Back Again!

Time to dust off my blog and post again! So many dramas yet to review and new drama fans to recruit!! In addition to a busy schedule in December, I've spent the last month engrossed in timing JuMong. I’m totally addicted to timing fan subs. It combines my love for dramas with my Korean language studies (ok not as much with JuMong because they use “old style” Korean). I’m so into JuMong anyway, and it makes no difference that I’m timing it as I see an episode for the first time! I get completely drawn into it. I’ve been timing with tears running down my face or cheering on a main character. Ok, aside the hours I’ve spent on timing, let me share some of the other cool things that we have been doing!

For Thanksgiving, we got together with many of our closest friends and friends of friends for a get-together on the beach at the Outrigger. For those that saw the KBS Sunday show Heroine 6 that was filmed in Guam, this is the hotel that they filmed at. In fact, one of the families that came runs Skydive Guam, who took many of the KBS celebrities tandem skydiving. I talked to the skydivers that were on the show. They of course had no idea who all the Koreans were, so I explained that they were indeed big celebrities in Korea. They did say that KBS did a great job in editing the skydiving footage, and they were impressed with the outcome of the show. Anyway, a great time was had by all and it was a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving, given that we all live so far away from families.

One week later, we hosted a huge party for my son Jack’s 8th birthday! I invited all the Korean students from the English school where I teach to join us. For many, it was their first chance to attend an “American” party. It was fun to show off a traditional American party with American food because my students are always teaching me Korean culture. We ended up with a house full of people and kids everywhere! My favorite kind of party! It was also fun to have my Korean friends there to have someone to share all my Korean pop music with. Outside, my husband and his buddies were playing “classic rock-n-roll” while in the kitchen, I got everyone dancing when I cranked up MC Mong!

A couple of days later, my Emma danced in her ballet recital. She was adorable of course and made her parents very proud.

Finally, the last two week of December we hosted my brother-in-law and my parents-in-law. My father-in-law is in the last stages of a lengthy battle with lung cancer. We offered to travel to Illinois for Christmas, but he was adamant about coming to Guam. He absolutely wanted to spend Christmas in the tropics with his family. He and my mother-in-law braved the long trip out here, despite all his pain. We were very limited as to what we could do while they were here because of his condition, but he did have some very enjoyable times with the kids. They also attended Korean Church with me. The church members did a beautiful “laying on hands” prayer for him after the service that was very moving. Prayer transcends the language barrier and God’s spirit could be felt. My in-laws were very touched. The highlight of the trip was the two days we spent at the Hilton (just a mile from our house!). We got a suite for my in-laws, and my father-in-law was able to enjoy two memorable days sitting on the balcony, viewing beautiful Tumon Bay. Thankfully, the weather was perfect and the ocean colors spectacular.

Happy New Year from our family! I wish everyone a blessed New Year!!

Guam Living

In so many ways, Guam is like living in a small town in the mainland US, with its quirks and quaintness. However, there are many experiences that are unique to Guam that keep life interesting. Here are some examples of life on Guam, just from the past week!

• I reset the clocks this morning. We have "dirty electricity" so all the clocks gain about 5 minutes per week. Before you realize it, your house clocks will be 15 minutes off. Never trust an electric clock in Guam. Only your watch will be right.
• For a couple of months now, we have been planning a Sunday Brunch with friends to eat and enjoy some live college football together. We held the party last weekend, but the electricity went out mid-party. It was out for a couple of hours. No football, but the food was still good.
• I went to the post-office to buy stamps. The first stamp-vending machine ate my money. The second machine was out-of-order. I had to go stand in line to buy stamps to mail one letter.
• My beloved Gold’s Gym is closing at the end of November. This summer the same family that owns its competitor purchased it and now Gold’s is closing its doors. No surprise I guess, and the other gym is ok, but Gold’s has been my fitness home for the past 3 years. I’m very sad.
• After I read the announcement of its closure, I worked out, stopped by the post office to mail a letter (see above item), then went home to find out we had no water. It was back about 24 disgusting hours later. I hate losing water more than losing electricity. No flushing toilets, no doing dishes, no showers, etc. I’ve heard the typhoon horror stories of no water for 45 days, so I know I shouldn’t complain. The worse is yet to come!
• The kids’ school bus was late today. It ran out of gas. Go figure…

With all that being said, our almost three years here has flown by, and we aren’t in a hurry to leave. I know one day we will move on, but for now, I’m really enjoying the Guam experience. Oh wait… the lights just flickered as I typed this! OOG! LOL now the internet is down too. Looks like I will have to reset the cable modem and router. Oh yeah, I get to reset the clocks again too!

Typhoon Watching

Because Guam is situated in a breeding ground for typhoons, storm watching is a way of life here. We always keep emergency supplies stocked because a typhoon could hit us with short notice. Consequently, everyday I check out NOAA’s website for Guam and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. For the past week, we have been sandwiched in between two storms and been getting tons of rain, though neither of the storms are a threat to Guam. However, there is a reason that my house is built from concrete!

The Downside To Guam Living

The one thing that makes me nervous about life on Guam is the limited medical care. Our only non-military hospital is not accredited and is plaqued with major financial problems. This was the headline in this morning’s paper: "GMH critically short on blood." The hospital urged residents to avoid getting into accidents…like any of us plan to get in an accident! The problem is that Guam Memorial Hospital hasn’t been making their payments to the American Red Cross.

An update was published this afternoon. It sounds like we have blood on the way!

1:45 pm, September 16 — As residents are asked to avoid accidents because the hospital is critically low on blood, the Guam Memorial Hospital expects a shipment of 49 units of blood tomorrow.

The shipment should return Guam's blood supply to an adequate level. Generally, the hospital should have 70 units of blood available on any given day, according to GMH officials.The head of the hospital medical staff said residents need to take extra precautions to avoid accidents. Dr. Thomas Shieh said one auto accident could wipe out half of the island's blood supply.The island is low on blood because the cash-strapped GMH has again fallen behind on payments to the blood vendor, the American Red Cross. GMH Adminstrator PeterJohn Camacho said a payment has been made. He said the hospital was five invoices behind, but should only have two outstanding invoices out by tomorrow.

Tumon Bay

Just wanted to share a Guam photo….Guam was so beautiful today. No matter how many times I see it, the view of Tumon Bay never fails to take my breath away. I never get tired of looking at the ocean! Tonight, we did our usual Friday night gathering at the beach with all our friends. The sunset was amazing. I’m very thankful for good friends and a chance to experience this wonderful island!

It's Eugene!!

I have to share my celebrity sighting in Guam! I was shopping at Ross the other day…wait, first let me explain. I NEVER shop at Ross! If you’ve never seen Ross, it is kind of like shopping at a garage sale- there are deals to be found for sure, but you gotta be willing to hunt… elbow to elbow with other shoppers through row after row of disheveled, unorganized clothes. Someone on the HI Drama Board described Ross as looking as if it has been hit by a hurricane. Great description! It is a clothes explosion!

Whenever I attempt to shop at Ross, I glaze over within 5 minutes and bail. Of course, clothes shopping in any store is NOT my thing. I would rather do just about anything…go diving, play on the internet, study Korean, pay bills, etc. I am no fashion queen, and I accept this about myself, but lately I just need some clothes. I am now doing things in the Korean community 7 days a week. Three days a week I tutor English, then stay for Korean class. Two days a week, I take Korean at the Korean church we attend, and on the weekend, the kids do Korean school and we go to church. And, dang, those Korean women are sooo stylish!! All the ladies in the English class I tutor are adorable! They always wear the latest fashions, high-heeled shoes and full make-up. Dressing down still means a t-shirt, jeans, and heels. On Monday, after tutoring English, we all went out for lunch. I had on my usual Old Navy t-shirt, jeans and Sketchers. Blahhh... Not only am I the oldest among the bunch, but I am also the worst dressed. It is starting to get to me. So much for being a free spirited, independent thinking gal… It is time to upgrade the wardrobe (much to my husband’s delight too!).

Anyhow, I fired myself up and managed to find a few things at Ross. When I joined the mass of people waiting in line, I was pretty relaxed, knowing I still had about an hour before needing to meet the school bus. As I got within 3 people of the register, I glanced over at the register next to my line, and immediately noticed the girl unloading all her items to be checked out. OH MY GOSH, that is Eugene!! If you don’t know, Eugene (Yoo Jin) is both a K-pop star and a K-drama star. Just this summer, I watched her drama Save The Last Dance. She was wonderful in the drama! I had been told that she was from Guam, and wow there she was shopping at Ross. I couldn’t help myself. I was completely star-struck. I did look around to see if others would notice her. There were too many Koreans in Ross- both local and tourist- for me to be the only one to notice. Sure enough, a Korean couple near me spotted her. Anyway, Eugene was adorable in person and had no entourage in tow. Just her and her mom getting the latest bargains at Ross and hauling it out to their car like the rest of us (carts can’t leave the store!). Eugene can for sure count me as one of her biggest fans!

To check out her out, see this video from the Save The Last Dance OST:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-ootFpMGcU

It is a fun drama and has a great OST! I love Eugene in the ice skating scene where she is wearing the red coat. I think she looks beautiful. Her co-star Ji Sung is pretty dreamy too!

God Bless America

Back in 1998, when I first started learning about Korean culture, I used to think that America really didn’t have any culture of their own- it was kind of a blend of all things. However, back then, I used to think that learning about another culture was limited to the things you see at a Culture Camp- things like Korean drumming, fan dancing, and traditional games. But, as I learned more about the Korean way of life, I have come to realize that culture is much more than the traditional stuff. Culture is the way we live our day to day lives. Beyond Thanksgiving, Christmas and July 4th, culture is also about the simple things in our life, like what we eat for breakfast and how we talk to our kids. I feel it so much living on Guam among many different distinct cultures- Filipino, Chamorro, Korean, Japanese, and even the Chuukese.

Yesterday, we started the morning at Korean church, where we are fairly comfortable, but still very careful and always studying others to make sure not to offend. In contrast, later in the afternoon, we went to a potluck up on Anderson Airforce Base. The food was very American- potato salad, bake beans, brats, burgers, chips, etc. I had no worries about what to say or do or how to eat my food. This is my mainland American culture, and while living aboard, indeed it can be very comforting at times. Right now, I’m watching NASCAR live, a rare thing on Guam thanks to time differences. It takes an evening race in California for this to happen comfortably! Anyway, love all the American stuff- Budweiser, Dale Jr, the "man-laws", the AFLAC duck, the RVs in the infield, the National Anthem, and the "fly-over". This afternoon, we will head to the Hilton to swim and again immerse ourselves in the diversity, but for now…Go #9 Car! God Bless America!!

What A Small World!

My husband Kevin was in Bangkok, Thailand last week with a couple of his friends. Besides vacation, a main goal of the trip was to get suits made for upcoming work he will be doing in the mainland. Since we moved from Washington DC in early 2002, he has worked in Hawaii and Guam where he had no need for suits. But, he now needs them for an extended work assignment starting in September.

So, he is in Bangkok, using the restroom at a bar when in walks another haole. Kevin says hi to him and he responds. Kevin says, "you must be American." The guy says yes, and they start chatting. It turns out this guy works for the same agency as Kevin and his buddies. The guy is from Washington DC. He joins Kevin and his friends, and they talk about work, etc. The DC guy asks Kevin if he knows Greg R. Kevin thinks a minute then says "Yes…in fact, he bought our house when we moved to Hawaii." The guy seems surprised and says, "You mean the house in Falls Hills?" Kevin say yes, and the guy says, "I’m living in that house." Turns out the people we sold our Washington DC home to are on temporary assignment in Europe and rented the house to this guy rather than sell it. Wild uh? He even knew our dog Hazard, who we "sold" with the house when we moved to Hawaii. She was too old to do the move and quarantine in Hawaii, and the people that bought the house loved her and offered to keep her.

How is that for a small world?

A Successful Liberation Day

Wow what an awesome Liberation Day we had!! Despite some last minute protests, my son successfully participated in the Liberation Parade! The 1.5 mile walk was packed with people and tons of fun. However, by the end of the parade route, the boys were all getting tired. After the parade, I loaded my tired and sweaty boy on my back and hiked to the parade start to meet up with the rest of our family and our friends. Though the smoke was thick, it was fun to walk past all the family tents along the parade route, and check out the many varieties of barbecue. Grilling is serious sport on the island! After the parade, we all came back to our house for a Liberation Day party.

One of the things I like best about having a party is having lots of kids running around and playing. This party was no exception. In providing one of the party’s lighter moments, the kids were playing outside in the driveway on bikes, scooters, etc, when they pulled out the wagon. They got the idea to harness our 70 pound chocolate lab Hana to the wagon and have her pull it. The adults weren’t paying much attention to the kids’ antics until suddenly my son came flying into the carport in the wagon, pulled by the dog running at full speed. The dog sent the wagon careening into a fancy beer cooler-stand thing that we had set up. It was house-warming gift, and we had the top tub full of beer and ice. The wagon ran into this thing at full speed, and the entire top bucket dumped into wagon and onto my son’s lap with a thunderous crash! I did my best Mom’s scream, and pulled him out of the beer and the ice soaking wet. Amazingly, he wasn’t hurt- just wet and embarrassed. Not a single beer bottle broke because everything landed inside the wagon. Once we realized he was ok, everyone starting applauding. It was quite the move, and something that will go down in family party history!

For her part, Hana the lab survived the party very well. When we have people over, she goes on food patrol and will wrestle any crumb she can from the younger crowd as well as get into any plate or napkin left sitting unattended. By the end of the night, I know she ate at the minimum one bowl of red beans and rice, an entire loaf of pumpkin bread left of the edge of the counter, and numerous chicken bones. Aigoo…that dog would risk a smack on the nose any day if it meant a chance at more food.

My First Blog Post

This is my first attempt at trying a blog, so we will see how this goes! Hafa Adai from Guam and Happy Liberation Day! This July 21st marks the 62nd anniversary of the arrival of the US Marines to liberate the island from Japanese occupation during World War II. It is a major holiday for Guam and is celebrated with a large festival, parade, and fireworks. We have lived on Guam for 2.5 years, and this will be the third parade that we have attended. This year, I will be walking in the parade with my 7-year-old son and his Cub Scout pack. He is so nervous…he doesn’t want to get run over by any floats or fire trucks in the parade. I assured him that it will be safe. Tropical Storm Kaemi is finally moving away from us, and hopefully, the weather will be nice. After the parade, the party is at our house. If you are visiting Guam, feel free to stop by!