Santa Visits Saipan via Skype

ALL eyes were glued to the huge screen as the Skype ring tone reverberated in the American Memorial Park Visitor Center theater on Saturday afternoon.

Cedrick the Magician from Tinian was trying to contact Santa Claus in the North Pole while the audience waited. After a few seconds, Santa’s jolly face appeared on screen and he greeted everyone with his booming laughter. He said he was on his way to Saipan.

Cedrick the Magician impressed the young and not so young audience and had everyone mesmerized for 45 minutes as he performed on stage.

Cedrick, 20, is one of the backstage hands for the SandCastle Magic Show at the Hyatt, and it was his first performance in public on Saipan.

Cedrick’s Magic Show culminated with the arrival of Santa Claus. Chilren and adults got the chance to have their pictures taken with Cedrick and Santa Claus in the Visitor Center lobby after the show.

“I was a little bit nervous at first but after the first few minutes, I began to relax and was happy to see the audience enjoying the show,” Cedrick said.

Cedrick is the fourth of seven siblings. Cedrick’s mother Joji, a teacher of Grace Christian Academy on Tinian, said she had never watched any of Cedrick’s shows before.

“His father always comes with him but this time, I decided to come out and watch. I was more nervous than he was during the first few moments of the show but later on, I started to enjoy it,” Joji said.

She wanted Cedrick to be an engineer, but added that their family will always support him in his endeavors.

Cedrick’s father Conrad Libut said: “Doing magic is what he wants, and we are here for him.”

Cedrick became interested in the world of magic at 9 after he watched a special TV marathon show titled “World’s Greatest Magic.” He devoured every episode and decided then and there what he wanted to do in life — magic.

He now performs for various occasions such as birthday parties, baby showers, cocktail parties or even business get-togethers.

Cedrick the Magician also performed during the Brilliant Star School bazaar at the multi-purpose center on Dec. 9. For more information, call 789-9197, email contact@cedrickmagic.com or visit http://cedrickmagic.com.

First published at the Marianas Variety

Santa’s going to be broke

GONE are the days when kids look forward to waking up on Christmas morning to find their stockings filled with teddy bears, toy trucks and trains and Barbie dolls.

In fact, Santa Claus may have to fire his elves unless they have gone to graduate school over the past 11 months and took master’s degree classes to keep abreast with the latest trends on children’s wishes.
I haven’t noticed the transition but the trend of children’s wishes has gone high tech. In Friday’s issue of the Marianas Variety, an article came out where second graders from a school posted letters for Santa Claus with their wishes.
Santa has also got to be patient because almost all of the kids are asking things in exchange for being good, or for promising to be good upon delivery of the goods.
Here are excerpts of some of the kid’s letters.
Dear Santa, I want:
…a laptop and a Limo
…a laptop because every time I want to use our computer my sister is online. I also want lots of presents and an i-Pod.
… an i-Pod.
… a laptop and an i-Pod.
… a big computer.
…an X-Box 360 for Christmas.
…a watch for my dad, necklace for me and I want to be rich.
…a SPS and a car and a Happy Christmas.
…a DS and a big nice gift.
…a DS nintendo that can take pictures.
…a DS, color pink.
…a PSP and Ostrich Joshua
…a panda
…one of your presents (laptop)
…a sportscar
…toys, and i-Pod, Wii and PSI and laptop
…a car like a Mustang
…telephone and a computer and a new DSI and Barbie printer
…X-Box again and new games
…a pink i-Pod because I helped Mom and Dad
…a unicorn
…laptop, or DSI, or Wii or new PSP.
…give me a big house and I will be a good girl.
…give me a DSI and a lot of money and a laptop, and I wish I were smart, blond, pretty and white (Santa don’t forget to bring your beauty and make-over kit)
…to go to the North Pole. Now this is one wish which may require Santa to put up a travel agency.
A couple of kids are more practical and wished for school supplies “because I’m good” and a big bike and a pack of pencils and a desk and a computer and five books “because I have been trying my best to be good.”
And finally, here’s one that would surely make Santa Claus feel wanted.
…I want Santa for Christmas. I would like to see him in person.
I guess Santa can breathe a sigh of relief because this is from a second grader, otherwise if the wish is from an adult he should not relax because he may be presented with a long list of wants and wishes after the courtesies and niceties.
At the base of the 30-foot Christmas tree at the Paseo de Marianas are colored ribbons with wishes written on them in different languages. Here are some to mention a few. I wish:
…for a better life
…to improve in school
…for Dora
… for more jobs
…for a bike and a boyfriend (in that order?)
…for world peace
…for a better future for my son
…for a great voice
…to have money.
And a thousand other wishes more. Santa Claus has some options to continue distributing gifts in the future. He could go to the Legislature to present a budget for next Christmas, write a grant application to the federal government, or retire from service but not here because he may not be getting any retirement benefits just yet.

(This article was first published HERE)