Where to celebrate Valentine’s Day

IF you want to celebrate this special day in style or in a budget-friendly way, here are some of the top destinations to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved one.

Hyatt Regency Saipan

Share a bottle of Champagne with your loved-one over a five-course dinner at Giovanni’s for $150 a couple for non-members of the Club at the Hyatt ($120 for members) today from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A special menu for the Valentine’s Dinner at the Teppanyaki is available from 6-10 p.m. for $125 per person, or $100 for Club members.

Hyatt’s Miyako Restaurant offers a lavish selection of Japanese buffet for $50 per person ($35 for Club members) inclusive of beer and a glass of wine. The Kili Café & Terrace offers a delightful dinner buffet designed to suit your tastes. Miyako and Kili Café & Terrace Valentine’s Dinner is from 6- to 10 p.m.

All Valentine’s dinner options come with a long-stem rose and a box of chocolates for the ladies. For reservations, call 234-1234 extension 26.

Aqua Resort Club

For a romantic dinner tonight, head out to the Raraina at the Aqua Resort Club and indulge in a premier hearts package including 40 minutes of aroma therapy massage for two, fresh red rose and chocolates, bottle of red or sparkling wine, a special dinner, and a souvenir photo with frame, for $199 per couple.

The Couple’s Heart package consists of a fresh red rose and box of chocolates, a special set dinner and souvenir photo with frame for $75 per couple. Dinner is from 6  to 9:30 p.m.

For reservations, call 322-1234.

360 Revolving Restaurant

Dining at one of Saipan’s highest points with a superb view of the island and a spectacular sunset is within your reach. The 360 Revolving Restaurant offers a Valentine’s Dinner specials for $35 per person. Choose between certified Angus beef New York strip loin or baked Atlantic salmon fillets in red wine for your main course. Cap your dinner with the famous 360 chocolate mousse with strawberries.

Upgrade your Valentine’s dinner at $55 per person with more choices to make the day extra special. A 20 percent local discount is applicable. For reservations, call 287-4639, 234-3600 or 285-0360, or e-mail reservations@360saipan.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Café at the Park

The Café at the Park offers three sumptuous set menus for its Valentine’s Dinner main courses from 6 to 10 p.m.

Choose from a secret hanger steak and salmon fillet, or go for Set B which is fire grilled spicy marinated lamb chops and tiger prawns or Set C which is fire grilled prime ribs marinated in red wine sauce and mahi-mahi fillet.

All sets come with appetizers, soup, salad, dessert and a glass of red or white wine and bottomless tea, at $29.95 per person.  For reservations, call 233-1010/12.

Shenanigans

Shenanigans Restaurant offers a 5-course Valentine’s dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. today.

You can the option of baked seafood, roasted rack of lamb or the Surf and Turf or NY steak, with all the trimmings for the main course, and an eat-all-you-can dessert buffet. The special Valentine’s Day dinner is $50 per person. For reservations,  call Marivic at 287-3260, Bel at 285-8324, 233-8324,233-8326 or visit www.shenaniganssaipan.com.

J’s Restaurant

J’s Restaurant’s Gualo Rai and San Jose branches are offering a Valentine’s Special available for lunch or dinner today at $19.95 per person. The specials include New York Steak, lasagna, tossed salad and minestrone soup. J’s Restaurant is open 24 hours. All major credit cards are accepted.

For reservations, call 235-8640 (Gualo Rai) or 234-6420 (San Jose). (published HERE)

The birth of man’s best friend

THE first rays of the sun peeped from the horizon, signaling the start of a new day. The neighborhood was beginning to spring to life and people were getting up, refreshed from a good night’s rest.

It was not the case for Rico, a bartender at one of the bars in Garapan who arrived home from work at 3 a.m. He was looking forward to a hot bath and sweet sleep, but there he was, crouched inside a small kennel, fatigue and anxiousness etched on his face and his clothes splattered with blood.

Beside Rico, equally anxious and half-lying on the cage floor was Maddy, a three-year-old Pitbull who was trying to nurse five newly born puppies and trying to push another puppy out to the world at the same time. Maddy still had more puppies, but she was not having an easy time although it was her second time to give birth to puppies. She had been in labor for hours.

Six months ago, Maddy delivered 15 cute puppies, although most of them didn’t make it alive.

Under ordinary circumstances, Maddy would not have allowed anyone inside her kennel, much more allow anyone to touch her newly born puppies. But it was an extraordinary situation and instinct must have told her that Rico was not a threat to her and her newborn puppies.

I stood groggy from lack of sleep near the kennel, camera poised while waiting for the next puppy to come out. It was my first time to watch a dog in labor and the birth of puppies, and it was a wonder how a small dog could bring out many puppies into the world. From the two other kennels, the other Pitbulls were silent while watching the process of birth.

In a few minutes, Maddy half stood up and gave what seemed like a mighty push. Rico extracted a small black and white bundle wrapped in a slippery sack which Maddy quickly licked clean until we heard the new puppy whimper.

Before the morning was over, Maddy finally delivered the 11th puppy before she settled down for a brief rest.

One of the puppies kept on whimpering and Rico said they might lose her. He was right. Maddy lost one of her puppies before the day ended.

Maddy still had more work to do — weeks of breastfeeding the puppies until they become ready for some real food. Soon, the puppies will be separated and go to different owners who will care for them. Maddy will give birth again and the cycle will continue.

“Assisting dogs in delivering puppies is not a pleasant task, with the foul odor and holding the slimy puppies in your hands, but seeing the miracle of birth and that your pet survived through the ordeal with your help is very satisfying,” Rico said.

If you want to learn more about Pitbulls, attend the island’s first Pitbull dog show  at the Garapan Central Park from 1 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 19. If you want to take care of your own Pitbull, you can call Rico at   234-3387. (published HERE)

Preventing carpal tunnel syndrome

YOU are busy typing away on your keyboard, trying to beat the daily deadline that has become a part of your everyday life. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shoots from your wrist and up to your arm.

Or maybe, you have been experiencing a numbing, tingling or weak feeling from your wrist and up your arm while typing on your keyboard or doing computer editing work for months.

You may think it is just a passing cramp, and you spend more time playing online games, harvesting your virtual farms or enlarging your islands and cities on Facebook as soon as you get home from a day of typing work and never stop until you fall asleep in front of your computer. Don’t take the feeling for granted because the risk is high that you may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Excessive mouse usage is one of the most common factors that contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health website defines carpal tunnel syndrome as a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when your median nerve, the nerve which runs from your forearm into the hand is squeezed or pressed. This syndrome is common among people whose work involves repetitive motions such as sewing, driving, assembly line work, painting, writing, the use of tools that vibrate, and even those who play musical instruments.

The carpal tunnel is a very narrow area in your wrist where the nerve enters your hand, and any swelling caused by pressure or squeezing can cause pain, tingling or numbness.

The National Institutes of Health said  this condition mostly occurs in people 30 to 60 years old, with the risk three times more in women, and the dominant hand gets affected first. This means if you are right handed, you can more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome in your right wrist and hand first.

A number of medical problems are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. These include bone fractures and arthritis of the wrist, diabetes, alcoholism, hypothyroidism, kidney failure and dialysis, obesity, menopause, premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy, infections, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms

You may be experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome if you are feeling any or all of the following:

• A numb or tingling sensation in your thumb, in two or three fingers or in the palm, in one or both hands.
• Pain in your wrist or hand that extends to the elbow
• Weak grip, weakness or having difficulty in carrying things, such as bags
• Difficulty in forming a fist or grasping small objects
• Having problems with the coordination of your fingers in one or both hands
• Feeling of wanting to shake out your hand and fingers upon waking up 
• Tingling sensation during the day
• In severe cases, you may find it hard to tell between hot and cold by touch

Treatment

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated with medications, injections or by surgery but it takes months before a full healing.
You can also try wearing a splint at night for a few weeks, and during the day if necessary. Hot and cold compress on your wrists is also recommended, and avoid sleeping on your wrists. This is application especially to individuals for whom sleeping with their head cradled in their wrists may be a favorite position.

You can also try exercises and warm up stretches to relax your palm and wrists.

Prevention

If you are typing or editing in your computer every day, you can use devices such as special keyboards, mouse and keyboard drawers, keyboard trays, typing pads, and other ergonomic aids.

You can also use a wrist rest, a soft cushion which you can buy for a few dollars to reduce the stress on your wrist.

Check if your keyboard is of the right position. Your keyboard should be low enough so your wrists are not bent upward as you type.

Lift your wrists as you type. Some of us may get too lazy and type with the wrists resting on the table.

Take frequent breaks while typing, and stop if you feel any tingling or pain in your wrist or arm.

As much as you can, try to avoid or reduce the repetitive movements of your hands. Check out tools that are designed to reduce wrist injury.

If the pain or tingling feeling lasts for days, see your doctor.

Prevention is better than cure, and don’t wait until everything is too late before you resort to preventive measures. You’ve only got two wrists and hands and you can’t afford to lose them. Everything else can wait.

For more information, check out http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. (published HERE)

A glimpse at the plastic bag pandemic

WAS there ever a day in your life when a plastic bag was not a part of it? Plastic bags are most handy objects you pull out when you need to carry anything, even small items.

How many times do you go to the grocery each week? When you buy even one can of soda, a bottle of mineral water, or even small things such as a pen, you will come out of the store carrying a plastic bag.

Check around your kitchen and your garage and any part of your house. Chances are you will see plastic bags all over. According to an Environmental Protection Agency report, an average family accumulates about 60 plastic bags in four trips to the store. In 2008, the EPA estimated that about 3,960,000 tons of plastic bags, sack and wraps were produced, and 90 percent of that volume was discarded. Only from 0.5 percent to 3 percent of all the plastic bags ends up being recycled.

Plastic bags come in all colors, shapes and sizes and you may have taken their existence for granted because they have always been there, providing convenience and protection for your things.

About one million plastic bags are used all over the world every minute of the day, and that comes up to about 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags a year, according to www.Worldcentric.org website. Of that volume, Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags each year. About 10 percent of all the plastic bags produced end up in the ocean.

A staggering figure, if you consider it, and here are some alarming facts about using plastic bags.

Plastic bags are made from oil, which is a non-renewable resource. The millions of gallons of petroleum required to produce plastic bags could have been used for transportation purpose.

Another staggering fact is it takes up to 1,000 years for a single plastic bag to degrade. This means a single plastic bag that you throw today will stay to pollute the world long after you and your future generations are gone. Just think of the extent of damage a thousand or a billion plastic bags can do.

Plastic bags are not biodegradable. When you throw them away, they clog the sewers and waterways, end up in landfills or flow out into the oceans. Plastic bags pose as hazards to wild life, marine mammals and birds that mistake them for food, killing them or making them sick.

In the CNMI where tourism is its main industry, the sight of plastic bags scattered all over the streets and coastal areas will do the islands no good.
Next to cigarette butts, plastic bags are the second most common debris collected in any cleanup operations for the past years. Last year alone, individuals who joined a one-day clean-up picked up over 1,300 plastic bags along Saipan’s coastal areas. Just think how much more plastic bags have been swept to the seas, or scattered all over the land.

What you can do

The community cannot just stand and watch helplessly as today’s generation continues to damage the environment for the future.

The Mariana Islands Nature Alliance in collaboration with the CNMI Coral Reef Initiative and the Division of Environmental Quality is launching a campaign to stop using plastic bags in the CNMI.

Last week, Jon Igitol of MINA said they have already started training cashiers and store personnel in some business establishments about the “No Need Bag” campaign.

“We are encouraging the community not to use plastic bags for small purchases and start carrying a reusable bag,” Igitol said.

You can help by considering a personal ban on the use of plastic bags. You can switch to reusable shopping bags that you can easily roll or fold small enough to fit easily into a pocket.

Only take a bag when you really need it, pack it as full as possible, and start recycling your plastic bags. When you are having a picnic at the beach, collect any trash, especially plastic bags before you leave.

For more information about the “No Bags Campaign”  call MINA at 233-REEF (7333). Published HERE

TIPS

Ways to reuse plastic bags

1. Use your plastic bags as trash can liners. Now you don’t need to buy expensive trash bags.
2. Use plastic bags as gloves to protect you from touching anything you would not want to touch, like animal waste.
3. Use plastic bags instead of expensive filler when packing.
4. Create art — plastic bag crochet patterns are available online.
5. Use bags for storage. They take up less space and keep your stuff nice and dry.
6. Use them as dental floss. Crease the bag until you have a long thin line. Put it in between your teeth and floss!
7. Cut the bags to make bibs or aprons.

Chinese community greets lunar new year with lavish celebration

OVER 300 members of the Chinese Association of Saipan greeted the lunar new year with a fun-filled celebration in the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort & Spa on Saturday evening.

The event opened with a colorful and lively lion dance followed by entertainment numbers that featured students of the Chinese Education Center, the instructors of the Rose Dance School and individual performers such as Lu Bin and Paul Dujua.

In his short message, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial wished everybody good luck and a prosperous Year of the Rabbit.

He urged everybody to take after the rabbit and adapt its ability to leap and sprint toward success in any endeavor.

Chinese Association director Rose Chan said  she wishes more people will learn about Chinese culture.

“We want more students for the Chinese Education Center,” she said.

Chan said she wishes good health and economic prosperity for everybody this year.

“The global economic hardship   that we are going through is not an excuse not to move on. Like the rabbit, we will spring forward and make things happen,” she said.

Highlighting the celebration were games for the children, the distribution of the HongBao or money envelopes, and raffle draws in which winners went home with attractive prizes such as hotel accommodations, meal coupons, water passes, home décor and accessories, gift certificates,  home appliances, cash prizes and the grand prize of a round trip ticket to Shanghai for one individual, all courtesy of the various sponsors and contributors.

The CNMI is home to about 2,000 Chinese citizens. (published hERE)

Dancing for luck and good fortune

THE beating of the drums started and the lion dancers fall into position. Despite the noonday heat, a small audience gathered taking photos and videos to capture another brilliant, wickedly energetic Chinese traditional dance to welcome the Lunar New Year.

Chopsticks were suspended in mid-air as diners at the Gourmet Restaurant in Garapan gaped at the two “lions” with ornately decorated heads and bright eyes trying to squeeze their long bodies into the restaurant, entering every room to bring good luck for the coming year.

The lion dancers prance back outside, performing acrobatic stunts with agile movements before ending the performance by eating the green vegetables hanging outside the restaurant door and spreading the rest of the fresh vegetables at the doorway and inside the restaurant.

Chinese Association of Saipan director Rose Chan said the vegetables represented good health and life.

From early morning until late last night, the lion dancers of the Chinese Association of Saipan visited hotels, restaurants and business establishments all the way from Susupe to Garapan and distributed goodies to the children for health and prosperity in this new Year of the Rabbit.

Two individuals enact the lion dance. One dancer handles the head while the other holds the tail, and together, they move in a specific rhythm blending with the beating of the drums and cymbals.

Each year, the lion dancers always amaze the community with their colorful costumes and lively dance moves as they try to mimic a lion’s movements.

“The lion dance has always been a part of the Chinese culture and heritage to wish for good luck and prosperity,” Chan said.

Yesterday, the world witnessed colorful presentations from lion dancers all over the world as the Chinese community welcomed the New Year, summoning luck and good fortune.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (published HERE)

FHP Health Center opens new clinic at TSL Plaza

THE FHP Health Center Saipan formally opened the doors of its new location on the second floor of the TSL Plaza in Garapan yesterday morning.

The new 5,195-square foot clinic has eight examination rooms, a pharmacy section, comfortable treatment rooms and a spacious reception area.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, in his short message during yesterday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the opening of a new health facility with state of the art equipment is a good development for the people of the CNMI.

“This is another indication that the CNMI, despite the economic challenges, continues to have developments not only in terms of tourism but also in health care,” Fitial said.

With the new facilities, Fitial said FHP is now better  equipped to offer higher quality service to patients.

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez said partnership with the private clinics in providing health care to the residents of the CNMI helps a lot in light of the financial burdens the government health services are going through.

“We look forward to continue working with the private clinics to help provide access to medical and health care services for the people,” Villagomez said.

Doctors and professionals at the FHP Health Center are Dr. Daniel Lamar who has been serving the Saipan community for over 15 years specializing in general family medicine including obstetrics; Dr. Nathan C.Y. Tan, a family practice physician who has practiced in Wisconsin, Hawaii and the CNMI, and whose specialty places emphasis on wellness; and prevention, certified physician’s assistant Lone B. Stephens who has been serving Saipan community for over five years; certified nurse/midwife Roca Q. Sablan who brings with her over 11 years of experience from the Commonwealth Health Center; and other skilled professionals.

Clinic supervisor Nora Sablan said  regular operations at the new FHP clinic will start on Monday, Feb. 7, with specialists rotating between Guam and Saipan to serve the patients.

FHP clinical nurse manager Rose Grino said they look forward to more years of serving the community.

FHP Health Center has been operating on Saipan for the past 22 years and was formerly located at the First Hawaiian Bank Building on Beach Road for the past 15 years.

FHP Clinic/TakeCare is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and holidays. Walk-in and appointments are accepted.

For more information, call 235-0994, fax 234-3742, or email www.takecareasia.com. (published Here)