Square Pegs

Shake It Like Yo Momma Taught Ya!

As part of our fun with off-island guests, we decided to check out the dinner buffet and show at the Fish Eye Marine Park in Piti.  It turned out to be a great show, although we felt like we were back in Japan since I'm pretty sure John and I were the only non-Japanese patrons.  Even the menu was in Japanese, so it felt just like old times!

The dancers were amazing and there was surprisingly a good amount of audience participation, which was particularly funny since a couple of the audience members obviously had a few too many tropical cocktails and were weebling and wobbling as they tried to imitate hula moves amid their drunken stupor.  With a few hula lessons under my belt now I had a much greater appreciation for the dancers and their ability since I know just how hard it is to 'Ami so fast and not lose hula posture.

There was one element to the show that I don't think was intentionally funny, but sent several ripples of laughter through the audience on more than one occasion; and that was that one of the female hula dancers was obviously not born female and was even sprouting an ever so slight mustache.  While he was a great dancer, the whole 'Crying Game' feel of it was obviously shocking to several of the other patrons and had them whipping out their cameras at lightinging speed with jaws slacked and eyes as big as silver dollars.  Overall the show was awesome and a wonderful experience!

Merry Making

I wasn't sure if it was going to happen this year, but I'm glad to say I'm starting to really feel the holiday season approaching.  We had a little bit of an early Christmas last weekend as we continued to prepare the house for holiday visitors.  We got a new TV and John finally got his long awaited X-box 360.

Putting up the Christmas tree last weekend was kind of a monumental occasion for me since it was the first time John had been home in the past 3 years for tree decorating.  In Japan I always put up the tree to help me feel less lonely, but this year it was awesome to look over my shoulder and see John happily playing games on the couch while I put up ornaments and put little decorations around the living room.  The dogs also got their new beds and have been enjoying them a lot already.

We had visitors from Japan a couple days last week, and as I was showing them around I got to soak up some of the island holiday decorations, which really started to get me into the holiday spirit as well!  We are going to a sub club potluck this year for Thanksgiving and I'm going to be making some tasty side dishes and a pumpkin cheesecake to contribute.  It will be nice to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year since last year we were in Kyoto and the year before that in Hong Kong for Thanksgiving.  Both John and I are so excited to have my parents and brother come to stay with us next month!  It will be our first Christmas with family since 2004!   

 

Lessons I Learned the Hard Way On Guam...

1.  Don't try to leave a BBQ or fiesta empty handed.

2. Never feed random boonie dogs or you'll have a pack of squatters for life that will try to claim your yard as part of their turf by pissing on every possible surface.

3.  Don't bother chasing boonie hens, they will always outrun you.

4.  Don't eat the chicken keleguen at the Chamorro Village night market.

5. Always wear gloves when cutting up boonie pepper or your hands will be burning the rest of the day in spite of washing them repeatedly.

6. Don't try to get your face up next to a sleeping gecko for a closer look, you are likely to give him a shock and inspire him to jump right onto your face.

7. Never stumble into the bathroom in the middle of the night without turning on the light...you might just find a gecko on the toilet seat.

8.  Stay away from taxi service in Tumon, even when you feel it is too hot to walk, your laziness will cost you as small fortune.

9.  Always put your trash out well in advance, you never know if/when the trash man will decide to show up, and letting your trash sit for a week in 90 degree weather with intense humidity causes monsterous things to grow beneath the lids.

10.  Always keep spare candles and surge protectors in your house, sometimes the hamster in the wheel at the electric company has seizures.   

11.  Learn to like the way you look without make-up since if you spend more than about 15 minutes outside you start to sweat it all off anyway.

Help Guam's Animals in Need!!

G.A.I.N. (Guam Animals in Need) is a local animal shelter here on Guam that is currently experiencing a crisis.  The facility was shut down today because the water bill has not been paid and is extremely overdue.  This has left the animals in the shelter without water and G.A.I.N   is in need of several homes to house their animals until water  can be restored (bill paid). They have roughly: 24 cats/kittens & 50 dogs/puppies.

If you are unable to house these animals temporarily, monetary donations will also help them pay the water bill and re-open the facility. The shelter is also in "dire need" of bottled water, buckets, clean towels, as well as bleach and soap. Donations are accepted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.  The contact to make a monetary donation to  restore water is "Shirley Miller" her contact information is 671-477- 5658. GAIN will keep their normal business hours and possibly stay later if they know people will come and pick up the animals.

Gain's Telephone Number is 671-653-4246
If you are able to help- please do!