Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Movies from Guam





To my surprise, there have actually been a few movies filmed on Guam: Son of Godzilla (1967), No Man Is an Island (1962), and the most recent (straight to DVD) dismal failure: Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004) starring David Carradine and Carmen Electra.


Max Havoc was an unmitigated disaster that resulted in several lawsuits. Everyone associated with the film lost money, including the Government of Guam that lost $800,000. According to an L.A. Times article, the movie was a bomb from the beginning. "The crew worked 14 to 16 often chaotic hours a day mostly 'shooting people running up and down the hallways' of the luxury-class Outrigger Guam Resort hotel," adding, "I'll give you 20 dollars if you can watch 20 minutes."



Today a friend brought a new movie to my attention. Its an indie production shot on Guam last year. I watched the trailer online - the filtered yellow hue and tragic urban decay milieu gave it a gritty, depleted and sinister perspective more reminiscent of East L.A. than Guam. Frankly it was interesting recognizing many of the locations, yet I was totally unable to grasp any of the locations in the movie's ominous context. And nothing on Guam is ever that yellow, not even the school buses.
I also noticed that they filmed in the National Park - without a film permit!!!
The horror.






Monday, July 28, 2008

Liberation Day

On July 21, Guam celebrated the 64th anniversary of liberation from the Japanese. On December 10, 1941, Japan invaded the American territory of Guam and began a harsh two and a half year occupation. The first two years were not particularly harsh compared to the last few months. By 1944, Guam, along with the other Marianna Islands of Saipan and Tinian became Japan's last line of defense. During the last few months of occupation, the Chamorro people, who remained loyal to America despite not being American citizens, endured forced labor, scarce food, execution, and removal to concentration camps. Over 16,000 Chamorros were killed or endured atrocities. Once Japan lost the Marianas, America began strategic bombing that devastated Japan. Over 86 Japanese cities were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians were killed. On the night of March 8, the firebombing of Tokyo left over 100,000 dead (more than either of the atomic bombs). All this was before the Enola Gay took off from Tinian with the world's first atomic bomb. The capture of the Marianas directly led to Japan's defeat. In 1950, the Chamorro people were finally given American citizenship. Today, Guam has the highest per capita enlistment in the military in the U.S.


July 21, 1944 - 1st American Flag on Guam in two and a half years



June 15, 1944 - Marines landing on Saipan



Men of the 77th Army Infantry Division landing on Guam



Battleship USS Tennessee bombarding Guam



Marines landing on Guam



March 8, 1945 - Tokyo Burning

For 64 years, Guam has celebrated the day that American forces returned to Guam. It is the largest most important holiday on the island. The biggest event is the Liberation Day Parade. People take Liberation Day very seriously. Everyone takes off work, all the stores are closed, and people camp out along the parade route partying for days in preparation. I was off work, so I went to check it out. It was a pretty interesting parade - for the first two hours. The next three hours were boring as hell and I eventually fell asleep.

Marine band


Navy



Float from the village of Yigo (pronounced Gee-go).

Just because they were in the parade doesn't mean they can't grill.




On a sad note, a B-52 scheduled to perform flyover of the parade crashed into the ocean with no survivors. They were from Louisiana.

Random Pictures

Inside a Japanese pillbox on the Navy base

Outside the pillbox


Ritidian Point National Wildlife Refuge next to two latte stones


Inside a cave at Ritidian Point

Inside Japanese air raid bunker near Hagatna

Japanese 20cm coastal defense gun near Tumon

Latte stones - ancient Chamorro settlement


War dogs cemetery

School group at Asan Bay Overlook

School group at the Memorial Wall


View of Tumon from Mt. Santa Rosa


View of Andersen Airforce Base from Mt. Santa Rosa


Hagatna, Guam's Capitol


Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Dark Side

Two weeks ago I participated in a different kind of Hash, the "Dark Side Hash." The Dark Side Hash is more or less a glorified pub crawl or rather pub run. Like the regular hash, there is a trail complete with marks, but instead of blazing through the jungle, the Dark Side Hash blazes through the brightly lit streets of Tumon, Hagatna, or Tumuning stopping at some of Guam's finest beverage establishments to partake in carefully brewed libations.

Actually, the Dark Side Hash targets bars that we would normally never think entering. Instead of running into the regular places we visited karaoke bars, "buy-me-drinkie" bars, and the worst possible dives you could imagine. It was... different. We practically reenacted the blitzkrieg of Poland as we rampaged through the sleepy bars and shady back alley beer joints. The look on the regulars as thirty sweating rowdy and thirsty people burst through the doors utterly shattering the veneer of solace and peace they were accustomed to was priceless. We boldly took control of the bars, demanded the mike for karaoke (every single bar on Guam has karaoke), sang annoying songs badly and eagerly devoured any and all pretzels, peanuts, or snacks that were available. One bar refused to give us the mike, so one hasher jumped on the tiny stage and belted out "Baby got back" in its entirity from memory.

On one occasion, we entered a back alley bar that is most likely a front for a bordello. The proprietor was so shocked at our sudden and loud entrance, she stood mouth to the floor in a catatonic state for at least five minutes, completely unable to take even a beer order. As quickly and suddenly as we entered, we would run into the night to the next destination leaving in our wake shock and disbelief. Even as we ran though the streets, dodging groups of people and cars, the hords of Japanese tourists would stop, stare and point in disbelief, perhaps furthering their stereotype of Amerians as loud and obnocious crazy barbarians. USA! USA! USA! Fun was had by all, but for me the reaction we caused was unforgettable.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tennessee Highways

I was suddenly interrupted from my computer coma this afternoon by Anita, one of the AMMA (Arizona Memorial Museum Association) employees that manage the bookstore. For several days I have been completely immersed in the thirtieth anniversary program, barely able to look up from my ancient government computer for hours at a time. This has presented some difficulty, as part of my job also includes providing orientation to visitors. Lucky for me there are painfully few visitors to the visitor center and AMMA staff are sometimes willing to greet those few so I can get some project work done. So it was a surprise when Anita barged into the museum curatorial crypt and motioned for me to leave my small table top “desk” and follow her out into the light.

I was pleasantly surprised to greet an older couple from my home state of Tennessee. This was the first time I have met fellow Tennesseans here on Guam. They were visiting from Knoxville and had lived on Guam for over a decade many years ago while working for the government (like me). It had been nearly twenty years since they had been back to Guam. They asked me a lot of questions, many were typical: “How long have you been here? Do they transfer you anywhere or do you get to choose? Do you like living here?” But then they caught me off guard with “What do you miss about Tennessee?”

I paused for a moment. I left Tennessee in August last year, so over the past eleven months I have consciously thought about some of the things I haven’t experienced in a good while. And to be honest I do miss Tennessee surprisingly more than I anticipated. I miss spring, where one day it can be hot and breezy but the next cold and rainy. I miss the unambiguous change of seasons that help determine the progress of the year and allow me to appreciate the cold, hot, wet, and dry. And somehow like them all.

But after thinking I answered, “I miss fall. You know, the colors. Nothing beats the Smoky’s in the fall.” I was referring to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (www.nps.gov/grsm) located in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and the transcendental majesty of the fall colors that appear every year, but I also was thinking of going back to school, college football, the relief from Tennessee’s oppressive summer heat, and countless fleeting memories of growing up.

The couple agreed enthusiastically, completely understanding not only the beauty of the Smoky’s but somehow more. Talking with these folks, I suddenly I felt taken away from Guam and if only for a brief moment back home. They asked if I had ever thought about working at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park but then took the conversation on a completely different trajectory.

“I bet you miss the roads!” the old man said. Growing more passionate he continued, “I’ve been all over the world, but Tennessee has the best roads anywhere.” I was caught off guard for a second by quickly recovered. At first, swept up in my sentimental journey, I agreed with enthusiasm. I nearly shouted, “Tennessee’s got the best roads, hands down!” A wave of pride swept through me as I recalled how Tennessee’s roads are the most smooth, straight, and well-built roads in the nation. The roads are so smooth, that I can’t even count how many times that I have fallen asleep at the wheel and woken up thinking I was in bed at home. I mean these roads are the greatest roads mankind has ever created. The Ancient Romans would weep at the sight and engineering brilliance of Interstate 40. Tennessee’s roads deserve a place among the Seven Wonders of the World! GO T-DOT! WHEE-WHO!! (Tennessee Department of Transportation). After our spirited approval of Tennessee's roads, I bid my new friends an affectionate farewell and went back to my office.

Unable to go right back to work, I pondered the encounter. Why did they bring up the roads? It was kind of weird. Does Tennessee really have nothing else to offer except smooth sexy roads? I began to recall the nightmare of Nashville traffic, the constant, inconvenient and ubiquitous road construction across the state, the lackluster driving ability of most of Tennessee’s citizenry, unusually high driving fatalities, and finally the omnipresence of Tennessee’s state troopers. My pride began to wane.

My positive memory of Tennessee’s roads probably has something to do with the horrid state of Guam’s road (yes, I said road). Guam essentailly has only one major road and it is the worst road that can ever be imagined. Giant holes, huge bumps, open manholes, and worse abound. In one of the worst examples, erosion is threatening to wash away an entire section of the highway. Instead of fixing the problem, the highway repair agency has merely barricaded off the washed out lane of traffic, somehow hoping that nature will cease and the erosion will somehow not continue to wash the entire road away. There are bridges that are so old and dilapidated along a major road that only one care is allowed to drive through at a time yet there are no plans to build new ones.

The government of Guam is totally dysfunctional, I thought. Gov Guam is a lot different than Tennessee. Or is it? Tennessee spends billions a year on roads, but why? Just like Guam, Tennessee spends its money as directed by a very elite and connected group of people – people that own road construction firms. It seems that there is always money for roads, but not much else. I remembered an old Tennessee aphorism, “Tennessee has the best roads, leading to the worst schools.”

There are some things I don’t miss about Tennessee.

But seriously, Tennessee has got some kick ass roads.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Holy crap! I have lost my capacity to discern the passage of time

Today I realized that it is nearly the middle of July. How could this have happened? Is it already July? July, 2008? July 10, 2008 A.D.?

Yes, I know it is July. I’ve known that for at least a week. In fact I signed several documents this week that required me to write down the current date. But the authenticity of it all did not hit me until today and frankly I am stunned and bewildered.
I have been here for almost four months and for some reason I am having great difficulty believing it. Although in some respects, I feel as if I have been on this tiny island for quite a while, for the most part I still feel as if I have only been here for a few days, at most a week or two.

This realization occurred during a call to the Guam Army National Guard Public Affairs Office. I was calling to schedule an appearance by the color guard for War In the Pacific NHP’s 30th Anniversary (or birthday) next month. We are planning a major event to commemorate this milestone. Many important locals such as the Governor, Congresswoman and NPS people, such as the Regional Director, are coming from the mainland for this occasion. Needless to say, the closer we get to August, the more stressful it has become at work. To be completely frank, we are woefully unprepared for this event. But I digress…

So, after nearly an hour being passed around from one National Guard officer to the next, I finally reached an officer that attempted to help me. But even he could not compete against the astounding level of bureaucratic incompetence that saturates all government entity that exists on Guam. Once again I was placed on hold. Then suddenly music came on over the phone, music that I had not heard in over a dozen years. I kid you not, it was the theme song from the 1980s cartoon “Inspector Gadget.”

“Da-Da-Da-Da-Da Inspector Gadget! Da-Da-Da-Da-Da DA-DAAAA…”

I nearly dropped the phone. “What the…,” I mumbled as I tried to understand why this song was playing. The entire song played through and then to my continued amazement started over from the beginning.

I can guess what you are thinking – who cares what song is playing while you were on hold. Normally you would be right, but as the song played over and over and over, I started to day dream and soon fell into a deep trance-like state.

“Da-Da-Da-Da-Da Inspector Gadget! Da-Da-Da-Da-Da DA-DAAAA…”

Moments of my life began to unfold in my mind. I immediately remembered watching Inspector Gadget on my family’s ancient turn dial television set. Other moments flashed by until I was remembering last summer working at Stones River Battlefield. I was there a year ago, but it seems like only last week.

“Go, Gadget, Go! DA-DAAAA…”

At this same time last year my stint at Stones River was already half over. The surreal experience continued as I remembered working at Manzanar.

I wondered to myself, wait – something’s happening. Where am I?

A moment ticked by as I tried to abruptly shift back to reality. “Hello… is anyone there?” the voice on the phone asked again.

Oh yeah, I’m on hold. How long have I been on hold?

I almost asked the voice to turn back on the music.

After I got off the phone, again unable to find anyone who could help me, I began to realize how quickly not just the last four months had gone by, but the last year.

I know time flies, but today time gave me a round-house kick to the face. I can’t believe it’s already July. Maybe I’m just getting old.