Our Neighbors to the North

I recently returned to Guam after a short stint in Saipan. I have a special place in my heart for that island, it is a place that I have been to more times than I have fingers and toes, and every time I leave Saipan I have a feeling of regret. They say it was what Guam was 20 years ago. I don't know about that. I lived on Guam 20 years ago. I have been on Guam all my life, and comparing Guam to Saipan is like comparing apples to apples. US Fuji apples, and Japan Fuji apples. They are the same, but not really. Sure there are many things that our islands have in common, like Chamorro's, beautiful tropical beaches, and the Coconut Rhino beetle. And things we don't have in common, like birds, brown tree snakes, and potable water. We are a part of Micronesia. Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan are the four islands in the Marianas that the Chamorro people originate from. A long time ago is where the similarities ended. Now Guam is a US territory, and Saipan, Rota, and Tinian are a Commonwealth of the United States known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas or CNMI. This is the equivalent to the proverbial fork in the road. Guam was destined to travel down one way, the CNMI the other, each path chosen by entities other than the islanders. Guam and the CNMI have had numerous but different influences throughout their history. Spain, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Caroline islands, and the US. Guam has lost much of the Chamorro language, whereas in the CNMI, it is wonderful to hear little kids running around and speaking to each other in chamorro. In Saipan when they speak Chamorro There is a certain rise and fall in pitch. In Rota, it sounds as if the are singing the language. The guys that I work with who are from the south and speak the language would say "tahdong Chamorro", or deep Chamorro. When I first visited Saipan, I was a competitor in a windsurfing competition called the Micronesian Open. There were no traffic signals. Beach road has probably the most beautiful view from the drivers seat I have ever had and there are no pot holes! The tourists were plentiful and the locals were friendly. There was no trash on the side of the roads, and the grass was always cut. Numerous garment factories were in operation, employing thousands of migrant workers. The speed limit was 25-35 MPH, but most people would drive at the happy medium of 30 MPH. It was island style. Slow. People there would tell me that the traffic on Guam was bad and very fast. If you drove fast in Saipan they would say "taotao Guam ha". If you were hungry, there were numerous places to eat, and the vast majority of them were pretty good too. Then there is always the invite to eat at a friends house, meaning barbecue. The flame trees were still as red as every one from Guam can only remember. Relics from WWII are all over the place, reminding you of the different roles that Guam and Saipan had played in the war. The locals there could spot someone from Guam immediately. They would ask if you were from Guam in english, knowing that you probably couldn't speak Chamorro. I went back every February until the races were discontinued. It was the place to be. Life was good and their economy wasn't just booming, it was exploding. I visit Saipan now for different reasons, I'm older and more experienced than I used to be, and my circle of friends has changed. I do things a little different now. It's a place where I just chill, relax. Rat race? What rat race? Unwind for a weekend. Traffic signals are all over the place now. The speed limit is the same and if you drive fast they still say "taotao Guam ha". There is still no trash on the side of the roads, the grass is always cut, and the drive on Beach Road is just as beautiful and still no pot holes. I appreciate the islands beauty and it's people more now. I try to take pictures that will portray Saipan as I now see it. It is a beautiful place and the people take pride in that. There are more beetlenut chewers there than on Guam, yet they don't leave spit bottles in parking lots or on the side of the road. Or diapers. Or car batteries. Or beer bottles and cans. On this trip I traveled with Dan who is a really good friend and he shares the same sentiments. Last time we went together to Saipan we rented scooters and went everywhere, or so we thought. This time we opted to use a rented Corolla, keeping in mind the possibility of an accelerator malfunction. We went up to Mt. Tapotchao, the highest point in Saipan and had a 360° panoramic view of the island. During the war this was a perfect vantage point that the Imperial army had, to snipe US troops trying to overtake the hill. It took ten days. Looking down the mountain's side, I can only imagine how difficult this task was, and the type of men that did it or died trying. Today, heck I would probably die trying to get up the side of Mt.Tapotchao because of it's difficult terrain, let alone with a rucksack on my back, bullets whizzing by, explosions, and friends dying all around me. My friend Dan probably had a deeper admiration for these soldiers than I for he is in the Air Force reserves and has a lot of chevrons, and my admiration ran deep. We stayed a good 45 minutes as we were the only two people there if you don't count the souvenir lady who was asleep in her van.


We drove back to Middle Road, you know the road that's in the middle, on our way to visit the Grotto and as we passed empty building, after empty barracks, after empty building, we realized how bad the economy  is. It's really bad. Airlines stopped coming. The tourists are not as plentiful as they once were. Businesses went belly up.The garment workers are gone for the garment factories have shut down. Now I hear they are reducing government worker hours. Again.

Though the economy is not well, the night life didn't reflect it. Godfather's or Ninu's as the locals affectionately call it, is a local bar with live music. They bring in awesome talent from the PI . It's small, it gets crowded, but as the song goes, " where ♪.everybody♫♫ knows ♪.your♪ name♪." rings true here. Everyone knows everyone, and they are all having a good time. I guess it's a good way of forgetting about their failing economy and their pay cuts. Let's support our island neighbors to the north. Go and visit Saipan. Help to influx the economy there. Go to the zoo, play golf, eat, ride the go-carts, rent a scooter, get ice keke, pan tuba, apigigi, go shopping, eat, take a boat ride to Managaha, buy a souvenir, go diving, eat, go to Ninu's, go karaoke, go sightseeing, go to the beach,  just go.