Mount Jumullong Manglo may be paved.

I was flabbergasted when I read the PDN article about the paving of Mount Jumullong Manglo. Mount Jumullong Manglo is the southern hill where once a year on Good Friday, hundreds of Catholic faithfuls flock together to make the arduous trek to the top. It is an Easter vigil that has been going on for some time now, longer than I have been alive. My first thoughts before reading the article was, okay, which Gov-Guam head wants a school named after them now. Now every John, Bill, and Joe Cruz will be able to get up to the top, and with the way things are going at the landfill, it will become another illegal dump site. Then I read that it wasn't proposed by anyone in Gov-Guam, it was proposed by the Department of  Defense. Now I support our troops wholeheartedly, and I am not a military basher, but I think the Federal decision makers are not at all concerned for the people of Guam, but for their own wants. A long time ago, my mom explained to me the difference between needs versus wants, and in my opinion, this decision is a want. There's plenty room elsewhere to pave a road for training, or not pave a road for training, as the spokesperson eluded too. The road, however will be under military control. If you look at all the places on Guam that the military has for it's use, many of the areas under their control are prime locations. Naval hospital and its housing have a great ocean view as well as NCS, and Nimitz Hill Flag Circle. I could go on and on but that would be bashing. The Agat-Umatac road is a beautiful drive. The ocean vista on one side, beautiful, green rolling hills on the other, which I enjoyed recently on my way to a birthday party in Merizo. Now that the military is going to use it for training, say goodbye to the beautiful, green rolling hills, and say hello to Humvee tracks, and barren areas on the not so beautiful any more rolling hills. Cetti and Sella bay are one of the island’s most pristine areas. One just has to be there to feel the awe inspiring secluded scenery of the bays. You might also imagine how the islands ancestors lived, for there are many artifacts that proved they enjoyed life there. The Spanish conquerors inhabited that area also, for it was a perfect place to moor their ships. Just imagine all the beauty, and history being washed away because the barren rolling hillside run-off, because there is nothing there to hold it in place. 

Well after the 8000 Marines, their families, logistic support personnel, aircraft carriers, and the such invade, liberate, relocate to Guam they are going to need a place to train. Hopefully after they occupy our island, the reservation the Federal government gives us, has an ocean view. 

We still won't be able to vote for president, and they won't ship to Guam.

Concrete cross taken atop MT. Jumullong Manglo

Goodbye my friends, goodbye.

Just recently Guam has lost three well known photographers. Paul Borja, Roel Santiago, and Eduardo Siguenza.
 I knew Paul through acquaintances, and through many of his articles in the Pacific Daily News. He was a former editor of the Guam PDN. I admired his commitment to photojournalism. He was a good friend and relative of many in my circle.
  I knew Roel Santiago since we were in the Boy Scouts. We also went to high school together. He was always smiling and would always take the time to chat with you. He never hesitated to share his knowledge of photography. A week before he passed, we had talked about going to the PI together for a photography seminar. He was a major influence in my decision to shoot with a Canon.
  Eduardo Siguenza was a photography icon on Guam. Everyone on the island knew Ed Siguenza. Someone, somewhere, on Guam has a story to tell about him. I knew Ed for a long time as his son Floyd and I were always hanging out together. We were virtually inseparable, and his family was my family. Whenever you ran into Ed, he always had his camera. Really. He always seemed to be at every event that took place on the island. He was a mainstay at the many South Pacific Games. He had documented Guam and her people for about  fifty years. He always gave away the pictures he would take at the  many religious ceremonies we have on Guam, to the church free of charge. Ed was well known and well respected. At his funeral mass, at the Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica, when 12 priests come out to give his mass, you know he was well respected! I am privileged not only to know him, but to be a part of his family.
Guam will miss you guys. Adios.

Yes, it does snow on Guam, and I have a picture that proves it!

Dancing In The Street

The Dance Fest in Tumon was an exciting place to be. There was a lot of food, music, and of course dancing.
http://www.frozenmomentsphoto.net/

Down South

A good friend called me up the day before thanksgiving, and told me that the waves were really big down south. Mother nature was reminding us that she is still a force to be reckoned with. Because of my excitement to photograph these, I was rushing to the shoreline, lost my footing and fell on the sharp and jagged rocks lacerating the lower part of my palm, about 1.5 inches long, and about 3/8th of an inch deep. My cat like reflexes kicked in as I was falling (albeit an older and slightly overweight cat) and I was able to protect my camera. Luckily my camera was okay, my hand will heal. I found out that day that it's kinda hard to take pictures with blood pouring from your hand!  

(It got me out of doing the dishes Thanksgiving day too!)

Here are a couple of photographs of stuff that were just lying around....

 http://www.frozenmomentsphoto.net/

Hafa adai and welcome to my blog
Just started this blog and I am still learning how to go about doing this, so please bear with me.