New sushi chef for Hyatt Regency

DINERS at the Hyatt Regency Saipan’s Miyako Restaurant are in for more sumptuous culinary creations with the appointment of a new sushi chef.

Effective Jan. 18, Joseph Deleon Guerrero took in his new role to oversee the culinary operations of Miyako Restaurant.

Deleon Guerrero will also ensure that the quality of the ingredients and dishes served adhere to the Hyatt’s international standards.

Deleon Guerrero started his career with the Hyatt Regency as a human resources intern in 2004 and later transferred to the front office as a guest service officer.

In 2006, Deleon Guerrero worked as an apprentice chef at a Japanese restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he developed his skills as a sushi chef.

He made his decision to follow the path of culinary arts as his lifelong career after only two weeks of working as an apprentice.

Deleon Guerrero grabbed the chance to work as chef de partie at the Hyatt’s Miyako Restaurant in Oct. 2009, a post which gave him the chance to diversify his culinary skills.

He envisions himself as the area director of culinary operations in 20 years.

“Hyatt can train you to advance in the career path you have chosen. With the right blend of employee motivation, effective training and strong determination, Hyatt careers are limitless,” Deleon Guerrero said.

He also thanks his team, mentors and hotel management for their untiring support.

No more sleepless night due to toothache

IT usually starts with a slight throbbing which you try to ignore as you try to fall asleep. But you know too well that you can’t win the battle, and very soon, the throbbing starts to get worse until it becomes an unbearable giant ache.

If you haven’t experienced what it is to toss and turn the whole night as you try to bear the hammering pain that’s drilling and grilling your gums, and fighting the urge to shake your snoring companions so they too can share your pain, then you don’t know what the word “toothache” is all about.

Some people suffer toothache loudly, announcing their pain to everyone and everybody who would care to listen. Others are the exact opposite.

I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been there, I’m still there, and I’ve been suffering several sleepless nights in pain for the past week but I belong to the sufferers who bear the pain as silently as I can.

Like everybody who is suffering from the same situation, we all know that a trip to the dentist is long overdue but for some reason or another, we try to hold it off for as long as we can.

It’s fear of needles and dentists in my case. You have your own reasons for delaying that trip to the dentist, but sooner or later, we all know that we have to make that trip.

Sleepless nights caused by toothaches can be prevented, according to Seventh Day Adventist Dental Clinic director Kenneth D. Pierson in a recent interview.

Pierson said although the number of children getting their teeth fixed has been increasing over the last years, more children suffering from cavities could have been spared from the pain and trouble had their parents been made aware of the importance of taking care of the teeth right from the start.

“Dental problems such as cavities are global. It spares no one, but the problem could be prevented if you take care of the teeth at home when the children are small,” Pierson said.

“Toothache from cavities is an unnecessary problem that could have been solved by prevention and knowledge in proper dental practices,” he added.

Snacking or eating between meals, and giving children soft drinks, tetra pack juices, and candies are the culprits.

“Kids will always choose soda and candies over vegetables but keep this in mind that what may sound like the best-tasting foods are not always the best foods for your teeth, and sometimes you just have to say NO to them,” Pierson said.

“When your children ask for sodas or tetra juices, give them water instead. It’s safer,” he added.

Resident dentist Fred Gogan at the Dental Care Clinic in a separate interview said the people in the CNMI are up to date with the latest fashion in some things, but not in dental care.

Gogan said he has extracted more teeth from people in the CNMI in the seven months he has been here compared to where he used to work in his 26 years of dental practice.

“When you get an aching tooth, everything else will be affected,” he said.

He said only a handful of people on island visit the dentist regularly for maintenance check.

“Most of the clients come in when after sleepless nights of pain. They come to us when they HAVE to, and that is not good,” Gogan said.

What dentists can do is  alleviate the pain that the children and a big number of adults are suffering, and prevent more pain in the future.

But it’s up to the parents and adults to prevent toothache-caused sleepless nights for their children in the future, and for the adults to have their teeth fixed now.

Pierson and Gogan both encourage members of community to visit them for a dental checkup.  I know I should be talking to myself about a visit to a dentist, ASAP. (published HERE)

Full house for ‘Oba: The Last Samurai’

CNMI leaders, businesspersons, local and Japanese media and other members of the community  filled the 200 seats reserved for the premier of the Japanese film “Oba: The Last Samurai” at the Hollywood Theater on Monday evening.

Members of the audience interviewed by this reporter said they were “awed” and “touched” by the film.

The movie  ran for 80 minutes and was filmed mostly in Rayong, Thailand. It included footage from Saipan as it depicted how Captain Oba, played by Yutaka Takenouchi, and his men fought the U.S. forces before finally surrendering in Dec. 1945.

Some of the viewers told the Variety that even though they have lived on island for years, it was the first time they learned about Oba’s story.
Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan said he liked the movie.

“There is so much humanity despite the war, and I felt the respect between the captains of both the U.S. forces and the Japanese soldiers for each other,” he added.

IT&E marketing associate Brad Ruszala said the film can help many people rediscover the past.

“It is a powerfully amazing movie, one that evokes emotional reference to the history of the place,” he added.

U.S. Department of the Interior field representative Jeff Schorr said he thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

“I thought it was presented fairly. It was faithful to  history, from my understanding of it,  without ‘Hollywood-type’ exaggeration.  The Japanese production was excellent, the acting seemed appropriate to the situation,” Schorr said.

Before watching the movie, he said he re-read his copy of Don Jones’ book “Oba: The Last Samurai,” from which the film was based.

“I trust it will give both local, Japanese and American audiences an insight into the history of the Battle of Saipan in 1944-45,” Schorr added.

DFS Saipan Ltd. assistant general manager for operations Ben Babauta said the movie was “very exciting,”

Rotary Club president Glen Perez said the film was “very excellent.”

He added, “It is exciting to note how peace transpired between the U.S. and the Japanese forces after the war. The movie depicted the struggles of Captain Oba and his men who saved the lives of many people and ended up being heroes — something which a lot of us don’t know about.”

U.S. District Court chief deputy clerk William “Bill” Bezzant said he could not help but compare “Oba: The Last Samurai” to the 2002 movie “Windtalkers,” which starred Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater, and was also about the Battle of Saipan.

He said “Windtalkers” was filmed mostly in a desert in California and did not incorporate actual scenes from Saipan.

“ ‘Oba: The Last Samurai’ is very authentic. A viewer who lives here will find it hard to distinguish the interchanging locations between Saipan and Thailand because it is as though the whole movie was filmed here,” Bezzant said.

He said the movie was also very accurate.

Lawyer Teresa Kim-Tenorio said she “assumed it would just be another typical war movie. However, within the first few minutes, I was completely hooked. I loved it. The plot was unique, in that it focused on loyalty and peace, as opposed to hate and bloodshed. I believe it touched me more knowing it happened here.”

Aya Matsumoto of  Pacific Eagle Enterprise  Inc. said the movie portrayed both sides of the war.

“In some movies only one side is portrayed but in ‘Oba,’ you can see how the two opposing forces joined in peace afterward,” Matsumoto said.

Dignitaries who attended the VIP screening at 5 p.m. on Monday included Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Saipan Mayor Donald G. Flores and Tinian Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz.

The cast, which included lead actor Yutaka Takenouchi, supporting actor Takayuki Yamada and film director Hideyiki Hirayama, also attended the premiere.

The movie will be shown in theaters all over Japan on Feb. 11. (published HERE)

CNMI’s eco-tourism sites highlighted

PRISTINE beaches, historical sites, underwater wonders—these and more sum up the CNMI islands which lures hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world each year.
The CNMI is home to thousands of artifacts and relics found in World War 2 sites scattered across Saipan, Tinian and Rota. It has places that played a historical significance such as the Banzai Cliff, interesting bits and pieces of ancient history such as the Petroglyph found in the Kalabera Cave in Marpi, spectacular sites such as the Grotto, Bird Island, Managaha Island, white sand beaches for state recreation, and other sites ideal for bird watching, plant watching, and the most ideal sites to watch romantic, serene sunsets.
Honolulu-based Marine Science & Policy Advisor Dr. Stacey A. Tighe who conducted a brief lecture at American Memorial Park Visitors Center on Wednesday said that the CNMI is rich in natural beauty, with different kinds of attractions such as the mysterious ancient and current culture, recent history that is unique and relevant to many, scenic views and locations, and unique ecosystems.
Ecotourism, according to Tighe, means responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.
It involves the participation of the local people, particularly in ownership and business opportunities that abound in the islands.
Tighe highlighted the main scenic sites that continue to attract tourists to the CNMI in her presentation. She cited for example the beauty of the Northern Islands and the hardship involved in getting there that adds to the mystery and the value of the place for tourism.
“The CNMI can tap on these prospects to bring in more tourists but still maintain best practices in ecotourism,” she said.
From the cultural side, Tighe cited low impact arts and crafts, local attractions such as the zoo, annual celebrations such as the Flame Tree Arts Festival, and events where tourists can witness and learn cultural dances.
When people go for vacations, they want to see attractions that are different, unique and are not in their places of origin.
Residents in the CNMI should not take the place for granted because so many people would be willing to give much “just to have what we have here.”

Exploring Saipan’s northernmost jungles

ARE you one of those individuals who are confined in your offices or work place the whole day through and waiting for the clock to strike five, punch out and go home, watch television and go to sleep, then repeat the cycle day in and day out?
It may be time for you to stand up, stretch those muscles and see what more this beautiful island has to offer by exploring the roads least taken.
After five weeks of having no exercise (except for climbing up and down 10 steps of stairs to the office everyday- if you consider that as exercise), my buddy Andrew convinced me to break our muscle hibernation and join the hash run again last Saturday.
Just before leaving the assembly area at past 4 p.m., we were informed that the trail would be somewhere near the Suicide Cliffs so off we went, hitching a ride in the jeep of another companion.
We went all the way to Marpi, turning right before reaching the Last Command Post and passing the rough road below the Far East Broadcasting. We emerged on the road going to the Suicide Cliff and met with our other companions on the roadside.
After the usual instructions, the hike began and we followed a trail in the jungle which started simply but just got harder and harder as we progressed. We had to hoist ourselves over tree trunks or crawl under thick foliage before emerging into another rough road.
I thought that was it, but the pink and orange ribbon strips and mounds of flour on the road pointed us to follow another trail across from the road. This time, I had to raise my hands above my head to avoid bruising them. The tall and sharp grass blades obscured everything else from view but we plodded on. We must have been going very slowly because we no longer heard anybody.
It seemed like hours of laborious walking and groping for handholds and footholds before we finally emerged from the thicket and came upon a fenced area that looked like an abandoned ranch.
Cow Town, the sign above the arch said. I have written about the place in my previous police and court stories but it was the first time I have seen the place. One side of the area was fenced off by rows of old tires with tall bushes. There were no cows and no sign of life in the area. The place looked deserted for years and vines and grasses of all kinds have covered the dilapidated buildings, or what’s left of the buildings.
I read that the ranch belonged to Larry Hillbloom of the famous DHL (he’s the ‘H’), the multimillionaire who lived on Saipan and died in a plane crash here in the 1990s. I would have loved to stay by longer but it was growing dark.
A few minutes more of plodding on and we were finally free from the canopy of the thick tangan-tangan and thick bushes. We were in a clearing beyond the landfill in Marpi and we saw our companions from a distance.
I counted only a few bruises in my arms, and muscle pains that I knew from experience would leave me limping for the next few days. Andrew was not so lucky, judging from the ugly, long red gash on his right arm he got from a tree branch somewhere.
You say you have been here ‘long enough to have been everywhere’ and Saipan is just a small island? You may be right, but if you go out and explore some more, you will discover that there’s more places waiting to be discovered.

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Exploring Saipan’s northernmost jungles

ARE you one of those individuals who are confined in your offices or work place the whole day through and waiting for the clock to strike five, punch out and go home, watch television and go to sleep, then repeat the cycle day in and day out?
It may be time for you to stand up, stretch those muscles and see what more this beautiful island has to offer by exploring the roads least taken.
After five weeks of having no exercise (except for climbing up and down 10 steps of stairs to the office everyday- if you consider that as exercise), my buddy Andrew convinced me to break our muscle hibernation and join the hash run again last Saturday.
Just before leaving the assembly area at past 4 p.m., we were informed that the trail would be somewhere near the Suicide Cliffs so off we went, hitching a ride in the jeep of another companion.
We went all the way to Marpi, turning right before reaching the Last Command Post and passing the rough road below the Far East Broadcasting. We emerged on the road going to the Suicide Cliff and met with our other companions on the roadside.
After the usual instructions, the hike began and we followed a trail in the jungle which started simply but just got harder and harder as we progressed. We had to hoist ourselves over tree trunks or crawl under thick foliage before emerging into another rough road.
I thought that was it, but the pink and orange ribbon strips and mounds of flour on the road pointed us to follow another trail across from the road. This time, I had to raise my hands above my head to avoid bruising them. The tall and sharp grass blades obscured everything else from view but we plodded on. We must have been going very slowly because we no longer heard anybody.
It seemed like hours of laborious walking and groping for handholds and footholds before we finally emerged from the thicket and came upon a fenced area that looked like an abandoned ranch.
Cow Town, the sign above the arch said. I have written about the place in my previous police and court stories but it was the first time I have seen the place. One side of the area was fenced off by rows of old tires with tall bushes. There were no cows and no sign of life in the area. The place looked deserted for years and vines and grasses of all kinds have covered the dilapidated buildings, or what’s left of the buildings.
I read that the ranch belonged to Larry Hillbloom of the famous DHL (he’s the ‘H’), the multimillionaire who lived on Saipan and died in a plane crash here in the 1990s. I would have loved to stay by longer but it was growing dark.
A few minutes more of plodding on and we were finally free from the canopy of the thick tangan-tangan and thick bushes. We were in a clearing beyond the landfill in Marpi and we saw our companions from a distance.
I counted only a few bruises in my arms, and muscle pains that I knew from experience would leave me limping for the next few days. Andrew was not so lucky, judging from the ugly, long red gash on his right arm he got from a tree branch somewhere.
You say you have been here ‘long enough to have been everywhere’ and Saipan is just a small island? You may be right, but if you go out and explore some more, you will discover that there’s more places waiting to be discovered.

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An afternoon at a ‘resort away from the resort’

YOU haven’t seen it all on Saipan if you haven’t been to the eastern part of the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort in Kagman.
Dubbed as a “Resort away from the resort,” the Laolao Bay Golf Resort is indeed a paradise even for non-golfers.
As you turn off the main road in Kagman and enter the gates, you will start to feel being relaxed as you drive along wide, paved roads under the shade of tall trees.
Laolao Bay Golf & Resort’s assistant food and beverage manager Ren Sapkota took me up to the sixth floor of the newly-finished resort with its fresh and brightly-colored doors and emerged into the balcony from one of the suite rooms. The spectacular view from the top can make anyone breathless.
From the resort, we drove around the range in a golf cart, following arrows on the road until we reached the eastern coast.
The eastern course is more of the touristy side. For the daring, leaning against the railing at the edge of the cliffs with the view of the endless ocean stretched out before you is one of the most exhilarating feelings you can ever experience, with the wind blowing your hair and attempting to carry you off and the gigantic waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the rocky cliff lines a long way below.
The eastern views provides breathtaking views of stunning seascapes—the paved roads with its unique twists and turns, well-manicured lawns and golf courses, gentle swells and slopes—all of which add to spell a tropical island beauty. The stronger winds prove additional challenge to golfers in the eastern coast.
The western course is more of the classically designed inland golf course which provides a golfer a panoramic view of the Kagman Valley with Mt. Tapochao as the backdrop.
Ren and I ended our ride at the Tea House, an ideal rendezvous perched atop a cliff and nestled amidst lush foliage. It serves as a quick stopover for golfers who want to grab a drink or a quick snack.
The cool and comfortable ambiance of the Tea House, with its glass windows provide guests a full view of the ocean and the golfers nearby.
We were served shaved ice topped with tropical fruits, a very cool and refreshing respite from the heat outside.
If you need to get away from it all, you can find solace at the tropical beauty of this Resort away from the resort.
For inquiries, visit www.laolaobay.com, call 256-888, or fax number 256-8000.