Twilight Dance

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.

Moon Legends

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

Bring My Heart to the Sea

I usually can't pass up an opportunity to go on a hike nor a chance to show off Saipan to our visitors. So when Chrissie, Devon and Lindsey asked me if I could give them directions to Forbidden Island, I had to ask, “Who, when and what time are you going?” The ladies are visiting our islands for a few weeks working with the local health department as part of their Master’s and Doctorate Programs.

Chrissie, Devon and Lindsey at the top of the hike.

Their schedule worked for me since I usually immerse myself in nature on Saturday’s after church anyway and it matched their request to venture out when the sun wasn’t so intense. It turned out to be an overcast day too which spared us a couple of digits temperature wise.

A view of the fringing reef.

The islet known by the name Forbidden.

Not only is Forbidden Island a scary name, but this sign gives a clear warning why care needs to be taken at this site. I always advise visitors to go with a guide that is familiar with the place. This area is full of Scaevola sericea, shrubs commonly known as Half-flowers.

The hidden pool.

The tide was very low even inside the hidden pool. We were actually able to stand on the bottom of the pool because it was so low! Luckily, the swimming area at the end of the beach was calm and deep enough for us to enjoy. We jumped in, cooled off, saw a few crabs and Abudefdufs (Sargeant major damselfish), and traded stories on stonefish.

Chrissie is Hawaiian and spent some in the Marshall Islands last year teaching. We shared some Hawaiian plant lore and I will share with you now one of my favorites, the famous story of:

The Naupaka

In the time of the ancients, there was a beautiful Hawaiian princess named, Naupaka. The villagers started noticing that their princess was often very sad. They approached her parents, who then asked Naupaka why she was troubled."

I have fallen in love with Kaui," the princess said. "But Kaui is not of noble birth. He is a fisherman; a commoner." In Hawaiian tradition, it was strictly forbidden for those of royal lineage to marry a commoner. Hearing this broke her parents’ hearts.

Together, Naupaka and Kaui climbed up a high mountain to see a wise kahuna (chief) to seek his advice. The wise kahuna lived in a heiau (temple) on top of the mountain but his wisdom failed him this time as there was no clear answer for the young lovers. His only advice for them was for them to offer prayers at the heiau.

As the young lovers prayed, rain began to fall reflecting the sorrow that was in their hearts. They knew the answer then. It seemed that their gods will never allow them to be together. Broken hearted, Naupaka and Kaui embraced for the last time to say good bye. Naupaka took a flower from her ear and tore it in half and gave the other half to Kaui. Naupaka said, “I will leave you here in the mountains, while I go back to our people by the sea."

Soon curious plants started growing in the mountains. When the plants finally started to bloom, they only put forth half flowers. Even more curious, similar plants that also bloomed in only half flowers also started growing by the sea.

Beach Naupaka

The Hawaiian people named these flowers Naupaka after their princess who was banished to the sea forever separated from her lover who was banished to the mountains. It is said that to bring together a Mountain Naupaka and a Beach Naupaka is to reunite the two lovers.

Aside from this version of the legend, the Beach Naupaka (Scaevola sericea) also known as Naupaka Kahakai (literally Naupaka by the sea), is one of the most common beach plants in tropical and subtropical Pacific and Indian Ocean coasts. In Chamorro, it is called Nanaso. The shrubs typically have large leaves. Their small half flowers are white with purplish streaks and bloom in clusters. The fruits are white and the juice can be squeezed into the eyes to relieve soreness. The young leaves are cooked and eaten in India as a vegetable.

Mountain Naupaka

In Hawaii, there are nine different species of Naupaka, and six of them are endemic and only found there. The Naupaka Kaahiwi or Mountain Naupaka is one of them. I've been told that it differs from the Beach Naupaka in that it has a mild sweet fragrance which the beach Naupaka lacks. Its leaves are also pointed and serrated.

To me, the legend of the Naupaka is a reminder that sometimes, to be with the one that you love is just as difficult as uniting the mountain with the sea. Or at times, love may never bloom completely.

Ti napu,

The Beachcomber

(I didn't have my camera with me that day so thank you Chrissie for you and the girls' photos! Also I need to give photo credits for the Mountain Naupaka to Forest & Kim Starr (USGS) and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for the Beach Naupaka).

Laurina and the moon

My friend Yerma R. sent me a forwarded email about National Friendship Week that listed several virtues of what a true friend is. The original email was sent sometime in October and I can’t seem to Google when the actual dates of the week are. Anyway, I usually don’t even read emails that are of the “FW:” kind but it just so happened that I have been thinking about posting about my best friend here on Saipan. I thought I should get some good solid quotations and sayings regarding friendship, but I decided against it because they don’t seem so genuine. I’ll just list a few things that I appreciate about my best friend recently here and end this blog describing a piece that I cut for her.

• You are quick to laugh at my stupidity, and quick to forgive my faults
• Once, we argued for a whole semester and didn’t talk or even look at each other. Now, our arguments don’t even last a day
• It’s important to me that we pray together, although I do most of the praying out loud
• I know that I can trust you with anything, and you will see anything through
• You think that I am so smart, and pretend that I am a genius even though you know that I am BS-ing
• When I got into a car accident in May, you cleaned up my house so that I would have space for my peg leg and crutches to fit. You cooked for me many meals after the accident, got mad when I wanted to work after a week, and became my personal RN
• You were willing to try new things with me even though they made you uncomfortable (sounds questionable I know, but I am just really talking about badminton and lifting weights …Hahaha!)
• You are my beachcombing buddy that always wants to go outside with me (oftentimes, the one telling me to get up off my butt)
• You’ve done my laundry, filed my taxes, lent me money and are my personal unflinching dermatologist (I am so glad you are a nurse)
• In public, you are fearless to let me know if I’ve got a boogie or if my breath stinks so that I don’t embarrass myself
• You are good at what you do and I trust you professionally as a colleague
• You laugh when you want to laugh. You sing when you want to sing. You do it both in your own style, but always with class
• Although you and I don’t have a lot of money, you are not cheap in our friendship
• Your heart is gold
• I am glad that you can eat a meal now without rice, but if the meal does come with rice, I still need you to limit my intake
• You believe and you are proud of me
• Your kids and your family love me because you love me
• Your friends think I am special because I am special to you
• You’re willing to see foreign films, documentaries, and anything I want to see that’s not so mainstream from the Block (but how far from mainstream can you really get at Blockbuster?)
• You don’t think I am effeminate when I sing and make actions to Best Days by Matt White
• You like reading my blog and are critical of the things I write
• You’ve seen me through three tough breakups and was always there when I needed you, and gave me space when I needed to be alone
• When my last GF proposed that we get married, you were willing to be my Best (wo)Man and wear a tuxedo
• You are strong when I am weak (because you know that I am all about the drama, baby)
• You understand my “idzi nu iptakcho pabo ya”
• The egotistical married jackasses that always seem to flirt with you have no clue that they are so tiny and so out of your league. Guys, you’re making other guys look bad for being so dumb!
• You know the most about mi Gabriella
• You can find anything that I lose in my house (She says that if "that" was detachable, I would lose it too!)
• You are so beautiful; thank goodness you allowed yourself that backless outfit!
• I thank God for putting you in my life everyday
  Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera….

This is my best friend, Laurina B. I could list so many more things about her here, but words will never do her justice, nor justice to how lucky I am to have her as a friend.

Here is my bru, Laurina with some of our friends (Jeanette, Grace, and Chi) at the Thursday Night Street Market in Garapan Saipan. Laurina always gets coconut juice while I get the beef barbecue sticks.

Laurina is wearing Pulan yan Tasi (moon and sea), a piece made of hima salape’ (giant clam money bead) and a square Spondylus pendant. Hima is hard to cut because it is dense and crystalline. It chips and cracks if it gets too hot while cutting, grinding or polishing. The square Spondylus piece is an uncommon color very different from the traditional orange colored Spondylus salape’ that the ancient Chamorros fashioned. The shell fragment that I fashioned it from polished quite nicely, but it was rough and eroded when I found it. Even though it is pretty solid, it is thin and only a few millimeters in thickness. This square design, I also owe to Laurina and it reminds me of the moon above the sea at night with its reflection in the water and the waves.

In Chamorro legend, the moon came from the god Puntan, who before dying, transferred his extraordinary powers to his sister, Fu’una and requested that his body parts be put to creative use. She created the beautiful island of Guahan using Puntan’s body: his back for the earth, his chest for the sky, his eyebrows as the rainbows, the right eye as the sun, and the left eye as the stars and moon. This legend illustrates the link that the Chamorro people believe they have to the sun, the moon and the stars. Just like the gualafon (full moon) Laurina brightens my life everyday on Saipan.

Thanks for being my friend, and thanks for letting me share once again.

The Beachcomber