.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 10:53 PM

Oh God!! Don't give her a place to stay in Maine. She'll be out of here next week! Well, maybe once spring sets in back there.

I spent the morning, and part of the afternoon, building a workbench and putting up the canopy cover. Now I have a nice, covered, outdoor work space. The bench is nice and sturdy. I stood on it to put up the cover.

Wakana spent the morning cleaning the living room. She has a Japanese student here, a little girl in her preteens, I guess. They are working in the living room.

Life is good again.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 11:42 PM

*sigh* happily...:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 08:51 AM

yah

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 08:14 PM

I have not mentioned the chicken society we have living around the house. By this I mean literally AROUND the house. We've been feeding the chickens for some time now and Wakana has given them all names. It has been fun watching the dynamics of the flock, who pecks who, who cheats on who, what happens around the feeding ground, Who arrives first, who arrives last, etc.

One of the hens, Wakana named her Mean because of her personality, is completely anti-social. She's a big black hen with a gray face. She has stationed herself on top of our water heater. She spends most of the day up there and all night. We think she is quite old, for a chicken. The feathers around her face are grayer than when she first arrived. When Wakana goes out to feed the chickens Mean flies down and joins in the fun but she puts up with no s--t from anyone including the king rooster! She has faced off against all of them and usually wins.

Mother is a brown and white speckled hen. She isn't a particularly pretty hen. Her tail is all ragged and torn and her colors are rather drab. She has laid a brood of eggs in the old BBQ grill and sits on them all day long. I don't know what she's going to do when they hatch. She'll never get them out of there without our help.

There were two young chicks, siblings, that used to spend a lot of time on the dryer looking into the window at us. We thought they were hens but as time passed they turned out to be roosters. The black one has since wandered off. The white one, Snow, is still around and is growing into a very magnificent white rooster with a great black and white tail. He now has a couple of girlfriends and frequently fights with Father, the other white rooster. He doesn't win but he keeps trying.

Chickens here in Guam can fly much more than the birds back home. They are not so much smaller than chickens back home, just more muscular. Yesterday Mother flew up on to the roof of the house. I have seen them fly up into and out of the jungle behind the house. Of course they do not fly to travel anywhere but it is more flying than I am used to seeing in a chicken.

The roosters here are magnificently colored animals. They come in a variety of colors. I've mentioned the white ones. There are also black roosters with white highlights. There is one of those living on the street but he hasn't tried to invade this territory. Then there are the roosters like Gift and Fox. These are brown to the point of being red. It is a lovely deep color with different shades around their bodies and wings. I really love that color.

It is a riot to watch the roosters fighting. I don't think they actually hurt each other very much. It's more of a stare-down. But they crouch and hump their wings forward. The long silky feathers on the neck stand out making them look twice as big. They leap at each other squawking and squealing. In a flask it's over and the loser slinks away while the winner crows his victory.

Sex is another show here at the Burnham home. The hopeful rooster drops one wing and sidesteps towards his intended. Usually the hen just runs off but if everything is right she won't run and he climbs aboard and the deed is done very quickly with much wing flapping and feathers flying. It takes only a few seconds and then they go back to scratching for bugs and seed in the grass.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 10:32 PM

Cluck ol' hen, cluck ol' hen!
Ain't laid an egg since way past when!

Cluck ol' hen, cluck an' squall!
Ain't laid an egg since late last fall!

Then there was this rooster...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 07:08 AM

I have a new student, Yukari. She is from Kuroiso. It is the next city north from Wakana's home town. Last year Nishinasuno, Kuroiso, and another city formed a singly political unit, one larger city. So, technically Yukari is from Wakana's home town.

This makes it easy to connect. Today we were working on the names of fruits and vegetables. Tochigi, Wakana's home prefecture, is well known for strawberries, eggplant, and tomatoes. It is the home of Kagome Catsup. When we got to those fruits, and vegetable, we could talk about the big factory or the great strawberries. Sigh. I miss fresh fruit.

I am at low ebb, financially. The Mercedes is dead in the water. It needs a new fuel filter and I can't afford one. I have to drive the gas guzzler and hope that tank of fuel last through the rest of the month.

I also need to buy a textbook for my class. Seven days to payday.

I went to the Veterans Affairs Office today. I wanted to sign up for any VA benefits I might have coming to me. Anything would help.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 05:40 PM

We have babies! Mother has hatched out her eggs. Yesterday I noticed her walking around on the kayaks with her wings slightly opened, clearly a threatening gesture. I went out to see what was bothering her and found her on the ground calling them. Of course, they couldn't get out of the BBQ grill. I picked it up and carried it to open ground where I set it gently on its side. They sat in the rubble of old charcoal and burned sticks looking for their mother. She was not happy about having us there. We stepped back and she retrieved her kids. She took them off into the jungle. The poor little things kept stumbling and had trouble getting over the grass.

Today, she's back with all six of them. We have two yellow chicks and four black ones. She lost all but two of her last brood. I wonder how many of these she will be able to raise. Her last brood included Snow and Boy. Snow is now a magnificent white rooster. His brother is also a rooster but we rarely see him. Snow drove him away.

So now Wakana has six new chicks to name. This should be interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 09:29 PM

how cute! I hope your little baby chickens grow into big chooks & give you lots of eggs & more little baby chickens!

Domestic chooks scratching around the yard are a good thing.

One of my friends who lives in the country has chickens, including 2 who escaped from the battery hen egg farm (pong!) next door. I hope to visit her one day & admire the chooks & her gardens, but only when the wind is blowing away from the egg farm.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 08:40 AM

Lately Mean, the water heater chicken, has abandoned her post up there. Another hen, White, was up there scratching around the other day. After she flew down Fox or Gift flew up there to check it out. When I went out later I noticed an egg perched up there. White isn't sitting on this one very often. I wonder it the heater is warm enough to do the job for her. That's gonna be a long drop for a newborn if it hatches.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 04:03 PM

Brett-

Maybe instead of expecting a chick to hatch you should settle for egg-drop soup.

Sorry, that was a poor yoke!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 05:12 PM

This morning we noticed the egg is gone from the top of the water heater. It must have rolled off.

Mother still has her six chicks. She brings them to the back door every morning. They can't seem to handle the scratch feed we give the other chickens so Wakana feeds them Grape Nuts Flakes. They gather around her feet, peeping and eating, six tiny balls of fluff, while their mother frets a little way off, too skittish to come closer. While Wakana stands there the other chickens keep away and the little ones get to eat their fill.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 05:26 PM

Errr, Brett, would you call that an "egg roll"?

Smart little chicks! You know, they would really love some little earthworms if you could find some. It's quite amusing when a chick gets hold of a worm, and like a football quarterback zig-zags through the flock to avoid sharing it.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Jan 07 - 03:16 AM

It's funny, Charley, but nobody here has heard the term egg roll. When we go to a Chinese restaurant they have a different name. Chinese food on this side of the world is different from what I used to eat back there in Maine.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 12:35 AM

Today, for the first time in a long time, Wakana and I went to the canoe house. There is a team here from Japan working to record and revive traditional navigation in the Philippine Sea. The team includes two museum curators and a film crew. The film crew is well known in Japan. They have filmed documentaries around the world. Their last film was in Iran. In fact they had trouble with the immigration officials because one of the passports had an Iranian stamp in it.

The professors have received a grant from Toyota to do this work. They will be taking Manny to Japan to talk with others about canoe traditions in Micronesia.

They filmed Manny giving a class in traditional navigation and then we had a bit of a party. Wakana talked with the Japanese professors for a bit but then had to leave to go to a tutoring session she gives every Saturday.

Manny talked about the stars used for navigation. He also mentioned that some stars are used in weather forecasting. Then Larry told of May 2003 when Manny accurately predicted weather for a trip that was to take place in June. Manny explained further. He didn't look at the sky to make those predictions. He had gone to the planetarium and asked the director to dial up the night sky for late May. After looking at the star positions for a number of nights around the beginning and the end of the trip he suggested the best time to leave and when they should return. Sure enough, on the originally intended departure date they had bad weather that would have delayed them. And he had said they had to return in either late June or the first few days in July. On July 8 that year Guam was hit by Chata'an, the first of two super-typhoons to hit the island that year.

Tomorrow we are launching the Quest for a day of sailing. In the afternoon Wakana and I will harvest our bananas. There are ripe bananas in two of our trees.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 01:05 AM

Brett, are their films shown outside Japan?

home grown bananas - yum!

we've had a great lack of bananas since the last cyclone season when 95% (?) of the Oz banana crop was wiped out early 2006 by Cylone Larry. In the last few months bananas have been creeping down from the very high prices caused by this scarcity.

I very carefully managed my stash by having half a 'nana in my porrige rather than the usual full one, & recently was able to top up my supply when they got back to a few $$s a kilo. During this scarcity a friend was giving her excess home-grown bananas away to other folks without realising I could have helped her out!!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 07:00 AM

Ouch! Too bad. Hope your banana prices come down soon. We have two trees ripe and one more that needs a little longer. Golly, we sure could use some help...

I doubt if the films are available outside of Japan. They covered the 1974 voyage between Satawal and Okinowa. I've seen that film. It's on DVD but only in Japanese with no subtitles. Fortunately I married a great translator.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 07:24 AM

When the only crops were in northern NSW, prices went up to $12.99 a kg, now they're back to $1.99 or $2.99 beacuse the Far North Queensland fields have recovered.

When they were top $$s I saw an elderly couple buy 1 each - I assumed it was their treat on their day out!

I really missed my banana in porrige on weekdays, & banana smoothie with Sunday brunch.

life is good now (wot a shame you can't send me your excess bananas!)

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: able
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 10:38 AM

I am not computer literate so would ask your help on this, my dad was stationed at Darwin Australia during the war, 1st Canadian signals. Would like as much information you could steer my way. If it looks interesting enough I may take a trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 04:13 PM

Well, Able, you would need to speak to our brothers and sisters in Australia (Oz) for that. I am in Guam and have made only one trip there though I would love to go again.

Your first choice should be to make a BS thread asking about Oz. We have lots of people living there and plenty of them would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Alternatively you could send a PM (Personal Message) to some of them. Look at the top of this page. You will see a menu box titled 'Quick Links'. Scroll down through the choices. About a third of the way down you will see 'Send a PM'. Select that and click 'Go'. You want to ask for Sandra From Sydney, or JennyO, or BobBolton, or any of the many others who live in that great country.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 04:59 PM

Able-

There is probably a vetrans group in Darwin itself that might be of assistance. What kind of information would you be looking for?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 05:06 PM

There's some info on a website which might be helpful, Able, if you CLICK HERE. It would be best if you start a BS thread, though, for more inquiry and help. Welcome to the Mudcat!

Brett, the film sounds incredible. It must feel great to be in on such history!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 12:57 AM

Well, I'm standing on the extreme sidelines. But it is cool to know the people who form the focus of the film. Manny is an amazing person and I feel a real attachment to him. I am proud for him and that the Japanese scholars see him for what he is.

Remember the woman student that wandered around in short skirts and showed me the pictures of herself posing nude? Well she's still around but things have changed. Last month she brought her daughter over from Japan and enrolled her in a local private school. That wrought a great change in her personality. Also, I think Dan talked to her about her behavior and she realized we were not high school kids.

Anyway, Lieko and her daughter are visiting. Wakana invited them to see the harvest of the bananas. Elina is 10 years old and cute as a button. She's very shy and rarely speaks (to me) in anything but a whisper. She speaks no English. Right now they are outside with Wakana feeding the chicks. Earlier, shortly after they got here, she settled herself by the back door and drew a wonderful picture of a rooster in the backyard.

We cut down the two banana trees. Well, in reality, Wakana wanted to do all the cutting. I didn't get to display any testosterone at all. When the tree came down I grabbed the bunch of bananas and cut them from the stalk. I pluck one off and handed it to Elina than grabbed one for myself. Good bananas!

Later Wakana and Lieko and Elina made a banana bread pudding and we ate it hot with whipped cream. Tasty!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 05:59 PM

It's been rainy over the last few days. Before that we'd had a respite from the rain and the ground had dried out. I assume the rain means that the parts will soon be in for the Mercedes and I will have to go lie in the wet grass to install them. Sigh.

I am reading a hilarious book, The Sex Lives of Cannibals. It has nothing to do with sex or actual cannibals. It's a non-fiction story about a young couple who go to Kiribati to live for two years. Live on one of the more remote Pacific islands comes as a shock to them. The author has a great sense of humor and a nice way of telling a story.

I bought it because I wanted to see what others were saying about living in the Pacific. I expected a whiny complaint about life in the islands. But, happily, I was wrong.

As you may know I want to write about my experiences here on Guam. I am somewhat stymied by what I can do to structure the book. I'd thought about building it around my BLog entries. But one of my fellow students announced that she was writing a book about Guam based on letters she was writing. Too close to my plan.

Then I thought about basing each chapter on something significant that happened and ignoring the chronological structure. That is how Troost wrote 'Cannibals'. Sigh. Not sure what to do.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 07:34 AM

Bad news on the chick front. The two yellow chicks are missing. Mother still has her four black chicks. Don't know what happened to the others.

I got home today to find a guy hacking away with his machete at the last bits of the banana trees. To be fair the trees are not on our property but on his right of way. He cut them down because they were, in his words, the wrong type of banana. People here only give them to pigs. But Wakana and I like them. I think he is clearing the area so he can fix the retaining wall around his son's house.

Poor Wakana. She is really bummed about the banana trees.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Feb 07 - 08:19 AM

Brett-

You could probably plant your own trees. I believe they do take 4 to 6 years to mature but why not plan ahead?

It's also possible that your neighbor's banana tree will resurface next year unless he has dug up the root as well. Do some research!

It's been 4 weeks here in Maine without the temperature rising above freezing. Bet it's been even colder in Houlton.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 03:23 AM

Yeah, the trees will grow back but it will take a couple of years. We were within a month or so of harvesting another bunch of bananas. Guy is an idiot.

I now have five students ranging in age from 26 to 62. The young one LOOKS very young. She seems to have timed her visit just right. The Japanese soccer teams train here in Guam at LeoPalace Resort, her hotel. Every class she comes in with another story of which game she watched and what players gave her autographs. She says she has a meeting (in Japan) planned with one of the players. I've been calling him her new boyfriend. She's lots of fun.

The oldest student, Teruyo, is from Kyoto. She proudly claimed on the first day that Kyoto is the oldest city in Japan. I looked her in the eye and asked, "What about Nara?" She didn't expect a gai-jin would know about Nara! She's a hoot.

I came up with a new way to explain the difference between 'see' and 'look' today. I told Teruyo to imagine we were walking on the beach and that there were lots of pretty girls in tiny bikinis. I said, "You SEE them but I am a man. I'm LOOKING at them." "Farther on," I said, "were lots of handsome young men in tiny spandex swimsuits. I see them but you are looking at them." She had no problem with the concept after that.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:19 AM

Well, it seems like you and Wakana won't be going banannas soon...

You SEE, you LOOK, you in big trouble!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 06:56 PM

I've had an unusual experience with an earworm lately. For those who don't know an earworm is the song that keeps going 'round and 'round in your head and never leaves you alone.

In my case my earworm isn't a song, it's a singer. I've been listening to my Gordon Bok albums lately and he is stuck in my head. He sings one of his songs until I get tired of it. The I ask him politely to change songs and I get another running through there. I only get the complete song when I know all the words but I'm not complaining. I get that rich mellow voice and all the nuance he puts into his music. I don't get the guitar though...

Another earworm hit me yesterday. I was driving home and thought I could hear a siren. I checked ahead and the mirrors but could see no emergency vehicles. I kept driving. A mile on I heard it again. Checked around, no source. Kept driving. Finally I heard it a third time and this time it was very clear. I looked in the mirrors and sure enough there was an ambulance catching up to me. I pulled over and let him through. I kept driving while he turned left and headed inland. About a mile farther on I heard another siren. I looked for it. Nothing. I "heard" that siren all the way home but never saw a source for it.

Am I going crazy? Will the voices start telling me what to do next?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:32 PM

Brett-

The Gordon Bok "earworm" sounds like a useful one. That's why a lot of us learn songs. We have to. It's the only way to get the voice to shut up.

Now I don't know about the sirens. Have you been watching a lot of re-runs from the Twilight Zone recently? Or maybe you just need to get your ears checks.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Feb 07 - 08:21 PM

The Kite Festival is today. I will take one of my students, Teruyo, and her husband to see the kites. Wakana has to work with one of her students. It's a private lesson, outside of the schoolwork. She gets to keep the money.

Our new neighbors are very nice. It's a young couple. He is in the Navy and she is an orthopedic nurse. She told us she was looking for work. A little while ago I had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on the island and I mentioned her. He gave me a phone number to give to her. To cut the story short, she got the job and yesterday delivered a batch of homemade cookies to us as a thank you gift. Yum!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Feb 07 - 10:41 AM

Sounds like the new neighbors might be a good match. Any Navy family that elects to live way off-base is promising.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Feb 07 - 08:18 PM

Actually the available housing on-base is very limited. The military pays good money to families living off-base. Many people assigned overseas prefer to live on the bases because of their paranoia. They think the outside world (i.e., outside the U.S.A.) is full of criminals and people who hate them for being Americans. I find it amusing to see those people hiding on their supposedly "safe" base. I also think it's very sad. They will never be able to enjoy all that the areas offer.

Last night Wakana and I went to a party in Ordot. We had never been to Bruce's house but we had heard about it. Bruce bought into the tropical lifestyle and built his house accordingly. He built in the jungle on the side of a ridge. There is a point of rock that extends out over a small valley. He sited his house there. The house is actually three buildings. You enter under a system of canopies into the main living room. This is a split level room with room width steps going down to the bar and wide sliding glass doors that lead out to the balcony that overlooks the valley. From the living room there are two sets of stairs leading up to the two bedrooms. One of the sets of stairs is a cast iron circular staircase. That room has large windows that also look out over the balcony. The roof of this building is a very high steeply pitched roof in the island style. The exposed beams have scalloped edges and are stained dark. All around are examples of island art, some hung on the walls, others painted directly on the wood.

Going out the other door in the living room takes you to an outdoor walkway that leads around to the outdoor kitchen. It has a corrugated fiberglass roof and a long table. The cement floor follows the contour of the land so the table has short legs on one end and long legs on the other. This kitchen is on the outside of another building that contains a bedroom on the ground floor and something else upstairs (not sure what, didn't go there). The third building is a garage and storage.

There is a fourth building, very small, that holds the laundry and bathroom. I didn't go down there but according to Wakana the shower has no walls. Since the house is surrounded by jungle I guess it doesn't matter.

There are paved walkways all around the house. There is another walkway that runs down into the jungle and appears to go to yet another building. We didn't get down there but he had a string of lights running down there so I assume that was his place as well.

Wakana says he is a romantic.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Feb 07 - 08:41 PM

I was just sitting here cruising through a few threads when I looked up the hill and saw two wild pigs looking down at me. I called Wakana and she came running in. When they saw her movement they turned tail and split. She did see them though. Pretty cool.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Feb 07 - 12:02 AM

Painting pictures in my mind, again, Brett. You are an artistic earworm! Thanks!!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Feb 07 - 06:25 AM

Oh, you'd love that house. And, we saw it after dark. I hope to go back and tour it in the sunlight.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:23 AM

Pictures!

I have uploaded some more pictures. I am trying a different site. Follow the above blicky and you will see some of what I have been talking about.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: bbc
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 07:02 AM

Brett,

I was interested in your comments about military families living off-post or "on the economy" as we called it. In 1977-78, I spent the 1st 13 months of my marriage living in a Korean neighborhood while my husband served w/ the U.S. Army. For us, it was ideal. We had a lifeline to PX & Commissary, if we needed them, but we got some of the cultural experience of the country as well--shopping in the open markets & riding the local buses. If was also good for the neighborhood women to see me carrying out the trash to the road w/ everybody else. That year in Korea was a highlight of my life. Many folks who live on-base just spend their time in "Little America."

bbc

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 07:19 AM

Brett - the blicky leads to kodak's home page, not yours.

when I click on View Photos button in the email you sent me, I get to your page on their site.

When I click on this button againI just get told the password I entered does not match the phone number (that I did not enter, either!!)

I do have the option to open an account, but don't want to (no offense, I just want to see your pics!)

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:37 PM

Brett and Wakana-

Your selected photos are gorgeous! I especially like the ones of the sailing canoes, but the ones of you and Wakana smiling are also nice.

I signed up for the Kodac website as required under my deceased cat's name. I expect she'll be receiving e-mail soon, and, perhaps, a follow-up phone call. Since she died some ten years ago, the telemarketing calls had kind of dropped off. So you've provided us an opportunity to "refresh" her.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:44 PM

I couldn't open it, either, Brett. Thanks to BillD's being a champion of Opera, I have been putting ALL of our online pix there. It is so easy, simple and generous: CLICK.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 01:29 AM

For the last three days we've had heavy haze settling over the islands. It seems to be, according to the newspaper, a combination of China's soot laden winter smog, volcanic gas and smoke from Anatahan, and salt spray from the heavy surf that has been pounding the west side of the island. Whatever it is it makes for some poor views but very nice sunsets.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 06:24 PM

We have more babies. The white hen, inexplicably named...White, hatched out five eggs in our outdoor closet. I learned this when I opened the front door this morning and heard the peeping. I scouted around and found two little chicks, lost and separated from their mother, hiding behind the bicycle wheel. They were too young to know they had to run away. I carefully picked each one up and set it as near the mother as she would let me come. Restored the family made its noisy progress into the brush. As they went I heard ANOTHER peeing sound. More scouting. This little one was lost in the weeds at the end of the house. He was easier to reach and just as dumb about running.

Later, when Wakana woke up, she went out to investigate and found yet another chick lost in the weeds. I don't think those chicks have a great future. They will be fattening some snake before too long.

We have a cool day today. The thermometer in the house reads 80 degrees. There is a strong breeze. The A/C is off and the doors and windows are open. It's still hazy outside but the weather forecast is for showers so maybe that will clean the atmosphere.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 07:12 PM

Brett-

I'm sure you'd like to hear that we got another ten inches of snow today here in Maine, topped off with a couple of hours of sleet.

The cats are in revolt. No way are they going out in that! Even the back porch is covered with snow.

Oh, well, spring's just a few weeks away!

Of course, yesterday was up in the forties, and a celebrated by walking about town in my light boating jacket.

Give the chicks a hug for me, and dig them up some worms.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 09:59 PM

Oh, sadness has struck. Wakana was outside watching the new chicks and noticed one that could not keep up with her mother. She tried to help but it was useless so we set it up in a warm box with some bread crumbs and water. But the little thing was too weak and too near death. Finally she took it out and laid it under a bush because, as she said, she did not want it dying in a box. She is sad and crying though we both knew there was no future for the poor wee thing.

Another hen has arrived with even more chicks in tow. This one has nine little ones running around under her feet. It is birthing time for chickens I guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 11:57 PM

Watch out for that 'peeing' sound, Brett. Nothing good can come of that.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 04:46 AM

There's always a critic...

As I have mentioned before I am taking a class at UOG. It may be the first in a series of classes that MIGHT lead to a Masters Degree in English. This one is a writing seminar. I have been working on a fiction story set in a post-apocalyptic world. I submitted it to the class for constructive criticism last week. Apparently I use too many conjunctions, I don't let my readers think for themselves, and my writing has a lot of Freudian (or maybe Jungian) influences in it. However they all want to read the rest of the story. I guess they like it, even those who never read science fiction.

Gordon and I are working on an oil processing unit. We need to filter the used vegetable oil to get the chunks out. Yesterday we tested the first unit for leaks and found one. Tonight Gordon tried filtering oil using a smaller system he threw together and realized that the process will take longer than he expected. He is not patient.

Wakana and I went out to buy some stuff we need and to see a movie. We saw Ghost Rider, a predictably foolish movie but fun for someone like who has no trouble suspending his disbelief. Can't see how they got Nicholas Cage to do it. I liked the special effects.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 05:22 AM

That should be "...someone like me who has no trouble suspending his disbelief."

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 03:28 AM

We have had the crummiest weather lately. First haze followed by cold and wind, high surf, rain, you name it. The other day the temp was down to 71 degrees!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 12:48 PM

Brett-

I really feel for you.-- 71 degrees F.

Let's see, this morning was another record breaking subzero day on the coast of Maine. However, this morning we're missing the wind chill generated by 30 mph winds. And it's nice and sunny! Looks like I can get some quality tanning time in.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 02:59 AM

Sunny this morning but cloudy this afternoon. Temps are back up where they belong.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 09:36 AM

That's a shame. 71 sounds just right! **bg**

It's cloudy and drizzly here. We may reach the low fifties, back down the low thirties tonight. Despite that my crocus began blooming, yesterday, and my daffodils and flags are sending up some sturdy shoots.

How are the chicks?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Amos
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 10:14 AM

You could move to San Diego, Brett. It's a steady 60-65 today, with blue skies burning off the coastal fog, light winds, pleasnt and warm to follow.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 06:42 PM

60! 65! You want me to freeze my butt off? **Grin**

The chicks are doing fine. The first pair have figured out how to get up on the dryer to look in our window at us. They 'joined' us for breakfast. The rest are just making the transition from puffballs to young chicks. We have quite a variety of colors and markings. One looks just like a penguin, full tuxedo markings. That one is Wakana's favorite. We have two that are gray each with a brown stripe down the back. The rest vary between black and several shades of gray and brown.

They are great fun to feed in the morning. We first come into the kitchen hearing the peeping outside. Wakana will step out and pop open the grain bucket. They gather in front of her. The noise subsides as the grain hits the ground. It's never silent but the peeping does get quieter as the chicks eat. I compare it to a dinner table. There is lots of noise while the food goes around but then things quiet down as people begin to eat.

Usually we wind up with two feedings. Later another group of chicks arrives and we "have" to feed them too. Currently we have about 15 chicks running around here. Wakana calls them the moving carpet. As each hen walks a carpet of puffballs follows her around. It's really cute when the hen settles and all the chicks hide under her feathers. She puffs herself out and holds her wings away from her body and the chicks get in under her. If you look closely it seems as if she has 16 to twenty feet.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 06:54 PM

By the way, I stopped in to visit the guys at the new Mermaid Tavern yesterday. The place is looking really great but they are still waiting for paperwork from the Government before they can start brewing again. Sigh, it will take a long time. My friend Chris, who was slated to be a part time manager, is apparently now a part owner! But they will not be ready for St. Patrick's Day.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 09:02 PM

Brett-

I bet the little chick gang would be thrilled to get some live food, worms and crickets.

Don't feed 'em any french fries.

Good to hear that a new Mermaid Tavern is rising from the ashes of the old. Say, that sounds like the chorus to a new song!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 01:40 AM

Sorry, gang, but it's grumble and gripe time again. I just heard from the Veteran's Administration that I am not eligible for G.I. Bill benefits because I do not have any service after June of 1984. Apparently us old veterans are not supposed to get an education. I got out of the Navy in 1975.

On top of that the garage I used to repair the Buick cheated me. I needed to have the power steering pressure switch replaced. It was leaking. So I ordered the part on-line and took it to them for the repair. They told me; a) my part was the wrong one, and B) the oil needed changing. A week after the repair the power steering quit because it was still leaking. I took it to another shop and they replaced the part with one that looks just like the one I already had. The first place charged me $100. I have to go get my money back.

Grumble, grumble, gripe, gripe...

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 10:22 AM

Hey, Brett, things could be worse. You could have 6 to 10 inches of wet heavy snow burying your driveway, the cars, and the chicklets. The good news is that it probably won't hang around long here, but it's pretty convincing this morning. We even cancelled the Sidedoor Coffeehouse Friday evening. Bummer!

Check out the thread titled "Mid-Watches." I think you might like the song. We'll record a rough version this afternoon and post a MP3 on my website so folks can hear how it sounds.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 09:39 AM

refresh!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 05:36 PM

Guam Bureaucrats Strike Again!

Ah, the benefits of living in a place where they style the Government on the USA. Long lines, uncaring officious clerks, inefficiency, and most of all, an inability to see past the monitor on their desks.

Those of you who have been with me from the beginning may remember the story of the water line. For the rest of you here is a recap. We moved into this house in September of 2004. I set up the utilities and we busted our butts getting this place ready. Then we started living again. We went to Japan several times. We lazed around our house enjoying retired life. Life was good. Fourteen months passed. In this time I only saw one water bill and that was the month AFTER I set up the account. I called. No response. I shrugged it off. After all they would get to me eventually and I would pay it. After all, how much could it be?

After 14 months we found out. $1,660.00! According to the bill we had used almost 350,000 gallons! Apparently we had a break in the water line and it was leaking somewhere in the 250 feet between us and the meter. I went to GWA with my paperwork in hand and insisted that they take the lion's share of that off the bill because we would have fixed the leak had we known about it. They took all my information and said they would get back to me.

I called them several times for status but each time I was told they were working on it. Finally they just told me they would call me back. A year went by. Then, on Monday, out of the blue, they disconnected us for non-payment.

Sigh.

Yesterday Wakana and I headed for GWA to fight the good fight. Once more I took the letter and the bills and girded my loins for battle. We waited forever and finally got in to see one of the self important officious unfeeling bureaucrats who work the office.

She listened to our story, looked up the file on her computer, and started reading the notes written by the other bureaucrats who had handled our file. There seemed to be a lot of them. Each one started with the note, "Do not disconnect." She called in her supervisor who told her to drop the $1600 and just charge us the rest! We had won! It is over!

Except, we still have no water... Reconnection should happen in the next day or so.

I always feel dirty after an encounter with such foolish people. I wish there was some place where the Government was efficient and built for the people and by the people. Oh, wait, there is such a place. Next stop, Japan!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 10:18 PM

Holy Cow! Good for you for finally getting it taken care of but my goodness things are slower than molasses in the winter there, eh? Maybe Japan would be a welcome respite for a year or two?

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 02:03 AM

Result of meeting

Customer - 1
Bureaucracy - 0

Result of slow reconnection

Bureaucracy - 1
customer - 0

sandra

living in a drought affected country all I can see is a huge waste of water! We have some dams at 19% capacity & there are folks here living on water that it trucked into their communities.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 07:47 AM

My brother-in-law is from Mexico. On one of his earlier visits to Maine he was told the state was going through a drought. He looked around at the lush green growth and suggested they try going to Mexico for a real drought. I guess if they want to keep to the English language they could go to Australia... uh, never mind.

I got home today to find the water was back on but that the power was out. This time it was out in the neighborhood. About half an hour later it came back on.

The good news is that the dishes are done and we can take showers!

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Mar 07 - 11:22 AM

It's great to hear that the faucets are dripping again at your house. I do hope that you figured out how to deliver drinking water to the chicklet gang, or did they have to make do with gin?

It's the first day of spring here in Maine. There's still a foot of snow on the ground, all iced over, but the temperature is warming up to 30 degrees F. to day. There's hope!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 02:53 AM

The chickens are wild fowl, they have to find their own water.

I get a great deal of pleasure out of talking about weather with my students. The Japanese students are usually familiar with the idea of cold weather because Japan has plenty of it. My Chinese student is from Taiwan. She is well educated so she is familiar with the concept of winter and has even seen snow on TV.

My Indonesian student comes from a very small island and has no familiarity at all with cold. For her it is something she finds when she opens the refrigerator. She is cute. She is pregnant with the baby due next month. She's in her twenties and looks it but her naive outlook on the world makes her so much more vulnerable. We have a picture dictionary at the school and we were using it to discuss the American lifestyle shown in its pages. She was astonished to see pictures of men doing housework. It never occurred to her that men were capable or could be persuaded to do that work.

When she started with me she was so shy she could barely raise her eyes from the tabletop. Now we laugh and joke and enjoy our time together so much that she is always surprised to find the hour is gone.

This is such a great job.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 03:56 AM

We have reached the big 400 on this thread so it must be time to think about starting a new one. I think you will be surprised at the next thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Working (at last) in Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Mar 07 - 04:03 AM

Here is the next thread.