Hafa Adai: Over One-half a World Away
Jessica Barcinas Taylor replied quickly to my email.
"I had to laugh when you gave me the address for your hotel here on Saipan. We don't use addresses! When you land, you'll understand everything."
It dawned on me that what the locals call their "tiny speck in the ocean" where I would spend the next two weeks would be easily navigable. When I have told people I was coming to Saipan, the reactions have been somewhat similar.
"Spain should not be so cold this time of year."
"You'll love the sushi in Japan."
"I do not know anyone who goes to Saigon."
Saipan. The Commonwealth of the United States of America. That means it is ours. It is us. Saipan became affiliated with the USA following World War II, when we took it from the Japanese, who took it from the Germans, who in turn took it from Spain, who took it from the indigeneous peoples--the Chamorro and Carolinians, which still do live here. Saipan, which is part of a necklace of islands called the Mariana Islands, is in the area of the Pacific Ocean we call Micronesia. It is barely 35 minutes from Guam and has two, other close neighbors, Tinian and Rota--two additional tinier specks in the ocean. Off the coast of azure water rest at least three US aircraft carriers that stand poised to protect Saipan and her sister islands, should the need arise. Unlike a lot of the places I spend time, I do not see soldiers wielding AK-47s. Its ethos is a great deal similar to Hawaii in terms of weather, food, and sensibility.
To get to Saipan is a several step endeavor even from California. You can fly to Narita International in Tokyo, drop down to Guam, and then hop down to Saipan or you can fly through Honolulu, and then follow the route through Guam and onto Saipan. What I do know is that it results in about 6,500 frequent flier miles each way, a cross over the International Date Line, and 18 time zones beyond California.
"I had to laugh when you gave me the address for your hotel here on Saipan. We don't use addresses! When you land, you'll understand everything."
It dawned on me that what the locals call their "tiny speck in the ocean" where I would spend the next two weeks would be easily navigable. When I have told people I was coming to Saipan, the reactions have been somewhat similar.
"Spain should not be so cold this time of year."
"You'll love the sushi in Japan."
"I do not know anyone who goes to Saigon."
Saipan. The Commonwealth of the United States of America. That means it is ours. It is us. Saipan became affiliated with the USA following World War II, when we took it from the Japanese, who took it from the Germans, who in turn took it from Spain, who took it from the indigeneous peoples--the Chamorro and Carolinians, which still do live here. Saipan, which is part of a necklace of islands called the Mariana Islands, is in the area of the Pacific Ocean we call Micronesia. It is barely 35 minutes from Guam and has two, other close neighbors, Tinian and Rota--two additional tinier specks in the ocean. Off the coast of azure water rest at least three US aircraft carriers that stand poised to protect Saipan and her sister islands, should the need arise. Unlike a lot of the places I spend time, I do not see soldiers wielding AK-47s. Its ethos is a great deal similar to Hawaii in terms of weather, food, and sensibility.
To get to Saipan is a several step endeavor even from California. You can fly to Narita International in Tokyo, drop down to Guam, and then hop down to Saipan or you can fly through Honolulu, and then follow the route through Guam and onto Saipan. What I do know is that it results in about 6,500 frequent flier miles each way, a cross over the International Date Line, and 18 time zones beyond California.
posted by Elizabeth Reilly | 9:29 PM
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