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NOVEMBER 2013
The Essence of Guam Outside Kitchens
An adventure awaits
Jungle Rules offers a rugged escapade
Explore pristine Yap Only a skip away from Guam
Lanai of San Nicolas family outside kitchen.
contents TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
Yap
HEALTH & FITNESS
Design your own workout
CALENDAR
November events
TECH THIS OUT
November picks
NEW! ESSENCE OF GUAM
Outdoor Kitchens
sports
Gia Sarusal
OUT & ABOUT
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Events and readers’ photos
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A Traditional Thanksgiving
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island focus
RECREATION SPOTLIGHT
Jungle Rules Adventures Tours
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R&R Pacific is a lifestyle magazine that features the people, culture, and activities that collectively make up Guam. We provide our readers a window into the different facets of Guam’s diverse community through vibrant photography and engaging articles.
www.facebook.com/rrpacificguam On the cover: Phil Flores of Yona fries up some tinala’ katne or dried beef at his outside kitchen. Photo by Joe Cruz of Fstop Guam Photography.
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R&R Pacific/November
2013
PUBLISHER
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
Maureen N. Maratita
Rosanna Dacanay
MANAGING EDITOR
SENIOR DESIGNER
Bruce Lloyd
Vikki Fong
ASSISTANT EDITOR
SALES MANAGER
Jacqueline Guzman
Annie San Nicolas
REPORTERS
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Thomas Johnson & Joy White
Yvonne Matanane & Larry Siguenza
CONTRIBUTORS
ADMINISTRATION
Joe Cruz
Janice Castro, Jessica Leon Guerrero
Carmen Rojas
Carmelita McClellan & Bernard (Mr. B) Leonen
Robert Balajadia
MANAGING DIRECTOR
CREATIVE & PRODUCTION MANAGER
Marcos Fong
Taliea J. Strohmeyer
Glimpses Publications include: Marianas Business Journal • Guam Business Magazine • R&R Pacific • Beach Road Magazine
R&R Pacific • November 2013 • Entire contents copyrighted 2013 by Glimpses of Guam, Inc. R&R Pacific is published monthly by Glimpses of Guam, Inc., 161 US Army Juan C. Fejeran St., Barrigada Heights, GU 96913. Telephone: (671) 649-0883, Fax: (671) 649-8883, Email: assist_editor@glimpsesofguam.com • All rights reserved. No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher.
A manta ray (Manta alfredi) cruises slowly over a shallow cleaning station in Yap (Ethan Daniels/shutterstock.com).
STORY BY Maureen N. Maratita
Many Guam residents have not yet discovered what our Asian tourists know — the appeal of a short flight to an island getaway. The Federated States of Micronesia island of Yap in the west of the Caroline chain is such a destination, an hour and 40 minutes from Guam. While lying close to the regional hub of Guam, Yap is one of the islands in Micronesia that has strongly retained its culture among its state population of some 11,000. Certain events in the Yap calendar make for ideal visiting times and exposure to Yap’s culture. These include Yap Day in March and the two-dayYap Canoe Festival in November. Both happenings have a number of other activities centered round them. The canoe festival gives the visitor a picturesque insight into the variety of canoes and sea going vessels, both traditional and in use today and the Traditional Navigation Society will surely be in evidence for a lesson in the history of regional sea-faring. A trip out onto the water in a traditional canoe can also be arranged. Evidencing the historic and geographical closeness of Micronesia, the bay in Colonia is named Chamorro Bay. Yap also hosts a Homecoming Festival in June. The 4th Annual Homecoming Festival will be held on June 21, 2014, according to the Yap Visitors Bureau, and will be themed to “celebrate the legacy and
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legend of Capt. David O’Keefe,” an Irish immigrant to the U.S. who is credited with importing stone money from Palau and being instrumental in developing the copra trade of the island in the 19th century. For non-diving days or for the non-diver, sites of interest in Yap include: • The Yap Living History Museum, which schedules a variety of cultural activities and has a handicraft and other displays.Recently constructed are a variety of traditional houses, including a community meeting house, and a traditional meeting house; • The Ensign Joseph E. Cox Memorial, named for an American naval pilot whose plane was shot down over Yap in 1944. The memorial also commemorates the more than 35 American planes shot down in World War II near Yap, and the 110 personnel who remain missing. Famous among cultural artifacts is Yapese stone money or rai— carved disks brought to the island after their miningin Palau and now lying on properties and sites throughout Yap. Almost 7,000 rai are said to be on Yap, their size rising from about a foot in diameter to some rarer examples of 12 feet wide. The stone money was once legal tender in Yap, but is now used for ceremonial or traditional exchange. Stone money is scattered around Yap, sometimes located on private land, so it would be appropriate to ask before entering a property
Clockwise from left: A traditionally-built men’s house; villagers perform traditional dances in front of a stone money bank; An ancient piece of stone money (Ethan Daniels/shutterstock.com).
if the money is not placed by the road-side. Visitors should also be aware of cultural sensitivities. Away from the water and the beach ultra-skimpy clothing and short shorts will not be well received. This contrasts with the fact that you will occasionally see topless female dancers or men in loin cloths in the state, but there’s no arguing with cultural traditions. Yap’s population is swelled by visitors from around the world, who are drawn by the opportunities to dive and see its famous manta ray population, though there are also reef dives and a chance to see some of the sheer sea drop-offs. Manta rays are typically between six and 13 feet in length. Diving is included in many hotel packages. For the nondiverthere are opportunities to snorkel. A number of kayak tours also exist; for example taking the visitor through the mangrove forests. Deep sea fishing gives you another way to experience the beautiful waters of Micronesia and catch your own tuna, wahoo or mahi-mahi and then take home the photos to prove the size of your catch. The capital of Colonia is surrounded on the water side by a coral reef, and gentle hills on the land side — making for some ideal exploring on foot. So you can hike or also bike the trails of Yap, with a guide to your route who can tell you about local flora and fauna. Serious and experienced divers often choose live-aboard boats for their home away from home in Yap, but the island offers some other choices for your stay. Whether your preferences are water- or hillside the accommodation inventory in Yap does range from budget to thatched cottage to bed and breakfast, and has increased somewhat in recent years. A number of hotels offer a view of the bay and each has something to recommend them, such as the quaintness of the small but carefully crafted O’Keefe’s Waterfront Inn. While there are restaurants at the various hotels, the restaurants in
Main Street (yes, it really is called that) contribute to some Pacific Rim cuisine that includes Asian dishes as well as fresh fish. The Mnuw Bar & Restaurant at the Manta Ray Bay Hotel is one of the most picturesque on Yap, set in a restored Indonesian vessel. The Manta Ray Bay Hotel has its own dive shop — Yap Divers and is well-known among the international diving community. Aside from an assortment of tourists, visitors might include photographers and videographers, drawn by the opportunity to get close to the manta rays and other sea life including sharks. Other dive shops include the Rize Diving Center at the Village View Hotel, and the Yap Pacific Dive Resort’s facilities. Yap’s accommodation typically offers airport transport, a variety of catering, restaurants and bars and recommendations for how to spend your time. Opportunities to learn about the island’s culture are various, with cultural tours, and exhibitions of dancing. Also, there are some 14 islands beyond the capital, Colonia, and a stay in Colonia could mean a trip to visit one or two of them. For souvenir shopping, the island’s hotels offer gift shops, and stores such as the Yap Art Studio Gallery feature artwork, wood carvings and hand woven products. As far as the practicalities: • You can fly to Yap from Guam twice a week. • Yap is an opportunity to relax. Pack casual and beach clothing, footwear and your preferred accessories. Remember the airport departure tax of $20. Should you need one, taxis can be arranged — ask at your hotel. A helpful resource for planning your visit is the Yap Visitors Bureau at www.visityap.com.
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Feature///Health & Fitness
R&R is... HEALTH & FITNESS.
HOW TO DESIGN YOUR OWN WORKOUT By Carmen Rojas
I am not supposed to do this. As a personal trainer I am not supposed to tell you information that could allow you to have better and more effective work outs on your own.
If I tell you this then you won’t need a trainer, right? Not exactly. There are some of you who will take what I am about to tell you and run with it. Others will try and get some results and find that you need something more specific. So I am not worried about business slowing down by telling you that all work outs, be they for professional athletes or obese people, come down to four main principles. In the fitness industry we call them the “FITT” principles. F – Frequency: It refers to how often you do something. Are you working out two times or three times per week? The ideal frequency for you will depend on what you want to achieve and your current state of health. For a good place to start we recommend three times per week. A Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule seems to work well for most people when starting out. I – Intensity: This is a way to measure how hard you work out. You cannot work out on “Level 10” several days per week. Not only will your work outs eventually be less effective, but you will more than likely injury yourself and or run yourself into the ground. Varying intensity throughout the week is especially key if you are doing the same work out, such as walking every day. T – Time: This is how length of time you work out. The length of your work out should be inversely related to the intensity. The more intense your work out the shorter it should be, and vice versa. The surgeon general recommends that adults get 20 minutes or more of exercise on most if not all the days of the week. You can break this up throughout the day, and you can combine it. So rather than 20 minutes seven times, you could do two 60 minute work outs and two 20 minute work outs or some other combination. T – Type: This refers to the kind of work out. Is it aerobic or anaerobic? Here is where you vary between weight training and that spin or Zumba class you love. In general, aerobic training tends to burn more fat and anaerobic training is great for building muscle and reducing blood sugar in the short term. A combination of the two is ideal for maximizing results. That’s it. Essentially every work out you can do or would be prescribed for you can be broken down to these four categories. Varying these four principles is what often helps break through a plateau. The body can predict what you are doing if you do the same work out all the time. Varying one or more of these elements in a significant way can shake loose even the strongest of plateaus. The best way to use this to schedule your own work outs is to start in the middle and then vary it slightly and watch for results. If you are going to plan your own work outs I would definitely recommend writing them down. And for the last inside tip, write down how you feel after you work out. You will start to understand the connection between your results and what system is fatigued if you keep track. No more secrets for this month.
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NOVEMBER events
featured event
November 1
John F. Kennedy High School Haunted House “A Kennedy Horror Story” Time: 6pm - 10pm Location: Agana Shopping Center, 2nd floor Expo Hall November 2
Guam Nihongo Teacher’s Association - Guam Japanese Song Festival Time: 10am - 2pm LOCATION: Agana Shopping Center November 1-2
Harvest Music Fundraising Event Time: 6pm-9pm Location: Life Center, Harvest Christian Academy November 9
Make Me Laugh: Stand-up Comedy Competition Preliminaries Time: 8pm Location: Cloud 9 Bar & Lounge
Agana Shopping Center 1st Quarter A-Club Registration: 10am - 4pm Drawing: 4:30pm Location: Agana Shopping Center
November 10
Guam Energy Office - Energy Expo Time: 10am - 4pm Location: Agana Shopping Center
November 11
Guam Running Club 41st Willie McCool Hill Climb 5.5 M-Afternoon Run Start: Across from Mobil Gas Station, Adelup Finish: Top of Channel 10 Show time: 3:15PM Go time: 4:00PM Price: Free for GRC members/ $5 for non GRC members
Make Me Laugh: Stand-up Comedy Competition Finals
November 14-16
Bud Light, Big Beat Guam and R&R Pacific magazine presents Make Me Laugh: Stand-up Comedy finals, where over ten local comedians will compete to win $1,000 in cash and prizes. Preliminaries are on Nov. 9. The event will be hosted by Power 98’s Kyle Mandapat.
GATE presents FAME the musical
TICKETS: $10 with Bud Family Beer; $12 at the door FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.bigbeatguam.com
Time: 7:30 pm Location: Southern High School November 15-17
One-Act Festival
Location: Agana Shopping Center
Location: UOG Fine Arts Theater Time: 7 pm Price: Adults-$7 Children/senior citizens- $5 UOG students-free
November 16
November 21-23
Guam Veteran Artists Showcase
Make Me Laugh: Stand-up Comedy Competition Finals Time: 8pm Location: Cloud 9 Bar & Lounge November 14-16
University Theatre:
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NOVEMBER 16
University Theatre: One-Act Festival Location: UOG Fine Arts Theater Time: 7 pm Price: Adults-$7 Children/senior citizens- $5 UOG students-free
November 28
Guam Running Club 43rd Turkey Trot 3.5 M and membership drive Start & Finish: front road entrance towards 2 lovers point. (Across from Micronesian Mall), Upper Tumon Price: $5 for non members Free for GRC members
EVENTSCALENDAR
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Ender’s Game About Time Free Birds Last Vegas premiere at Regal Cinemas
All Soul’s Day Guam Nihongo Teacher’s Association: Guam Japanese Song Festival
MOVIES
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Make Me Laugh: Stand-up Comedy Competition Preliminaries Agana Shopping Center 1st Quarter A-Club
MOVIES
Guam Running Club 41st Willie McCool Hill Climb 5.5 M-Afternoon Run
This day in 2009, PlantBottle™ was introduced in stores.
premiere at Regal Cinemas
Make Me Laugh: Stand-up Comedy Competition Finals
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MOVIES Thor: The Dark World premiere at Regal Cinemas
Veterans Day
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The Wolf of Wall Street The Best Man Holiday The Book Thief
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Great American Smokeout
MOVIES The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Delivery Man Nebraska premiere at Regal Cinemas
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Thanksgiving Day
MOVIES Frozen premiere at Regal Cinemas
Guam Running Club 43rd Turkey Trot 3.5 M and membership drive
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On November 16, 1915, Alexander Samuelson of the Root Glass Company was awarded the first patent for the Hobbleskirt (contour) bottle.
SPONSORED BY:
For showtimes: Call 649-1111 or visit www.regmovies.com Proudly serves refreshing
beverages.
*Event times and dates may change without notice “Coca-Cola” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.
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Tech This Out///November Picks
TECH THIS OUT! Experience the best of Sony in a tablet By Alfred Calinagan Want a tablet wherever you go? Sony has the tablet for you. Boasting the best of Sony, it’s sharper, faster and more vivid. For razor-sharp video and bright, lifelike photos, the Xperia Tablet Z’s screen takes advantage of Sony’s world-renowned display technology. • The thinnest 10.1” tablet in the world Meet the world’s absolute slimmest 10.1” tablet, measuring just .27” thin and weighing in at a mere 16.9 ounces. Far from fragile, the solid, sturdy body frames a super strong tempered glass display creating a tough form factor quite capable of defending itself from the daily grind.
• Breathtaking display of brilliance One look is all it takes to fall in love with all 10.1 inches of the Full HD Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2. Upping the ante on color reproduction, the intelligent Xperia Tablet Z offers the widest color spectrum of any tablet anywhere with vivid, life-like details that practically burst off the screen. • Master of the living room Use the free TV SideView app from Google Play to flip through the channel guide, change the channel or search for your favorite content online on your tablet, all without minimizing what you’re in the middle of watching on your TV. Search TV listings, the Internet and apps like Netflix® all at once with the phenomenal built-in voice search function. • The water’s fine Forget living in constant fear of spills, splashes or even total submersion. Xperia Tablet Z’s revolutionary water resistant design stands up the wettest of conditions, even complete submersion in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes at a time. So catch up on your reading during a leisurely soak in the tub, swipe through a recipe with wet fingers or surf the web by the pool worry free. • One touch entertainment Discover the fastest, easiest way to share music, videos and more from your tablet wirelessly with One Touch sharing. One Touch sharing with NFC technology lets you easily play content from your tablet on your TV, transfer a photo to a friend’s smartphone or start streaming a playlist to speakers in no time with no need to hunt down the right cord. Visit Micropac, Inc. at any of its two locations nearest to you, see a demo, and pick up yours.
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Outside Kitchens STORY BY Jacqueline Perry Guzman and Thomas Johnson PHOTOS BY Joe Cruz of Fstop Guam Photography
When the three of us arrive at the first of our destinations in Yona, the residence of Phil Flores, we are instructed to walk around to the back. It is the assistant editor, the reporter and the photographer all ready to meet the owner of the house. The roof is extended out about 20 by 10 feet and beneath it is an alcove complete with a concrete sink, two 55-gallon steel drum barbecue “tonkys”, a gas grill, a gas burner, and benches, tables and chairs to entertain up to 50 people comfortably. On the other side of the outside kitchen is the stand up deep freezer, a refrigerator, television set and a tool cabinet converted into a utensil cabinet that also houses a stereo system. Motown music fills the air while Phil offers us each a cold drink. Mary Wells sings a song about having two lovers and being an old stand-by.
Before we arrived Phil has picked us each enormous avocados from his tree for us to bring home after our visit. Phil’s set up is an inspiring one. It is comfortable, neat and extremely functional. He introduces us to his family and his adorable grandson. While we enjoy the surroundings and the cool breeze, Phil takes out some of his famous tinala’ katne or Chamorro dried beef which he had been curing for a week and he places it inside the smoker of his gas grill. After he deemed it sufficiently smoked, he transferred the brisket pieces to a frying pan on his gas burner and deep fried it until it became a beautiful rouge color that only dried beef can attain. CONTINUE ON PAGE 16
San Nicolas family gas grill and yard.
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Avocados and tinala’ katne or dried beef at Flores family home.
He then sliced the tinala’ katne and served it to us hot with some finadene denanche. The meat was salty and tender and better than any dried beef you will order in a restaurant. After a little while, we thank Phil for his hospitality and bid him farewell. For the second stage of our journey, we make our way to the house of Danny and Margaret Mendiola in Mangilao. The land on which the house stands has been in the family for more than half a century and the house is set against a rustic backdrop of assorted fruit trees and animal pens. Because the Mendiolas raise their own animals and grow many of their own vegetables, the house is an interesting mix of modern and rural aesthetics, and as we walk in through the spacious front lanai area traditionally used for parties and novenas, we are greeted by the welcoming smell of fresh shrimp patties, followed by the friendly voice of Margaret.
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She greets us warmly and immediately apologizes for the kitchen seeming to be in disarray, saying that the family has been so busy preparing food for an event later. We smile and tell her there’s nothing to worry about, and that it’s nice to see an outside kitchen that looks like it’s seen some regular use. She smiles back warmly and proceeds to lead us on a tour of the kitchen. The first stop is a meat-smoking rack built into one of the kitchen’s outside walls, typically used for large family gatherings. The rack itself looks like a massive oven, the structure reaching several feet from one side to the other and extending back at least two feet. A chimney and wooden doors keep the smoke from wafting out into the kitchen, while the center seats a large grill suspended above a deep fire pit, perfect for preparing smoked meats for dozens of hungry guests. But even that marvel pales in comparison to the prize of the Mendiola family outside kitchen.
San Nicolas family home outside kitchen.
Mendiola’s culinary collection: Danny’s custom-made roasting oven. Mobile, gas-powered, and capable of roasting several pigs to a perfect golden brown crisp simultaneously, the oven is one of the mainstays of Mendiola family gatherings. The Mangilao home plays host to dozens of extended family and friends every holiday, and there’s rarely a party thrown that doesn’t see a pig or two on the table. As we stand around enjoying the view of the fruit trees in the backyard, Margaret presents us with a Ziploc bag full of those fresh shrimp patties we had been smelling on the way in. She proudly says that the patties had been made by her friend and neighbor Bernie Charfauros and her sister-in-law Daling Mendiola, who were hard at work cooking while Margaret was giving us the tour. As expected, the patties are piping hot and delicious. We thank the three ladies kindly for showing us around and the patties as we wave goodbye and head onwards to our next destination. On a shady grassy road we make our way up to the third house where we see a swimming pool tucked behind a fence of ironwood trees that make up a natural barricade to keep outsiders at bay. Closer to the entrance, where the trees open up, we are greeted by Mary San Nicolas whose smile tells us we are welcome to look around the family’s Yigo outside kitchenslash-pool-house. The area is quiet and peaceful with the lovely sounds of a wind chime. The kitchen itself is spotless. Each utensil and pan hanging on the wall is placed picture perfect. There is a heavy skillet sitting atop a gas burner and a gas barbecue grill for cooking. And throughout the poolhouse there are chairs and benches to get comfortable on. A glass clam shell bowl is placed on a countertop as a centerpiece. The landscaping and gardening is breathtaking as the San Nicolas family takes pride in their collection of trees, plants and flowers, especially their orchids. The sun begins to set and after a lovely day of being welcomed to these inspiring homes, we call it a day of avocados, tinala’ katne, shrimp patties, orchids and wind chimes. Special thanks to the Flores family, the Mendiola family and the San Nicolas family.
Section///Spotlight
Shrimp patties cooking at Mendiola family outside kitchen.
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Feature///Sports
The Busy Sports Life of Gia Sarusal By Robert Balajadia
Gianna Sarusal was recently named the 2013 Outstanding Female Athlete of 2013 by the Guam Fitness and Sports community. At 21 years old, Sarusal is already doing more in sports than most people do in a lifetime. Sarusal is currently attending GCC in pursuit of a degree in criminal justice. “It is all about priorities. If I know that I have to train or I have practice that night, I make sure that I do all my homework and school projects before I do anything else. If it’s a big project or if I need more time, I take the night off of my sports, but it is very rare that I do that because I can’t go a day without sports,” she says. Sarusal keeps herself so active, working out at least four to five days a week. Her drive to be better nullifies any temptations of laziness. Sarusal has won championships in all the sports she has played. She won a basketball and rugby title with the GW Geckos, two championships with the Team Legacy football, and even won boxing matches. She was on the GW Rugby team her senior year and earned her second high school championship with them. Boxing since 2008, she represented Guam in the Guam Amateur Boxing Federation’s Monster Energy Guam versus Philippines Goodwill Boxing Competition, where in Sarusal’s second boxing match ever, she faced the Philippines’ Nesty Petecio, who was ranked No. 5 in the world by AIBA (worldwide
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sanctioning body of Amateur Boxing). She also represented Guam in Saipan in 2011 when she boxed against a professional MMA fighter in an exhibition match. Gianna has played in all three seasons of the Guam Women’s Tackle Football League, and has been named first team all island running back all three seasons (no other player has done that), was named the League’s offensive Most Valuable Player in 2012, and led her team to an unprecedented two straight back to back championships. Sarusal was contacted by the Miss Guam World pageant organizers in May to compete in its event, however she had to decline due to a conflict in her playoff football schedule. Sarusal is an administrative assistant with Legacy Wealth Management. She continues her evolution as a combat sports enthusiast currently training with Team Countershot, learning kickboxing and mixed martial arts, with hopes of competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts in the region while still retaining her amateur status in the hopes of getting the opportunity to represent Guam in boxing in the summer Olympics 2016 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
OUT&ABOUT R&R is... DIVERSITY.
out & about
Miss Guam Universe pageant on Sept. 16 at the Hyatt Regency Guam. Alixes Scott was crowned Miss. Guam Universe and will represent Guam in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant in Moscow, Russia on Nov. 9.
Guam Export Trade Show on Sept. 21 at the Guam Greyhound Park.
Mangilao Donne Festival on Sept. 12-15 next to the Santa Teresita Church in Mangilao. TO SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS FOR OUT & ABOUT, EMAIL HIGH-RES PHOTOs to: rrpacificguam@gmail.com
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PLEASE INCLUDE: - CAPTIONS (NAMES, DATE, EVENT NAME AND LOCATION) - YOUR NAME AND VILLAGE
Feature///Real Estate
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Feature///Island Focus
R&R is... OUR ISLAND.
BY Jacqueline Perry Guzman
In order for all of us to begin celebrating the holidays, we start by giving thanks. The November holiday which is a favorite among many is an unforgettable tradition in families and usually a day that brings everyone together. For many of us Thanksgiving is a reminder that many of our loved ones are far away, but we try to focus on giving thanks that we are all safe and sound and we are grateful for the things we have. Memories of our youth bring us back to Thanksgiving Days — the family, the fun and of course the food. Who can forget the turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and stuffing, the gravy, green bean casserole, candied yams and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie? Families serve salad, peas, scalloped potatoes, dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and many other side dishes. On Guam the menu can vary from traditional to include barbecued chicken, potato salad, riyeno or Chamorro stuffing, lemai or breadfruit in coconut milk, hagun suni or spinach in coconut milk, red rice, baked leg of ham
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with pineapple topping, tossed salad, imitation crabmeat and broccoli salad, chicken a la king served in pastry shells, cornish game hens, tuna casserole, pumpkin bunelos or doughnuts and other fiesta food favorites. In the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day, each family member is assigned their specialty. Oftentimes, the men are tasked with the meats and the women are in charge of desserts and side dishes. Children are encouraged to help in the kitchen or they are commissioned to set the table. Families bicker at the gravy being too lumpy or the potatoes too salty and the turkey too dry, but when the mealtime begins, tempers are cooled and everyone finally begins to relax and enjoy. At this very special time, R&R Pacific Magazine wishes your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Advertorial///DPW
Look who just arrived!
“Tomas d’turtle”
Guam’s Occupant Protection Program Mascot It was a matter of brainstorming and asking ourselves what can the Guam Department of Public Works Office of Highway Safety Occupant Protection program do to enhance its educational awareness in the community. Last year Occupant Protection conducted 31 presentations in public and privates schools; 8 outreaches in the community events for the public, private and military installations as well. Each year, Occupant Protection takes it up a notch and this year we want to captivate the undivided attention of our audiences so they can learn about occupant protection and at the same time have a fun-time learning about
being safe when riding in motor vehicles. In January 2013 Occupant Protection program embarked a search for its first ever mascot. We surfed the internet checking out other highway safety mascots; and we check around the island too. We wanted our mascot to be original and of our island culture. For sure our mascot has to be from Guam and must represent “occupant protection”. Since all child safety seats have a protective shell, our mascot has to have a protective shell. Our mascot has to represent that just like every child safety seat, only when it is used can it be a protective shell for the occupant. We all know that turtles stay in their shell…it’s for their protection. Having established these characteristics, the Occupant Protection program decided that a turtle would most depict that new face needed in strategy of our educational awareness intent. A two week “Name the Turtle Contest” was held earlier this year, and opened to Maria Ulloa Elementary School, which has been adopted by the Guam Department of Public Works Office of Highway Safety. Then 3rd Grader“Amber Jae Mendiola” entry of “Tomas d’ Turtle” won. It was the perfect name with an islandy flare to it. Along with naming our turtle mascot, Amber submitted a jingle. Guam Department of Public Works Office of Highway Safety is happy to announce the arrival of “Tomas d’ turtle” who recently landed in Guam after a short off-island visit with our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regional Office. Tomas d’ turtle will make his first ever official appearance in Guam with a visit to Maria Ulloa Elementary School to personally meet Amber Jae Mendiola and Maria Ulloa Elementary School. Thereafter, Tomas d’ turtle will visit the rest of Guam during Occupant Protection local observations of “Click It or Ticket” and “Child Passenger Safety” campaigns. Tomas d’ turtle will also visit various schools, daycare centers, community events. There is no limit for OP when it comes to bring greater awareness for the safety of motorists and their passengers. Special appearances by Tomas d’ turtle may be arranged by calling the Guam Department of Public Works Office of Highway Safety Occupant Protection office at 646-3229 or 647-3215. Please Buckle up…and keep your child in their child safety seat… it’s the law that saves lives! Guam Department of Public Works Office of Highway Safety Occupant Protection Program: 646-3229 or 647-3215 Funded by Section 405b Occupant Protection Incentive Grant
Spotlight///Recreation
STORY BY Joy White PHOTOS BY Vikki Fong
To your left and far below, the waves are crashing against the shore. To your right, the peaks of the green hills are cloaked in clouds. You are smack dab in the middle, covered in mud. There are no man-made structures in sight, nor any honking cars or blaring radios. It is a side of Guam most people do not get to see, with a landscape of reddish brown hills and green shrubs that will make you forget where you are. You are standing on Two Tree Hill and you have spent that past action packed hour in a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle. This is what it is like when you go on Jungle Rules Adventure Tours. Guam is home to spectacular ocean vistas, but the view is so much sweeter after you plowed through puddles to see it. During the drive you will find yourself wondering, “That is not even possible to drive over.� Before you can think twice, you are at a near 90 degree angle. Then you are at the peak in one exhilarating moment. You will take a gulp of air, maybe, then you are careening back down the other side, full of adrenaline and ready for the next one, just like the first time you rode on a roller coaster. The adventure takes place in the southern village of Agat. Be sure to call up and arrange for pick-up or directions. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes. You may be riding, but you do not want to miss the opportunity to take in the sights on foot, or check out how much
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mud has collected on the tires. Some of the sights you will be able to see with an off road vehicle include the ocean, climbing up to the two tree hill which is the highest lookout point. The playground also has a lookout point where riders can be viewed performing vehicle stunts like doughnuts, hill-climbing and figure eight. The crew is very capable and guides you through the 180-acre obstacle course. There will be the occasional stalled engine to spice things up, and make you giggle nervously, but that is part of the experience. Guests can sit back and enjoy the thrill from the passenger or back seat, or they can take charge themselves, after a thorough briefing, of course. Whether you are sitting behind the wheel or in the back seat, you cannot escape the spray of mud or dirt kicked up by the adventure. There are no splash guards and no restrictions. You can go with your best buddy, or in a group of buddies of 8 at the most. Afterwards, you will find two or three hours is not enough, and will be looking forward to the next time, promising yourself to conquer the steepest hills and claim the greatest adventure. To schedule your excursion call Jungle Rules Adventure Tour at 671-898-3232. More information can be found at junglerulesguam.com or find them on Facebook.
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