7-22-2008 Inafa'maolek

Inafa'maolek, or interdependence, is the key, or central value, in Chamorro
culture . Inafa'maolek depends on a spirit of cooperation. I'm feeling
very cooperative these days.

Liberation Day

Liberation day here is a serious undertaking. Parties, (people camp out
days before the actual parade in tents on the parade route with their entire
families, kids, dogs, caribou and grandmas in wheelchairs, barbequing their
hearts out drinking beer and all), festivals, live music, and banners from
individual families thanking the military for freeing their people. The
United States returned and fought the Battle of Guam on July 21, 1944, to
recapture the island from Japanese military occupation.

I have never seen anything like it... Perhaps this is because the 4th of
July in the continental United States was so long ago we as Americans don't
quite feel or remember its significance other than a day off of work, some
great fireworks, lots of barbeques and the official start of summer. The
people of Guam take July 21st very, very seriously.

In essence other than the above is that: during the occupation by Japanese
forces for 31 months, people of Guam were subjected to forced labor, family
separation, incarceration, execution, concentration camps and prostitution.
1,000 people were killed. Doesn't sound like much but, as a percentage of
population that is roughly around 10% of the population at that point and
time.

Very intense when you think about it. I would be seriously pissed if they
came and forced me into prostitution and stuck the kids in concentration and
labor camps, ... Talk about one cranky Momma, let's just be honest, as we
all know, I wouldn't have lasted more than a few minutes before being
killed for general disobedience and NON conformity!

In the history annals it says that the Chamoro's in loin clothes ran down
the hills and fought along side of the U.S. led forces. The island people
as a whole are very passionate, extremely patriotic people. Almost all of
the families have one or more children that are in the military, either
active duty or reserve. I would really think twice if I were any
"unnamed" country thinking of perhaps pursuing an action against Guam and the U.S.
They have their own personal well trained forces ready at will. Note: they
only wear loin cloths for parades now days.

Of the 170k people on island about 90% showed up to the parade/party! I ran
into local coworkers, and random people (who even though I am a
"howlie"a.k.a white person of non Chamorro heritage, if you live here long enough
you become a Chammali) promptly invited me and the kids into their awesome
canopies (complete with island decorations, palm frawns, flowers, banana
leaves etc) with their entire families, cousins, in-laws, dogs etc and tried
to stuff our faces with a few metric tons of red rice, and any kind of food.
Note: I am pretty uncomfortable with being called a "howlie". It would be like me calling a Italian a "you know what" I can't even say it.
Maybe I am just being silly.

I think one of the most remarkable, moving and poignant examples of why I
strive for freedom was presented at the parade. Not by the locals but by a
full marching band of Chinese People from the "Falon Dafa a.k.a The Falon
Gong (More info at if you really want to know http://www.faluninfo.net )!
They were playing "America the Beautiful" and were smiling from ear
to ear. Afterwards they received a standing ovation from the crowd. Regardless of
if you follow their beliefs, practices or anything else, they on the island
of Guam have the right to practice at will. If they were in China they
would have been eventually "outed" and due to them practicing a tai
chi quasi Buddhist form of meditation etc.. tortured, shot, and/or jailed. I am
so lucky to be free, I wouldn't have lasted a nano second in a majority of
countries (I barely made it out of Indiana and that is the U.S.A!).

Quite the experience!

Christian is getting married!

Christian, has at the ripe old age of seven, promised to betroth his new
girlfriend, the Captain (or Julienne my partner in crime...she is the newest
member of the chaotic, funkolicicous delicious house of Hess and she rocks!)
He decided he wanted to marry her on Saturday. It was also decided on the
ride home in the back seat of the car after Vietnamese food (maybe he was
hallucinating from the spice) (from the "Liberation Day Coronation"
Ceremony for the Queen and her ladies in waiting) Sophia on the other hand would only
be allowed to obtain the rights to be a flower girl or brides maid if she
was indeed nice to Christian until he reaches the ripe old age of 18.
Julienne, told Christian that she would agree to marry him only if he would
go to college. So I guess that buys me time until he is around 20! LOL..

This was also after Helen the woman that owns the Vietnamese restaurant
begged to hang out with the kids (she needs grandkids desperately and her
son who works as a waiter was hitting hard on Julienne for a date! He is a
former MARINE of course!)

Christian had quite kindly pointed out (once again) the fact that I was
getting wrinkles earlier in the evening. He and Sophia even made the faces
that they believe causes the great distress in my epidermal layer!

Helen in quite a sly manor said Julienne and I could go on a weekend
excursion to Manila and get those wrinkles taken care of in no time! She on
the other hand would quite happily watch the kids! OMG! Do I have that
many wrinkles! I thought I was turning 25 next Saturday! I refuse to do
the math. However, now I know where people go and Manila is always an option
LOL. Once again we have been adopted and invited over for yet another
fiesta! I will have to have a gastric bypass along with wrinkle removal if I
continue to get invited to this many fiestas!


Sea Kayaking

Sea Kayaking with the Colonel and the Captain (the kids call him Colonel
Mustard, as in clue, with the candlestick in the library) was a blast. We
took a wonderful 2 hour journey into the Sumay Cove. Very peaceful until
they decided to swim all the way across the cove! Nothing to worry about,
they have both decided to become iron kids. It must be in the water :-)

Video to follow, I crashed my computer before the upload was finished!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer as much as I am mine.

Please write soon, I love email (obviously).

Until then, many hugs as always,

Susan, Sophia and Christian






"Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death". --Ayn Rand

4th of July on Guam

Fourth of July/Wet Down/Kid Welcome Home Party

What did I do when I arrived on Guam? Made friends with the usual cast of
characters. However my cast of characters now are much more, shall we say
"colorful" (although I have been known to hang with a rather diverse range
of individuals depending on who you speak too)than the usual crowd in
Greenwich and its nearby environs.

Hosted a bunch of Marines visiting from Okinawa for my 1st annual Hess
Family Fourth of July extravaganza. This year we have a lot to celebrate,
Kids arrived on Guam safely. Cool place to hang out for a few years,
Julianne (my kids new kick butt marine chick friend) and Okinawa Drew were
both promoted to Captain in the Marine Corps so we had a "Wet Down" (a party
thrown by the guys getting promoted). And of course the American holiday,
The fourth of July....and the flag is still here.

Marines

Marines get a bad rap... have to tell you... (in case you had not heard
according to legend...they like strip clubs, getting naked, screaming,
closing down bars and fighting everyone and everything that moves.) I am
officially reporting:

NO I did not get kicked out of US Navy housing due to marines dancing naked,
screaming and beating on each other on top of my roof. They were all very
well behaved (it helped that they were the "older" wiser versions of their
18yr old grunts that were downtown hanging out in Tumon. I have to say it
is a really good thing I was in the Army and not in the marines (although I
don't have the natural proclivity to scream, fight or get naked in front of
lots of people) I definitely would be naked dancing on a roof if I knew I
was the first one going into Baghdad right now...so can you blame them if
they are a bit rowdy and kicking it up? I certainly cant. I would be too.
They did get on the roof (only at the urging of the kids) ...they went with
the kids in their new "tree house" which is at the top of my carport (my
car doesn't arrive till the end of august so it is a great use for currently
unused space... maybe we can put some lawn furniture up there) They are a
tremendous group of individuals, I am proud to have at my home as friends.

Back to the fun. The next day, Christian was able to live every boys dream.
Drive a bomb robot (pick up a water bottle with it), play soldier and not
get shot at "for real" as he says. When I explained the ugliness of war to
him, he decided he loves to play with the gear, but does not have the
propensity to be a fighter. Thus, he quickly decided that he would like to
be a senator on the armed services committee. Then he can go check out the
gear and make sure all "the guys" have the right equipment but not worry his
mom. Make sure you all vote for him so I don't spend many sleepless nights
like all of the other mothers.... More on this theory later.

Sophia and I picked up coconuts. Had a wonderful Navy guy husk one for us,
drank the milk and ate the coconut. Not bad for 2 days on the island.

Much more to come as there is never a dull moment.

Next up: Earthquakes and Car Washes, Sea Kayaking with "Colonel Mustard"
(no not the one in the library), Seals landing in the back yard with
parachutes.....and LIBERATION DAY!

Many hugs from island paradise,

Write soon,

Susan