Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Weekend Recap

Posted in Guam, Theater, Travel on Tuesday, 25 July, 2006| 2 Comments »

Jack and the Beanstalk was a theatrical success. The storyline was very PC with the giant being a vegetarian who shared his treasure with Jack. FG did a great job in her part as one of two ballerinas:

Directly after the show, we raced to the airport to pick up FM ~ it was only 24 hours after he was originally due back. On the way home from the airport, at about 9 pm, we noticed several cars parked on the hill awaiting the Liberation Day fireworks. It was a gorgeous, clear night so we parked and watched. It was a wonderful view of the fireworks but we weren’t close enough to hear them which is half the fun. Next year, we’ll plan on being closer.

Saturday brought a birthday party for FG so FM & I went to the driving range. My sister has warned me not to get addicted to the game. It might be too late:

After Saturday mass, we couldn’t resist heading down to the beach for a light dinner. Bamboo Willies is a beach-side restaurant located on Andersen Air Force Base. The food is OK but the real treat is being at an open air restaurant with the beach across the road:

All in all ~ another nice weekend in Guam.

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Guam’s Liberation Day – 21 July 1944

Posted in Guam, Travel on Thursday, 20 July, 2006| Leave a Comment »

A little bit of Guam history….

Days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, on 10 December 1941,the Japanese forces overtook the US garrison in Guam. The island remained under the brutal control of the Japanese until 21 July 1944, when the Marines & Army troops began the battle to liberate Guam and to use the island strategically in the war against the Japanese. The troops were supported by the Navy, Coast Guard and the people of Guam.

The official battle went on until 10 August with 1,800 soldiers killed and 5,600 soldiers injured. Actual removal of Japanese resistance took another 12 months. Strangely, several Japanese soldiers refused to surrender and went into hiding ~ Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi was finally taken captive in 1972, after 28 years, by Chomorro hunters who found him hiding out. Guess he didn’t get the memo to pack it up and go home.

Tomorrow will be the 62nd anniversary of Liberation Day. It’s a holiday here on Guam and there will be many festivities happening including a Miss Liberation Day crowning, a huge parade down Marine Corps Drive, fireworks, etc. After seeing clips of the floats from prior years, I’m especially interested in seeing the parade.

Happy Liberation Day to Guam!

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Audition Angst

Posted in Favorite Girl, Travel on Thursday, 20 July, 2006| 5 Comments »

Throughout the entire 2.5 hour audition, I sat on the edge of my chair with sweaty palms and a dry mouth. I was a bundle of nerves. Me ~ the one everyone refers to as cool, calm and collected. What was the cause of all this angst? Would you believe an audition for Jack and the Beanstalk? FG was trying out for a part in the play and, because I knew how badly she wanted to be in it, I was on pins and needles for her. She was fine, but I was the one worried about how disappointed she would be if she didn’t get selected for any part. I had already heard from another mom that her daughter didn’t get picked last year and there were lots of tears. Guess they don’t call it DRAMA for nothing!

There were a couple of times during the audition process I so wanted to run up and coach FG on what to say and how to say it. It was difficult but I restrained myself. As I sat in the freezing theater, I thought about all those “stage moms” and how I might be a little more sympathetic toward them now. In the past, I thought they were quite loony.

In the end, she got selected for the part of the Ballerina ~ didn’t you know there was a ballerina in Jack and the Beanstalk? Oh yeah, it’s a musical, too. She doesn’t have a speaking part, but I was so relieved she wasn’t put in with the jumping beans which was basically the catch-all for someone who didn’t get a part.

Jack and the Beanstalk is being produced by The Missoula Children’s Theater which I hadn’t heard of before I got here. Listen up, Army MWR ~ the Air Force MWR hires this company to go to their overseas bases for ONE week during the summer to put on a show. They have one week from start to finish. I am very impressed with the professionalism and organization of the two women charged with putting on this production. All 52 of the children, including those helping behind stage, are having a great time and the short time-frame for getting ready has kept them focused. All the costumes/props are provided by the company so there are no costs to the parents.

Tomorrow is showtime and I will no doubt be nervous for FG. Unfortunately, I just got a call from FM and his plane was delayed so he won’t make his Guam connection. This puts him back an entire day and it’s unlikely he’ll make it back in time for curtain call. 😦 There are strict instructions about no cameras but, hmm, I wonder if I can sneak in my video camera….

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Tropical Depression

Posted in Guam, Islands, Travel on Wednesday, 19 July, 2006| 1 Comment »

I’m talking about the weather and not my mental state ~ another storm is brewing off of Guam and we’re expecting at least six inches of rain today with winds up to 30 mph. Right now, the sun is out but I learned from the last tropical storm to skirt Guam, that the weather will change in a matter of minutes so being prepared is essential.

Tropical Storm Bilis was here about 10 days ago and went on to cause a lot of death and destruction in Asia (Philippines, Taiwan, and China). Billis gave me a feel of what the rainy season is all about. It would have been nice to stay inside and ride out the storm but the dogs require their walks regardless of weather so I got to feel the storm. The wind was so strong the rain was coming sideways at me and rain was blowing directly into my ears. The other danger for me was the falling debris from the trees and the flyaway items the neighbors neglected to secure. Should a larger storm come through, I hope the housing inspectors will check that people have put away those dangerous items.

After getting completely soaked and having a better understanding of what I’m up against, I went on-line and ordered one of those sailor-style storm suits. Unfortunately, it hasn’t arrived yet so I won’t be able to test it on today’s storm.

I have no doubt the storm will blow by and be gone by tomorrow afternoon which would be great because the Liberation Day Parade is on Friday. Why am I so confident of good weather? FM is due back from two weeks TDY to Ft.Lewis and Ft. Knox tomorrow night and he always manages to miss out on wacky weather when he’s gone. Whether it be snowstorms, tornados, or tropical storms, he has great timing for missing them. Then I have to put up with the “what’s all the fuss about?” attitude.

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St. Patrick and the snakes

Posted in Animals, Guam, Travel on Saturday, 15 July, 2006| Leave a Comment »

FG went to Catholic Kid’s Camp this past week and the theme was St. Patrick. For my family, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations include lots of food, fun and more than a little green beer. My father had a blow-out party every year and it was considered “the” party to go to in our small town. He planned for it all year and even had invitations sent from Ireland. My mom provided lots of help but really it was my Dad’s day. When I saw some of the same decorations i.e. shamrock centerpieces, stickers, etc. I couldn’t help but smile. Good memories.

In keeping with the theme of St. Patrick, who drove the snakes out of Ireland, the camp organizers invited the Department of Agriculture to put on a demonstration about the Brown Tree Snake. I snuck away from helping with the snacks to check it out and it was fascinating. They brought in several live snakes to show and one was over 5 feet long.

This was definitely not for the faint of heart ~ they let the big snake slither across the floor for a moment and he was not a happy camper.

Introduced accidentally to Guam in the late 1940s, the Brown Tree Snake has caused extensive ecological damage to the island. Snakes have exterminated most of the indigenous forest birds and also greatly reduced the population of fruit bats and lizards. They are not poisonous to people but could leave a harmful bite mark on a baby or young child. Unfortunately, it has no natural predator here, but there is a dog who would like nothing better than to tear one apart.

The working dog did a great job sniffing out the hidden snakes. This Jack Russell was so small and cute but he was all business. He sniffed out the snakes like they were steak.

They use the dogs at the two airports (Commercial and Air Force) as well as at Big Navy. An average of 50 snakes a day are trapped and killed here in Guam. Yes, he said every day. Can’t believe I haven’t seen one on our walks. I’ll have to look harder.

We were told there is a problem with people letting the bait (the mice) out of the traps ~ I plead the fifth. 😉

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G.A.I.N.

Posted in Animals, Dogs, Guam, Travel on Thursday, 13 July, 2006| Leave a Comment »

G.A.I.N. stands for Guam Animals in Need. It’s Guam’s animal shelter and I got a chance to volunteer there yesterday with FG. We went with a family who had already been there and they showed us around. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was very clean & organized.

I’m all about the dogs ~ getting them out of their kennels for a walk in the “park” which is located on the premises, making sure they have water, and cleaning their kennels. FG preferred to snuggle with the cats and kittens.

A woman who works there asked if I could foster a puppy but I think Ben & Sport (my old dogs) would be more than a little put out if I brought home a puppy.

For any animal lovers living on Guam, I would highly recommend volunteering at GAIN. It’s very satisfying to make a dog or cat a little more comfortable. And best of all, the shelter provides very reduced rates on spay and neutering which is the only way to combat the pet overpopulation problem plaguing the island.

FG already wants to go back and I have no doubt we will spend a lot of time there.

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Guam Supports the Troops

Posted in Travel, US Military on Wednesday, 12 July, 2006| Leave a Comment »

Since moving to Guam, I’ve noticed the people of Guam are very supportive of the troops and I see their unabashed displays of support everywhere I go. I’ve had to make a couple of trips to the airport in the last few weeks and the sign on the entrance never fails to put a smile on my face:

And in another display of support, just this week Route 8 was renamed as Purple Heart Memorial Hwy. There are already three major roads named in honor of the military including Marine Corps Drive (named after the Marines who built it after WWII), Vietnam Veterans Highway and Army Drive.

Many of Guam’s sons and daughters are in all branches of the military: National Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force & Coast Guard. It’s great to see the ton of support and love they get from everyone here.

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Dog’s Eye View

Posted in Animals, Dogs, Travel on Sunday, 9 July, 2006| 3 Comments »

Until now, we’ve always lived in homes with fenced yards. One positive aspect of a no-fence yard is I have to walk my two dogs several times a day. Besides the great exercise for all of us, I get to see a lot of the base that I would otherwise ignore if I were driving. Actually, I’ve become a reluctant voyeur. It’s hard not to observe things and some days the neighborhood feels like ‘All My Children’, others days like ‘Animal Kingdom‘ but most days like ‘Top Gun’ with all the fighter jets flying above.

It’s the dog’s eye view which gets me in touch with all the nature around us. Their keen sense of smell take me in different directions whether it be chasing a toad, shrew, bird or even a boonie dog who lives on base.

All over the housing area there are black birds who are very protective of their nests and, for some reason, go after runners in particular. I can be walking along with the dogs and not be bothered by them but the minute a runner comes by, the dive bombing commences. Very early this past Friday morning, the dogs and I came upon a man, wearing an orange safety vest, crouched behind the side of his car. He was shooting a .22 at the birds in the coconut tree. As you can imagine, I was not pleased to see someone shooting in a residential area & only 5 doors down from where I live. I stood and watched while he shot about 20 times and wounded one bird. Turns out he’s with the Wildlife Department 😦 Surely there is a better way to handle the birds.

Another ‘nuisance’ animal on Guam is the brown tree snake. Haven’t seen a live one yet but there are traps set everywhere for them. The other day the dogs pulled me in the direction of one of the cylinder snake traps tied to a tree. I saw a tiny & very cute white mouse inside. My first thought was he accidentally got in the trap, then I realized there was food in there for him and he was bait for the snake. Where’s PETA when you need them? Needless to say, I stay away from that particular trap ~ too sad for me to see the doomed mouse.

At night, we wander around mostly trying to avoid the tons of toads that are out and about. I never realized how amorous they are at night. I once went to a bar in Cave Creek, Arizona called the Horny Toad and it’s only now that I see how appropriate a name it is.

One thing is for sure though, no matter what route the dogs want to take in the morning, I always make sure we go to the end of my street which has a great view of the Pacific Ocean ~ no better way for me to start the day.

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Guam: Golf Anyone?

Posted in Guam, Travel, tagged , , on Thursday, 6 July, 2006| 5 Comments »

I have a serious love/hate relationship with the game of golf. Actually, it’s mostly a hate/hate relationship but right now, I’m in the love phase and, it’s a good thing since the Palm Tree Golf Course on Andersen Air Force base is beautiful and so convenient. The course has ocean views and the club house sits on a hill which allows for the tropical breezes to cool you down as you lunch outside on the deck.

Throughout the summer, FG will be taking golf lessons at the children’s golf clinic. It’s 2 hours in the morning and she loves it.

She is now the proud owner of her first set of clubs (all 5 of them) and a very light golf bag. Wish mine were that light. FM dusted off our ancient clubs which haven’t seen the light of day since we moved TO Germany 5 years ago. We had enough sense to send our clubs ahead of the household goods. FM has already been to the driving range and I am signed up for a women’s clinic.

It would be criminal not to take advantage of having a course so close to our house and the weather doesn’t hurt my motivation either. Looks like golf will be our sport of choice while we’re here!

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When you see the Southern Cross for the first time…

Posted in Guam, Islands, Travel, tagged , , , , , on Wednesday, 5 July, 2006| 2 Comments »

I love the song Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills and Nash. It makes me want to get on a boat and sail the South Pacific. The places in the song -Marquesas, Papeete, Avalon – always seemed so distant but, now that we’re living in Guam, there’s much more opportunity to travel to, and maybe even sail around, some of these exotic locales.

Last Friday, I finally got a chance to see the most famous southern constellation thanks to Pam Eastlick of the UOG (University of Guam) planetarium. Every Friday, she writes a column for the Pacific Daily News about the stars over Guam. She makes finding constellations/stars/planets really easy with step-by-step instructions. The Southern Cross will disappear from the early evening sky sometime this month until next spring, so with a glass of wine in one hand and a flashlight in the other, I read the instructions while FM did the search of the skies.

After oohing and aahing over the Southern Cross, we located Regulus, the brighest star in Leo the Lion and the 21st brightest star in the sky. Then, it was on to viewing Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Left of the Cross was Alpha and Beta Centauri. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see Saturn. Hmm..a telescope sure would be nice to have.

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