Sunset collection

Sharing some of my favorite sunset images. 

These are mostly Saipan and Tinian images but I've thrown in a few sunset images from Palau.

Please sit back and enjoy!  

Wish upon a pair of Bojobo dolls

LEGEND has it that these little dolls resided in the woods and used to peep out from Bo Jo Bo vines in the village of San Roque, Saipan  hundreds of years ago.
Now, fashioned into dolls from coconut husk and fiber, the Bojobo dolls populate the stores in pairs to make any visit to Saipan, Tinian and Rota complete.
Bojobo dolls are always sold in pairs, a male and a female, sporting a variety of skirt colors are available in various sizes which you could conveniently hang in your car, room, with your keys or anywhere you want to.
Believed to bring good luck in love, money, prosperity and make other wishes come true, the Bojobo dolls have become one of the most-sought and must-not-leave-CNMI-without-it gift item.
From Saipan, Tinian and Rota, the Bojobo dolls have spread out to all parts of the world where tourists come from to serve as a souvenir and remind them that they that they had been to the CNMI.
“Faith can move mountains, and all you have to do is follow the instructions. Entwine the dolls according to what you wish for, hang them in a place where you can see them often and believe in your wish,” a tourist told the Variety in Garapan one day.
“There’s no harm in believing, and besides, the dolls are perfect gift items and decorations,” the tourist added.
If entwined correctly, the Bojobo dolls are believed to bring you luck in love, money and wealth, marriage, fortune, strength, happiness, long life, children, prosperity, friendship and peace.
Bojobo dolls can be bought from $4 and up from all department stores, souvenir shops and hotel gift shops on Saipan, Tinian and Rota, during the street market in Garapan every Thursday, and from online stores.
Grab a pair of these dolls which has become a significant symbol of a visit to the CNMI.
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions on how to tie the Bojobo dolls are attached when you purchase the dolls
1. PEACE. Leave us as is
2. FRIENDSHIP. Cross his left hand and her right hand together.
3. LOVE. Cross his left hand and her right hand together. Cross his right hand and her left hand together.
4. MARRIAGE.    Cross his left hand and her right hand together. Cross his left and right hand together. Cross her left and right hand together.
5. PROSPERITY. Cross the left and right hand together.
6. HEALTH. Cross the left and right hand together.
7. STRENGTH. Cross his left and right hand together. Cross her left and right hand together.
8. FORTUNE. Cross his left and right hand together. Cross her left and right leg together.
9. WEALTH. Cross his left and right hand together. Cross her left & right leg together. Cross her left and right hand together.
10. HAPPINESS. Cross his left and right hand over her body.
11. LONG LIFE. Cross her left and right hand together. Cross his left and right hand over her body.
12. CHILDREN. Cross his left and right hand over her body. Cross her left and right hand over his body.

First published HERE

To catch a dream

IF you’ve been at the souvenir shops around the island, you probably have seen these attractive round things with colored feathers and a web of colored yarn or twine crisscrossing in web-like patterns all over the ring like a trap with a small hole at the center.

If you haven’t seen a dream catcher before, you will think that they are just one of those regular door decorations ideal for souvenir or a gift.
Dream catchers  are usually hung in the doorways. They look like a huge mischievous spider’s web, colorful feathers fluttering as they spin with the wind.
But I learned that there is more behind each dream catcher.
Dream catchers, also known as dream nets, are believed to snare your bad dreams and get them entangled in the sinewy threads while the good dreams slip through the center hole.
These were hanged above the cradle of the babies in the ancient Native American Chippewa tradition.
Go online and you will find several fascinating versions of the legend of the dream catcher.
The traditional dream catcher was intended to trap the negative and bad dreams in the web while allowing the good dreams to slip through the hole, slide down into the feathers and straight to where you were sleeping. You tend to forget the bad dreams with the rising of the sun.
Some enterprising artists in the islands came up with a new design. Instead of the tangled web with a hole in the center, they placed a corkboard material and painted it with scenic views of the islands. Saipan, Tinian and Rota are printed on one side.
I bought a medium-sized dream catcher a year ago and it’s still hanging from a nail in my bedroom wall. I later learned that you should give a dream catcher space to freely spin around, contrary to what I earlier did, but mine was the localized version of the dream catcher, with an attractive painting of huge waves and an island scene.
Though the idea of trapping the bad dreams in the tangled web is gone, the revised version is still a hit among tourists as gift or souvenir items.
“It doesn’t matter whether you believe in them (dream catchers) or not, but they look lovely hanging from the doors and even on cars,” one tourist said.

Dream catchers come in various sizes, costing from $4 and up, depending on the size and they are available in all main stores such as Joeten , Star Sands Plaza, and all other shops where souvenirs are sold on island.

(This article was first published HERE)

Luxe Duty Free: Saipan’s newest shopping option

THE economic crisis is not an excuse to forego simple joys that will make one feel beautiful, according to a businesswoman who recently opened a luxury shop in Garapan.

Beauty consultant Hou Na promotes the Tony Moly products of Luxe Duty Free in Garapan. Photo by Raquel C. Bagnol

Braving the gloomy economic situation, Luxe general manager Diane Lee (Hye Sook) opened  Luxe Duty Free Shop beside Shenanigan’s in Garapan to try to lift the spirits of the people, especially the women and help them to look beautiful and feel cheerful without having to spend much.

Lee, who has been living on island for the past 24 years and is operating two other businesses, said she had to think many times before finally deciding to open Luxe a couple of weeks ago.

“The economy here is bad, but I want tourists and locals to have more shopping options. When I look at the people, I want to help make them beautiful by offering high quality products at affordable prices,” Lee said.

All the bags, shoes, jewelry, watches and other designer items are from the U.S. and Europe while the cosmetic lines are from Korea.

Luxe Duty Free carry complete lines of skin care products and cosmetics from Tony Moly, a popular cosmetics brand for all age groups in Japan and Korea.

The Tony Moly brand has a wide variety of perfumes, skin care, lip care, cleansing, massage and pack, makeup, hair and body, men’s care and accessories that give solution to troubled skin care.

“Our cosmetics are safe to use for all skin types, and we have a trained and licensed beauty consultant who can help recommend what is best for each customer,” Lee said.

 She added that one would be enticed and proud to carry their products which are housed in creative and attractive containers. Lipsticks are not all in regular tubes but rather in attractive cases shaped like apples, oranges, lemons, and more.

“Don’t be scared by the name Luxe (short for luxury) because you will find lipsticks, lip gloss, skin creams, and other high quality cosmetics and accessories starting at $10,” Lee said.

She is saddened to see individuals who do not take care of their skin and are not fashion-conscious.

“I know times are hard, but we can still be beautiful and fashionable. I love the people here. It is where my two daughters grew up and became successful and making all feel good and beautiful is my way of giving back to the community,” Lee said.

Luxe Duty Free offers free makeup consultation and free makeup to anyone without obliging them to buy.

“Being exposed to the harsh rays of the sun every day, the people here need to take care of their faces and skin and we have the products to meet that need,” Lee said.

Luxe Duty Free provides shoppers a relaxing experience with its ambiance complete with Korean music playing in the background.

Check out Luxe Duty Free’s display shelves for designer bags and purses like Coach, Fendi, Liu-Jo, Ensoen, Serapian, Bellemarie and more, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories and locally produced items like virgin oil, noni juice, coffee and other merchandise.

Luxe Duty Free is open from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Major credit cards are accepted. For inquiries, call 233-2525, 233-4747 or email dianeklee@pticom.com.

5th Saipan Awaodori Festival: an affair to remember

THE beating of the drums rose to a deafening level and the crowd flocked closer to the stage to witness a showcase of color and skill at the height of the 5^th Awaodori Festival on April 19.
Kids and adults craned their necks to watch how fast the dancers’ feet caught up with the beat but the members of the professional Tokyo Tensuiren Group from Koenji, Japan and the 45 members of the Saipan Awaodori team did not miss a single beat.
The unexpected construction undergoing at the Coral Tree Avenue in Garapan prompted organizers to move the Thursday market to the Fishing Base, and the new location gave the performers more elbow room to do their show.
For first timers, watching the Awaodori Dancers is a real treat. It’s like being given a glimpse of the biggest festival held every last Saturday and Sunday of August in Koenji. The drum beats will bring spectators to the narrow streets of Koenji and squeeze through hundreds of thousands of people from all parts of the world and watching thousands of Awaodori Festival dancers in their flashing and colorful costumes.
PDM Promoters Inc., is the organizer of the annual Saipan Awaodori Festival under its president Misako Kamata. Sonia Siwa of the PDM Promoters said that this year was special because members from three Awaodori groups flew in from Tokyo.
“We usually only have the dancers and musicians of the Tokyo Tensui-ren group but this year, we have representatives from Benkei-ren and Aoi Shin-ren groups and these are among the very famous groups in Japan. This is very good news. Hopefully this can encourage more groups from Japan to participate in the future Saipan Awaodori Festivals,” Siwa said.
From 5:30 p.m. all the way through 8:30 p.m. on Thursday last week, the joint Awaodori teams from Japan and Saipan impressed and stunned audiences along the streets of Garapan—all the way from Fiesta Resort & Spa lobby to the front of the Shenanigan Restaurant building, and heading toward Duty Free Shop Galleria for a short performance before capping the day’s festivities with a hit performance at the Fishing Base street market.
The group also performed during the opening of the Flame tree Festival at the Civic Park Center on Friday evening.
MVA recognition
Marianas Visitors Authority represented by Judy Torres presented a certificate of appreciation to the Tokyo Tensui-ren group for its continued support and promotion of the CNMI as a preferred travel destination during a break in their performance at the street market on Thursday.
Except for last year where PDM Promoters Inc had to cancel the festival in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March last year, the Tokyo Tensui-ren group had been coming here and performing for the past four festivals.
Major sponsors for the Awaodori Festival are DFS Galleria, Docomo Pacific, Tan Sui Lin Foundation and Kinpachi Restaurant. For more information, please call 234-6900.

The secret of the Singing Bowls

MY hand started to shake as I balanced myself to keep still. I was in an antique store and a 6.5-inch dull gold bowl was on my left palm. The store manager, a friend of mine handed me a piece of round wood which came with the bowl. I held the wood, which was called a striker, in my right hand.
Under his  instruction, I began to rotate the striker on the sides of the bowl awkwardly, impatient to get feel that vibrating feel. I did
not feel anything except for added nervousness in case the bowl would fall and break.
I kept trying and learned the technique and very soon, I started to hear a soothing sound and feel a pleasant vibration from inside the bowl, going to my palm. I kept on rotating the striker and imagined myself inside a peaceful temple, deep in meditation. I imagined grassy meadows, flowing rivers, wide expanse of blue skies. Without meaning to, I got lost in thoughts and felt myself slowly slipping into a relaxed stance.
Coming back to reality, I looked at the set of Singing Bowls with new eyes. I’ve always taken them for granted as part of any antique displays and I never go near them or touch them.

playing the singing bowls

Digging a little into the history of Singing Bowls, I learned that these are classic instruments and meditation tools in Tibet but these are also known as Himalayan singing bowls.
If you haven’t seen or tried playing a Singing Bowl, drop by the Fu Dogs & Qi shop at the Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe.
Singing Bowls come in different sizes, shades of color and designs and they are priced based on their weight, size, and condition. It means that the bigger the Singing Bowl is, the higher the price.
My friend said that today, lots of people have Singing Bowls in their homes although not everybody believes in the spiritual traditions and religious practices.
People now are also using the Singing Bowl for meditation, trance-induction, relaxation, healthcare, and personal well-being.
When you are tired from a day’s work or just bored and needs to rewind, try playing a Singing Bowl and see what it will do to calm your soul.

This article was first published HERE

Mass cremation at the Marpi jungles

Chosen as Story of the Week for JPG on September 22, 2011.
 (http://jpgmag.com/photos/3143830)

  First published at the Marianas Variety

THE silence of the damp morning air was broken by the crackling and hissing sound as dried pieces of wood caught fire from the lighted torches. Members of the Kuentai, a Japan-based non-profit organization whose goal is to return the remains of these dead soldiers to their homeland was starting the first ever mass cremation of the human remains of 575 Japanese soldiers who died in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, during the bloody World War 2.

While the entire nation was recollecting the horrifying 9/11 events 10 years ago, the Japanese community in Saipan were also mourning for their soldiers who lost their lives.
But unlike that fateful day when their bodies were dumped and buried in a mass grave over 67 years ago, the skeletal remains that were recovered following months of excavation from different areas in Marpi were neatly piled and stacked on tin plates and placed on top of firewood.

Under the shade of a canopy, representatives of the Japanese community and local island officials honored the memory of the dead soldiers and offered flowers for the sacrifices that they gave. The atmosphere in the small clearing that was once an airport in Banadero, Marpi took on a surreal mood as the yellow and orange fires hungrily licked the firewood that would eventually reduce the pile of bones into ashes, the only remnants of the Japanese soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the battle.
Trying to overpower the strong smell of gasoline and the stench of burning bones, I went around in a blur, capturing the memories of the first open cremation I have ever witnessed on camera.
As the flames on each pile got hotter, the smoke got thicker and rose higher above the treetops surrounding the area. If you close your eyes you could almost see the souls of the dead soldiers rising up with the smoke from the bone piles.
547 sets of the soldiers' remains were unearthed from the mass grave the Kuentai group excavated in the village of Achugao, San Roque, Saipan, in May and June this year. 28 sets of skeletal remains have been excavated earlier and had been stored at the CNMI Historic Preservation Office and added to the latest number of human remains.
In a solemn ceremony, Yukio Tanabe, Envoy of the Japanese Government for the Recovery of the Remains in Saipan expressed his thanks to the members of the recovery mission, the CNMI government and the local people for the recovery of the remains of our soldiers on Saipan.

skeletal remains

Kuentai secretary general Usan Kurata said that the 575 recovered remains was like scratching the tip of the iceberg. Kurata said that there are still over 26,000 remains of Japanese soldiers on Saipan that they are hoping to excavate, cremate and give a proper burial in Japan.
The excavation and cremation raised quite a storm among locals, and especially from former U.S. soldiers who questioned the identity of the human remains, if all of the bones belonged to Japanese soldiers, safety concerns over holding an open air cremation, and other issues.
Kuentai said that the remains of Japanese soldiers cremated after proper identification procedures. The Kuentai Bereavement Group showed a 60-page report on the project done by archaeologists Randy A. Harper, Marilyn K. Swift and principal investigator Michael A. Fleming of the Swift and Harper Archaeological Resource Consulting where chronicles the processes they underwent before the excavations.

The report showed that three previous testing and data recovery programs were conducted in the area where the mass graves were located in Achugao, Tanapag in 1990, 1991 and 1995 and all the testing were in compliance with the U.S. 1935 Historic Sites Act, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the 1980 National Historic Preservation Act amendments as well as CNMI Public Laws 3-33 and 3-39 which pertain to the removal or treatment of human remains for historic preservation.
The archaeologists' report stated that the team dug a total of 77 trenches all over Marpi— 37 trenches from May 21-24 and 40 more trenches from June 27 to July 3 before the mass grave was finally located containing 547 sets of human remains. All the trench excavations were monitored by the archaeologists and the bones were identified to belong to Japanese soldiers.
The archaeologists also kept tallies of the number of skulls recovered and cross referenced with the total number of bones like femurs and tibias, to identify how many sets of human remains were recovered. The team retrieved a lot of items along with the skeletal remains from the mass graves including rifles or machine guns which the soldiers carried when they died, grenades, bayonets and knives, helmets, water canteens, a Japanese canister with medicine to counteract poison, belt buckles, buckets, wire, ribbed rebar, a mess cup, nails, metal braces, ammunition, ordnance, miscellaneous metals, and shrapnel.
The cremation was done at about 5 p.m. that day, and they had to wait till the ashes cooled enough to be placed in six different containers and flown off to Japan the next day.

I left the little clearing a couple of hours later, the memory of the hungry flames devouring the pile of the unknown soldiers' skeletons and the strong stench in the air etched into my memory forever. Some remnants of any bloody war could not just be blotted out easily.