Ok, ok....stop your belly aching. Here goes another post to all you whiners out there....and you know who you are:)
Man, I've really been living the laid back life the past few weeks. Audra was busy winding up school so I just hung around the apartment most of the time working on my crafty stuff and swimming and talking with the neighbors and apartment workers. It started raining more last week and I was thinking we were starting with the rainy season (July through August) but we are back to the normal one or two rain storms during the day again. I will miss the rain when I leave. It is so neat watching the down pours they have and then seeing the water immediately vanish once it's stopped! Some places have puddles but not many. The ground just sucks all the moisture right in.
I found a web site called "You Know You're in Saipan When" and loved the guys comments so decided to share some with you and add my own comments (they will be in pink). His comments are so true.......so here goes...
You Know You're in Saipan When.....
White people are called haolies (howl-ees)(Hawaiian for "without breath")
• When you order milk you are asked, "Do you want it warm, or cold?"
The milk here comes in square boxes and don't need to be refrigerated. Once you put them into the fridge though they have to stay there. It tastes like our milk does stateside too.
• You no longer notice when armies of ants (of all sizes– 1mm to 1.5in) parade across your walls
Ahh yes....the pesky ants. They are everywhere and keep the cats entertained. They even crawl on you at night while you're sleeping. You get used to them after awhile. The big ants don't bite, just the itty bitty ones.
• Silver or gold teeth are a status symbol on adults. The kids have them until their permanent teeth come in
The kids in Audra's class have the silver teeth. They call them "spacers". I guess it's low class NOT to have the silver teeth in and just have a blank spot in your mouth until your permanent teeth come in.
• Veggie egg rolls are called "lumpia" (loom-pee-uh) and contain spam
Spam is very much alive and well in Saipan:)
• Spam is not low class– it's a delicacy available in 10 varieties
No kidding.......I didn't know there were so many different kinds of Spam!
• Saying a bar is a "karaoke club" is another way of saying it is a strip club or brothel
I was all excited to go to the Karaoke Clubs until I read this. They are all over the place. I just assumed it was a fun thing to do here:(
• The roads are: Beach Road, Middle Road and Airport Road– the rest have no names
This is NOT a totally true statement because there are street names here but nobody uses them except for Beach Road, Middle Road, Navy Hill Road and Capitol Hill. They tell you want a place you are looking for is near (just past McDonalds, a block away from the church, past the Toyota Dealer......)
• Your directions for the pizza guy sound something like this: "Go down Beach Road to Chalan Piao. Take the road that takes you behind the Mobil across from the Pacific Gardenia Hotel– it's the house right there, on the corner."
Exactly what I was saying above. You learn all the important business sites and landmarks pretty quickly in order to find your way around here
• There are about 30 Mobil stations within a 3x12 mile radius and Gas is $2.09 a gallon
I WISH gas was only $2.09 a gallon. It's up to $4.75 now:(
You are allowed to ride in the back of pick up trucks with infants, dogs, or any combination of the t, but these but if you're riding up front, you better have your seatbelts fastened or you'll get a ticket
You see this all over. At first I was shocked seeing kids in the back and women holding babies but it is not against the law. But heaven forbid you're up front and don't have that seat belt on!
• Every beverage except bottled water is expensive. Water is $2/5 gallons, free delivery. Bud Light is $18/case, Coca-Cola is $10/case
Bottled water is now $2.50 for a 5 gallon bottle. You pick up the phone and call the place, tell them what you want and they deliver it right to your place. No contracts needed. A case of coke costs $12 now and I don't know what beer costs.
• Cookout fundraisers do not include burgers. Instead, you marinate chicken, ribs, & hot dogs (yes, you marinate the hot dogs), and let it all soak outside overnight
• No one has a mailbox (or address, for that matter). Everyone has a P.O. Box
• Stray Dogs/Muts and cats are called Boonie dogs or Boonie cats
• Air conditioning is Air Con
The air conditioning units don't look anything like ours. There is no central air conditioning but units that are put on the wall. Normally apartments only have one big one in the main area and none in the bedrooms unless you buy your own. No overhead fans either.
• Off and On are verbs (as in, "Can you off the air con?")
• The power goes out a couple times a week
Now I know what "rolling" blackouts are. The apartment complex has a back-up generator thankfully:) It goes off at least once a day now.
• Your drug of choice is beetlenut (legal for young and old alike!). You go out in your yard, pick the nut, open it up, throw in some tobacco (from a crushed cigarette) and lime, wrap it up in a leaf, and chew it like chewin' tobacker. It stains your teeth (and anything you spit on) red. Mmmmm.....
You have not seen anything until you see a bettlenut smile!
• Speed bumps outnumber traffic lights by the hundreds
And NOT marked so you have to be really careful driving on the non-main roads. I read an letter to the editor the other day requesting all the bumps be marked but I think it would take forever to do that!
• You can walk just about anywhere, but the locals think you're crazy if you do. The sidewalks begin in a no particular spot and end randomly
You are taking you life into your hands if you walk here except where there are sidewalks that you count on not ending. There are some bike lanes but not many. Pretty scary!!!
• 80% of your class is related to someone else in the class
This island is only 15 miles long and 5 miles wide after all:)
• No less than 2 students bring "euks" (eukeleles) to your class
When I flew into Saipan from Guam there were kids waiting for the Guam flight at the airport playing their "euks". You see the older kids walking around with them everywhere.
• When your name is "Miss" regardless
I'm either called "Mame" or Miss Pat:)
• When you can wear Birkenstocks to your real profession job
Audra hit the jackpot working here. Anything goes, no dress code what so ever. You see teachers in short, capris, jeans, any kind of shirt, flip-flops..............my kind of dress code and Audra's too!
So there you have a brief look at life on this island. It is truly like taking a step back in time and I love it!
Remember to be nice to each other and good night:)
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