I realize this has become a running theme on this page, however I really do need to write more often, especially on this blog. Or maybe I can convince myself that a 2/3 month period in between posts is a healthy and productive break. Then again, breaks don't pay the bills. Onto the show...
I've written about the holiday season feeling, well, not so much like the holiday season when you're in Micronesia. Indeed, bonfires at the beach, barbecues, and a rollercoaster golf game are certainly preferable to clearing your windshield with the big part of the scraper you broke last year and haven't gotten around to replacing yet. Being able to hike to Forbidden Island (more pics on Facebook) and check our other-worldly fish is better than shoveling snow, yes. But there's a silent nod and "fineyouwinigiveup" smile seen on some faces while watching the kids sing "Rocking Around the Coconut Tree". Ex-pats from north of the Mason/Dixon know that while warm weather is amazing, the cold has some positives as well: The beauty in being the only car on the road after a snowfall, the white stuff insulating the road so the only sounds you hear are from inside your car. The insanity that is a last minute trip to the casino even though I-694 is all but shut down. The small self-congratulations you allow yourself after the car is finally in park because dammit, you made it. How good great that first beer/slice of pizza/handshake is when you arrive at your local watering hole, realizing how many things had to go right in order for you and your close folks to get there, and for a moment no one is worried about how in the hell they're going to get back up their driveway when they get home. Simply put, the grass is always greener on the other side.
The flora, however, is most certainly greener in Saipan this time of year:
This pic was taken at sea level near the aforementioned Forbidden Island. It's only a 20-some minute hike, but the 500ft in elevation change is no joke. I have no idea how people climb, you know, actual mountains.
I do know a few things, however, about coaching basketball. I inherited a ridiculously talented girl's program, so it was only a matter of scheduling before we were going to be taking home some hardware...
...and cutting down the net. Good times! I can't remember the last time I've been a part of an actual championship team, so it felt pretty good.
I had a two week break between seasons and tryouts for the boys' team started in the first week of December. Gawd, have I really been doing this for over 3 months already this school year? Don't get me wrong, I love coaching, but umpteen consecutive ten+ hour days with teenagers is a test for even the most patient of people. I used to think working a double in the restaurant business was rough (and trust me, I've worked plenty of those), but restaurants will usually look the other way while you sneak in a drink or a cigarette or a 10 minute break to "wash a stain out of your uniform" or wash dishes or something that has nothing to do with being pushed and pulled by hungry and thirsty people. Teaching and then coaching is another animal, and I'm not sure my employer would be happy if I snuck in a Jack Daniel's or two at lunch or in between halves of a basketball game. Endless questions, smelly locker rooms, and the always hilarious interplay of puberty and athletics. They tell me I'll miss it when it's over, so there's that. Our first boys' game is on January 11th and the season looks like it will go until the first week in March, so it won't last forever.
Yard golf is a great time. Sand wedge in one hand, Mason jar in the other. 'This one starts in the shadow of this coconut tree and ends inside that horseshoe pit'...that kind of thing. Par is always 3 and 9 holes is usually enough before everyone packs it in. Emily is a natural: Check out the textbook "right shoulder down" stance.
The yard has been productive recently, with bananas, limes, starfruit, jackfruit, guava, and figs all at varying levels of ripeness. It would be an odd fruit salad but undoubtedly worth trying once. For everything else food-related I am still a fan of McDonald's (What's up McRib!), however the local market has been dominating recently:
Yes, they do indeed "Accept FoodStamp". They also stock Pizza Rolls, Johnsonville Brats, and an impressively spicy bag of Planter's peanuts ("5 Alarm Chili" for you legume lovers). Like many small markets on Saipan, Welcome Supermarket is owned by ridiculously nice and hard-working Chinese people. They remind you that you haven't purchased ice in awhile and then bring the ice to your car for you. They'll bag up your groceries in six seconds and let you run your card for an extra $10 because the only no-fee ATM is a solid 10 minutes away and you're golfing in 5. Sure, the curse of inconsistent inventory hasn't spared Welcome Supermarket, however I can at least count on Diet Coke being in stock here. Believe it or not, that's a huge selling point.
BONUS ROUND!!!!!!
-Saipan Car-Related Moment of the Blog: The scooter has survived its' carburetor transplant and has not rejected the new part. I couldn't be more proud. Also, a former student of mine bragged to me about his 10,000 watt car stereo system that "made a girl pee her pants". If you're looking for 1996, come to Saipan and listen to "Compton" by Kendrick Lamar. You're a puffy yellow ski jacket and some Doc Marten's away from living the dream.
-I'm officially old. After a few buffet meals at various functions I feel the honest need to eat healthy for a while. 23 year-old Steve would be reveling in copious food offerings during the holiday seasons. 23 year-old Steve could put down 5,000 calories in a day and erase that mistake with a few sit-ups. 33 year-old Steve can't erase a big breakfast without a 2-hour basketball practice. Advice to you younger folks: Don't listen to people who tell you to take care of your body. Have as much fun as you can and do everything you can to destroy your body, because they day you actually have to start taking care of it is a huge bummer and shouldn't happen any earlier than necessary.
-Things will get interesting here in January when the new guard of legislators takes over. Chiefly among the issues they face is the question of whether or not the governor should be impeached. I've written many times on this blog about Saipan politics, but it seriously gets more ridiculous and hilarious by the day. I need to start archiving newspapers and web page screen shots for the day I start writing a book about this place. Check out www.mvariety.com after the calendar flips to 2013 and you'll see what I'm talking about.
-While I have no concrete plans for next fall, this summer Emily and I are planning a trip around SE Asia. Vietnam, Bali, and Cebu (P.I.) are on the list, and if anyone out there has suggestions I'd love to hear them.
Until the next one...
