Up close with a sand sculpture

SCOOPING water from a bucket with his hands, he allowed the salty droplets to trickle through his fingers to wet the mound of sand he shoveled to his workplace in the beach.
Unmindful of the sweltering heat of the noonday sun, the world ceased to exist for Australian photographer turned world-champion sand sculptor Dennis Massoud as he focused all his attention to the sand for the next 10 minutes, patting, scrubbing and brushing, trimming and blowing until very soon, the form of a young dolphin became recognizable.
Known as the “Sandman”, Massoud lived practically all his life near the beach.
From a matter of minutes to several days or weeks, Massoud can form simple to the most intricate designs of castles, animals, humans, mermaids and anything else.
“I think I have already sand-sculpted everything I can imagine, but I cannot stop,” he said.
Massoud recalls that his most fulfilling work was when he worked with a group of other world champions to create a huge sculpture in Luliang, China using the natural multi-colored sand.
“That sculpture has generated over $180 million a year for the producer from the millions of people who visited the sand forest,” Massoud said.
He has been invited to do sand sculpture in several parts of the world for both private and government agencies. He is also available for corporate team building workshops or sculpting workshops, for themed sculptures such as Christmas, weddings, and more.
“I’ve been everywhere around the world doing sand sculpture and the sand is my life,” Massoud said.
“If you won’t be allowed to touch or work with sand again, what would you do for the rest of your life?”
For several long seconds, Australia’s famous sand sculptor Dennis Massoud stared blankly at this reporter, clearly caught off guard by the question as he grasped for an answer.
“I would probably spend the rest of my life looking for sand and working with sand again,” Massoud finally answered in a faltering voice.
For one who has spent most of his life on the beach and the past 15 years playing with sand as his source livelihood, that would be equivalent to taking away the meaning of life.
“In every man or woman, there is a child who wants to come out to create sandcastles and play in the sand,” Massoud said.
The Sandman has been on Saipan last and stayed for a few days for the Sandcastles for Wishes 2010 building competition at the Hyatt Beach Park on July 10 where he created a mermaid hugging a little girl that were washed ashore.
To see more of Massoud’s works, visit www.sandinyoureyes.com.

Up close with a sand sculptor

SCOOPING water from a bucket with his hands, he allowed the salty droplets to trickle through his fingers to wet the mound of sand he shoveled to his workplace on the beach.

Unmindful of the sweltering heat of the noonday sun, the world ceased to exist for Australian photographer turned world-champion sand sculptor Dennis Massoud as he focused his attention on the sand for the next 10 minutes, patting, scrubbing and brushing, trimming and blowing until very soon, the form of a young dolphin became recognizable.

Known as the “Sandman,” Massoud lived practically all his life near the beach.

From a matter of minutes to several days or weeks, Massoud can form simple to the most intricate designs of castles, animals, humans, mermaids and anything else.

“I think I have already sand-sculpted everything I can imagine, but I cannot stop,” he said.

Massoud recalls that his most fulfilling work was when he worked with a group of other world champions to create a huge sculpture in Luliang, China using natural multi-colored sand.

“That sculpture has generated over $180 million a year for the producer from the millions of people who visited the sand forest,” Massoud said.

He has been invited to do sand sculpture in several parts of the world for private and government agencies. He is also available for corporate team building workshops or sculpting workshops, for themed sculptures such as Christmas, weddings, and more.

“I’ve been everywhere around the world doing sand sculpture and sand is my life,” Massoud said.

If you won’t be allowed to touch or work with sand again, what would you do for the rest of your life?

Massoud stared blankly at this reporter, clearly caught off guard by the question.

“I would probably spend the rest of my life looking for sand and working with sand again,” Massoud finally answered.

He believes that “in every man or woman, there is a child who wants to come out to create sandcastles and play in the sand.”

The Sandman stayed for a few days on Saipan for the Sandcastles for Wishes 2010 building competition at the Hyatt Beach Park on July 10 where he created a mermaid hugging a little girl.

To see more of Massoud’s works, visit www.sandinyoureyes.com.
(This article was first published HERE)

Looking for America on Saipan

THE spotlight is focused on a bar known as the Statue of Liberty on the dot of an island called Saipan, a melting pot of people with various nationalities.

The Statue of Liberty (which is the former Hamilton’s Bar in Gualo Rai) is the regular meeting place of people with different backgrounds brought together by a common goal. They are all looking for “America” on Saipan.

The Statue of Liberty bar is a mute witness to these people’s quest for fulfillment.

“The State of Liberty: Looking for America” is a film shot entirely on Saipan in 2005 by Dan Shor, an award-winning television/film actor, director, writer and teacher at Northern Marianas College who used to live on Saipan, and Ben Salas, a Hawaii-born actor and producer whose family moved to the island in 1985.

They envisioned their film as Saipan’s gift to the world of entertainment.

The characters are Japanese, Chinese, Chamorro, Carolinian, Bangladeshi, Filipino, Russian, and statesiders.

The film’s five interconnected story lines take the viewer to all the scenic spots and captures the beauty and local color of the island.

The story is centered on a Chinese woman searching for her half-brother named America.

Starring in the film are Saipan residents, some of whom have already left the island, including Elena Alexandrova, Tony Angelo, Heather Calderwood, Joseph Calimlim, Myla Capilitan, Li Ying Guo, Sean Maycock, Tanya Oscar Nobuko, Kyoko Reber, Ben Salas, Angel Santos, Dan Shor, Raby Syed, Joe Taijeron, Jason Tarkong, Jing Yang and Bo Zancanella.

A copy of the DVD is available as part of the Passion Profit Company’s SaipanLiving series for $19.95. Buy your DVD at http://www.amazon.com/Looking-America-Saipan-Story-Shor/dp/B003KK5ARK.

(Article first published HERE)

Looking for America: A Saipan story

THE spotlight is focused on a bar called Statue of Liberty on the dot of an island called Saipan, a melting pot of people with various nationalities in the Pacific Ocean.
The Statue of Liberty (which is the former Hamilton’s Bar in Gualo Rai) is the regular meeting place of people with different backgrounds but brought together by a common goal of They are all looking for ‘America’ on Saipan.
The Statue of Liberty bar is a mute witness to the quest for fulfillment to their different aspirations, dreams and goals.
“The State of Liberty: Looking for America” is a film shot entirely on Saipan in 2005 by Dan Shor, an award-winning television/film actor, director, writer and teacher at the Northern Marianas College who used to live on Saipan, and Ben Salas, a Hawaii-born actor and producer whose family moved to Saipan in 1985.
When the two met, a creation was born –The State of Liberty: Looking for America, which the two envisioned as Saipan’s gift to the world of entertainment.
The lead characters in the story – a mix of Japanese, Chinese, Chamorro, Carolinian, Bangladeshi, Filipino, Russian, and Americans represents the different people who share the pursuit of life together.
The five interconnected story lines in “The State of Liberty: Looking for America” takes the viewer to all the scenic spots and captures the beauty and local color of the island.
The story is centered on a Chinese woman who is searching for her half-brother named America.
Starring in the film are Saipan’s international residents, some of whom have already left the island) including Elena Alexandrova, Tony Angelo, Heather Calderwood, Joseph Calimlim, Myla Capilitan, Li Ying Guo, Sean Maycock, Tanya Oscar Nobuko, Kyoko Reber, Ben Salas, Angel Santos, Dan Shor, Raby Syed, Joe Taijeron, Jason Tarkong, Jing Yang, Bo Zancanella, and other people in the CNMI.
“The State of Liberty: Looking for America” has been reissued so grab the chance to see your friends bring the true color of Saipan to life.
A copy of the DVD is available as part of the Passion Profit Company’s SaipanLiving series for $19.95. Buy your DVD copy at http://www.amazon.com/Looking-America-Saipan-Story-Shor/dp/B003KK5ARK.

A colorful cultural exchange

I WAS watching a young Japanese guy reach out for an apigigi from the Hula Girl booth. It was obviously his first time to try it because he peeled it all the way down before taking a tentative bite. I saw the surprise registered on his face as he obviously liked what he ate, took another bite and another until there was no more.
Turning around, he talked excitedly to three other companions and they all trooped back to the Hula Girl stall for more. When that guy goes back to Japan, I’m sure the taste of apigigi will stay in his memories of Saipan.
At the next booth, a little local girl was concentrating as she tried to throw a ball into boxes with drawings of Japanese costumes. She squealed with delight when her ball landed in the box with the drawing of a girl wearing a Japanese kimono.
Immediately, she was whisked into the back of the stall and Japanese assistants donned a kimono on her for picture taking, a photo I’m sure she will treasure.
American Memorial Park’s usually serene atmosphere was transformed into one colorful, lively and spirited ground as over a thousand people— a mix of young businessmen from Japan and island residents stamped their feet in time with the lively beating of the drums.
By sunset, the friendship party hosted for the visitors for a cultural exchange was in full progress.
The locals got a taste of Japanese culture through the dances they presented, games and entertainment.
Kids were delighted in playing all games the visitors introduced to them.
In exchange, the over 800 visitors got a glimpse of the island life as cultural dance groups and Saipan’s dynamic Awaodori Team presented their winning dance steps.
Right after the presentations, everybody rushed to the food booths where you get to try a mix of unlimited Japanese and local specialties, unlimited beverages including beer, juices, soda and bottled water, as long as you have a yellow band on your hand— your passport to the food stalls.
All too soon, the party has to end, with everybody sated and happy. The visitors went back to Japan via the Fuji Maru cruise ship yesterday afternoon. Island officials who welcomed the guests said “till we meet again.” Sayonara.

Hot pepper business gets hotter | business-edge

YOU see these red-labeled, locally produced bottles and jars of red hot pepper in grocery stores, souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants.
You see similar jars and bottles of different sizes and shapes during annual events like the Flame Tree Arts Festival in April, the Taste of the Marianas in May and during the regular Thursday street market in Garapan.
Over the years, bringing home a taste of the islands in the form of red hot peppers has become a routine for tourists who come to the CNMI.
Mary Susan M. Cruz, general manager of Tinian-based Susan’s Creations which been processing Tinian Red Hot Peppers for the past 16 years, said Tinian’s peppers have already created their own niche in the global pepper industry.
Locally known as donne sali, Cruz said Tinian’s peppers are considered one of the hottest in the world.
The Tinian hot pepper grows in abundance in the jungles during the peak season, from January to March, and is also known as “boonie pepper.”
“Donne sali can be harvested from the jungle during these months because they grow in abundance but it is not that easy,” she said.
“Donne” means pepper and “sali” is the name of a black bird that feeds on the pepper and spreads the seed throughout the jungle.

Boosting local economy

To help local residents, Cruz said she buys high quality pepper from them for $8 per pound.
A drought reduces the volume of hot peppers that can be harvested from the jungle, but Cruz has a plantation to support the demand.
“Tinian’s Red Hot Peppers have already become a household word for tourists and most of them feel that they should not go home without bringing hot peppers with them, so we need to have a constant supply,” Cruz said.
If you cannot stand the extreme heat of donne sali, try the variations of pepper products made by Cruz such as pepper powder, paste and vinegar with a blend of donne Sali, which produces a unique combination of heat and flavor.
These products are perfect for spicing up any meal, sauce, meat, fish, ramen, pasta, soup and other dishes.
They also make ideal all-occasion gifts.

More exposure

Tinian’s annual Hot Pepper Festival sponsored by the Marianas Visitors Authority allows hot pepper processors to promote their products.
Tinian is the place to be during the second week of February as the island celebrates the Hot Pepper Festival.
It features a competition involving daring individuals who try to consume the hottest of the hot peppers.
Cruz said the festival has boosted their sales.
“For example, my sales in 2007 doubled in 2008, and the figures kept increasing as donne sali gets more exposure,” she added.
With her business getting “hotter” even as the economy remains in a slump, Cruz said the people should find more ways to make use of available natural resources like hot peppers.
Tinian hot peppers are available at the DFS Galleria, the DFS airport outlet, Gentle Brook Café, the 360 Revolving Restaurant, hotel stores, souvenir shops and groceries.
For online orders, e-mail susanscreations@hotmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Cruz said they only accept payments through Paypal but will accept credit cards in the future.

Hot pepper business gets hotter | business-edge

No substitute for a mother’s milk

DID you know that you spend approximately 144 hours during the baby’s first year to prepare a baby’s formula? This includes going to the store to buy formula, finding and washing the feeding bottles and any other chores related to feeding the baby.

Take this scenario:
A piercing wail wakes you up in the wee hours of the morning, ending what little sleep you just got. You stumble sleepily into the kitchen, look for the feeding bottle to prepare a formula for your baby whose cries are starting to wake up the whole household. This is a routine that goes on day and night where you have to drop off whatever you are doing to prepare the formula and feed your baby. If you are not fully awake by then, there is the possibility of putting more formula than you should, or using less water — the baby will suffer.
Now consider this.
You wake up to your baby’s crying at night and you just have to pick him up from the cot, snuggle the baby and feed him from your breast. You both go to sleep and relax during the feeding session and you get time to form a deep bond with each other.
These are two scenarios presented by Cathy Carothers of Every Mother Inc. who was recently on island to train the staff of the Women, Children and Infants program on breastfeeding.

Barriers to breastfeeding

In these modern times, work is one of the challenges that hinders women from breastfeeding their babies exclusively.
“After giving birth, most of today’s mothers are anxious to go back to work to help meet the growing household expenses,” Carothers said.
The world used to be a breastfeeding society, she added, but as more women joined the workforce, more mothers are turning to the use of formula for their babies.
Lack of knowledge on how breastfeeding works and how to go about it is another challenge that healthcare workers face in encouraging more mothers to breastfeed.
If a mother has to go back to work, Carothers said she can extract her milk and save it in the refrigerator.
She said a mother’s milk placed in the freezer has a shelf life of up to one year or from four to eight days if inside the refrigerator. At room temperature, the milk will still be good from eight to 10 hours.
Carothers said even women who have inverted nipples can breastfeed their babies.
“We breastfeed, not nipple feed. It’s just a matter of learning the right technique because the baby will latch onto your breast by instinct,” she said.
Some women, however, are embarrassed to feed their babies in public places.
Generally all women are capable of breastfeeding, except in cases when it is not possible, such as when a mother is HIV positive, or undergoing chemotherapy, Carothers said.
Giving pregnant women the right education and information before the baby arrives is important to make the right choices.

Support system

Carothers said in a survey they conducted, most of the companies and businesses that showed support to nursing moms have less the problems encountered by those companies who don’t show any support at all.
She said the survey shows that businesses can save a lot on medical costs and absenteeism of employees, if they’re allowed to spend a few minutes each day to breastfeed their babies.
“We also found that businesses that support breastfeeding have more loyal, happy and productive workers because their needs are being met,” Carothers added.
She recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first six months.
“This is the time when babies need all the nutrients which they can get best from their mothers,” she said.
When the baby reaches six months and above, they start to take in solid food but mothers can breastfeed their babies for as long as they want.
WIC clinic manager Dianne Esplin said the more mothers will breastfeed, the less risk there is for diabetes and obesity.
“When you breastfeed, both and the baby get many benefits. Not only is it convenient for both the mother and the baby but it will create a closer relationship with each other,” she said.
Esplin said being well-informed gives women more options in breastfeeding.
Karen Buettner of the Commonwealth Health Center said the participation of the husbands plays an important part in the breastfeeding process.
“Women, especially first time mothers, have a lot to learn and they need all the help and support they can get, especially from their partners,” Buettner said.
She said breastfeeding is a learning experience, and women with multiple births are becoming more confident with each birth.
WIC nutrition technician Gigi Gomez said women who come to the clinic early in their pregnancy get more help and guidance than those who come later or not at all.
“We make appointments with pregnant women for every trimester so the earlier they come in, the more time we can spend with them in giving them more information in what to do,” she said.
The new food packages distributed by WIC to its clients each month have been redesigned to give pregnant and lactating mothers more attention.
Gomez said exclusive breastfeeding mothers get more food allowance compared to those who do not breastfeed exclusively.
Carothers, Esplin, Buettler and Gomez, all certified lactation consultants, said there is no substitute for a mother’s milk.

This article was first published HERE