For now, it's convenient; I'm sure at some point it will become like some sort of gratingly familiar race track. But, again, I can find my way back to my hotel, so it's working for now.
It's Friday night, and I got out of work early. I haven't really explored anything beyond my hotel and the parking lot across from my work, so I went driving in search of stamps and a laundromat. I swear I've seen about a dozen laundromats while driving around looking for other things - like Supermarkets and local businesses that have no address - but of course I didn't find one when I was looking for it.I did find the micronesian mall, which looks like a mall from the outside but seems to only sell things people don't need. And by people, I mean Japanese tourists. I actually parked in a lot with these huge parking spaces, and thought I was in some kind of weird world of giants until I read the sign that said the whole lot was dedicated to Japanese tourist buses. I guess any tourist buses, really, but the Japanese are the only ones who bother visiting Guam. At any rate, they had stores selling fur coats and puffy jackets, and those little cheap knick knacks, and a Macy's, and a "Fiesta Court" with a bunch of horrible fast food restaurants, which, to be fair, may be for the locals as well.
I also found the beach, which isn't hard. I actually drive past this incredibly aquamarine blue beach every morning that I'm sure was once prime real estate on the island. Someone had the brilliant idea of building a giant highway on most of the bay though, so instead there are only a few abandoned parking areas and steps leading down to the beach.
I'm always incredibly confused in the morning when I see this long beautiful beach practically abandoned. I figured it was something the locals just took for granted, or ignored due to the proximity to the highway.Alas, further investigation proves otherwise.
Apparently everything within 400 yards of this sign is infected with some sort of bacteria, which makes the beach somewhat hazardous, and empty.
Mom told me you have a blog. Which is cool, cause now I can see photos of island life without caving in ad joining facebook. I know that's not much of a victory, but anyway, I'm stubborn.
ReplyDeleteThe beaches look beautiful. The rest looks sadly familiar. But as you said, that's proably quite convenient. I gather you've been busy with work and getting settled. So I'll just ak this: What do Guamanians do for Halloween? Any interesting island rituals (perhaps something to entertain the Japanese tourtists), or is it the usual American orgy of candy and cheap costume, just that the candy that much more stale and expensive after having been shipped halfway around the ocean?
I'm super late in answering this - but if you had been on facebook, you would have read my frantic Halloween post:
ReplyDelete" Erin Thompson just gave an entire bag of frozen chocolate chips to totally disappointed 8-year-old trick or treaters, because I forgot it was halloween and I live in an aprtment complex where apparently people do these things. shit man - i'm a bad neighbor already. and now it occurs to me that I could make cookies but I just gave away my chocolate chips."
So yes - they trick or treat. They also have parties, and tell ghost stories on the beach (I covered that).
It's pretty much like any midwestern suburb.