BS: Working (at last) in Guam

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