One of the popular questions I am asked, and that I include in The Saipan Living Relocation Guide is “Which is better, Saipan or Guam?” Here’s my answer, and why:
(I’m adding a COVID Introduction and updating the 2023 edition as we speak! Anxious to get it? If you order the 2022 pdf before Jan 1, 2023, I’ll ALSO send you the 2023 edition when it’s ready in a few days)
No, it’s not a war movie about the Battle of Saipan. Farmer Patrick received a late afternoon call on Saturday requesting a cow for a feast the next day. He agreed, called the Bangladeshi brothers Farid and Amin to assist, and gave me a call to watch the process,
More details in the full video. Here’s a sneak preview:
As an author who has written about Saipan, CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and other Asia-Pacific destinations, I was recently contacted by Ben Fox, founder of Shepherd.com–a fairly new website with the goal of connecting readers with authors–with a special invitation.
Shepherd’s mission is to make the book discovery process more creative, fun and effective! (Their tag line is “Discover the best books!”) Towards that end, Ben asked me to participate in their “Best Books About…” series by submitting my top 5 books (other than my own!) about Saipan or some related topic. The goal of the program is to benefit authors, too, so at least one of my own books about Saipan is featured to establish my “credentials.”
As you may know, Saipan and the CNMI is relatively unknown by many even in the US. What you may not know is that the CNMI has many, many local writers (In fact, based on the Writer’s Roll Call I created for my SaipanWriters.com support website, we may have the most writers per square mile! of any country/territory). So, I couldn’t include everyone! However, to provide a good introduction and orientation for people who are unfamiliar with the life and lore of these islands, I chose five books (by local as well as off-island writers) that I’ve actually read (that was part of the criteria) along with the reasons I chose them! That list is now live! Many thanks to Ray Deleon Guerrero, Jr. and Beth Demapan at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library for their invaluable help during my research! Read the reasons I chose these five, and share the list with the world (especially if you disagree!)
Honorable mention: Drinking Seawater by Riza Ramos (Sorry, Riza, I couldn’t include it since I’m credited as co-author)
https://shepherd.com/best-books/life-on-saipan
Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Leave a comment, and let the hailing and hating begin!
When you experience a pig slaughter at Patrick’s cattle farm & piggery here on Saipan, you get more than just blood and guts. You get WWII history, Chamorro, Filipino and Bangladeshi (Halal) culinary practices, Chinese male virility secrets, animal husbandry techniques, an education in porcine and bovine biology, plus stories of zombie bulls rising from the dead and marines who simply missed the mark! Here are some highlights from how I spent last Sunday afternoon for you to discover Saipan!
Things to do on a Sunday afternoon on Saipan.
#1: Watch a pig being slaughtered (sneak preview)
On this final day of their itinerary, the team is about to meet Fabian Indalecio, Saipan resident, veteran (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and passionate collector who has a unique collection he agreed to share with our guests!
Our originally-scheduled meetup on Sunday had to be canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Fabian, however, not one to disappoint interested visitors to these islands, called me up last night, and we made it happen this morning with just a little bit of time before their scheduled departure!
For safety reasons and to avoid crowding, Fabian suggested we split the group in two.
Fabian greets the first group
“Wow! This is crazy…”—overheard upon first entering the museum.
Yes, it can be overwhelming at first sight! Gathered over a period of thirty years, the thousands of items in Fabian’s “Battle of Saipan Museum” include relics of every shape and stripe from pre and post war Saipan and Tinian.
Spotted, unearthed, retrieved and gathered primarily by Fabian himself (with some provided by members of the community), the items come from battle sites, caves, the ocean, backyards, construction sites, recycling stations and the post-war military dump sites.
Many of the items from Tinian were collected by Fabian’s uncle, Franklin Mundo, who is doing great work finding and sharing the remains still being discovered on both islands with organizations in Japan and the US who are still working identifying and repatrating the over 30,000 individuals who have still not yet been found since both battles.
Rare items under glass
..bottles, bombs, books…
An amazing collection
Molly inspects a Japanese helmet featuring the anchor/cherry blossom badge
Fabian welcomes the second group
The engraving reads “Weighted Container for Classified Matter” (see below)
The team! Thanks, Fabian!
The Marianas Variety newspaper hit the stands early in the morning, but neither I nor the group had actually seen it! I grabbed a few copies and shared with some of the team while they had breakfast at Shirley’s in Susupe!
Seeing the Variety spread for the first time! Yep, you’re famous on Saipan, Tinian & Rota!
A few hours later, I met up with the group for their check-in with Star Marianas for the flight back to Guam.
Being cleared for departure by CBP (Customs & Border Protection) officers
Group 1 on the tarmac
Members of group 2 make their to the plane!
And that, my friends, is the short, happy tale of the 9 intrepid visitors from Annapolis, Maryland and the Jamaican on Saipan! They’ll leave with over 500 photos and videos (not including their own) with which to remember this experience, a hands-on appreciation of the life and culture here in the CNMI, a more concrete sense of what the conflict here entailed, and hopefully the names and memories of a few folks they can now call “friend.”
The Saipan Tribune (Monday, Aug 8, 2022)
Marianas Variety (Monday, Aug 8, 2022)
TEXT from letter: THANKS to the Community
“An Experience Worth Remembering & a Story Worth Telling!”
From July 31 to August 5, a group of visitors from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, got a taste of the history and culture of the CNMI as part of the academy’s Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture Program. It was, for several of these young, future officers, their first time leaving the mainland US. With a tight schedule and many moving parts, it took a team/community/village effort to make this a success. On their behalf, I’d like to extend thanks and appreciation by publicly recognizing the following individuals and organizations here on Saipan as well as on Tinian (as well as Guam & the US mainland) whose participation, generosity and professionalism made this an experience worth remembering and a story worth telling:
• The Naval Academy’s International Program Office (MD), David Anderson of Outdoor Focus, LLC,Las Vegas.
• Beth Demapan, Ray Deleon Guerrero, Jr., Eva Chamorita & Willy Kaitabu.
• Shaun Christian & managers/staff of Star Marianas, Hertz, Maria Aileen Arnold and staff at Islander Car Rental & Century Hotel.
• Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, Bernadita Palacios, Jose Kiyoshi, Jose Atalig (photographer) & Franklin Mundo.
• National Park Service Lead Ranger Brooke Nevitt & Ranger Nataline Kaneshi (who arranged
to grant us access to the American Memorial Park Visitor Center…on a day normally closed to the public!)
• Yumi “Naka” Brundidge, Sydney Takahashi and crew of FishGuyzScuba, Pat Calvo and staff of Kim’s Food Court & Snack Bar.
• Parker Yobei (Executive Director), Tony Piailug (Master Canoe Carver and a Master Navigator), John Castro, Orlando Limes and all the trades helpers of the Seafaring Traditions Program under the Commonwealth Council of Arts and Culture.
• Chen of CK Electronics (across from KFC).
• JM Guerrero, who (w/Pat Calvo assist) gifted each team member a copy of a full-color collector’s item Saipan Pictorial from 1994!
• Fabian Indalecio for graciously sharing his passion and time with us.
• Jayvee Vallejera & Aldwin Batusin (Saipan Tribune) & Zaldy Dandan (Marianas Variety).
Thank you!!
Walt F.J. Goodridge
More? Check out the DiscoverSaipan Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/discoversaipan
“Fishguyz were SUPERB. Really wonderful. I highly recommend them to other divers – and I am picky!”—M from Maryland
As word spread around the island of the group’s presence, Pat Calvo called to inform me that JM Guerrero, farmer and businessman who was once a Marianas Visitor Authority executive, sent a gift for the team: a full color souvenir book titled A Pictoral View of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands published by J.M. & Associates & Island Business Solutions back in 1994!
Pat delivered the books to me, and I met up with the group this morning to hand them their collector’s item souvenir and to see them off for their scuba diving adventure with FishGuyzScuba!
“Thanks, JM!”
FishGuyz on the scene!
The following photos were provided by Sydney Takahashi of FishGuyzScuba:
“We loved them. They’re a fun team. They listened and were willing to learn!”—Sydney Takahashi, FishGuyzScuba
Day 3. This time, Molly leads the morning ritual. I meet the group at 9:00am to begin our day of cultural immersion!
Molly leads the ritual.
We pile into the van and head to my favorite spot to introduce guests: Forbidden Island!
At the lookout spot, I share the cultural significance of Forbidden Island (you’ll have to take my tour to hear me explain it!).
A moment of silence to show reverence for the sacred site.
“Over hill, over dale…”
A pause to enjoy the scenery (one of many)
Stunning beauty
Rappelling is probably second nature for this group
Aidan the Explorer
Molly on the rocks
The Intrepid nine
On our way to the secret cave
Note to self: Perhaps I should learn how to swim…
Having fun!
Back from the secret cave
On the way back up
After a brief stop at Lau Lau Bay Golf Course, we head back to Susupe to meet up with John Castro, Canoe Program Coordinator of the Seafaring Traditions Program under the Commonwealth Council for Arts & Culture.
John S. Castro-Mames welcomes the group
Tony Piailug (Master Canoe Carver and a Master Navigator)
Tony is a recent recipient of the Governor’s Humanities Award for Preservation of Traditional Cultural Practices
John shares the Seafaring Traditions program mission and goals
…and takes tons of questions
…and more questions
Can’t have a cultural experience without food! Pat Calvo, his wife Mel, and staff member Marissa of Kim’s Food Court & Snack Bar, share Chamorro cuisine. On the menu: Chicken, yellow rice, taro, fried breadfruit and more!
Catering by Kim’s Food Court & Snack Bar; left side: Marissa, Mel & Pat
Enjoying Chamorro-style cuisine
Aldwin from the Saipan Tribune interviews group member
Aldwin & Me
Pat shares local lore, history and culture with Molly
Aidan receives guidance from Orlando, a trades helper
Sydney gathers info for the next day’s adventure
And that was how Day 3 was spent! Members of the group decided to enjoy Saipan’s beach and calm waters for the rest of the evening!
Micro Beach redux
“Don’t forget the sweet bread!”
MJ takes in the history of the Herman Guerrero family business
We’ve still got a few minutes before check-in and departure…
Becca leads the morning ritual as we await the charter
Weigh-in for proper weight distribution
Ava
On the 10min 24sec flight to Tinian; (I predicted 10min 39sec)
The obligatory pose for a once-in-a-lifetime trip!
Exploring the Japanese Radio Communications Building
To the Japanese Defense Caves
The blow hole (Ava got “travel points” for her request; truth is, I would have stopped here anyway!)
A dip at the blow hole! This was a first, but I promised on DAY 1 that I wouldn’t let anyone leave with any regrets, so this one was for Charlie!
Zoom!
Here’s a sign you won’t find many other places on the planet
Setting foot on the runway that changed the course of the war in the Pacific
Runway Able, Tinian
Air Administration Building
Inside the Japanese Power Plant; Column failure from shell pounding from above
Power Plant destruction
At Bomb Pit #1
Carson shares his knowledge of the fission vs fusion processes
Aidan adds to the discussion
Welcomed and greeted by Mayor Aldan
Everyone gets a copy of Don Farrell’s meticulously researched book, Tinian and the Bomb: Project Alberta and Operation Centerboard
We spend the next 25 minutes engaging with the Mayor, asking questions about the island’s relationship with the US and with the military, the geopolitical landscape and even Tinian hot peppers!
Let the questions begin!
…and more questions!
A photo for the scrapbook!
At the House of Taga
Touching ancient civilization
The last stone standing
Replicas of Little Boy & Fat Man. Are they they actual size of the originals? See me measuring them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be03sFfI-fM
Ranger Nataline Kaneshi welcomes the group
