Just a reminder to myself that I've still got a lot of the world to see! (Inspired, perhaps, by Angelo's adventures!)

Labels: Lifestyle

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More from the "He's got WAY too much time on his hands" files....I've filmed a few videos and posted to my YouTube account.

There's the sequel to "See the World" which chronicled my first few months on Saipan....it's entitled "Runaway: See the World Too"

Someone who once lived on Saiipan and who now lives stateside asked me to show what Koblerville looks like since they miss home. So, I can proudly say, that "by popular demand"There are also three sequels to "A Drive Through Saipan" entitled "Another Dive Through Saipan (Koblervill)" and "The Road To Marpi" and "Saipan Drive Through San Antonio."

There are also 2 videos of the Korean B-Boy crew breakdancing at the Paseo De Marianas Street Market. Check them out and let me know if the quality is ok and if you like my musical taste!

Visit The Passion Prophet's YouTube Channel

Individual videos:

"Runaway...See The World TOO"

Another Drive thru Saipan (Koblerville)

A Saipan Drive Through San Antonio

The Road to Marpi

Korean Hip Hop On Saipan I

Korean Hip Hop On Saipan II

Labels: Lifestyle, WeLoveSaipan

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#posted by Walt F.J. Goodridge, The Passion Prophet @ 8:15 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

So here I am in Saipan, driving around town when I hear a stateside news report of an explosion in a Harlem apartment building.
Once I heard that there were rumors of an illegal restaurant operating in the building, I knew what I would find once I got back home to do the research.

The blast occurred in the very building I moved out of (escaped) a year ago to move to Saipan. 10 West 119 St. The fireman peering out the window in the picture is probably standing in what used to be my bedroom.

Seems "blasts" are following me around...I escaped the World Trade center blast by a few years (I used to work on the 73rd floor of tower one, and escaped this blast by one year.

Life is so interesting.

News story here

The blast occurred at 4pm on a Saturday....wonder what I would have been doing at that time?

Labels: Lifestyle

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And so,

while surfers do their seeking
and engines rank their searching,
and servers do their serving
and clicks of mice, some once some twice
cause ebooks to downloading

I spend my days in simple ways
to live a life worth living:


"I find a place of constant sun
and simply lie there baking..."

Now here's something I don't believe I've seen before....While sitting in the noon-day sun soaking in the rays at a favorite hideaway on island, I look up and see a rainbow 'round the sun!


The unique mix of clouds and moisture and whatever else created a "not your typical rainbow" right above my head--one that formed a ring around the blazing sun...pretty cool...Hope you can make out the ring in the picture....

"Or roam a while this desert isle
like Hanks, Crusoe or Perrineau"


Then yesterday, while sunning again near Wing Beach, I look around and realize (and this isn't the first time I've noticed this) that because of the population and lifestyle here on Saipan, it's not unusual to be on certain beaches on a given day for hours at a time, and not run into a single soul. You can almost convince yourself you're all alone on a deserted island, evoking images from Castaway, that movie with Tom Hanks....




"Or better still, enjoy the thrill
with others of my choosing"

But, of course, there are people on the island...so, one could venture inland, and return later to enjoy the tranquility and treasures with someone you enjoy being with.

Labels: Lifestyle

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So today I harvested my first batch of wheat grass grown from seeds I had flown in from Guam, and nurtured in my own apartment. Being the health nut that I am, while I was living in New York, I would often drink shots of wheat grass bought at health food stores on Broadway or in the village. Now that I'm on Saipan, there aren't many stores selling wheat grass.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, you can check out
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/greens.htm
for a great overview...

Here are a few excerpts from different pages:
Wheatgrass is fast becoming one of the most widely used supplemental health foods. It contains chlorophyll (nature's most health promoting nutrient), 20 amino acids, several hundred different enzymes not found in other foods, as many as 90 out of 102 possible minerals, vitamins and other important nutrients. It is perfect for dieters, athletes, people on the go, who want to maintain a healthy immune system, or simply anyone who wants to feel GREAT.

Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of unfriendly bacteria.

Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal within 4 to 5 days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals which were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell count.

Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)

Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.

Wheatgrass has what is called the grass-juice factor, which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.

Dr. Ann Wigmore has been helping people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.

Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them and makes them over.



Since I don't have a juicer yet, I just cut a handful and ate it directly...
I'll be ordering a juicer this week, and who knows, you may see me out at the Sabulu market selling shots of wheatgrass!

Labels: Lifestyle

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Not sure why this memory has come to me, but it may have some relevance to someone out there, so I’ll share it with you. Several, actually, many years ago, I had the opportunity to work a summer job while in college. It was my sophomore year in college, if I recall, my first real job, and I was determined to enter the ranks of manhood and use the proceeds to purchase a car. I did the math, and realized that the full amount I would earn for my summer of employment would just barely cover the purchase price of a mazda 626 that, at the time was selling for $2500. I would be able to do it, but I would need to cut my spending to practically zero. (the beginning of my minimalism, perhaps?)
So, for that summer, while living in Johnson Hall on the Columbia University campus, I subsisted on pop tarts, bagels, spring water, generic spaghetti and ketchup. My breakfast would consist of a pop tart and spring water. I would have a bagel for lunch, but would often skip that meal. And my dinner would be a plate of store brand generic spaghetti, smothered with store-brand ketchup. Eating like this, I could average about a dollar a day on food, and since my dorm expenses were already paid, I wasn’t spending much else except the train fare to get to work.
If ever I felt that the deprivation was a bit austere, I could treat myself to a lunch special of two pieces of chicken and a side of French fries for $1.90, or some batter-fried shrimp for about the same price. (I hadn’t yet been enlightened to the virtues of being vegetarian). However, I didn’t splurge very often as I constantly held my eyes firmly fixed on the prize.
Well, as reward for my summer of restraint, I was able to surprise my girlfriend at the time as I proudly pulled up to her mother’s apartment in Washington Heights, a Dominican enclave in upper Manhattan, and show her my light blue Mazda in which we excitedly took our first dating drive together through the humid summer streets of New York.


Didn't learn anything useful on the job. I was as skinny as a rail, but I was mobile!

Ahhh! Yes, life is great!

Take what you will from the story, and let me know what, if any relevance it has in your life.

As I think about it now, I'm sure it's some subconscious message from myself to me relating to a book I'm re-reading entitled Happy Pocket Full of Money, one I've recommended here on the blog, but which I'll recommend again.

Labels: Lifestyle, The Universe

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Someone asked me yesterday what I do. I replied that I'm retired.

People think I'm joking when I say that, given how young they say I look, but in many respects it's completely true--I consider myself as having retired from corporate America in 1995 when I walked away from nine-to-five employment to pursue my passion.

It's truly been a retirement of sorts since I didn't come to Saipan to work or build my business. I came to enjoy life. It was a decision based purely on my private and personal desire to experience new things, new people, new lands and new experiences. I've always wanted to travel to this part of the globe, but never allowed myself the freedom to do so--intent as I was on putting things in place for such a departure. Everything I've been doing throughout my working and business life
has been with the express purpose of achieving a state of freedom. The sorts of income I was methodically building were designed to be passive and residual--not requiring my physical presence in any location for them to be sustained. So while the mechanics of how that freedom would be financed were taking shape, I never had the actual location clear in my head. But on that fateful day in Brooklyn in December 2005, when my friend raved about his experience here on Saipan, something clicked and I heard Saipan calling, and made the decision to up and leave!

Now that I'm here, the adventure of learning new languages and experiencing new social norms, is one that provides me with endless amount of enjoyment and satisfaction.

The unique adventure of navigating personal relationships across language and cultural barriers is a fun challenge. (I'll probaly write more on that in a future post)

Not a day goes by that I don't smile a wide smile of happiness at having made the decision to come here.

However, while the decision to come here was mostly personal, the public/activist side of me could not be submerged.

If I see a situation that I feel I can help, I'm duty bound by my commitment to the universe to do so. I can't NOT help. That would be alien to whom I've come to know as my self. (Of course, one's assessment of a situation, and the nature of one's "help" is purely subjective, but hey...) So, everything I've done while here, the workshops, coaching, the Food Co-op, the NFL (National Forensics League) student competition judging, the weekly Saipan Tribune column, the WeLoveSaipan site, the New Saipan ActionTank, have all been engaged in with the intention of lending my perspectives, talents, and ideas to helping people achieve what they wish to.


So as I immerse myself in these projects and ventures, I realize that a metamorphosis is taking place. The nature of the thoughts and activities that fill my day take on a different hue than when I was in the states.

Now, I'm a "volunteer," and a "community leader," titles I wouldn't have typically assigned myself, but which others here have bestowed.

The dilemma that I mentioned in the previous post is one result of that metamorphosis. As the New Walt emerges--one who is involved in establishing industries on a pacific island, it continues a tradition of shifting identities--a transition--that started back in college, and which included (but was not limited to)

student-->radio DJ-->civil engineer-->record label owner-->author--->passionpreneur-->career coach--->nomadpreneur-->?
and is taking a turn to something which is yet to be fully defined.

Much like the New Saipan which is taking shape, there is a new me developing the end result of which cannot be fully predicted, being a conglomeration of numerous inputs, but which can be steered in a particular direction.

So, what's the point of my rambling? Couldn't tell you. Perhaps when I re-read this tomorrow, I'll detect something more coherent in what I wish to impart, and develop it more then. For now, the simple message is....Stay tuned....a change is gonna come...

Labels: Lifestyle, The Universe

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So, here's my dilemma. It's not that I haven't had anything to say these past few days. Actually, it's quite the opposite. There's so much going on that I haven't decided how and where I want to document it all. I've recently launched the NewSaipan ActionTank, which amounts to an all-inclusive banner under which I can post information on all the projects I've been working on while here on Saipan. The challenge with that, of course, is that I don't really want to have two blogs running concurrently (this one and a NewSaipan blog). I prefer to focus my energies. So, do I bring Side Orders to a close? Or, do I bite the bullet and commit to two blogs?

On a similar note, there's still not a personal blog where I can post things that have nothing to do with business--like my recent pleasure trip to Managaha. But, being somewhat of a public figure, I'm not sure if that's appropriate or wise to do.

Anyway...

Went to enjoy myself at the Liberation Day festivities on Thursday,

Had another interview on Harry Blalock's show last Friday...

Met with members of the New Saipan ActionTank on Saturday

Took part in a commemorative tree planting event on Tuesday

My article in the Tribune appeared on Wednesday

Members of Saipan's blogger community appeared on Harry's show today (I was there in spirit)

Tonight (Thursday) I'll likely be in Garapan for the street market

Friday I'll likely be at GIG dancing the night away...

And every hour in-between, I'm brainstorming, making calls, and moving things forward
with The Pacific Island Food Co-op, The Saipanpreneur Project the NewSaipan ActionTank, and this great experience I call my life!

Ok, ok, maybe I'll show one shot from last week at GIG....

Caption: encircled and loving it!

Labels: Lifestyle, Update

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Wow! This is a more challenging exercise than I thought it would be. David Khorram "tagged" me with this.

Here are the rules of the game:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose four people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged and to read your blog!

Here's where I get stuck! I keep thinking that if I'm going to write something, that there's got to be a purpose for it; something that benefits others. So then, I ask myself:
What do I want to share?
Do I use this as a confessional? (to help people relate)
Do I use it to simply list my goals?
Do I use it to show how unique I am?
Do I use it as the basis of my weekly column?
Is this a gift from the universe to help me write my next book?
Will it end up being the most important things I want people to know about me?
Do I mention my SAT scores like Angelo did? Do I mention my world view like David did? (Of course, once I start to do that, it surely will morph into a book). I think my life is already a pretty open book, so what can I write that hasn't already been included in my books and blogs?
As a writer, I don't like to write stuff that's already been written, by
my or anyone else. So I keep thinking that it has to be new.

To make it comprehensive, and of some value to the next person I tag, I'm searching for a template I can use: One belief. One expectation. One like. One dislike. One demand. One fear. And one truly random thought. That sounds fair enough. Let's go with that.

But, then I think, wait, if I'm really a student of personal growth, a seeker towards being an adept, then I know that my beliefs are really my certainties and my reality. I really have no fears, just awarenesses. I really have no expectations, since I strive to give up expectations since they are the basis of all unhappiness. I neither like nor dislike anything with any intensity that controls me. I don't demand but work towards tolerance and acceptance of what is. And I accept that everyone is pretty much doing the best they can with the purpose of doing what they came here to do, so I have no judgments.

I don't think this exercise was meant to be this difficult, so I think the challenge here is for me to get out of guru mode and just talk about MYSELF in ways that don't necessarily teach anything to anyone. But who wants to read that I like chocolate ice cream (soy-based, of course).

So I guess if I resign myself to the fact that it won't be anything definitive, life changing, or profound, but merely what's closest to the surface right now, I can offer these

SEVEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT WALT:

1. I believe in magic.
By that I mean that we all have the real ability to influence events and reality in truly remarkable ways. Our awareness of that power has been suppressed. We occasionally get glimpses of it. Uh-oh, I'm doing it again. These should be random facts about me. OK. Cut!! Rewrite!!

1. I can do magic.
By that I mean that I have the real ability to influence events and reality in truly remarkable ways. My awareness of that power is being expanded. I can read minds, see the future, manipulate events, live in alternate realities and construct concurrent realities of my choosing in ways that usually impress, but sometimes frighten and intimidate people.

2. I fear rejection.
But I have my "mojo macdaddy moments."

3. I like cats.
quiet, soft and independent...I like my cats and my w--um, better just leave it there....


4. I once helped a chicken hatch out of its shell.
When I was about 7, I was living with my grandmother in Old Harbour, Jamaica. We raised chickens for the eggs. One Particular hen was sitting on 6 eggs. I eagerly waited the 21 days for the eggs to hatch. At roughly the same time, five of the six eggs hatched. One egg didn't. My grandmother had me crawl into the coop, retrieve the egg so she could check it out. We could hear the chicken inside chirping faintly. It was too small and weak to break free on its own. I helped free the little, wet, weak chicken from its shell. My grandmother told me it would grow up to be a cock. (hens are usually yellow, cocks are black). And sure enough, that little chicken I named Percy, grew up to be a strong, loud, leader of the yard for many years.

5. I pick up new languages easily. I can speak English (I think), Spanish, and recently enough Mandarin to raise eyebrows.
I also know a few words in Russian, Italian.

6. I believe that there is a revolution afoot that's not being reported. Soon, however, it will of its own reach critical mass and the current agenda will be subverted. (but I'll save that one for the next book)

7. I am a wanderer, here to assist with the transition.

Whew!
p.s. And, I got a 1310 (out of 1600) on my SAT!


I'll tag Cinta, Carl, Franicia, and Melissa

Labels: Fun, Lifestyle

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This is the pre-publication release of my latest book entitled uniquely enough, Jamaican in Saipan (I didn't have to stretch the imagination too much for that one!) It includes photos, stories, analyses, and observations that are NOT in the blog, and a RAT STORY that I only told my friends back in New York. Here's some of the feeback so far:

"I loved reading it. Once I started i couldn't put it down. I love the cover.........it's so Saipanish and eye catchy. And makes you want to read about the crazy Jamaican in Saipan!"
It's, DA BOMb!" --Kim

"I LOVE THE COVER! It captures the fantasy of living in paradise and made me want to pick it up and read it!"--Stacey

"This is wonderful! I absolutely love the photos and looked forward to hearing about your daily adventures. This is going to be a hit! It truly portrays the essence of living your dream and experiencing your vision to the fullest."--Adrienne

"...the rat story is crazy!"--F.W.

and this one from my Aunt Eloise in Kenya:

"I read it! reads well! Does sound as if you have found your paradise! Found a couple of typos that I am sure your editor will have found by now. Be happy, make lots of money to continue following your dreams! Thanks for thinking of me here in Kenya!
With Guidance & Protection
One Love All the Time
a me dis
eloise"

(Doesn't she know I edit my books myself? Since this is the pre-publication release, if you find the typos my aunt found please send them to me and I'll, um, let's see. I'll thank you profusely and mention you on the blog! Yeah, how's that?)

The ebook is ABSOLUTELY FREE! You can download your copy at www.JamaicaninSaipan.com

Thanks to Angelo for taking the "Saipanish" picture of me at Saipan's Forbidden Island

Almost 100 people have downloaded it so far since I announced it to a limited list a few days ago. I expect that those who enjoy it and wish to send it to friends and family as gifts will order the paperback.

Hope this gives some bloggers a little motivation to put their stories in book form.

Labels: Lifestyle

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#posted by Walt F.J. Goodridge, The Passion Prophet @ 4:24 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

I'm re-reading one of my favorite books, Ask and It is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, and just had to share the following quote:

"There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in the achievement of it. Whether it is a material object, a physical state of being, a relationship, a condition, or a circumstance--at the heart of every desire is the desire to feel good. And so, the standard of success in life is not the things or the money--the standard of success is absolutely the amount of joy you feel."

Don't forget! You are here to be joyous.

Labels: Lifestyle

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A few days ago, while doing a google search for
"side hustle" (I do this to see where my site as well as others'
place in the listings), I noticed a link to a forum in which
which someone was asking for "side hustle ideas."

The forum was hosted at www.early-retirement.org, a
community of individuals devoted to freeing themselves
as early as possible from the rat race, and helping others
do the same. The concept of early retirement is one dear to
my heart having "retired" from corporate employment back
in 1995. When I got to the site, I decided to register
and offer myself as a resource.

Little did I know just how popular that message board
is! Within about 2 minutes, 2 people had viewed my posting,
one had responded. Within 2 hours, close to 50 people
had viewed, and as of today, 3 days later 17 people have
posted and 694 people have viewed my
"From a "retired" nomadpreneur on a Pacific island!"
posting.

But the great news, if you read the exchange
http://early-retirement.org/forums/index.php?board=4.0 (you may need to register or start from the home page) is that the thread got around to inquiries about Saipan, and escapes to paradise, and I recommended checking out WELOVESAIPAN.com. As a result, people have been visiting, signing up and communicating about life here.


Here are two recent ones:

"I am very impressed. I never thought of early retiring there until seeing
this website. I am interested in finding out more."
Jim W (from the early-retirement.org forum)

***************************

Hello, Walt!
I've just ordered two of your books. You've done a wonderful job achieving freedom. I'm a doctor, and I've been contacted by CHC in Saipan to join their staff. I'm seriously considering it. I'm also a direct marketer, one-on-one student of Dan Kennedy and fan of Mark Joyner, Joe Vitale, and many others you may know (I'm guessing from your marketing style).
I hope to get to Saipan at least to check out the sweet life, and hopefully to move there with my family!

All the best,
Marc Silverberg, M.D.
Norfolk, VA, USA
***************************

Labels: Lifestyle, Tell Me More About My Eyes, WeLoveSaipan

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Now while there's no soaring crime or nefarious villains like the Joker or the Penguin wreaking havoc here in Saipan, I've been in top secret talks with international crime fighter and super hero Batman to share some of his martial arts skills and technological secrets with me for possible exclusive use here in the Northern Marianas. Stay tuned, and I'll keep you posted on what agreements the caped crusader and I ultimately come to!

Labels: Lifestyle

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In response to an email about my ordeal getting back to Saipan
after a recent trip to New York, a friend asked me,

"...You ended with "I'm finally home." Does this mean you don't consider NY your home anymore, or even Jamaica? :-)"

to which I replied:

Home? Hmmmm....that's always been a tough one for me to be clear about.

"Home"used to be Jamaica, and perhaps it still is ultimately when all is said and done. I think I may have told you all of this before, but perhaps I need to re-say it, for my own clarity.

As great as it is, I've never really considered NY my home. It was the most familiar place to hang my hat since that's where I've lived most of my life, but it was never home. I returned there after living 3 years in Silver Spring, Maryland because I knew people there and it was easier to resume life in a familiar place. But, as I've recently realized, it was chosen FOR me. I never chose to come here from Jamaica. Nor did I choose Jamaica, for that matter. If one looks at things purely from this plane of existence, it was through history and an "accident" of birth that I ended up there, but I never consciously chose Jamaica either. (Yes, I believe from a metaphysical and spiritual perspective, my soul chose the parents, time and location of my arrival on this plane, but you know what I mean!)

Saipan, therefore, is the first country I've lived in that was by my own free will and choice. In that regard it represents a whole different ballgame of happiness.

Having said that, I'm also open-minded and adventurous in regard to where I live. So, by no means does this move represent anything final either.

I'm at a place in life where I'm enjoying the residual benefits of a lot of work I put in for the past 10 years (yes, even when it seemed like all I did was sit around at the computer wasting time, this is what I was building) :-)

"It" is still not complete, but I can continue to build it at any pace and in any place that suits me, and so the goal is to simply experience more paces and places.

There's a growing list of places this nomadpreneur adventure will take me. I'll be traveling and enjoying life, and who knows, I may change into a completely different person along the way at any time.

In an interview, Bob once said (by the way, every true Jamaican is duty-bound to quote "Bob" Marley at least once in every conversation!), "My home is in my head."

So who knows, perhaps there is no real home for the nomad, just a series of happy experiences on a never-ending journey.

I love you and all my friends I made while in the states, and there is no way to minimize the tremendous impact you all, ACN, Columbia, the Port Authority, Tag Team and "the Briarwood 7" have had on my life. But it would not be beyond the realm of possibility that I simply sail off into the sunset and all this becomes simply a pleasant memory of happy times gone by.

Yes, there is a sadness about it all as well. Separation in the pursuit of happiness brings with it a sense of loss and sorrow, I admit. But happiness must prevail.

I want to be happy, and for now at least, happiness means honoring the call from afar, indulging my preferences, and never allowing myself to be bound by the familiar, or shackled by the chains of habit and circumstance. I can't allow NY or any place to hold me simply because it has become habitual, no matter how sweet my friendships there are.

So, to answer your question, "You ARE returning, aren't you?" If you mean am I returning for the occasional special event, the answer is yes. But if you mean shall I return to resume living in America, then the answer is "who knows." Just as I made and kept a promise to myself never to return to the corporate world, THIS move as well is based on the same kind of promise never to live somewhere that doesn't resonate with whom I wish to be....

you ask a writer a simple question, and you get a book
in reply!--Walt


Now having said all that...let the adventure continue!

See The World (Quicktime Version)

Labels: Lifestyle

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I retired from writing new life rhymes last year...but this is a story that had to be told!--

WHEN BLOGGERS MEET Sit back for a spell for there's something to tell ahh, my friend, yes you're in for a treat For I'll tell you a tale to which others will pale when the bloggers on Saipan meet! Yes, they came out in style just to chat for a while some drank coffee and some came to eat Strangers greet you by name (it's an odd type of fame) when the bloggers on Saipan meet! Yes, the Captain was there, then Mike pulled up a chair Bree and Cinta and Gus found a seat Brad and Bev came on through Melissa made her debut when the bloggers on Saipan meet! Then the laptops came out just like we joked about and the bloggers pulled off a rare feat Growing close as a team with eyes fixed on a screen when the bloggers on Saipan meet! Then old bloggers taught new showing just what they should do the camaraderie there couldn't be beat That's the way things will go as this group's sure to grow when the bloggers on Saipan meet! Yes, you should have been there if you missed it, don't fear for the love-fest is bound to repeat Come the next time you hear "A WeLoveSaipan affair!" when the bloggers on Saipan meet! For they'll meet once a moon come tsunami or monsoon final Wednesday when month is complete all in favor say "aye" so for now it's goodbye 'till the bloggers on Saipan re-meet! (c) Feb 2007 Walt F.J. Goodridge p.s. And for those who should ask or who took me to task There were two whom I seemed to delete Among the proud and the few were Angelo and Walt, too when the bloggers on Saipan did meet! :-)

The first WeLoveSaipan Network Blogger "Meet up" on the island of Saipan (L.to R) "Captain Carl" Brachear, Gus Kaipat, Brad Ruszala, Angelo O Villagomez, Cinta Kaipat, Niña Rivera, Melissa Simms, Walt Goodridge, Mike Tripp, Bev Cabanatan, Bree Reynolds

Labels: Life Rhymes, Lifestyle

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Yesterday I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Kagman Education Island Wetland learning center a joint project of the Coastal Resource Management Office and the Marianas Resource and Conservation Office.

Labels: Lifestyle

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just some late night/early morning thoughts I felt like sharing....

There are times, early in the morning, as I lie awake in bed listening to the radio here in Saipan, that my life takes on an almost surreal quality. It’s now 3:17am ... It’s my favorite time of day. Things are quiet. I’m listening to 103.9FM, (sort of a Lite-FM-type format) and just heard “Dancing Queen” by Abba, followed by “Sharing the Night Together” by Dr. Hook, and “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye. A few days ago I heard “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas. Now, if you’re not familiar with those songs, they are big 70’s and early 80’s hits. What’s significant about those songs in particular is that they’re from a period in the 70’s and 80’s that corresponds to my best memories of life in Jamaica before I moved to the states, and during the summers when, homesick, I would go back to visit.

Like a lot of people, music, for me has always been a special marker of moments. They are life's soundtrack capable of eliciting memories of moments lived. When I hear those songs, I’m immediately transported to those early innocent times of my life and feel a nostalgia mixed with an indescribable peace and contentment that makes me almost cry. (“That’s the Time I Feel Like Making Love” by Roberta Flack, “Loving You by Minnie Ripperton” and Rock the Boat by the Hues Corporation are three songs in particular that have that effect on me).

So here I am, many years later, living once again in a tropical paradise that has almost the same feel of Jamaica back in the 70s, eating the same fruits that grow there, meeting nice people with the same nomadic/adventurer streak, surrounded by warm, friendly people and the native beauty I like, and experiencing the career fulfillment, fame and acceptance on the level I have dreamt of and strived all my life to create.

So when I hear these songs in this my new dream life, time slows down, and it’s like I’ve been given another chance to pick up and continue my life where I’ve always felt like it was halted. And when I hear any other songs from my past, they too feel different. They’re being reprogrammed into new memories, synchronized with a new set of feelings and becoming the soundtrack of this my new life’s adventure.

They say you can’t go back. “They” would be wrong, indeed. But I’ve even done one better: I’ve gone back and taken my dreams with me.

I wish everyone the singular experience and joy of finding the dream that feeds them and of getting the chance to live it on their own terms.

Let the music play.

Labels: Lifestyle

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Wow! It's been a hectic few weeks!


First a little background:
In April 2006, CNMI Governor Benigno Fitial signed the bill enacting Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an official CNMI holiday to commence on January 15th, 2007 (You can see my coverage of this in Walt's Escape from America (Opens in new window). In the past, there had been commemorations of MLK Day on island supported and hosted by private individuals and groups. Now, as an official holiday, this year's commemoration took on particular significance. it was appropriate to do something more than in previous years. This excerpt from a letter sent out to local leaders and media explains:

Initial program plans include an open-to-the public “Rally, Reflection & Recognition” event with guest speakers, a keynote address, and a “Freedom March” centered in and around the American Memorial Park. Also featured will be the presentation of a "Young Freedom Fighters Award" to local student-winners of our school-wide MLK Essay/Speech Contest. Cynthia E. Nance's selection as Keynote Speaker comports with the stated 2007 program theme, as the first woman and first black dean of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Law School and as a Professor of law.
To place Dean/Professor Nance's accomplishments in perspective, it should be known that Arkansas is where Governor Orval Fabus, in 1957, in defiance of the orders of President Eisenhower to admit black students to Little Rock Central High School and in the face of the National Guard, and in the eyes of the world, vowed publicly that black and white children would never be allowed to attend school together in the State of Arkansas. Dean/Professor Nance, in the true spirit of Dr. King's dream, has "over come" such entrenched barriers of racial discrimination in education and employment opportunities, and her professional and academic achievements serve as an inspiration to freedom loving people everywhere.

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So things started back in December when the planning for the CNMI's first official Martin Luther King Jr., Day kicked into high gear. The planning committee of the African American Cultural Preservation Committee (attorney Joe Hill, president) here on Saipan met every week and as the event closed in, we met every other day in the lobby of the World Resort Hotel.



After weeks of planning, the day finally came, and we met and welcomed Dean Nance at the airport at 1:00am Friday morning. With singer singing, ukulele playing, cameras snapping, the Dean was welcomed in style to the CNMI!


...and then we wait for luggage


With a full itinerary, the Dean was on her way to Rota that Friday morning, Tinian the next day and returned to Saipan on Sunday. The Tsunami (see Angelo's account;opens in new window) delayed things a bit.

On Sunday, there was a reception in her honor at Judge Lizama's residence.


Monday (MLK Day), found us all busy setting up the stage, moving tables and chairs, setting up sound systems and everything else one needs for an inaugural commemoration.

As organizer of the MLK Essay and Elocution contest, I was up at 5am reading essays, creating handouts for the judges, and then was off to Joe Hill's office at 7:30 to make photocopies of all the entries. Along with Dorothea Bryant and Angie Wheat, we hosted and judged the elocution portion of the contest that morning.



Now I have to say something about the contest; something about the support and attitude of the students and teachers and committee members here in the CNMI. Of the many people who received the contest announcement, some as late as the day before the deadline, 12 schools' principals and teachers chose to participate.

From those schools, 30 students chose to submit essays, 5 students chose to memorize speeches

Of those who received the announcement ON ROTA, 6 students chose to participate, and their principal found a way to get their essays hand delivered to us IN TIME!!

There are students, educators, even strangers who graciously chose to sit through the chaos of this our first event to support the children and the intention behind our efforts.

So, along with yours truly, there were 3 judges (Dorothea, Angie and Laura) who--all drafted at the last minute--chose to listen to and judge the speeches that morning, then chose to work tirelessly (without ANY complaint whatsoever) the entire day (missing the march, and portions of the ceremony, feeding themselves at their own expense) in order to diligently grade EVERY student's written essay. (Thanks, ladies, for putting up with my spontaneous, last-minute chaos!)



Shots from the Official Commemoration!

Park Ranger Kelchmer (is that your official title?) prepares Dept of Public Safety Commissioner Rebecca Warfield to project the "look of authority" while retaining a woman's mystique and grace


Note: the next several shots courtesy of Angelo Villagomez

Monday morning's cleanup of Makaka Beach was a success. Participants from MOVER, MINA, RC&D, Rep. Kaipat, Rep Waki, and Mozell's Boys picked up trash and bushcut our own tall grass. The Saipan Tribune covered this cleanup, which was part of the "Day on, not a day off" celebration of Martin Luther King Day. Over 30 people attended this cleanup

Official Master and Mistress of Ceremony, Ambrose Bennett and Shequita Bennett.

Gus Kaipat sings CNMI anthem.

The front row VIPs.

Joe Hill makes welcoming remarks

Ryan Ortizo wows the crowd with a stirring rendition of Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a Dream" speech

Congresswoman Cinta Kaipat tells of the history and struggle of getting the day formalized in the CNMI

Senator Maria Pangelinan

VIPs on stage

Essay & Elocution contest winners from left to write: Audrey Jo Ada, Alice Tessen, Joan Liwanag, Raymark Denora (not present: Jo Micah Cabrera)
Check out the Winning Essays

Elocution contest winner (High School Division) Joan Liwanag

Elocution contest winner (Elementary School Division) Raymark Denora

And now, ladies and gentlemen, our keynote speaker...




[end of Angelo's shots]

The evening was inspiring as well as entertaining, and was a great kickoff for what will be an annual tradition which will grow in attendance and participation....

Well done to all who stayed up late, got up early, donated their time, energy, ideas and passion to make this long-awaited day a reality here in the CNMI!

Special thanks again to Ranger Kelchmer for letting us use the office for grading the essays!



And even though this is a personal blog, I'd like to spread recognition of appreciation
by way of the following:

This Project was made possible by support from the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities, a non-profit, private corporation funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

(NOTE: check back to this post for links to videos, winning essays and even more photos!)


But wait! It's not over yet!
Having made the 10,000-mile trip from NY to Saipan myself three times (that would be a total of 5 times across the Pacific) in less than 9 months, I know firsthand how it feels. I also felt that having come all this way, the Dean should at least get to see some of Saipan's native beauty beyond the scheduled talks, official meetings and presentations that filled her schedule. So, I plotted a friendly "kidnapping."

I arrived at Kagman Elementary school on Tuesday afternoon after the second of the official school meetings, managed to tick off fellow committee member Sam Joyner and a few teachers (sorry ladies, didn't intend to offend anyone, but kidnapping's a dirty job that wins few friends) and sort of pushed my agenda forward to add some down-time activities to the Dean's stay!

It was about 3pm. With only a few hours of daylight left, and since we were in Kagman, I first took the Dean part of the way down the trail to Forbidden Island (um, don't tell AAPC president Joe Hill, he'd have a fit!)

...then to Tank Beach



....then to Mount Tapochau




....she asked to stop by Judge Weiss' place, so we did that for a few minutes...By then it was about 4:00pm, the daylight hours were dwindling, so the Judge graciously sent us on our way with his own recommendations on where to take the Dean.




....then I took her to a little-known trail to a secluded fishing spot (introduced to me by Captain Carlopens in new window) near Marpi Point just in time for a great view of a Saipan sunset! Man, that's a steep trail! Kudos to the dean, who, ill-prepared for my kidnapping itinerary, and dressed in only sandals and with a toe she hurt earlier in the day, completed both the Forbidden island trail and the Marpi trail in fine style (i.e. alive to talk about it!)

....then to Banzaii Cliff




...then to Bird Island


...and on the way back, took a wrong turn and ended up at the Grotto. By then it was dark, so we didn't get to see much. Within a few minutes one of Saipan's Finest showed up (wonder if news of the kidnapping got out!). He asked if everything was alright. I told him I was fine, and that the Dean was treating me well. Or maybe he was asking HER...hmmm, ...in any event, the Dean and the officer had a nice chat about the undersea world of Saipan's diving spots while I wondered if he was secretly detaining us waiting for "backup" to take me down!!


No SWAT teams showed up, so I chauffeured Dean Nance back to the World Resort to meet with Joe.


My work here is done!



The next morning (Wednesday), driven to the airport by Rose Smith, the Dean and a few of us had a small farwell gathering...


Willie, Rose, Dean Nance, Joe, me (one of these days I'll see Willie smile in a photograph, I just know it)


Dean Cynthia Nance shows her ticket to the gate agent, walks up the ramp, and heads home.




More to come!

Labels: Lifestyle

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Kinda hectic these past few hours.

Was at the airport until 2:30am today as part of the welcoming committee for Cynthia Nance, Dean of the University of Arkansas Law School. Dean Nance is here on Saipan to be the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King Jr, Day commemoration here.




As part of the event schedule, there'll be a student essay contest. Today was the deadline, so I was driving all around the island picking up essay submissions.

Labels: Lifestyle

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