Searching for answers in Saipan
November 22, 2009 at 12:20 pm | In Guam, Pacific Daily News, Saipan, assignment, breaking news coverage, journalism, murder, tragedy | Leave a CommentThis was not the way I had intended to make my first trip to Saipan.
Saipan, the most developed of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands is still less developed than Guam but has some good hiking, snorkeling, and diving terrain.
Yet I didn’t see Saipan through a scuba face mask.
Instead, I saw it through the eyes of a community that had just been shaken by the mass shooting by a suicidal gunman who decided to take down several other lives before taking his own. The otherwise peaceful island hadn’t experienced a tragedy like this since the Second World War, according to some people, but most Saipan residents agreed this was an “isolated incident.”
I was told about the Saipan assignment on Friday, just as I was clocking out for the night. I left Guam at 7 a.m. the next day, spending most of Saturday visiting the Saipan hospital, the shooting range where one part of the tragedy took place, and making calls to the Saipan Department of Public Safety.
I arrived back on Guam around 7 p.m., just in time to file my photos.
Guam is Manhattan compared to Rota
November 17, 2009 at 10:25 am | In Guam, Hash, Rota, island, tropical, vacation | 1 Comment
I had thought Guam was underdeveloped….until I went to Rota.
This weekend I decided to join the Agana Hash House Harriers on their run in Rota. I’m actually not much of a hasher, and I only go on the hikes occasionally, but I decided to join in on this one to give myself a little vacation time away from Guam and to also see a neighboring island. Rota is an island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands with a population of about 5,000. Everyone has encouraged me to see the other islands ever since I got here, so I decided the best way to see it would be through the hash.
Nothing says ‘third wheel’ like a weekend on a tropical island with your roommate and her boyfriend (who also happens to be my coworker at PDN and a UF alumni). But they’re the ones who convinced me to tag along so I decided to take them up on the offer.
Of course, the one night I decided to fly out of Guam to get away for the weekend is also the same evening I was kept at work later than usual. When I finally got to my apartment around 9 Friday night, my roommate helped me throw together a bunch of stuff before our flight left at 2 a.m. Saturday.
We met up at the airport with some of the other girls who were on our same flight to Rota. We arrived at Rota International Airport (apparently the smallest or one of the smallest international airports in the world? I can believe it) around 3 a.m. and went to bed as soon as we got to our hotel.
Brett, Kira and I headed over to breakfast at “As Paris” restaurant, which seemed to be pronounced “Az Perez” by the locals, and had no semblance of French cuisine 
in reality. It also flaunted free wifi…also not true. And yes, I’m one of those people who feels I’ve lost a bit of my soul when I don’t have wireless access or a cell phone. Neither of my two phones were working in Rota, so I ended up having to get a calling card to maintain sanity.
I had expressed an interest in snorkeling, so we walked over to the nearest dive shop (read: shack) to rent some fins and face masks. I spent the afternoon floating around in the shallow pools checking out the fish including (what I think were) Moorish Idols, several varieties of butterfly fish and a pufferfish, which blew up to its full capacity while hiding under one of the coral.
The evening hash was short and sweet, just perfect for me. We climbed around a gorgeous 100-foot waterfall. Just as the sun slipped beside Wedding Cake island in the horizon —named so because of its tiered shape— we gathered around the bon fire.
Rota may not be developed, but beauty comes at a price.
Protect yourself from overdraft fees: yes, it’s possible with or without the legislation
November 6, 2009 at 3:20 pm | In Guam, Pacific Daily News, banks, legislation, overdraft fees, overdraft protection, spending | Leave a CommentIf I had a penny for every time I overdrafted…well, let’s just say the arguments made by Reps. Carolyn Maloney—D-NY and Barney Frank—D-Mass. in sponsorphip of the Overdraft Protection Act sounds all too familiar.
At the same time, now that my own spending has become more conservative and that I’ve actually become more responsible with keeping track of it, I can see where the bankers are coming from by implementing overdraft fees in the first place. According to them, they’re extending a courtesy service to you by essentially covering your ass when your balance is negative. And the trade-off is the overdraft fee. Take it or leave it.
Sure, I would definitely appreciate a heads-up at the ATM or grocery store if I’m about to overdraft with my debit card, but at the same time,
the banks DO generally warn you about how overdraft protection works right when you open an account with them.
The problem is we fall for the trap of accepting “overdraft protection” as a service that’s going to help us, when really, it’d be better for us if transactions were just halted before the account went sub-zero.
So how can you avoid annoying overdraft fees?
Start by declining overdraft protection altogether. If your bank gives you the chance to opt out of it, go for it. Keep a cushion of a couple hundred—or at least one hundred— bucks in your checking account and pretend it’s not even there. This will take care of any small expenditures you might have missed when balancing your checkbook. If your bank allows it, ask them to pull funds from your savings when your checking account has insufficient funds, and replenish your savings later. But keep in mind, there’s a limit of six of these per month due to federal regulations. Some banks have a lower limit. Finally, don’t rely solely on online banking to give you an accurate checking account balance. Some outstanding payments do not show up online, so this can mislead you.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been hit so many times that now I’ve learned, but when it comes down to it, the surest way for individuals to avoid overdraft fees is to keep a meticulous record of all expenses, whether it’s the couple hundred you pay for rent each month, or even the $1.00 you debit for a pack of gum.
Bottom line: if you’re already frequently spending money you don’t have or not keeping track of expenses, this bill isn’t going to help you.
The new(s) lifestyle
October 21, 2009 at 1:37 pm | In Archbishop, Archdiocese of Guam, Guam, Pacific Daily News, career, domestic partnership, news desk, same-sex | Leave a CommentYesterday was my second day working at the news desk.
Oh yeah, in case you didn’t know, I got switched from the lifestyle section to news on Monday.
I came in this morning just around 9 a.m., and before my body made contact with my seat, the assignment editor scurried towards me saying I had to rush over to the Hilton immediately because the Archbishop had called for an emergency meeting with senators to argue against Bill 185—the same-sex domestic partnership bill.
This, just a day after the senator who introduced the bill—Benjamin Cruz— announced that he had been abused by a Catholic priest when he was growing up in California. According to Cruz, similar incidents of abuse have taken place on Guam by members of the Agana Archdiocese as well, although Cruz maintains that he has no proof to back up these claims. Still, Cruz feels it’s inappropriate for the Church to dismiss same-sex domestic partnership as “immoral,” when the Church itself has some “cleaning up,” to do, he says.
But apparently the Archbishop had invited the senators to this meeting even before Sen. Cruz’s allegations of sexual abuse by the Guam’s priests, so naturally, the Archbishop was not ready to comment on that yet. (check about 38 seconds into the KUAM video).
I spent the rest of the day trying to chase down members of the Church to comment over the phone, only to no avail, but the senators were willing to share their views. In fact, Sen. Telo Taitague suggested the bill got through a referendum like in California.
So that’s how it works at the news desk. I could get used to this new lifestyle.
Smile for me, daddy
October 16, 2009 at 1:29 pm | In Guam, Pacific Daily News, Paul Wall, celebrity, grillz, teeth | Leave a Comment
I remember when the Nelly song “Grillz” played on the car radio one day during a family vacation, and sitting between my parents in the car, I explained to them what a “grill” was, and just how important it was if you wanted to be anyone who’s anyone in the rap/hip-hop industry.
As attractive as I find grills (as in, not even slightly) I couldn’t help but be “captivated” standing in front of Paul Wall today at the Sheraton Laguna Guam resort— not because I was awed by his C-list celebrity status, but more because he was flashing a $10,000 mouthful of bling my way.
That’s right, 10 grand. Kinda’ puts into perspective the braces you got in middle school, eh?
Spanking leads to stupider kids?
October 4, 2009 at 3:30 pm | In Guam, IQ, Pacific Daily News, behavior, discipline, intelligence, misbehaving, parenting, spanking | Leave a CommentIs Russel Peters going to have to change his most popular punchline?
A new study conducted by University of New Hampshire professor Murray Straus found that the IQs of kids who were spanked were lower than those of kids who were not spanked.
So is this reason enough for you to think twice before raising your hand against your kid?
Well, not exactly, according to Guam Department of Youth Affairs licensed pscyhologist Juan M. Rapadas. There could be several factors at play here, and the two variables, spanking and IQ score, may not actually be linked. But the strongest part of this study seems to be the rather large number of kids who were were studied, he said.
According to the report published in the Science Daily, the study included nationally representative samples of 806 children ages 2 to 4, and 704 ages 5 to 9, who were tested at the beginning and end of a four-year span.
“IQs of children ages 2 to 4 who were not spanked were 5 points higher four years later than the IQs of those who were spanked. The IQs of children ages 5 to 9 years old who were not spanked were 2.8 points higher four years later than the IQs of children the same age who were spanked,” Science Daily reported.
Personally I’m a softie. I consider a light tap on a kid’s tushie okay once in awhile to put him or her in place, but I wouldn’t be the one doling it out myself. Plus, the situation, age of the child, and manner in which it is executed all matter, because inappropriate spanking could easily make a minor discipline lesson turn into a major personality issue for the child, Rapadas said.
And, parents on Guam seemed to think so, too. Most said they use spanking as a last resort, and even then, it’s not something they enjoy.
In that case, Rapadas suggested they look into alternatives to spanking.
After all, it might just help save a couple of their kid’s brain cells.
Celebrating the Goddess on Navarathri
September 27, 2009 at 10:39 pm | In Guam, Hinduism, Navarathri, celebration, culture, holiday | Leave a Comment
Back in Gainesville my friends and family are doing their rounds—both in seeing house kolus at friends’ homes and dancing around the Goddess on the garba floor.
Alladi house kolu in Gainesville. (Photo courtesy of Jis Joseph)
Here on Guam, no such event took place, to my disappointment.
I was however able to meet several members of the community through a dinner hosted at the Indian Temple of Guam to celebrate Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s (“Ammachi’s”) birthday…something I never saw myself doing, but I was starved for some Indian company, and Ammachi is considered a “Goddess” in her own right. I’ll just have to consider this an alternative way to celebrate Navarathri on an island where Hindu human resources may be limited.
I saw a lot of new faces and even got some people interested in putting together a small program for Diwali.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it materializes soon, since time is running.
Hafa Adai, from where America’s day begins
September 4, 2009 at 9:46 pm | In Guam, Pacific Daily News, blogging, difference, experience, intro, politics | 1 CommentThe verdict is in, and I am guilty. Guilty for not e-mailing people back home. Guilty for not blogging. And guilty for not bringing you along with me to this marvelous speck of an island at the edge of the world.
I’m sorry. I’ve been enjoying myself too much, but now that the excitement of the first month has died down, I’m ready to share it with you.
Guam is an island that’s about 30 miles long and 4 miles across at its narrowest point. It is made up of villages, not cities. There are about 19 total across the island, and for the first month I was living in Tumon, in the central part of the island which is known as the hot tourist spot. Tumon Bay is lined with hotels, restaurants, all the major designer stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany’s, which are all part of the Duty Free Shopping plaza.
But now I live in Agana Heights, smack-dab in the middle of the island, and if I roll out of bed and trip over I’ll be at my workplace. Pretty convenient. (Hagåtña and Agana are the same thing, except when the Spanish colonized the island, they couldn’t pronounce Hagåtña. Now it has switched back to Hagatna).
That’s the nice thing about the island. Most of the time, anywhere you need to go is only about 15 minutes away anyway, unless you’re going very far south to Inarajan or Merizo, or very far north to Yigo or the Andersen Air Force Base.
I cannot stress enough just how friendly the people are. When I was on the plane flying from Tokyo to Guam, I met one Chamorro family who told me about the island’s weekly fiestas and how people are always willing to help you. Now I see what they mean.
Before I got here, I imagined there would a heavy Japanese presence, but now I see it’s mainly Filipinos and locals—Chamorro. I’ve had the chance to meet so many different people it’s insane. I made friends here within just the first two days because people are so open and my friend from work took me to a barbecue the day that I landed. They’re REALLY big on barbecues here (sucks for me as a vegetarian). The couple who hosted the barbecue invited me to their wedding which was two weeks ago. I believe they’d put me on their guest list as “that Indian girl.”
….I’ve only known them about three weeks, but I guess that’s ok since they’d only been dating for four months—
—Things move fast here, because people are so used to just coming here a short while and leaving again, due to the widespread military presence. Friendships happen immediately. The locals get married and have children sooner than would be expected on the mainland, at least from what I’ve noticed. But after living in a college town all of my life, it’s refreshing to finally ask the people I meet “What do you do?” instead of “What is your major?”
One gripe I have here is that no no one understands the importance of customer service. Guam is just one of those places where people take their own sweet time. If they don’t have the ingredients for something at a restaurant, oh well. So while they are friendly—they are laid back. Must just be the island culture. No one goes out of their way when it comes to customer service, which is interesting, since recruiters from hotels at last week’s island job fair said that’s what they look for in employees, especially since more openings are in food and beverage services.
It drives me nuts, but I’m slowly getting used to it.
I thought when I got here I would be the only Indian in Guam. Well, the e-mails and phone calls I’ve gotten from aunties and uncles on the island proves to me that there is an entire community that has lived here for decades before I landed. I had the chance to go to their “temple” two weeks ago. It’s not really a temple per se, but more like a cultural community center. Most of the major murthis are there: Shiva/Parvati, Vishnu/Lakshmi, Ram/Sita/Hanuman, Saraswati/Lakshmi/Parvati, Krishna/Radha…so basically there’s something to suit the needs of everyone, regardless of sect. But primarily the center has served as a hall for Sai Baba devotees, and outside, there is a small pavilion which houses a Shiva lingam.
When I took up the new position I was excited about the adventures Guam would bring, but naturally nervous about the distance away from home. The recent discovery of a Hindu temple here has made me see this differently:
Something has pulled me here for a reason. That same force will protect and propel me forward.
Lifestyles of the locals
August 12, 2009 at 9:56 am | In Guam, Pacific Daily News | Leave a CommentTags: Agat, fiesta, lifestyle
As a lifestyle reporter, I was told by my editor that the best way to familiarize myself with the island’s local culture was to just attend the festivities as soon as possible. As in, “BOOM, you’re here, now go eat some keleguan.”
Just kidding. But in the first week of my arrival I was assigned to attend a traditional fiesta in one of the island’s southern villages (which did include keleguan).
We ended up turning it into a first-person account of what it’s like for a new person on Guam to experience his or her first fiesta.
Ready for my tranquilizer
August 7, 2009 at 9:09 am | In Guam, Pacific Daily News | Leave a CommentTags: new job
This is my third week working for the Pacific Daily News, a newspaper established in 1944 as the Navy News and then acquired by Gannett in 1971.
For kicks, I will recap the first day for you since it got lost within the scramble to find an apartment and car, set up a bank account, and the general chaos that ensues the first few weeks of a new job.
The Sunday before my first day of work, groggy from jetlag, I fell asleep at 8 p.m. and asked a friend from the U.S. to call and wake me up in a few hours so I could prep for the following morning. I wanted to brain storm some story ideas so I would be ready for my first day, as I was supposed to report to the office at 9 a.m.
When I woke up, the clock glared 11 and I leaped out of bed so quickly that my head started throbbing. “How could I have woken up late??!” I thought, absolutely livid and embarrassed with myself. I had set three alarms and called for reinforcements. I certainly did not imagine my ideal first day traipsing in over two hours late….
Until it dawned on me that I still hadn’t even slept past midnight. I had woken up only 3 hours after passing out, thinking it was 11 the next day.
I didn’t miss work, I made it on time, and the best part about this story is that the exact same thing happened to me again last night, as I worried about missing a deadline. I woke up at 12 midnight thinking it was noon.
So I can officially say I’ve gotten into the groove of the new job and there are more entries to come on life in Guam and at PDN.
Check out my Guam clips at guampdn.com, search for “Amritha Alladi,” or just surf the lifestyle pages.
Find me on
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
