R&R Pacific - September 2015

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SEPTEMBER 2015

A wild adventure Going on an African safari

Grandmotherly Love

Grandmothers share their pride and joy

GUAM FOR THE WIN

Matao represents the island

Layered acrylic painting by Yeon Park (See Page 6). Photocourtesy of Yeon Park.

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contents TRAVEL

African safaris

ART

Yeon Park

CALENDAR

Guide to September events

ESSENCE OF GUAM

Grandmothers

RESTAURANTS/FOOD

The great sushi search

out & about

Event photos

PROCREATE PRESENTS

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The long-waited Orbit 02 all-in-1 luxury and running stroller

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SPORTS

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Team Matao

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R&R Pacific is a lifestyle magazine that features the people, culture and activities that collectively make up Guam. We provide our readers a window into the different facets of Guam’s diverse community through vibrant photography and engaging articles.

www.facebook.com/rrpacificguam Mary Chamberlain, center, and husband, Michael Chamberlain, of Dededo have nothing but love for their grandchildren. (From left) Tristin, 18; Naya,15; Taylor, 3; Thomas, 7; and Nolan, 16 (See story on page 10). Photo by Vikki Fong

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R&R Pacific/September

2015

PUBLISHER

SENIOR DESIGNER

Maureen N. Maratita

Vikki Fong

MANAGING EDITOR

SALES MANAGER

Jackie Hanson

Annie San Nicolas

ASSISTANT EDITOR

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Joy White

Joedda Sanchez

REPORTERS

ADMINISTRATION

Thomas Johnson

Janice Castro, Jessica Quintanilla

Shaina Marie Santos

Carmelita McClellan and Vincent Leon Guerrero

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Rosanna Dacanay

Marcos Fong

Glimpses of Guam Inc. Mission Statement: To be a renowned communications company that connects people with information through creative, engaging and effective products.

Glimpses Publications include: Marianas Business Journal • Guam Business Magazine • R&R Pacific • Beach Road Magazine

R&R Pacific • September 2015 • Entire contents copyrighted 2015 by Glimpses of Guam, Inc. R&R Pacific is published monthly by Glimpses of Guam, Inc., 161 US Army Juan C. Fejeran St., Barrigada Heights, GU 96913.

Telephone: (671) 649-0883, Fax: (671) 649-8883, Email: assist_editor@glimpsesofguam.com • All rights reserved.

No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher.

Travel///African Safari

ON AN AFRICAN SAFARI STORY BY Joy White

A safari to Africa is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s adventurous and educational, and will deepen anyone’s admiration of nature. Khaki clothing, pith helmets and belted bush jackets are optional.

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(Facing page) Giraffe standing in the grasslands of the Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya. (Clockwise from top left) Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world; tourists watching a group of lionesses during a typical day of a safari on Jan. 2, 2014, in Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania (Kanokratnok / Shutterstock.com); a family of elephants in Serengeti.

Safaris are widely available in Eastern and Southern African nations, such as Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Uganda, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe.

When planning a safari, the first thing to consider is the type of safari. The African continent is vast, with varying climates and attractions including jungle, grassland and desert regions.

One of the main reasons many go on a safari is to set sights on Africa’s wildlife. Animals are free to roam protected from game hunters and other dangers on several wildlife reserves that are open to visitors.

A Serengeti safari in Tanzania offers 30,000 square kilometers of rolling grasslands and acacia scrub with watering holes and hills in the distance creating a backdrop of mystery. More than 500 animal species roam the Serengeti. A desert safari in Namibia offers a chance to marvel at a stunning landscape.

Moving inland from the tourist hotspots of Kenya and Tanzania, the grasslands give way to a more mountainous and rugged landscape, with mist-covered hills and lush foliage. In the jungles of Uganda and Rwanda, you will see your fair share of wildlife, including the African mountain gorilla, one of the rarest species on earth.

Waterfalls in the jungles of Africa offer breathtaking sites to visit.

One of the most popular is Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya, the largest waterfall in the world. While in the national parks on the borders of Zimbabwe and Zambia, one can marvel at the Zambezi River’s two kilometer-wide drop into a steeply walled gorge.

Travel agencies and tour companies offer packages that help to re-

duce the headache of coordinating a safari and that offer the services of seasoned guides and options such as mobile safaris, walking safaris and fly-in safaris. While the traditional image of a safari involves pitched tents and living outdoors, some tour companies offer more luxurious accommodations.

Niche safaris can also be arranged, such as elephant back safaris, river safaris, primate safaris, horseback safaris and balloon safaris.

The African Conservation Foundation offers packages where portions of the proceeds go to support conservation projects.

Several reserves allow visitors to drive themselves through the property, especially in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa where roads are known to be good, parks fees are low and facilities at government lodges and campsites are well-maintained.

Some of the more popular reserves are Kruger National Park in South Africa, the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and Bostwana’s Okavango Delta. Choosing the less-traveled reserves, such as the Luangwa Valley in Zambia, and going in the off-season will reduce costs.

Along the way, residents will be hawking wares and products for hungry and weary explorers. Local food and snacks include Dabo kolo, sweet and spicy pieces of baked bread and flaky chapatis which melt in the mouth and are excellent with tea. For a unique experience there is the kapana, barbecued meat that is often eaten with the fingers after being dipped in salt and spices. And, of course, ice cream is readily available and the preferred way to cool off.

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Art///Yeon Park

A passion reawakened Artist returns to the canvas after years

Yeon Park’s vibrant paintings are her way of giving back to the local community and culture, while also offering peace to her audience.

STORY BY Joy White | PHOTOS COURTESY OF YEON PARK

Yeon Park’s vibrant paintings are her way of giving back to the local community and culture, while also offering peace to her audience.

“I try to depict elements of the unique Chamorro native way of life in a style that will appeal to modern tastes. Through my paintings, I would like to be a part of the efforts to preserve the Chamorro culture,” she says. “… Also, I hope to help heal hearts and minds with my colorful artwork; I hope to provide a community service for seniors and the public.”

Park graduated from Ewha Womans University in South Korea majoring ceramic art and then earned a master’s in industrial design.

Park has always had an interest in art. “I think I began to paint at the age of 6 or 7 when I was in elementary school. I remember that as soon as the school taught us how to play with oil pastel crayons, I wanted to know more. It was exciting to learn about art, especially with oil pastel crayons and water colors. I even asked my mother to send me to an extra curriculum class for art at the early age of 8,” she says.

Park has never given up on her passion. She says, “You are never too old to be reunited with your love for your passion.” After she obtained her master’s, marriage and a move to Guam put her passion on hold in what she calls a “suspended chapter” in her life.

“I became reunited with my passion for art after my daughter left for college in California,” Park says. “She left her art materials behind. I could not bring myself to throw them away. Instead, my interest in art was reawakened, and my dormant passion for art blossomed. I made every effort to research art history and apply everything I learned by watching my daughter to create my own pieces.”

Park blends her childhood experiences of growing up in South Korea and 27 years of living on Guam. “In some ways, Guam reminds me of my home as a girl. I think the fusion of South Korea and Guam culture reveals itself in my paintings,” she says.

Park’s paintings feature layered acrylic techniques with mixed media and a mix of depth and motion created by blotting, impasto and embossing.

“The layered acrylic techniques originate from my studies in ceramic art at Ehwa Womans University [Korea]. My approach to modernist three-dimensional artwork was developed and trained during my six years in Ewha Womans University. The purpose of this art form is for visual happiness and inspiration. I thought, ‘Why not try to relate this concept to a flat surface and apply texture to a canvas?’” Park says.

Park’s artwork is being exhibited at the Guam Council of the Arts and Humanities Agency Mini-Exhibit at Community First Federal Credit Unions in Hagåtña, Tamuning and Dededo, and at the offices of senators on Guam. Her work is also being featured at the Invited Exhibit, Guahan Artists Cooperative, Tumon Sands Plaza Art Gallery; and the Guam Art Exhibit in the Agana Shopping Center.

Park’s artwork is also on display at the St. Dominic’s Senior Care Home Facility, where she and her family have volunteered for years.

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september events

September 5

featured event

American Cancer Society Bark for Life Location: Hagåtña September 11 to 13

Mangilao Donne’ Festival Location: Mangilao nigh market grounds September 12

Homeland Security 9/11 5K Time: 6a.m. – 8a.m.

Location: Chamorro Village, Paseo Loop September 12

Guam Boonie Stomp: Base Stomp – Tarague Nature Trail Level: Medium

Duration: Three hours Length: Two miles Bring: Two quarts of water, gloves, sun screen, sunglasses, lunch and camera Special conditions: Base access required; those without base access must sign up on Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. No dogs.

Time: meet at 9 a.m. at Chamorro Village Center Court Cost: $2 for hikers over 12

September 5

Kids & Family: Fun and Fit Fair The whole family is invited to a day of fun at Glimpses Publications’ third annual fun and fit fair. Participants will be treated with a day of activities, giveaways, performances and demonstrations — all in the name of health and fitness. The event will feature a fashion show by John Robert Powers, a Zumba demonstration, complimentary health assessments by TakeCare, ice cream sampling by Foremost, a demonstration from the Guam Shido-Kan Karate-do Association and more.

September 19 TIME: 10a.m. to 2p.m.

LOCATION: Agana Shopping Center ADMISSION: Free

38th 20K Nimitz Hill Loop Time: 5a.m. – 9a.m.

Location: Chamorro Village, Paseo Loop, Hagåtña, Guam September 19

Guam Boonie Stomp: Waterfall Valley

Level: Medium

Duration: Three hours Length: One mile Bring: 2 quarts water, gloves, swimsuit, sunglasses, sun screen, insect repellent, lunch, and camera.

Special conditions: Walking in water, slippery mud, short scrambles and many mosquitoes.

Time: meet at 9 a.m. at Chamorro Village Center Court Cost: $2 for hikers over 12

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September 26

Guam National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships & International Invitational Location: Leo Palace Guam Resort September 26 to 30

Guam International Film Festival

EVENTSCALENDAR

september sun

mon

tue 1

wed 2

thu 3

fri 4 MOVIES

The Transporter Refueled Kitchen Sink No Escape Jane Got a Gun A Walk in the Woods

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11 MOVIES Triple 9

• Mangilao Donne’ Festival (thru Sept. 13)

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MOVIES

• Mangilao Donne’ Festival

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18 Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Everest Black Mass

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Hotel Transylvania 2 The Intern The Disappointments Room

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• Guam International Film Festival (thru Sept. 30)

• Guam International Film Festival (thru Sept. 30)

29 • Guam International Film Festival (thru Sept. 30)

sat 5 • Kids & Family: Fun and Fit Fair • American Cancer Society Bark for Life

12 • Homeland Security 9/11 5K • Guam Boonie Stomp: Base Stomp – Tarague Nature Trail • Mangilao Donne’ Festival (thru Sept. 13)

19 • 38th 20K Nimitz Hill Loop • Guam Boonie Stomp: Waterfall Valley

26 • Guam National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships & International Invitational • Guam International Film Festival (thru Sept. 30)

30 • Guam International Film Festival

FEATURED MOVIE September 30

The Walk Directed by Robert Zemeckis Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sir Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, Steve Valentine, Sergio Di Zio and Mark Camacho

Philippe Petit, a French high-wire artist, attempts to cross a tightrope strung between the tops of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, overcoming long odds, betrayal, dissension and close calls. Petit is guided by his mentor, Papa Rudy, and gets help from an unlikely band of international recruits to execute what some would call a mad plan.

Based on a true story. *Event times and dates may change without notice.

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Grandparents share the love boundless love they have for their grandchildren

(Clockwise from top left) Matilda Mendoza, Mary Chamberlain, Josephine Guerrero and Aurora Borja.

It may not be scientifically proven, but it is well known that grandparents are for doting upon children; and while grandparents are often called upon to put their years of child-rearing to use, they are more often remembered by their grandchildren for their love and kindness.

Grandma, dearest “They say that grandmother is 10 times dearer than the mom; that’s how I am,” says Matilda Mendoza, mother to 13 children and grandmother of four, living in Guam, the Philippines and the United States.

Though her family may have fallen on hard times, Mendoza does her best for her family. She babysits her two grandchildren, ages 4 and 2 every day, while their mother is at work – feeding and playing with the children.

Mendoza says at times her grandchildren run to her when they are having a fight with their mother.

“I’m proud to be a grandmother, and I hope to raise them [well], more than my own kids,” Mendoza says. She does the usual caring for the children, such as playing with them, bathing them and cooking their favorite meals – including traditional Filipino dishes.

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Everyone’s grandma “I’m a grandma to everyone,” says Mary Blas Chamberlain, mother of three and grandmother to six, ranging from ages 3 to 19 years old.

In addition, she is close to her sister’s children and grandchildren, who call her “Tita Grandma.”

Chamberlain came from a large family of 17 siblings, and her parents played an active role as grandparents for her and her siblings’ children. “My mother expected us to make sure our kids were in good hands,” she says. Chamberlain’s mother didn’t want her grandchildren to go into daycare and insisted on watching all her grandchildren, as long as the parents cleaned up.

Chamberlain follows this lesson and loves her grandchildren dearly.

“Anything for my grandkids,” she says. She sees them as often as possible, and if she cannot see them, she gives them a call. Her three youngest grandchildren live with her and her husband in their Dededo home.

Mary Chamberlain, center, and grandchildren (From left) Tristin, 19; Naya, 15; Thomas “Masi,” 7; Taylor, 3; Nolan, 16; and husband, Michael Chamberlain.

Grandma is always here “Other than my children, they are my pride and joy,” she says.

Aurora Borja has nine grandchildren and was blessed with her first great-grandchild this year. Before she retired, her grandchildren would be dropped off at her home on her day off. “I loved it,” she says.

Now retired, she still helps care for them, and she tries to see them every weekend.

Two of her grandchildren, ages 12 and 9, live in Santa Rita.

“They’re so original,” she says. She sings songs with them and helped them learn their alphabet and numbers. She also speaks with them and asked them questions, which is important in helping them learn to express themselves, she said. Other lessons she taught them include safety.

Borja, herself, was raised by her grandmother until she was 16.

“Grandchildren are more loving,” she says. “I’m closer with them than my own children.” Borja says that sometimes her children get jealous that she spoils her grandchildren. “I just say, ‘That’s why grandmas are there.’”

When they were babies, she took plenty of pictures and videos and looks forward to showing them to her grandchildren when they get older.

“Being a grandparent is a great thing,” she says.

Expectant grandmother Josephine Guerrero is a grandmother to a 3-year-old boy and is expecting two more – one in October and another in March. She is also the mother of four, with the youngest being her seven-year-old son.

She sees the family lessons and traditions being passed on from her

grandparents, through her to her children and now to her grandchildren.

Guerrero is very involved in her grandson’s life and often cares for both her son and grandson at the same time. They play together and do outdoor activities, as well. She teaches both her son and grandson at the same time, including the Chamorro language and culture, and they learn from each other.

Guerrero says that while parents and grandparents are teachers, they also learn a great deal from children. In her household, she maintains open and constant communication.

“I want my grandkids to know my door is always open. Anything that happens, it’s okay [to] come and talk to grandma,” she says. In her household there is a lot of storytelling, questioning and sharing feelings.

Communication is something she learned from her own grandparents. She grew up with seven siblings, and they always looked forward to spending time with their grandparents on their ranch planting and harvesting crops.

And when her grandmother became sick, Guerrero helped care for her, taking her to doctor appointments.

Guerrero also has grandparents in the Philippines. She notes that her Filipino grandparents were always strict but very loving, and her Chamorro grandparents doted on their grandchildren. It was the best of both worlds, she said.

Guerrero says a lesson she hopes to teach her grandchildren is that bonding and spending time with each other is more important than material things. She tries to be a role model and impart life lessons on her children and grandchildren to treasure family and that it’s not about what was done in the past, but what is done now.

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Restaurant & Food///Sushi

The great sushi search Many options are available on Guam to satisfy your sushi cravings. From Sushi Rock in the Micronesia Mall, Sushi and Japanese Restaurant Ebisu in Tumon to Sakura’s Kitchen in Tamuning, a range of styles and flavors can be found to fill your appetite.

STORY BY Shaina Marie Santos

Sushi and Japanese Restaurant Ebisu In the spacious and comfortably modern restaurant, Fumiya Nakamura, owner and chef of Sushi and Japanese Restaurant Ebisu prides himself that the restaurant uses authentic and fresh ingredients to bring the true flavors of Japan to Guam. Ingredients imported from Japan—including uni, or sea urchin, freshly grated wasabi and toro, or fatty tuna—bring tradition to every table. Two of Ebisu’s signature dishes are the rainbow roll and dynamite roll. The rainbow roll is made with freshly sliced tuna, salmon, shrimp and avocado, layered on rice filled with more avocado, nori seaweed and crab meat and sliced to fit flavor in every bite. The traditional maki roll experience is completed by turning the sushi upside down and dipping the fish lightly in soy sauce before eating. The dynamite roll is an American-style maki roll, an explosive display of flavor that leaves your mouth smoking. The roll is filled with nori, shrimp and cream cheese and drizzled with spicy mayonnaise and sriracha sauce before it is torched. The roll is then topped with fried tempura crumbs to add crunch and, in case that’s not hot enough, thinly sliced hot peppers top the dish. The combination keeps you coming back for more.

Location: Second floor, Royal Orchid Guam Hotel, San Vitores Rd., Tumon Guam 96913 (671) 646-3735

Hours of Operation: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., daily.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., daily.

Kai Restaurant Kai Restaurant is an izakaya style restaurant, much like those in Japan. Kai is a place to kick your feet up, enjoy a drink or two with a group of friends and indulge in traditional Japanese food. Though Kai offers a variety of dishes that range from takoyaki, a ball-shaped snack made of a flour-based batter, octopus and other ingredients cooked in a takoyaki pan, to sashimi, a Japanese delicacy of thinly sliced raw fish, its sushi does not disappoint.

Owner Chef Hideto “Pancho” Yanase says their pink dragon roll is their most popular. The pink dragon is a maki roll filled with shrimp tempura, vinagered rice and nori. The dragon gets its pink distinction from the salmon and shrimp laid on top of the roll before it is drizzled with spicy mayonnaise. While enjoying a roll or two of their freshly made sushi, take your time to enjoy the casual Japanese atmosphere.

Location: Blue Lagoon Plaza Suite G1 Tumon, Guam (671) 646-0222

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Hours of Operation: 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Monday – Saturday 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sunday

Restaurant & Food///Sushi

Sakura Kitchen Sakura Kitchen is a comfortable stop for sushi and popular no-fuss Japanese dishes. Owned by Seigo “Bob” Yoshida, the restaurant is constantly packed with local residents looking for their fix. Sakura’s signature sushi is the samurai roll, a maki roll filled with avocado and crab meat and topped with shrimp, fried tempura crumbs and more avocado before being drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and eel sauce. The pairing of sweet eel sauce, avocado and creamy crab meat makes Sakura’s Kitchen an easy choice. Though it isn’t a sushi dish, Fanrina M. Orlando, supervisor at Sakura’s Kitchen, assured R&R Pacific that the restaurant’s tonpei was not to be overlooked. The dish, made of shredded cabbage topped with egg and fried bacon and drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise, okonomi sauce and green onions, is reminiscent of the traditional savory cabbage pancake okonomiyaki and provides a hefty serving that is meant to be shared with friends.

Location: 667 N. Marine Dr. Suite 103 Tamuning, Guam 96913 (671) 647-1623

Hours of Operation: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily Closed New Year’s Day, Christmas and Thanksgiving

Tairyo Sushi Tairyo Sushi is another kaiten sushi restaurant, where plates with prepared sushi are placed on a conveyor belt for customers seated at a bar or table to choose. Tairyo offers an easily affordable kaiten sushi experience with no loss of flavor. According to Lother B. Sorio, chef and co-manager at Tairyo, three of their most popular dishes are the pepper roll, tempura roll and spicy baked mussels sushi. The pepper roll, a brightly colored maki roll, is filled with fresh salmon, avocado and nori, with dried chili peppers and the restaurant’s signature spicy mayonnaise on top. Served freshly baked, the roll delivers a surprising kick of heat that pika lovers will enjoy. The tempura roll, made with shrimp that is dipped in batter and deep fried before being blanketed in vinegar rice and covered with nori, is a great way to recover your taste buds from the pepper roll’s bite before you indulge in more. The spicy baked mussels sushi is a gunkan style sushi with rice wrapped in nori topped with mussels and the restaurant’s spicy mayonnaise and baked before serving. Tairyo is an easy restaurant to settle into for a swift and savory sushi experience.

Location: Blue Lagoon Plaza Suite F1 & F2 Tumon, Guam (671) 647-8877

Hours of Operation: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., daily Dinner: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., daily

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Restaurant & Food///Sushi

Sushi Rock Edgy, modern and loud are a few words to describe Sushi Rock in the Micronesia Mall. A popular sushi destination, the restaurant menu is filled with fun, flamboyant selections that are sure to draw sushi lovers from all over. Owned by David Pak, Sushi Rock’s signature dish is known as the Flaming Dragon. To prepare the dish, a regular dragon roll is prepared with nori, shrimp tempura and crab meat filling topped with unagi eel, avocado and sweet eel sauce. Spicy mayo and tobiko, or orange fish eggs, are also added on top before the roll is wrapped in foil in the shape of a swan. The foil swan is then laid on top of a flame to cook before it is ready. Customers are warned of an incoming Flaming Dragon by chefs yelling, “Fire” from the kitchen. The Flaming Dragon is then carried to the table, where customers are allowed a quick photo opportunity before servers carefully remove the roll from the flames and open the foil casing for the dish to be served. The Flaming Dragon brings a unique flavor, best described as barbecued sushi. For barbecue and sushi lovers on Guam, the smoky sweet elements make for an unforgettable experience.

Location: First floor, theatre wing, Micronesia Mall 1088 W. Marine Drive, Dededo, Guam 96929 (671) 637-1110

Rotary Sushi For a traditional Japanese experience, Rotary Sushi in Tumon is an easy escape to the land of the rising sun. The restaurant’s homey atmosphere is welcoming, and its rotating conveyor belt is full of delicious dishes that keep a waiting line of customers at its door. You won’t find flamboyant rolls here. Chefs Michi Izumida and Hisao Sakaguchi keep dishes traditional, authentic and fresh with simple offerings of various styles of sushi, from nigiri sushi, which are essentially a mound of vinegared rice topped with varied cuts of either shrimp, salmon, tuna, tamago egg or eel, to temaki, or hand-rolled sushi, among other selections on the restaurant’s crave-worthy carousel. According to server Mia Benitez, some of their most popular dishes are those bearing their locally famous “lanya sauce,” which is a spicy cream sauce found on numerous choices of sushi. Rotary’s signature sushi, however, might be the spicy tuna with lanya sauce, a doubly spicy gunkan sushi, which is made by outwardly wrapping a mound of vinagered rice with nori in a way that creates a sort of bowl and filling the nori with spicy fresh tuna and lanya sauce. The dish’s heat, like its name suggests, was created on Guam with local palates in mind. Open daily throughout the year, Rotary Sushi is a great stop to indulge in a variety of flavors at your fingertips.

Location: Sunshine Bldg.

1123 San Vitores Rd., Tumon, Guam 96913 (671) 649-7560

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Hours of Operation: Open daily: 5:30-11:30 p.m.

Hours of Operation: Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday Dinner: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., daily

OUT&ABOUT

out & about

Photos by Guam Visitors Bureau

Color Guam, Vida Local, Delta Tire & Lube, Orkin Pest Control and Port of Mocha signed the Hafa Adai Pledge on Aug. 11 at the Guam Visitors Bureau office in Tumon.

Photos by Jackie Hanson and Joy White

The Guam Art Exhibit, “The Portrait,” held an opening party on Aug. 13 at the Agana Shopping Center.

Photos by the Guam Football Association

The championship match and playoffs of the 2015 Land Shark Beach Soccer League were held on Aug. 2 at the Guam Football Association National Training Center beach soccer court.

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! TO SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS FOR OUT & ABOUT, EMAIL HIGH-RES PHOTOs to: rrpacificguam@gmail.com

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PLEASE INCLUDE: - CAPTIONS (NAMES, DATE, EVENT NAME AND LOCATION) - YOUR NAME AND VILLAGE

OUT&ABOUT

Photos by Shaina Marie Santos

National Basketball Association players J.R. Smith and Gerald Green and assistant coach Phil Handy visited Guam offering basketball clinics for coaches and students from July 30 to Aug. 4.

Sports///Football

Scoring the ultimate goal STORY BY Joy White

Jason Cunliffe, team captain of Guam National Football Team Matao, remembers his first football practice. When he was about 5 years old, he went to a practice with a friend and grew into it. He kept getting better at it until it was a passion.

Matao won its first 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match in a home game against Turkmenistan.

“There was a belief, a tangible feeling. …We were all on the same wave length. We knew we were going to win. At that point nothing was going to stop us,” Cunliffe says.

Following its match against Turkmenistan, Matao won a second game against India. Cunliffe says although he’s been on a lot of good soccer teams, Matao has a special extra variable that puts it on top.

“That will carry us on throughout the season. How far, only time will tell,” he says. Cunliffe and the team have their eyes set on Russia 2018. “It’s a long shot. No one thinks we’ll make it,” he says, but he has confidence that they will make it.

The team’s next match was to be on Sept. 3 against Iran followed by a home match against Oman on Sept. 8.

Iran is ranked number 1 in Asia and the team will be competing in front of thousands of people. Cunliffe admits it will be a battle.

“We’re going to go in there with the same feeling. ...We’re going to rally the troops and bring it all, hopefully with the same result [as the Turkmenistan and India matches],” Cunliffe says.

Cunliffe has had the opportunity to travel through football and says it has been one of his greatest learning experiences. “Seeing how other people live is an eye opener,” he says. “Travel is an education.”

Although soccer is a great passion, it’s not the only thing that defines him, he says. He also has a keen interest in political science and U.S. foreign policy and agriculture and sustainability for Guam and the Marianas.

Cunliffe has already set the ball rolling on helping the community.

He assisted in the establishment of the slaughterhouse in Rota. He says he hopes to continue to assist by getting a grant and possibly creating jobs in agriculture and livestock, including jobs for non-violent offenders that need a second chance.

He hopes to help grow the game of football on Guam and extend that to other islands, starting with soccer camps in Chuuk.

His plans for the future: “I just want to enjoy the journey,” he says. A dream of his is to play on the national team with his sons. He estimates he’ll be about 40 years old by that time, so the plan is to keep himself healthy until then.

Cunliffe’s advice to aspiring athletes is to believe in oneself. “You will come across a lot of people that don’t wish you well. If you have a goal, accomplish it. Don’t take no for an answer. Others might quit on you, but don’t quit on yourself,” he says.

Photos courtesy of Guam Football Association.

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