See the world through my eyes

Flamin' Hot Festival

2011-06-11T16:21:00.006+10:00

I went to the annual Flame Tree Arts Festival this afternoon. Surprisingly, there wasn't that much people there around 1pm, but I was able to catch some entertainment - hula dancers. I updated my status on Facebook stating that it was so dead at the Flame Tree Arts Festival. Some people commented on my status and said it was because of the scorching heat and they were planning to go tonight. I'm not sure what the temperature was, but I think the weather was alright. It was hot, but not unbearable. I think the breeze helped, too. I didn't want to take any chances so I brought a hat to wear this time for a double-dose of sunblock!

Helloooo world!

2011-05-01T12:31:00.002+10:00

Where have I been? I've been here, not to worry. I've been there...but mostly here.

I miss blogging. I think I've had writer's block so I've been real bad about blogging since 2011 began. I don't want to break any promises for keeping up with my blog so I'll just say I'll try my best.

So long, farewell......

2010-12-31T18:11:00.000+10:00

The last day of the year 2010 has come. I always get the jitters when the new year is about to kick in. Maybe it's because I'm excited for the new year and at the same time, I'm nervous of the unknown of what is to come in the new year.

I don't think I've ever had a perfect year. A year without anything going wrong and everything going right. Of course, if that were to happen, I know that means I'm actually in LALA land and not living in reality.

For 2010, I'm so thankful and forever grateful for so many things....

I'm grateful for my health (although I know I could strive to live a healthier life). I'm grateful that the air I breathe keeps my heart pumping to live life!

I'm grateful for my husband, Floyd Masga, who has always been by my side through thick and thin and happy that we made our vows in front of God in 2010.

I'm grateful for my family and friends who have shown me unending love and support.

I'm grateful for having a job and having the opportunity to work for a great company that truly takes care of its employees :)

I'm grateful for the new people I've met in 2010 and look forward to meeting more people in 2011.

Sushi for Christmas

2010-12-29T10:57:00.000+10:00

One of the gifts I received this Christmas was from my goddaughter, Brissa. She gave me a Sushi kit that came with an instruction book and some tools. With my love for cooking, this gift was absolutely perfect!

When I think of sushi, I think of raw fish, rice and nori (seaweed wrapper). After reading the book that came with this kit, I learned that the word "sushi" has nothing to do with fish. It literally means "vinegared rice".

I will attempt my sushi making skills and post pictures for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned!

2010 Cookie Exchange

2010-12-13T20:38:00.000+10:00

For those of you who know me, I usually like to make an original cookie for our family's Cookie Exchange. Okay, so at least I try. Two years ago, I made my White Christmas Cookie. That cookie was a true crowd pleaser, and definitely one of my favorites!

This year, I made plain sugar cookies with a flair. I decided to concentrate on the presentation of my cookies and not so much the ingredients. I dressed up my cookies with colored icing and different decor. Coming up with cookie designs definitely motivated my creativity. It almost felt like I was stamping cards, trying to come up with a design for each cookie.

This weekend was our annual Cookie Exchange with all the ladies in our family. I can't believe that this was our 6th year to carry on this tradition. Yet, it seems to get better each year! This year, it was held at my Auntie Doll's house. She went all out with decor and she kept the party going with Christmas tunes, drinks and fun games. We all had a great time. What a wonderful way to begin the holiday season!

I want Candy...

2010-12-10T16:04:00.000+10:00

We celebrated our PIC employees at the Employee Year End party on December 8th. It was a great party with vibrant colors all around!

Kanae took this shot of Vanessa & I before we got the party started.

Here I am with Paulina, Masako and Roselle. I love these ladies!

So happy together...

2010-10-30T17:48:00.000+10:00

On September 25, 2010, I happily married the man that I love with all my heart: Floyd Masga. Floyd and I have been together since 2002 and just last month, we made a commitment to God and to each other. Our wedding wasn't a grand one, and that's exactly how I wanted it to be. I had a tropical theme for my wedding and my colors were (surprise, surprise) PINK and beige. For those of you who know me, you know how much I love the color pink. I was just happy that Floyd agreed to have it as part of the wedding.

After we were married, some people asked me, "After being together for so long, and finally getting married, is it different?" I simply tell them, "We're both so much more in love now. It is a different feeling to be married because now we are fully committed to each other." I guess that's why they call it, "Tying the knot".

In the Chamorro language, the word "Masga" means "enough" in English. Hmm, that should've been a sign from the day we met, because Floyd is one man that is enough for me :)

Back blogged...

2010-10-21T16:33:00.001+10:00

I've been such a bad blogger lately. There's so many things going on since my last post and I didn't have the time to write. Well, maybe I did have time. I just didn't want to think too much. Updating my status message on Facebook alone sometimes requires my brain cells to work. LOL!

To my blog followers (if they're still following me), my apologies. I promise to try to be a better blogger.

Island Beauty

2010-07-14T22:22:00.000+10:00

Today I had lunch with Floyd at The Revolving Restaurant 360 and lucky for us, it was a beautiful day in paradise! As we slowly revolved, I took note of how much of a different perspective you have from being way up high. I literally felt like I was on top of the world!

I took only one shot from above, but also realized how much our island is rich in color! Check out the Flame Trees in bloom. Aren't they stunning?

This photo was taken one morning after mass at the Chalan Kanoa Cemetary when I was on my way to my dad's grave.

This photo was taken at my mom's house. She plants a wide variety of flowers around the house, but these orchids really caught my eye.

And of course, just because I work indoors doesn't mean that I will only allow myself to see the bright white walls around me. So this picture that I found online was hard to resist as my desktop photo. For the record, I did not take this photo of the plumeria. I found it online.

Personally speaking, I know that I've taken all this island beauty for granted. When I was in Las Vegas, I was super home sick. I didn't enjoy the dust, dirt and dryness (literally) of that place. I missed so many things we had out here. But I'm back at home and I'm so happy to be here to enjoy all this beauty our island of Saipan.

who wants the last piece?

2010-07-08T16:02:00.000+10:00

A couple of nights ago, my family and I went to Capricciosa's for dinner. We ordered our favorite: Salmon Linguini in Cream Sauce and Quattro Formaggi pizza. While we were enjoying each other's company, conversation and the food, before we knew it, there was only one slice of pizza left.

DA DA DA DUMMMMM!!!

I couldn't help but laugh and snap a shot of how the last slice of pizza looked. I then asked why this happens and no one could give me an answer. This is not an uncommon thing with us Chamorros. It is almost inevitable that this will happen if there is food around. When we eat and there's only one piece left of something, it's almost shameful that you take the last piece. But the reality of it all is that if you don't eat the last piece, someone will either have no shame and eat it or it'll go to waste. I ended up being the shameful person that night, but I didn't feel shameful. It could have been because the pizza was too delicious to waste.

So why does this happen every time we eat? Some say it's because the last piece is for the 'Taotaomona' (Chamorro people before us). Do they even like pizza?

Red, Red Wiiiiine....

2010-07-02T23:47:00.000+10:00

Remember that song by UB40??? Who doesn't? It would almost be a crime if you didn't know that song or even heard it in your lifetime. Especially if you lived on the islands. That song was so powerful that when it played at a party, a dance club or even on the radio, you couldn't help but sway your body to the rhythm of that song. It was the song that made you feel mellowwww and relaaaaxed. You feel me? Ha ha ha!!!

I'm not a big drinker, but when I want to relax and unwind, I drink some red wine. When I first tried red wine, I thought it tasted awful! It had a punch to your palate and it made me make a sour face. However, that was then. Now that my palate has "matured", I am more receptive of drinking red wine...and without making the sour face. My favorite type of red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon. And depending what the brand of the wine is, sometimes I prefer the Merlot. I'm not a wine geek so don't ask me questions about red wine. The basic knowledge I have about wine is that it comes from grapes, it's smashed, fermented, stored and then sold to people like me who want to enjoy it. Oh, and I also know that red wine is good when eating red meat. White wine is goes will with a white meat dish. I'm not so into white wine. The closest thing to a white wine that I'll drink is champagne, but only if it's mixed with orange juice and turned into mimosas.

So the next time you hear that song, "Red, Red Wine" by UB40, grab a glass of red wine, sip some down and celebrate life!

Orange eggs and mangoes.

2010-05-27T18:00:00.000+10:00

So on my last post, I mentioned the start of mango season on Saipan. Now, the mangoes are overflowing that I don't know what to do with them. Even the people we were giving the ripe mangoes to were saying they didn't want them anymore because they didn't know what to do with them.

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Going to the Thursday night street market is a treat for me. I usually get fresh coconut juice and some yummy apigigi (coconut dessert). I also enjoy walking around to see what each vendor has to offer. At the street market, vendors display the food and drinks that they have for sell.

One particular food item caught my eye. Can you guess what it is???

It's a deep fried boiled egg! Now I like fried food and I like boiled eggs, but that is one thing I was not dying to get a taste of. Talk about making something healthy so unhealthy.

I love you like a mango

2010-04-17T22:00:00.000+10:00

Mango season has begun around the island, but all the mangoes are still young and not fully ripe. At this stage is when the mango is perfect to become what is known to our local islanders as "koko". For those of you who don't know what koko is, it's basically something pickled. On Saipan, we call almost anything that is pickled, "koko".

Today was the first time I made some mango koko. I was quite nervous as one wrong move in the mixture could mean starting the entire process all over again. But I was confident after verifying the ingredients with my mom. THANKS MOM!

The process begins with a bunch of mangoes that I had to wash and skin. I tried to use a potato peeler to skin the mangoes, but using a smaller, sharp knife worked best for me.

Then the mangoes were cut in half and then sliced. One mango usually makes 4-6 peices, depending on the size of the mango. After the mangoes are all sliced, they're quickly washed and the water is drained so that there is no excess water.

A few light sprinkles of salt is added together with some diced fresh garlic (about 4 big cloves). This is mixed in well and then about 4 table spoons of vinegar is added. I also added a dash of TLC while mixing everything together. That always makes a difference when I make anything :)

Most people add local hot pepper and a little bit of food coloring at this point, but Floyd asked to make this without hot pepper or food coloring so we kept it natural. Everything is then placed into a container, preferably one with a cover that seals well. Thankfully we saved this container and we were able to make just the right amount of koko to fit into it.

And how would you like that drink?

2010-04-03T15:26:00.000+10:00

Some people tell me I drink more milk than coffee. What do I mean? Well, I like my coffee with almost 25% of my cup of coffee filled with milk (not creamer). That's the perfect cup of coffee for me. On occasion, I'll want a hint of hazelnut or chocolate flavor in my coffee, but nothing I'd go crazy over. I'm not one of your crazy Starbucks addicts, although I have to admit they do carry some yummy stuff in those coffee shops!

I'm not a real (alcoholic) drinker. I'm not even an average drinker. But when I do feel like drinking, I love drinking strawberry daiquiris and margaritas! Blended. I had a margarita one night and was just appalled when it came in a plastic cup! What the heck?! I'm sorry, but I wanted mine in a margarita glass...the way it should be served. Some people may think that's just being straight-up super anal, but some beverages just taste better in a certain type of cup or glass.

BOTTOMS UP!

Let the races begin...

2010-03-06T12:54:00.001+10:00

Today I started my day at 5:30am. I was assisting at PIC's aid station, located not too far from PIC. There was less than 20 volunteers, but we were all there on time, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

We passed out fruit, water and Gatorade. After I left, all I could hear replaying in my head was people yelling out: "water...Gatorade..."

The Winter Festival of Runs started out this weekend. The first runs of all runs was the Saipan Marathon. This year, they had a total of about 600 runners for this morning's marathon! WOW!!! Next weekend is the Xterra Saipan Championship and the weekend after that is the Tagaman Triathlon. Just thinking about all of that makes me tired.

Nardo helps out a runner by handing out some Gatorade...

This morning I saw a wide range of runners. Some serious runners, some happy runners, some tired runners....but when I saw Minnie Mouse running towards our aid station, I couldn't help but snap a shot!

Food challange: Flour Titiyas

2010-03-05T23:36:00.000+10:00

I was in the mood to cook last weekend so I made some of my Auntie Jean's famous flour titiyas. The last time I made these things was when I was attending college in Las Vegas. To my surprise, it turned out pretty good, considering it has been over a decade since I made it!

Coming from a family of cooks, I realized that my titiyas wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't a disaster. The taste was there, a bit too sweet for my taste so I figured I'll cut the sugar content down the next time I make tityas. It also lacked the "fluff" in it and I felt it was too flat. Floyd said it was perfect and my BFF Kiki said it was super good.

Sometimes I don't know how to take a compliment.

Missing you hurts

2010-02-03T22:43:00.000+10:00

I miss the intellectual conversations we had.
I miss the casual talks we had.

I miss your spunky attitude.
I miss your words of wisdom.

I miss your random calls to me.
Just to let me know you're there.

I miss the impromptu invites for lunch at home.
I miss your cooking.

I miss you calling me, "your favorite daughter".
I miss you telling me you loved me.

I miss that extra push you always gave me, when I was about to give up.
I miss you telling me how proud you were of me.

I miss seeing you at home.
I miss seeing you at family gatherings.

I miss you asking me to help you out.
I miss scolding you and giving you advice.

I miss the trust you had in me.
I miss the love you gave to me.

I miss you so very much, it hurts!!!
I sometimes think the pain of missing you will never go away.

A Cool Weekend

2010-01-18T22:01:00.000+10:00

I learned how to play a new game on Friday night. It's called Bananagrams. It's almost like scrabble, but with a twist to it. My nephew, Sly, taught me and after a couple of games, I was hooked! I can't wait to play our next game...

On Saturday, PIC held it's 2nd annual Duck Race. It was my first duck race to attend and it was actually pretty fun. It was nice to see many people from the community, including our guests watch the colorful ducks floating in PIC's lazy river. I could feel everyones excitement as they cheered on, hoping their duck would pass the finish line first.

Unfortunately, none of my ducks won. But I was happy to know that PIC received a lot of support for a good cause. All the proceeds raised will go towards the Marianas March Against Cancer (MMAC), which is held in May each year.

The race started at 6:15pm so Floyd & I enjoyed happy hour at PIC's Seaside Grill. I ordered their yummy poke. It was so good!

Sunday I spent most of my day just lounging in the house. I caught up on some sleep (thanks to the rainy, cool weather) and watched some TV. Sometimes I like staying home and just hibernate.

Monday was Martin Luther King day and it was a holiday for me. It was also my Uncle Lo's 1st death anniversary. As I was getting ready for mass, I couldn't help but remember how I felt this time last year. It was sad and it was still sad today, but I thank the Lord that my uncle is resting in peace and is now watching over us.

I also watched the movie, the Book of Eli. My review.....it was alright. It wasn't the greatest, but it did teach a valuable lesson: we sometimes forget that we have more than what we really need.

Food for Thought

2010-01-09T21:01:00.000+10:00

I had lunch with Floyd today and was surprised when I was served my salad. "Wow! That salad dressing is bright green!" I told the server. "Oh ma'am, it's kiwi dressing," she said. Hmm, I thought to myself. This should be interesting.

The dressing had a hint of kiwi flavor with a vinaigrette finish to it. It was good, but my salad was kinda swimming in the dressing, so it was a little too much for me. I hate it when my salad has the dressing completely covering it and I end up looking through the salad for the rest of the veggies. To me, it's not a salad anymore.

Do you like pizza? I do! Well, not just any kind of pizza. I'm picky when it comes to pizza and where I order it. My ultimate favorite is Bobby Cadillacs. Their pizzas are phenomenal and the crust is absolutely perfect! I like lots of toppings on my pizza -- with the exception of onions and bell peppers. Well, I like the flavor the bell peppers give to the pizza, but I just won't eat the bell peppers. I'm weird like that.

A couple weeks ago I made stuffed mushrooms for the first time. It turned out really good! The mushrooms were stuffed with cream cheese, parmesan cheese, mushrooms and garlic. Floyd, my taster and ultimate food critic, said that these things tasted SO good, he knew it was bad for you. LOL!

Dental Drama

2010-01-06T21:22:00.000+10:00

I hate going to a dental clinic. All dental clinics smell the same. They have this latex powdery smell with a hint of chemicals. Ewww! I was trying to figure out why I hated going to the dentist so much and I think it may have to do with the fact that I didn't like pain and I also wore braces for 3 years, even though my Orthodontist told me that I was only going to have it for 2 years.

Today I went to the dentist to get a root canal done. It was my first time to ever get this done. I honestly think I jinxed myself when I was waiting in the dental room staring at the poster on the wall that showed how a root canal was done. Ohmigosh, that kind of work looks like it's painful, I thought to myself. Before I knew it, the dentist was telling me that after my cleaning, I needed a root canal scheduled or else, it's permanent extraction of my tooth! "No, I would like to save my tooth please..." I told the dentist 2 weeks ago.

I wasn't looking forward to this session with the dentist one bit. I was so nervous about my appointment yesterday, I loss sleep over it. I think I thought I was in a sci-fi movie for a bit because I thought if I didn't sleep, the next day wouldn't come....and then I woke up! This morning I heard no birds chirping, no songs playing. I just kept hearing the sound of drilling!

Floyd was so supportive. He always knew what to say and he always knew how to make me comfortable. He even offered to sit in the "operating room" while I was getting my root canal. But I nodded in disagreement and said I was ready for this and wanted to get over this already.

So here I am writing this blog as a survivor of a root canal and I feel like such a big girl. LOL!!!

High school friends to sisters for life

2009-12-27T22:24:00.000+10:00

Josi, one of my close friends from high school, came to Saipan from Hawaii to attend her sister's wedding. She, along with her entire family, came home for the wedding and the holidays. And even with the crazy business of the holidays, her and her husband, Barnaby, spared a couple hours to spend with us and just catch up.

My friends and I are truly different blends and that's what I love about them! I think our different personalities balances the entire group out.

Our first group shot with our men.

Taken at Sabina and Ton's wedding.

Cookies and more cookies!

2009-12-11T22:34:00.000+10:00

Every year I try to make an original cookie and give it an original name. Unfortunately, the cookies I had planned on making didn't turn out right so I had to go with plan B as time was of the essence. So my plan B cookies is something simple, sweet and good. I ended up making the famous holiday cookies: sugar cookies, and from scratch, too! I just added a bit of cookie decor to go with the festive mood. Last year, I made a White Christmas Cookie and it was awesome!

I've baked 65 cookies in 3 hours today. Why so long? Well, I actually don't have an oven so I use a toaster oven to make my cookies. Lucky for me, my new toaster oven is a bit bigger than the one I use to own, so it allows me to make a total of 9 cookies every 10-15 minutes. I know, that's a lot of work, but at the end it gets the job done.

I'm making these cookies for our annual Cookie Exchange, which is scheduled this Sunday, December 13th. This tradition started not too long ago and actually, this year is going to mark our 5th year of carrying this tradition! I can't wait to see what everyone else baked up.

Got a quarter?

2009-12-10T20:01:00.000+10:00

The CNMI's very own state quarter's were released today. It's a historical day for the CNMI! Floyd is an avid coin collector and he was probably the first in line at the American Memorial Park today (although he won't admit it) to see the unveiling of the quarter. I wasn't there, but he said that there were even students from the public school system there to witness such a historical moment.

A very interesting fact to note about our quarter is that only 72,800,000 CNMI quarters were minted. This is the lowest amount of quarters minted for the U.S. Territories, which means our quarter is rare and at a potentially highly collectable.

If you haven't got your share, check out the local banks around your area (on or off-island).

Photos and more photos!

2009-12-08T21:38:00.000+10:00

I know I've been so behind with my blog postings and all, but I still wanted to share some pictures that I took during our family's Thanksgiving dinner.

We had fried turkey this year!

Francis, DJ & Devin

My girl, Mya...isn't she cute???

The kiddos: Ross, Jaden & Jakey.

Jakey was pointing at Mya because she ran away

just when I was about to take a shot of them.

The Villamor family: Jerson, Lonessa & Bon

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Last week, PIC had their annual Employee Party. Our theme was "Festival of Cultures" and everyone had an awesome time, including myself. It was my first party with all the staff and everyone enjoyed themselves. Pictured below is a group shot of the HR crew that pulled this whole party together. It was all a lot of work, but it was all worth it in the end!

L-R: Evan, ME, Kamee & Angela

Christmas music

2009-12-03T20:49:00.000+10:00

I was driving to work this morning and the song, Oh Holy Night came on the radio. I couldn't help but turn up the volume and sang along. I don't know what it is about the slow Christmas songs, but every time I sing them, it brings tears to my eyes. Maybe it's the tempo of the song, but it somehow brings me to my sad emotion. Of course the fun songs are like Jingle Bells or Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. Now those are the songs I'll dance to without an ounce of blues in my heart.

What's your favorite Christmas song and why? I would love to hear your memories.

Wow, it's been a while!

2009-12-01T21:22:00.000+10:00

So much has happened in my life in the past couple of months. But I'll spare the details and do it in bullet point:

I landed an awesome job at the Pacific Islands Club in September.
My brother DJ turned 14 on October 17th. My baby brother, Devin turned 12 on October 28th.
I watched my first Dodge ball game at PIC. It rocked!!! I think I'll actually play on a team next year.
Thanksgiving was definitely sad without my dad and Uncle Lo at Thanksgiving dinner this year. Our Thanksgiving started out emotional and sad, but ended happy and filling (literally!).
Floyd & I watched New Moon together...it was alright. The crowd in the theater made the movie more entertaining! LOL!
My brother Ton turned 28 on November 28th

I promise to be more on top of my game with my blog! I can't believe how badly I've ignored my blog.

What's going on?

2009-10-08T21:37:00.000+10:00

Today there was a Tsunami Watch going on. One of my friends was actually so worried, he picked up all his kids from school to bring them to higher ground. I, for one, was actually quite worried because although I enjoy an ocean view in my office, after hearing that the island was on a Tsunami Watch, I didn't care for that ocean view any longer! Luckily, the tsunami watch was called off. Whrew!!!

So what's going on with the weather? I know it's typhoon season here, but after all the recent tsunami's in America Samoa, earthquakes in the Solomon Islands, wow -- what's going on in the Pacific?

Have the people in the pacific been bad? Is God punishing us?

Ty what? Typhoon!!!

2009-10-03T06:50:00.000+10:00

Typhoon Melor is slowly approaching our island. Yesterday looked like the perfect Friday EVER! But that's what was scary about it. It was like "the calm before the storm" and the people who have never been through typhoons couldn't understand why this typhoon was going to be a super typhoon in a matter of hours when we even had a gorgeous sunset yesterday.

I spoke to people and asked how they prepared themselves and everyone had a different reaction.

"I boarded up our place..."

"I bought snacks to last through the typhoon..."

"I bought a weeks-worth of food..."

"I got my beer and charged up my iPod..."

"All I need is my bottle of wine!"

Honestly, I didn't do much to prepare for this typhoon since the last typhoon I stocked up on batteries, food, etc. Floyd & my brothers are the ones who really secured the houses, etc. I live in a semi-concrete house so if this typhoon blows my roof off my house, that's it for me. So I just packed up most of my clothes and secured the other stuff. Funny thing was I was put in a dilemma where I had to figure out what was valuable and what I could live without.

The winds are just starting to pick up and I'm thankful I had a good night's sleep with air conditioning!!! I also have my battery-operated fan ready for back up....just in case I melt. Hahaha!!!

Prayers are scheduled every Sunday at 9am

2009-09-21T18:54:00.000+10:00

Okay, so here's another post I have about religion.

I've been going to mass for my dad practically on a daily basis at 6am at the Mount Carmel Cathedral. I enjoy the early morning masses because it gets my day going. One day I asked my mom if we could attend Sunday mass at 6am instead of 9am and she said we couldn't. Besides the fact that I didn't want to argue with my mom, I just bit my tongue and figured I had to deal with it. Amazingly, she explained why. In Chamorro, she told me that the mass for all the souls who have died is only scheduled for only for the 9am mass on Sunday at the Cathedral.

ME: "But why is it only designated for 9am mass?"

MOM: "Because 9am mass is the misan animas (mass for the spirit of the dead)."

ME: "So you mean to tell me, I can't pray for my dad at 6am mass and only at 9am mass?"

MOM: "No. Ai adai, I don't know why it's like that."

ME: "That's so dumb!"

So apparently, if you didn't get the memo, please note that if you have a family member that recently passed away, you cannot pray for their soul(s) unless you're at the 9am mass at Cathedral. Your immediate cooperation and attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

GOOD LORD!

I LOVE MY JOB!

2009-09-12T13:29:00.000+10:00

I recently got a new job. I'm so super thrilled because the together with the fact that it's the work I love to do, I also work in an awesome work environment with super fun, energetic and nice people! This is the beginning of a whole different career...and within the private sector, too!

LIFE...

2009-08-25T21:48:00.000+10:00

It's funny how sometimes the life you live seems somewhat perfect until something big happens that alters your status such as. Some of these things are employment, weddings, divorces, birth and death.

I recently loss my father +Antonio V. Deleon Guerrero, and I honestly didn't know if my heart or my emotions were strong enough to pull myself back to "normal". A lot of people that I meet up with since my dad's passing tells me to be strong for my mom, most especially. Yes I understand that, but sometimes those words irritate me more than ease the pain I feel inside. I LOSS MY FATHER TOO PEOPLE!!! Sometimes people have no idea that what they say may actually hurt my feelings. I just suck it up and faintly smile when people tell me to be strong.

To me, the fact that I loss my dad wasn't the worse part of dealing with his death. It's the fact that I loss my dad when I was off-island. It was the worst, possible feeling that I've felt in my entire life because together with the fact that my dad died, was the fact that I was so far away and I couldn't do anything about it. Nothing! Nothing at all!!! I was lucky to have Floyd to be by my side through it all. He was the one who remained strong, he was the one that was there for me. He was my savior!

A good friend of mine told me that with my dad's passing, I now have another guardian angel to watch over and take care of me. Those words actually brought a happy tear to my eye because I know it's true.

As discussed in my last post, it was very hard to find a job in Las Vegas. However, after we moved back to Saipan, in a matter of weeks, I was offered a good job. Although I know it took some effort on my part, I'm sure that my dad was watching over me and he knew what was in store for me.

To all my family and friends, thank you so much for your kind words, prayers and support. It will never be forgotten. May the Lord God bless us all!!!

I'm sorry...so sorry!

2009-07-25T16:00:00.001+10:00

Yes, I know, it's been over a month since my last post! It's been real challenging for me the past month. Just wanted to let my fellow blogger friends know that I am still alive and well! Nothing too interesting happening in my life. Well okay, that's not entirely true. I found a job...then later found out it wasn't meant to be. So I moved on to bigger and hopefully better things.

The news last night said Las Vegas reached its first record-high level of unemployment at over 11%! Sheesh...

The Hunt continues....

2009-06-22T20:08:00.000+10:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but I've come to a point where I was not sure if I should continue "sharing" my thoughts, my words, bits and pieces of my life because it's almost like I'm being vulnerable at the same time. Special thanks to my blogger friend Boni. I just read her blog and her post motivated me to write a blog on my page!

So what's been going on with me? Let's see....what shall I write about? Oh okay, I know...my quest to find a J-O-B.

I'm still job-hunting and it's actually becoming exhausting. At one point, Floyd told me to take a break. I guess he saw that it was wearing me out how I would apply for a job, interview for the job, then get the "I'm sorry" letter notifying me that I didn't get the job. It took a toll on me, indeed. I have friends and family helping me out, but we just don't seem to understand why it's hard to get hired out here. I'm always "over qualified" or "under qualified", but never just QUALIFIED. It's frustrating! Oh no, but my frustration doesn't mean that I'm giving up. I still apply for at least 2 jobs a day, follow up with the employment agencies on any openings and the cycle goes on and on.

So while I'm hunting for a job, I'm told that people back on Saipan seem to take a big interest on my life out here. Mainly, asking if I'm working yet, etc. Besides my immediate family, why do other people have to know if I got a job or not? What's in it for them? It's almost like some people feel powerful because I'm unemployed and they're employed. Someone even had the audacity to ask me (over and over) if I enjoyed being unemployed. I said I did because it gives me the overdue vacation I needed. That person said, "Oh yeah, will you still be happy when the bills come in?" OH.MY.GOSH!!! Are my finances your business, too?! It's a shame that others find joy in being sarcastically obnoxious. They obviously have nothing better to do with their lives.

As much as I miss home, that's exactly the crap I don't miss one bit!

Move over Rachel Ray....

2009-05-28T06:18:00.000+10:00

Last week I was in the mood to bake and cook so I attempted to make rosketti (a Chamorro cookie) and pancit (Filipino noodle dish) for the first time ever. Lucky for me, they both turned out good.

The recipie that my mom gave me for the rosketti made close to 300 peices of rosketti, I nearly died! There was no way I was going to eat all of that so I passed it out to family members. I received good reviews from many and also received some awesome feedback from my tasters and viewers. So the next time I make it, it's gonna be even more delicious the next time around!

My sister-in-law was craving for some pancit and asked if I knew how to make it. I told her that I have seen it being made many times at family parties, but never actually made it myself -- but I sure can try. She was willing to let me do it and it turned out mmm, mmm good! Floyd even certifies that it tastes good. I added a little too much noodles this time around, so I'll adjust the next time I make it.

You can't handle the truth!!!

2009-05-21T20:56:00.001+10:00

I'm depressed. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm confused. I have a huge whirlwind of emotions flowing through my body all at once. I know why, but I don't know how to get over it. I hate being on the pissy side of life. I'd rather be my jolly ol self and sing some karaoke - sing my heart out! That always makes me feel better and less stressed.

Through tough times like this it's almost like I make a complete 360 degree change on myself and sometimes I freak myself out. It's like being happy little Rainbow Brite and then transforming into the Hulk all of a sudden. Yeah, it's pretty scary. I try not to let the emotions get the best of me, but sometimes you just gotta let it out. You just gotta stop being strong and just cry. Cry it out. Shed those tears. Boy does that feel good, huh?

Have you ever had those situations where you're super-duper, utterly sad and someone tries to comfort you and says, "Be strong! You have to be strong!" Ugh, I hated that! What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Okay, besides the obvious. I'd honestly rather hear: "Pull yourself together." It's very blunt, very honest, very true. It's almost like a slap in the face to get back into reality. I appreciate honesty, I guess.

I have a very good friend who I never doubt is always honest with me. We'll call her "Kelly". When I poured out my heart to my close friends about my troubles, all my friends would comfort me and tell me what I would probably want to hear. Oh but not Kelly! She was always 200% honest. She's the kind of friend that made me think twice, take a step back and realize what I just said was wrong (or right). She's the one that would tell me that I made a bad choice. Sometimes it would kill me inside when she would be frank with her advice, but I always knew it was because she wanted to be brutally honest with me....and I love her for doing that.

Okay, so I DO appreciate honesty....when it's the right time to be honest. Does that make sense?

Mahalang Yu (I'm home sick)

2009-05-17T17:33:00.001+10:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend and he reminded me of the beautiful things back home in Saipan. One of the things he remembered were the beautiful sunsets. Ahhh, those sunsets. Who could beat that? You could be having the worse day ever, but when you park at the beach to take in the beautiful colors of the sunset, it's like all your worries just melt away. I miss seeing that!

After having this conversation, it made me think of the things I missed about home.

The weather. Okay, there are only certain things I miss aobut it, minus the humidity, please. Earlier today I was on the phone with my mom and the 10pm news came on. She was talking to me about the scorching heat back home and how she wishes it would rain. As she was telling me this, I saw the weather forecast for tomorrow and told my mom it was going to be 102 degrees on Sunday! Her response: "Ewww!!!" I guess I don't mind the heat, back home sometimes it was just the humidity that got to me. I hardly break a sweat out here, but the heat here is definitely more intense!

Oh my gosh, the good food. Who is not going to miss all the food back home? My mom mailed me her so-called "secret recipe" for rosketti (a cookie) and I found it hilarious that she even had a detailed drawing (in numerical order) that showed me how the rosketti was supposed to be shaped like. Never mind that we had our fair share of rosketti baking days back home. I think she thought that as soon as the plane left Saipan, I loss all those valuable cooking lessons. I remember those comments after asking a question: "see nai you don't put too much corn starch or else this is gonna happen...ya siempre ti mungi ya u na lustima." (...and then it's not going to taste good and it'll all go to waste)

But most of all, it's my family and friends who I miss the most! The get-togethers, events to attend to, the laughter, the moments and those calls I receive to just come over and eat because they made my favorite: chicken chalakilis.

Home is definitely where my heart is. *big sigh!*

THOU SHALL NOT have any contact with others

2009-05-12T14:15:00.001+10:00

Globally, I’m sure everyone is aware of the Swine Flu pandemic. It has caused a bit of frantic people to take extra precautionary measures when coming into contact with others. However, when I was in church yesterday, they took it to a whole different level!

Right before we could say peace to our fellow brothers and sisters, our parish priest read out a memo from our bishop saying that because of the H1N1 pandemic, and for precautionary reasons, the bishop is asking all parishioners not to have contact with others during the “sign of peace” and instead show a simple gesture of peace without any contact. Excuse my french, but WTF?! I could tell the guy that sat behind me was surprised as he mumbled yet loudly, “Oh my god!” The priest continued with his announcement and also announced that when receiving communion, it was requested that you receive it by hand only and not by mouth. WOW! I couldn’t believe my ears! I understand the severity of the situation with the pandemic and all, but in all honesty, going to church just didn’t feel right after that.

Introducing......

2009-05-09T13:23:00.000+10:00

I would like you to meet my neice, Marlie Jade Villagomez Green. She's approximately 11 months today. She was born in California and now resides in Summerlin - Las Vegas. Since she moved to Las Vegas, she has been a regular guest at our place in East Las Vegas and is just an absolute joy to have around the house. I love observing her every move and I'm amazed how she learns quickly and is learning independence, even at such a young age!

*Marlie Jade*

*Floyd & Marlie*

*Story Time with Marlie*

What did you say???

2009-05-08T18:06:00.000+10:00

Recently, I was in line at Wal-Mart when I couldn't help but notice the people in front of me. There was a child, a little girl, probably 6 or 7 years old, crying her little heart out. I wasn't sure why, but I wasn't about to ask either. Her mother, probably in her late 20's, started to speak to her in Spanish. I had no idea what she told her, but from her body language it was probably along the lines of: Will you please stop crying! Well, that was my interpretation at least.

I'm still in line. I don't know if it was the crying or the cashier we had was taking too long, but it seemed like I was in line forever. What was astounding about it all was that this child was still crying like there was no tomorrow! Don't get me wrong. I wasn't irritated at all. I felt more sorry for her because she looked so cute in her pigtails, but she was so super sad and there was nothing I could do about it. Evidently, neither could her mom. Unfortunately, this little girl's mama's patience was almost on empty. She was beyond irritated. I could tell because she was trying to pull her own hair out of her head as she said, "Oh my god, will you please just shut up?! Shut up! SHUT UP!!!" Uh...........WHOA!!! I couldn't believe she just said that! That's something I will NEVER do to my child. And do you think it worked? Nope. That child was still crying.

What would you have done?

Interviewing IS a Skill

2009-05-02T04:16:00.000+10:00

I've been job hunting for a while and so I've been through more than a few interviews. I could easily say that I'm almost to the varsity level of being a pro at interviews. But I don't look at it negatively at all. I take it as constructive criticism for myself. I've learned after several interviews that I must learn from my mistakes and try to figure out what I can do better next time.

It's funny because back home when you're called for an interview, it really is an interview with people asking you questions, etc. However, many of the big companies out here say that you're scheduled for an interview, but really it's not that. It's just a time allotted for you to fill out paperwork, should you get hired for the job. Sometimes your asked questions about the job, sometimes they don't even bother to ask you and just give you a clipboard with things to fill out. I think that's pretty misleading to call something like that an actual "interview" because to me, those aren't really been interviews at all! Nonetheless, I always make sure I'm prepared.

Recently I had an interview with the Venetian hotel. I made sure I did my homework and researched on the company's corporate information, their goals, mission, etc. It really worked to my advantage as I knew how to gear my questions and learn about the company all at the same time. The people that interviewed me were awesome! I never once felt nervous because they were very comforting to be around. The interview took about an hour, but it didn't feel that long at all. I think I actually did pretty well. I left that interview feeling good and confident. the next day I sent my thank you e-mail to the interviewers and I was just happy that they responded back to my e-mail. This told me that they actually read the e-mail and acknowledged it.

So I've been on both ends of the table. Being the interviewer and being the interviewee. It's actually tough on each end and both parties must be prepared, nonetheless. So I guess I'm writing this on my blog for two reasons: to advise people to not take a job interview for granted and to be prepared every, single time.

So is interviewing a skill? I definitely think it is! It may not be something I'd add onto my resume, but it's a skill that we can all practice. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect".

SMILING vs. MUZU

2009-04-27T11:51:00.000+10:00

I recently went to a job interview at a staffing agency here in Las Vegas. As I arrived at the building, I was immediately impressed with the professional look of the place, along with a very friendly security guard who gave me directions to the right office suite of the staffing agency I was looking for. It's amazing what a smile can do, immediately followed by a "thank you".

I get to the right floor and find the office suite. I walk into the office feeling even more impressed with the ambiance it had. It was very cozy, yet professional. Surprisingly, there is no receptionist at the desk. I looked around to see if there was anyone around. I saw a woman in a small office and smiled at her and said hello, hoping she would help me. But she freaking closes the door in my face! WTF?! What was that all about??? Okay, I guess I'll just wait patiently. I had about 5 seconds to get myself together to remove the "muzu" look on my face after what just happened. I was thinking: Lanya na matapang palaoan!

"Oh hi there!" a friendly voice said. I turned and another woman helps me. I have my interview with her and we even had a friendly conversation afterwards. She tells me they're short-staffed and I offer my assistance. Unfortunately, the opening they have is in accounting....probably not my best area. I couldn't help but wonder if they even had a receptionist because I didn't see one.

The woman who interviews me walks me to the reception area where I see a woman sitting at the receptionist desk. OH. MY. GOSH. remember that woman that shut the door in my face? Well guess what? She was the freaking receptionist!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I smiled as I said goodbye and she gave me the snobbiest look I've ever seen. She still didn't manage to smile or say goodbye! I couldn't believe that woman worked there. She sucks eggs!

Okay, back to my job hunt....

Earthquakes & UFO's???

2009-04-14T12:07:00.000+10:00

Lent is over. I gave up ice cream, but because I was at an Easter party and was so tired (and sunburned!) after the party, I didn't care for any ice cream. So today Floyd took me to Dairy Queen and I had an Oreo Brownie Fudge Earthquake. Not a banana split, not a sundae, an EARTHQUAKE! It was sooooo good...it was defnitely worth waiting for!

On the way home, Floyd and I stopped by Wal-Mart to grab a few groceries. As we walked outside to the parking lot, we were stunned to see this oddly shaped cloud in the sky.

Is it a cloud??? Or is it a UFO???

Doesn't it look like a huge space ship?

Not just any space ship...the mother load of all space ships!

Hmmm....you know that Area 51 isn't far from where I live in Nevada you know.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

2009-04-13T17:55:00.000+10:00

We had an awesome Easter! Hope you did, too!

My easter goodies in a basket.

Rice Krispy Treats!!!

The kids cheesin for the camera before the egg hunt.

My girl, Aure'ana & I are all smiles :)

Check your coins

2009-04-08T05:04:00.000+10:00

If you didn't already know, the U.S. Mint will be releasing those state quarters of all the U.S. Territories this year. This is a historical moment for the CNMI as we are one of those quarters include our islands.

With Floyd's hobby as a avid coin-collector, he was excited to see the proof set in a little coin shop in Victorville, CA. I can honestly say that when I saw that set, I was truly amazed! WOW! My home, where I come from and our little island on the globe will be circulating on this coin this year! Be on the look out for these coins as they'll be released sometime November 2009.

Bee-bee-que anyone???

2009-04-08T05:02:00.000+10:00

Last week we were all craving some good BBQ. Someone was in charge of marinating the meats. Someone was in charge of cleaning the grill. Someone was in charge for barbequing the meats. My task? Make some of my family’s famous Chamorro Red Rice. It seemed like an easy task that I could handle. And when I was asked to make red rice, it seemed so easy as I said, “Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” But when I started the process, I was absolutely nervous! I’m always nervous when I know that what I’m cooking is going to be consumed by more than myself and Floyd. Heck, I still haven’t found the courage to cook in front of my parents!

So there I was chopping, measuring, cooking…..sweating! But the rice turned out pretty good. I don’t know why I doubt myself knowing that I made red rice before and knowing that I also seen my family make it a million times before. I’m just weird like that.

So how did I know it was good? Let’s just say that when I went back for seconds, there was no more red rice in the pot! And that made me feel real good :)

The Rules of Religion

2009-04-01T13:53:00.001+10:00

We live in a world filled with rules. Sometimes you follow the rules, sometimes you brake them, ignore them or just live life without them. But when it comes to religion, I've been brought up to be told that you NEVER question anything when it comes to our religion. It's like asking the forbidden question! But now, people ask questions without any hesitation and I'm one of those people.

Very recently, I found out from a cousin of mine that she was unable to baptize her son in the catholic church because of the fact that she and her husband were married in court. She was very disturbed about this and this also came as a surprise to me. I guess I was surprised because the church was turning down the sacrament of baptism for this child. What was the point of turning him down? Did they not want him to be baptized as a catholic??? I didn't think that was right at all. I was taught that God loves everyone no matter what and he welcomes all into the church. So much for an all-omnipotent love.

It's been a while now that I've had very ill feelings with the way the catholic church handles itself and the process of receiving the sacraments. I just think that they manage the church as if it were a business and when it comes down to the holy stuff, it's never consistent. Here's a perfect example: I've seen an unmarried couple baptize their child in the catholic church, but yet a couple married in court cannot baptize their child in a catholic church? Wait a minute...why is that?

I'm not sure how the formalities are around the world for preparing to receive one of the holy sacraments, but on the island that I come from, everyone must go through "lutrina" as they say in Chamorro (or catechism school) so that the teachings of the Roman Catholic church are taught to the child....at least that's how it was when I was growing up. Believe it or not, I was excited to learn the prayers and actions (such as the sign of the cross and genuflecting). I mean, when I was in mass, I wholeheartedly said the prayers from the heart and I was proud to. But as I grew up I obseved others in church and saw that many things were phasing out. Some didn't kneel, some didn't genuflect, some didn't bow their heads.....why was that? Are they not teaching that like I've been taught? Aren't there rules in church about that? And so I bring you back to my point of inconsistencies.

So my latest issue with the catholic church is that we're REQUIRED to take a 6-month prepatory class in order to receive the sacrament of holy matrimony. WOW! That just blew me out of the water! And honestly, that did turn me off when I found out about that. Did this mean they didn't want me to get married in the catholic church? I would think they would welcome it with open arms, but instead they had rules about this. I mean, I WANT to get married in the catholic church, but now I feel like there's a stop sign in front of my face.

Why do I have to go through something like that?

Were they going to grill me about how my fiancée and I practiced our faith?

Were they going to count how many times I went to church?

So you mean to tell me, if I don't go through this 6-month preparation stuff, I won't be able to get married in the catholic church?

There are too many rules for this religion, sometimes I feel like I'm being pushed away instead of being embraced. I love God, but why is it so hard to abide by the rules? Are these even HIS rules to begin with? Did Joseph and Mary have to go through a 6-month preparation class before THEY got married??? Hmmmm...I don't think so.

So when does the madness all end?!?!???

My week in plain view, literally!

2009-03-30T16:18:00.000+10:00

MONDAY: We've passed this place a couple of times and finally went in. This is an outdoor lover's candy shop! With Floyd's love for fishing, he was one happy camper when he was inside. Check out the fishing section of the store! I felt like I was underwater.

TUESDAY: I secretly took this photo inside a military surplus store. It seriously was exactly what it was called. There were so many military things in there, I kinda felt like I was signed up for some department of the military! It also smelled funny, too. Ewwwww!

WEDNESDAY: After attending probably the most sucky career fair ever (I was extremely disappointed!), I looked for the nearest Starbucks to have a nice cold one. It was the closest thing to my happy drink!

THURSDAY: We hit the casinos, but since photos aren't allowed in the casinos, I have nothing to share. Sorry.

FRIDAY: Playtime with my niece, Marlie :) Yes, she's in a hamper. It amazes me that she enjoys playing with other things other than her baby toys. Maybe it's because she's not a baby anymore. You know she's pushing only a couple of months til she turns 1 year old! Hahaha!

SATURDAY: Took my nieces Alayna (on the swing) and EJ to the park so that they could run their little hearts out, enjoy the sun, cool wind and all the fun stuff at the park. They had so much fun! After the park, we took them to Silverton to show them the huge aquarium that they had. They enjoyed seeing animals from the underwater world.

SUNDAY: Relaxed at home watching T.V. (sorry, no photos available)

Wishing you all a great week!!!

Do you see what I see?

2009-03-25T15:52:00.006+10:00

Remember that place I told you about? Where they had yummy strawberry margaritas? Well, I didn't have a front view of the place when I wrote that post on my blog, so here it is...my favorite spot on the strip (for now).

Last weekend I made it a point to ride the Las Vegas Monorail on the strip to see what the hype was all about. I mean, when someone comes to visit I'm bound to be asked the question "where does it go" so I wanted to take the trip myself. It was a nice, short ride (worth $5) on the back of the strip and its main purpose served as a way to avoid traffic and get to your destination faster without dealing with the hustle of having to walk with everyone else on the strip. Oh, and it's supposed to also save you on cab rides from hotel to hotel. I say it's a convenient transportation for our visitors to use it instead of walking outside having to deal with the chilly winds or blistering heat (depending on the season). I mean, some of our visitors just wanna see all the other hotels on the strip (and gamble at different locations, of course). I even took a picture while we were on the move. You can make out some parts of the strip from the monorail.

We stay pretty close to the Nellis Air Force Base here in Las Vegas so since it was a pretty day, we decided to take some pictures in the park where some planes are displayed.

Sharing Time!!!

2009-03-24T17:28:00.007+10:00

PRO BASS SHOPPING....

Today I went to the Pro Bass Shop. It was freaking awesome! That store is truly for all you outdoorzee kinda people. "Outdoorzee kinda people?" Yup! It has stuff for fishing, hunting, catching, falling, riding, biking, driving and profiling! If you've never been to one, just go in for fun. I did. I also got to see a stuffed giraffe, lions and don't forget the elks. They looked soooo real! It was a treat for me. Floyd was in his "happy land" just being there.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE...

So I went to a movie today and freaked out about the prices out here. We paid $10 to watch a movie and $9 in snacks & drinks. We were lucky today because our medium-sized drink was $4.50, but it came with a free small bag of popcorn. Yes, I said $4.50 for a drink...but the popcorn was free and you don't wanna complain when there's something free. The concession guy told us it was the "Monday special". I didn't think it was so special, but that's just me.

I watched the movie KNOWING, starring Nicholas Cage. It was pretty good. I covered my eyes every now and then through the movie, but then again, I'm a scared-dee cat! I think it was the choice of sounds played in those scenes that made me cover my eyes. This movie makes you realize that life is a precious gift so you better think twice about those so-called "possessions" you have in your closet. So don't think about seeing this movie...you gotta watch it!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

DID YOU KNOW THAT BEING PART OF A U.S. TERRITORY DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE REALLY PART OF THE U.S.???

So it's Covenant Day (Pacific Standard Time). A time when (then) President Gerald R. Ford inked a covenant that made the CNMI part of the United States family. Unfortunately, somewhere between the lines something went wrong...and it reminded me of something that happened a couple of weeks ago.

Floyd & I went to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) to get our car registered and get our Nevada driver's license. We filled out all the necessary forms, provided whatever documents needed and even took the written test to get our Nevada driver's license. Floyd & I were ecstatic that we both passed the written test and were jolly as we were waiting for our number to be called to pay our fees. There we were, sitting with smiles on our faces because we were minutes away from getting our cheese-on at the camera for our licenses. Our number was called. We presented our passing scores and our CNMI driver's license with pride and joy to the lady at the counter.

DMV lady: "I'm sorry, you're going to have to take the written test because we don't recognize U.S. Territories."

Our smiles were immediately changed to frowns.

Floyd & I: "Are you sure?"

DMV lady: "Yes, but I'll verify again with our two supervisors."

By this time, I was crossing my fingers that we didn't have to go through taking a driver's test. She walked back. The look on her face wasn't so assuring.

DMV lady: "Yes, my supervisors both agreed that said that we do not recognized driver's license from U.S. Territories so you both must schedule your driver's test at the drive test section."

Floyd & I: "Wait a minute, so you don't recognize ANY of the U.S. Territories such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, America Samoa & the CNMI?"

DMV lady: "Yes!" (said sternly)

So in essence, it didn't matter that we had a U.S. passport, we were U.S. citizens, we lived in North America before or even with our previous driving record in the U.S. (Floyd still had his Texas driver's license & I still had my Nevada driver's license - but it wasn't accepted because anything that expires over 1 year requires a written & driving test) or the mere fact that we've been driving since we were 16 years old, IT DIDN'T MATTER! I think what irked me the most about this whole thing was that they were just straight-up rude about it when we even questioned WHY. I was so fumed up because I felt so mistreated, discriminated, the works!!!

Forgive me for being so blunt by me saying this, but I'm sorry, but if the folks from the U.S. move over to our islands and just take a written test to drive on our roads but we have to take both the written and driving test because we're not considered part of the U.S. then we have something called double-standards. We accept THEM so why can't they accept US? You hold a U.S. passport & so do I so what really makes us different? THEY recognize our people when it's time to go to war, but THEY won't recognize US when we're on your soil? How can the Nevada DMV not recognize us??? Oh believe me, we didn't just end it there. We made sure we wrote a letter to the Nevada politicians, other U.S. politicians and our very own CNMI U.S. Delegate, Mr. Gregorio C. Sablan sharing our concern. For now, unfortunately, we just gotta "roll with the punches," as some would say, and just take the driving test as scheduled.

Speaking of the driving test....so after all that madness we walked over to schedule our driving test. You would think it'll be scheduled within a week or so, but ours isn't scheduled until next month! Yes, that means in April. Hey man, at least I got my DRIVING PERMIT. That's something to be happy about. Believe it or not, but I never had a driving permit in my entire life! I just took the tests (written & driving) on Saipan and got my license...but that was when I was 16. So here I am at the age of 32 with my first-ever driving permit. Something here doesn't make sense.

Wastin away again in margaritaville

2009-03-21T10:45:00.006+10:00

Last night Floyd & I took out a friend for dinner and later we were searching for a place to have a couple of drinks. There were so many bars to choose from on the strip, but we ended up at this place called Margaritaville. It was a nice, fun place with a the whole beach theme going on. I mean, it even smelled like coconut sun tanning oil.

We had an awesome view from the 3rd floor looking over the strip. "So what do you want to drink?" Uh, DUH! I want a strawberry margarita. I was kinda disappointed that my margarita didn't come in a margarita glass and came in a plastic cup instead, but oh well there was nothing I could do at that point but just enjoy my drink. I took my first sip of this margarita and OH. MY. GOSH. it was totally awesome! It was blended well and had a nice sour-sweet taste to it. This drink was so good, I didn't realize I was sipping on that drink too fast til I got a brain freeze!

If you're ever in Vegas, I would highly recommend this place...especially if you love margaritas!

Floyd & I enjoying our drinks...

Dam water and guns

2009-03-16T14:37:00.005+10:00

This weekend was filled with a lot of adventure! First, Floyd and I drove out to Hoover Dam and on the way over, we took a few shots by Lake Mead, one of the largest man-made lake and reservoir in the U.S. As I gazed at the water (yes, water in a desert) I was immediately put into a relaxed state. There's just something about the water that brings you to that relaxed state of mind. *sigh!* So as we drove closer to the Hoover Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric generating station, I noticed more cars on the road and then noticed that so many people were at the Hoover Dam taking pictures and just enjoying this historical site. I probably saw more visitors there than I have ever seen on Saipan....and this was just a site, not a city. Unfortunately, because of the traffic flow of people there, we weren't able to take the damn, I mean dam tour! But it was worth the drive. Believe it or not, our drive was only about an hour - back and forth. It was definitely a nice, senic route (of mountains, rocks and more desert) to the outskirts of Las Vegas.

The second part of my exciting weekend was that I attended my first-ever GUN SHOW! Okay, I was just expecting to see guns. Period. But it was much more than that. I saw all kinds of guns: small, large, light, heavy, old, new....it was just amazing!!! And the fun part? I got to hold some of them, too! But there was more than guns at this show. There were knives, swords, tasers, clothes, flashlights and a lot more equipment. But the coolest thing I saw there were ladies purses that had these almost "secret" pockets in them for your (registered) gun. Those booths definitely had me fooled in the beginning because I was like, Why in the world are they selling ladies handbags at a gun show??? Well, little did I know, these stylish bags had a purpose! Oh and then there was the yummy beef jerky and fresh popcorn being sold. You know I had a bag of that!

My Happy Drink!

2009-03-04T16:22:00.006+10:00

Meet my happy drink. It's also known as the famous SLURPEE at 7-11. This became my happy drink because I noticed that after a long, hard day drinking this made me have this cool, happy feeling inside. I don't know why and I can't explain it, but I'm just in happy land! So since then, I call this my HAPPY DRINK. My slurpee happy mix is: cherry, cola, blueberry and then topped off with cherry (you know, like a cherry on top?) If you ever feel down and out, you should try a slurpee...or something similar to it.

Pure Randomness....

2009-03-02T12:50:00.007+10:00

The weather here in Las Vegas has been getting warmer. Believe it or not, but I was actually pretty warm here at home that I even took a cool shower (I usually take warm showers). Everyone is warning me about the heat come August, but knowing that the heat will not make me sweat is actually a positive thing for me.

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Two of my friends had these funny pictures up on Facebook and labeled people based on their personality. One of my friends labeled me as the "One you can depend on" and the other friend said I was the "Good little church girl". I mean, even though I was happy I wasn't one to be labeled as the Gossiper or a Drama Queen, I couldn't help but feel a bit like loser because I was seen as something so bo------ring! My friend that said I was someone he could depend on said it was a good thing that I was labeled that way. As for being labeled the Good little church girl, well I don't think I'm like that, but it's interesting that others see me that way.

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We recently took a road trip to Long Beach, CA to pick up our Nissan Xterra, that we shipped from Saipan. It was a nice road trip because it was something different to do. We went to the Fort Irwin base in CA, Victorville, Barstow, downtown Long Beach and South Compton. When we were in South Compton, we stayed at this (what I thought was) a raunchy hotel in South Compton only because it was the most decent (believe it or not) hotel near the shipping company where we were picking up our car. I know we were in a pretty safe neighborhood, but for some odd reason I was still scared that I might get mugged. I mean, I was in COMPTON! It was probably wrong for me to stereotype, but nonetheless, I did not feel safe anywhere there....not even in my hotel room! I seriously did not get much sleep the 2 nights we were there because I (literally) was sleeping with one eye open.

Hail to the 3 Wise Women!

2009-02-25T16:26:00.005+10:00

Once upon a time two men named Sir Floyd and King Fong sent three lovely ladies on their way to buy a car battery. The fair and fine Maidens namely Polly, Gigi and Princess, took a long journey to an enchanted place called Wal-Mart to find what the men were looking for. The AutoCare section was not such a great place to be. The smell of rubber, oil and other not-so-great musky smells filled the air. It was such an unpleasant place to be, but we had a mission to accomplish.

In an effort to ensure that the correct battery was bought, there was a small helper that offered assistance. It was such a smart helper, because it was battery operated. It asked us questions about the car and so much more. After 5-10 minutes of responding by just a push of a button, we finally were pointed in the right direction and picked out the battery! The three ladies were filled with glee, but then there was a question about another part of a car that was needed called terminals. We looked and looked and were astonished as we did not realize there were so many of the same kind! So Princess called King Fong to find out if this other part was needed. To our relieve, it wasn't and we were all doing the happy dance at Wal-Mart!

Once we returned to the Palace the two men were valently eager to use their newly-purchased tools to repair and replace the new car battery. With success, the car started without hesitation. The two men were so happy, they did the the happy dance! Everyone at the Palace was filled with happiness and they all lived happily ever after. THE END.

Call me a Junkie, I don't mind....

2009-02-20T11:38:00.004+10:00

Call me a Junkie, but there are some fast-food restaurants that I actually LOVE. One of them is In-N-Out.

Here in Las Vegas, there are so many fast-food restaurants to choose from, but I when I'm in the mood for a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake, I would go to In-N-Out Burger. Their food tastes so fresh -- bread, burger, crisp lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Even the fries and the milkshare are super fresh. You can tell the shakes are fresh because you're slurping them out of straws while making fish-lips at the same time. Prices are also reasonable. My meal cost less than a meal at McDonald's.

It amazes me that many fast-food restaurants out here are open late...some 24 hours! Lucky for me, I had my feast from In-N-Out around 11pm. It was well worth it. Check out the picture I took while I was in the drive-thru line. We saw this sign many miles away. The lights don't flash like this just anywhere....ONLY IN VEGAS!

Do you like In-N-Out burgers???

Viva Las Vegas!

2009-02-11T08:36:00.006+10:00

So we finally arrived the exciting, Entertainment Capital of the World: Las Vegas.

We departed Saipan on Friday, February 6th at 5am. We arrived Las Vegas on Friday, February 6th at 10:30am. This was the first time I had an extra-long weekend because I had 2 Fridays! Hee hee!

We're still waiting for one more box to arrive and then all our stuff is here! We had close to 30 boxes that we mailed over from Saipan. I thought that was kind of strange that after living together for 7 years, we only had close to 30 boxes to pack up and ship over. Oh wait -- we stored other boxes and left them on Saipan. Okay, I don't feel so bad now...

So the weather here has been pretty strange since we arrived, but according to my sister-in-law that lives here, she says it's been like this for months! We arrived here with a temperature of 55 degrees. Today it's nice and sunny with a temperature of 48. I already had my dose of sun earlier today in hopes of not losing my tan. *crossing my fingers*

This city has grown soooooo much since I was last here in 2000. More housing, more people and more stores. WOW - I can't believe we're here...to stay.

My Food Reviews

2009-02-01T21:15:00.003+10:00

Okay, so I've decided to start this thing where I make my own comments about the food I eat and where. It could be restaurant food, a new candy bar or something made at home. Remember, the comments I make are my personal comments.

MY SCOREBOARD:

1 - it sucks!

10 - it rocks!

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THE DISH: Fettuccini Alfredo pasta with grilled chicken

WHERE: The Revolving Restaurant 360, Saipan CNMI

FOOD PRESENTATION: 5

TASTE: 7

THE REVIEW:

The fettuccini was al dente, and the sauce was pretty good with the exception of it being a bit too salty! The garlic toast that came with the dish wasn't too great. The bread was drenched in butter and was more bread than "toast". I wasn't even sure if the bread was toasted to begin with.

THE DISH: Baked Scallop Sushi

WHERE: Shinsen Rotary Sushi, Saipan CNMI

FOOD PRESENTATION: 9

TASTE: 9

THE REVIEW:

The scallops were mixed in this "chef's secret sauce" and then baked and then torched. The sushi roll was wrapped with black nori (seaweed) and the items in the sushi was fresh avocado and crunchy cucumber. The topping was the baked scallops mix and the decor on the plate was actual sauces that you could eat together with the sushi. The baked scallops were delicious and the hint of hot sauce added to the sushi made it pop in your mouth! In the words of Rachel Ray: YUM-O!!!

Gas station goodies

2009-01-28T09:20:00.004+10:00

Yesterday we went around the island and made a stop at the Mobil Gas station in Sadog Tasi for some yummy empanada. This is one of those things I'm going to miss. They'll never have empanada, chicken kelaguin or spam sushi at a gas station in Las Vegas. What if a Chamorro person managed the gas station and had his auntie make this to sell, do you think it'll sell???

Iron Chamorro Chef

2009-01-26T23:23:00.005+10:00

Since Floyd and I decided to leave island, I've been using some of my free time to brush up on my Chamorro cooking skills. The most recent dish I tried to make was chicken chalakilis. I've got to admit that I didn't make it the traditional way and resorted to the "semi-homemade" way of making it. Hey man, I got the approval from my auntie Cel, who is like the head cook in our family and she makes the best dishes EVER!

So my first try with chalakilis was not so bad. The taste was there, but I didn't get the right consistency. It's supposed to be a semi-thick soup, but for some odd reason, it turned out too thick that I had to keep adding water. My second try was even worse because the consistency was so super thick, you would think I was making tamales gisu! Instead of beating myself up about it, I started laughing and figured WOW! at least I'm on the right track to making tamales gisu, LOL!

I'm really going to miss all the good food my family makes. Even something as simple as barbeque chicken, ribs and red rice seems to be the best when my family makes it. We are mostly cooks in my family so (almost) anything that they make, will make my tummy happy! I shall keep you all posted on my progress each time I make (or attempt to) make a Chamorro dish. STAY TUNED.

Til Death Do We Part

2009-01-22T17:07:00.002+10:00

It was a Sunday. We usually have our family gatherings each Sunday, but this time it was different. It just wasn’t the same. My Uncle Lo wasn’t doing too well in the Philippines and we were just waiting for an update…hopefully a positive one. The phone rang. It was another update, but not a good one. We were all so emotional, but tried to remain strong for each other. We prayed many prayers hoping that the Lord would give Uncle Lo the strength to fight back. He was stable at one point, but not for too long.

It was 7pm on a Sunday. We just got home from our gathering, but I received a text from Carol that Uncle Lo wasn’t doing good and everyone was going to Uncle Lo’s house. Being there at Uncle Lo’s house felt different because he wasn’t there.

I could smell the coffee brewing. We all just sat there anxiously for another phone call. We were all at a standstill, yet restless at the same time. The phone rang. My heart felt like it stopped beating. All I could hear my aunt say was “Oh….uh huh….okay…” Another update was given to the family, this time it really wasn’t looking good. I didn’t know what to feel at that point. Was he going to die? Was he going to make it? I wanted him to make it so I said countless prayers to God to please give Uncle Lo strength to live. He needs his family and his family needs him.

My mom was going hysterical after the last phone call. She couldn’t believe that Uncle Lo was already at this stage. “Aye lokkue!” She kept saying over and over again as she looked up to the sky with her eyes filled with tears. I tried to comfort her and told her that we had to be strong for his girls.

The phone rang. My heart dropped and I closed my eyes and said a prayer. My aunt who answered the phone started yelling frantically! I saw my dad grab the phone to find out what was going on, but we already knew that Uncle Lo had passed. Everyone was crying! I was in tears, my mom was in tears! We were both hugging each other. The girls were all in tears. I could hear one of them yelling out, “Daddy! Daddy!” Uncle Lo had passed away around 8pm Saipan time.

With all that was going on at the time we found out Uncle Lo had passed, I had to remain strong. Although I was sad to hear about Uncle Lo’s death, it did not sink in until we said his first rosary. That’s when I broke into tears! Uncle Lo was gone. I’m going to miss his smiles, his jokes and all the funny things he did. He was such a loving man with lots of humor! He got along with everyone, young and old. He was a great man and he will be missed so much! Rest in peace Uncle Lo. WE LOVE & MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!

Bitter-sweet History

2009-01-13T23:09:00.004+10:00

Today was a historical day for me. I sold my very first car (2005 Nissan Sentra) that bought and used that money to pay off my car loan. Although it was hard to see my car drive away without me, I still felt good about paying off a car loan all by myself! Destiny's Child said it best with their song, Independent Women: *singing* All the women who are independent, raise your hands up at me!!!

The Gratitude Journal

2009-01-13T07:38:00.001+10:00

I recently read Dr. David Khorram’s book: World Peace, a Blind Wife, and Gecko Tails. In his first chapter, he talked about a Gratitude Journal where you take a few minutes in the day to note down what you are most grateful for, on a daily basis. The stuff you are grateful for could be something small or something big. Although it is recommend that you write stuff down daily, I agree with Dr. Khorram that when doing this exercise, it’s more meaningful when you say it out loud. Doing this daily exercise actually allows you to start off your day on a positive note. I tried it out today and it really lifted my spirits.

Today I expressed that I was grateful for having all my senses. I’m grateful for the sense of sight so I can see the wonderful colors that surround me. I’m grateful for the sense to hear so I can hear people speak, hear the sounds of nature and most especially hear the sound of music. I am grateful for the sense of taste so I can appreciate all the great flavors food has to offer. I am grateful for the sense of touch so I can touch others as well as feel others and feel nature. I am also grateful for the sense of smell so that I am able to smell the sweet smell of nature, flowers, cooking, etc.

What’s on your Gratitude Journal for today?

Moooooooving

2009-01-12T22:58:00.005+10:00

I've never thought of a "packer" being an actual profession. Well, packing has been my latest profession since we decided to move. Floyd and I just start and we're both in our own worlds! Once upon a time, our house had a personality. My brothers hung out at our place over the weekend and couldn't believe the transformation. Our house is now so bare, it has absolutely no personality if you ask me. I now have a different ambiance, if you will, to ensure that I use up what I have instead of buying new stuff at the store. The Sunday Crew was at my house over the weekend and they were asking why I had so many candles lit. My response: "I'm trying to use 'em all before we leave."

OUR WALLS ARE SO BARE!!!

Our most major garage sale is scheduled for this Saturday. I've been working on a list of major items in our home that we're ready to sell. People have been so eager to buy our stuff, they're already asking for my bed! Uh, HELLO! I still have to sleep somewhere. Sheesh!!!

I swear this whole move has been both exhausting physically, emotionally and mentally!

Physically - elbow grease. Enough grease.

Emotionally - well, even if it's so liberating to get rid of things that we don't use anymore, I still choke up every now and then packing up our personal stuff to be sent to another location. You know how it is, you come across some pictures and then stop to look through it...memories rekindled. But it's been emotionally rewarding to find out that all the boxes we've been mailing to Las Vegas has been received on that end. Whrew!

Mentally - just thinking of what needs to go, what stays, what needs to be stored, where it should be stored, what's important, what's not important....and the mental exercises go on and on!!!

Family Photos

2009-01-07T19:58:00.005+10:00

We had our family photos done earlier this week. There was 9 of us total and boy was it an experience for all of us. For a couple of minutes, we all felt like the paparazzi was there because our photographer was snappy-happy with his camera.

my mug shot

2009-01-07T11:05:00.002+10:00

Okay Deece, here's my mug shot of my latest CNMI Driver's License.....not so clear, but then my camera isn't the best one either. Hee hee!!!

Playing Hard To Get

2008-12-30T00:28:00.005+10:00

So my godson, Anthony Jakey, does not care for his nina...ahem, that would be ME! I know he doesn't know me well because we've only spoke on the phone before, but believe me, I've tried so many ways to get to him. Unfortunately, my methods haven't worked: I've gave him my super nice attitude, the guilt-trip where I tell him he makes me super sad when he doesn't hug or kiss me, I've even done the tough-love where I threaten to take all his Christmas gifts back if he doesn't hug or kiss me. LOL!

This all really sucks because I can't even take a decent picture of him and I because he does not want to be around me at all. I know this is all just a phase because I found out (the hard way) that he doesn't really care for girls.....and since I'm a girl, I'm not on his list of friends. He just wants to hang out with "the guys" like my brothers, boy cousins and basically anyone else that is of the male species. The only exception to this all is if you're his mommy ;)

Myself, my brother Ton & Anthony Jakey.

He would only take this picture with me since his daddy was in the picture with us!

It was a wonderful Christmas!

2008-12-26T22:46:00.004+10:00

Christmas Eve was spent with my immediate family. We had a delicious teppenyaki lunch at Fiesta Resort, but the company was the best part of it all! My brother and his girlfriend, Alfreda and their son (my godson) Anthony Jacob are here from Portland, Oregon for the holidays so this was the first time my family was complete! After Christmas Eve mass, we had a nice dinner at my parents house and opened gifts.

The Lord God heard my prayers and santa did give me the best gift ever this Christmas: peace, love and happiness with my family :)

Christmas with my girls...

2008-12-17T09:25:00.005+10:00

One tradition we have with my girlfriends is having our holiday dinners and celebrating each other's birthdays. Last week I had Christmas dinner with my girlfriends: Redie, Maisie and Tenta. We also surprised Maisie with a super advanced birthday blessings (her birthday is at the end of the month) because we know that once the holidays are upon us, we're all going to be busy with many holiday gatherings. She was truly surprised!

Maisie with her yummy strawberry cheesecake birthday cake!

Some goodies we received from each other....

My White Christmas Cookies

2008-12-08T23:22:00.004+10:00

We have this tradition with all the ladies in my family, it's called a Cookie Exchange. We all bring baked goodies and share with each other, do a small gift exchange and just hang out to kick off the holiday season. This year, our Cookie Exchange is set for this Sunday. I've been experimenting all weekend and finally came across a cookie I finally liked. It has coconut, macademia nuts and white chocolate chips. All of my favorite things in a cookie!!! I was trying to come up with a name and figured, I'll call it: WHITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES.

Ahhh, the good life.

2008-12-06T16:34:00.008+10:00

Yesterday I received a beautiful Christmas treat from my friend, Frannie. She gave me this beautifully decorated container filled with chocolate covered almonds. They were soooooo yummy! It was so nicely wrapped, I was debating for a while if I should open it or not. LOL!

Of course, I could not resist and also spread a little bit of Christmas cheer by sharing, too :)

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Today Floyd and I had lunch by the beach. He bought some hot lunch from one of his students at Saipan Southern High School. My initial thought: oh great! another typical bbq hot lunch! But to my surprise, it was a seafood hot lunch! Floyd said he bought it because there was no other place that had a seafood lunch like this --and all for only $5.00. Eat your heart out vendors of the Street Market!

The food was awesome, but the company and the ambiance of where we had lunch was even better!

"Aren't you going to miss this?" Floyd asked me.

"Yes." I said with a heavy heart and looked around. "This is just one of the many things that I'm gonna miss when we move."

GOODBYE BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS & SANDY BEACHES!

HELLO ENTERTAINMENT CAPITOL OF THE WORLD!

Bacteria be gone!!!

2008-12-04T21:51:00.005+10:00

I've had this sore throat since Sunday. I was in some serious denial because I went to work even though the symptoms were more than obvious: itchy thoat, ringing in the ears, coughing. I also went walking on Monday evening, even though Grassy highly recommended not to do so. Bad move. I made it all worse! While Grassy was doing the 'I told you so' dance, I was on my way to see my doctor. And as I suspected, I had a bad case of the sore throat. Oh man, I thought to myself, I'm going to miss work.

So I was perscribed some antibiotics and was allowed to take cough medicine to help with my cough and congestion. Along with that, I looked up some home remedies on the internet (my addiction!). I swear, I was so bored at home, but I knew I had to rest. I'm not feeling 100% better, but I am feeling better than I was 2 days ago. Biba NyQuil! Biba antibiotics! Die bacteria and germs.....DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY ADDICTIONS!!!

2008-12-01T13:33:00.010+10:00

There are three things I'm most addicted to:

First, the internet.
I have this thing about checking my e-mail constantly, reading things online like news and blogs. I also love finding websites that are interactive and oh and don't forget SHOPPING ONLINE!

Second, watching informercials.
You know, I think I've watched that Bare Minerals informercial a million times and yet, knowing that I've seen that informercial so many times, I still manage to get hooked. I don't know exactly what draws me into it, but it's crazy. By the time I realized I'm hooked, the whole 30-minute informercial is over.

Lastly, my love for bags.
Not just hand bags. All kinds of bags! Ask anyone, I have bags in different colors, styles, shapes and sizes! Brand names are nice, but I'm more into the style of the bag. When we buy the brand name bags, you're more careful with how the bag is used. Otherwise, any other bag could be in the most smoke-filled club, the most smoked out BBQ or any of the little kids could play with it like it was their own.

What are your addictions???

Forgive & Forget

2008-11-30T10:17:00.000+10:00

I recently had to make a difficult decision. It meant sacrificing my happiness in order to make someone else happy. With the holidays around the corner and my departure coming up soon, I didn’t want to leave on bad terms or having ill feelings. The crazy thing about this all is that I thought if I sacrificed my happiness, this feeling of having a heavy heart would go away. It didn’t. If anything, I think it hurt me a lot more than I thought. Maybe it’s because my sacrifice affected another’s happiness as well. So now my emotions are just out of whack! Seriously, I have to take deep breaths and remind myself that what I did was the right move – or was it?

How does someone forgive and forget? Although 12-years of going to Catholic school taught me this every now and then, I’ve got to admit, I still don’t get it. I never had a problem forgiving others, but I have always found the ‘forgetting’ part to be the most challenging part of my life. Forgetting what happened to me is tough. I don’t forget intentionally so I can get myself upset, it’s just hard to forget something that had an impact on my life and my feelings at that moment. I’m the kind of person that remembers the warm-fuzzy feelings as well as the unhappy-not so good feelings.

Can someone please tell me how to forgive and forget?

Ice...Ice...Ice Cream

2008-11-21T22:22:00.006+10:00

The 360 Sundae

I don't know what it is about ice cream that calms yet gives you that happy feeling when you eat it. Maybe it's the cool, smooth texture. Maybe it brings out those happy memories. Whatever it is, ice cream has always made me do many happy dances when I knew I was about to have such a treat.

Recently I went to the Revolving Restaurant 360 for dinner and had the 360 Sundae for dessert. It had 2 scoops of strawberry ice cream and fruit a the bottom of the bowl. At first I thought it was strange, but it actually had a nice compliment to it, and it doesn't make you feel bad after eating all the yummy stuff on top! Hehehe ;)

We're packing up....and heading out!

2008-11-19T21:46:00.004+10:00

So much has been going on so I've been distracted and unable to focus on writing anything on my blog. For the most part, Floyd and I decided to relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada in February 2009. We both decided that we want more things in life and right now, being in the CNMI won't help us accomplish many of our goals. I've decided to go back to school and Floyd decided to continue his career in law enforcement.

We've been packing things up little by little, and sending them off to my sister-in-laws place in Las Vegas. The post office is like a second home to me now! We're having a garage sale this weekend so we've been preparing for that as well. Since we have about 2 months left on-island, we're going to try to do have more garage sales every weekend (if possible) so we can clear things out of the house. It makes me sad to see us do all of this, but at the same time, I know it's all for the better. It's been hard to let things go, but I figured, this move is a new chapter in our lives and we've got to get a fresh start on things.

Any tips on moving are always welcomed :)

A Day at the Races

2008-11-05T14:06:00.004+10:00

Yesterday, registered voters of the CNMI went out to cast their vote for the first, ever U.S. Delegate for the CNMI. I wanted to beat the crowd and started a bit early, but to my surprise there was no crowd at all! I was a bit alarmed by the fact that there was no crowd (compared to other elections), but then again, we all had to vote for just one person.

I sent out a text to family and friends and reminded them to exercise their right to vote yesterday because every vote counts.

I was a bit concerned about the whole "manual" counting of ballots and thought it was pretty strange (and coincidental) that it was never mentioned before until yesterday. According to an article in the Saipan Tribune, the ballots will all be manually counted due to lack of funding. UGH! But we have money to fund a federal lawsuit??? Gawd, our CNMI Government has crazy priorities!!! Not surprising to me!

The race is still on as there are over 1,000 absentee ballots that have been sent out and the final votes will be counted on November 18th.

Brain Fart!

2008-11-03T21:08:00.001+10:00

I was recently having a conversation with someone at a gathering I attended, and for the life of me -- I had absolutely no idea who that person was! I faintly smiled at this lady and before I knew it, we were having a conversation! Her face looked so familiar and I knew that I met her somewhere before, but I could not put my finger on it! She obviously knew a lot about me because she was asking me about my parents and my job. Still…I had no idea who she was. To avoid making her feel bad, I just went along with our conversation and prayed that she didn’t notice that I was actually completely lost, while in conversation. In the back of my mind, I was hoping that she would ask me if I remembered her name. That would’ve been the ultimate embarrassing moment for me!

I’m not sure if my ability not to recall names is part of the infamous aging process, but I really did not like that I could remember a person’s name! Is there a way I can remember names to avoid looking like such a dork next time I get a mild case of a brain fart? Help please!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T22:24:00.004+10:00

Okay, so let me let you all on a secret: I don't like Halloween.

It's probably the only holiday that we have in the year that I don't care for at all -- even if the "treats" are the best part of it. But I do get into the spirit of it all and enjoy the whole dress up thing. However, I NEVER, EVER dress up in a scary costume! The closest thing I've had as a scary costume was when I dressed up gothic, but I didn't even pull that one off that well....as a matter of fact, I think I got it all wrong!!! My costumes always range from being something cute, funny, original or just plain weird. This year I was a punk rocker...with attitude and all!

I hope you all had a great Halloween! Okay, now the countdown to Thanksgiving day...oh geeze!

Chinchule's Rules of Order

2008-10-29T07:27:00.001+10:00

We’ve had so many weddings in our family lately (every 6 months!) and everyone knows that when you attend a wedding, your wedding gift would most likely be the notorious CHINCHULE. But who do we give it to?

I recently had a discussion with my cousin about the “rules of order” for chinchule. I notice that at some weddings, people give chinchule to the parents of the newlyweds, and some give it directly to the newlyweds. But why??? I always thought you gave your wedding gift directly to the newlyweds. OMG! What happens if both the parents and the newlyweds pay for the wedding? Well, I guess I’ll have to split that chinchule in two….oh wait, but which set of parents get the chinchule? The bride’s parents or the groom’s parents?

I’ve searched high and low, and even the great Tun Yoda and Obi-Juan cannot tell me why. After much discussion with my cousin, we both agreed that whoever pays for the wedding will get 100% of the chinchule. Otherwise, it gets split up. I was happy with that decision. But is that the correct one?

All those in favor of giving the chinchule to the person(s) who pay for the wedding, say ‘aye’, all opposed say ‘nay’……

Colorful morning...

2008-10-27T21:52:00.004+10:00

On my morning drive to work, I saw a rainbow.

What a beeautiful way to start off my day :)

The Sound of Music

2008-10-25T01:03:00.004+10:00

*singing* The hills are alive....with the sound of music...

Call me a nerd, but I absolutely LOVE the movie: The Sound of Music. For those who haven't watched it, it's a classic musical with a love story and a bit of history...mostly expressed in song. For those who don't like musicals, this movie is not recommended for your viewing pleasure.

Maybe it's my love for music that makes me love this movie, but every time I watch it, I feel this happiness that runs though my heart and it's inevitable that there's a smile on my face as I sing along to (almost) every song in the movie. YES - I'm a dork like that!

Please tell me I'm not the only person that cares to watch (and sing-a-long) to this musical.

*singing* So long, farewell, auf weidersehn adieu......

Anti-Socialite

2008-10-19T08:00:00.002+10:00

I may not be a super social bird, but I also know that I’m not an anti-social person either…well, for the most part at least. I’ve got to admit that there are those days where I’m just not in the mood for the world. I guess you could call me an Anti-Socialite on those days.

I don’t know what it is, but there are days where I want to step out of my house and enjoy my freedom without being sociable. This ideal day would consist of: going shopping without having to deal with the casual hellos or eyebrow-raising greetings, enjoy a relaxing mani-pedi (manicure-pedicure) without having to talk about my life, let alone other people’s lives, doing a bank errand without having small conversations in line while waiting for the next teller.

Okay, so the Chamorro people would call me matapang in this case, but I do admit that I have those days where I would rather dodge people to avoid any social activity. Do you ever have those days?

YAY!!!

2008-10-18T23:31:00.004+10:00

Earlier this week I received confirmation from my brother, Ton, that he, his son (my godson) and his girlfriend will be on Saipan for Christmas! I was beyond excited to hear the news and I'm looking forward to their arrival.

The last time I saw my godson, Anthony Jacob (aka: Anthony Jakey), was when I baptized him in Portland, Oregon in October 2005. Since then, I have seen him grow up through pictures and have only verbally communicated with him over the phone.

Here are some recent pictures of Anthony Jakey...

Preserving our Culture

2008-10-16T23:13:00.002+10:00

Today I attended a diversity conference and one of the topics of discussion was about the importance of preserving our culture. The following question was asked: Do you think federalization of the CNMI would impact our culture?

My answer: YES, but we must stay strong and hold on to what we have left of our culture. I see the Chamorro culture on Guam and see the impact it has on the local people. Everything has been so “Americanized” and the Chamorro way of life has definitely changed. I would hate to see that happen here in the CNMI, but the only way to avoid that is to ensure that we all preserve our culture – or at least what we have left.

Language is an integral part of any culture. Our Chamorro language is definitely an area of our culture that is slowly fading away. I believe that your language really makes your culture distinctive and makes you unique. It’s something that can never be taken away from you! Okay, so I am not one to speak – LITERALLY – of the importance of speaking the Chamorro language because I do not speak the language as often as I should, but I am working on it. My “practice time” to speak Chamorro is usually at work. Since I started working at MVA, I can honestly say that I speak more Chamorro that I did before. Why? Because most of my co-workers speak Chamorro. When I speak Chamorro at work, I don’t feel like they’re judging my limited Chamorro-speaking skills. I’m sure there have been times where my Chamorro was all broken up, but my co-workers never made fun of me. I also attentively follow along the novenas in Chamorro and read Chamorro by practicing every Sunday when I read the Chamorro readings out loud from the North Star also fondly known to the man’amkos as the Matuna Si Yu’us.

Family values and respect are also an integral part of our Chamorro culture. As a kid, I didn’t understand why I had to fa’ngingi all my aunties and uncles at family gatherings. Honestly, I thought the only ones that deserved such respect were older people like my grandparents and anyone that had gray hair! But even going through that small act over the years reflected and embraced a part of our culture: respect. If my parents didn’t drag me to those parties, novenas, rosaries or funerals, I wouldn’t know who was part of my family (we’re all related anyway, right?) and I would understand the importance of respect in our culture.

Alive & Well

2008-10-12T22:04:00.006+10:00

I got into a car accident on my way back home this evening. BOOM! A car hit me hard from behind! Everything happened all so fast I don't remember exactly what happened, but I do remember Floyd asking me if I was okay and hearing one of the passengers from the other car saying (over and over) that it was God's good will that kept us all safe. Although this was all true, I was so freaking pissed off at that very moment. Why? Well, first of all the accident could've been worse...it could've been more than a two-car collision accident...my car could've been hit hard enough to fall into that ditch near the scene of the accident. And most of all: I COULD'VE DIED!!! Some people know this, some don't, but I'll tell it to the world without hesitation that I'm afraid of death and I'm afraid to die!!! I think that's where my anger was streaming from. I was truly happy to be alive instead of dead. Call me melodramatic, I don't care.

After this whole episode, I noticed that I was shaking as I tried to open our front door with my keys. I guess it didn't hit me until after because as I tried to relax my shaken body, I started to cry. It's funny how something extreme has to happen before you realize all the things you have right before your very eyes. I realized all the things that I do have that are important to me: my family, Floyd, my friends, MY LIFE! We all seem to take the little things for granted or put things off for another time. I'm not going to be that person. I want to live my life to the fullest!

Presenting...the Sunday Crew!

2008-10-11T11:54:00.005+10:00

As promised in my post last weekend, here you have the people who make up the "Sunday Crew". From L-R: ME, Jack, Carol & Chris. The pose for this picture was all Christopher's idea...LOL!

For My Eyes Only

2008-10-08T21:51:00.004+10:00

How the hairy-heck would I function without my "eyes" aka: my contacts or glasses???

I've been wearing my glasses for the past couple of weeks in order to see the world. There is no one to blame but myself for my lack of contacts because I was procrastinating with the purchase. Supposedly, according to my eye doctor, I'm required to wear these special contact lenses that allows my eyes to get a lot of oxygen while wearing them and yet, is still safe to wear when I sleep. But all that luxury for my eyes comes with a pretty hefty price -- $88 for a box which has a pair of three. Oh and it doesn't stop there...I have to change my contacts every month! YUP! Go ahead and do the math on how much I spend a year.

I just bought myself a box of contacts today. I'm super excited to get out of these glasses and back into my contacts. Tomorrow I wear my contacts so I can see the world while wearing my coolest pair of sunglasses. Oooh lala...WATCH OUT!

Today was a good day :)

2008-10-06T21:56:00.003+10:00

Today I received the clothes I ordered from Old Navy. You could only imagine the excitement I was feeling when the Post Office guy gave me my bag in exchange for the yellow card notice! Thank goodness for online shopping :)

As I was driving down beach road, I hit a red light and looked around. WOW! How many people have this kind of scenic route driving back home from work??? I am the luckiest girl ever to have such a route driving back home after a long, hard day of work.

Lunch with my sisters

2008-10-05T23:22:00.005+10:00

Last Friday I had lunch with my girlfriends: Tenta and Maisie and their daughters, Hannah & Mariana at Hard Rock. It's always nice to hang with my sisters and their kids. It's so amazing how much their kids have grown!

Hannah (left) and Mariana (right) pose to show me their full outfit, including shoes! Do they know how to dress up or what??

The Sunday Crew

2008-10-04T16:03:00.003+10:00

It all started with a small get together to watch our favorite TV show episodes on DVD. Soon it became so uncommon NOT to get together on Sunday and hence, have now been known as the "Sunday Crew". We do many things together: shop, eat, hang or watch DVD's together.

One of the main reasons we get together: we're all big fans of the TV show Will & Grace and since I own all the box sets (yes, all 8 seasons), it only makes sense to get together at my place. Of course we get together because we're so fond of each other (ahem!), but really it's because we just want to watch Will & Grace for some laughs on a Sunday afternoon :)

Who's part of this Sunday Crew??? Just a bunch of fabulous people. Pictures soon to come. Stay tuned.

I am SUPERWOMAN...hear me roar!

2008-10-02T21:59:00.001+10:00

Once upon a time I had 200% passion for my job. I had great ideas, great things planned and above all, was pumped up with this natural adrenaline called motivation. I love working in the Human Resources profession, but somehow my passion is deteriorating from my career. So now I find myself looking for another career that will tickle my tammy ;)

I want change! I want a change in my life! I want a change in my career! I want to continue with my education, I want a job that doesn't make me feel like crap when I take a day off, I want to truly settle down and I want to start having babies! What kind of job would give me that? Reading various publications from SHRM's HR Magazine, employers now cater to their employees and make so many investments towards accommodations for employees. In turn, employee absenteeism is reduced, healthcare costs are low and work is done! Unfortunately, that will never happen here. If it does, I'll be dead by then because people don't handle change well around here. C'mon is the CNMI Government going to invest in ME as their employee? In the words of Alicia Silverstone in the movie Clueless: WHATEVER!!! Who is going to let me do some work from home? Who is going to recognize my knowledge, skills and abilities? Who is going to recognize the positive things I've done? Who is going to allow me some time off so I can take some classes online or at the college? Who is going to allow me to get to work an hour late or leave an hour early to exercise to reduce my stress? Not this CNMI Government, that's for sure!

I've learned the hard way that when people notice that you do your job well and can multi-task (by helping others), they think you would be the best employee to do EVERYTHING! So if you work hard, you'll basically be punished for it by being assigned more tasks to do. Oh and don't expect any recognition because over time those little tasks will end up being your job anyway.

I was once called "superwoman" by someone in my office and asked why they labeled me with such a name. They told me it was because I got things done and I got them done quickly. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a way for that person to tell me indirectly: you're going to do more stuff for me. OH CRAP!!!

Work....then play!

2008-09-28T21:07:00.003+10:00

Floyd & I at the Santa Fe Hotel on Guam

Last week I was on Guam to attend a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference about Labor Law & updates for the workforce. It was a great conference and I can honestly say that I learned a lot more to help me with my position at work. Floyd came along so he could take his PRAXIS test to be a certified instructor for PSS.

Since we were on Guam for work purposes, we spent a couple of days there to visit friends and my family -- most especially my grandmother aka: G-Funk. We also enjoyed some shopping, eating and a bit of rest and relaxation on Guam. We both enjoyed ourselves, I'm just bummed that it all had to end so soon. Although it was a nice escape from Saipan for a couple of days, nothing beats home sweet home.

Thankful

2008-09-21T16:36:00.003+10:00

I was at mass for two reasons today: to fulfill my holy day of obligation and to pray for the soul of my aunt who had passed away last year. During mass, I turned to look at my uncle and his daughter and couldn't help but feel sympathy for all of them. As I stared at them, I noticed my uncle whispering in his youngest daughter's ear and soon she had a big smile on her face, and started giggling. Tears filled my eyes because I was happy to see her smiling, but my heart just melted knowing that she's so young and she loss her mother before she graduated from junior high school.

I know this is almost so bad to say, but she made me realize that I shouldn't take my mom for granted. She's molded me into so many things that I have become today. I could not imagine being without my mom...or dad for that matter. I honestly think I'd break into a massive depression stage and cry forever!!! I said a little prayer during mass and thanked the Lord for blessing me with such wonderful parents and a great family :)

Transition to change

2008-09-17T19:42:00.004+10:00

I've gotta say that I'm impressed with the fact that the past week or so we've had absolutely no power outages at home. Funny thing is it took some getting used to being home-bound instead of having a plan to leave the house when the power goes out. I'm not complaining so I guess you could say I'm happy. I can make dinner at home, relax and home, sleep when I want to sleep at home and overall, no more bitching from me.

....but I'm still worried that we only have these generators from Agrekko to help us til they start overheating, or there's a lack of funding for fuel. Until then....stay tuned.

Everyone needs a little R&R

2008-09-10T21:35:00.004+10:00

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK A VACATION? This was a question posed to me by my doctor. I started to think about it and realized that it was in April 2007 when Floyd and I went to Palau. That was truly a vacation for the both of us, and an enjoyable one, too! My doctor was still waiting for an answer from me. I told him that it has been over a year and he said that I needed a break because my headaches are beyond headaches. They were now migraines! I was shocked.

Rest & Relaxation...that's what my body was craving for, but I kept ignoring it. I couldn't believe that my doctor actually told me that I NEED to rest and relax...oh and re-charge. He recommended a couple of things to help me relax: sleep, get a massage, read a book, watch DVDs and exercise (when weather permits).

DOCTOR: "You need to relax and rest."
ME: "Ok, so when can I go back to work?"

That's when I knew I had a serious problem. Even my doctor was shocked with my question! I guess I can't help it. I'm a hard working person and have a lot of responsibilities. I don't like knowing that others are doing my work while I'm out of the office (even if it's for good reasons). But the doctor reminded me of his diagnosis and told me that stress was not good for your body.

ME: "But I can handle my stress, Doc!"
DOCTOR: "You think you do, but your body is telling me otherwise and you need to rest!"

OMG! Was I a workaholic?!? After analyzing what I do and how I do it, I realized that I was. Unfortunately, that was my realization that my greatest weaknesses in my career is balancing work and personal life. I had to quit bringing work home and checking work e-mail from home. Quitting time was 5:00pm Monday-Friday and I had to learn how to practice that. I have a fresh, new start on Monday morning (when I go back to work). It's going to be hard to kick the habit, but I am going to try...for the sake of my health and my sanity.

adctd 2 txt...so he says

2008-09-07T21:37:00.000+10:00

Meet my cellphone aka: "CELLY"

Cellphones have come a long way - serving as a tool for communicating with others on the go. It's used for more than just calling. Now you can take photos, send photos, download ringtones, surf the web and most of all, use it to text others.

Some people (like my dad) can't seem to grasp the concept of using text with cellphones. It's true though, learning how to text is like learning a new language. And that's just it, even when people text the "shortcut" way, I still find myself asking others what a text says.

Floyd says that I have a relationship with my phone and I have the 6th sense of knowing when I don't have my phone with me when I leave the house, or my office, or a party! Of course, I beg to differ because I'm just trying to make sure I have my phone with me at all times because god forbid that I get stranded on Isa Drive in the dark without my cellphone!!!

I've got to admit though, I probably do have this sub-concious relationship with my cellphone, but I'm not going to admit that I'm addicted to texting others. I mean, c'mon, it's the way to communicate now :)

Nothing stops my familia!

2008-09-03T20:38:00.000+10:00

Today we celebrated my mom's 51st birthday.

I treated my family to a nice lunch at Tori Hide. As I looked around the table during lunch, it was nice to see my mom and talk to her about recent events and updating each other on what's going on. We enjoyed everyone's company over lunch.

Then I get a call around 4pm from my dad telling me that there is a last-minute happy hour for my mom's birthday at their place. I cracked up because I knew it was inevitable that we were gonna have a gathering because it was her birthday. So I get to my parent's house and it was pouring rain...everyone was in the BBQ pala-pala all cozy. Soon the crowd started getting bigger and we were still all in the pala-pala. I though to myself: NOTHING CAN STOP MY FAMILY FROM GETTING TOGETHER! And kinda laughed to myself. Everyone was talking, laughing and just having a great time. My mom was also enjoying herself, and that was all that mattered to me.

Then the power goes out! It wasn't until 15 minutes after the power outage did people begin to leave slowly one by one. Next thing you know, we were clearing the table and transferring things back into the house. Nevertheless, we all enjoyed ourselves and we were all happy.

I love my family!

Soothing Saipan Sunsets

2008-09-02T18:56:00.001+10:00

Just wanted to share some photos I took of our beautiful sunsets here on Saipan:

I NEVER WIN!!!

2008-09-02T18:34:00.000+10:00

So today I get to work to find out there's no power...lucky for us, we're one of the few government agencies that has a generator. It usually takes our landlord's assistant about 10 minutes to kick the generator on, but for some odd reason, he took longer today. Fifteen long minutes passed and still no generator on! All my morning make-up was starting to melt and my lip gloss wasn't so "glossy" anymore. Suddenly I see Renay (our landlord's assistant) and he's running to turn the generator on. "Sorry ma'am!" He said as he ran to the generator room aka: the men's restroom. I wonder if he saw the frustrated look on my face or how sweaty I was....at that point, I didn't care. I was just happy to hear that generator turn on.

So I go to my desk and start to situate myself to begin work. Pretty soon I'm feeling the sweat roll down my forehead because although the airconditioner was on, it was blowing out HOT AIR!!! I run to the thermostat to check on the temparature....it's on 76. Confused, but also out of pure irritation, I switch it to 65. Ten minutes pass and there's no change in room temperature. I then begin to ask my co-workers if it was just me or was it really warm. They said they were feeling pretty warm, too. My blood was boiling at this point. I was drenched in sweat, irritated as hell and feeling sticky from all the bath and body works lotion I put all over my body! 15 minutes later I find out that the landlord is getting the airconditioner looked at. I then re-located myself to another part of the office to do some work. It was nice and cool and I was able to work in a pleasant environment.

After lunch I decided to move back into my cubby-hole called an office and continue to do my work there because it felt cooler than before. BIG MISTAKE! Not long after I started to work, I realized that I couldn't concentrate on my work because it was warm and I was sweating...again! It was so bad that I found myself walking to other departments just to cool off. Then I receive a text that says the power may turn off at 6pm tonight.

I threw my hands up in the air. "OH I NEVER WIN!" I yelled in my office. I'm already hot and sweaty and it's going to continue when I get home. This really sucked eggs!!! I hate all these damn power outages! Amen.

DAMN POWER OUTAGES!!!

2008-09-01T11:43:00.000+10:00

Okay, I know it's been a while since I posted something here, but let me tell you...I blame most of it on these damn power outages!!!

Initially when we started this load shedding, I could handle it because CUC was always on schedule with their scheduled power outages. But now it's just all gone down the drain! Schedule or no schedule, the power is bound to go out!

I can't even plan a nice dinner at home or plan to lounge at home in front of the TV because you never know when the power is going to go out. I hate the fact that I don't know what to do. It's like expecting the unexpected, but you know it's gonna happen so it's not really expected?!?!? If I'm at home, I'm bound to leave and go somewhere where there is power...where there is aircondition....where there is a hot, cooked meal....where I can lounge for a bit. According to my fiancee, he calls this FORCED ECONOMICS!!! And this is true! We find ourselves eating out more or watching all the movies at the theatre.

We've actually debated about purchasing a generator for our house. But we figured if the power situation changes, we'll be left with a generator without a purpose. Besides, I just found out that the new generators from the famous AGREKKO is finally on island last week. We'll see how soon it will be til we get our power fully restored! All the generators are expected to be installed, up and running by September 17th. Stay tuned....