Beachcomber on Saipan

Took a Break

2011-03-03T16:04:00.001-08:00

Man, is it already March 2011? I guess I took a little more of a break than I intended to. Lots of things have happened of course so I hope I get back on track and keep on posting my adventures and stories here for you from the beautiful island of Saipan!

So, welcome back but I will have to share with you on another post about my quick side trip before the holidays to Narita-san Shinsho-ji ("Narita mountain new victory temple") in Narita, Chiba perfecture, Japan. The picture is of my friend Andrew looking at a huge lantern. I think he missed the huge statues that were on both sides of Fudo myoo, a Japanese fire god of wisdom, of whom the temple is dedicated to. It was a surprise to see and it evoked memories of one of my favorite foreign films named, Heaven and Earth. Beautiful and heartbreaking, the protagonist forsakes all earthly pleasures (even his love for a woman) in exchange for victory in battle and the protection of Fudo yoo upon his countrymen. Good stuff! More stories to follow so come back again later.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

7792: Meetings like Pancakes

2010-08-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

I am in DC for a few days. It is hot and my days have been stacked with meetings day and night! Still, it is great to be here again!Two years ago, Bernie and Johnny went with me to the Smithsonian. We had a blast. Johnny is from Pohnpei, FSM and was exited to see that the museum had a Yappese stone money. I hope we have time to visit there again. So many meetings though....sigh...

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

The Secret I Keep

2010-07-14T01:40:00.000-07:00

I recalled a verse from a song.
I sang it out loud and laughed.
I just needed to tell someone about you.

"Blue Eyes" by Carey Brothers

Wish enough, wise man'll tell you a lie
Window broke, torn up screens
Who'd have thought that you'd dream
Of a single tragic scene

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just want to take it off of you

Cause Blue Eyes
You are all that I need
Cause Blue Eyes
You're the sweet to my mean

Fess it up, dot on the palm of your hand
I can help you to stand
Saved it up for this dance
Tell me all the things you can

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna be the one that's true

Cause Blue Eyes
You're the secret I keep
Cause Blue Eyes

All the lights on and you are alive
But you can't point the way to your heart
So sublime, when the stars are aligned
But you don't know
You don't know the greatness you are

Cause Blue Eyes
You are destiny's scene
Cause Blue Eyes
I just wanna be the one

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna get it on with you

Cause Blue Eyes
You're the secret I keep
Cause Blue Eyes
I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna sing a song with you...

Fun Guys: Beehive Cave

2010-07-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Fun Guys: RC, Laurina & Niko

The Fun Guys had another chance to go on a hike and explore more caves. This time, we headed to Marpi Village to what are called the Beehive Caves.
It was only my second time there and the first was with Laurina and DJ last year. I think there are about 4 caves in a system of natural limestone caverns. They were utilized by both the ancient Chamorros and in more recent history, as shelters during WWII.
Cave I
Cave 1 has an actual beehive at the top of its cliff face. I am not sure if this is why they were named so or if it is because of the network of caves that reminded someone of a beehive. Since Laurina and I got stung by paper wasps the first time we went there, I also wondered if that was a common occurrence and if people mistook them for bees. It's a mystery. The entrance to Cave 1 is somewhat hidden in the picture below, but it is to the left of RC.RC and a big column speleothem (cave formation). Limestone is porous and allows water to seep through. Calcite and aragonite dissolves and get deposited, building up over time into stalactites and stalagmites. A column forms when the deposit on the roof cave meets the deposited material on the cave floor.
Niko looks a little worried here but we had a good time exploring the 1st deep and dark cave.
We didn't have proper lights but you can see the stalactites hanging on the cave roof in the picture below. The lot of them were damaged indicating how fragile some of these structures are to disturbances. Pretty major disturbances as you can imagine are earthquakes and the fighting in WWII.
Here are some broken columns that were pretty huge. It looks like enough time has passed and enough minerals deposited that they are fairly glued and have become a part of the cave floor.
Beautiful crystal stalagmites.
RC replacing a broken column.
The patterns in nature are quite beautiful!
Niko noted the different layers of minerals in the cross section of a broken column. It reminded him of petrified wood.
There is some sunshine from outside but mostly at the entrance. Inside can be quite disorienting especially in the total absence of light and muffled sounds.
Cave II
Larina opted to stay outside the caves. We were getting ready to go into the second cave.
Fun guy Niko- he partied quite a bit the night before and almost did not make it to the hike! Good thing Laurina was able to convince him!
Fun Guy RC- Notice the zories (slippers or flip flops) on this guy and imagine going through jagged or slippery rocks. I swear this is how he likes to hike. We have to come up with a nickname for RC.
Beautiful flowing patters on a flowstone.
The darkness was amazing. The unknown was exhilarating. RC led us to a part of the cave I missed the first time.
This was a nice looking column in Cave II.

Artifacts- we found a lot of old rusted out cans, most seemed as if hastily opened.
There were also a lot of empty bottles. Post war offering to the departed? Probably.
There were a lot more tunnels that we did not have time to explore.
There were speleothems called draperies too that look like tattered curtains.
These were awesome looking flowstones that were as high as the cave roof.
Niko said they reminded him of corals. Kind of cool since corals are made out of the same stuff- CaCO3!
Inspecting the rocks more closely.
Lots of formations here.
You can see the Fun Guys sweating here since it was quite humid inside.
Cave IV
We followed the marked trail through the secondary and limestone forest and found what I believe is Cave 4. On our first trip here, Laurina, DJ and I did not follow the trail far enough and missed this cave.

Here is Niko with an artillery fragment. There was also an unexploded grenade close to the opening. Do not pick any of the unexploded ordinances up because they can go off without warning given their deteriorated state.
Here's a gorgeous flowstone in Cave 4.
Entering Cave 4. We still had energy but decided to eat our lunch in the open air room close to the entrance.
Ficus prolixa or Pacific Banyan tree roots from above the cave roof.
These banyans or fig trees are the tronkon nunu to the local Chamorros who believe that the spirits of their ancestors, the taotamonas ("people of before") lives in them. In Tagalog, ninuno or nuno means "forefather" which is another link n the two languages.
There are some dramatic lighting in the nook and crannies of the caverns!
There were lots of WWII artifacts and some from offerings to the departed. We found bottles, cans, ceramics (Chamorro and Japanese), pans and even some wooden saki (Japanese rice wine) buckets.
"Jane" is waiting for her Tarzan.
Unexploded 6 inch heavy artillery shell in Cave 4 that has probably been in the jungle for 66 years. Again: DO NOT TOUCH!

After Cave 4, we got lost for a little bit in the jungle wanting to circumvent the trek back into the entrance of the cave. We rounded a bit too far from where I thought the main entrance was and lost all of the trail markers. It was really hot and humid that I needed to take frequent brakes and lots of cool water to drink. We ended up back tracking to the exit hole and found the trail markers again. Man, that was quite a tiring experience finding the right way out! Thanks, Niko, RC and Laurina! See you later, Fun Guys!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Flat Stones

2010-07-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

I wrote a little about sling stones in my blog about trying to replicate them using modern tools. The Chamorro name for sling stone is acho' atupat (or atupak) and were produced in the Latte Period/Phase (1000-250 BP). History books describe them as egg or acorn-shaped stones fashioned with “jasper-like” stone, or with sun or fire-hardened clay. People now use the words biconical or football-shaped to describe them. The ancient people wielded them with deadly accuracy. The biconical shape of the Chamorro sling stone is supposed to be state of the art as compared to sling stone designs from other parts of the world.

Pictured below are views of two different examples that were found in Wing Beach or what was known by the ancients as the Chamorro village of Luyo.

I noticed that these are more like flattened or deflated footballs. The views on the left are the top and bottom views typical of what a Chamorro sling stone should look like. I composited the different views of the two "flattened" acho' atupat into the picture above for your study and enjoyment. These are clearly flatter stones.

Maybe the flattened shape was a sign of design development? Was this shape specific to a certain purpose? One day, I hope someone studies what the different shapes were good for. The ancient people were truly amazing craftsmen.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Tonight is a Four Day Weekend

2010-07-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

Okay this is cool!

I happened upon this movie clip from when I was much younger. I don't know why it reminded me of Total Eclipse of the Heart that was remade for Glee.

I loved this movie then and I remember wishing to be a tough guy like the Michael Pare's character, Tom Cody. One of my all time favorite movie lines came from Streets of Fire:

You know, no one ever had a hold on me like you did. I would have done anything for you. A long time ago I would have thought you were worthy of it. Not anymore, babe.

I've had a few opportunities to quote that line in life but never did. I guess I still aint a Tom Cody.

Well, there are a few new movies coming out this weekend that may produce more movie lines I can rip off. Have a good week end!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Drift seed- Prickly Palm

2010-06-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what these were the first time I found them. I was unsure whether they were a type of drift bean or drift seed. One was polished and shiny while the other was not. "Shiny" was rounded but "Dull" was not.They both had three weird holes on their sides. I've never seen seeds with three holes on the side though. Maybe they are made of plastic and the holes were for lines, like a float. "Dull" had a pointy top crown though that made it look organic. Plus, if they were manufactured then they would have been molded into the same side.

After a little more research, I found these out to be nuts from the prickly palm (Acrocromia sp.). The common name is the corozo palm. Imagine a coconut palm with crazy long spines on the trunk! There isn't a consesus as to what species they are, so I will just leave the name as that. They are apparently drift seeds from tropical Americas and the Carribeans that drift their way around the Gulf of Mexico.

I've only found 3 so far. I don' tthink the prickly palm exists here or on Guam. I wonder if they really drifted from as far away as Central America?The corozo palm nut polishes quite nicely and people in Central America still use them as ornamental beads. I don't think we can find enough around to be of that use.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Fun Guys: Hiking and Caving

2010-06-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Once in a while we will hear from our friend Niko to go on a hike or some other adventure. He and some of his coworkers were supposed to go on a day trip to Tinian but it got cancelled leaving them a rare 3 days off from working at the hospital.

Form left to right: Cecille works at Physical Therapy. Niko works at Medical Telemetry. Laurina works are Pediatrics. RC works at MedTele with Niko.
We met RC via Niko last year and we went on a few outdoors excursions with them until he got hired at the hospital and got too busy with work. I am glad we had another chance to explore nature.

Niko wanted to take RC and Cecille to some Japanese WWII caves in Navy Hill that were built more than 60 years ago as a refuge against the Allied forces. You have to follow a usually dried stream bed and navigate through the slippery limestone forest to get there. The Pierson's shared this hike with us a few years ago, and Dr. Ken was familiar with the place since the Xterra Races go through the caves and the trail as an obstacle.

After a few minutes walking along the stream bed, you'll spot the first opening of the caves on the left. You can see how they were hewn out of the limestone cliff.

There is a lot of room inside but it is pretty dark so you'll have to bring flashlights.

This is our second trip here with Niko. Niko is one of my first friends here on Saipan along with Laurina since I met them together going through nursing school. We all got our nursing degrees from the Northern Mariana College in 2004 and still occasionally hike or hang out together.

We sometimes call these the "crystal caves". They are full of deposited calcite and aragonite that seep through the limestone walls as they are dissolved by rainwater. Limestone is porous and even man-made caves such as these start to develop natural cave features or speleothems (like stalactites and stalagmites) given time. The picture below gives you is a pretty good clue as to how the water and dissolved minerals flow through the roof and down to the walls and floor of the cave.

The crystal formations are beautiful, almost like frosted sugar. The picture bellow illustrates a gorgeous flow stone formation. They are also very delicate so we try our best each time we visit not to destroy or disturb the site. Imagine the Xterra racers going through here though.

Here is RC pointing out soda straws. A soda straw is a speleothem that is a hollow mineral tube of calcium carbonate or sulfate. As each drop of mineral rich water hovers at the tip and a ring of minerals is left at the edge when the water drops. Each drop of water can deposit a little more mineral before dripping, slowly building a tube. Stalagmites or flowstone can also form where the water drops to the cave floor.

A soda straw can turn into a stalactite if the hole at the bottom is blocked, or if the minerals are deposited outside surface of the tube.

Can you see patterns of the water deposit?

Here are some really delicate flow stone features on the cave wall. Amazing and beautiful!

Amazing and beautiful, but this time in the form of my BFF!

We had a little snacking moment outside of the caves after we reached the end. We still had some energy and decided to hike up the trail a little more.

I started finding some seed that I blogged about for one of my projects. This is the source of the sea or drift beans! The round ones are from what the Chamorros call Nonnak (Hernandia sonora), the big round one is called bayogun dankulu (Entada rheedii), and the dark flat ones are bayogun dikike (Mucuna gigantea).

I totally made a mistake on my first blog about sea beans on the identity of the Black Marbles. They are not from the glass eye vine (Oxyrhynchus volubilis). They are from the Nonnak after all! Here are the fleshy pink pericarps on the forest floor.

A Nonnak sapling grows quite readily from the seed on the forest floor. I need to collect some for my native tree planting projects. They are gorgeous trees for landscaping and the bowed trunks were once used for canoe outriggers.

I wanted to explore more since I spotted the woody vines or lianas of the bayogon dankulo.

Laurina spotted this one that can probably support a man's weight! This is what Tarzan probably used to swing from tree to tree.

I didn't see a "monkey ladder" formation though that develops when the vine grows in a spiral or twisty manner. I truly wanted to spot its huge seed pods though.

I was only able to spot parts of the huge pods on the ground. I want a complete one for my personal collection but they are so hard to find!

This is a picture of one from the Thursday Night Street Market that showcases a complete seed pod. This seed pod is a few feet long and you can see the bayogu seeds made into dolls in the display here.

Only fragments were found. I have to search harder for a complete one it seems.

It's interesting how the woody side structures are retained and the middle pods are separately discarded to split up and release the big seeds.

Fungi!

Funguys!

We also found some wild chiles! These are locally known as donne sali (donne means chile and sali is the endemic Micronesian starling or Aplonis opaca) and is a variety of Capsicum annum or domesticated chiles. In the Philippines, we call these types siling labuyo (Labuyo is a jungle fowl) and is reported in both cultures as being very spicy. One day, I'm going to have to see where it really is in the Scoville scale.

I hope the crows and the jungle fowls don't mind us gathering their donne. These will make a deliciously hot marinade after the hike! Who is cooking, guys? Anyone?

I had to let the party go ahead most of the time so that I could explore a little bit more of the place slowly. We were just following the trail back to get to the vehicles. There goes Laurina the Explorer!
Maple leaf-shaped leaves? Big football-like fruits? What is that? I don't know what kind of tree that is? Wow! A mystery tree!

There are whole lot of them here! They look amazing! I've got to figure out what they are!

I thought these seeds were dokduk or the Seeded breadfuit (Artocarpus mariannensis) but they are not! The seeds were all over the forest floor and were readily sprouting. Oh, well. I'll figure it out one day!

On the way out, we saw that the Japanse shrine at Sugar King Park was open- a rare event! We wanted to see if we could ring the bell, but there was a solemn prayer going on inside.

Thanks for suggesting the hike, Niko! Let us go again soo!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Heart Seed

2010-06-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here's another heart seed. Love is truly all around us.

This is the papery-winged seed of the African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata). They're blowing all over right now.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Yes, sometimes

2010-06-10T22:55:00.001-07:00

"Much of life cannot be explained, it can only be witnessed."

from The Wise Heart

Saipan Lagoon's purple sunset

Guahan's tiki sunset.

The moon and Venus' twilight dance

All this beauty & grandeur around me.
Yet I still think of you.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber.

Celebrate the Mango- Part2

2010-06-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Mango season is in full swing and I wanted to update my mango post from last year adding more varieties available on Saipan. The "local" or Saipan mangoes started out plenty and early this season but they were not very sweet. It is only in the last 2 months that trees started producing sweeter batches. Good thing too because as you see in the picture above, they are quite appetizing! Green, yellow, red- all ripe and all from the same tree. Carabao mangoes this year are not as productive but taste just as good as last year.
You can drive down Tanapag and San Roque Village now and buy a sample of Saipan's reputedly best "local" mangoes. They usually sell mangoes on the roadside so keep a look out for them. I had some last year for about $6 a basket and they were quite plump and delicious.

Carabao-Local Hybrid
This is a small variety that has a sweet, almost butter-like scent. Some people don't like carabao mangoes because they have a bit of a turpentine taste but this hybrid doesn't smell as strong and has a good balance of sugary sweet and mild tartness that you find in the local mangoes.
It is difficult for the natural taxonomist in me not to know the names of some mango varieties that I've encountered. I do not think that there is anything formalized in branding or naming our mangoes and a lot of people are really just confused with what is what which makes me even more confused. I'll just have to sit down with our expert people in Forestry or Land & Natural Resources to figure these out one day.

"Small Golden"
I tried these smallish golden mangoes from a friend last year. They were quite aromatic with very little fibers. As I said earlier, these do not have an official name and she just called them Small Golden. I haven't seen these turn up this season but I remember these to be really really good.

"Beaked- Haden Type"
Here is another variety that people called Haden but the beak is uncharacteristic of the breed. I remember that the flesh didn't hold a lot of moisture and reminded me of eating toa (half ripe) mangoes.

This is a good size mango & sweet but just not very juicy."Giant Hawaiian Mango"
I do not have a lot of information on this huge type. I got it at the local vegetable/fruit stand and the guy who sold it to me called it Giant Hawaiian. This was the only sample he had and I haven't seen one similar again. It was not very sweet but the flesh was firm and juicy.

"Green Pico"
Someone brought these by the office calling it a Pico type because of the shape. It was totally ripe even thought it was this dark green color. I remember it tasting like a Pico, sugary sweet with just a hint of tartness.

"Saipan Dikike"
I loved these tiny mangoes! They are obviously "local" or Saipan mangoes but tiny like plums. They were a good mixture of sweet and tart you usually find in the bigger varieties. The people at Asin's Store called it dikike or small in Chamorro so that's what I'm calling it. I need to find more of these since they were really tasty and easy to eat!

I should have bought the lot of them. They were really juicy and the flesh were firm.

I hope I get to find and sample some more varieties. After a long dry spell caused by the El Niño, it is starting to rain again. That means that the rainy season will soon be here and mango season will soon come to a close. We will then have to rely on the preserved kinds or the ones they ship in. Lets go out there and get some more before they are gone!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Sojourning Seeds

2010-06-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

A stranded drifter

How long were you lost at sea

Sea bean on the sand

Sea beans are seeds or fruits that wash into the sea, drift for some time and then get washed ashore. They are also called drift seeds or beans. There are a handful of different kinds that you can find on Saipan that usually wash up on the eastern beaches. I am still trying to figure our if it is sustainable to include see beans for my project. The above picture is that of a kukui nut (Aleurites moluccana) which I originally thought drifted from Hawaii. I've been finding quite a bit of them lately.

SEA HEARTS (OR MONKEY LADDER BEANS)
The sea heart (Entada gigas) is a well known sea bean because of its curious shape, big size, and high polish. The ones I've found are dark brown and have a very hard covering making them appear like wood carved hearts. Sea heart vines are lianas (woody, long-stemmed and rooted on the ground). Parts of the thick vines grow ribbon-like and this prompted the common name, monkey ladder vine. I haven't seen these vines growing on Saipan. It would be interesting to find since they own the record for bearing the largest seed pods (over 5 ft. or 1.5m).
Another monkey ladder vine is the snuff box bean (E. rheedii) since the hard seed covering was used as snuff boxes. In Chamorro it is called, bayogon dankulo (kneecap, big) and the seeds are reddish brown, almost rectangular in shape and are supposedly poisonous. The leaves and stems are used in traditional medicine. Its synonym is E. pursaetha and another common name is the African dream herb since its leaves are dried and smoked there supposedly to induce vivid dreams.

LITTLE MARBLES
I do not have a lot of information about this beautiful marble-like seed. They are also called glass eye vine (Oxyrhynchus volubilis). I usually find them covered in a beige, corky layer that need to be scrapped off to reveal the shiny black to dark brown seeds.

SEA PURSES
The sea purses we mostly see here are Dioclea wilsonii. They somewhat resemble our local bayogo (Mucuna gigantea) but are generally bigger and the hilum (where the seed attached to the seed pod) has a bright yellow border.

Does it look like a tiny purse? See the yellow border of the hilum?
Most sea purses I've found are reddish brown but this one (my favorite amongst) is mottled in color. I still need to clean this one up since it had goose barnacles (Lepas sp.) attached to it (white specks).

BURNEY BEAN
Burney in Old English means "island brook". We know these seeds locally as bayogon dikike (pronounce the y sound as a z) which literally means "knee cap small". Most of the ones I've collected are from the vine. They range in color from light to dark brown or mottled with black like the ones below. These seeds are the basis of the bayogo (bojobo) doll industry, seed leis and are extensively collected in the Mariana Islands. Like bayogon dankulu it is used in traditional medicine. Scientifically it is called Mucuna gigantea and like most of its family members, their seed pods have stinging hairs (trichomes) so you have to be careful collecting them. More on this on another post!
BROWN HAMBURGER BEAN
Hamburger beans (Mucuna sloanei) are a joy to find washed up on the beach. They are smaller in diameter and rounder than sea purses. The surface of the seed is polished but rough and the hilum is thick and dark.
Does this really look like a hamburger?
CANDLENUT
I was first made familiar with the kukui or candlenut (Aleurites molucanna) out of Hawaii's seed leis so I thought these were mainly from Polynesia. I now know that they are native in Asia and they even grow as close to us as Pohnpei. Maybe that's why they are pretty common drift seeds here. They polish quite nicely and I may have enough to put together for an authentic seed lei. Problem is if the seed inside is rotten, it is oily and pretty stinky so I will have to find a way to remedy those two problems. I haven't had much luck locating trees on Guam nor here on Saipan.
That's a nice shine! The seeds really take a good polish. Also, the oil inside the seed really does burn like a candle.

MARY'S or CRUCIFIX BEAN

Finding Mary's bean (Merremia discoidesperma) this past weekend was quite a surprise! This drift bean holds the record of having the longest drift of 15,000 miles (24,000 km). Sure other sea beans can stay buoyant longer potentially drifting father, but where they originally came from is hard to determine. Mary's bean has a limited range growing only in Mexico and Central America though.

Mary's bean has been found as far up north as Norway. If the record distance was set by beans found in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Bikini and Wotho Atolls) then we may have a record breaker in our hands! Old Man by the Sea, Saipan, CNMI is farther than the RMI!
Because of the cross-like indentation on the "top" side of the bean, it has religious significance to some people. It is named after Mary, the mother of Christ and is also known as the Crucifixion or Crucifix bean. It is supposed to be good luck to carry one and women in labor carry them to ease the pain. Some of these are heirlooms being passed from one generation to the next.This is the record breaker's "bottom" showing the hilum, the scar where it once attached to its fruit.
GRAY NICKARBEANS OR NICKARNUTS

I love the unique look of the Gray nickarbeans (Caelsalpinia bonduc). They look like small gray eggs with parallel fracture lines. Nicker is a Jamaican word that came from the Dutch knickker, a baked clay marble. The Chamorros however locally call them, pakao. They are used in traditional medicine. Incidentally, bonduc came from the Tagalog word for mountain, bundok. Boondocks is also a Western derivative that means backwoods or out of way place.

I finally found some Gray nickarbean vines. They are pretty spiny which led to another common name, wait-a-bit vine. I am going to have to return to the spot see when they flower and bear fruits.
SCREWPINE
These aren't seed but are part of the woody part of the screwpine (Pandanus tectorius) fruit. I've used screwpine leaves for cordage but these specimens are so pretty that it looks easy to craft them into things. These are lightly sanded and once coated with tung oil. My BFF, Laurina, thinks they look kind of spooky because the holes look like the eyes and mouth of the grim reaper. I don't see it but do you?
This one is probably from a different Pandanus species that I've yet to identify. It's probably not from here since we really only have 2 species locally. It is pretty nonetheless!
I have found other interesting drift seeds and sea beans to share later. I finally identified a pretty weird looking black seed that felt and looked like a plastic ball. It turned out to be palm nuts from a species of prickly palm trees (Acrocomia mexicana) that grown in South America and West Indies. I didn't have any picture so I will have to share later.Hope you liked my stories. Check this and this which are other sites that are chock full of information on sea beans and drift seeds.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

P.S. I misidentified the Little marbles and you can read about their true identity here.

Green Gecko?

2010-05-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

I found this little thing in the office today. Do we have green geckos on Saipan? I am not sure what this little one is all about.She's (gender assuming) was really timid and tiny.
I had to contain her for a little while so that I can check it out much closer without it running away. Can you see the orange outline of its tail?
Its color reminded me somewhat of the Gold dust day geckos that I've seen in Hawaii. She looks a little yellow now next to the green grass.
It is some type of house gecko I am going to guess. She scampered from the grass to the concrete wall fairly quickly after she was released.
I've got to figure out if that color is typical or if this is something new.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Incredible Sameness of Mind

2010-05-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

I am in a contest with my own mind. I struggle to push out the things I do not need to worry about at certain times. Maybe I am just tired. I do feel a little over stretched. Anyway, I just got back a few weeks ago from another trip to Atlanta and Guam. I haven't had the energy to write about my time there but I will share soon. It was beautiful and fun but I need some serious time to recover and get back in the groove.

I'll just share about some simple but fun things I got while I was off-island:

SEEDS
There is a kiddy store at the Guam Premium Outlets that sells these seedling starter kits. DJ, my BFF's youngest son, has become a bit of a farmer so I thought these would be fun projects for him. I got mini pumpkins and strawberries (of all things) just to see if they'd grow.
Everything is labeled organic now. 100% green, recycled and organic it claims.I am sure the pumpkins will grow.
Not sure about these. We may have to start them off in the fridge.
The packet contains seeds, potting soil and the pot.
I hope they sprout! I should've gotten the peppers too.
BOTTLES
They had these tiny bottles of jams and honey along with the continental breakfast during my 3-day conference. I asked everyone I could for their empties. I'm going to put some of my sand collection in jars (the right one is unopened honey and the other one is filled with Tumon sand).

I also wanted to try this Italian spring water. For $3.00 I also got to keep the nice bottle. What a refreshing slice (drop) of Tuscany. What can I do with this now?
SHOES
Shopping on Guam is great. That's mostly because we don't have a proper mall on Saipan. I get to buy nice shoes for cheap whenever I go back!

My new shoes.
My old shoes. They're probably over 2 years old.
The mind likes what it likes I guess but they really are different. I mean, the new pair of dress shoes have laces. Okay, that's just because I couldn't find slip-ons that weren't too pointy at the ends. If I had money, I think I'd be a collector of shoes. Problem is I am a terrible supinator and I am a terrible shoe scuffer. One day, my blog identity will be: The Supenating Shoe Scuffer.

Good to be back. I miss you Saipan!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

One day...

2010-04-22T20:34:00.001-07:00

One day

I'll forsake the company of man
The drama, pettiness
preferring the company of mollusks,
fish, and echinoderms
Decide to be a hermit
Pursue hermits in their houses
Maybe get a dog
Always the sea
and just
be

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Sustainable Seed Project

2010-04-20T15:57:00.001-07:00

I received a notice announcing that the cash-strapped CNMI Government will start austerity measures that will reduce personnel spending up to 12.5% therefore the need to reduce working hours from 80 to 7o per pay period. CNMI is in trouble financially due to continued low tourism numbers and the collapse of the garment industry. As Bill 17-45 is still being deliberated in both House & Senate, I am trying not to stress about what this will mean to my already cash-strapped wallet.

I've been thinking a lot about Tinian as well. Are the leadership and residents really that open to moving the Futenma Airbase that readily? If the Okinawa does not want them and Guam has been pretty vocal about the D-EIS, will the economic assistance that this will bring outweigh possible detrimental impacts to our lives in the CNMI?

I love Tinian the way it is: Full of history, full of nature, friendly people, peaceful, accessible. It is a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of Saipan (hehe) and I enjoy going there when I can. The Mayor's Office also initiated a project there that was pretty impressive. It involved crafting seeds into leis, necklaces, earnings, and other ornaments. I am pretty sure that like everyone else, I find it disheartening to have very little selection in CNMI crafts and wares. Sure there are the Boyogo Dolls, and some local drink and food items, but shouldn't there be more? And there is enough (if not too many) of other things crafted elsewhere. Sometimes, you just need a keepsake or a give away from here that has a story here and not "bought here but made in the Philippines.

I think the Tinian Mayor's Office got something going on there: a product that they can call their own, from sustainable, readily available materials, attractive and sell-able. I am sure they just need some savvy marketing to make this work. I mean, can we get more creative than reintroducing another casino initiative for Saipan? Rehashing the casino initiative has been submitted (count them) two times by our legislators against the will of the people who voted against it in the last election. Well, this is slipping a bit into politics and this is not what this post is about. It is about exploration, experimentation, art, beauty: a sustainable seed project!

Props to Tinian for the idea, but i just wanted to see how viable an endeavor this will be. I mean seeds are aplenty and a sustainable supply.
All you need is collect, prepare them and figure out how you want to design them. Voila!

Actually, to do this right you've got do your research as to the materials and tools that you should use. Not all seeds can be used and not all plants used are easily accessed. Can you believe I grabbed a pod that I didn't know and got a handful of stinging hairs? That was a painful and itchy lesson!
Collecting and prepping can be difficult. Some seed pods are not for the faint-hearted (insert Deece name HERE) since they can be full of bugs and worms.

Well, Laurina and I put these together to see how they'd work out. I wanted the project to be sustainable and green, avoiding the use of chemicals like varnish or polyurethanes. I need to research natural varnish and oils that will coat and protect the seeds (maybe linseed or tung oil). We reused a discarded nylon fishing line I picked up at San Antonio Beach and made at least 4 seed leis.

More updates later as I research, discover and try to get creative.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Happiness is spelled: T-A-L-I

2010-04-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing is better than this!

Well, except maybe a visit from my lovely Tali! After 8 months of living in Portland after she and her family relocated to the States, my girl came home to the surprise of many.

Amy and Tali

I missed my girl so much. She is the closest person comparable to a daughter that I have here on Saipan. I've known her for almost 8 years now. When people asked if we were father and daughter, Tali was quick to say (albeit long), "He is my non-biological father...figure." What is not to love about that?

Hayden, Laurina, my non-biological daughter-figure & Amy

We got to spend 10 days with her: going to church, watching her act a skit, eating, going to parties, eating, hiking, swimming, eating and just getting and giving updates on life. I did however missed a Managaha Island day trip. Darn work! Did I say that I miss my girl yet?

We ate at Coffee Care overlooking the Saipan Lagoon and Managaha Island one evening.
Although I didn't catch it in picture, I got to show Tali her first green flash! She said, "It wasn't much of a flash." But she was happy to see one non the less.
We got to do one of our Sabbath afternoon rituals with my other church "daughters"- Eat! Here are my girls. We often played a game with the waitstaff asking them, "Which of the three is my real daughter?"

Joy (got 2 votes), Jirene (got 1 vote) & Tali (got 2)

NOAH & THE MAYCOCKS

Of course Tali's younger brother Noah was there. They had a "vacation from each other" vacation since Noah stayed with one of his classmate's family for most of the 10 days. Here he is (don't the two look so light complected? Not a whole lot of sun in Portland I guess) with the Pierson family. This was also the first time I met Shyla!

The Maycocks! Sean, Babs and Elijah got invited by the school for Week of Prayer. Sean did a fantastic job firing up and inspiring the students, staff and the church family for our Lord. Our life with the Lord is not just a sprint, he says, "It's a marathon."

Babs chatting with Amy in the foreground. Sean with Frank at the back.

Joy said something pretty descriptive of the quartets' visit. She said, "It's weird, but it's not." She was saying that it was strange to see them again after being gone for so long, yet they simply still fit in, like they never left at all.
I suppose that is the way with most of our friends and church family after they leave and then return. Saipan will always be "home" for a lot of us and if it was for you once, maybe it is time to come back. I hope you know that you are missed. Sorely.

Until we meet again... Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Telosma Update

2010-04-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

I forgot that I stuck a mature Telosma seed pod in a bag a few weeks ago. I found it opened to reveal the feathered seeds inside.
You can really tell at this stage that they really are from the milkweed family. The silky hairs or pappus are soft and silvery.
It is quite a gorgeous seed pod really. I think we're going to have to collect some more seed pods and have fun releasing the seeds.

What a fun discovery!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

I do! I do!

2010-04-08T14:24:00.001-07:00

He turned around holding
something sky blue and silver. Can it be?
I do! I do! A thousand times- I do!

So I got a call from one of the airlines saying that I needed to come down to their office. Good, I thought. I still had a postcard that was mistakenly mailed to my address and the guy it was intended for worked at the airport. After dropping off the postcard, I made my way up to the offices. I didn't know they had stairs behind the check in counter.

Immediately after walking in, a guy got up and addressed me formally by name. Welcome, sir. So glad you could drop by! Joanna, please get Mr. (Beachcomber)'s gift.

How did this guy know me? I quickly looked at his name tag.
Uhmm, hey, James... I don't remember you, uhmm, being so tall! What's going on?

Sir, you are one of our elite members and we have a gift for you. Here it is, sir. Thank you for your continued patronage!

Wow! Oh, man! Hey! Wait.
Aren't you supposed to get down on one knee?

***

So I got a crystal candy dish. Cute. Italian. Classy. This particular airline has been exceptionally good to me. Last year I got bumped up to Business Class twice, and First Class once. They even gave me a seat right next to Daryl Hannah and her sister after we both dove Palau. (Yes, I saw my mermaid!) Pretty darned amazing. I was pretty ticked at the other airline last time I flew. Somehow I didn't get an isle seat and couldn't negotiate for a different one. I flew round trip sandwiched between two people to and from Atlanta. I usually sleep a good deal in the airplane and don't complain much, but I didn't enjoy that trip a whole lot. I have to admit though that my flying experiences have been quite good over all with both airlines. It was just a nice surprise to get such a fancy gift. I wonder if I will ever attain George Clooney's character's super elite status in the movie Up In the Air? I wonder if I'll sit next to a celebrity again? I wouldn't mind sitting next to Jessica (Anna Kendrick) or Vera Farmiga. We will see. I have another trip at the end of the month. Maybe I should carry my gift with me?

I think I'll give it to my BFF otherwise it will sit in my office filled with Original Ricola.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Twilight Dance

2010-04-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Between sunset and dusk, I set off to look for the phantom of twilight. You can barely see it in these pictures, but I managed to finally find it!

It tried to elude me behind a slow moving cloud. But I knew I had to be patient to finally catch the fleeting phenomenon named after the swift messenger of the Roman gods. Because it was so mysterious and only visible at either sunrise or sunset, the Greeks even thought it was two different objects. They named it Apollo and Hermes respective to when it could be seen. We know it more commonly now as the Roman equivalent of the later, Mercury.
Join me at sunset and find Venus following the setting sun. It is easy to find since it is the 3rd brightest celestial object in our sky. Venus will be brilliant. Look for a smaller star close by. Marianas' skies offer a great view. If you have binoculars or a telescope use them, but it is clear enough to see without.
I really need a memory card to afford better resolutions. Maybe you can share with us your own pictures. You have another week till Mercury disappears from our view again. Mercury follows the Sun and hides in its light so, this is the best time to see it.
I played a bit with the pictures to help you see elusive world more easily.
It was still visible up to 8:00PM so try to catch the two planets together when you can. When you scratch those two off your list, you can still see Mars in the evening and now Jupiter close to dawn.
Including Saturn, this brings my list to 6 planets in total that I have seen so far.
Yes, I am counting Earth as one of them. One day, I will have a chance at viewing the others that cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Come out and enjoy the ones we can see tonight.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

P.S. To learn more, check out Earth & Sky.

Saipan Dandelions?

2010-03-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by dandelions and I finally found the "dandelion substitute" on Saipan that I was looking for!

It is apparently an introduced species that originally hailed from eastern and central Africa according to PIER. This is Emilia fosbergii which is more commonly known as Flora's paintbrush or red sow thistle. It is in the Aster family like the dandelion. It is named after the late Botanist Ray Fosberg whom you can read a little about in the University of Guam Herbarium website. You'll find information about my old biology professor there as well! Ah, the memories!

I thought I'd have to substitute the dandelion with a plant from a totally different family for wish making on Saipan (but I have a biology class story about that too!). Now that I found Emilia, I can make a proper wish.
When you find your dandelion, what will you wish for?

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Mi madre, la mer

2010-03-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

We're beachcombers, he said.
What is that?
It's people who walk along the beach looking for things of value that might have washed up.
What kind of things?
Any kind of things. Anything that you might be able to use.
Do you think we'll find anything?
I don't know. We'll take a look.
Take a look, the boy said.
from The Road by Cormac McCarthy

What would I do without the sea? I am sure there is a way to live without but I would prefer to always be close to her. It is actually pretty sad that I haven't had a lot of time to spend in the water these past few months. I miss her enough that I plan to see her today. How lucky are we to live surrounded by the water? Can I afford a lunch hour swim? Why not?

A few days ago, DJ, Hayden Lucas, Laurina and I to Wing Beach. It was a good day.
Here's Hayden pointing at a balati (sea cucmber). He was calling it ga'ga' (animal or insect), one of his first words in Chamorro. I tell him Holothuria leucospilota but I'll save that prank for him when he is a lot older.

I love Wing Beach. This was once an ancient Chamorro village. From time to time, you can still find evidence of their presence here. I think it was part of the village of Luyo which usually described at Paupau Beach.
This is prime hunting grounds. Most of the rocks I use for slingstone replicas are from Wing Beach. She offers a lot of colors and varieties.

Hayden's momma asked me, "Why does he look up like that all the time?" I told her it was probably mostly my fault as I tend to point out birds, clouds, the moon and stars to the boy. I think he was looking at a bird flying overhead.
Do you see the two butterflies?
Or do you see the angel taking flight?

The clouds did not offer a clear view of the sun setting. It did however give us a glorious sun burst.
Hayden has a thing for chucking stuff. He laughs at the sound coral rocks make when they hit the ground.
I am sure that arm will be good for something as he grows up. Too bad his uncle's sport growing up was tennis and volleyball. Oh, I see where that can be developed into a smash or a spike.
Is it time to go already?I hope you get to enjoy the sea soon, my friends.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Can't Sleep Project

2010-03-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

I couldn't sleep last night. I don't think I got enough rest since I got back and now my coughing has relapsed this entire weekend. I was pretty restless flipping through pages of my current reading materials and flipping through scenes of the movie I was playing. I was stuck in insomnia land and the sandman was nowhere in sight.

I noticed some cord laying around that I rolled together while I was on Managaha Island two weeks ago. I was invited by the SDA School to do outdoor classes and I decided to do a nature walk with the younger kids to talk about plants and natural history. At the end of the walk, I picked up a dried screwpine (Pandanus tectorius) leaf, ripped off the spines and started thigh-twisting the strands to cordage. The Chamorros name for this particular screw pine is pahong. I was surprised how tough the cord was after I rolled it. Here's a post with a tutorial on how to make cordage.
I also had a giant clam (Tridacna maxima) bead I took off from a necklace about a year ago that was just lying around unused. I decided to take it off of the nylon cord I had originally used and make a more natural piece. The Chamorro word for giant clam is hima and they called the shell money/ornamental beads, salape'.Hima is very difficult to cut and carve since its calcite-aragonite matrix is very hard, finely-packed and so crystal-like that it cracks easily when it gets heated. Here is the finished piece.
I had a few extra strands of the leaf to roll a smaller cord for the salape' attachment. It is pretty tiring to roll the tiny cord with your fingers.
I still need a lot of help with my technique. Can you see where I cheated? It's my secret.

Sadly, I did not have enough of the pahong leaf to use on the loop, and had to resort to using black nylon cordage. Here is a simple loop and knot for the necklace clasp.

Voila'. It's done.

Well, I am glad of the finished product since it is mostly all natural materials. I need more practice to really get the binding of these things done well. Come to think of it, I haven't had a lot of time lately to make any more necklaces.
I did accomplish to get sleepy after everything was done so the project suited me well for the time it took.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber.

PS. Oops! I misnamed the leaf that I used. There are two types of native screwpines in the Marianas: Pandanus tectorius which the natives call kafu' and Pandanus dubious which is locally called pahong. I have a picture of both in this entry. Check them out in the Guam Forestry website.

7742: Night Scenes

2010-03-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

Too bad I got sick while I was in Atlanta. It usually has something to do with the recycled air in the plane. I missed out on seeing more of the place and hanging out with people that I just met. On my last night, I was able to go out and see a little of Downtown and Midtown. It was raining a little and there were low-lying clouds. We got lost a little in Midtown but it lead us to a block with beautiful houses. It was like walking in a dream seeing such a foreign night scene.

I am back on Saipan, thankful for my time and the new friends I made in good ole Atlanta.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

7742: I was meant to meet you today

2010-03-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break." -Chinese Proverb

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

7742- Thank You the Island Way

2010-03-10T02:23:00.000-08:00

Whenever I visit the U.S. Pacific Island Jurisdictions, I am treated like a king. The islanders really know how to make you feel welcome and go the extra mile to make your stay really pleasant. In the States, our partners do the same for us, taking us around to see the sights, maybe go shopping or to a baseball game. They also really pay attention to the effects of the time difference and jet lag.

One of our long standing project officers will be resigning in a year or two. This means slowly letting go of the PIJ project areas. He has been a champion for the Pacific for more than a decade working out funding and resources that our people can not live without. I am glad that I had at least 3 years under his guidance and experienced immense support for the work that I do. It was my Guahan counterpart, Bernie that had the brilliant idea to take Thom and his wife, Yolanda, out for dinner and to thank him with gifts island style.

Thom had no clue what was going on. Here's brilliant Bernie pretending that we were nervous about our presentations and that we needed some time with Thom to prepare. It was nice to surprise him.

One of the things I'll always remember for is his affinity for taking lots and lots of pictures. We decided to go to a Mexican restaurant called Jalapeno Jack's.
Bernie and the crowning of the king! She was having a hard time maneuvering Thom's fro!
...and our queen. The mwarmwars were from Palau and the leis from Guahan. The mwars were made with artificial flowers since real ones wouldn't have checked out of customs but they were really beautifully made.

The Guahan folks: Bernie, Thom, ate Liz and Yolanda.
James is from Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. The last time I saw him was in 2007 in Pohnpei.
Dr. Zach and Roy with giving some gorgeous shell mwars and necklaces from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Dr. Zach is based on the main island and Roy is from Ebye.
Roy and I were in Chicago in 2008. It was the first time to see snow for the both of us!
Our couple lookin' smart!
I gave Thom the higam hima: Hacha that I made. He was really appreciative and said he'd make a make a shadow box for it. I also gave away some CNMI quarters.
I gave Yolanda a necklace I made from Spondylus. I shaped one as an alahas and kept one in the natural shape of the spiny oyster.
Hana and Alene from the Republic of Palau gave a beautiful painting of a Palauan chief's house, coconut crafts and some trochus shell and pearl necklace and earings.
Yolanda was excited about a woven pandanus bag from Guahan. I didn't get to take pictures of the American Samoan's who gave tapa cloths to the couple. I think I was caught up in the celebration that I forgot to record the moment in pictures.

At the end of our dinner, a woman came up and asked if we were celebrating a birthday and if we were from Hawaii. I had to explain to her that it was a change to an era, a changing of the guards for all of us in the PIJs. Good luck, Thom. God bless you and Si Yu’us Ma’ase.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

7742: ATL 2- Too Cold!

2010-03-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

The golden dome of the Georgia Capitol.

Hi, friends. Thank you so much for your supportive comments on my last post. I'm in downtown Atlanta, GA for a few days. It is probably the change in scenery that I need to get me charged up again.

It is cold here! Sure the lowest it gets here now is 40 degrees Fahrenheit but that's too cold for an island boy. It is a blessing though that I am here. I am reminded that my work is important and that I will get a recharge from seeing supportive colleagues and friends.

I spent an hour lay over on Guahan and saw my 10-day absent BFF in the airport (she was in the Philippines). Miss you, Laurina, but it was good that we got to say good bye before I left for a few days!

I think I have a stress fever since I am getting chills right now. I may have to resort to cough medicine that has a fever reducer since I used up my last Tylenol pills earlier. It's too cold to be going out right now!

Love you, all! Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Once I Made Her Smile

2010-02-26T02:56:00.000-08:00

I remember the day you were taken away from us. They say that this is the kind of thing that will never leave, a thing that will continue to be recounted. They don't know. I carry you with me everyday. For almost a decade now, I've kept the best memories of you and less of the tragedies. But today, my heart breaks again into fragments that I can't count. Is it because I am unable to count the pieces that I am unable to put them back together? I feel like such a mess.

Alone I mourn your loss, in the quiet of my own space. I try to push away the regrets, the faults, my fallible humanness and I am feeling sorry for myself. Why do I feel so lost? In the selfish way that they want to miss you, they forget that I mourn you too. They know that I am not to blame yet they need someone to direct their pain. So I steped up, my dear. I let them take, and give, and hate, and hurt. I've been beaten up but what does it matter anymore? I still can't bring you back and neither will their pain. But doing so doesn't honor you.

How have I honored you since then? Not enough. I am afraid, that I don't celebrate life enough as I should. I am a coward who just the other day wished aloud that it should have been me rather than you. How disappointed you would have been to hear me: the one who once made you smile.

I am sorry, my dear. It is just a weak moment and I just miss you. I miss your love.

Fly me up to where you are

Beyond the distant star

I wish upon tonight

To see you smile

If only for a while

To know you're there

A breath away's not far

To where you are

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Acho’ Atupat & the Koru

2010-02-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

I found my first sling stone on Saipan in 2004 while jogging at Beach Road. Holding the artifact, I was amazed by its craftsmanship as I contemplated how the ancients came to design and fashion it without the use of modern devices. It was a connection to the past. This find fueled my fascination with one of the principal weapons of the ancient Chamorros.

The Chamorro name for sling stone is acho' atupat (or atupak) and produced them in the Latte Period/Phase (1000-250 BP). History books describe them as egg or acorn-shaped stones fashioned with “jasper-like” stone, or with sun or fire-hardened clay. People now use the words biconical or football-shaped to describe them. The ancient people wielded them with deadly accuracy.

The biconical shape of the Chamorro sling stone is supposed to be state of the art as compared to sling stone designs from other parts of the world. Here is an article about some archaeologists studying them. I though, that they come in more shapes than what has already been described. Some are more like flattened deflated footballs and others have one side that is flat.

The Flag of Guahan has an acho' atupat.

I believe that making a sling stone required a good deal of artistic ability from selecting the right materials to the fashioning of the shape and the polishing of the final stone. This fascination fueled my desire to experiment in making my own sling stone replicas using modern tools. I had to do a bit of research, into cutting, grinding and polishing limestone. Then I had to buy materials and tools that would make my labor easier. Even though I used modern tools, it was still a labor-intensive effort which most of the times left my entire body dusty, sweaty and sore. Most of the soreness was in my shoulders, arms and hands from handling the materials. In the end though, the results I was getting was all worth it!I made the replicas a bigger than actual sling stones so that they could be used as decorative pieces. Here is one I fashioned right next to the sling stone I modeled the shape after (9.3cm:4.7cm). I found that one in Pau Pau Beach and I describe the shape as biconical with a flat side.

The stones that I have been using are coral limestones that I found to be full of character either in shape or color. I got the original stone from Wing Beach and lucked out that it is a chalcedony. The calcite and aragonite from sea creatures like coral and shells were buried, compressed and heated under the earth to be fused and turned into microscopic quartz crystals. When I was grinding it the cream, orange and brick colors of the rock was apparent, and when I finally polished it, the true beauty of the colors and patterns came out.

A special bonus was also revealed in the stone! A spiral pattern of a long ago marine snail that was amalgamated in the rock matrix revealed itself! You can clearly see the shell’s whorl on the face of the polished stone. What a beautiful fossil! It immediately reminded me of the koru.

I found this beautiful koru in Pohnpei going up to Sokhe's Rock.

The koru is the unfurled fern frond that is often used in Māori art as a symbol of creation. The spiraling shape suggests the idea of continuous movement, and its inner coil hint to a return to the point of origin.

The koru thus symbolizes the way which life changes and also stays the same. It therefore also symbolizes new life, growth, strength, purity, peace, tranquility and spirituality along with a strong sense of regrowth or new beginnings.
The koru is also often associated with nurturing, frequently used to represent the strength and purity of a loving relationship within a family.
It is only the second month of the year. It is almost the third. There have been a lot of changes surrounding my life especially what I felt were permanent fixtures in my job. I'll be honest and say that I do not deal with change very well (esp. when it comes to my circle of people). The koru reminds me to be flexible and accepting of change. If there is no change in life then life itself ceases and desists. Life goes on.
Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Silvery Pipturus & the Motherly Butterfly

2010-02-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

Before.

After.

I have to talk to the guys who do lawn at the office. A Silver Pipturus (Pipturus argenteus) shot up fairly quickly in the middle of the ginger plant. It was almost 4 feet tall when the guys came, saw it as a weed, and macheted the hell out of it. I am sure it’ll grow again but let the fellas know before the chop it down again.

It’s true the Silver Pipturus or Amahayan in Chamorro (Ghasooso in Carolinian) don’t seem like it could be used as a decorative tree for your landscaping projects. I’ve developed a special appreciation for it though ever since learning that it was a traditionally useful plant.

Amahayan is a common shrub like tree. It can grow up to 5m (16ft) along the beach in limestone forests and disturbed areas. Their branches are reddish brown and the leaves are a fuzzy, light green above and silvery in the bottom (hence their name).

I found a Hypolimnas anomala butterfly in this tree up at Navy Hill. I remember reading that this butterfly is unique in that she sticks around after laying its eggs and guards them until the caterpillars hatch. The motherly butterfly stays with her offspring until she dies!

Yikes! Cool! A few moments later, I found out where she had laid her eggs and the caterpillars hatched.

The bark can provide a brown dye and the sap was once used to bring the heads of boils out for drainage. The bark fibers of the Amahayan was once used by the ancients for cordage and fishing nets that were said to be of better quality than coconut fiber. I pulled some strips of bark off the discarded branches to see if I could twist them into cordage. Making natural cord well takes some practice. The bark was hard to manipulate because it was very slimy. I am going to guess that you must need to boil the bark and then dry before it can be woven into a proper cord.

You can make a simple cord using the finger-twisting method by marking the middle of the bark strip (A). Twist one end away from you (B) while twisting the other towards you (c) until a loop forms in the middle (A) that you marked. The cord forms as both ends tend to naturally twists together (D) but to make a tight cord, you will have to guide it manually.

You just twist more strips of bark to make a longer cord. It may be difficult to make at first and your fingers do get tired, but practice makes perfect. It is a useful skill to have if you need to live in the boonies for some time.

I’d like to make enough cord one day and make a hook out of a tree oyster shell to replicate an ancient Chamorro fishing hook and line. Or maybe make an entire fishing net. Man, I wish I had more time.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Harry's Back: I Hope He Kicks Ass

2010-02-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Harry Blalock is back blogging. I hope he is back for good because I think he generates a lot of traffic in his blog for people wanting to get more information about Saipan. A lot of people checking him out are divers and tourists, so he does his part in promoting our islands to the world. I tell you, it is a lot better than my nervous attempt in inviting Darryl Hannah and her sister to dive Saipan after seeing them in Palau!

Check out his latest entry called, Still Alive and Kicking which in a way is his "news of my death has been greatly exaggerated" entry back into the blogosphere. He also talks about diving the Grotto. I'll have to share with you on a later post about my experience there with Harry. He was so professional, careful and knowledgeable.

Another thing I miss about Harry is his Food For Thought on KZMI-FM. I've been a fan since I came from Guahan in 2002 mostly because I learned quickly what was going on in my new adoptive island. He stopped working at the station to explore where his new diving career may bring him so there was quickly a void that developed in the social commentaries that he shared with the public. And boy, do we need him now more than ever! It is only the second month of the year and politics have played out a long rap sheet of shenanigans that most of the citizenry are upset about. We feel discouraged, abandoned, silenced, and so on. Harry was an avenue for our voices to be heard, and our sentiments expressed. I am not the only one who feels this way, of course, so check out the comments on this page.

Harry, I am glad that you are back. Your fans (and the Commonwealth) needs you.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Moon Legends

2010-02-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

IL MONDO GIRA CON ME QUESTA NOTTE
PICCOLI PASSI CHE FACCIO CON TE
SEGUO IL TUO CUORE E SEGUO LA LUNA
COSI' NASCOSTA LONTANA DA ME
IL MONDO GIRA CON NOI QUESTA NOTTE
UN POSTO DOVE SCOPRIRE IL MIO CUORE
SAPERE SE LUI PUO' AMARE TI O NO

(From Gira Con Me)

The moon has been remarkably beautiful lately. From the Blue Moon during New Years to this month’s crescent, I’ve been spending a lot of time just looking and admiring la luna. In Tagalog, we call the moon buwan which is very close to the Chamorro name of pulan. Here are a couple of stories about her that I like.

A CHAMORRO LEGEND
The Chamorro people believed that two mythical siblings Puntan and Fuuna created the world that we know. They lived before the world was created for many many years. When the benevolent Puntan was about to die, he instructed his sister Fuuna to create from his chest the earth, and his back, the sky. His eyebrows were made into rainbows. His eyes became the sun and the moon.

A GREEK LEGEND
Endymion the shepherd,
As his flock he guarded,
She, the Moon, Selene,
Saw him, loved him, sought him,
Coming down from heaven
To the glade of Latmus,
Kissed him, lay beside him,
Blessed is his fortune,
Evermore he slumbers,
Tossing not nor turning,
Endymion the shepherd.
(from Mythology by Edith Hamilton)

Ah, to be loved for eternity! Ah, and to sleep!

AN IRISH LEGEND

There were two villages separated by a dark dried up bog in the Irish countryside. At night, the villagers were never afraid to visit their neighbors from the opposite village because of the moon’s warm light. The moon always lit the night, keeping at bay the dark and evil creatures from harming people. In fact, it used to visit the earth quite often.

One night, the moon got curious and went down the dried up bog. While it was distracted, the dark and evil creatures captured the moon and buried it in the middle of the bog. The creatures took over the night and villagers, afraid for their lives, could no longer voyage across the dark dried up bog. “What happened to the moon?” they asked each other.

One day, an old woman gathered the villagers. She told them that she knows where to find the moon. “Tonight, each of you will carry with you a small pebble and we will venture through the dark bog to free the moon!” That night, the old woman instructed the villagers to put the pebbles in their mouths as a reminder not to make any noise that may alert the dark and evil creatures of the bog of their presence.

When they got to a big mound of earth, the old woman suspected that the moon was buried there. She instructed the villagers to dig quickly but quietly. Little by little, they revealed the bright surface of the moon, until at last, it was free! The moon flew quickly towards the sky, away from the bog. The moon will never again venture too close to the earth and the villagers were never again scared to venture across the bog!

A NORSE LEGEND

It is said that the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill had its origins in the Icelandic myth of brother and sister, Hjúki and Bil. Máni, the embodiment of the moon god, captured the siblings as they were fetching water from a well called Byrgir. Their story unfolds in the phases of the moon as it waxes and wanes, as Hjúki falls down and Bil tumbling after.

I am sure that you know other great stories about the moon. I hope you have a few moments this week to appreciate her beauty.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

IWTFY: Count on a dandelion

2010-02-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

When I'm with you
I'll make every second count
'Cause when I'm without you
I'll be counting every second.
_______________________

I've always wanted to be a better writer. I am just not that good with creative writing nor composing poetry. There's just something about being able to put words together and play with the way they sound, and what they mean that I truly appreciate. I guess it is mostly because I can't seem to do it right, and my Creative Writing for Dummies hasn't done a lot to change the way I write.

That said, I started reading and appreciating I Wrote This For You which I learned about from one of Nella's links. There are some real good stuff there that you should check out. The tag and premise of the blog goes,

"I need you to understand. I wrote this for you. I wrote this for you and only you. Everyone else who reads it doesn't get it. They may think they get it, but they don't. This is the sign you've been looking for. You were meant to read these words."

I heard this old sappy love song that inspired the above verse. I got mixed reviews. Like I said, creative writing is not easy. It is difficult to not try feeling like The Sphinx from Mystery Men.

Some of his classic lines go like this:

"He who questions training, only trains himself at asking questions."

"When you doubt your powers, you give power to your doubt."

"When you care what is outside what is inside cares for you."

"We are number one. All others are number two or lower."

Classic! I need to watch that movies again. Soon.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

P.S. Oh, my sketch is of a mature dandelion flower down to its last seed. We don't have daffodils here but I like the idea of making a wish while you blow the seeds off. I wonder if we have something similar here in Micronesia? Ill have to share with you about Tabebuia rosea later.

Did I Just Meet the Future Tesla?

2010-01-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

It is science fair season here on Saipan for the grade schools. I actually only joined one science fair in my life while growing up on Guahan. I honestly didn't think that the teachers gave us enough time to really sink our teeth into the experiments so I was often unmotivated to do it for school. I always wanted to be "scientist." My mom could never get the concept of being a scientist as a career, so she often teased me that I'd only end up being a "sayang-tist": sayang meaning "too bad" or "what a pity" or "what a waste" in Tagalog.

I usually had my own thing going on anyway, so I don't feel like I missed out on much. I do however, encourage the kids that I know to learn the scientific method and discover the magic of science for practical reasons.

My BFF's son, DJ, asked me to help him with his project this year. He wanted to see if you could predict a person's height by measuring their feet.

DJ already impress me each time we hang out in nature as he absorbs most everything I tell him. He usually has a hundred questions about everything.I know that the kid is smarter than me, because you see, I have a weakness in math. I love the concepts of geometry and physics, but I have to work on them for a long time in order for me to grasp them. DJ had to deal with measurements, ratios, fractions, and decimals. It was so impressive to see him get into the project and crunch the math like a bag of sembe (his favorite Japanese rice crackers). DJ got selected as 1 of the 3 that would represent his class for the entire school, but unfortunately did not place in the overall judging. I'm so proud of him though!
San Antonio Elementary School Science Fair
I also had the privilege to be a judge at San Antonio. Who can resist right?SAES' mascot is the gamsom. I often tell kids that I do not eat gamsom because it is such a shame to eat such a smart creature.
I had to judge 12 projects with a 1 page (front & back) scoring sheet with 6 criteria, and 31 categories that include, "Does the project follow the scientific method?" to "Has the student acknowledged help received from others?". I didn't think that it would be so extensive! but I had fun anyway as I tried to judge fairly.

These kids has a lot of brain power I tell you. June, Ruth, Jiana, Mary Kay, Davina, Patty, Mae, Christina, Czarina, Jazmine, Tichina, Christian, John, Robert and Reyna Fe: you all did a great job! Thank you SAES!

The Renaissance (Little) Man
My buddy, Hayden Lucas Scott is growing up too fast. He is already tech savvy already at the age of 1.5 years. He also likes the hook on Solja Boy's Churp (..."kiss me through the phone...I'll see you later on"...).

(Sure his phone is pink, but that's just 'cause he has a busy, stressful lifestyle eatin', sleepin' and poopin', but he understands color psychology. Pink = calm). Dig?

He already understands concepts of Physical Science......the importance of not only being smart but looking smart...
... can identify his seasonal shorebirds by their foot prints...... notes the composition of sand being an avid psammophile and naturalist.
When one spends a lot of time in nature, one becomes a naturalist. Once a naturalist then one elevates one's self eventually to a naturist. It is the evolution of the man of science: The Renaissance Man!
I am sure he'll make me regret this when he is older. I love you, DJ and Hayden.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber.

From Legend Retold

2010-01-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

I have been following different sources on the U.S. Military expansion of Guahan. There are a lot of great articles, speeches on video clips, and other resources online so that one can follow along what is happening in the southern-most island of the Marianas. There are a great deal of voices that are making their concerns known through different avenues, and I am a bit worried that I am not hearing enough voiced concern here on Saipan, Tinian and Rota regarding detrimental effects that may occur due to the expansion involving the Northern Marianas. The usual sentiments mostly address how good it would be for the economy if there are is a market to whom we could sell our crops to, to lease land, and an extra population whom would visit the Commonwealth to expand tourism dollars.

A public hearing for discussions on the CNMI Draft Environmental Impact Study (D-EIS) )was yesterday. I couldn’t attend because it was in the morning. Also, a newspaper article said that it would be presented on Saipan yesterday the 27th, and then contradicted itself saying that it was on Friday instead at the end of the article (No time was given neither by the way). I heard about 50 people attended but also heard that there were no voices of concern about possible harm. An online version of the D-EIS is supposed to be put up today on the Commerce website .

Here is a video clip that I found on several blogs about the buildup. This happened recently in the village of Santa Rita and was attended by about 316 people. The clip has about 4 women sharing their concerns.

There are a lot of good materials coming out of Guahan and I will most likely link to them a little at a time. I did however make some new connections online with a few bloggers that are using good story telling and art for activism that made me think whether I should be contributing more to the discussions.

Drea of Waiting for Wonderland has this wonderful allegory that compares the Chamorro legend of a giant fish that was eating Guahan in the days of the ancients. The women are the heroines of the legend which is a reflection of the respect and empowerment that the ancient people have for women and their role in society. She wrote:

Sleepless in Wonderland: The Real Big Fish

As a child growing up on Guam, I heard many legends. Some I learned at school and some my parents told me. One legend that has been on my mind this past month, is the legend of thebig fish that ate Guam. You remember the legend, don't you? It explains why Guam is so narrow in the middle. As I was told, many many years ago a very large fish was eating away at our island. Many strong men tried to stop the fish, but none succeeded. At this time, the young women of Guam had beautiful long hair. One day the women decided to weave their hair in to a net. With the net made from their hair the women caught the big fish and saved the land and people from the monstrous fish.

The reason this legend has been on my mind, is because I've been looking at many maps of Guam recently. Yes, our island is narrow in the middle, but I've also noticed that there are many parts of our island that is innaccessible to the people of Guam. It's as if the big fish has returned. This big fish is feasting on the graves of our ancestors and land that is lush and beautiful. Sometimes this big fish spits out the the land, returning it to us, but by that time much of the land is contaminated.

What will our island look like 4 years from now? How much of it will be contaminated by the big fish? Where will we be 20 years from now? Will we be telling our grandchildren the story of the fish that annhilated our island?

We must gather together, like the women in the original legend, to defend our home, before there is nothing left to defend.

Her soul sister Nella of Resolution Tree added an illustration to the story of a Guahan that is “eaten up” by the “big fish” that is illustrative of DOD occupied land in 1991.

WHAT ABOUT CNMI?

I thought that I should attempt a political cartoon in homageto not only their creativeness but mostly due to their sincere concern for the future of Guahan and its people.

I also already have one sketched with a CNMI angle in which our people is represented by a hand readily handing over the islands of Tinian and Aguijan in a food bowl to the “big fish.” I hope it turns out good enough to start the gears working in our thoughts.

Aguijan from Tinian.

Are we really so eager to turn over Tinian and Aguijan? I love Tinian for how peaceful and beautiful it is. Aguijan is historically important as well, being the last place of resistance during the Chamorro-Spanish Wars. Here is a story about offering Aguijan as an “alternative” to Guahan. Here is a clue to an environmental impact that is already forseen if Tinian is taken over.
Let us talk stories about this again.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

I am already up there with Steiglitz, will you be my O'Keeffe?

2010-01-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

Nobody sees a flower, really, it is so small.
We haven't time - and to see takes time like to have a friend takes time.

- Georgia O'Keeffe

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Pick Up a Brush

2010-01-24T13:20:00.001-08:00

I got tired of Saipan’s graffiti problem. I got tired of the citizen of Saipan not doing anything about it. I bought 2 gallons of white paint from the hardware store. They cost about $15.00 each. I had a roller brush and a paint pan in storage. I figured I can start simply with just these things. I ventured out during the Christmas and New Year holidays, either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I figured I should give a little something that everyone might enjoy: well, surely not the taggers. Or maybe not the property owners who had different colored walls, nor the Public School System and their yellow bus stops. I figured if they really cared, the graffiti on them wouldn’t already be more the six months old.

Graffiti is a disease of a broken society. I read in the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell about Wilson & Kelling’s Broken Window Theory. It states that crime is an inevitable result of societal disorder. If a broken window if left in disrepair there is a perception that no one cares and no one is in charge. More broken windows will follow and so will the sense of lawlessness and anarchy. Graffiti and public disorder are invitations to more serious crimes since the bad seeds of society see the neighborhood already as victims, unable to defend themselves from lawlessness (who will also, by the way, do nothing to interfere with crime or to help the law).

Saipan is small enough that if graffiti goes up on morning, it should be down before the next. Once a wall is painted over or reclaimed, it must not be lost again. Seems like a simplistic pipe dream to reduce disorder and crime? I know it is just one small piece of the equation, I assure you. But it is the one thing I know that I can do.

There are more to be covered up and taken down. I know you know where they are. Buy a gallon of paint. Dust off your brushes and paint rollers. Time to reclaim what is ours.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Tequila

2010-01-18T22:00:00.001-08:00

It may surprise some of you that a non-drinker would have a blog entry about an alcoholic drink. Yes, this is all about tequila and no matter what preconceived notions you may have about it, I hope you give me a chance to explain my curiosity about this particular drink that inspired me to write and quite possibly do more.

I also hope you consider my geeky humor in all of this, by the way, and also consider that I have given up drinking since 1991. Although I may have had some lapses within 19 years and the occasional sip for a taste (usually wine), I've been a pretty straight arrow.

First off, I think I’ve always been somewhat of a highbrow when it comes to drinking. Call me a snob or whatever, but I honestly can’t stand the local love of Budweiser (or on Guam, Miller) for the mere fact that it is a drink, just to get you there per se: inebriated and forgetful of life’s troubles for a few hours.

A spin-off to this peeve is when I am off-island and there is a variety to choose from (from micro or local brews, or anything imported really) that are available, the people that I am with still go for the Bud. Product loyalty? Fear of the unknown? I don’t know. I do know that sticking with the familiar is boring! Have a little adventure! It’s a beer! Aren’t you curious? Wait a minute. I suppose I shouldn’t really judge since I am the one holding the Diet Pepsi.

I don’t think I’ve really been a fan of beer (by the by, before giving up alcohol, I thought Coors was smoother than Bud or Miller). I liken this to my emulation of my father at the time, who actually preferred vodka. To my father, vodka was a drinking man’s drink: clear, strong, and pure.

As a man of science, I am also intrigued by the process of making vodka. The distillation process has to be exact- 100% sterile or else the brew would go putrid (comparable to exacting laboratory conditions). So again, vodka was pure and classy if you will; from potatoes, rather than a weed-like vine. Plus, if you want to be able to chat with the Russian gals at the end of the bar about Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, you aren’t going to impress her with an open can of Bud (trust the geek in me). Real men drink from a glass (at least, that’s how I take my soda anyways). "What about wine and wine tasting?" you may ask. Wine maybe a little too highbrow for me! Given that personal history, and science backing up my curiosity, I started wondering about Mexico's indigenous spirit, tequila.

HISTORY
Tequila is made from the agave plant, a desert succulent. Long before the Europeans came to America, the Aztec people fermented agave into a drink called octli, or more popularly, pluque. The drink we know today as tequila was actually produced in the 16th century near the town of Tequila (est. 1656). The Spaniards had run out of imported brandy and resorted to producing spirits via local means.

BOTANY
Here are some introduced agave species at Tototville used as ornamentals. The broader leaves belong to Agave americana while the thinner two-toned leaves belong to Agave angustofolia.

Tequila is produced from Blue agave (Agave tequilana) but I do not think we've got examples here on Saipan.
This towering beauty is the flower spike of the Agave americana, also known as the "century plant" because it takes a long time for it to flower. Unfortunately, this agave is supposed to be a monocarp, meaning the plant will soon die after blossoming. You can see this beauty now at the San Jose intersection.

ANTHROPOLOGY
Tequila is one of a few drinks that has an actual ritual- it is known as “tequila cruda” where you lick the back of your hand behind the index finger, pour some salt on the moisture, slam down a shot, suck on a lime wedge, feel the burn, wince and say loudly, “Aaaaaarrrrggggggghhhhhh” (also called the “lick, sip, suck ritual” ). Tequila cruda is supposed to be for the uninitiated or newbie who may not be used to taking tequila straight or by itself.
POP CULTURE
I read an article in Esquire Magazine that fueled more of my curiosity. According to the article, the authors observed (although totally subjective) that:

Tequila tastes good, and different brands and types have complex flavors to be experienced (I am reminded of wine here).
Quality tequilas do not lead to hangovers.
Tequila is not a depressant.
Quality tequila can be paired with most foods (Also like wine).
Tequila can be a good gift.
Tequila fosters "understanding and the forthright exchange of ideas".

TAXONOMY
Another science that intrigues me is the science of classification or Taxonomy, and tequila fits that bill as well:

Tequila may have two unofficial but distinct Classes: lowland and highland. Lowland tequila, according to the article, comes from the plateaus of Guadelajara and generally tastes fruitier. Highland tequila are made from agaves grown in the volcanic uplands of Mexico. It is said that they taste brighter and more acidic, with hints of olive brine and green peppers.
The official classifications are: Blanco (can be processed and may sit in any container up to 60 days before bottling). They can also be called blanco or "white" or plata or "silver"; Reposado or "rested" (aged for 60 days to a year in oak barrels); Añejo or "aged" or "vintage" (Aged 1 to 3 years in oak barrels); Extra Añejo or "extra or ultra aged" (aged more than 3 years sometimes with very old tequila mixed in.

THE EXPERIMENT
If I do get the courage to "let my hair down" to fuel my curiosity about tequila I would find a few examples (notice the grocery shelves and the non-lack of samples here). Then, I would sample them this way:

Straight- this will lend to the purest sense of taste.
With salt and lime or "tequila cruda"- the salt is supposed to deaden the "burn" and the lime is supposed to enhance the flavors.
With sangrita or "little blood"- chilled mixture of OJ, lime juice, grenadine, & hot sauce. This is supposed to be the local's preferrence
In a Paloma- a reposado with ice, lime plus rind, kosher salt, and grapefruit soda.
In a Margarita- a blanco shaken with Cointreau, lime juice, ice and strained in a salt-rimed glass.

I would really like to conduct this experiment, to find out for myself what tequila is all about. Will the experiment have some altruistic objective to it? To go through the experiment so that I may report back my findings to you? Maybe I do just want to let my hair down.

I'll have to mull that over, sitting here with an open can of cool Diet Pepsi. Okay. I am a nerd. Whatever.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Record. Research. Draw!

2010-01-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

RECORD & DRAW
I noticed a vine growing in my friend's backyard some time ago. It caught my eye since the flowers were new to me. I messed up my digital camera a few months ago so I couldn't take any pictures. I remember a long time ago before the advent of digital cameras that I used to record things in a journal. I decided to commit what I saw to memory and draw what I could in a used notebook using a pen and colored pencils.

I took some time trying to remember details of the vine, flowers, seed pods and leaves. After reviewing later, I noticed that there were a lot of inaccuracies in my notes. Oh, well!A few days later, I was able to borrow my friend Ashley's camera but the flowers had all fallen off and the seed pods were all gone! I was pretty frustrated to say the least. I decided to ask the neighbor to see if he knew anything about the mystery plant. Good thing I asked because I found out that he was responsible for my missing samples.

He said that the Filipinos use the plant as a vegetable and the Ilocanos called them bagkobagkong and that the Pangasinans called them, abopoyat. He said that you can simply boil the seed pods and eat them like that. I imagined that they looked liked Psophocarpus tetragonolobus or winged beans (sigarillas in Tagalog; sigidiyas in Chamorro).

A few weeks later, there were more flowers and a few more seed pods. I just had to borrow Ashley's camera again. Recording what they looked like in pictures was just the beginning: Identifying them would take longer I figured.

The flowers.Flowers and heart-shaped leaves (I drew the leaves as a tripinnate incorrectly). The "winged" four-sided seed pods (I noted three-sided incorrectly). More seed pods and leaves.

Fresh leaves. The old ones turn a dull yellow color.

It is a good thing that plants and animals are grouped and classified according to similarities in their parts. The best clue I had to their identity also came from the neighbor who ate them! I didn't have a chance to see the pods mature so that I could look at the seeds, so I asked him if he knew what they looked like. He said that they were like cotton! That was a great clue because I thought that the fruits would contain "winged" seeds like the African tulip or gold or trumpet tree since their pod looked like dehiscent pods (pods that open when they mature and dry to disburse seeds).

RESEARCH
I know that milkweeds in the dogbane family had similar structures in seeds and seed pods, so it wasn't long before my Internet searches led me to upon the genus Hoya, or wax vines. This was a whole new world for me because I never knew that they had such a big following. People collect them like orchids and there are hybrids and highly sought after varieties.

I sought the help of Margie, a Swedish mother of 5, who owns a website on Hoyas called Hoyor.net that has been online since 1999. She is a collector and an expert with approximately 250 Hoyas in her collection! She pointed out that the leaves of my mystery vine did not come paired like all Hoyas and that they are probably a relative. She also pointed me to Ted Green of Rare-Hoyas.com. Ted's fame comes from the fact that he has introduced more than 1/3 of all the Hoyas currently being traded. He finally helped me identify my plant of genus Telosma! Thank you Ted & Margie!

A few more searches revealed that Telosma flowers are eaten as vegetables but only found one site about them in the from the Philippines. It's entitled Fruits & Vegetables of the Forest and calls Telosma precumbens, babagkong. The flowers are collected and eaten, and the site claims that these wild vegetables are more nutritious than the farmed vegetables (although more expensive). This is most likely the information that I was looking for! It also states that the vine flowers during the rainy months of June through December.

Here is a picture of the collected flowers from that website
(Food & Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region).

I also found some information on the Telosma that is eaten as a vegetable in Thailand. It is called Dok Kachorng in the Thai language and here is a photo from a blog showing a delicious looking Telosma stir fried with what looks like garlic and chicken. Looks yummy, right? Well, I’ll have to ask the local Thai restaurants here to see if they ever serve Dok Kachorng!

This photo is from this blog and they have pictorials and the recipe in Thai.

A Telosma native of China and India that has become a favorite lei flower in Hawai’i is the Pakalana, or Telosma cordata. The yellow green flowers are not really known for their beauty but more for their fragrance.

This picture of a gorgeous Pakalana and Pikake lei is from Sweetblossomshawaii.com

I found also found a plant survey online done in Guam's War in the Pacific National Historic Park. According to the article, they found Pakalana where the Piti Guns are located, and according to Dr. Lynn Raulerson (my old biology professor! Wootwoot!), they are most likely escapees from someones property that became naturalized there.

A Legend

It is said that the Pakalana’s fragrance becomes more intense in the evening. In fact the Chinese name, Ye Lai Xiang (夜来香), literally means, “fragrance comes through the night”. There is even a Chinese legend that tells of a fierce army that lay siege to a castle. As the day grew late, the Pakalana flowers that lined the countryside leading up to the castle started opening and sending out their fragrance. The later it became, the more intense the Pakalana’s perfume lingered in the air consequently, calming the soldier’s down. By nightfall, the soldiers were disarmed by the fragrance giving up the siege and the castle was, in the end, saved by the Ye Lai Xiang!

DRAW!

Well that is my story about my mystery vine. I hope you liked talking stories with me once again. I also hope that there is inspiration in this that taking notes the old fashion way is still a good way to record things that are important, and that all it takes are observation, some paper and something to write with. Plus, its fun to doodle stuff! I always appreciate a good Star Wars doodle!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

P.S. If you want to research more Telosma cordata has other synonyms and many common names: Telosma minor, Pergularia minor, Oxystelma ovatum, Telosma odoratissima, Asclepias cordata, Pergularia odoratissima, Pakalana vine, Tonkin Jasmine, Cowslip Creeper, and Chinese violet. Sorry, but I could not find anything else about Telosma precumbens or if it is another synonym to T. cordata.

7724: MLK jr

2010-01-16T01:12:00.000-08:00

On a bright August day, I had the special privilege to see Martin Luther King, Jr.’s neighborhood, church and library when I visited Atlanta, GA last year. Here’s to the remembrance of a great activist and a man of peace.

The Mahatma- The Great Soul

What footprints do we leave on this earth?

The library

"Behold, the only thing greater than yourself."

Here he rests...

...that we may reflect on his words, his actions, and his life.

The church

The "Stone of Help"

He lived here.

This was his neighborhood

Life continues

“Free at last, free at last

I thank God I'm free at last

Free at last, free at last

I thank God I'm free at last
Way down yonder in the graveyard walk

I thank God I'm free at last

Me and my Jesus going to meet and talk

I thank God I'm free at last
On my knees when the light pass'd by

I thank God I'm free at last

Tho't my soul would rise and fly

thank God I'm free at last
Some of these mornings, bright and fair

I thank God I'm free at last

Goin' meet King Jesus in the air

I thank God I'm free at last”

Many injustices still exist for us to fight. Let us not be content and complacent. We must continue to fight.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Ceremony

2010-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

I will tell you something about stories,
[he said]
They aren't just for entertainment.
Don't be fooled
They are all we have, you see,
all we have to fight off illness and death.
You don't have anything
if you don't have the stories.
Their evil is mighty
but it can't stand up to our stories.
So they try to destroy the stories
let the stories be confused or forgotten
They would like that
They would be happy
Because we would be defenseless then.

From Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

I have been feeling imbalanced for quite some time now. The work year got really busy and I had trouble in the keeping boundaries that should keep me mentally, emotionally and physically healthy. It didn’t help that I am usually hard on myself when the year comes to an end. This is the time that I usually become retrospective and analyze whether or not I was successful in what I set forth to do.

I felt overstretched and I couldn’t get to the point where I was content and happy. Then the shootings happened, there was a break in at work, break-ins at friend’s houses and cars. My church family mourned the murder and assault of a young student missionary in Yap, and then one of our own was attacked at night a week later in San Antonio and possibly could have ended up the same way if she wasn’t able to pry herself away. There are still no leads as to who broke in to our office even though there were finger prints lifted. The man who attempted rape and possibly murder in San Antonio still roams Saipan free, and I am sure, had a fun ole time celebrating Christmas and New Years. There were witnesses at that store parking lot but no one did anything that night and no one is coming around to say what they saw. I am sick to my stomach and have had enough of the insidious criminal attitude in my beautiful Saipan.

I stopped writing. I stopped the celebrating. Then slowly the holiday spirit took over. Being with friends, celebrating with the children, praying and the time off from work finally got me to a better place. Then a friend was uncharacteristically upbeat, thankful and optimistic. I appreciated his words, and I finally figured out that my resolution should be those exact three words. Life continues, and my island needs me still- healthy and able to help.

The New Year's Blue Moon on New Year's Day- Saipan Lagoon, Garapan

I started this entry with, a excerpt of Leslie Marmon Silko's book because I was reminded that talking stories with you is important to me. Also in the story, Tayo, the protagonist, partook in traditional ceremonies to help restore his spirit so that he may be able to overcome the demons in his life that haunted him. I have been feeling that I should reconnect with nature and the Creator this new year, so I am gathering some materials for a purification ceremony. I'll probably go to a beach where I can be alone, fast, pray, bathe, and perform a smudge ceremony. I'm really looking forward to this and I'll have to give you an update on a later entry.

Happy New Year, my friends. Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

A Gun is a Coward's Weapon

2009-11-19T20:30:00.001-08:00

I'm at the hospital right now where we are all scrambling because of a shooting spree, possibly at two locations. There is a lot of hearsay and rumors about what happened, and what is happening right now. Schools are all on lockdown as well as most government offices.
Saipan is peaceful and safe most of the time. But too many idiots can and own guns. Guns make killing easy. It is a coward's weapon.

This is all too familiar to me, and too close to my heart as an issue. I am sure today will be a day that we will all mourn about and one that will not be easily forgotten.

Be safe. Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Update: One of the first details here.

Arachnida!!!

2009-11-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Friday the 13th has a creepy connotation to some people who may believe it to be a day of bad luck. I’ll just use it as a day to talk stories about something else that some people think is creepy: Arachnids!

Arachnids are a class of invertebrates that have jointed legs. Arachnids look like insects, but a major difference is that the former has eight legs and the latter, six. This class includes spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites. If you have a fear of spiders or other arachnids also known as arachnophobia, then do not proceed! I want to talk stories about some discoveries that I personally think are cool!
Crab spiders
I was admiring the beauty and appreciating the sweet smell of the oleander flowers one day. I always think about how deadly this plant is because of the cardiac glycosides, oleandrin and neriine, that they contain. Ingesting any part of the plant can be deadly to people, especially children. A closer look at the beautiful yet deadly flowers yielded another deadly agent at work! Well, deadly to other bugs, that is.

Can you see the crab spider hidden within the flowers? It is easy to miss her at first glace.
Crab spiders (Thomisidae family) are called that because they look like crabs and like crabs, they can move sideways or backwards. Their two front pairs of legs angle out and are always ready to grab their prey. They usually have flattened bodies that are often angular.
Crab spiders do not build webs to trap prey, but are hunters. Some species sit on or among flowers, bark, fruit or leaves where they ambush visiting insects by grabbing them. Some are even able to change colors to match the flower on which they're waiting.
I can't identify what type of crab spider this is. I've seen at least two kinds here. Another kind is half the size of this one with a white body and green legs. This one is ready to strike any insect seeking the oleander's sweet nectar.
Pseudoscorpions
I owe this next discovery to DJ. A few nights ago, he asked me if we had any scorpions on Saipan. I said, "yes we do" but have only seen them in pictures. DJ then told me where he could find some, and even though it was already dusk, we grabbed a flashlight and headed to the field behind his house.

He showed me where to collect them in the loose bark of a guava tree, and they were tiny! The body is about 1.5mm! Ashley, DJ's older sister remembered finding these as well when she was in grade school at Mount Carmel.
Here's a closer view where you can see the segmented body. Pseudoscorpions or false scorpions are called that because they lack the stinging tail found in real scorpions. I am sorry that I can't identify these little guys, but there are at least 5 types of pseudoscorpions in the Marianas.
Pseudoscorpions aren't dangerous to humans. They are actually beneficial since they eat a lot of other insects that we consider as pests. In fact, some of them live in books and eat book eating insects like silverfish and moths (some people call them book scorpions because of this). Because they don't have stinging tails their poison can be delivered by their pincers to kill or paralyze their prey. Some pseudoscorpions even hitch rides on flying insects, like flies, to get from one place to another!

We returned our friend back to his home soon after taking these pictures. We will now have to find some real scorpions now that we have an idea how to find them. I read somewhere that you can find them in Causarina or ironwood bark.

Well, I hope that all this talking about arachnids wasn't too creepy to you all. Until the next discovery:

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

UPDATE November 19, 2009: A list of NMI pseudoscorpions on record can be found in the Washington Museum website. It lists 12 kinds here. The one DJ found is most likely Geogarypus longidigitatus (Rainbow, 1897). The crab spider is most likely Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757), which is also commonly called the Goldenrod Spider or Flower Spider.

7724: Too late or Too early

2009-11-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

A few friends have sent me pictures of their autumn season this year and a couple like Mai and Sean have blogged about theirs. I envy them this because I have never experienced the turning of the season and have never seen the leaves turn colors.

It was too early too see any of the Fall colors when I visited Atlanta in August. There were some colors in the trees that caught my eyes here and there and made me excited thinking that I am catching a glimpse. But no- it was just too early.

It is pretty clear from this Maple tree that it was too early.

Even this Japanese Maple said the same thing. There is a hint of color.
Or is that just me seeing things?

These young sycamore fruits caught my eyes though! Close, but no.

Then, there was this dying branch that turned its leaves all red! Pretty exciting huh?

I saw some color in these trees. I believe they were crab apple trees and the few people I asked didn’t seem to know whether these colors are “normal” for that time of the year. These were at the parking lot of the DeKalb Farmers Market.

Not sure what's going on here with these colors,
but I was pretty excited to see them, none the less.

The market is a huge 140,000-square-foot building that boasts foods from all over the world. It began humbly as a produce stand in 1977 and the market expanded in 1986 to its current dimensions.
One of the things I listed in my “2009 To Do List” was to eat a Georgia peach. They had fruits from all over the world but to my dismay- No Georgia peaches! It was too late in the season! I did eat some from Oregon and sampled a few kinds of plums and nectarines. I also tried some exotics from Latin America like guineps, mameys and pluots. Of course, who from Saipan can resist strawberries that's less than $4.00?

This is a Mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) and it is related to our local chiko or Sapodilla (Manilkara achras). Too bad it wasn’t ripe enough for me to eat.

It is more aromatic than the chiko; the flesh more orange than brown.

Check out the huge seed. Doesn’t it look like a beetle?

I also had "Smell a Magnolia flower" in my 2009 To Do List, but again, I was too late. I only saw full blooms on route to the airport and I couldn't get to them without lugging my luggage with me. Oh, well. Maybe next year. Here is a Magnolia bud I saw unopened.
Enjoy Autumn, wherever you are.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Good Bye, My Gaogao

2009-10-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Gaogao will die out on Saipan. Gaogao (Erythrina variegata var. orientalis), also known as the Cat's Claw or Coral Tree, is being attacked by the Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) or EGW .

INFECTION AND INFESTATIONThe tiny wasps (females are 1.5mm; males are 1.0mm) lay their eggs in the young leaves and stem tissue of the Gaogao. The eggs then develop into larvae that feed upon the Gaogao as they mature.
The leaves develop damaging galls (abnormal tumors and outgrowths) and fall off. Petioles and shoots swell up and curl growing in an ineffectual manner. These pictures are of the young Gaogao trees planted across the Hyatt Hotel, Garapan on Coral Tree Road. I took these picture on October 2007. Many of the trees there are dying two years later. There is a loss of growth and vigor for the trees, and heavy infestations can cause attacks from other pests and diseases more easily. Ultimately, the trees will die. I started noticing familiar and well established Gaogao trees on my outings and hikes. Check out this leafless and lifeless giant. I found this dead tree at the Laderan Tanke Trail this year. March was supposed to be the height of this tree's blooming season. Notice the rotting bark on the trunk.The Eythrina gall wasp was first described (Kim et al. 2004) from specimens infecting trees in Singapore, Mauritius, and Reunion. The next two years saw its spread to China, India, Taiwan, Philippines, Florida, American Samoa, Hawai’i and Guam. EGW started showing up on Saipan in 2007. It is uncertain if the wasps originated from Africa according to the discoverers. Our agriculturists believe that Saipan’s pests came from Tinian and Rota. Here is a picture of the wasp's life cycle from Fleming Arboretum:

Former Glory
The Gaogao is one of my favorite native trees in the CNMI. It is also for the native fauna (birds, Marianas Fruit Bat, insects, etc.). It is a tree that can match the beauty and flamboyance of the Flame Tree as I try to convince people to plant more natives. Traditional medicine also utilizes the Gaogao.

A hike through the Laderan Tanke' Trail this past March yielded some evidence in the leaf litter that some Gaogao trees survived to flower another season.

Crafters here also bead together the purplish seeds for necklaces and Bojogo dolls that are marketed to the tourists. Here, the seeds represent the doll's hands and feet.

Erythrina trees have a variety of functions in other locations as well. The flowering of the red flowers (erythros is Latin for red) is highly associated with farming and fishing activities in Taiwan. The flowering is a working calendar by tribal peoples as sign of the arrival of spring. It is a sign for the coastal tribes to start catching flying fish, and for the Puyama tribe to plant sweet potatoes. In American Samoa, the blooming trees signal the return of whales in their waters.

The following pictures are from July 2006 at the American Memorial Park, Garapan.

These are from February 2008 in San Roque at the Park Hotel Parking lot. It was one of the better sites to watch the birds that came out to celebrate the blooming of the Gaogao.

Can you see the Egigi or Cardinal honeyeater (Myzomela cardinalis saffordi) in the picture below? This endemic subspecies of the honeyeaters found in Micronesia is a fervent nectar eater and loves the Gaogao.

There's the Egigi! The Nosa or Bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus) is usually seen as a hungry insectivore foraging on leaves and twigs. It does not shy away from the delicious nectar brought on by the Gaogao blooms though. Can you see the tiny fella in the picture below? I must have counted more than 20 birds in these trees. I am sorry for not having a camera with a nice zoom feature.

This tree is probably more than 100 ft (30.48m) tall and found in Chalan Kanoa during the 2009 bloom also in February.

These are what the seeds look like as well as the seed pod and flower bracts. These are from the trees of the CNMI Retirement Building, Capitol Hill from February of last year.

In Hawai’i, the wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) another species of Gaogao is a revered native and indigenous tree. It is used as an ornamental as well as for functional landscaping (windbreaks, hedges, erosion control). The soft mature wood has been used for booms and floats for single hull canoes and long surfboards. The seeds are collected and beaded for leis that can fetch up to $500 each. Since the EGW infestation, Hawai’i has tried physical (cutting down or remove and replace), chemical and biological controls to save the wiliwili. . Some people feel that the best way to preserve the wiliwili is to collect and bank as many seeds as they can before they are all gone.

The following images of the wiliwili is from Forest and Kim Starr. The Maui based biologists work for the Univesity of Hawai'i and have an environmental consulting firm for conservation involved in protecting the wiliwili.

The beautiful wiliwili bloom.APPARENT DAMAGE

It is also unfortunate that some people in agriculture and forestry limited the planting of the Gaogao in recent years. They believed that more Gaogao trees would help host and propagate more fruit piercing moths that could eventually infect fruit crops. There is a delicate balance to nature especially in our small islands that is why we should be careful as to what is introduced in our land and waters.

We will eventually see all of the Gaogao trees die in Saipan. An article in the Marianas Variety reports that our entomologists and agriculturists will let them all die thinking that their extinction will lead to the starvation and the eventual elimination of the EGW and fruit piercing moths. In a few years, the Gaogao can be reintroduced free of pests.

This well established tree in Middle Road, San Jose across the Taste of India Restaurant withered and died this year.

I usually look forward to the Gaogao blooms in March. I enjoy watching the full crown of the trees in red and the creatures that come out for the food providing flowers. I also try to show the blooms to as many people as I can so that they are aware of the importance of CNMI’s native trees. Many of the trees that I visit for the flowers are now dead. I will miss the Gaogao sorely.
My heart breaks for you
I will miss seeing you bloom
Good bye, my Gaogao

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Tropical Storm 23W

2009-10-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

Seems like all I've been blogging about is the weather. Well, we have another storm in the area: Tropical Storm 23W! Pray that the CNMI is spared once again.

It has been so busy lately and there has been no time to blog. I will have to catch up with the writing. Stay dry and take care, all.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Smoking Ban & Tourism

2009-10-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

There is a Letter to the Editor in the Marianas Variety saying that the smoking ban on Saipan is bad for small businesses that depend on tourism since a large percent of tourists smoke. According to the author, a smoking ban will deter many tourists from business establishments where they can't smoke resulting in them not wanting to come back and them telling their friends not to visit.

I've heard this argument before and it holds no water. Where is the evidence for this. None were presented so I am going to say that it is an assumption. Is there evidence of smoking bans NOT harming the tourism industry though ? Here's one from the American Cancer Society website siting a study published in the The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 1999:281:1911-8). There are more.

The author of the letter also calls for voters to find out which lawmakers agreed to pass the Smoke Free Air Act (CNMI Public Law 16-46) and not vote for "lawmakers that will work for the people not against them". I say, consider reelecting them. Shake their hands when you see them. Thank them for being champions of public health in the CNMI. Thank [Rep.] Justo Quitugua, the author of the bill, [Rep.] Ralph Torres, chairman for the Health, Education and Welfare Committee, and Speaker Arnold Palacios and Vice Speaker Joseph Guerrero for caring about our health.

Thank you for the clean air, less chronic diseases, less children with respiratory problems, and better understanding of what does or does not affect tourism.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Earthquakes and Tsunami Watches

2009-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

From the CNMI Emergency Management Office:

TSUNAMI WATCH IS N EFFECT FOR MARIANA ISLANDS
BULLETIN NO. 001, October 8, 2009, 8:30 A.M.

The Emergency Management Office, Office of the Governor, would like to inform the general public that at 8:05 a.m. this morning, Thursday, October 08, 2009, there was an earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 8.0 on Richter scale located at latitude 13.0 degrees South 166.3 degrees East, Vanuatu Island region. This is about 2,400 miles South Southeast of Saipan.

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS N EFFECT FOR MARIANA ISLANDS.
Estimated time of arrival for the Tsunami Wave is 0323 UTC or 1:23 pm, CHST.

This is the 2nd tsunami watch we received in 2 weeks due to the American Samoa earthquake on September 30, 2009. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Vanuatu about 2 hours ago but there are no reports yet of any possible damage. Vanuatu is much closer to Saipan vs. American Samoa so we are all watching this one much closer! We hope that the people of Vanuatu are all right and that the tremors do not cause damaging waves elsewhere.

Okay, it looks like people are Twittering that they are okay in Vanuatu.

Take care and ti napu (literally, no waves)!

The Beachcomber

Super Typhoon Melor (20W)- Spared!

2009-10-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

That's a satellite infrared photo of Super Typhoon Melor (20W) moving
west of the Marianas (from the National Weather Service Forecast Office)

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we here on Saipan were spared most of the damage from Super Typhoon Melor (20W)! It could have been a disaster but the storm drifted far enough from us to cause only a little flooding, a few downed trees, power outages and delays in our everyday routines. We were very lucky and blessed! Please be careful if you are going to check out the waves since our waters remain trecherous. Check out this photo from the Marianas Variety taken by our friend Chris Nelson:Can you see the Banzai Cliff memorials in the picture? What's crazier is that the weather was so clear there 2 days before when I took a friend around sight seeing! Anyway, I am glad that we are all safe and got to spend some stormy moments with some of my favorite people.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber