Washable moments: Did you wash your hands today?

It could be a handshake from a friend or stranger. It could be from turning numerous door knobs in the office, rest rooms, stores and public buildings, picking up the telephone or pushing elevator buttons. These are just some of the things that your hands do and come into contact with everyday.

What you may not have paid closer attention to is that behind these routines lurk millions of germs that are transmitted from one individual to another. When you come in contact with germs, simply touching your eyes, nose or mouth will spread the infection much faster.
Hand washing is a hygiene practice parents hammer on your tender mind even before you learn how to walk. And remember as kids how we don’t always listen and follow the same instructions everyday? We thought our parents have nothing better to do but nag, nag and nag us to wash our hands.
When we were old enough to go to school, we thought we were free from the constant reminders to wash our hands but we were in for a disappointment because right from day one, hand washing is again taught like it is being a part of the kindergarten curriculum. There is no escape and no graduation because the situation is reversed when you have kids of your own and it is your turn to teach your kids the importance of hand washing.
In a nutshell, hand washing is one practice that everybody should do because it is unquestionably a very simple way and the most important tool to prevent the spread of infection and illnesses.

Hand washing campaign to combat flu virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends frequent hand washing to especially help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.
The CDC stressed that if people don’t wash their hands as often as possible, the probability of picking up germs from other sources and then infect themselves is great.
“You’re at risk every time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. In fact, one of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after the cold virus has gotten on their hands,” CDC stated.
In the CNMI, the Department of Public Health personnel are going full force in their campaign to combat the spread of the H1N1 flu virus with hand washing as the first step toward prevention.
The Public Health last month reported a slight increase in seasonal flu cases, and they are expecting more cases toward the yearend and up to early next year.
DPH program analyst Roxanne Diaz said that in anticipation, they are going all out campaigning against the flu in all schools. The 5-step flu-WATCH campaign starts with hand washing, Diaz said.
“We could never stress the importance of hand washing enough, not only to kids but for adults to make it a habit,” she said.
Washing your hands is like creating a first line defense against any attack of germs, and everybody needs that defense.

How to wash your hands

Use warm water if it is available and soap to wash your hands.
Make a lather by rubbing your hands together and scrub all surfaces.
Continue scrubbing your hands for 15 to 20 seconds each time. If you need a timer, the CDC recommends that you imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice and you’re done.
Rinse your hands well under running water.
Use a paper towel or air dryer to dry your hands after washing.
If soap and clean water are not available, you can use an alcohol-based hand rub or hand sanitizers to clean your hands.

When to wash your hands

As kids graduate into adulthood, they don’t need to be told to wash their hands anymore but come to think of it, how many times do you actually wash your hands in a day? Only when you take a bath or use the washroom? The technique is not to keep count of how many times you wash your hands, but to make it a habit or a routine practice for you and for everyone else in the family, especially:
• Before preparing, cooking or eating
• After using the bathroom
• After cleaning around the house
• After touching animals, even family pets
• Before and after visiting or tending sick family members, friends or relatives
• Before and after treating an open wound or a cut
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After staying outside from working, playing, handling garbage, etc.
• After changing your child’s diapers or after cleaning a child who came from the bathroom.
Never under-estimate the power of hand washing! Clean hands save lives and the few seconds you spend at the sink every now and then could save you trips to the doctor and spare you from spending hundreds of dollars in medical bills. Make that trip to the sink now and start saving your life!

(This article was published HERE)

People, things, places and events to be thankful for in 2009

Whew, a year has passed and editor Zaldy once again asked us to submit our thank you list for the Thanksgiving issue. There are no major changes in my list last year, save for some new people, events and items to be thankful for. My list is in italics, from #5 to 9.

Cheers!

__________________________ ______________________

THIS is a thankless year — unless you’re an administration official or crony.

Things are certain to get worse and the next local elections are three long years away. But then again, there is more to life than politics and a dying economy. Indeed, amazingly, there is still a lot to be thankful for. Moreover, deadline is approaching and we’ve to put something on this page, so here then is the Variety’s legendary 15th annual Thanksgiving list. The items, as usual, are not necessarily arranged in order of importance.

Praise the Lord and hand us that bottle of Tanduay please.
1) Jobs
2) Paydays
3) The CNMI will have a new governor…in 2015
4) Junhan says “for the bliss each day, I sing my appreciation and shout my gratefulness to our READERS. You are the champion.”
5) Raquel thanks Chikka, YM, e-mail, Facebook and PTI phone cards for bridging the distance from Saipan to Cotabato, to her family for the inspiration to hang on Facebook (again) for keeping her “connected” and for resurrecting high school classmates whom she hasn’t heard from in decades, to everything that keeps her world rolling — Internet, cable TV, remote control, Iconnect’s radio/cellphone, garage sales, e-bay, Google, coffee sachets, turon, halo-halo and ice cubes.
6) The creators of Farm Town, Farmville, Café World, FishVille, Yoville, Roller Coaster Kingdom, Barn Buddy, Bejeweled and other games that keep her up and kicking every night until 5 a.m.
&) She is also grateful to buddies Jeanette, Arnold and Andrew for the unplanned trips, movies, DVD marathon, “chow” times and for all the midnight and past-midnight adventures, Andrew again for the desktop invasions, long-existing friends Bobong Quiñones, Ben T., Jepoi, Rex, Wangyu, Sunstar people, Sir Tony, Davao media, Nazi, Agnes A. and Kristy guapa.
7) Robert for the memories that will always be here
8) Newsroom links Zaldy, Juneh, Junhan, Gemma, Krissy, Richelle, Tess for the “you know,” the art department, Vino for the subscriptions and the rest of the Marianas Variety people for adding “pressure” to the daily pressures.
9) Zak for his floundering attempts to pretend he’s still young and able to bark normally every night, an assurance that the barracks is not that deserted yet. Thank you!
10) Cindy Aldan says: “I’d like to thank God for the blessing of my baby boy. She’s also thankful “for having a supportive family that stood by me: BJ, MOM, DAD, NANAY & TATAY. Thanks to all my close friends: Victoria, Jen, Joey, Edbhy, Jem, and Rose Ann.”
11) Juneh: “First, thank you to my family, my mom, my sisters, for being understanding, to my papa doodles, mommy Rio (for the helping hand and for always cooking banana bread), daddy Sandie, Johnray, Ayi & Weng, to all members of Badminton, to all my friends, playing Farmville, Farmtown, Chef World. Thanks also to all editorial staff Gemma, Raquel, Cindy, Krissy, Andrew, Arnold, Richelle, zd and most especially tulindoy (Junhan), to the Younis family, to my friends outside, Atchie, Chammy, Zyra, RV, and special thanks to Bernice.”
12) Chelletot would want to “Thank Papa J for all the blessings he gave us, Variety management for the opportunity they opened for me, my colleagues, Sir Zaldy for the ‘sungit’ (hehe I’m learning though), kuyas and ates of editorial team, my mommy, daddy, fafa and oasis kulit.”
13) Gemma is “thankful for my family and friends. Thanks too to Radio Australia, AP, AFP, & Kyodo; Bright Maritime Corp.; attorney David Cohen; Human Rights Advocates Elsa Cheung & Wendy Doromal; Northern Marianas Congressman Gregorio Sablan; the Philippine and international media; Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the Royal Dutch Navy; Betty; Juliet; Aries; Angie; Bhey; Weng; Myla; Alexie; Facebook friends and their friends; Cherrie; Virgie; Junhan; Raquel; Chammi; Tita Lits; Libay; Sallie & Rocelyn; Senate Clerk Doris Bermudes and staff Vicky; House Clerk Evelyn Fleming; Rep. Stanley Torres and staff Jessica & Esther; Speaker Arnold Palacios & Staff; Jojo Dass; LB staff; Laila, Marianas Variety & Staff; DPS PIO Jason Tarkong; former governor PIO Charles Reyes; SAPLR staff Nace, Michelle & Rose; sources, etc.”
14) Tina Sablan and Ed Propst
15) Saipan’s next mayor, Angelo Villagomez
16) Arnold says “thanks YAS for the dental, the BANMI for non-stop leagues, RGA and SGA for the monthly supply of score sheets, the NMI softball community — Chamolinian, Budweiser, Belau for the never-ending tournaments, SBA for the monthly roll-off results and the Saipan MMA family. Thanks also to Papa San of Maganda Utang and FPJ. Thanks to Cris for reformatting my computer. Thanks to attorney Maravilla and congrats to all my former Journal Union colleagues for winning the labor case. Thanks to the Journal Group for speeding up the sale of properties so they can pay us soon. Thanks also to zd.”
17) Ron Hodges, Rabby Syed, Greg Cruz
18) The election victories of Senator Reyes, Rep. Stanley and former Gov. Lang Tenorio
19) Charles P. Reyes Jr., Cinta M. Kaipat, Deanne Siemer, Howard Willens
20) Sen. Frica Pangelinan
21) The HA team
22) zd wants to thank the gang — Uly, Badjhoe, Paul, Patricia G., Ella, Joy, Jacq, Arnold, Andrew, Dia, Raq, Janet, Makoy, Julio, Ka Ed, Talitz, Ka Louie, Sally, Bino, Betong, Greg, Cris, Mike, Tekya, Prolayn, Ernie, Ka Max, Ka Nards, Jonathan Logtu, Jerty, Loids, Ariel and Khalil
23) Bobby Myers, wife and kids
24) Jim & Grace Belyea
25) Brenda & Fred
26) Bruce & Maya
27) Jeff, Cynthia and their kids
28) tsetse ija
29) Brad R., Bruce B., Mike E., Brad D., Jay S.
30) Miguel Dandan, his wonderful grandparents and ate Lisa
31) Whispering Palms School, its principal, teachers, students, parents
32) Miggy’s, Viralicci, Aliviera
33) Flame Tree Terrace
34) Gold’s Gym and its management, staff and patrons
35) Hollywood Theaters
36) In Plain Sight, Burn Notice, Monk, Psych, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, South Park, Reno 911, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, History Detectives, Community, American Idol, The Office, 30 Rock, White Collar
37) Sarah Palin
38) Diet Pepsi & Coke Zero
39) Hollywood Video
40) Floyd and the Big Beats Band
41) Kevin’s Video
42) Zhen, Galvin & Velma
43) Jigz Barber Shop
44) zd and che say thank you to the Palmtrees, Jason and Mar-Vic, for being incredible hosts on Guahan
45) Ruby Tuesday, Horse & Cow, K-Mart, GPO, Micronesia Mall, the Tumon strip, Guam Fiesta Resort, Denny’s
46) Thank you Lolitsky of Guam!
47) Andrew says: “I wish to thank our good Lord for the continued blessings for my family and for all of us. Also, special mention to the Marianas Variety family. Thanks also to our news sources and would-be news sources who keep our community informed. Happy Thanksgiving to all! CHEERS!!!”
48) Godfather’s Bar
49) Emperador Brandy
50) Up Dharma Down
51) Che says thank you Kazu Nishida
52) Guam Variety editor Mar-Vic, who invented this list 14 years ago, says: thank you that we still have this list after all these years, lol!
53) My boys, nakni and ico, joining me and jason on guam next year
54) My gorgeous husband Jason Palmertree! Eat your hearts out! y’all!
55) Recently shipped old copy of Lin Yutang’s “Pleasures of a Noncomformist” from amazon.com
56) Being over 40 and still weighing under 100
54) Nick Pichay, Beret & John, Jeff Schorr, Pamela Mathis
55) Zaldy wants to thank the Variety’s publishers, management, editorial staff as well as the company’s other hard-working personnel.
56) Guam Variety, Palau Horizon and their superb management and staff
57) Manang Lilly’s siomai
58) Watermelon seeds
59) Cherrie Villahermosa of Palau says “thanks to all my friends in saipan: gems, alexie, chummy, andrew, raquel, junhan, juneh tita lits, noemi, teri, norleen, macoy, betong, jonathan, ferdie, cla, zd and the rest of the MV staff!”
60) KSPN’s election day coverage
61) iPod
62) Facebook
63) Friends of the Arts
64) The Joeten-Kiyu Public Library
65) YouTube
66) NPR’s music
67) J’s Restaurant
68) The CNMI held peaceful and orderly elections
69) Ayn Rand
70) Fox News Network
71) H-Mart
72) Best wishes to Aggie and Sebastian!
73) Joeten stores
74) Lucky De Store
75) Red Horse
76) red wine
77) MGD
78) Tanduay Rhum
79) The CNMI’s hardworking public servants
80) The poetry of Mookie Katigbak and Joel Toledo
81) Don DeLillo’s Mao II
82) NMI Humanities Council
83) John Banville’s The Sea
84) chess
85) Google
86) AP, Reuters, AFP
87) The Wall Street Journal
88) The Comedy Channel
89) Turner Movie Classics
90) old KMCV news
91) the rosary
92) sleep
93) waking up
94) Levis
95) cereals
96) cell phones
97) Lipton tea
98) milk
99) Christmas approaches
100) The Variety’s readers and advertisers

(This was published HERE)

Yoga for a healthier you

YOU see these groups of women and an increasing number of men before daybreak, after sunset or during lunch break time trooping to the gym for an hour or so of yoga sessions.

These are individuals aged 25 to 67 who faithfully join the sessions each week armed with the goal of attaining total well being through yoga.
Yoga— what it is
Yoga certified instructor Susan Baetge said that yoga is a personal journey that brings you into greater harmony with your body.
She said that yoga is not about competition or a marathon.
“It not successful to try to stretch farther than others in the class, or to try and keep up with those who have been doing yoga longer,” she said.
She said that in yoga, you are getting the benefits as long as you pay attention to your body and challenge it without injuring it, and keeping your breathing.
“I encourage my students to come out of a posture or ease up if they are feeling any discomfort or pain. It’s more important to honor your body, no matter the age, then to try to do a yoga posture perfectly,” Baetge stressed.

How is it done

Yoga combines the breath with movement to create a purification of the mind and the body.
Baetge said that postures are held while focusing on the breath allowing the muscles to lengthen, and the body to open up.
“We work on training the mind to let go of all the daily thoughts, and focus only on the breath during practice bringing about a sense of peace and well being as well as lowering stress,” Baetge said.
She said that individuals who join yoga must wear clothes that are close fitting and are easy to move in so that the instructor can see where the body needs to be adjusted.
The students also use a yoga mat and a towel, and sometimes, props like a strap or belt, a block, or pillow to aid their bodies as they learn to stretch and open up.

No age limits

Yoga is open for all age groups but at her classes at the Palms Resort, Baetge recommends no younger than 14 years old.
“The key to yoga is in listening to your body and only pushing as far as your body wants you to that day,” she said.
“I have students from 23 to 67 years of age in my classes at the Palms Resort,” she added.
Baetge’s main classes are comprised mostly of females 25 – 40 years old but her “gentle classes” usually get ages 30 - 67.
As a preschool –third grade teacher, Baetge also teaches yoga to her students. She hopes to have a “mommy and me” yoga class sometime.
Baetge was trained in the Ashtanga Method but teach to the level and specifications of those in her classes.

Benefits of yoga

Baetge said that yoga is the Sanskrit word for Union. It developed in India over 5,000 years ago.
“There are many forms of yoga but they all focus on breathing, postures, and quieting the mind,” she said.
Yoga, she added, is the union between the mind body and spirit.
She said that yoga increases one’s flexibility, strength, balance, and coordination, and reduces stress, counteracts and depression.
She said that Yogi’s say “there is no disease, mental or physical that yoga can not cure.” She added that yoga is one effective way to make one look younger as it reverses the aging process.
In addition, she stated that yoga is an amazing compliment to any athletic routine, especially running, weight lifting, and all sports as it lengthens the muscles, opens the body up so it can better resist injury in high impact sports, and heal quicker.
Yoga also brings balance needed in sports such as soccer, surfing, kiting, basketball, and other sports, and it is available for all sizes and shapes.
“It can be a wonderful weight loss tool,” she said.

No excuses

Baetge said that one does not have to be flexible to start yoga.
“That is often an excuse I hear. Flexibility is a product of coming to a yoga class, a point of arrival,” she said. She added that she was not a big athlete before yoga.
“I was not a strong person, but yoga has changed my life my not only giving me balance of mind and body and spirit, but developing strength and confidence. I am amazed at how much my practice has changed from not being able to do a position to being able to do one at the next level,” Baetge said.
The key to yoga is to take it on a day by day, moment by moment basis.
“There are no comparisons in a yoga class because we are all made differently - our arms are different lengths, our torsos, our legs. There is no way that we will look exactly like our neighbor in a posture,” she said.
There is also no judgment in a yoga class.
“I am just the guide you are the one who knows how you are feeling physically and emotionally that day,” Baetge said.
She added that sometimes, just getting to the class and sitting on the mat is enough while on some days, you want to go all out and throw in extra postures.
“It is up to you as to what level you practice at. Yoga is a personal journey,” she added.

Yoga schedules

Baetge said she can accommodate up to 20 students in her Wednesday and Saturday morning and evening classes, but only up to 12 students during the lunch breaks.
Baetge said that more yoga enthusiasts come in on Wednesday afternoons, but the lunch break session is fast gaining popularity. Ideally, she said that it would be good to do yoga for three sessions a week.

What to bring?

Please bring with you a yoga mat, hand towel, a larger towel (to aid in adjustments) and a bottle of water. Try not to eat three hours before the class, or only have a light snack of fruit, or yogurt.
Gentle Yoga Lunch hour at the Palms Resort is on Tuesday and Thursday 12 noon. Wednesday evening classes are from 5:15pm - 6:30pm. Saturday schedule is from 9-10:30am. Classes are free for Palms members and $5 for non members.
Baetge also teaches yoga at Golds Gym in Garapan at 8:30 on Monday and Friday morning, and Monday evening at 6:15 pm.

At the Golds Gym, 10 class card is $50. The classes cost $2 for Golds Gym members. She said that Golds Gym is thinking of adding more evening classes as these are very popular.
Baetge is also available for workshops and private lessons, and she can teach yoga for 3-6 year olds. She can also do yoga for small groups or for children at any location. Baetge can be contacted at yogawavesaipan@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

This article was first published HERE

A look at CNMI’s real estate

This is a photo I took of the ruins of La Fiesta Mall in Tanapag which remains as a mute witness to
Saipan's days of glory. Photo taken from the 15th floor lobby of Palms Resort hotel.

MORE than a decade ago, Saipan was an island bustling with activity. Economy was at its peak, with new buildings and establishments sprouting all over the island. Houses, apartments and commercial buildings were filled and bursting at the seams.

About ten years after, the last of over 30 garment factories closed its doors and ended the era of what can be considered as Saipan’s “glory days.”
People are leaving the island in droves looking for better opportunities in other places, leaving residential and commercial buildings to ruins.
For the past years, “For RENT” signs mushroomed in buildings all over the island, adding glumness to the already bleak economic atmosphere.
Ronnie Hodges, a licensed real estate broker and auctioneer in the commonwealth said that the CNMI has “crumbled to the worst real estate in America, and arguably among the world’s worst, possibly edging out Antarctica for the title.”

Downward factors

Hodges said that the real estate market is considerably worse than five years ago although it’s tough to gauge in such a stagnant market.
“We have worsened economically for a myriad of factors that are well known by everyone here,” Hodges said.

Financing issues

He pointed out that financing issues is one factor, with the local banks taking depositor’s money and reinvesting it in Hawaii and Guam to stimulate their economies with commercial and residential developments.
“Perhaps the banks are jaded with our land alienation laws and history of protectionism,” he said.
Citing an example, Hodges said that when a bank does loan money here, and the borrower doesn’t pay his mortgage, there is a right of redemption.
In other words, this means no one can buy the land to start with, and if they loan money on it, the lending institution will have an incredibly long and expensive ordeal to repossess the property. He added that the lack of accurate appraisal may also be a factor in banks apprehensions about lending. Hodges added that maybe the banks are fed up and have now wised up.

Abundance of junk housing

Hodges said that the islands have a huge glut of junk housing that could be considered somewhere “between cheap and free” and most should be condemned and destroyed.
“We have limited quality housing and most of that is owner occupied and either not for sale, or very expensive,” he said.
On Saipan, Hodges said the ANAKS apartments in Puerto Rico may be the most expensive residential units or condos that offers long term lease between 75k and 250k depending on size and view angle. Residents of these apartments pay a monthly rate somewhere between $1,000 to $1,700, not including power and utilities from $700 to $1,000 but they have the advantages of security, potable water, location, and other amenities.

Risky investments

Hodges said that these factors and more make it difficult to build and make your investment productive as well.
He said that for example, when an individual borrows $200,000 to lease land and build a home, the general formula means his monthly payment is $1,000 per $100,000 borrowed. This means that he would need to rent that house at $2,000 per month to break even for time, trouble, and risk he spent on the investment.
“That is why we have little construction here,” Hodges said.
He added that Article 12, the controversial land ownership issue, is the most sensitive economic obstacle to success.
“Our economy will never improve until it is changed,” he said.

Declining homestead values

Hodges said that another local real estate concern is the steep decline in values in our homestead areas.
He said that wealthy people or affluent tourists generally will not reside in problem areas.
“Between the stray dog problems, crime and poor aesthetic appeal of our impoverished homesteads, the values have gone down,” Hodges said.
He added that the local people who have been penalized by the island’s protectionism are the locals who did the right thing by building nice improvements and maintaining their property. But these improvements suffered because their neighbors built tin shacks and plummeted every property in the areas value.
“Until that is addressed, our homestead residents will suffer from low property values,” Hodges said.

Chance to recover

But Hodges said that although the CNMI’s real estate portrays a bleak picture, there’s still a chance to recover.
“The future is in our own hands, now more than ever before. We have a few advantages – our uniqueness, geographical location, being small, and some degree of autonomy,” Hodges said, adding that some, like Bermuda for instance, have managed those same qualities into unimaginable wealth for their indigenous populace by exploiting their strengths.
He added that those qualities can be explosive but bureaucracy, corruption, and protectionism never create prosperity.
He said that the commonwealth’s strength should be an ability to adapt and change quickly to a rapidly changing world.

(First published HERE)

Dining on steak and seafood

fish steak for lunch

THE search for the ultimate yet affordable steak and seafood on Saipan ends at Coco Restaurant, located right in the heart of Garapan.
The Coco Restaurant prides itself on being the only one on island which has a grill right inside the restaurant, and you can’t help but give in to the mouth-watering anticipation seeing the steak, fish or seafood you ordered being charcoal-grilled, juices dripping and cooked to perfection to however you want it ­— either medium rare, done, or well done.

From the outside, Coco Restaurant evokes a homey ambiance that promises a place to dine and melt away your stress at the same time.

medium rare steak

Lunch or dinner starts with a trip to the salad bar which boasts of a wide selection of fresh vegetables, sauces and dressings. At the salad bar, the “eat-all-you-can” rule holds.

As soon as your steak or seafood order is served, you can start digging into it and glory in each bite. The steak is heavenly, and so is the Mahi-Mahi grilled fish.

waiting for their turn at the grill

The last juicy bite of your steak or seafood is not the end of your meal. Cap your lunch or dinner with a cup of coffee or a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Regular items on the lunch menu include New York steak, tenderloin steak, hamburger steak, local fish, seafood and teppanyaki, steak and lobster, and eat-all-you-can assortment from the salad bar, all ranging from $10 to $15.

dessert--a scoop of ube ice cream

Anniversary promo

For the first time, Coco Restaurant celebrates its anniversary and will treat its clients to huge discounts.

Steak and Seafood Coco Restaurant vice president Takayuki Hirosawa said that starting today (Oct.5) until Dec. 15, which is the restaurant’s 12th anniversary, Coco Restaurant offers a 50 percent discount, or $20 off on its New York Steak and mixed seafood Teppanyaki for dinner special. The orders include salad bar (unlimited), soup, and refillable rice or bread.

The 15-oz. steak is more than enough to fill a hungry stomach, and with sea foods shipped in from Japan, you will get your money’s worth, and more. They also offer a 50 percent discount on selected beers.

The Coco Restaurant can accommodate 100 persons and has three VIP rooms which seats 30, 12 and six people.

For reservations or more information, please call 670-233-2626, 234-3777, email info@cocosaipan.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.cocosaipan.com.

This article was originally published HERE

p.s.

Visiting this restaurant on a hungry stomach is enough to make you crazy, what with the charcoal grill resembling a firestone permeating delicious smells as the juices of the steak and seafood dribbles and sizzles onto the charcoal. I ordered the fish steak lunch special- grilled mahi-mahi with baked potato and rice. My companions Jeanette, Arnold and Andrew all went for the steak. I got a taste of Andrew's well-done steak just the same by bartering a slice of my mahi-mahi. Very satisfying lunch indeed, if only we had all the time in the world to linger over coffee but then it was 2 p.m. and lunchtime was finished. oh maybe, next time!

A taste of Korea at the Hyatt Regency

DINERS who crave for Korean cuisine are in for ten days of a mouth-watering feast as Hyatt Regency Saipan celebrates the Chuseok festival at its Kili Café & Terrace.

To give its diners a taste of authentic Korean cuisine and bring the spirit of “Chuseok”, a Korean thanksgiving celebration here, Hyatt Regency has brought in two chefs from the Hyatt Regency Incheon.

“From Oct. 1 to 10, diners at the Kili Café & Terrace will be treated to a wide selection of authentic Korean buffet prepared by two chefs from Korea,” Hyatt Regency Saipan’s executive chef Gabrielle Colombo said.

Kyoung-Yoon Jeong and Kim Tae Hoon arrived on Saipan on Tuesday and will be staying until Oct. 11.

The two chefs said that the diners can expect a variation of Korean dishes every night.

Colombo said that Hyatt Regency Saipan’s restaurants host various festivals throughout the year, but it has been some years since they brought in chefs from other countries.

“This time, we would like to bring Korea here to make our diners enjoy the true taste of Korean cuisine,” Colombo said.

Joong brings with him six years of experience at the Hyatt Regency Incheon while Kim has been with the hotel for the last four years.

But the two chefs had been assigned in other Hyatt hotels in Thailand, Philippines and other countries before.

Colombo invites the community not to miss dinner times at the Kili Café & Terrace and indulge into the chef’s creations like a spicy Korean Hot Pot, marinated grilled meats and seafood, and traditional dishes like Bulgogi beef stew and Kimchi pancakes.

He said the dining at the Kili Café for the Chuseok festival is a rare experience that cannot be equaled to dining in a Korean restaurant here.

“It’s an eat-all-you-can, drink-all-you-can feast on Korean dishes that you shouldn’t miss, and the food choices are endless,” Colombo said.

Included in the Chuseok festival dinner buffet is a wide selection of appetizers like assorted organic greens with choices of dressing and condiments, Shitake mushrooms muchin, Bulgogi mixed salad, Korean beef tartare, fresh tofu salad, Japchae, glass noodle salad and various kimchi.

The seafood bar carries reef red sashimi, seared bonito tuna, spicy lime dip, green mussel, snow crab, fresh Pusan oyster, fresh river shrimp, lemon wedges, miso bean dip, mignonette, wasaby cocktail sauce and spring onion sauce. The live cooking station offer diners assorted Korean pancakes with dipping sauce and seafood bibimbam rice.

The hot selection bar carries steamed rice with selected beans, braised chicken with spicy vegetables, Angus beef with rib stew with soy sauce, fried squid with chili sauce, and grilled autumn vegetables with marinated garlic. Top off your meal with tempting delights from the dessert bar—a selection of traditional Korean sweets and desserts.

The Chuseok dinner buffet at the Kili Café is open from 6 to 10 p.m. from Oct. 1 to 10 for $35 per person. For reservations and more information, call 234-1234 extension 26.

This article was first published at the Marianas Variety Oct. 2,2009 issue.

Going underwater at Managaha Island

Managaha Island
Photos by Kotaro Tsujino

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale, exhale! C’mon you can do it. Practice breathing through your mouth!
This was the first time I was given breathing lessons and I was finding it hard with the mask on my face, over two pounds weight tied to my waist and an oxygen tank strapped to my back.

Two dive instructors from the Aquaconnections dive shop checked our progress as they gave me and my three office mates Jeanette, Arnold and Andrew a crash course in scuba diving. I had wanted to try diving for a long time but always backed out at the thought that I would be required to learn how to swim first.

There I was, drowsy after a leisurely lunch and dragging my heavy body into the pristine waters of Managaha Island one Saturday afternoon, asking myself if I could really do it.

I had visions of taking Scuba Diving 101 and undergo hours of classroom instruction where we will be introduced into the different diving gear and their uses and be given time to practice wearing them on dry land before being launched into the water. I had tried snorkeling a couple of times in Davao and in Palau but snorkeling was different.

But there we were, doing a few minutes of underwater breathing exercises and before we knew it, our instructors were guiding us deeper beneath the huge waves, holding onto the ropes to stay together.

For first timers, we sure picked up a windy day where strong currents make diving difficult but we didn’t know that yet. We held on to the ropes as lifelines as we edged our way down into the deep. (well, not that deep at 8 feet, but for a non-swimmer like me, it sure was deep!)

Our instructors monitored us, checking if we were doing okay and gauging our breathing by the bubbles we made. We had to give them the "ok" signal with our hands from time to time.

I was exhilarated thinking I was actually scuba diving when suddenly, everything went dark and all I saw were strands of dark floating things covering my mask. I forgot to breathe through my mouth and I then remembered that I was a non-swimmer. What was I doing underwater when I can't even float a meter's distance? Panicking, I flailed my arms and tried to surface. A dive instructor immediately assisted me and pushed me to the surface where huge waves tossed me around. He told me to relax and turned me face up on the water as I took in huge gulps of air. I realized my hair had gone loose and covered my mask but after I fixed my hair, I assured my instructor I was definitely going down again.

I forgot all kinds of fear when we reached our destination. Multi-colored fishes swam toward us and around a bed of corals we couldn’t help but reach out to touch them. Everything was just beautiful.

We stayed down for about 25 minutes before our dive instructors signaled us to go back. It was a first experience which just spurred my interest to go diving again.

Completing our scuba diving experience was photographer and diving instructor Kotaro Tsujino of Underwater Adventures who documented our first attempts at diving. Tsujino said he had been photographing and taking underwater video of divers for several years, including events like underwater weddings. He can be contacted at 670-322-0599 or email him at otanog@pticom.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Our dive instructors from the Aquaconnections were Youme Sharry and Takehiro Fukuya but they have two other instructors—Tohru Narita and Donato Beside. You can visit www.saipan-aquaconnections.com or email them at aquainc@pticom.com for more informationThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Diving at Managaha Island is indeed an experience you would like to do again and again!

To get to Managaha Island, call Tasi Tours & Transportation Inc. at (670) 234-7148, fax (670) 235-7141 or email managahatasi@tasitours.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

This article was first published HERE