Saipan!

It has been a wonderfully busy weekend with the Ramsey's. Friday I jogged on the beach and I was surprised at how happy I was doing it. Although occasionally I missed my Wii jogging mates. It was nice to have a day to rest and reflect and follow Karen around. She is a fun friend. Very refined and sweet, she has made me feel very welcomed in her home. Karen has two boys, fourth and fifth grades. They are super boys and yet this house is so quiet! I am developing a theory about hot climates and concrete houses that I will have to develop more fully before going in depth about it, but it has to do with heat and being outdoors subduing the spastic ways of children. This is a picture of Santa and the Virgin Mary on the rooftop of Karen's neighbor.

Here are some of the highlights of the weekend in pictures.

Papaya from a patient at the hospital. Delicious! Some of Scratches 29th Cousins.

Saturday I got my first manicure and pedicure. I walked in the door and this hairdresser shouts out to the room, in Tagalog accent, "Whew, Look at Ms. Prada bag stepping into our shop!" Don't tell me designer knockoff handbags don't pay off...

It was actually just a good polishing and I mostly just had fun talking with the gals in the shop. There were good omens there, including this guy, who had a Flight of the Concords, "Business Time" t-shirt on.

The party (aka the reason I am here) went well. Americans on Saipan are nice people. There are cultural differences however, and it is funny when I think of what they are. For instance, even though this is "socially inept, fat, balding, white guy paradise" as you are constantly seeing these guys with super hot Asian women, people don't really acknowledge it until I point it out. I guess denial is a good thing. I will have to continue working on my stand up routine.

I couldn't tell afterwords if people had a good time, but fortunately, gossip is really rampant around here and the word is that the word is that yes, indeed they had a good time. Whew!

Sunday, I had lunch with my girlfriend Kelly. It was fun to catch up on the Paag/Stephens family and to have someone to share grief with over our friends passing.

Then I came home and took a really long nap. When I woke up the phone was ringing and it was Veni and Greg calling to see if I wanted to come and pick nick with them at Micro beach. You Bet! Greg is from Haines and I will say... Talking with them was like being in my culture. Greg could totally relate to wood gathering OCD and small town politics.

It is Chinese New Year today and at Midnight the fireworks started going off. That only lasted over an hour. I've been having a bit of insomnia brought on by CAFFEINE...can you imagine my shock! Too much chocolate...too much black tea...add to that fireworks and dogs and a small head cold and I am finding myself over sleeping and being kind of a mess. Veni just called and she is coming over to pick me up for lunch. That ought to help snap me out of this weird la la land I am finding myself in.

Contrary to the desires of all my American friends, I think I am going to rent a scooter and zoom around the island tomorrow...stay tuned!