Last night I got some bad news from home. My daughter's best friend, the kid I always considered daughter number 3, has been diagnosed with leukemia. She has begun a 6 month battle back to health. I was up half the night crying.

I thought there wasn't much I could do from the other side of the world but this morning I sent her an email reminding her that I am awake while everyone on her side of the world is asleep. If she wakes in the night and needs to talk to someone I am here. That makes me feel better at least. I hope she takes me up on it.

The guitar I brought with me is doing fine but it hasn't been out of the air conditioned room for any length of time yet. The real question will be after a typhoon during that stretch when I have no power and no a/c. My other instruments are in a wooden crate on the slow boat to Guam.

I got out to see a movie yesterday. During the orientation on Thursday we were briefed on a bus system run my the Navy. Not only does it get people around on the base but it runs up to other bases and goes to several areas in town. I went up to the Guam Premium Outlet (the GPO as it's known locally) to see The Hulk. I had dinner in the food court where I finaly ate kim chee and then I wandered up through the mall. There were jewelry shops and clothing shops and all the usual mall treats but it looked somehow different. It took a while to figure it out but it doesn't have the same stamp to it that malls on the mainland have. I have been in malls from California to Maine and they all seem cut from the same set of cookie cutters. This one is very different in style and the stores that make it up. It seems to shine more than the others I've been in, as though sparkling reflected light was important. And the stores were not the usual mall fare. Here the stores had more brilliant colors and were brighter than I am used to seeing.

Guest, there is a book of Guamanian recipes available in the local bookstores. Maybe I should get one of those. I like your idea for using Chomorro food for pot luck dinners in the future but it won't be kelaguen. [Grin]