ooooh.... the CoC has stolen my picture!!! haha

so anyway I was searching for pictures of Saipan online so I could save them onto my phone to look at whenever I feel homesick.... and I saw this one picture on the second page that seemed VERY familiar to me... so I took a closer look at it and I was like, "HEY--THAT'S MY PICTURE!!!" So I went back to the search results to check out what site was using it, and saw that the address was www.saipanchamber.com. Immediately, I said to myself, "Whoa, the chamber of commerce stole my picture to use it in advertising saipan!" and I laughed... anyway... it's not really a big deal I guess if they're using it to advertise Saipan... But a part of me would like the credit for the picture... hahaha

It's been a while...

This is my first post in months. I've been really busy lately, with the most recent thing taking up my time being preparations to move off-island. Anyway, this entry is 8 random facts about me, because I was tagged by David.

RULES: Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things, as well as these rules. You need to choose four people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged and to read your blog!

So, here goes:
1. I was born and raised on the beautiful island of Saipan.
2. I am semi-fluent in Japanese.
3. I have enlisted in the United States Navy.
4. Northern California is my favorite state (because yes, NorCal and SoCal are two different states haha)
5. I got carried away by a current and almost went over Josephine Falls in Australia when I was in middle school.
6. I worked for Duty Free Galleria as a Stock Clerk for 13 months.
7. I enjoy watching anime and other Japanese television shows and movies.
8. I communicate regularly with about 20 friends who live in Japan.

I'm tagging Brad and Jeff. I'm only tagging two people because I'm kind of busy right now packing my bags and all that good stuff so I'm too lazy to go out there and search for people to tag. :P

Sorry my newest post is some random game thing, but hey, we've all got to have some fun every now and then, right? :P Have a nice day.

More Theft

Ok this is getting riddiculous. There's a story in today's Variety that talks about the latest stealers on island... So apparently people have moved on from copper wire and have begun stealing TREES. Yes that's right--TREES. This is riddiculous!! WHY must people do this? I am seriously disappointed in whoever stole those trees. Here we have people all over this island who work so hard to try to beautify our island and then you come along and keep destroying it... shame on you.

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I missed the 3rd Public Forum & the Youth Summit...

I missed the 3rd public forum. I was planning to go, but my mom decided to drag me along to the Ash Wednesday mass. No complaints here though, 'cause I am a pretty religious person.

I also missed the Youth Summit. Now, that was something that I really wanted to go to. In fact, I was supposed to go. According to my friend, Rachel Reyes, who is the Marianas High School representative for the Youth Congress, the presidents and vice presidents of our school's organizations were supposed to be our school's representatives at the Youth Summit this year. However, Juan Pinaula, Leangie Sablan, and Mark Nuique apparently had something else in mind.

Instead of Juanette and I going to the youth summit (since we're Student Council President and Vice President), a single group of friends attended. I was furious when I saw the list of people who were excused to go the Youth Summit, because pretty much all the names on that list were the names of students who could care less about what had to be discussed at the Youth Summit. Those students went just to skip two days of school, and after it ended, they probably didn't retain any of the information.

This really irks me because I could have gone and actually learned some valuable things, but because as usual, my peers put their social lives before business, I was not selected to attend. I know Juanette really wanted to go, too. She looked kind of disappointed when I was talking to her about the Youth Summit on Thursday.

I'm starting to believe that what Tina Sablan said is true--that too much money is wasted on the Youth Congress. Why do I believe this, you ask? Because the Youth Congress elections are just another popularity contest (most elections involving teenagers are), and many of the people who run (or in many cases, those who actually win) are just looking for "another thing that looks good on college apps." These are people that we do NOT need in Youth Congress. These people get paid for sitting on their asses doing nothing! I ran for Youth Congress last year but I unfortunately lost to a write-in candidate.

This is yet another flaw of the Youth Congress election process. Write-in candidates should not even exist. The whole option of being a write-in candidate makes actually filling out the application for candidacy a waste of time. I mean, if you can sign up as a candidate at the very last minute, then what's the use of taking the time to fill out an application and get 50 signatures? Also, this whole system of write-in candidates allows for complete "nobodies" to run, giving people who are only interested in self-improvement and development a chance to win the election.

I know that previous Youth Congresses have done a great job, and they have implemented many programs that help our community. However, I cannot say the same about this year's Youth Congress. Now, I'm not saying that everyone in this year's Youth Congress is useless; what I'm saying is that many of them ran just for the sake of running. We need more people who actually care about the youth and our community to run for Youth Congress next year. We need people who actually want something to happen. If more people who actually had a dream for the CNMI and a way to make that dream a reality ran for Youth Congress and won, the Youth Congress would improve 100%. We need change.

Public Forum #2

So I went to the public forum today at San Vicente School. I enjoyed it and I learned a lot from it. Many topics were discussed, and I didn't quite know what they were talking about a lot of the time. However, it was a great learning experience. Thank you, Tina Sablan for organizing the forums.



I had one concern, however. The one thing that really bothered me was the fact that I was the only high school student present. I expected there to be a better turnout of youth members of the community. Once again, however, my fellow teenagers have failed me. I really expected more high school students to be there. I mean, we're supposed to be the future of the CNMI. You'd think that we'd be more interested in the things that are happening around us.



I expected at least the Youth Congress to be there. I understand that we are students, and we have homework and tests to study for, but I think we should be able to make time for things like this. I mean, we're only talking about our future here. Youth Congress is supposed to be filled with youth leaders. Their being in a leadership position should mean that they are interested in the well-being of the Commonwealth. However, I fail to see any truth in this. I agree in part with Roselle Calvo's defense of the Youth Congress. However, I also agree in part with Tina Sablan's "attack" on the Youth Congress. My personal opinion is that the Youth Congress is a great idea, it's just that the (current) people who were elected into office are not doing their part to make things work.



But enough about the Youth Congress. I want to go back to the youth in general. I truly am disappointed in the youth for not being concerned enough to attend the forums. I am further disappointed in the youth's general attitude of "this island sucks" and "there is no hope left for the CNMI." How can you expect the CNMI to get any better if you have already given up on it before trying to save it? If we all move off this island, who will be left to save it? You've got to get out of the "I can't wait to get off this island" mentality and start thinking about how you can give back to the community and help things improve.



We owe everything to the CNMI. Yes, things aren't perfect here. This is far from heaven. But we should be happy that we had a place to grow up in. We had a place that provided us with an education. We had a place that was connected with the rest of the world, despite being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Yes, we can say that we lacked many things while growing up, but think about this: the CNMI has a land mass of 184 square miles but it still has enough resources to sustain a population of about 80,000, while Africa, which covers about 6% of the Earth's total surface area, does not have the supplies and resources it needs ti sustain its population of 900,000,000. If anything, shouldn't we be grateful for this?



I encourage all of my fellow teenagers to start paying attention to things that happen on this island. You have ignored the important issues that this island faces for far too long. The period in which we get to ignore the things happening around us ended a long time ago. We are in our late teens, almost ready to go out in the world, and yet we still don't know anything about the things that happen around us. It's time to wake up, youth of the CNMI. The CNMI needs change, and this starts with us. We are the future of the CNMI. I encourage all of you to attend the next public forum two weeks from now.

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The List

Bruce Bateman wrote in the Saipan Tribune's opinion section today. I think you should all read it. Check out his article here.

About that list....I think it's pretty useless. If anything, it makes us look bad. I say it was their last minute attempt at saving themselves. We all know that the hearings that will decide the fate of the Commonwealth are about to begin in the U.S. Congress. They're supposed to present a number of things, and one of them is labor and immigration. This list was their attempt to show Congress that we could handle our own labor and immigration. Apparently, we can't. The list was apparently inaccurate. In addition to being inaccurate, this list of theirs was in no particular order. You'd think that if they really wanted to get rid of the problem there would have been a better list available. Also, if they really wanted to fix the problem, why did they only come up with the list now?

Thieves

Another big problem that we have on island is the sudden increase in acts of thievery. The obvious "Top Dog" in this field are the copper wire thieves. However, this blog is not about them, but about the regular "come up to you and rob you" thieves. There was an article in the Variety today about a tourist and two alien workers who got robbed. To the thieves involved in those incidents, I commend you for contributing to the downfall of this island. Yes, YOU are to blame for the worsening tourism industry. Now, I am aware that the main reason for the decrease in arrivals to the CNMI is the pullout of JAL, but it's things like this that make everything worse for us.

Instead of promoting a good, positive image for the CNMI, you are sending a message out to everyone saying that this is not a good place to go to. Instead of going back to Japan and telling everyone how beautiful Saipan is, how wonderful his stay was, and how hospitable people were, Akinobu Okuda, the most recent tourist who fell victim to you thieves, he will go back to Japan and tell everyone to steer clear of Saipan. He will most likely be telling people that Saipan is a land of thieves and people who attack tourists and it would be best to avoid coming here. To steal is one thing, but to physically ATTACK the tourists? This is ABSURD!! What effect do YOU think this will have on us? If you really think that it won't affect us and you guys don't care about any of it, then you really are fools. You're probably some of the many people on island who constantly complain about how Saipan sucks and we have nothing going for us. Well, thanks to you, it can only get worse from here.

Mr. Okuda wasn't the only one who's been robbed (obviously). Back in November, Marianas High School's sister school in Japan, Seisa Gakuen, sent a few students here to participate in a homestay program. My sister and I hosted a student named Yuta. One day, we all went to Garapan to shop, and DFS was our last stop before going back home. While we were inside shopping, Yuta decided to go walk around on the second floor parking lot for a while. He set his black burberry bag down next to him, and a few minutes later he was distracted by his teachers, who had come to talk to him. After leaving, he realized that he had left his bag at DFS. Only 15 minutes after leaving DFS, we returned, only to find that the bag was gone. We went to security to see if anyone had turned in something to lost and found, but there was nothing there. Now, you might be saying, "That's not stealing." YES, it IS. In his bag was his wallet, which contained $25 (he was lucky he didn't put in all his money), his cell phone, his driver's license (which is REALLY expensive in Japan), and his digital camera. My friend Jeff and I stayed at DFS until around 11 pm trying to solve things. We didn't get anything out of it. Jeff and I jokingly said that Yuta probably hates Saipan now and he probably won't want to come back. However, Yuta, being the nice guy that he is, said he loves it here and although his bag is a great loss, he said from the experience, he gained lifelong friends and he knew we could be trusted. To the person who took Yuta's bag, shame on you. Thank YOU for turning my friend's dream into a nightmare.

Although Yuta has gone back to Japan and is telling all his friends about what a nice place Saipan is, who knows what his relatives might be saying after hearing about his incident? For all you know, they could be telling everyone the same things I mentioned in Mr. Okuda's story. The point is, people, we're never gonna get anywhere with this island if things like this go on. Yes, MVA and many other organizations and individuals are working hard to promote the CNMI, but that just isn't enough. If people keep attacking tourists and robbing them, all the negative publicity will counter the positive advertising and then what will happen?

Think about it before you rob your next tourist. If you really cared about the island, you'd change your ways.

Waste of Money

So a panel of CNMI government officials, including the Lt. Governor, are headed over to D.C. to see what they can do to change things concerning the minimum wage hike bill. I say it's a waste of time and money. They won't listen to us. They shouldn't listen to us. I say it's time for these people that "we" elect to stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about what WE the people want. They've used up our money for far too long, and now we are faced with a huge deficit. The governor started taking austerity measures when he came into office, but then they continue to spend and spend and spend, wasting our money on things like these trips. Judging from the poll that Saipan Tribune took last week, most people in the CNMI are all for the federalization. I say these government officials don't really care about our progress and improvement. What they care about is keeping their hold over the people and the land. They're scared that the federalization of labor and immigration will cause them to lose their power and control over the residents of the CNMI. Well folks, it's time to say goodbye, 'cause your fears are going to become reality pretty soon.

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR THE CNMI

The democrat-controlled House has voted. The vote was 315-116, with 82 republicans joining the democrats in their vote. The bill now goes to the Senate to vote on. Let's keep on hoping for the best!!!

Click here for one version of the story.

Click here for another version of the story.

My Saipan Blogging Debut

So, this is my first blog entry ever. No, not really. But it is my first blog that is about one general subject. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Kelvin. I've lived on the island of Saipan my whole life. I'm a senior at Marianas High School and I am involved in many clubs.

This blog will be full of my opinions on the many current events that are occuring on Saipan and in the CNMI. You don't have to agree with me, but feel free to comment and let me know what you think. I created this blog because I think there is a lack of involvement in the community when it comes to teenagers. Adults tend to think that we are not watching or reading the news. Our generation has built up a reputation of ignorance and high disregard to the issues that face our community. While I am aware that there are indeed many teenagers who don't care much for political matters of current events, I also know that there are a handful of us who do care, who do pay attention to the news. To all the teens out there, especially the ones on Saipan and the rest of the CNMI, I urge you to do the same. Read the news. Make your opinion known. Our voices must be heard. We are, after all, the future of our community. Before you read on, however, I am warning you: these are my opinions, and I do not mean to offend anyone who reads them. I apoligize in advance if there are things that I write that end up offending some people.

So for my first post, I thought I'd discuss one of the hottest issues on island right now: the Federal takeover. There seems to be a great scare on island concerning the immediate and long-term effects of the Federal takeover. At the same time, there seems to be a huge chunk of the island population that is greatly anticipating the Federal takeover. My opinion? I think it's GREAT!! This is what I have been waiting for for so long. Ever since I was young, I had been wishing and hoping that something like this would happen. Now that it's finally here, I am ecstatic. Many people, however, are still against it, saying that it will eventually kill our islands. I say the opposite.

In terms of the minimum wage increase, I think that it is a great idea. You're probably thinking, "Of course all teens would support the minimum wage increase because they can start working for more money." While this might be true, I support the minimum wage increase for more reasons. After all, who wouldn't want to finally get more than just $3.05 an hour? The following are a few of the reasons that I support the increase.

1. The cost of living on Saipan is rising, and $3.05 an hour just isn't enough to be able pay the bills, afford meals, and the cost of transportation.

2. Many people say that it's bad for businesses. I say that this issue can be addressed with a few employees being dismissed. Yes, this will probably lead to a higher unemployment rate, but I say that that is just a temporary sacrifice that we will have to make in order to create better living conditions for ourselves in the long run.

3. The increase in the minimum wage will help to provide some kind of "equality" for non-resident workers, sine the wages of jobs in the private sector are obviously lower than those of the government jobs. Eventually, the children of non-resident workers will be able to live a life with a little more luxury. They will feel more secure.


That's all I have to today, as my fingers are too tired to type more. Stay tuned for my next entry.