Recently published
The grass is always greener on the other side. This sentiment certainly rings true when describing Rota (Luta), our friendly neighboring island in the south. At a time when travel is still difficult due to the pandemic—and you’ve staycationed your heart out on Saipan— Rota feels greener, wilder, lusher, and downright adventurous. With no restrictions on travel within the CNMI and just a quick and easy 30-minute flight from Saipan, Rota is the perfect destination to combat those pesky feelings of wanderlust. For nature lovers, it’s simply paradise.
It is Sunday at Guma Sakman in Susupe and the smoky smell of barbecue dances in the breeze of the towering ironwoods. Puffy clouds stretch across the blue sky and children dart barefoot along the shoreline. The shiny waters of the lagoon beckon.
And a group of women answer the call.
Like the famed mermaid Sirena, goddess of seafarers, these women have been drawn to the sea. Some are overcoming fears. Some are improving their strokes. Some simply never learned to swim.
Don Farrell and his Pacific passion project to teach Tinian to the world
When Don Farrell left his home in the mountains above San Bernardino on New Year’s Eve at the dawn of 1977, he had to chip ice from his driveway to get out.
From Los Angeles, he flew to Honolulu then boarded another plane in the dark to his destination––“Gwaim.” (That’s right, he didn’t even know the pronunciation.)
The 30-year-old marine biologist, scuba aficionado, and teacher was setting out on a new adventure, answering a call to teach in Guam after Typhoon Pamela had devastated the island and scared the previous teachers away.
The sardine-can ukulele: Finding the harmony between past and present
Lino Olopai’s eyes shine as he stands on the front porch of his tin-roof bungalow on the western lagoon of Saipan. He holds a silver sardine can, a round hole cut through the center. A wooden rod runs through it.
He strums the imaginary strings and sings, la-lah-la-lah-lahhhh. His beguiling smile greets his memories: the mid-1940s after the war, and as a 5-year-old boy, he had just heard the sound of the ukulele for the first time.
Uncle Dave: You cannot go forward without looking back
Look to the soil.
So says distinguished Saipan businessman David Sablan Sr. as he brainstorms ideas on how to rescue Saipan’s economy during these troubled times.
Sitting at a table at the Terrace Cafe of the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan, Sablan wears a tan Hawaiian shirt, a gold Rotary Club pin shining on his lapel. At age 88, he is as sharp as the ballpoint pen clipped to his front pocket.
O land of mine: Saipan and its culture of respect
If I ever leave this place
One day I will return
Marie Castro’s life is an echo of the Northern Mariana Islands’ anthem, “Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi.”
Castro, formerly Sister Maria Soledad Castro of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz, spent 50 years of her life in the United States. Now returned, she understands she carried her Chamorro culture with her through it all.
Gloria Hunter: Mom, auntie, matriarch of Micronesia
To many here on Saipan, Gloria Hunter is “Mom.”
Sit with her for a moment at The Shack and you’ll see. Everyone knows “Mom.” Or “Auntie.”
Yes, she is the mother of Glen Hunter, the owner of this beloved beachside cafe, and three other children who all have made their own way in the world. But she’s also the warm, friendly woman who spent decades serving the CNMI government—for both parties.
“Why would anyone want to hear my stories?” she says.
Donald Mendiola: Healing with herbs, spirits, positivity
In a world––and year––that can seem dark, Saipan suruhånu Donald Mendiola always sees the light.
Call him what you will: a traditional healer, a medicine man, an herbalist, a keeper of culture, a teacher. But if you ask him, he’s always had one mission––to help others.
“I am an instrument of God,” Mendiola says, sitting outside his home under a covered wraparound veranda.
A Cultural Renaissance on Saipan
Art is everywhere in Saipan.
Cruise down the main roads and you’ll see the concrete utility poles now covered with island-themed artwork from Project Haligi. In other spots across the island, you can see local artist Meena Benavente’s tin artwork hammered to broken fences or headless palm trees–still inspiring hope two years after the tragedy of Typhoon Yutu.
These days, the art community is burgeoning. A new generation of artists has emerged to share the stories and traditions of the islands. The artists are as diverse as the Saipan community itself– a dynamic mix of cultures and traditions.