Photo courtesy of Guampedia.com The Beauty and Culture of the Island of Guam
A number of you have asked about my home island, Guam — what it’s like, how a blogger like me emerged from a tiny island, stuff like that. So today I thought I’d share a little about Guam, just to give you some background on me and my home, and share a new resource for learning all about Guam.
My Home
While I was born in Portland, Oregon and have lived in Seattle and more recently in the SF Bay Area (Sunset District of SF and Vallejo), most of my life has been spent here on Guam. It’s a fairly small tropical island in the middle of the Pacific, a U.S. territory since 1898 (except during World War II, when it was occupied by Japanese forces), a very Catholic but very American island.
I spent most of my childhood here, and have lived here my entire adult life. My mom is Irish/German-American (originally from Wisconsin) but grew up here since elementary school. My father is Chamorro, the native ethnicity of Guam, and part Filipino too. Guam is home, the only home my children have known.
I will probably live in other places — I’m contemplating a move to California in the fairly near future — but Guam will be my final resting place, I imagine. While not all of the 160,000 people here know each other, we are a fairly close-knit community, and you can’t go anywhere without meeting several people you know. If you meet someone you don’t know, it only takes a minute to find a connection — you are related to them somehow, or you used to work with their relative, or your neighbor is their godbrother, or something like that.
I love Guam and its people, although I don’t love everything about this island. We have our problems like anywhere else — we have government corruption sometimes, but have mostly honest government workers. We have problems with potholes and trash sometimes, but usually things run fine. There is a lot of trash and things that can be cleaned up and stray dogs in some areas, but above all the natural beauty of the island shines through. It can be very hot and humid here, but mostly it’s just stunningly gorgeous weather in the 70s and 80s and sometimes 90s.
America in the Pacific
Think of Guam as a little slice of America, but Pacific Island-style. Guam is a lot like a small town in the U.S., with malls and fast food restaurants (we have most of them, but not all), Kmart and Home Depot and Internet access practically everywhere. We have roads and power and American-style schools and everyone speaks English (though perhaps with a Chamorro accent many times). And while we don’t vote for president, we are democratic and as patriotic as any American small town — we have a higher rate of enlistment in the U.S. military, per capita, than any other place last time I checked, and a higher rate of war casualties by our men and women in the military in most wars than other places in America.
But if we’re very American in many ways, we’re also not in others. We have a very Spanish, Catholic tradition, for example. We celebrate Catholic holidays, and have fiestas all the time, and many people speak Chamorro, a blend of our native language and Spanish. We are very family oriented, but not in the American nuclear family way — in a very extended family way. This focus on family — including not only second and third cousins and more, but a very extensive system of godparents and godbrothers and sisters — actually conflicts with the American system of democracy many times. We want to help our family in any way possible, but when that means giving them government jobs or government favors, that’s illegal and results in corruption.
More than just being Spanish, though, we are native islanders. We have a long tradition of being connected to the sea, of being connected to the land, of being very tribal in many ways.
And so we are none of these things completely — American, Spanish, islander — but all of them at once. We are a changing community, from the more traditional elders to the more modern youngsters, with their Nintendo DS and MySpace and texting cell phones and Wiis and XBoxes.
What this means for me as a blogger and more
Most (but not all) people on Guam are unaware of what a blog even is. That said, there are a small number of us who are not only into technology but into blogs. I’m one of them, of course, and as you know I started a blog in early 2007 and it has taken off. No one on Guam knows this, aside from family members (and even some of them don’t really understand blogs yet) and a few friends. It’s interesting that I can connect with thousands and thousands (even millions) of people worldwide, but here at home I’m basically anonymous. I like that, actually, as I’m a shy person in real life.
So on Guam, we have computers and broadband and even wireless Internet access, but not a lot of awareness. It’s interesting, though, because as a writer, my market has always been limited to this small island of 160,000 people, through the local newspaper or the small local magazines we have here. To go beyond this small audience, until recently, I would have had to leave and go to a big city like San Francisco or L.A. or New York to try to compete with all the other writers over there. However, with the rise of blogs, I’ve been able to reach a global audience without leaving home. That’s an amazing change, not only for me but potentially for anyone here on Guam (and in other limited areas around the world) who have the talent and desire to reach above our previous limitations.
Aside from blogging, Guam is an interesting place for a person like me. I’m a vegetarian, and Guam is a very, very meat-based culture. People here can barely conceive of what it’s like to eat a meal without meat (that’s a generalization, of course, as there are other vegetarians on Guam but in a small and scattered way). There is meat and starches and sweets at every gathering, and Spam is almost a national food. Everything is fried or barbecued. There are some healthy restaurants, but they are few and far between, and eating vegetarian in most places means eating pasta.
As a runner, Guam is great, because it is warm all year round. It’s humid, which I think means that we run slower, but that’s not a big deal. It does rain a lot during the rainy season (Guam has two seasons: wet and dry) but it’s actually nice to run in the rain when it’s warm outside. There are stray dogs, but not so many that you can’t run through most small village roads or find a nice park to run in. There’s a very active running community, from the multitude of 5K races to the more hardcore Guam Running Club.
I could actually write about Guam for days, but I’ll stop here and answer any questions you have in the comments. In the meantime, I wanted to share an exciting new resource for learning more about Guam.
The Launch of Guampedia.com, and More About Guam
I’m excited to share with you the launch of Guampedia.com, an online encyclopedia about Guam and its history and culture. Not only is this an amazing new resource for people on Guam and elsewhere, but it’s exciting for two more personal reasons:
- It is the personal project of my mom, Shannon Murphy, an amazing woman who is my life’s inspiration and who has guided this project from the beginning. She put this together, with tons of help of many talented people and a great, great staff, and the awesome support of the Guam Humanities Council. Congrats, mom, and all the Guampedia and GHC staffers!
- I helped. I wrote a bunch of articles. I was supposed to write more, but this darn blog took up too much of my time. :)
Anyway, go over there and take a look, if you’re interested in more about Guam. It’s a great resource that will continue to grow in the years to come.
- Posted on 9 April 2008 in Aboutzenhabits |
- Digg |
- Del.icio.us |
- Stumble |
Comments (93)
John Says:
April 9th, 2008, 22:24 pm
I lived there for two years when I was little…it was absolutely beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
Of course, the cockroaches also left a lasting impression on me…
Nancy (aka money coach) Says:
April 9th, 2008, 22:28 pm
That was a moving post! I loved it! I grew up in nearly the opposite climate: up in Yellowknife, NWT, Canada - cold most of the year, and very isolated (except people fly south a lot). Although I now live in Vancouver, B.C., I completely resonated with your comments about being isolated, and nearly anonymous in Guam re: blogging, yet known around the world — that could have been me, had I stayed in Yellowknife (and developed a famous blog as you did). Thanks for the particularly inspirational post.
skyz Says:
April 9th, 2008, 22:37 pm
my family lived in the far east for decades before i was born - my maternal grandparents were married in hong kong lived in manila - my mother went to catholic boarding school in hong kong along with her sister - my parents were married at the manila hotel - later we lived on okinawa - i have been through guam many times on my way to the us for vacations - now i live on miami beach but living on those beautiful islands made for a magical childhood - no we were not military and we are all blue eyed americans - i have lived my whole life on one island or another - i love islands i love the ocean -
Chris Austria Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:04 pm
As I have indicated before in my comments, I visited Guam 15 years ago. I like Guam because it’s a blend of the United States, where I was raised, and the Philippines where I was born.
I totaly get your culture since it’s very similar to my Filipino-American culture…Can I look you up if I visit Guam with my family?
Tad Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:06 pm
Leo,
Guam sounds like a beautiful place. I live in Indiana, so 60% of the time it is very dreary. You should feel very fortunate to grow up and live in such a place!
Evan Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:10 pm
Guam sounds pleasant. Maybe when I’m older, i’ll take a trip there. I live in Texas, weather can be unbearable, all the time :(
Vered Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:25 pm
I find it fascinating that many bloggers write for a huge audience, while being shy in real life.
As for a move to California… it’s overpopulated to a point where it adversely affects quality of life (driving in LA would be a good example). I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and while the city is great culturally and the Silicon valley opens endless possibilities, there are just too many people here. Drives me nuts sometimes. :)
Maura Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:45 pm
Interesting post, Leo… I’d like to hear more about Guam as you think of things to tell us. Those are the most relevant things to me - what you would like to share from your insider’s perspective. Otherwise I’d just look it up on the ‘net.
Though I think your mention of nepotism making Guam somewhat different than the rest of America is not correct… nepotism is alive and very well here, and extends beyond family to large networks of friends too. In keeping with your positive spin, it is (for me) difficult to appreciate at face value, but even nepotism has its upside… it keeps some people employed, whether fairly or not.
Eric Ortega Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:50 pm
I lived on Guam as well. Wonderfull! The flying cockroaches also live on in my memory. And the boonie bees. And the snakes. And the coconut crabs? Those little buggers that can break fingers with their claws? Ya, I remember those as well. Still a wonderfull place to be. Awesome beaches….
Marelisa Says:
April 9th, 2008, 23:52 pm
Guam sounds beautiful. I’m from Panama so I guess we share a lot in terms of spanish heritage (very Catholic, very extended-family oriented). The weather in Guam also sounds the same as the weather we have over here.
Marelisa Says:
April 10th, 2008, 0:04 am
Also, I’ve thinking for awhile of creating something similar to Guampedia.com for Panama. A lot of foreigners are investing in Panama right now and it would be great to have a site where people can contribute articles on their particular area of expertise (laws, Panama corporations, real estate, history, culture, how to get a driver’s license, and so on). Tell your mother the site looks great.
Leo Says:
April 10th, 2008, 0:20 am
Thanks for all the thoughts, for sharing your stories, and for the interest, everyone!
@Maura: You’re probably right, nepotism isn’t unique to Guam at all but I’ve found that when living in the states, it’s not quite as prevalent as it is on Guam. Or maybe it’s just better hidden, or maybe I just have more of an insider’s view of Guam, having worked for the government and knowing what really goes on. But I noticed that a lot of people from the states tend to complain about it more than people from Guam do, and I think it’s often a cultural thing.
@Chris Austria: Sure, look me up if you come to Guam! Though as I said, I’m a fairly shy guy and not outgoing until I get to know you a bit. I’m not a shut-in or anything, but I prefer to be with people who I know and am a little quiet if you don’t know me.
@Marelisa: Thanks, I’ll pass your comment on to my mom. Let me know if you ever get the Panemapedia.com project launched! :)
AmberAZ Says:
April 10th, 2008, 0:37 am
I lived in Guam for 2.5 years in high school (attended Simon Sanchez High) in the mid-80s and then returned in 2005 (in my military capacity) where I was based at Andersen AFB during Asian tsunami relief. Guam owns a big piece of my heart, and I love it despite its imperfections and for reasons far beyond its stunning natural beauty. I think you gave one of the best, unbiased assessments I’ve ever read. I could go on all day about the island…but suffice it to say, I hope to return and show my children some of my old stomping grounds one day!
Iris M. Gross Says:
April 10th, 2008, 0:40 am
Until someone mentioned flying cockroaches, I was all set to add Guam to the travel list! Perhaps New Zealand will be more to my liking! :)
Leo Says:
April 10th, 2008, 0:46 am
Regarding cockroaches … like the brown tree snakes, Guam often gets a bad name … but in truth it’s not that bad. When I was a kid, there were cockroaches everywhere, but for some reason I rarely see them these days. Maybe once a month I’ll see a cockroach. I use cockroach traps and keep a very tight lid on all my food. Also, in the olden days, houses were more “open air” than they are now. While they all used to have open louvers, now we have closed windows and air conditioning.
So yes, cockroaches do exist, but they’re not at all a problem. Also, brown tree snakes do exist, but I only actually see perhaps one every few years. They’re not a problem.
Putta Says:
April 10th, 2008, 1:02 am
Hello:
Visit the Guampedia website and love it… Really nice!!! I’ve never been to Guam but spent 2 years in Honolulu and 6 years in Indiana. I still cherish my time in Honolulu, its rich culture, nice and pleasant weather (I don’t mind the humidity and cockroaches for sure as I now live in Bangkok…).
Hope to have a chance to visit Guam once in my life. Maybe, if possibly in the next two years, I can combine my return to Honolulu with a new exposure to Guam.
Thanks again for alway bringing up new, valuable and interesting things to me…
pavs Says:
April 10th, 2008, 1:36 am
Hi leo. I was in guam for 3 years in the late 90s. I went to UOG for 2 semesters. And my favorite place to go to eat was shirleys (eggs with steak with friedrice with lobster!!!, amazing) :)
Guam is a great place to visit for vacation, but if someone where to move from outside to live in Guam, they might find the lifestyle too one-dimentional IMO.
Something to note that tourism is the bread and butter of guam’s economy. And there is a fair bit of philipino and japanese population there. japanese population is there mostly in the form of tourists.
I agree with you regarding government corruption and favoritism.
I took a PE class in UOG (university of Guam), and one of my best experience in guam was that in every class we had to run around the campus, which was right next to the water. Awesome view, something i will not forget for a long time… :)
cory huff Says:
April 10th, 2008, 1:44 am
I need to travel to the Pacific Islands. I noticed you were born in Portland, OR Leo. I live there now, and I love it. I was trying to talk Derek Semmler into moving here - but I don’t think he’s going to.
I am amazed at the level of personal interaction you still have on your blog even though you’ve grown so large. I’m also impressed with your writing, so the growth and the wroting probably have something to do with each other.
Best of luck!
Shankara Mahadeva Says:
April 10th, 2008, 1:58 am
A delightful island in the middle of the Pacific. I must go there.
Rose Marshall Says:
April 10th, 2008, 2:16 am
Leo, your account of life in Guam provided a great insight for we who live elsewhere. As I read I was continually reminded of the Melanesian and Polynesian peoples in many ways — no wonder when I checked the exact location of Guam!
Guampedia looks superb, loved the “creation” video.
Best wishes for your continued success,
Rose from Australia (newbie reader of a couple of weeks)
Marian Morris Says:
April 10th, 2008, 2:28 am
Just saw your blog for the first time today. A phenomenal bIog in many ways. I lived on Guam 1982-93. I worked at Guam Community College as a counselor, financial aid officer, and for a short time as the Asst. Dir, of Planning and Development under then president John T. Cruz. I wrote many grants for the college. My life on Guam was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and I carry it with me always.
I remember reading your grandfather’s editorials faithfully, and how the Pacific Daily News was our internet at the time.
Besides being a great flashback today, your blog is a wonderful compilation of life-changing ideas. It is also very beautifully designed- an inspiration all its own. I believe that the island life has inspired you in a unique and powerful way that will benefit many people as they try to live in a chaotic and overstimulating world. Thank you!
june Says:
April 10th, 2008, 2:36 am
Hi Leo,
I’m actually from here. We live in Barrigada Heights. But the funny thing is, I stumbled into your blog through Ali Ewards’ blog.
What a great post on Guam. I will definitely have to bookmark this and email to all my friends worldwide. I think the best thing I’ve been asked about Guam is “do your parents speak English?” by somebody in Seattle. That gave me a good laugh.
I know a few people from here that do blog, but only personal blogs. So you are still the most popular blogger from Guam that I know of. Best wishes in all and keep the great posts coming.
Wilson Ng - Guam Says:
April 10th, 2008, 2:49 am
Guam is an interesting melting pot as well. We have a wide range of folks from different cultures.
The slogan of the island is “Where America’s Day Begins” comes from its geographical location.
We are close to so many parts of Asia - Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. We gets many visitors and long-term residents from different parts of Asia and mix it in with the local culture. It’s a joy to be able to travel from Guam to many parts of Asia that many people don’t have ready access to. I always recommend newcomers to the island to take advantage of Guam’s geographical location and visit Asia. Many countries are just a short four to seven hour flight hours away! To see the world through different eyes will broaden your horizons.
It is truly a delight to stay on the island of Guam!
Graham Findlay Says:
April 10th, 2008, 4:42 am
Nice post! I have always thought how nice it would be to stay on an island which is warm most of the year.
I wonder how much geographical location can help us to feel happier?
I stay in Scotland and love it, the scenery and history are amazing.
The only downside is the weather!
Simon Says:
April 10th, 2008, 5:30 am
Thanks Leo for something different today. I really enjoyed the mini-tour you took us on! Although I live in Australia I have spent time in Vanuatu (even got married there) and lived in Ecuador in South America so I really appreciated the melting pot you described - that’s how I feel at times.
I’ll be brutally honest and I hope your Californian readers forgive me but I don’t understand how you could be contemplating living there after describing your current environment. I’ve loved every minute of my visits there but I’m all for making life slower, simpler and less stressful!
Simon
Anna Says:
April 10th, 2008, 6:46 am
Great thank-you for sharing!
I live in France/Northern Europe, and island-stories always sound like “life must be a holiday there” to us.
I love the way of writing you use. I have the picture of Guam in my head after reading, - and smell the scent of rain and fresh fruits.
It’s surprising to hear about meat-tradition on your island.. Where the nature is such that you can enjoy fruits and veg all the year long.
Although, as I see, most people in most western countries are used to meat and not thinking about meat eating effects
Patti Says:
April 10th, 2008, 7:23 am
Leo,
I lived in Guam from 1976-1979, when my (ex)husband was stationed on the Navy base. My son was born in Guam, and I have often longed to take him back to the island he left as an infant. I
Patti Says:
April 10th, 2008, 7:42 am
Leo,
(sorry for the duplicate post…my server hiccuped)
I lived in Guam from 1976-1979, when my (ex)husband was stationed on the Navy base. My son was born in Guam, and I have often longed to take him back to the island he left as an infant.
I worked at Guam Cable TV, setting the program schedule. I remember going in to work at 6am, so that I could hit the beach at 2pm. GREAT beaches!
I don’t remember flying cockroaches, but I do remember boonie dogs, good-luck geckos, rain every day which did not deter any activities…it’d be dry and steamy minutes later, baht chains, and very slippery roads when it rained because they used ground up shells to mix in with the tar when the paved the roads (or so we were told).
Wow, KMart and Home Depot!! It has changed a lot! I remember when a store opened (Ben Franklin? I can’t remember), which had an escalator, and people came from all over the island just to look at the escalator.
I was a young wife and mother when I lived in Guam, and loved every minute of our stay there. It was so beautiful, and such a wonderful pace of life. Having lived in California for many years, both in the 70s and again from 97-04, I would urge you to reconsider your move there. California has (or had) many wonderful things, but there are simply to many people for the land and the economy to support. You would find yourself yearning for home.
I have so many people I’d love to ask you about (you may be related to them!) - Frank the mailman, who adopted our German Shepherd when we left for the states; Florence with the twin boys, whom I lost touch with many years ago, and many people, whose faces I can still see, but whose names I can’t remember or never knew.
Thank you, so much, for taking me back to a happy, beautiful time and place in my life.
Patti Leduc
Jeff@My Super-Charged Life Says:
April 10th, 2008, 8:09 am
This just goes to show that anybody from anywhere can be successful and have a positive impact on the lives of others. The Internet is such an incredible tool and equalizes the playing field for everyone. I just wished more people would use it responsibly to develop great things like this site instead of trying to tear things down like the spammers that exploited it.
Thanks for sharing!
Dave Bullock Says:
April 10th, 2008, 8:26 am
Great informative article. I had no idea about guam other than random quotes from movies and television about it being hot and humid. Sounds like a very interesting place.
Thanks!
Mark - Creative Journey Cafe Says:
April 10th, 2008, 8:33 am
Leo -
I truly enjoyed reading this. You’ve given me the travel bug again. Thank you!
Lady Dark Says:
April 10th, 2008, 8:47 am
Guam, what a place! I live in Brazil, bu actually in south side where the climate is cold, not tropical. Your post bring me great memories when I lived in Rio de janeiro and could enjoy beaches, fauna and sunny days. Thank you, Leo!
Ken Says:
April 10th, 2008, 9:04 am
I did two tours there with the Seabees. I made friends with many locals and attended many fiestas. Its amazing how whole villiages open their doors to fiesta and celebrate their patron saints. I trained for the LA marathon there; for a long run I started at one end of the island and ran toward Anderson AFB. We had to have a truck with water follow us to hydrate us because of the humidity. We would run at 4 am!. I especially liked to BB Que in Guam. No body BB Ques like the people on Guam! I was also there for Typhoon Paka! What an experience. We helped a the ALEE womans shelter and orphange afterwards.
Keep up the great work Leo, you have helped me immensely.
Star Straf Says:
April 10th, 2008, 9:04 am
My other half lived on Guam for 4 years (Dad’s tour of duty) and has some great memories from there of his childhood
PikaPikaChick Says:
April 10th, 2008, 9:15 am
I spent two weeks in Guam 16 years ago and I’ve been trying to get back ever since. I have a huge scar on my leg from a bad encounter with a large wave and some coral, but now every time I look at it I remember the happiest two weeks of my life. I never did run into any of those flying cockroaches, but I remember the geckos, geckos everywhere. I hope to retire there someday.
SpaceAgeSage Says:
April 10th, 2008, 9:27 am
Wow — sun, surf, tropical beauty, great BBQ, and small-town flavor, but still wireless access?! No wonder your blogs are relaxing and motivating at the same time! You write with the warn heart of a tropical island.
april Says:
April 10th, 2008, 9:52 am
Never heard of Guam until i found this site! and My shower curtain is like a world map.. so now the little island sticks out at me every time i pull the curtain closed!
After reading this post I really want to check it out!~
Sounds like a great place to live but right now i just would like to visit!!!
Tom Stine Says:
April 10th, 2008, 10:03 am
Leo, your post on Guam reminded me of my experiences with locals in Hawaii and my extensive reading of Hawaiian history. There are interesting similarities between the various Pacific Islands that have been annexed by the United States. I enjoyed very much your post. Keep up the fantastic writing.
Rebecca Brown Says:
April 10th, 2008, 10:11 am
I started my blog 2 years ago while living on Guam. We lived there for 3 years with the Navy. We never ceased to thank you islanders for sharing your beautiful island with us. We sorely miss it now and would move back tomorrow if we could. I have linked my blog to Picasa Web Albums. I have a folder of pictures labeled “Guam’s Beauty” Feel free to snatch any of those pictures for your use in your Guampedia.
PS We are experiencing horrible red rice and finnedene withdrawal symptoms!
Aubrey Says:
April 10th, 2008, 11:10 am
I really enjoyed this post. Your whole blog has a more exotic quality about it now that I know where it’s being written. I envy you living in such a place. I had an opportunity to visit Guam on business, and now I’m really wishing I had taken advantage of it. Oh well, not too late to go there for pleasure!
Peter Knight Says:
April 10th, 2008, 11:43 am
Guam: Thanking you for posting about your home and where you do all your great writing. I’ve just started this keep up a web log (see: I still resist the word ‘blog’ and must get used to it). I’m in Argentina, British (and an Argentine national of course) and have found that I have to struggle with many bi cultural issues that crop up often in unexpected places: The Spanish style extended family I can understand well, and the fiestas and Roman Catholic traditions … beautiful countryside too (the worlds best barbecue and I am not a vegetarian).
And yet my roots remain in Scotland and will someday return there. Guam must be American enough (if such a thing can be defined) to feel that you belong there, both in Guam and California if you would move - whatever the merits: Many émigrés that have landed here, definitely low tech (outside Buenos Aires which s Anther Country) have, after a few years savoring the quaint rusticity and beauty for a few years - have given up in despair and returned or moved on to the ‘first world’.
Q
Laurie Says:
April 10th, 2008, 12:01 pm
What’s the cost of living like out there?
Lorri Says:
April 10th, 2008, 12:29 pm
Hello -
I have been to Guam once and lived /worked in Saipan in 2002. LOVED IT! Saipan is gorgeous.
Lor
Tom Says:
April 10th, 2008, 12:39 pm
Thanks for the resource… the site’s great.
Lots of blue between the “lower 48″ and Guam. The Pacific can sure be overwhelming in size. Half the planet, almost.
Are rising sea levels an issue for the island?
charles Says:
April 10th, 2008, 13:34 pm
As a now aging military brat, this post made me homesick …
I lived on Guam in 1967-69 as a child in 5th to 7th grades.
I absolutely loved it then. But I know from friends it has changed a LOT. When I was there the biggest store was the Town House and there were no fast food stops anywhere.
I want to visit again, and this post made me want it more
Larissa Says:
April 10th, 2008, 14:11 pm
Hi Leo - Just wanted to let you know that as always, your blog is inspiring and a fun read.
I have several friends from Guam who now live in San Diego (which is a wonderful change from my hometown outside of Pittsburgh, PA). They are interesting folks and made me want to take up an 8-week business offer I had there, but that was something that never quite came to fruition. Either way I’d still like to visit some day.
Anyway, do you know what area you’d be moving to? SD is a great spot - a little overpopulated at times - but surprisingly small. I find that we too go through the “oh, you know so-and-so as well?” thing quite a bit. :)
Keep up the great writing, your blog is one of my favorite daily visits; and good luck with everything!
Leo Says:
April 10th, 2008, 15:20 pm
It’s so cool to hear from all of you who have lived on Guam in the past — thanks for sharing your stories! And thanks for everyone else’s stories as well — this has been a fascinating thread.
@Larissa: Not entirely sure when/where we’ll be moving, but I’ve always loved the SF Bay Area. I also have relatives there — in the city, Marin, Walnut Creek.
@Tom: As far as I know, rising sea levels aren’t an issue here, but I live in the hills overlooking the ocean, so it’ll be awhile before it’s an issue for me. ;)
@Laurie: Cost of living is a bit high, especially as almost all of our goods must be shipped here. Similar to Hawaii I’d imagine. Cost of gas is currently $4.01. Land prices used to be high, when we had a tourism boom, but that’s gone down.
@Former Guam residents who lived here long ago: yes, Guam has definitely changed. Town House is no longer here (it’s a former famous department store), but has been replaced by the Agana Shopping Center with a cinaplex and a bunch of little stores. Ben Franklin, the first department store with an escalator, doesn’t exist, and neither does the other big store, Gibson’s. Now we have several malls, Kmart (no Walmart) and a lot more buildings.
There are a lot of things about Guam I didn’t even touch on, including tourism (our main industry) and the military (next largest part of our economy besides perhaps the local government). Both are huge here on Guam.
Avani Says:
April 10th, 2008, 17:05 pm
Hi Leo,
Guam seems like a beautiful serene place. Reading your description makes me want to visit it.
If you would like a easy way to explain to your family about blogs, take help of video about blogging on http://www.commoncraft.com. It’s come to my rescue a lot of time :)
M D Says:
April 10th, 2008, 17:37 pm
Hi Leo,
I wrote to you back in September to let you know about how I’d decided to live in Guam for three months in order to work at a club. (I’m from/currently living in PDX, too… what a coincidence!)
At the time, I focused on the fact that I was amazed that I could fit all of my possessions into just two bags and take off from my normal life like that. Here are some other lessons I learned.
I had a lot of troubles living in Portland, which is the main reason why I dropped everything to fly to Guam. Living in Guam and having a simple, straightforward life (I worked 6-7 days in a row the entire time I was there), I learned a lot about myself. I spent a lot of free time picking up anything I could at Bestseller. Island life, being able to read on the beach, re-ignited my love of reading. I kept a journal and was very introspective.
The Japanese tourism market REALLY opened my eyes to materialism and commercialism. Seeing Tumon Bay every day, since I worked there, I got an amazing sense of how wasteful people were. When there are four, five Chanel stores, a Louis Vuitton the size of an apartment building, etc., it makes you really realize how much we artificially value certain luxuries because society tells us to. I went to Guam daydreaming of all of the Coach and Dior I would buy. Actually, my Versace sunglasses fell apart in the humidity! Especially since there is such a huge divide between the Japanese tourism industry and everything else on the island, the non-essential stood apart so much.
Seeing how close people are and the big, extended families (20% Camacho on the island, I swear..!) is something you don’t see on the mainland. The appreciation that people have for the military — apart from individual opinions of the current war, no one can deny the glory of reclaiming the island during WWII, and how important the bases are for the way that the island is today — is something I found amazing, being from the liberal West Coast.
And a big one — what a Windows dominated town! I’m lucky I found the only ‘Apple-certified repair shop’ on the island in Barrigada, or else I would have been screwed. :P :D
Thanks for sharing your beautiful island with us. I could go on, and maybe I will in another comment later. :)
Teresa Says:
April 10th, 2008, 18:17 pm
Small world! I attended Stanford with Simon A Sanchez II (the HS must be named after his grandfather, yes?) and I am Filipino. I’ll never forget the historic day it snowed on campus (in Palo Alto!) and he ran out of the dorm in shorts shouting, “Me from Guam!” A brilliant, talented and funny man who always described his home in the same affectionate terms that you have, Leo.
Teresa Says:
April 10th, 2008, 18:25 pm
Ooops — forgot to add that I lived in Honolulu for about 3 years, community with a similar salad bowl of diversity and laid-back attitude toward life in a beautiful setting. Keep your enjoyable posts coming!
Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:
April 10th, 2008, 19:00 pm
Leo - It’s surely is an interesting place. Can you tell more about industries, sports and education ? I surely would love to visit Guam someday with my children.
Thanks
Shilpan
Lady G Says:
April 10th, 2008, 19:17 pm
What a fascinating description! Thank you. It has stirred the travel bug in me too.
Be careful you don’t entice us all to come and live on Guam!
Alan Says:
April 10th, 2008, 20:26 pm
Hey neighbor… well sort of. :-) I live just east of you on the tiny island of Kwajalein.
Jennifer Says:
April 10th, 2008, 20:52 pm
Thanks for sharing about Guam. It sounds beautiful! I appreciate all the details you have in your post.
Eti Karim Says:
April 10th, 2008, 21:14 pm
Thanks for sharing about Guam. Sounds like a wonderful place. I was never fully aware of the Island and the exact location. Learned something new today.
Evelyn Lim Says:
April 10th, 2008, 21:17 pm
Guam sure sounds like a beautiful place. It will be nice to visit there someday.
I thought I’d like to say hi from Singapore, a tropical island in Asia. You’ve sure got readers from far and wide :-)
Evelyn
Michelle Vandepas Says:
April 10th, 2008, 21:38 pm
I loved this intimate inside to Guam. I’ve often imagined myself on an island running my blog, swimming everyday and walking the beach.. It is nice to know that it is possible! - and of course to hear a bit about the downside of life, so you didnt gloss over it. Thank you!
Lorraine Says:
April 10th, 2008, 21:54 pm
Dear Leo:
Thanks for the lovely post.
Can’t believe you lived in Vallejo–much of my childhood was spent in Crockett, across the Carquinez Strait.
Have lived outside NYC for 20+ years. Each time I return to northern California I notice more strip malls and condos–and everything is awfully expensive.
You mention Guam’s stray dogs twice. I know you are compassionate about animal rights– it must pain you to see the dogs.
Liara Covert Says:
April 10th, 2008, 22:13 pm
Your picturesque glimpse into Guam invitates us to stop questioning why we’re not somewhere other than where we are. We are each in a given place at a given time for reasons we are meant to discern and rediscover. We haven’t moved on (or passed on) from where we’re at as we still have lessons to learn and new growing to do. To be open to what awaits us is like being reborn again.
Herdi Says:
April 11th, 2008, 2:08 am
Hi Leo, great post! Guam is such a beautiful place to visit. I’m located in Jakarta, Indonesia and it is very rare that people here talk about vacationing to Guam, but in fact it is so close to our country. Do we need a US visa to travel there to Guam?
Liz Says:
April 11th, 2008, 6:21 am
Nice post! Recently, I’ve been dreaming about Guam quite a bit. I’ve never been there, but my mom grew up there and I’ve always wondered what it’s like. I live in Sweden, but due to the long, cold winter days I’ve been wanting to get away and tropical pacific islands sound very nice. I’ve also been extremely homesick for CA (especially San Francisco) and I miss my philipino/guamanian family. So tonight I’m going to make chicken adobo and keleguin!
‘Cheers
Liz
Valerie Says:
April 11th, 2008, 11:06 am
Leo, thank you for this informative, loving, enchanting portrait of your home! For years, I’ve heard people talk about Guam but, until I read your post, it always was a nebulous place that I didn’t know much about. You painted such a vivid word portrait that I felt as if I were almost there. I’m a fairly recent subscriber and I’ve gotten so much out of your blog in that short time that it’s been a God-send for me.
All the best,
Valerie
Magic Says:
April 11th, 2008, 11:41 am
What a beautiful description. Thank you for inviting us into your world. Guam is now officially on my list of places to visit.
And California, huh? I hope you find places you enjoy that offer you some solitude. I lived in California for several years in high school and have been back to visit a few times. I think it’s a nice place to visit.
It’s interesting, reading your account of Guam made me homesick for Colorado. Not because the two have anything in common, but because my heartstrings belong to the Rocky Mountains. The love you have for Guam sounds similar to the love I have for Colorado.
We moved to Phoenix about a year and a half ago and I long for those purple mountains’ majesty.
Karen Says:
April 11th, 2008, 12:11 pm
I really enjoyed reading your post about Guam. I saw a TV show starring a man named Dan Ho who is also from Guam and he actually taped one of the shows there. (He also wrote a book called “Rescue from House Gorgeous” that, ironically, also talks about simplifying your life.) I have often wondered what life is like on Guam. I imagined it to be similar to Hawaii which I visited once and thought it was the most beautiful place on earth. I write this from the currently cold and dreary northeast U.S., but our summers are beautiful!
My husband’s family is from India and I could really relate to your description of extended family. I often joke that his family does everything in packs!
Thank you for such an interesting post.
Eric Brown Says:
April 11th, 2008, 13:51 pm
I almost had a chance to visit Guam when I was in the Navy. But ended up not staying in. I would still love to go. I have heard it is wonderful.
Ravenwood Says:
April 11th, 2008, 14:42 pm
Cool! Guam is high on my list of places to (mini-)retire. I remember emailing you about the gun laws there, the right to keep and bear arms being important to me, but you didn’t know, so I hope I can find the answer in this new encyclopedia :)
Gertis Says:
April 11th, 2008, 18:04 pm
Thanks so much for this post, Leo! I spent a (too short!) month on Guam for work after Typhoon Paka, and loved the place, people, and culture. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed as a member of family of several of the folks I was working with…I think I spent more time at weddings, extended family dinners, and celebrations than I did working! Thanks for taking the time to share the beauty and uniqueness of your home!
Genesis Says:
April 11th, 2008, 19:21 pm
I´m from Canada originally, but I live in Guatemala with my husband (Guatemalan) and our sons, so I´m pretty familiar with the Spanish side of things. Guam sounds lovely and I think it´s great that you´ve lived in other places as well.
paulo Says:
April 12th, 2008, 13:48 pm
i lived in guam until i was 5. i remember it clearly and i loved it there. i used to bike along the coasts with my dad and my sister. i’m glad someone from guam is making it big!
Rosana Benigni Says:
April 13th, 2008, 2:08 am
Well that was a nice walk down memory lane. I too share the love of Guam, having lived there as a young school teacher for three years. It was my pleasure to enjoy the customs of the the culture, and so nice to hear that it still carries on. And yes, I so remember the island of beauty, and warmth of the sun and roasting pigs and eating squid, rice and something called a beetle nut. I often go to the internet just for a quick visit. Thanks again, you give a wonderful time a refreshing memory. Hafia Dai……R.
Rosana Benigni Says:
April 13th, 2008, 2:09 am
Ps, Is San Miguel still a local favorite??? R.
Robin Says:
April 14th, 2008, 2:01 am
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful part of yourself! I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and have been waiting forever for spring!! Your weather sounds like heaven.
But what I most appreciated about this blog, was it was such a great example of how the internet is changing our world for the better! Once upon a time, we would probably relied on a text or travel book to learn anything about an isolated spot like Guam. How much better it is to have the kind of understanding that can only come from someone who actually knows it!
Keep on blogging!!
luthien Says:
April 14th, 2008, 8:34 am
your guam sounds so much like my philippines! americanized spanish pacific islands. majority of the population is catholic and can speak or understand english. we also value the close family (extended) ties, the form of government, judicial system (we even use US jurisprudence in our courts)…i guess the climate is also similar. i heard there are a lot filipinos there in guam =)
Nez Says:
April 14th, 2008, 15:27 pm
Small world — as I live in SF’s Sunset District (grew up in the Richmond District).
Thank you so much for sharing.
LivSimpl Says:
April 14th, 2008, 16:52 pm
This is a little late in coming, but I’m so glad you decided to write about Guam. I’ve been curious as to what it’s like to live there and this proved to be very illuminating. Thanks!
David
Sara Says:
April 14th, 2008, 17:41 pm
Hafa Leo,
I found your blog through a zen habits search (literally what I put in the Google Box - a bit uncanny). I love that you are a vegetarian living on Guam - kinda fun for me to picture that. I taught at the Academy of Our Lady for a few years and my husband taught at Malesso Elementary. Two of my brothers taught there, as well. Our roommate, Joe Cochrane worked at the PDN, maybe you remember him. It’s been awhile - I left in 1996. Anyhow, we miss Guam (my brother Rob gets to visit, since he still lives on Saipan), but Max and Mark and I are in New Zealand, now - another island, but very different! Just felt the need to drop a line, since anyone from Guam feels like family.
Well, here’s wishin’ I was in the midst of a magical Guam sunset and knocking back a mudslide at Tahiti Rama’s right now,
Sara
Darwin Says:
April 15th, 2008, 20:28 pm
I have had one short experience on Guam. I was flying go Philippines with a Navy Lt Cmdr. I forget which airline we were flying but we had a 13 hour layover on Guam. He booked us rooms at the Naval base so we could shower and nap.
I decided to take a jog to shake off some of the travel cobwebs. I went down a path through a wooded area along the water, it was beautiful. I remember seeing small caves and wondering if maybe there are still Japanese soldiers hiding out in there.
What I remember mostly though is as I was jogging through one area, going out and coming back, a large black bird kept diving on me. It would come so close to my head I could feel the breeze from its wings and movement. It never came in contact. It did this til I reached a certain point and stopped.
When I was returning it began again at the same point it had stopped and again stopped at the point that it originally began this action.
That is my experience and memory of Guam.
Darwin
joie Says:
April 16th, 2008, 1:58 am
Great post! My hunky and I are looking forward to taking our 6 year old home for vacation. It’s been 8 years since we’ve been home.
Colin Morris Says:
April 16th, 2008, 10:01 am
Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Guam I Learned from Leo Babauta
Haha. Interesting stuff — I’ll check out Guampedia.
(You must know you’re a poster child for blogging.)
Lezlie H. Says:
April 16th, 2008, 14:57 pm
Hey Leo! I’m a huge fan of your blog. I had no idea you had ties to SF and Vallejo. I’m filipino and originally from Vallejo and my husband is from SF (grew up in the Sunset). Woah…
thanks for keeping me inspired!
Carla S. Says:
April 16th, 2008, 20:04 pm
Wow, I’m not sure how I surfed in here, but what a blast from my past! I spent four years growing up on Guam in the late 60s and early 70s; attended 3rd grade at Andersen Elementary and 4th-6th grades at Yigo Elementary. I have so many memories of that time: the open-air movie theaters (we called them washouts or rainouts or something because you sat on benches under the sky, subject to the weather)…the annual school field trip around the island…snorkeling at Tarague Beach. My dad took up photography as a hobby and captured beautiful scenes of the island. The Town House was the largest dept. store (where we got my Girl Scout uniforms!), and we were there when the first McDonald’s opened on the island. For a long time we had a tent city on Andersen AFB full of refugees from Vietnam. At school bake sales, the local kids would bring pickled papaya, green and vinegary and spicy-hot. How I would love to replicate that! Thanks for the little trip down memory lane!
martie Says:
April 17th, 2008, 3:55 am
I have lived a total of 6 years on Guam and LOVE it there. I returned this past weekend from a 1-week business trip - and still LOVE it. I would love to live there again, but I believe family commitments will make it difficult. But I hope to be back one day.
(I liked it better before everything was AC and the houses had floor to ceiling louvers. Not nice during/after typhoon, but it sure felt better!)
Chew Says:
April 17th, 2008, 9:16 am
I am writing from Singapore where I don’t know any friends who know where Guam is. Back in the early 80’s I was bitten by the radio bug and spent many hours pulling in stations from around the world on short wave (or high freq.). One of the first stations that I got excited about was “KTWR, Agana, Guam”. And I have just checked them on the net: they are still on the air! (http://twrguam.org/)
Jo Says:
April 18th, 2008, 0:54 am
Hi Leo
What a great article on Guam. I am writing from Palmdale in California having recently relocated here from Durban, South Africa. I am familiar with flying cockroaches, we had them in SA. We also had lots of snakes there. Have thoroughly enjoyed your post as well as all the comments.
Keep writing.
Wonn Roppots Says:
April 18th, 2008, 1:19 am
Guam is a small island with a big heart. Guam is a beautiful, tropical resort paradise in the Pacific Ocean. There are private beaches in Guam where the sand sparkles like white diamonds. Snorkelling is popular to view all the cute fishies (referring to fish, not just the sexy gals in bikinis playing bally ball on the beach or actually that too, ha-ha) and coral. There’s a few waterparks and alot of water sports too, jetskiing, gliders, parasailing, boating, canoeing, fishing, you name it. The islanders are pretty friendly, sometimes offering you to join their barbecues after they’ve caught their daily fish from the sea. Chamorro Village is a hot spot to try island cuisine on Wednesdays and to collect shell necklaces made from scratch by the local islanders. Tumon Bay is the hottest spot where I lot of vacationers hang out from Japan, and also accomodate a lot of weddings and honeymoons. The climate is similar year round, always warm with a mild breeze here and there, with the hypnotic sense of being in a sauna due to the humidity factors of the island. That’s when you jump into one of the pools or take a dip in the clear blue waters. On the remote parts of the island’s shores there are exotic sea shells to collect and tiny little crabs that are really cute. You must give credit to the police department as they’ve upgraded the security forces on island and are doing far more tracking of the strip to keep it safer than in the past. The tourists love shopping in Tumon Bay as there are lots of designer stores. There are also lots of popular hotels, including Hilton & Hyatt (which have neat outdoor beachbars), plus Marriot, Outrigger, and Westin… which seem to be the most friendliest for partying on vacations. Some of the not so expensive restaurants include Planet Hollywood, TGI Fridays and Outback, plus there are a few neat Sushi bars in the area. As far as nightlife on the town, the Globe is a hotspot if you like dancing. Bully’s makes some really good drinks if you’re into pubs. There are also a few exotic dance clubs where performers are very entertaining if you’d like a more wild side to partying in Guam, one of the most popular on island that is the safest is Club USA as there are security cameras and security guards for everyone’s safety while partying away… and judging by all the military stickers pasted on the stage… I have a feeling it’s the military’s most favorite funspot on island. Once in a blue moon the club flies in beautiful gals that are more than the average of exotics, a few I found on my most recent vacation to be a nice treat and rare breeds (mixed gal of German, English, French, Vietnamese & Chinese decent with chrome aqua green eyes like tourmalines that does an amazing little baton show and another Korean gal that could work the pole like an acrobat from heaven, but their stay is not permanent as they’re especially flown in at $2,000 a plane ticket. I can’t say those two cuties will be there on your visit, though. I’m glad they were there on mine!). Then once you’re all worn out of partying away from the delicious exotic restaurants and tropical beachbar drinks, try a deep tissue massage at Grace Massage (a real massage, not a happy-go-lucky), one that actually gets the knots out of your back, then a jump in the jacuzzi. Oh, how vacations can be well worth it. Just allow yourself to breath in the relaxing aroma of the sea.
Helena Costa Says:
April 20th, 2008, 21:54 pm
Hi, Leo, I’m a very enthusiastic fan of your blog. I must confess I’ve never heard about Guam anda had searched on Google maps to find it. After reading this post, I wonder if Guam was not affected by the Tsunami. Forgive if you’ve answered that, I gave a loook at the others comments but there are so many… (and also forgive my english, I’m writting from Brasil).
best wishes!
james Says:
April 24th, 2008, 0:46 am
I love Guam. You did a great job of describing such a beautiful island. I discovered Guam through the Navy and I try to go back every few years.
I tell all my friends if I ever disappear off the face of the planet Guam is where I’ll most likely be.
Guam is my favorite place to be.
Thanks!
Lani Says:
May 29th, 2008, 21:18 pm
Hi Leo!!
OMG So glad I found out about this site, I love to see locals do something outside of MySpace. Subscribed and keep up the great work!!
You remember me.. I know you do :)
Born Chamorro Now in Vegas!
Lani
Carm Scott Says:
June 17th, 2008, 19:21 pm
Hi Leo. The other day my husband expressed curiosity about life on Guam and I directed him to your post here. We were curious about a couple things. How do the people of Guam feel about the potential for becoming a state someday? And how do you all handle the vulnerability to big typhoons. Thanks!
Leo Says:
June 17th, 2008, 21:03 pm
@Carm: to answer your questions:
1. I think a lot of people on Guam would like for this island to become a state … but at the same time many of us don’t feel that’s a realistic option, as we rather doubt that the 50 states would ratify such a proposal … we only have about 160,000 people here.
2. Guam is pretty prepared for big typhoons. All of our houses are concrete now, and over the years we’ve hardened our power and water systems so that typhoon damage is fairly minimal … the residents are always prepared with typhoon supplies as well. We know the routine. :)
@Lani … I know a couple of Lanis … did we go to high school together?
James Shaw Says:
August 8th, 2008, 11:41 am
Hi, I’ve really enjoyed reading the different post–I think the Chamorro people and history of the island most interesting. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Guam, but my dad spent 1936 there. He was a people person, and took a lot of photos. In many respects, the way of life has changed,so these pictures are a fun way to link the past and present. I also admire Guampedia, and when these fine folk asked me to share, I did. The slant of my web site is military, but some of the way-of-life of