December 8th

Just as the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7th, 1941 is remembered, so on Guam December 8th, 1941 is remembered.  The Japanese also attacked Guam on that day, just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Here is a YouTube video that I'd like to share with you.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, Part 2

These pictures were taken at the Hotel Nikko in Tumon Saturday night.  I only had my iPhone 4 with me, so the picture quality is not as good as if I had had my Canon Rebel XL that night.  Still, [sing] Deck the Halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la....

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, Part 1

It's looking a lot like Christmas all around Guam these days.  There may not be snow, but you can find crystal mistletoe at Macy's, and there is plenty of the ol' Christmas spirit not to mention lights wrapped around palm trees.  And it isn't just homes that are putting up trees and lights; malls and businesses are too, of course.  Here is the beginning of some of the holiday sights in Guam...

This photo was taken at the UnderWater World Aquarium in Tumon, just outside the entrance to the tour.

This photo was taken at the Sea Grill Restaurant at the UnderWater World Aquarium.

The following photos were taken at the Micronesia Mall in Upper Tumon. Unfortunately, the Christmas tree here has not been officially lit, so it's only partly impressive.  I'll need to go back to photograph it all lit up...Yay, another trip to the mall, woot, woot!  Plus, what self-repecting Christmas tree would be complete without a train to go under it?  All aboard!  Santa can be seen taking requests, and patrons in the mall were entertained by a man and woman (just beyon the tree) singing Christmas songs.  What beautiful voices they had!
 

 There are still a lot of places that have decked the halls.  Time to go out and get some night time photos!

Weighty Thoughts

Walking back home from the fitness center after attending a spin class is a great time to think. So is walking there, but then the mind quickly turns to the exercise class at hand upon arrival. Walking back is different. There is a wonderful calm, quiet, peaceful feeling about it. The perfect opportunity to think, and I was thinking. Not of the beautiful scenery around me: the cut grass, the recently power-sprayed sidewalks, a good stiff breeze, coconuts leaves swaying in the wind (and there is no shortage of coconut trees around here), blue skies with lots of clouds but not hindering the bright sun...what does Hawaii have that Guam doesn't? And yet, I wasn't thinking about any of that. I was thinking about two burning questions: 1. Why does the scale in my home read differently from the scale at the fitness center, and 2. How can the one at home tell me this morning I am one pound lighter than I was yesterday morning but the one at the fitness center told me I was one pound heavier than yesterday (which also told me the same thing yesterday)?


I realize I should be looking for trends, but I am confused. I walk along the sidewalk, sidetracked by a couple of small birds hopping around in the grass as I pass by. How long would it take to walk from home to the commissary? Too long, probably. Maybe the BX. I'll have to try that someday. But not today. The sun is strong and bright. I had brought my umbrella with me because it looked like it could rain on my journey to spin class. It's sometimes hard to know when it will rain and when it won't, but it probably will. We are in the rainy season, after all. I've seen it rain while the sun was shining, and not rain when dark clouds threatened. It rained. Just not where I was at that moment. As I said, it is the rainy season, after all, and there's always an opportunity to get wet...somewhere on the island.


The scale delima returned to my thoughts. The one at home is not "calibrated". I'm told that makes a difference. The one at the fitness center is, and it seems to be pretty consistent...but I'm not sure I believe it. I only consumed 190 calories at most before class, I walked to class, just like yesterday, and then it tells me I'm heavier than yesterday...and the day before? I looked at the scale dubiously. I considered how it spun its digital dashes until it landed on a number, as if it were some sort of weight monitoring slot machine: dash-dash-dash-point-dash. I stepped off the scale, paused, and stepped back on. It spun those menacing dashes only to come up with the same dash-dash-dash-point-dash. I didn't bother to have it mock me after spin class. I was satisfied to hear our wonderful spin instructor tell us that we burn off about 600-700 calories from the workout. I had left the class through a different door, deliberately ignoring the scale and hoping it noticed.


I cross a street and look to the left to see a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. I never get tired of looking at the ocean, and there are some pretty spectacular views of it from certain areas on base. I thought about how the base is well protected from tsunamis, being up on the "top of the rock" as they say. Six hundred feet up. The navy base, well, not so much. The sun is hot so I take a few more swigs from my water bottle and drop my umbrella. Putting the bottle in my bag, I open the umbrella for shade and immediately Mother Nature starts to add strength training to the cardio I'm still getting. I walk for a while, gripping the umbrella with both hands, politely waving off the base shuttle bus as the driver slows down to see if I'd like a lift. He turns around at the golf course and we wave at each other as he passes in the opposite direction. I've put away my umbrella by now. Hopefully I will not get sunburned. At least I have a hat.


There must be some sort of conspiracy with weight scales. Why can't they all read the same? Should I even bother with them? Trends. I just need to watch for which way the scale is trending. Well, I think the one at the fitness center is trending toward me hating it. On the home stretch I see a laborer across the street ahead of me with a weed whacker. He's covered from head to toe in protective clothing. Not even his face or hands are exposed. That's for a number of reasons. He is protected from the sun, the equipment, and boonie bees. Boonie bees seem like your average guinea wasp on the outside, only smaller, but they're not your average guinea wasp. Boonie bees don't buzz. That's right -- they make no buzzing sound. You can't hear them coming. They're like ninjas of the bee/wasp world. They can be very aggressive, so you never want to be on the recieving end of their wrath. You need industrial strength wasp-freeze sprayed from 15 feet away from the little beasties to get rid of them. They also make their nests on the ground! Watch your step! They're evil!


Home at last. I return to the scale that gave me a more favorable report at 4 am this morning. What?! How can I be three pounds heavier than I was then?? I haven't even eaten breakfast yet! I'll try to figure this out over a bowl of corn flakes. With raisins.

Are You Hurricane-Ready?

With Hurricane Irene barreling down on the east coast of the United States, likely to become a Category 3 or 4 hurricane as it zeroes in, authorites are advising people along those areas to get ready. If you are in the crosshairs of a hurricane or typhoon would you be prepared for the storm? The following can help you be ready.

Set up a hurricane/typhoon locker in a closet or pantry area. If space is an issue, put together a Disaster Supply kit in a storage bin appropriate to your space. The locker/kit should include (but not limited to) the following items for a minimum of three days:

* Drinking water. At least one gallon per person per day. Remember to include enough water for the same duration for any pets you may have.
* Water to meet hygiene needs and for flushing toilets. Fill bathtubs and other containers for example.
* Nonperishable food and drinks. Keep pet food in air-tight containers.
* Special food for infants, elderly, and other health-related issues.
* Snack foods.
* Manual can opener.
* Cooking utensils.
* A portable gas stove with additional fuel containers.
* Paper plates and plasitc cups and utensils.
* Prescription medicines for infants, elderly, pets, other special medical needs.
* First Aid kit, medicines, ointments, aspirin and other pain relievers, rubbing alchohol or hydrogen perioxide, bandages, etc.
* Prescription glasses for those who normally wear contact lenses.
* Clothing, to include rain gear and closed-toe shoes.
* Sleeping bags, blankets and pillows.
* Infant formula, diapers, wipes, etc.
* Toiletries, hygiene items and disposable wipes. Include kitty litter or training pads for your pet.
* Garbage bags.
* Flashlights and batteries in multiple sizes.
* Emergency radio.
* Cash in small bills, and coins.
* Emergency whistle.
* Dust mask to filter contaminated air.
* Duct tape.
* Toys, books, games for kids and yourself. Don't forget toys for your pet.
* Paper, pens or pencils.
* Important documents and records (including those for your pet) in a waterproof container in case in evacuation.
* Tools to have handy to make quick repairs.
* Fill up your car.
* Lumber and nails/screws, hammer or powerdrill to protect windows unless you already have hurricane/typhoon shutters installed.
* Have a generator, if possible, and learn how to safely install and use it in case of planned or unplanned power outages.
* Prepare your pet's carrier as a place to feel secure.

Take time before hurricane/typhoon season to evaluate your readiness plan and have a plan ready in case of evacuation. Adjust it to fit your needs. Even in the middle of the storm season, it never hurts to go over your inventory list. Do your best to be prepared. For more information about storm/emergency preparedness, contact your local Red Cross.

Asan Point Overlook

The following pictures were taken atop Nimitz Hill overlooking Asan Point, the site where the 3rd Marine Division landed under intense fire from the Japanese on July 21, 1944.


Looking towards the north end of the island from Nimitz Hill.

Vantage Point for the Japanese on the heights over Asan. Imagine the US Navy ships, landing craft and Marines coming ashore under intense Japanese fire on July 21, 1944.

Shot looking straight out over Asan Point. Camel Rock is just off the Point. Below in the clearing is the War in the Pacific National Park in Asan. Guam was bombarded for 13 days prior to the US landing, hoping to soften up the Japanese defenses.

This is a zoom shot of the War in the Pacific National Park in Asan Village. I used a Canon EF 75-300mm soom lens.

This is a zoom shot of Camel Rock (so named because of its resemblance to a camel) using the same Canon zoom lens.

Asan Point Overlook, June 2011.

Drink Lots of Water, This Is Guam!

Nearly two weeks ago, when my husband, Roger and I stopped in at the Micronesia Dive Association (MDA) dive shop in Piti, Guam, we ran into one of the men that my husband works with, who was there with his wife and children. I was introduced to them all, and Roger reminded me that this man's wife, Sarah, was one of the fitness instructors at the Coral Reef Fitness Center on Andersen Air Force Base. We became acquainted and talked about one of the classes she leads: spin. I've often thought that would be a fun class to join, but was concerned that I might hold the class back if I could not keep up. How relieved I was to hear that everyone in the class "spins" at their own level. Encouraged, I committed to show up the following Wednesday for the 8:30am class and try it out. I had been wanting to start some sort of fitness class to begin getting into better shape and here was my chance.

I arrived a few minutes early, as Sarah recommended, and she walked me and two other gals new to the class through about what to expect. She showed us how the spin bikes operate and encouraged us all to take water brakes as needed, whenever we needed them, regardless of where we were in the spin routine. She also showed everyone the hand signals she would be using during class so that we would know how many turns up or down the resistance knob needed throughout the hour.

With the loud music blaring we were off and away, warming up, stretching, wheels spinning, uphill, downhill, sprinting, standing up, leaning over the handlebars, sitting down, repeat! taking it slower, and then stretching on and off the bike. "Drink lots of water, this is Guam!" Sarah hollers more than once throughout all of her spin classes.

As I drank the remaining water from my bottle after spin yesterday, I was first of all thankful for the gel-padded bike seat I went out and bought at the Base Exchange (BX) after last week's spin class. It made this spin class a lot less painful. Second, I was looking forward to participating in the yoga class that I noticed immediately following spin class last week. Yes, a little yoga would do the muscles good. The next instructor was in the exercise room already getting her music set up. Except that the music didn't sound much like yoga music. This music sounded too "wound up" for that. Wait a minute! Taking another look at the new class schedule (that changes every month) I realized that since we are now in a new month, there was a change in the Wednesday 9:40am time slot. Nowhere was yoga to be found...anywhere in August! Instead, kick-boxing took its place. [Gasp!] I looked at the clock...9:38am. Then I looked around...only two other women there besides the instructor and myself.

I made the conscious decision to stay and try it out, hoping that my already wobbly legs would not give out on me. Within five minutes or so, a lot more women showed up and joined in. The instructor, Nora, also encouraged all of us to drink lots of water throughout the workout. Bringing a water bottle is a definite must no matter what class you are taking. And a hand towel. Still, I tried to only sip the water during the workout; I didn't want to get sick.

Wondering how I got myself caught up in a vortex of high-impact aerobics I was determined to make it through the class. There was another woman there over 50. I was glad because that meant that I was not the only one. I think she is either Korean or Philippina, but I digress. After class it so happened that we were walking together out of Coral Reef FC talking about kick-boxing and zumba. She had done both before whereas this was my first time kick-boxing and I had never done zumba. There was a zumba class the next day, she explained, in the same time slot. Before parting she said "See you tomorrow." I replied "I'll be there." [Gasp!] Down comes the vortex again!

So, at 9:40am this morning, with sore legs, shoulders and arms, courtesy of yesterday's classes, I zumba-ed my way through the hour. Now? I am so sore that I'm glad the only thing I need to do for the rest of the day is read, blog, and continue unpacking the few boxes remaining and assimilate the contents into the house. Oh yes, and drink lots of water -- this is Guam!