mimi's island

when i relocated to my island, i ran from the corporate giants of california so that i could easily expose myself to the smaller powers that be and contribute to my island.

however, due to the unfortunate economic downturn my time with the little people has been cut short and as of today, i've officially hopped on to the BIG boys in town.

it really is as true to the corporate engine as you can get on this island - with over 900 people strong and big wigs and their army of eager-to-please robots, my first day came complete with 800 consecutive power point slides after another and an overzealous spiel on "why we love to work here and why we are so glad to have people like you (to be manufactured into a clone)" that ran for more than an hour and a half.

ahhhhh!!!!!!!!! but what have i gained access to in exchange for all this? - job security, financial stability, a 401k plan that makes up for overdue planning, and my very own cubicle. yay.

maybe i'll have a fancy ergonomic high-back chair and an anti-glare lcd and my very own mug that i can use at the ever-so-lovely water cooler. corporate guam rocks (*insert rock-and-roll face here).

Posted by at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

it's been more than year since i've boarded a plane and it's a shame that i've never visited any of the neighboring marianas islands. saipan was a great start for me and in all honesty, i did not expect much. i'd hate to blame it on lack of stimulation for having appreciated everything new that i learned from my visit to saipan.

saipan seems to be much more culturally aware than guam. the language, the history, the nature are all glaringly preserved in the simplistic landscape and architecture.

• the lush tree groves with massive tree trunks and expansive canopies of fiery flame trees told a story of land untouched yet tended to.
• the topography of the land where roads disect made one conscious of the hills that overlooked the ocean and intuitively led you to its presence - the azure horizon blended with deep blues were stunning even from a distance.
• the character of the architecture was regional - not a sea of concrete boxes. there were clay tiled roofs, swooping vaulted forms, arched entry ways, and buildings clad with wood siding, stone facades, and real presence.
• the roads carved into the landscape and told a story of the shores - where beach road fronts a long stretch of shoreline and a sidewalk within 5 feet of sandy ground. the buildings and cars oriented toward the water was a refreshing gesture compared to the acres between san vitores road and the water and the inward facing buildings along route 1 in east agana.
• the history - monuments and signage told another story of their own - where relics pop up amidst major avenues and between city streets. there was a real museum with a dedicated structure and exhibits. there was also a real park along a busy roadway with large trees and people in it. i was very amazed.
• the scale of the grid - i went to godfather's bar and was amazed at scale of the sidewalks and streets around it. it evoked the feeling of being in a city - where activity outside of the work day draws people to the streets. bar hopping is truly walking distance and parking meters - oh the parking meters! brought back nostalgia. there was even a bar right up against the sidewalk

i was only there for 12 hours, 8 of which were work. it calls for return visit where i will actually see more of the island.

Posted by at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

my lonely tivo and me were more than excited for the return of weeds on monday but unfortunately only got around to viewing it late thursday night. immediately i was turned on to the ending scene where nancy expresses true (and much-needed) glee while being surprised at the flash mob of dancers.

it lead me to a search which unraveled the phenomenon of the flash mob and to discover that perhaps the largest and most popular flash mob operateurs are the new york-based Improv Everywhere which coincidentally just released a new book that documents all their so-called "missions".

the evidence is all on youtube where they orchestrate random acts of public performance to make people happy or make people pay attention. it can only be understood after viewing.

Posted by at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

himym's season 4 finale on monday was yet another relevant episode. i can't help but project my architecture woes onto ted's stetson debacle.

this time around i prepared for the finale more than ever by re-watching key moments from seasons past. i knew it would not be ending with the uber cliche cliffhanger meant to lure you into the next season like - breakups, big moves, weddings, outright confessions of love (although unbeknownst), pregnancies (although a fake one) , etc. . this is how i met your mother...this is one awesome show.

instead we get a big piece of information as to where ted meets their mother and we can finally put to rest (for now) ted's flailing career. barney and robin become a tad bit more believable and marshall and lilly were instrumental to both life-changing moments.

and there was the genius re-emerging of multiple himym-isms - the slutty pumpkin, the goat, and sven.

the actual leap scene, although symbolic for the gang's prelude to the next chapter of their lives, was too cheesy for me. and there were far too many shots of ted and the goat rolling around.

Posted by at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

oh common now for all of you who have or about to cross that threshhold. you've may have already randomly uttered these forsaken words but i vow to never concede. call it denial or blame it on that taurean resliency -

...i'm old
...i'm bored
...i'm settling for less
...i give up

Posted by at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ed burns last installment from 2007, purple violets, was on HBO this morning (via my slingbox). it was the first i ever heard of it and i will add it to my list of sleeper hits.

it is not fit for everyone's attention span, but if you have an appreciation for non-fairy tale point-of-view romantic movies, you will enjoy it as i did. ed burns has a fanbase of his own genre (and his pretty face, heheh), creating movies centered around his usual themes of relationships, family, his irish descent, and new york city. purple violets is a softer side of ed burns and the backdrop of new york city contrasted with the hampton's is presented in a softer light as well.

purple violets refers to purple and violets not being the same although they appear to be. it's about reuniting with an old friend but nothing is how it was as when you were last around each other. the characters in the movie reunite after 12 years when they last ended on a bad note. it is a movie about second chances.

Posted by at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

an island boy.

one fine day a long time ago when i was in pain - after pouring out from the depths of my guts and my heart, i asked the world to give me what i deserved - long overdue, a man in love with me as much as he loved his home.

my time has come.

Posted by at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

yet another HIMYM reference that proves why this show is just so awesome. and so relevant. i was late in tuning in to this week's episode and showing how the recession has caused a "vocational paradigm shift" makes this show. all the more. awesome.

but the un-awesome part would be the way that my profession and others have been suffering as a result of the levity of the market. most firms are firing and shutting down. here most practices (with other industries included) have had the luxury of catering to the needs of the military. my firm, however, has maintained their client base in the private sector. while we have put up notable work in the last year, it will be a slow and steady "vocational paradigm shift".

gladly i have my exams to keep me busy and i have already crossed the line by having had taken my very first exam last month and another scheduled within the next week. i will be completing all seven exams within the next three months and i am excited. my initial goal was to be licensed by the time i was 25 and now it has turned into 30 - which is not bad at all. did you know that currently there is only ONE licensed female architect on island. geeez ladies, good job. anyway - i plan to join these ranks very soon. wish me some kind of luck. or maybe telepathic luck ala marshall and lilly.

did i mention that I HEART HIMYM?

Posted by at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

with the exception of friends visiting off island, my nightlife schedule as of late has been dive bars, strip joints, karaoke bars, and the occasional drop into the "current" bar...the scene can only be described as titled above.

but i do indulge in these pockets of promising fun when people drop in and if it means reuniting with a familiar face or celebrating a happy occasion. this is in fact the year of the thirty for my common folk and the year is indeed speeding by. although, thirty couldn't come any slower.

even the entertainment or music selection has been uninspiring, with only a few hits here and there. i have been so musically challenged having only being equipped with my ipod (5th generation, obsolete). in fact, gadget-challenged would be a more accurate description. i lack a blackberry or the skinny ipod but do not feel the need to upgrade for the sake of updating my facebook status from the produce section of my grocery store. it is also about time i let go of my sprint phone number that i have boastfully had for the past ten years because even they can't afford me anymore.

this useless rant has led me to believe that shaving off excess is becoming a trend that i have openly welcomed....all for the benefit of attending to the domestic duties and my professional development. and oh yes, tivo.

Posted by at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

any attempt at educated critique regarding the "architecture" of guam renders a huge reference to the military influences and our climate. these influences along with a general lack of identity has stripped us of any real definition of style when it comes to the way in which we express our buildings, much less other art forms. in our amassed varieties of concrete boxes, there are, however, redundant trends which have become accepted in our architecture, or lack thereof.

we have come a long way by trying to pass on cultural traditions and more recently efforts are being made to preserve the language or the history - such as the proposal to build a new guam museum. i have been tasked with doing architectural write-ups to contribute to the humanities council and have an entry in the works regarding our general building "vernacular", with some editorial included, of course:

single story buildings
the first large-scale development of single-story structures was when the kaiser homes were built. the locals adapted to this knowledge and style and since then, we've been less inclined to build stairs in our buildings. (teehee)

typhoon shutters
metal fabricators have made a killing off of our reluctance to install stronger windows. but it is an absolute peeve of mine that light and aesthetics become overshadowed up by people's laziness in unlocking these unattractive and massive metal coverups. i have typhoon shutter syndrome - they are locked tight and it feels like 6pm at 1 in the afternoon. this also describes when the alarm is going off at 8am and i can't even tell it's daylight.

flat roofs
generally flat roofs restrict proper drainage and require a lot maintenance. they come in all varieties and are usually painted a different color for a flashier effect. perhaps the feature most responsible for making our concrete boxes a concrete "box".

CMU masonry structures
hollowblocks are a fast and reliable building material. they require no formwork and the large pieces are easy to handle. but they are also the one reason we have stuck to the box form for all these years. there are far more imaginative things that can be done with concrete than to stack and fill.

glass block
sadly, most people who have some "extra" money to upgrade their concrete box will resort to adding their own personal touches of glass block - another peeve of mine. why not let light AND air in? why obscure a view? the module happens to be the perfect fit for our other favorite - the hollowblock and this affair has not stopped since then. these were manufactured for industrial buildings yet they've made their way into almost every home with that added flare. must be the glass block, eh.

open and attached car ports
maybe its for the ease of using the car port as a party space but i hate that most houses here lack a proper entrance or foyer. i hate that the car blocks the door way. the place where you park your car should not define the layout of your home.

tin roofs
if only for economy, the popularity of tin roofs have gone down in recent years since most of them have flown away in the last typhoon. these days, a strong variety in higher gauge metal and proper flashing (water protection) has caught on. there are also a number of attractive buildings with a standing seam metal roof. they costs much more but will last a lifetime.

auxiliary extensions
most homeowners love to add on and tack on "extensions" to have their outdoor kitchens, storage sheds, or extra bedroom for the growing boy that won't leave home. sadly - most aren't properly permitted and degrade the value of the entire house. if you will be adding to your home, make sure it's done right.

chain link fence
yet another industrial technology we've domesticated. why obstruct the view of your home with this caged aesthetic? i understand the need to establish barriers - but some nice tree-planting would've done the trick.

the latte stone
i love the latte stone as a cultural icon. but must we tack it on to something to consider it relevant? there are a number of iconic buildings in the works and that are existing which i believe, have overused the poor innocent form - the Guam International Airport, Bordallo's museum (behind the adelup office) and the proposed Guam Museum. i get it already, they are guam buildings but give the latte stone a break.

unfinished
not to be confused with those abandoned structures. people don't seem to finish what they started - columns without roofs and raw concrete walls overgrown with mold and tangan tangan are not an unusual sight.

abandoned
unfortunately our "landscape" is littered with lifeless buildings that have been left over time. i get nostalgic when i drive past iconic buildings like what used to be the ben franklin department store. it was my grandmother's favorite place to shop. she could never make it up the escalators because of her arthritis.

Posted by at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i have a minor obsession with listening to my voice over the phone...and i've learned in writing this out that it's an absolute insecurity, in fact. let me explain, err prove it.

my voice is far from manly (thank goodness!) or firm and i find myself having to change my tone so that i can re-assert myself where needed. recently i've learned this the most in commanding my new puppy. often i voice a command and he sometimes replies by gazing at me with uncertainty as if to say "seriously??".

then i wonder....my son. am i too soft on him with my voice? in fact...having to be commanding means being demanding. belching out my loudest voice means forcing my eyes to bulge out. i'm afraid kylan might think i'm crazy.

even when i scream...i'm not heard. loud by my efforts is not loud enough by any means. last night in a crowded bar over a band playing in a room with bad acoustics...i nearly lost my voice trying to carry out a decent conversation.

early in my architectural career when having to do presentations for a critique session at school or trying to convince my client that i'm not a soft-spoken pushover of a child....i've had to modify my voice to be taken seriously or to assert my confidence.

i admit - when i'm on the phone with my friends or speaking to clients...i have to toggle between the fakey fakey and know when to turn off the softy softy.

sometimes it helps to have a child's voice when avoiding telemarketers. and it's great to have a "customer service" voice when the job demands it.

today i left a voicemail for a client and had to "press 2 to erase and re-record" on several occasions. i hate it.

Posted by at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

as an avid reader of both the huffington post and latitude 13, i was not surprised when both sources reported Guam's latest PR spots.

what i find even more newsworthy, however, is the extremely negative comment feed on huffpo's post.

whenever guam is in some sort of media limelight, a pocket of haters always seems to emerge. and shortly after...a wave of defense.

but this negative perspective is what GVB should be precisely after. often we market ourselves as a 'world-class destination" that frankly we don't quite live up to by our own folly. surely there is a tag line out there less generic that will suit us better as a culturally-rich and progressively-growing people and place.

Posted by at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

for as long as kylan has been able to communicate verbally, he has passionately loved dogs - so much so that he was often brought to tears each time i rejected the idea.

recently we agreed as a family to adopt and now we are happily delighted with our newest member - izzy. he is adorable and just my kind of dog - clean, quiet, and the kind that won't lick me (still trying to get used to that part). it's only been two weeks and he is already house-trained, potty-trained, and still smells like heaven. we are told he is a border collie mix and are very fortunate to have found such a great dog at the shelter. before christmas, we toyed with the idea of adopting from a breeder but it was that much easier to walk away when we were told it would cost about $2000!

anyway, he has such an easygoing personality. he normally emotes by whining and i have only heard him bark about half a dozen times. he also sleeps with his teddy bear, it is the cutest thing. i feel so strange because i've resisted the idea from the beginning and now it is just the perfect time to have a furry friend. i can't even begin to tell you the effect it has had on our dynamics in the house and kylan's level of responsibility.

there you have it - i have an emo son, an emo bf, and an emo dog.

Posted by at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

i am one-day shy of bringing this year to a close and of course, i did not escape as i thought i did. last week i was feverishly sick for a full week and just these past two days, my stomach has been unbearable. saltine crackers and soup are not what i intended to ring in the new year.

this year's milestones:

a busy and overworked work schedule
a productive visit to california
a confidence boost in singlehood followed by a new man worth keeping for the long haul
a move to a better place with a better landlord
kylan's psp and the evolution of his geeky talents

...and then overshadowed by
great financial strife
sudden near-loss experience
large financial cuts at the workplace and lull in work load

...and then overcome by
new work opportunities and several job titles to my name
recovery and strength
a hunger for deciding on the next major career move

all i have left to say is...2009, i'm gonna shine.

Posted by at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)