Buenas - March/April 2019

INSIDE OUT

A different way to do health

VIVA

Las Vegas, baby

From outlaw to out of this world Artist takes graffiti to the next (sea) level

contents

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March/April 2019

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ARTIST

Lee San Nicolas

ESSENCE OF GUAM

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All things Guam: animals

OUT & ABOUT

Reader and event photos

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HEALTH

Holistic happiness

TRAVEL Las Vegas

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Buenas is Guam’s leading lifestyle magazine and reflects the popularity of the magazine among all who live on-island or who visit Guam! The magazine will continue to bring its readers lively features on the lifestyle of Guam — what is happening throughout the island, who is doing something fun or special and what’s coming up on the Guam calendar.

Connect with us!

www.buenasguam.com

About the cover: Lee San Nicolas stands in front of one of his most recent pieces at the Onward Beach Resort.

Buenas March/April

PUBLISHER Maureen N. Maratita BUSINESS EDITOR Meghan Hickey REPORTERS John I. Borja Wayne Chargualaf CREATIVE CONTENT MANAGER Vikki Fong DESIGN AND PRODUCTION TEAM Conrad Calma Luisa Joy Castro Sean Davis Angelica Eleno

2019

MEDIA SALES MANAGER Kevin Iwashita ADMINISTRATION Janice Castro Carmelita McClellan DIRECTOR Ken Dueñas MANAGING DIRECTOR Marcos W. Fong

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Buenas March/April 2019 • Entire contents copyrighted 2019 by Glimpses of Guam, Inc.

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Artist///Lee San Nicolas

From the street to the beach Lee San Nicolas combines graffiti with island life to create a style all his own Story and photos by Wayne Chargualaf

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Artist///Lee San Nicolas

Photo courtesy of Lee San Nicolas

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lthough hip hop culture has been broadly embraced throughout the world for decades, graffiti — widely accepted as one of the four elements of hip hop — has yet to gain the prominence of its flashier, more kinetic brethren: rapping, turntablism and breakdancing. Part of the reason may be that for many, graffiti is hard to separate from its outlaw roots, as the ability to sneak in and create works of art in forbidden areas remains a large part of graffiti culture.

“When you see somebody with a brush, you just think, ‘Oh, they’re going to do a nice mural,’ Guam-based artist Lee San Nicolas says. “But when you see someone with a can of spray paint, you think, ‘Oh, this kid’s up to trouble.’”

Although San Nicolas started out as a graffiti artist and still loves the art form, he wanted to take the attitude and visual aesthetic and expand it into more mainstream — and legal — venues.

“When you’re growing up and you’re doing graffiti, it gives you a rush, like ‘Oh, man. I’m doing something bad, let’s see if I can get away with this,’” he says. “Now I’m like, let’s turn this into some positive energy. Positive for the community and positive for how we reach out to the world.”

Nowadays, San Nicolas’ work — primarily murals — can be seen throughout the island. He has had work commissioned by local businesses and organizations such as the Dusit Thani Guam Resort, the Onward Beach Resort, Poki-Fry and the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

As part of his mission, San Nicolas expanded his artistic knowledge and skills through both self-study and by taking classes at the University of Guam, expanding his visual vocabulary by absorbing everything from Banksy to Leonardo Da Vinci.

“I’ve looked at a lot of Da Vinci’s work — how technically he 6

graphs everything and uses proportions,” he says. “I was able to expand my art so it wasn’t just about writing my name all over everything.

There’s more to this. It’s about the culture, it’s about the process that makes you want to build, want to create. For me, it’s really personal.”

The personal aspect is what inspires the subject matter of much of San Nicolas’ work.

“A lot of it is influenced by what I go through in my day,” San Nicolas says. “You know how a rapper will rap about his life? I paint pictures of how I feel about my life and what I go through. So I paint a lot of sea life because I love the ocean. Also, we reside on Guam, we live on an island and I want to promote that.”

San Nicolas estimates he has created about 500 commissioned projects for local businesses such as hotels and restaurants, but about 1,000 including small pieces he worked on when he was younger.

“Even in high school, I was the kid who would draw on people’s binders for a couple of pens,” he says. “I’d say, ‘Hey, I really like your pen. If I draw on your binder, I’ll trade you for that pen.’ Then I’d write their name on their notebook in graffiti.”

With a number of other projects on the horizon, San Nicolas shows no signs of slowing down. As part of his mission to spread positive energy with his art, San Nicolas wants to show that his own life story is an example of what’s possible when you take a risk on your dreams.

“Everybody wants to wait until they’re ready, but no one’s ever ready,” he says. “I was always self-conscious about my art when I first started. I didn’t think anybody would like the way I drew this turtle, or painted this fish, or the way I would write graffiti. Just give it a shot. If you don’t try and give it your 100%, how can you say whether it was wrong or right? Just try.”

Artist///Lee San Nicolas

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Essence of Guam///All Things Guam: Animals

Essence of Guam

Commonly-known animals on Guam Guam kingfisher

Scientific name: Todiramphus cinnamominus CHamoru name: Sihek Estimated population: ~140 Size: Approximately 9 inches (23 centimeters) Lifespan: 3 to 5 years in the wild, up to 15 years in captivity Status: Extinct in the wild Origin: Endemic to Guam Programs and Projects: Guam Micronesian Kingfisher Recovery Program The Guam kingfisher does not fish, despite its name. Its diet consists of geckos, mice, meal worms and crickets. Male and female Guam kingfishers have different appearances. Both have cerulean wings, but males have cinnamon color all around while females have a white breast.

Guam rail

Scientific name: Gallirallus owsotni CHamoru name: Ko’ko’ Estimated population: ~ 350 Size: Approximately 11 inches (28 centimeters) Lifespan: 3 to 5 years in the wild, up to 15 years in captivity Status: Extinct in the wild, with established populations on Rota and Cocos Island Origin: Endemic to Guam Programs and Projects: The Rail Recovery Project, Go Native! Prutehi i Islan Guåhan The Guam rail is a flightless bird native only to Guam, though there are controlled populations in Rota and Cocos Island. The invasive brown tree snake devastated the bird population.

Monitor lizard

Scientific name: Varanus indicus CHamoru name: Hilitai Estimated population: Unknown Size: Up to 4 feet, 11 inches (1.5 meters) Lifespan: Unknown Status: Least concern, naturalized Origin: Prehistoric introduction, naturalized Programs and Projects: None Commonly mistaken for iguanas, monitor lizards on Guam are dotted and have white stripes near their eyes. Their appearance, along with their forked tongue, is central to a Guam legend about the lizard and the Guam rail.

Information and photos provided by the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Essence of Guam///All Things Guam: Animals

Asian water buffalo

Scientific name: Bubalus bubalis CHamoru name: Karabao Estimated population: Unknown Size: Up to 6 feet in height (1.5 to 1.9 meters) Lifespan: Up to 25 years Status: Invasive (when feral) Origin: Southeast Asia, historic introduction to Guam Programs and Projects: None The local population of Guam, native or non-native, commonly refer to the water buffalo as a karabao. The karabao was introduced to the Mariana Islands from the Philippines in the 1600s by Jesuit priests for farming purposes. Feral karabao on public lands are a rare sight, but there is a population of karabao within Naval Base Guam.

Coconut crab

Scientific name: Birgus latro CHamoru name: Ayuyu Estimated population: Unknown Size: Up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) Lifespan: Up to 50 years Status: Least concern Origin: Indigenous Programs and Projects: None The coconut crab, also known as the robber crab, is the largest terrestrial invertebrate in the world. It can appear quite monstrous, but local residents see it as a source of food. The crab is known to “steal” shiny objects and bring them back to its burrow, and is very strong.

Mariana crow

Scientific name: Corvus kubaryi CHamoru name: Åga Estimated population: Less than 200 Size: Approximately 15 inches (38 centimeters) Lifespan: Up to 15 years in captivity and the wild Status: Critically endangered Origin: Endemic to Guam and Rota Programs and projects: Mariana Crow Recovery Project This is the only species of crow found in Micronesia. Once common in Guam and Rota, the crow population drastically declined with the introduction of the invasive brown tree snake.

Mariana fruit bat

Scientific name: Pteropus mariannus CHamoru name: Fanihi Estimated population: Less than 100 on Guam Size: Approximately 3 feet (90 centimeters) Lifespan: Up to 30 years in captivity Status: Endangered and critically endangered on Guam Origin: Endemic to the Mariana Islands archipelago Programs and projects: The Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources monitors fruit bats as one of their projects.

The Mariana fruit bat has a plant-based diet and mainly eats fruits, flowers, nectar and leaf stems. The bat is an important pollinator and seed disperser in the ecosystem.

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Out and About

OUT & ABOUT

Photos by Arvie Cipriano

The 1st Annual MBJ Life Charity Golf Tournament was held on Dec. 2 at the Starts Guam Golf Resort in Dededo.

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! To submit your photos for Out & About, email high-resolution photos to lifestyleeditor@glimpsesofguam.com with “Out & About” in your subject line.

Please include the description, date and location of your event photo(s).

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Out and About

Photos by Justin Green

The Guam Association of Realtors dressed up for the association’s annual Installation Dinner on Feb. 1 at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

Photos by Meghan Hickey

The Hyatt Regency Guam held its tree lighting and opened its Christmas Gingerbread House on Dec. 4 in its lobby.

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Out and About

Photos by John I. Borja

Latte Stone Entertainment held a press conference on Jan. 18 to introduce Miss & Mrs. Curvy Guam, Guam’s first full figure pageant, and meet some of the contestants at Sidelines Bar & Grill

Photos by Justin Green

The Guam Young Professionals hosted a “Throwback ‘90s” theme at its annual Event of the Year on Jan. 25 at the Pacific Star Resort & Spa. 16

Health///Holistic wellness

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Health///Holistic wellness

Holistic happiness Start anew with holistic, nutritional wellness Story and photos by John I. Borja

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very once in a while, people could use a reset from their regular routine and make some adjustments in their lives to improve their overall well-being.

Our physical health is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about wellness. But instead of the usual planned commitment to go to the gym every day — frankly, this tends to fall off our New Year’s resolutions list around this time for a lot of us — perhaps one can approach Spring with a more holistic approach to being well.

Holistic wellness and therapy do not focus solely on the body, but also the mind and spirit, to address overall health issues. For nutritionist and wellness expert Dr. Keith Horinouchi, that means taking a look at a person’s eating and lifestyle habits to see what can be done to turn a bad situation around.

“In my 36 years of working in this field, I have seen a greater number of young people developing more chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and behavioral health issues like anxiety,

depression, ADHD and autism, to name a few. What we should all know is that nutrition is vital for the health of all cells in the body.

Today, nutrition is easily affected by food choices, food quality, stress and a poor digestive system,” Horinouchi says.

While physical fitness may be something Horinouchi would suggest to a patient, he also recommends natural treatments and lifestyle adjustments to address health issues. Diet, stress management and nutritional supplements accompany physical activity in his arsenal of consultations to fix an individual’s deficiencies.

Eating healthy definitely helps with overall well-being, but oftentimes people have differing opinions of nutrition and it makes it complicated for doctors to emphasize what types of food one should eat, Horinouchi says.

“One misconception among many that I would like to say is that dietary fats are good for your health. In the past we were taught that fat is bad and should be avoided like the plague. But fat is one of the 19

Health///Holistic wellness

big three macronutrients in nutrition,” he says. “Fats are an essential nutrient for your body, your cells and many functions in the body.”

Healthy eating has become a lifestyle for Synergy Studios and Synergy Wellness Center Owner Clare Calvo, but it took more than a vegan diet and physical fitness for her to keep her health in check.

“My wellness journey started in 2000. I was living in Los Angeles at the time, and I was a professional dancer and taught Taebo,” Calvo says. “I led a fairly healthy lifestyle. I was vegetarian and I exercised every day.”

Despite her discipline to stay in shape, Calvo says she suffered from internal bleeding and became really sick. It turned out to be related to her genetics. Calvo says her doctor didn’t have any dietary suggestions for her but recommended that she get on steroids and antibiotics to treat her sickness. Recalling how a relative with Crohn’s disease reacted to those treatments, Calvo says she wanted to try something else.

She took up yoga that year and switched to a more raw-food based diet to encourage detoxification. Yoga surely had physical benefits, but it was the spiritual state of yoga that resonated with Calvo. After various sessions she began to feel improvements in her emotional and mental health, and she says this elevated her health in ways that physical fitness couldn’t achieve.

“If I’m not in the mental and emotional space of wellness, like for example I’m berating myself or I’m feeling guilty about something, that’s not wellness,” she says.

While she doesn’t discourage pharmaceutical medicine, Calvo started trusting more in natural remedies and meditation techniques to take care of her body. On a local level, this isn’t a new concept. Indigenous Chamorus use the land’s resources to help treat illnesses, she says. She has noticed resurgence in this indigenous practice and she says she is happy to see more people opting for these types of treatments.

Non-medicinal treatments like cryotherapy, far-infrared sauna and pulse therapy help the body take care of itself, and they are available at the Synergy Wellness Center. Calvo says while these options have proven useful to many, they should not be treated as an alternative to regular exercise and dieting.

“I don’t use the word ‘alternative’ because I don’t want people to think that it’s one or the other. It’s meant to be complimentary. Some people choose to go the conventional route, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely keep away from anything complimentary,” she says. “It’s important to follow your gut.”

In terms of nutrition, Horinouchi says it’s especially helpful in the long-term to have a balanced approach to overall health because as people grow older, they become more prone to disease.

“Including myself, those over 30 years of age are concerned about living well and staying young during the prime of life. Unfortunately, we may age more quickly and develop more diseases because maintaining good nutrition is even more difficult as we get older. This is why it is so important to find out what deficiencies and imbalances we have developed when there is still time to fix them,” he says.

Likewise, Calvo says being more synergistic in mind, body and spirit can extend an individual’s well-being.

“Take care of your body so that your body can take care of you,” Calvo says.

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Travel///Las Vegas

Las Vegas Double your odds in a destination that has plenty of activities

By Maureen N. Maratita

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any residents head to Las Vegas for the attractions the desert city offers — the chance to play the gaming tables, take in a couple of shows and laze in a hotel that offers the buffets that Guam residents love to graze.

But Nevada and other nearby states have a lot to offer.

Alternatively, if Las Vegas is not your first pit stop on the mainland, it makes an attractive side trip for those looking for some table action and nightlife.

The famous four-mile strip offers a chance to either stay at a luxury hotel or sightsee if your budget has you choosing a more economic chain than the famous Egyptian-themed Luxor Hotel & Casino or the Venetian-themed Bellagio Hotel and Casino. And don’t forget the famous MGM, among the first in Las Vegas.

A little preparation is essential.

Grab a map if you’re staying in a mid-range hotel, and prepare for some group shots or selfies against the larger-than-life Egyptian pyramid, Venice’s Grand Canal, or simply the bright lights as part of an evening walk. You can even take a Venetian gondola ride for an Italian experience outside of Italy.

If playing the tables is part of the attraction — do some research on the casinos. Various hotels are known for either the variety of games they offer, the best location for the non-player in your group, or the food.

The time-honored advice for those new to the tables is to study the rules and keep your bets low to begin with. Plan a budget for that activity so that your funds can stretch to all you have planned, but who knows — you might be the winner of the day. If you’re looking for the user-friendly slot machines — don’t worry, they are everywhere including the stores and gas stations, but not in the lobbies of the top hotels. There is an etiquette to playing at the tables — read up on that too, and look for the casino’s point system.

If you don’t want to look like a rookie at the tables, plan to take some lessons in games that are relatively easy to master, like Black Jack.

Las Vegas has food options from an early breakfast through to a late dinner and you can find a variety of discounts. Choose between the comfort of great steakhouses, celebrity chef venues or a name brand chain we don’t have on-island (yet).

Expect crowds, because Las Vegas attracts more than 40 million tourists a year and greater Las Vegas also has more than two million residents, so you might choose to make a reservation for fine dining, if that’s part of your Vegas bucket list for one of the evenings.

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Travel///Las Vegas

GETTING THERE How to get there: Fly to the U.S. mainland via Hawaii or Japan.

Best time to go: From March to May or from September to November, so think spring break or a fall getaway. Hotel prices tend to be higher around the weekend, and watch out for major convention times when hotels get full.

Must see: Famous casino hotels, the Strip, a Las Vegas show Stay: In a hotel to suit your budget. Self-catering options are available.

What to take: Vegas can get hot and sunny, so plan to take sunscreen. Alternatively, the nights can be cool in the desert climate, so pack a light jacket or sweater, or prepare to buy a glitzy jacket as a souvenir.

Las Vegas buffets are an attraction all of their own, and include kid-friendly options. If you’re beginning to pine for the great outdoors after a couple of days — Las Vegas offers patio and garden dining options and the chance to enjoy a mild and dry climate.

The city offers vegetarian and gluten-free options also, if that’s what you’re looking for. Hawaiian food, Mexican food, Korean food and Kobe beef — there’s no end to the options for cuisines either.

This may be the trip to step outside your comfort zone and try a Brazilian restaurant — also famous for great meat — or another international cuisine you’re not familiar with.

Going to Vegas with that special someone? You might give in to the temptation of a Vegas wedding and some stories and photos to wow your future generations. You’ll need a license (valid for one year if you initially get cold feet) and the knowledge that weddings are legally binding. Your hotel might be able to help with planning and lay out some options for your special ceremony.

Vegas can make a really great wedding venue if you have stateside relatives who’d appreciate the destination and not having to fly to Guam, and the city offers everything you need to plan a wedding, including the planner, appropriate clothes if you want to dress up, and all the accessories.

Away from the tables there’s a variety of side trips available. You can also book a number of attractions and get some discounts that way — spreading the trips over a few days. Options include meals in the price of the outing.

Short trips include downtown walking tours for a little exercise and the option to decide to add a “we’ll see” element to eating and shopping, a chance to see some Titanic artifacts and scenic view options that include the Eiffel Tower look-alike or a big wheel for an experience in itself. Ride the Vegas monorail to get to your destination, or the open-air bus for some sightseeing without the stress and great photo ops.

Nearby trips include the Hoover Dam — with a half day option — the Grand Canyon, and theme parks or you might splurge and see Vegas by helicopter.

If you’re hankering to explore another side of your personality away from Guam, consider learning to pole dance and have the tee shirt to prove it, or try one of the activities such as the mini Grand Prix or the Sky Jump — a controlled free fall from the equivalent of 108 stories. If that’s not exciting enough, think about swimming with sharks at the Shark Reef Aquarium. Activities for children include a pet theater and roller coaster rides.

The famous shows with famous names typically include an option to book before you go to avoid missing out on the event, or get tickets within your price range and preference. But Vegas also offers shows that feature a hypnotist, comedians or a themed evening if you’re up for some nostalgia and a sing-along with Beatles well-known tunes.

Most hotels have pools for some swimming or relaxation, and gyms are an option too. Want to get a little late night exercise to burn off the buffet? Las Vegas offers clubs perfect for dancing at the end of the evening. For a lazy evening with a little less planning, the Freemont East district has plenty of options for bar hopping.

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MORE PLACES TO INDULGE

7 days a week - 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m Sunday to Thursday - 10:00am to 10:00pm Guam Premier Outlets: Friday & Saturday - 10:00am to 11:00pm 7 days a week - 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m Micronesia Mall: 7 days a week - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m JP Superstore: Fiesta Hotel:

@häagendazsguam