News From Guam

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Alba
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 09:09 PM

Happy new House Brett. That's great now you have your "own" space.
The Dancers and the Sea...it all sounds wonderful.
I love reading your adventures. It is funny to think you were in Maine and now.....wow!
You sound much more in tune with your surroundings now. That will get even better now that you have your Home too.
The Micronesia Fair sounds great! Interesting finds for sure.
It has been overcast, humid and warm here in Vacationland this whole week. So at least on that point we were in a similiar situation LOL.
No lovely children dancing or whitesanded beaches though and it is staying overcast through to Wednesday next week...yuk!
Still when the need for sunshine arises Ill just pop in a read your thread for this coming weekend.
Glad to see your settling right in now.
Way to go!
Best Wishes
a soggy JD!:>)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 07:36 PM

Those kids danced with lovely smailes on their faces. Now, I've seen dancers with smiles and those smiles seemed to be just part of the dancer's costume. These kids were truly having fun. Their smiles were for each other as well as for the audience.

Let me know your plans as soon as possible, Charley. The first quote I got for getting down there is around $600 but I have other possible alternatives.

Now, I am going to pay some bills and then go shopping for house stuff.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 02:13 PM

How I would love to have seen the children dancing! It sounds like a wonderful day!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 12:10 PM

Beautiful, beautiful descriptions, Brett! Thanks, again, for sharing. It just sounds so truly lovely. Congrats on the house, too!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 10:04 AM

Sure sounds like you're settlng in!

Connections are shaping up nicely for our OZ foray. I'll e-mail you will details, and we soon should start a new and exciting vacation thread.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 07:55 AM

Well, that was a day! And that was only Friday! There are two more days in the weekend.

This morning I went up to the house in Santa Rita to sign the lease and take delivery on the new refrigerator. I got there about 8:00 AM. I wandered around the house looking things over while I waited for the realtor. The spider was still in her web and I got a good picture of her underside. The other side would have been photographing into a bright light. I couldn't get a clear shot of her top side.

When the realtor got there we signed the lease and she turned over the key. I set out to explore my new abode.

The place is filthy to start with. Plus it's been closed up for quite a while in a hot humid climate so the wood is sticky and there is a lot of mold. But the air conditioners work and the place cooled down quickly. I pulled the typhoon shutters of the front window and set a canvas chair in the living room so I could wait for the delivery. And I wandered around cataloging the damage and needs of the place. The realtor had arranged to have the vegetation cut and the whole yard was open and clear. The back yard has a small area by the back door, a small retaining wall and then the rest of the yard at a lower level. I couldn't see it before because of the growth back there. But there's enough room to store a pretty good size boat….

The refrigerator arrived about 10:30. The crew unloaded it, unpacked it and set it in place. It just barely fits in the space allotted for it. But it is the first thing in my new place. Pretty exciting.

After that I went into work for a little while but the afternoon was set aside for a farewell fiesta for our Captain at Rizal Beach. There was a long table of food under the concrete canopy with chairs and lots of people. A deejay was spinning tunes and kids were running around. Today was the first day in a long week where the clouds finally cleared off and the sun shone. The trades kept the shade cool and the food was wonderful. There were three kinds of barbeque and lots of other goodies. My usual Chamorro guides weren't right there and I wasn't very hungry so I didn't have much more than the barbeque. Yummy!

Then, after the speeches, we had the entertainment and boy, was it good stuff. They had hired a cultural dance group to dance for us. They were children from what looked like 8 to 10 years old to mid teens. The first dance was a traditional Hawaiian dance. The kids were in white lace dresses. They danced to a drummer who chanted and played a traditional Hawaiian drum, essentially a pair of gourds, hollow on one end. He played it by slapping on the drum and bouncing the drum on a pad on the floor.

The kids followed that up with a modern dance to a recorded song in Chamorro. The song was "I Don't Want To Speak English". They wore a brightly colored flowered skirts and coconut shells for their tops. They danced with the sinuous movements of the island dancers, hips swaying and hands weaving a story in line with the music.

Now, I'd like to remind those who focused on "…coconut shells for their tops…" and remind you that these are just kids. Some of them were built like sticks and others were, uh, blessed with positive buoyancy. They were all certainly good dancers.

The next dance featured the whole troupe. The younger kids wore short white skirts and the older kids wore black ones. Essentially they wore only the skirts and the coconut tops. I realized how the old sailors arriving at the islands seeing the women dressed like this would have been amazed and overcome by their lust. I'm pretty sure the coconut tops were modern concessions to the uptight Europeans.

The kids ended up the performance with a long Tahitian dance. The drummers played on modern and traditional drums keeping up a driving rhythm that the kids matched with the movements of their hips, feet and hands. They formed intricate patterns by their movements, kneeling and crouching rising and shifting into circles and lines. Then they went into the watching crowd and returned with various young officers who they tried to teach to dance. They also picked on the guest of honor, the captain were saying farewell to. As with most of us Europeans the young men were pretty stiff in their dancing. We hooted and hollered as the men tried to imitate the movements the kids were going through. Finally we chose the captain as the "winner" of the "competition".

After the dancing I went back to talk with the leader of the group, Brian Terlaje. He explained how exciting it is to get the kids dancing the old dances. He showed me his drum and explained it's significance in the old days. The early Hawaiians made it using only one gourd. With modern glues they have added a second gourd to increase the resonant chamber. In drumming competitions the winner is awarded leis that he places in the drum. He talked about a drumming competition where he sat before a semi circle of drumming masters and performed on his drum. He was very nervous but he won a new drum.

After that I wandered out to the point. We were at Rizal Beach but it was high tide so there was little if any actual beach. The pavilion sits up above the beach. I walked out onto the point and watched the waves crashing on a small island as the sun sank into the Pacific. There is a typhoon churning it's way into Okinawa so the waves are pretty big coming ashore on the western side of the island. With the sun sinking and the spray shining white it was a pretty impressive sight. I was looking down the length of the shore with the mountains rising up from the sea. This is a beautiful place.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Aug 03 - 10:30 PM

Actually it started with the one who could talk and move first....

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 07 Aug 03 - 04:44 PM

yeah, see, it's all her fault! ;-)

love you amy. :-)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 04:29 AM

LOL! Bass boats don't count? Ah nuts!

As for sibling rivalry, you see what I've had to put up with since the younger one was born?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 11:18 PM

I remember the Piti power plant. I remember that marina, too. I was going to sail some guy's boat back when I returned to the states. Sail from Guam to California. Would have been a great trip, but he backed out when he learned I'd never sailed before. And he contended it would be too great a leap for me to make, from bass boating with a little trolling motor to solo sail crossing of the Pacific. I didn't see any problem with it, but people are SO PROTECTIVE of their THINGS, so he shipped the sailboat back in a container. I flew back.

Seriously, though, some folks sail to Hawaii and then on to Guam, but they're not up to the return leg, or they abandon their around the world idea and look for people to sail the boats back to the West Coast. If you're the nautical type, that would be THE way to make the return trip. But don't mention bass fishing if you really want the job.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 10:40 PM

I did not! Dad! kelli is lying!!

heheheh I DID look like a messey Haired ragamuffin..still do!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 09:22 PM

*smiles innocently* she started it. ;-)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 05:41 PM

Ah, how many fathers get compared to Johnny Depp by their children. Of course Johnny Depp would look just like me if he gained about 150 pounds and 30 years....

And, of course, we have now introduced sibling rivalry to the Mudcat [...amy looked like a messy haired ragamuffin. ;-) :-P].

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 12:14 PM

or the gold teeth! ;-)

hey amy and dad, i got a letter from uncle Gary today, he sent me a picture that Great Nana had sent him in 1993 of us and Adam at a rendezvous....I was twelve and I look exactly the same as I do now. I showed it to people at work and they all guessed my age to be about 18. hehe, amy looked like a messy haired ragamuffin. ;-) :-P

love
lana

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 09:26 AM

of course I do dad! I wanna take a horse back tour of Guam! A sea Turtle huh? Did you rope it with hair from you back and lash it like a raft and use it to escape from the island you were stranded on? Then you could have been just like Captain Jack Sparrow...just without the leggings and stuff.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 06:13 AM

They have horses here on Guam, Amy. Want to go for a ride?

I guess I was really wiped out by my weekend. I am still worn out today (Tuesday evening). I left out a few details.

When we were out on the boat we saw an enormous sea turtle. It was the third one the crew had seen that day. I grabbed my digital camera but the turtle sounded before the damned thing had booted up. Note to self: Leave camera turned on and pay for the batteries.

While we were tied up for snorkeling one of the Japanese couples took their little son, he couldn't have been more than two years old, in his life jacket, and floated him out into the water while they swam with him. The poor little tyke screamed and cried while his parents laughed and swam alongside. The more he cried the more they laughed and spun him in the water. All I could think was that kid would grow up to hate his parents and hate swimming.

The day before, after I left Frank's ranch, I stopped at the Micronesia Fair. Larry had said it would be disappointing because the only delegations to come in were from the Marshall Islands and Pohnpei. I wasn't disappointed. It was essentially a craft fair with traditional and modern handicrafts from the islands.

It started to rain as I got out of my truck. By the time I got under the cover for the first booth it was raining pretty steady. The first booth featured work by a couple of master carvers and metal workers. There was a display of carved bone that included a hut on stilts with two outrigger canoes. There was a leg bone about 8" tall that was carved with bouquets of flowers up it's length. There was a bone pump drill and plenty of carved fish hooks and pendants.

Next to the case with the carved bone was a display of knives, some with the most amazing blades. These were whimsical knives with bone handles and curving blades. For some reason they weren't the kind of knife I've seen back home with vicious blades that looked like they'd been pumped up on steroids.

At other booths there were wonderful woven baskets and wood carvings. There was one booth that featured archaeological finds from Guam, bits of pottery, carved shells, and stone tools.

Over it all drifted the island music from the stage. A pair of women sang to the fine tropical rhythm. The instrumental accompaniment was pre-recorded

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 04 Aug 03 - 10:39 AM

I need longer weekends and fewer workdays. who doesn't?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 04 Aug 03 - 10:14 AM

You should write a book dad, about Guam..i'd buy it and stuff and then I could make a movie out of it! How fun would that be? SOuns like a great weekend, sounds better then mine. I worked and then went to the Topsham Fair and watched the Horse Shows, which,m once again reafirmed the fact that I love horses and don't own one and that I miss my horses at school. I didn't want to leave but mom made me so when we got home I went to watch Seabiscuit at the movies. Still miss my horses :-(

~Amy~

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 03:08 PM

Actually, Charley, there is a nice cutter for sale, about 39 feet long, all set up for cruising, only $39,000. It needs a lot of work though, as you would expect for something going for so little. It's a big project and may be more than I can afford. The owner thinks it would take another $40,000 to get her back in shape. Have to think about the some more.

As to the telephone, it's hard to connect to the internet without a phone connection. When you tell me not to bother with a phone you are also telling me to leave off with the Mudcat. Do you really mean that [grin].

Kat, I was thinking the other day that pickling the food must be a hold over from the days before refrigeration. Way back when I was new to the office I noticed a bowl sitting on a desk top all morning long. Later, at lunch, the first I was invited to join, they served me something out of that same bowl. At the time I wondered about the health prospects of eating out of a bowl that had not been refrigerated. Thinking back that may have been an unintended test. I ate, I suffered no ill effects and now I enjoy many meals with them.

And now for news from the weekend. It was a pretty good one so this post is rather long.

Yesterday I went up to the weekly meeting of the Traditional Seafarer's Society at the canoe. I had received an email saying the message had been moved but I decided against following the directions in the message. I went up to meet Larry to follow him out to the new meeting place, Frank's ranch. The intention was to cut wood for canoe repairs.

I had to drop out from following Larry because the rain began to fall. I haven't mentioned it before but the relay my parents sent to me failed to repair the wipers. I pulled into the parking lot of Chen's Furniture. I decided to go into the store to see what they offered for sale.

I was greeted by a middle-aged Chinese woman. I explained that I was just looking, I had passed the store many times and wanted to step inside. I also explained I was interested in looking at bookshelves. She showed me a beautiful bookcase built of rosewood. Tall, at least 7', with adjustable shelves and two small drawers in the bottom. It was available as an open front and with glass doors. The open style goes for $669.00.

I also saw a lovely queen size bed with drawers and a solid bottom and no slats. The woman explained I had no need for a box spring because of it. And then there was a rocking chair with a footrest extending out beyond the front leg. It looked pretty awkward.

I looked at all that furniture and finally was stopped by a set of rosewood book holders. They are two pieces with the back fitting into a pair of mortises in the back and a perfectly angled back for holding a book. There are three of them, small, medium and large. And I bought them.

I headed north to the ranch from there, made my left, missed the next left and had to turn around, got onto the single lane and made the turn on to the dirt road that wound into the bush. I bumped out into an open area. There was a tin roof on a frame in front of me and another one to my right. Under the roof to my right was a jumble of tools and projects. A band saw stood there next to a bench covered with tools. I stepped up gingerly, not sure if I was in the right place. There were people under the roof in front of me and as I stepped into their vision Frank turned and greeted me. Larry was there as well as the rest of the family.

The area under the roof was set up as a house or what we'd call, in Maine, a camp. On the end wall was a set of huge gas burners. Over them was a shelf with big cooking pots. They looked large enough to cook whole mess of food. They had to be 20 gallon pots at least. To the left of that and forming the wall were two refrigerators and a series of shelves from floor to ceiling. To the right of the gas burners and forming that wall was a series of three deep sinks, more shelving, and a freezer. In the center of the area was a long, heavy duty table. We sat in comfortable lawn chairs and talked while the rain came and went. There was to be no wood cutting that day. We were supposed to cut forks for yams (yahms) for the canoe. But the woods were too wet. Frank's brother-in-law talked of killing a wild boar with 4" tusks. Larry was deep in a scholarly discussion of some kind with another professor. Shortly after I arrived the women announced lunch was ready and everyone insisted that I sit down to eat with them. We had fried noodles, beef and broccoli, rice, and some kind of pickled seaweed. Later, as the women continued cooking, they dumped out a pot full of taro root they had cooked in coconut milk. As they worked we talked. Frank's wife told me of her business and how they grew their crops and sold them at the local fairs. She told me about the local names for plants.

I explained about Dad's map. Now, I have to take a minute to explain about this map. Dad was here during the winter of 1947-1948. He loved it here. He explored the jungle and swam in the river and the ocean. He has a vivid memory of what he did and where he went and he drew a very accurate map of his adventures. When it arrived I showed it to my co-workers and one of the women said she thought part of the map depicted an area that was land owned by her family. I told the local historian about it and he shuffled right over to my office to get a copy. He loved it. He says Dad got it all correct with only one exception. He showed Talofofo in the wrong direction. Otherwise it is perfect.

It shows the 12 hole outhouse where Corporal Jimmy Ayers blew up Lieutenant Harris and how he became Private Ayers and the hero of the camp. Dad tells me latrine duty included squirting a little gasoline into each hole and then a match would be thrown in to burn off flies and paper. Well, Corporal Ayers squirted in the gasoline and then realized he didn't have a match. He went off to find one. About that same time LT Harris settled on one of the seats. He lit a cigarette and dropped the match into the next hole. From that point forward LT Harris was known as "Hairless Harris" and Corporal Ayers became Private Ayers shortly thereafter.

Part of the map shows a stone statue he says he found near a waterfall. Jennings got very excited about that. The Chamorros are not known for carving statuary. If there is a statue sitting up there in the jungle it will be a major archaeological find. I personally believe it may be a latte stone.

Back to Frank's ranch. His wife laughed about the map. It turns out that her house sits on the foundation slab for one of the barracks my father lived in back in 1947. She is one of 19 children. When it rained the old barracks drains would fill up with water and she and her sibs would "surf" the drains on bits of plywood. She also knows where the latrine was. Small world, or at least, small island.

We worked some on the motongor for the canoe but most of the progress was made in sharpening tools. The rain came and went. The talk and the beer flowed, and we enjoyed an easy day at the ranch.

On the way home I stopped at the dive shop, Guam Tropical Dive Shop, to pick up a buckle to replace the lost buckle from the CD belt. While there I mentioned that I'd like to do some snorkeling. The guy at the shop, Jim, told me I could sign up to go out on the Scuba-Roo any afternoon at 1:30. So I did. I signed up to go out on the Scuba-Roo on Sunday afternoon.

I knew I had to finally do something about the "positive buoyancy". I had bought a weight belt but had not had the chance to adjust it to my needs. So this morning I headed down to Gab Gab Beach. I got into the water and once more entered a magical world. I haven't mentioned this before but I need glasses to see. Underwater has always been a blur to me, a beautiful blur but still a blur. Last week I bought corrective lenses for my mask and suddenly I could see. The fish were clear and the bottom had detail. I was surrounded by all the brightly colored fish I could imagine. Down on the bottom a school of bottom feeders worked the sand while near the surface a school of long thin fish with tiny snouts and blue tails followed me around. The weight belt made a big difference. I am still not at neutral buoyancy but at this stage I don't want to be there.

I swam for a while and then headed up to the Top O' The Mar for brunch. After getting cleaned up, of course. I made it to the Scuba-Roo in time and boarded with a gaggle of Japanese tourists and a few other divers. There were a few small children as well. We headed out after signing release waivers and hearing the dive brief. The crew of the boat consisted of a Chamorro captain and a Japanese and an Anglo crewmembers. The Japanese crew member briefed those tourists. He may have been a tour director. The Anglo crew member speaks Japanese and spent much of the trip joking with those tourists. At one point he used a plastic alligator to frighten the young women.

I had heard a weather report earlier that there was a tropical disturbance offshore that would affect our weekend weather. This morning when I went out I noticed the day was cooler than usual and the wind was stronger. When we got out on the water it was pretty rough within the harbor. The captain decided against going down to Rizal to look at dolphins. We couldn't take the tourists out into the rough water. So we made a slow tour of the harbor and went into the protected area near Finger Reef. There we let the Japanese tourists ride the banana boat, a long yellow inflated tube with smaller tubes on each side. This is towed behind the dive boat.

Finally we headed over to Finger Reef. There was a dive boat already there tied to the permanent buoy so we tied up to their stern. The shallow water over the reef was way out ahead of the other boat so I had to swim out quite a ways to get to the shallow water. But it was worth the swim. The reef was full of fish, all so brightly colored, the coral was quite drab but the shapes were amazing, great waves of layers with all those fish swimming in and out and around.

Unfortunately I have a basic problem with diving and I have to make a rather drastic decision. I wear a full beard and moustache. But the moustache lets water leak into the mask so I end up swimming with my nose in salt water. There is a continual feeling that I'm going to breathe in that water, even though it is impossible to breathe while wearing the mask. So my choices are to quit diving, shave the moustache or do something else about the leaks. I tried Vaseline in the hair and that helps but not enough. The next to last effort is to shave the area right under the nose so the mask can seal.

I haven't described the marina we left from. The boat was tied up to a little dock in a dead end channel surrounded by brush and other boats. There are no long docks and fancy yacht club buildings. This "marina" consists of channels cutting into the brush with boats nosed into the banks and tied to trees and huge concrete blocks. There are no docks or piers except for those used by the dive boats that work out of there. The entrance to the harbor comes after a mile of meandering through channels and working past wrecked and junked boats. All this sits under the smoke stacks of the Piti generator complex, the main supply of electricity for the island. On the eastern (landward) side of the marina are the fuel tanks for the generators. The water is that tropical green. The banks of the channels are lined with boats, mostly sailboats, that look as though they are in various stages of decay. Many are the homes of the people who live there and the banks of the channels are littered with their tools, chairs, grills and workshops as well as the cast off articles that they might need some day. The whole marina has a charming air of comfort, as though the people living there are quite happy with their lot in life and have made the best of it. I'm sure that isn't the case but I will have to go meet some of them to find out.

So ends another weekend. I am sore and sunburned and very tired. The problem with living so large on the weekends is that the time goes by so quickly. Then I go to work on Monday and the time slows down again. The long work week drags down to the weekend until finally I am back into the fun again. I need longer weekends and fewer workdays.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 09:55 AM

Actually, probably having a cellphone makes more sense anyway, and keeping it turned off unless you want to call out. Still, one wonders what kind of telemarketing might take place in Guam: "Hello, I'd like to speak to the master spider of the house! We have a special on flys with fries, and we do home delivery."

Well, it don't look good for the Roll & Go concert today in Wells at the Historical Society Meetinghouse. There's the Phish Concert up in Caribou and the Lobster Festival in Rockland. Between the two of them there's not going to be a living soul left in York County. Of course it's supposed to rain all day, which means we might catch a few malcontents who are tired of rooting the aisles of the "factory outlets."

And, Barry, I hope you can manage to drag yourself up to the China Sea/Roll & Go Party on 8/16 and croak out a few verses before we have to let you retire to one of the Lazyboy forebitts.

Surely, Brett, there's at least one cruising sloop for sale that survived the typhoons. If not, you can always count on someone showing up with a boat, fresh out of money and anxious to return to familar urban/suburban life.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 01:02 AM

They pickle a lot of things in Venezuela, according to Rog from his time spent down there. They do so mostly due to lack of refrigeration. His favourite was a batch of octupus, bell peppers, onions, cauliflower, etc. They also use crab and lobster.

That spider sounds psychedelic, man! Kewl!**bg**

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 08:54 PM

You don't need no stinking telephone, no one knows you yet so the only calls you'll get locally is to come into work during your off hrs, otherwise you can talk via the internet (for now). You can always sell spiders to the mainlanders good for keepin the house bug free (heh, heh). As for everything else you're on Island time = everything takes time & is slow going, take a nap. Bring some pictures to the getaway, finally some company for some all night singing. Brett, you younger guys (& some of you olders ones-Charley) are always passing out early after making those party promises (remember Mystic). We'll see. Hopefully you're gaining some experience as you get older (tease, tease). Barry

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 07:05 PM

For those of you who have no familiarity with my family (which is nearly all of you) my siblings have each spent an inordinate amount of time in college. I have three sisters and a brother and they all have upper level dgrees in various subjects. I was the only one who went to college, found a job and stuck to it. Amy's comments above made me laugh out loud.

Welcome to the real world, kid. Now maybe you'll go for a doctorate.

Charley, back in the 60s nobody had cable. And tell us more of Goldflower. I'm sure Judy won't mind you discussing your fond memories...

I did mention the house (Date: 15 Jul 03 - 02:38 AM) but I guess I never mentioned that I decided to take it. By this time next week I hope to be living in my own home. Of course, I won't have a telephone so I will only be able to post from work. Sigh, I guess I'll put up with the trials and tribulations of life in the boonies.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 01:38 PM

From what I have seen, the house is huge! I hope the spider wasn't lounging near the room you plan to house me in, Dad. No spiders for me, thank you. You should find out what sort of spider it was and then we can all look up pictures of it.

I haven't mentioned that I have recently realized why the Burnham Clan stay students forever, dad. Having a job sucks! I'd rather be typing up a 20 page reserch paper!

Glad you got everything installed in the house, or...almost everything. I'm sure it will work out eventually! Do you have a new address yet?

~Amy~

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 09:07 AM

Hmmmm? When did Brett find a house? Maybe that was one of his posts that disappeared in the black hole of the international internet. Sure sounds like the familar run-around one can encounter while dealing with untility authorities in a different country.

This wasn't really a major problem for me in Emdeber, Ethiopia, given the lack of such things delivered from any centralized authority. The running water was really walking water delivered by two students who went down to the river with buckets, boiled it up on the central fireplace, and poured the resulting chocolate liquid into the charcoal filter apparatus. Lighting was a Chinese kerosene pressure lantern, some of which had an unfortunate tendency to explode. The telephone was a mile away, but we all lusted after the operator, one Workabesh ("Goldflower"), so making a phone call was something one really looked forward to. Cable? I don't think so, although some folks had transistor radio's. Sewage facilities? Well, there was a nice little house out back, a miniture of the main house, round-shaped, encircled with bamboo, a center post with a thatched roof, a wooden throne inside and a bucket shower. The rent was relatively modest as well.

Hey, Brett, tell us some more about your house.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 07:08 AM

Barry, you'll be happy to know that I should be able to keep up with you at the Getaway. I'll be hopelessly jetlagged and midnight will seem like early afternoon to me. As for island life, it is different. But it isn't too far from the way I like to live. I was never one to hurry unduly and that seems to be the norm here.

As for buying a boat, I'd love to. But there is no market here. The last two typhoons have pretty much decimated the local fleet. There are wrecked boats all over the island.

Today was a bear. I went out at 9:30 AM to arrange for the utilities for my house. I started at the personal property department where they told me my household goods are now on the island! They can be delivered next week! I am almost there.

I then headed for the Guam Power Authority to get the electricity hooked up. I have heard that this day would be difficult, that the lines would be long, that the employees would be difficult and that I would rue the day I started down this road.

But I arrived and found a sign up sheet. I hadn't even finished signing in when the next service agent called me in.

That was the last good thing that happened to me all day…

To get utilities on Guam you need a written authority from the owner or realtor. So the agent called up the last occupant who was listed on my authorization sheet. However that occupant was listed in the computer as being at 152B Bishop Flores Drive. My house is 152B Felixberto Drive. The agent calmly announced that my authorization sheet had the wrong address. Well, I knew better and I "discussed" it with him for a while but he was adamant. Apparently his computer had imposed its own reality o the world and he could not be dissuaded. He told me I had to go to the realtor and get the address changed.

I left there and went over to the Micronesia Mall for lunch. I don't think I mentioned the indoor amusement park at the MM. It has a kid's roller coast and a loop the loop ride using a bicycle type seat instead of a car type seat.

After lunch I headed down to the Guam Telephone Authority. I got there and there was no sign to tell me where to go or what to do. Finally a woman pointed out a gadget where I could take a numbered ticket. I waited for about an hour and then they finally called my number. Unfortunately they only whispered the number so I almost missed my chance. We filled out more paperwork and made all the right decisions. And then I had to pay the bill. That sent me to a nice long line where I stood working my way through to where I could give up $110 so they can install my telephone at some point in the next two months.

I then headed down to the house. I had to get the number off of the electrical meter. Now I know I've mentioned before how long it takes to get from place to place on Guam. It's at least 15 miles from the MM to my house. So what do you think, 20 minutes? 25 Minutes? Well, it's more than 30 minutes. The traffic and the slow speed limits make the difference.

But it was worth it. When I got to the house the first thing I saw was the single biggest wild spider I've ever seen in the center of a web that ran from the balcony to the flower boxes on the ground. She was amazing. Her abdomen was bright yellow, her thorax was grey, and her legs were orange. The only spiders I've seen that were bigger were pet tarantulas. I'm so sorry I didn't have my camera with me.

But I got the number from the meter and headed back to the power authority. By then I was running out of time. It was getting late. Fortunately it turned out they are open until 6:00 PM. I signed in and started waiting again. When I finally got to see an agent he did the same thing the previous one did. So I handed over the meter number. That did the trick. However, when he was done the computer confirmed they'd be installing power at 152B Bishop Flores Drive. I hope they can find it. And I hope they send the bills to the wrong address.

With that it was time to hook up the less important utility. I headed for the cable company. When I located it, after quite a search, I found the lobby was packed with people. There was a seething mass of humanity standing in line and watching a TV monitor. That was the final straw. I couldn't take any more. I abandoned my quest and headed for the barn.

Today started the Micronesia Fair down by the Chamorro village. I stopped there to buy a present for a friend. She has qualified as a midwife, passing all her exams and fulfilling her internship. So I got her the videotape and book on the patteras of Guam. They are the traditional midwives. I'm sure she'll love it. Anyway, while there I got a glimpse of the celebration. I'm really looking forward to getting back there. Also, the Traditional Seafarer Society is going to be cutting wood for canoe repairs on a ranch up in Dededo. Should be a fun weekend.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 08:14 PM

Hi Brett

Hope you can make the Getaway, it'd be nice to see you again. I believe Jerry does that song. I believe I had it from a old LP (back 30 yrs or so) of Jim Kweskin's. He's the 1st one I ever heard it from.
Brett if you're looking to und some of those excursions try suplementing your income with pearl diving. An old boat mate of mine from Lahina did a bit of research of the subject, packed his gear & went off to Micronesia, just don't know what Island he was headed for. That was 25 yrs ago, never heard of/from him since (maybe this isn't a good idea). Anyway, it sounds like you're doing well finding your home (even though it may not seem that way). Island living (espically in the Pacific) is a different mind set & mostly the Islands as you head farther south have a culture that varies Island to Island even within the same group. If you do make the Getaway we'll be expecting you to demonstrate some of the traditional dance, talking hands, swaying hips & all. Maybe even some of the Guam garb?
Take good care & best of luck & get yourself a small weekend sailing/cruiser.

Barry

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 01:07 PM

They are nice people. What I found was a sense of hospitality I wasn't accustomed to in the states. Many cultures have hospitality as one of their prime virtues, and the folks on Guam are like that. I inadvertenly started a few family squabbles as locals extended hospitality while being questioned by family members. But it seemed incumbent on the head of the family to go through the motions. I never abused the hospitality...only went through the minimum denial responses needed for form's sake...but family squabbles DID come up over the matter. As I got a reputation for not holding people to their overly-generous offers, word seemed to get around, and the arguments lessened. Or so it seemed.

Anyway, I wanted to mention the Japanese 'energy drinks'. Look for a shop that sells the little bottles and cans of vitamin drinks. I was in a tourist court one day and saw a couple of tables where the Japanese tourists were drinking from little thimble-sized cans and bottles. I found the shop where they'd bought them and spent nearly an hour looking around and talking to the shop owner. All kinds of supercharged fruit nectars and such. I talked to the owner for ten minutes and found out what this one and that one was (labels in Japanese), and just as she'd start to lose patience with me, I'd pick out a can of something and put it on the counter. Good for another ten minutes of questions. Really strange assortment I ended up with. Expensive, too.

And the Japanese seem to pickle everything. Everything. Pickled cuttlefish? I never ran across that, but it doesn't surprise me. I remember being in a grocery store and looking at a jar with a label in Japanese, and I asked a passing grocer what was in the jar. I didn't know the Fillipino for 'small onions?', and I was trying to make myself understood when he finally grabbed his crotch. Testicles. Some kind of pickled testicles. Made me wonder what kind of energy drinks I'd had at the tourist court.

Yes...the mystery that is Guam.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 07:12 PM

Jenny, I've heard that song before. Jerry Bryant in New England, USA, sings it. I never checked the album notes and thought he'd written it. Well, you live and learn.

Amy, the best thing in the world would be to see you and Adam when I get back east. I'll send you the link for the Getaway. I don't know what transportation I'll have available to me on this trip, assuming I get to go.

This morning, as I climbed the stairs to the second floor door Nando stopped me. He is one of the group that gathers for lunch. He told me they enjoyed my company at lunch and thanked me. I was very touched. I told him a lorge part of my opinion of Guam came from those lunches. I prized their willingness to take me in and make me part of the gang. And I thanked him in return. These are very special people.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 12:47 PM

That Rocks dad! I looked up the distance from Lynchburg to Fort Belvoir and it says 187.7 miles. ((It also says 4 and half hours but it looks lik eits near DC and DC is only three hours away from the school depending on the driver)) You could also see Adam as he'll be in DC.

~Amy~

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:52 AM

Here's a little mermaid song. My friend Rhymin' Simon sings it. Enjoy:

MERMAID

(Shel Silverstein - Jim Friedman)

« © '65 Evil Eye Music »

When I was a lad in fishing town an old man said to me
You can spend your life your jolly life just sailing on the sea
You can search the world for pretty girls till your eyes're weak and dim
But don't go swimming with the mermaid son if you don't know how to
swim

Cause her hair is green as seaweed and her skin is blue and pale
And I tell you now before you start you can love that girl with all your heart
But you're just gonna love the upper part you're not gonna like the tail

So I signed onto a whaling ship and my very first day at sea
I seen a mermaid in the waves a reaching out to me
Come live with me in the sea said she and down on the ocean's floor
I'll show you a million wonderous things you never seen before

So over I jumped and she pulled me down down to her seaweed bed
And the pillow made of tortoise shell she placed beneath my head
She fed me shrimps and caviar upon the silver dish
From her head to her waist she was my taste but the rest of her was a fish

Her hair was green as seaweed and her skin was blue and pale
And her face it was a work of art and I loved that girl with all my heart
But I only loved the upper part I did not like the tail

Then one day she swam away and I sang to the clams and whales
I missed her face and her seaweed hair and the silvery shine of her
scales
Then her sister she swam by and set my heart awhirl
Cause her upper part was an ugly fish but the bottom part was a girl

Yeah her toes are pink and rosy and her knees are smooth and pale
And her legs they are a work of art and I love that girl with all my heart
I don't give a damn bout the upper part and that's how I end my tale

**********

Jenny

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:37 AM

Isn't that odd? I know I submitted a posting when I was at work today. However it isn't here.

Today at lunch we had pickled cuttlefish, salmon patties, and pickled papaya. They use a lot of vinegar and do a lot of pickling here. Plus the food is quite spicy, not as hellacious as, say, a Texican chili. The cuttlefish was made of a crosscut of the body of the animal instead of the tentacles. The result was a rubbery brown ring. Very tasty.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 11:24 PM

Its ok dad...i'll just read this thread and stuff and be all good and ignore other threads so you don;t have to be all "good and nice" all the time! Hehehehe...Oh! I have given up on odering something for you and I'm just gonna get my lazy bum in the car and buy it and send it myself...much easier that way. Anything you NEED need or just want that I could send with it??


~Amy~

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 11:21 PM

I'd hate to get my hopes up but I just learned something exciting. I have to take a class in order to qualify for a warrant that will let me do my job. The next instance of that class will coincide with the Getaway. And the class is held at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

So it looks like I MAY be able to go to the GETAWAY!!!!!!!!

Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 10:51 PM

Thanks all. Charley, I'm glad Serena arrived safely. I was hoping she'd survive in that envelope. She is rather solid looking.

For those who don't know, Guam claims to be the birthplace of the first mermaid. Guam legend has it that Serena was a daughter who'd rather swim than do her chores. One day her mother, exasperated to find her in the water rather than working, proclaimed she wished her daughter were a fish instead of a person. The child's godmother was nearby and immediately realized that the mother had cursed her child. She interfered declaring herself as much a relative of the child as the mother and tried to revoke the curse. Unfortunately it only half worked and Serena's lower half was turned into a fish.

There are lots of stories here about the old days on Guam. One is the story of a jealous chief who declared himself the strongest man on the island. His son, though, was growing strong and fast. One day he saw the son doing things that he himself couldn't do. He was so enraged that he chased affter the boy intent to kill him. The boy ran and when he got to the northern end of the island leaped from the cliff top all the way to Rota, 40 miles away and thus escaped from his father. The father was content for he was once more the strongets man on the island. The boy never returned to Guam.

There are books that compile these stories. I need to get hold of them.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 08:26 PM

...and I got a green, hairy chocolate chip bundt cake from my mom for Christmas when I was in England. I ate the part that WASN'T green and hairy.

Forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (or day after, since it's Wed in Guam.)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 07:37 PM

Wow! Got this big package today from Brett and YOU didn't! Inside, miraculously unbroken, was this neatly carved wooden mermaid, and a story of transformation and survival. Thanks, Brett, and happy birthday!

You know, it's really the little things that sneak up on you overseas, and nail you! The big things you're pretty well armored against. When the ants got into my stash of chocolate in rural Ethiopia, back in the 1960's, it was not a good day! But the loss of the Easter fruitcake from mother at the custom's house was expected, and actually hugely amusing, as we tried to explain exactly what it was; by the time it arrived it was rather green and hairy, and we decided that it was better to abandon it than attempt a ransom.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, back in Maine

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 04:41 PM

Fact: we often don't realize we're stressed out until it stops, even when it makes us sick. We always think it's something other than stress...well, I do.

You have "one damned thing after another" (ODTAA) syndrome. All the changes from moves don't usually get sorted out until about 3 months after you're there. Trust me - I've moved enough. You just get so you plan on a period of psycho time. As to the ODTAA, start with the easy stuff or the important stuff and fix something. It's amazing how happy getting just one of the pains-in-the-ass behind me (pun? what pun?) can make me feel.

Welcome Lana & Tenjiro!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: annamill
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 09:21 AM

Feel better Brett and thank you so much for this wonderful thread. I'm starting to look forward to it. I hope that isn't too much responsiblility. I just wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying your writings.

Thanks again,
Annamill

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 07:02 AM

I recognize those bursts of anger and helplessness, Brett- I bet they're all a part of the huge adjustment you're making. New job, new surroundings, add to that all the little cultural differences- of course you'll have moments! They nay build up for awhile, but they should dissapate as well. Keep writing, keep spending time with friendly folks at work, keep doing what appeals to you- and keep in touch!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 01:42 AM

Oh Gawd! Both daughters have found my secret hideout! Now I really have to straighten out and fly right.

As "Lana" was so kind to point out and as seconded by her sister "Tenjiro", today is my birthday. I was a little depressed this morning but I went out on my bike and felt better. I rode out to the abandoned runway and made my way down to the firing range. I went down the length of the range marveling at the distance they shoot. I can hear them occasionally in the afternoon after work, their machine guns rattling and the pop of the M-16s. Down at the end I found a land hermit crab shuttling his green mossy shell across the tarmac. He must have been three inches long. On the way home I nearly wiped out on a pole sticking out into the trail.

At work the Chamorro women invited me to join them for lunch where they wished me a happy birthday. We ate too much and laughed and kidded each other. I had to make a run back to the room at that point but stopped at the office mailbox in the hopeless pursuit of mail, and there it was! Bundles of mail! I had three packages from home and three birthday cards! My windshield wiper relay is here as well as my father's jack knife and a map he drew of the area where he was stationed on Guam in 1947. There were a couple of books, and Charley Noble even sent me some more of the mail that has accumulated in my mailbox back in Maine. Mostly bills but welcome anyway.

Now the day is drawing to a close and I have to decide what else to do to round off my day. One of the women at lunch asked what I was going to do on my birthday. "Well," I said, "the list of things to do is endless." I could go back to my room to sit around or go back to my room to stand around." But I think I will go down to the marina and get the videotape to work on passing the test so I can rent one of the big Boston Whalers and go out on the water this weekend.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 06:29 PM

And lookie Dad...I joined the MudCat...can;t have my sis showing me up now can i? *winks at Lana*

~Amy~

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,HisOtherDaughter
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 06:24 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 04:53 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! :-D

i hope you have a great one! :-D

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 09:43 AM

Hi Dad! I'm sorry you've been feeling blue! I got the package you sent today, the necklace is very pretty and will work quite well with my bard/sailor live roleplay costume.

Things here contine to be boring, but Kathy, my supervisor is gone all week, so I've got access to her computer at work, muhahaha. ;-)
Hope you feel better, don't sweat the small stuff. *hug*

Love
Kelli

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 11:46 PM

I think it would help you to take the pressure off if you can share some of those little annoyances with us when you can - even if the moment has passed - I see it as a bit like the Arkansaw Traveller - sometimes you have to mend the roof when it isn't raining, so to speak. Feel free to PM me too if you want.

BTW, I only give little 5ft 1 hugs, Brett, but here is a virtual one - you can have a real one when you come to Sydney -

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Brett}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Jenny

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 09:55 PM

Thanks. Tom, the reason I don't share these things is that they hit me and then they are gone. Or at least they seem to be gone. For example, without windshield wipers I have to stop whenever it rains, or stay in my room if it's raining and I want to go somewhere. This, at home would be a minor inconvenience and it is so here as well. But it rains a lot.

So, yesterday, while exploring the northeastern corner of the island, it started to rain. No big deal, I pulled over, turned on the wipers and waited for them to start working. The relay is bad and they do not start up right away. If I wait five minutes or so they start to work and then I can drive again. A minor irritation.

But, as shown by the events this morning, these minor irritations aren't leaking away but are building up. I can't have that. I need to do something about poking a hole in that dam and letting that poison out. Any clues?

Julia, thanks for the encouragement. I know you'll do lots of fun things with Joyce. I wish I could be there to join you but that is a long way from here. You know, she's very interested in the Pacific with her watchmacallit quasi religion thing. It would be great if we could get her out here so she could explore it on her own. I've met some great people, almost shamens in their own rights, that she might love to talk to.

As for messages, just tell her I'm thinking of her and give her a big hug from me. Neither of you have the necessary build to give her a patented Brett hug. Fred is tall enough but neither of you have the bulk to do it up right. But do your best. I happen to know you both give great hugs. I could use one myself right about now.

As for writing songs, I'm afraid my head just doesn't seem to work that way. I have tried over the years. I keep coming up with a good start and then the whole thing either slips out of my grip or is so lame I wouldn't want to air it anyway. And I certainly can't come up with enough words to make a song long enough to sing.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: curmudgeon
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 08:09 PM

Brett -- Why not share some of the "difficulties and physically uncomfortable experiences" with us. It will give you a chance to let off steam while reminding us that, in some ways, things are not that awful here. After all, we Mudcatters are a tough lot -- Tom

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 08:01 PM

Hey Brett- be easier on yourself, man! You are going through a transition on every level and can't realistically expect to glide effortlessly through. Lotsa great songs come from these kinds of times- how about writing some? Think about immigrants or lost sailors. Fred and I think you are doing "swimmingly" (pun intended)
BTW Joyce is coming next week- any messages for her?
Love & Hugs- Julia

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 05:32 PM

Isn't that odd. I wrote out a full entry last night but it isn't here this morning. I'll try to reconstruct it below but for now this is another straw on an overloaded camel.

I have maintained a positive attitude so far. What I have written accurately reflects how I feel about this adventure. There are plenty of difficulties and physically uncomfortable experiences but I believe attitude makes the difference. This really is an adventure.

But sometimes it catches up to you.

I have missed having music with me on my morning bike rides so this weekend I bought a belt to hold my portable CD player and some ear buds so I could get away from the bulky headphones that don't fit under or over the bike helmet. I wore the belt while shopping and exploring this weekend. Then, this morning I got ready to go out on the bike and found one of the buckles was missing.

This is a small thing, a minor inconvenience, but it hit me hard. Suddenly my attitude had slipped and I was on the verge of tears. Rage surged through me followed by a sense of devastation. It seemed there was a dam built of tolerance for the difficulties I have expereinced. That dam burst this morning.

But I feel better now. That emotion hasn't quite passed but I am facing it with more equanimity.