En RouteEco-TourismCruise through Cairns as a responsible tourist.

Game OnFind the Yogi in YouTaking on yoga isn’t only a great New Year’s resolution to get fit,but it also helps connect your mind and spirit.

Dish NetworkJen’s Top TenJennifer Neves, Miss Earth Guam 2008, shares her secretson eating well.East Meets Westree girlfriends try their hand at being gourmet socialites inthis review of the newly-opened California Pizza Kitchen.

Techie Tools:Fully ConnectedWith EV-DO, everywhere is a hot spot.Gotta-Have Gadgetse 2009 Consumer Electronics Show launched a plethora ofnew gizmos for the seasoned techie.

DwellingsFeatured ShowroomMore an Just Hardware: Contrary to its name, GuamHardwood offers more than lumber.Hidden SanctuaryTucked away in an elevated spot, Monika Nugent’s homeserves as a welcome retreat.

Contents

4 winter 2009

On the Cover:Kel and Don Muna, creators of Shiro’s Head, takeus back to their shooting days at Inarajan Pool.See interview on page 6.

Cover photo: Arvie Munoz

6

Movers & Shakers:The Making of a Legend Don and Kel Muna divulge theinspiration for “Shiro’s Head” and talk about what’s in store forthe future.Blogging AdvocateArmed with a mission, Angelo Villagomez aims tobeautify the islands one tree at a time.

Fast Forward:The Next GenerationShell LiveWire business plan competition inspires youngentrepreneurs.Did You Know?Recycling facts and figures and what you should know.

16

36

20411Eight ways to start the New Year

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26

32

6

12

22

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Contributors

winter 2009 5

Jill Espiritu is a former sports writer for the Pacific DailyNews who loves trying new hobbies when she is not hard atwork as assistant marketing communications manager at theHilton Guam Resort & Spa. A self-proclaimed sports fanatic,she returns to the world of yogis in this issue's Game On.

Arvie Munoz was born in the Philippines andgrew up on Guam. By trade, he is a weddingphotographer for J Bridal International, and he alsodabbles in other types of photography during hisspare time. Munoz shot this issue's cover featurewith Don and Kel Muna. He says he is extremelyfortunate for having the opportunity to work atsomething he loves despite being blind in one eye.When he can, Munoz travels to Japan with his wifeSayaka and their one-year-old son Akira.

Norman del Rosario is the first Adobe CertifiedExpert in Photoshop in the CNMI. He is the art directorand resident photographer of IT&E Saipan. A fine artsgraduate of the Philippine Women's University, Normanstarted his design career in 1992 with the Synergy Advertisingand Communications Company. On the side he also acquiredcontracts to design T-shirts for well-known mixed martial artsfighters. During his spare time, he enjoys being with his wifeand his two children.

Jennifer Neves, Miss Guam Universe 2008 firstrunner-up and first delegate of Miss Guam Earth hasan extensive background in pageantry. Armed withthe motto, "Beauty with a Purpose," Neves takespart in environmental and cultural immersionprograms such as tree planting ceremonies andcountrywide tours. In this issue, she talks about hereating habits, and how to stay healthy despite all theNew Year temptations.

Publisher

Editorial Team

Contributors

ProductionManager

CreativeDirector

Graphics &Layout

Production Assistant

Business SalesManager

Traffic/CirculationManager

Distribution

Executive Vice President

President &CEO

Julian T. Cooper-Nurse

Kathryn BarryCarlosCamachoFaye VariasCreative Services

Alex SalazarJill EspirituSassy AlexJennifer NevesHermanCrisostomoArvieMunozRichCruise

Mark S. Burke

NormanDel Rosario

Mark S. BurkeJon Barnhart

LyndaYoung

Jay-R S. Dominguez

Josie Redmond

MicronesiaMedia

Larry Knecht

RickyDelgado, Jr.

Winter 2009 • Vol. 1 • No. 1www.motionsmagazine.com

Motions Advertising DisclaimerAll advertisers agree to hold the publisher harmless and indemnify it against any and all claims,losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (including attorney’s fees) made against or incurredby the publisher, officers or employees with respect to, or arising out of, the content, text, graph-ics or representations of any ad published herein, including but not limited to the sole negligenceand/or fault of the publisher. The publisher is not liable for any claims, losses or damages of anykind, arising from the wording, text, graphics or representations of any ad published herein, orthe condition of the articles sold through the publication, or performance of services advertised inthis publication. All advertising and/or performance of services advertising and/or submissions be-come wholly the property of Motions Magazine. Motions Magazine is a registered trademark ofPTI Pacifica Inc. Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in anyform without the express written consent of the publisher is prohibited. We reserve the right to editor refuse any ad and to reprint any photo for promotional use.

Motions is published by:

P.O. Box 24881 Barrigada, GU 96921Tel: (671) 472-3495 | Fax: (671) 472-3498

email: office@yellowpagesink.com

For advertising, subscription information or editorialsuggestions, contact us at office@yellowpagesink.com

6 winter 2009

M We at IT&E and Yellow Pages Ink would like to thank you for your support of our newestventure into publications.

Motions Magazine is an essential publication for men and women who enjoy the sophisticated life anddefine it by experience, accomplishments and interest. Motions was born out of a desire to fulfill thereader who is eager, culturally minded, business oriented, is in tune with modern technology, enjoysdining out, traveling and the arts while appreciating the comforts of home.

As our way of thanking you for more than 20 years of support of IT&E and YPI, we will provideour IT&E corporate post paid subscribers and YPI customers with a complimentary subscription bydirect mail or delivery. e remaining copies will be available at newsstands throughout the island.

Beginning March 1, 2009 you will also be able to view Motions Magazine in its entirety online atwww.motionsmagazine.com. We will also include a magazine archive so that readers will be able tobrowse through past issues with just a click of a button.

In this issue, we celebrate people and companies who are doing their part to break ground in newindustries as well as working to keep Guam and the CNMI Green. Our cover story highlightsbrothers Don and Kel Muna, the producers and directors of the successful motion picture, Shiro'sHead. ese brothers are paving the way for young Guamanians in the film industry andrepresenting the talents of our islands. For twenty-something Angelo Villagomez, going green is away of life. He is influential in the Beautify CNMI campaign and has led many beautifying projects,garnering the support of hundreds of volunteers dedicated to maintaining the beauty of the CNMI.We also take a closer look at Miss Earth Guam Jennifer Neves who shares her food secrets in the DishNetwork section. Lastly, we take a look at ecotourism with our neighbors down under in Cairns,Australia. Join Motions Magazine as we take you on a journey of the many wonderful things to do andsee just a plane ride away.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Motions Magazine. ank you for reading and we invite you to shareyour thoughts and suggestions at www.office@yellowpagesink.com.

Publisher

Foreword

winter 2009 7

Welcome to thepremier issue ofMotionsMagazine!

otions Magazine is a quarterly regionallifestyle magazine dedicated to bringingthought-provoking topics, lively stories andvisually energetic designs to its reader.

Julian T. Cooper-Nurse

Photos by Arvie Munoz

Don and Kel Muna are a true bluepersonification of local boys.Arriving at the Inarajan Pool, ourmeeting spot, the brothers instantly

greeted me with genuine smiles and introducedthemselves. ey couldn’t be any more down toearth, and any assumption that the popularity ofShiro’s Head has gone to their heads would havediminished within seconds of meeting them. ewell-deserved hype for the movie has stabilizedsomewhat and Motions magazine is curious toknow what the boys have planned for the future.One thing’s for sure—they’re here to stay.

MOTIONS: Tell us a little about the menbehind the scenes.DON: Well, where do I start? inking aboutmy upbringing now that I’m an adult, I wouldn’thave had it any other way. I spent a lot of timewith family and was taught a lot about hardwork, respect for our elders and just doing whatyou have to do to make ends meet. One thing Ireally loved about growing up on Guam is that Iwas exposed to so many different things, peoplewith different ethnicities, different cultures,different beliefs. To me, it helped prepare me forthe kind of work I do now.KEL: My upbringing on Guam was pretty funand full of imagination and family. I went toAgueda I. Johnston Middle School, GeorgeWashington High School and attended theUniversity of Guam for a bit. Because we werelatchkey kids, we weren’t introduced to anyextra-curricular activities while we were growingup, so I never belonged to any academic clubs, oranything like that. I was too painfully shy to doso on my own, although I was a GATE studentand made the all-island band (2nd timpanist)during high school. I did do well academically,but socially it wasn’t until high school that Icame out of my shell.

MOTIONS: Did you always see yourself asbeing into the film industry?KEL: Not until my late twenties. And eventhen, I never thought I’d become a filmmaker. Ijust thought I’d dabble in editing for a bit.Before then, I was contemplating on joining theU.S. Air Force, mainly because growing up onGuam, that’s just what you do. You either jointhe military or work for GovGuam. And I al-ways thought that options were limited onGuam. But I found out later that it’s actuallynot the case. It’s just that on Guam, other careerpaths aren’t as nurtured and encouraged and wejust follow the footsteps that are set in front ofus. So, how do you know what you want if youdon’t even know it exists, right? It wasn’t untilafter much thought I decided to go to filmschool. Right before I left Guam to pursue film

school, I had just passed the U.S. Air Forcelinguist exam with the highest marks to evercome out of Guam for that specific test. But, Ihad to follow my heart. So I went to film school.DON: I’ve always believed I would be this bigsongwriter in the music industry. As a matter offact, when Kel introduced the art and craft of film-making to me, it was only then when I eventhought of exploring different avenues of creativity.

MOTIONS: If you weren’t doing what you arenow, what do you think you would be doing?DON: I love to work with my hands, so maybea mechanic or a craft man of some sort.KEL: I would like to think that it would be oneof three things: a teacher, a pilot or a full timeSearch Engine Optimization analyst.

MOTIONS: What’s been your inspiration?KEL: Wow. I really never know how to accu-rately answer this, and on any given day, I’llprobably have a different answer. But for today,I’ll say that the inspiration draws from a deepwell of influences. For example, my Chamorroculture and the importance of family is the firstthat comes to mind. Beneath the surface layer ofShiro’s Head, if you look carefully, you’ll be ableto pick apart the different sub-themes, layers andmetaphors that are all tied in to the current state

of Guam and it’s dwindling cultural awareness.Another would be other creative sources–myheroes such as the directing style of ClintEastwood and the moment when Rocky standsalone in the empty ring. Also, the right place inour lives, our creative independence and ourcircumstances were all huge factors in pushingforward with Shiro’s Head.DON:Well, let me talk about what inspired meto take a chance and make the movie. I havealways been a very insecure guy, so I made a lotof bad choices growing up and most of the timewhen you make bad choices it detours you fromaccomplishing your goals in life. It got to a pointwhen I so depressed and so unsure about mycareer in the arts I was about to give up, butgrowing up I was taught to never give up with-out a fight. So I fought and I took a chance onmyself and Shiro’s Head was born.

MOTIONS: How much of your personal lifewould you say is portrayed in the movie?DON: All of my personal life is portrayed in themovie. I am very inspired by everything andeveryone around me.

(Continued on page 8)

Movers & Shakers

winter 2009 9

10 winter 2009

Vince. e family crest of the Minaguem familyshould be familiar to others who have been onisland around the late ‘80s. e importance offamily, religion and forgiveness are all true andstrong life experiences that I’ve felt in my life thatwere either subconsciously or consciouslyimplemented in the film.

MOTIONS: Do you have plans of releasinganother feature film?DON: Yes we do! Unfortunately, I can’t sayexactly, but I can say that our goal is to turn theattention to Guam’s artists. We want to createan enormous buzz about the island and ourtalented people.KEL: I can say that our projects from here onout will be Guam-based material. I was just atthe movies the other day and the longest linewas for a Filipino movie that was just released.I think that is so cool. One day, I’d like to seethat as the norm for Guam-based cinema butDon and I can’t do it alone. So calling all youaspiring filmmakers out there, start makingyour movies and keep the momentum alive!

MOTIONS: Do you have any interestinghobbies and talents besides filmmaking?KEL: I taught myself how to play the piano inthe seventh grade. One day, a friend of minebrought one of those small Casio keyboards toschool. I taught myself “Silent Night” duringour ten-minute break. Twenty-one years laterI’m scoring my own film! Yay! I’m so glad hebrought it to school.DON: I like singing and song writing and I alsolove playing football. My father plays the guitarand I can remember when I was about 3 or 4years old, he would kick back and play in ourliving room while me and my brothers would

(Continued from previous page)KEL: Although it is fiction, there are a lot oftrue-to-life aspects implemented in Shiro’sHead. More than I thought, actually. Forexample, Don and I drew upon a lot of ourchildhood influences from what Guam was likefor us growing up in the mid to late ‘80s. eimpressions of our older cousins influenced thecharacter and mannerisms of the character

Movers & Shakers

fight over this one broken tennis racket so wecould use it to pretend we were playing a guitarwith my dad. After a lot of pushing and shoving,we would all sing along. And football, I grew upin the ‘80s while football was still about thegame and not about publicity. I just loved towatch all the greats do what they loved to do.

MOTIONS: What were some of the challengesyou faced making Shiro’s Head?KEL: Oh man, the weather! Don and I made ita point to shoot the movie during dry season,which runs I think from February throughAugust or something like that. But no matterwhat, the weather was still inconsistent whichcompromised a lot of our planned shots. Oneminute it would rain and the next it would be asbright as the sun. Shooting during inconsistentweather is like torture. Not to mention thatwhen it was hot, man, was it hot! I give so muchcredit to the whole cast for being extremely kindand enduring throughout the whole productionand not once did they ever complain about ourlow-budget shooting conditions during thecraziest of days.DON: For the most part I would say thebudget. We couldn’t afford to pay anybody tohelp us behind the scenes. It was bad enoughthat our actors weren’t even getting paid andsome of our actors even doubled as our crew!anks Matty!

MOTIONS: Have your expectations been metas far as how the movie was received?DON: Yes! Exceeded my expectations as well.We didn’t expect so many people to see the lovewe put into the movie. So when they did, it wasa feeling worth more than a million bucks.KEL: How Shiro’s Head has been received has

surpassed all that I’ve ever imagined. I amextremely thankful that Chamorros, Guam-anians and islanders here at home or abroadhave been kind enough to support the moviegiven its DIY production roots. Furthermore,the response has been phenomenal and hasreally changed my life to find out that it’stouched so many people’s lives in so many ways.I am just glad that viewers can connect with itfor whatever the reason. To some it’s just amovie. To others it’s a cultural movement. So Iam thankful for the time that the people havetaken out of their lives to see it and to supportit, even if it’s as simple as words of encourage-ment when they see us out and about.

MOTIONS: What else do you want people outthere to know?KEL: DVDs of Shiro’s Head are on sale onlineat www.shirosheadthelegend.com. On-islandsales are located at JB’s Ukulele Hut in theAgana Shopping Center. If anyone has anyquestions or would like to drop me and Dona line, please visit our official site,www.guamology.com.DON: We’re working on providing some funand useful content about the island on thesite. You know, if someone is just surfing thenet and wants to get an organic feel for theisland they could check out the site. Also Iwould like to thank everyone for believingin us and taking the time and effort towatch Shiro’s Head. We’re so grateful foreveryone’s support. We understand that it’shard times and so many people still cameout and paid to see the movie. at meansso much to me and Kel. ank you again!

Movers & Shakers

12 winter 2009

In some ways, Angelo Villagomez is yourtypical 20-something. He ran cross countryin high school and college. He was involved

in karate. He plays soccer and video games andspills his thoughts on a blog.

But Villagomez is a young man with a goal—to beautify the islands. He is the Saipan coordi-nator for Global Ocean Legacy, a volunteer forBeautify CNMI and voices out his environ-mental concerns via e Saipan Blog. He be-came involved with Beautify CNMI, anon-profit environmental group based in

Saipan, in April 2006, due to a coral reefoutreach program he’d been working on.

“I ended up being the chair of the BeautifyCNMI Restoration Committee, which wascharged with cleanups, tree plantings, improvingparks, historical and tourist sites among otherthings. I also became the unofficial volunteercoordinator for Beautify CNMI,” he says.“When we started planting trees and doingweekly cleanups, we had 50-200 people volun-teering every single weekend and that lasted wellinto 2008.”

He says the people involved with the organi-zation have a simple goal: make the NorthernMariana Islands a better place to live and visit.“I personally want to see these islands succeed.A lot of our problems are self-inflicted. … Oneof the best lessons of Beautify CNMI is that youdon’t need to have a lot of money, just goodleadership, to make big things happen. We’venever had a budget, but we’ve removed tons andtons of garbage and planted thousands of trees.”

Villagomez adds, “Everything was done byvolunteers. We just had to be creative in howwe went ahead with our projects and we had towork with others in our community.”

He says one of the most rewarding experi-ences he’s had was recruiting more than 3,000volunteers in 2006. “My favorite experience isplanting trees with people. I also like workingwith kids,” he says.

But things haven’t always been fine anddandy. He says in the early part of 2007, someof the organization’s key members decided theyno longer wanted to participate due to someinternal disagreements. “Getting through thatwas difficult. … You learn from your mistakes.”

ese days, Villagomez spends most of hisday advocating for the Marianas TrenchNational Monument. “Now that that project isfinished, I’m looking forward to focusing moreon Beautify CNMI,” he says. “I want to doanother island wide cleanup this year.”

Movers & Shakers

Armedwithamission,AngeloVillagomezaims tobeautify the islandsone treeat a time.

By Faye Varias

Fast Forward

14 winter 2009

A small initiative that began in the UnitedKingdom in 1982, Shell LiveWire isnow a global project that has been grow-

ing for more than 20 years. It challenges youngpeople to make their entrepreneurial dreams areality, by providing guidance and monetarysupport for its top winners. is year marks thesixth in which Guam has become involved.

HOW ITWORKSe program is coordinated by the Pacific

Small Business Development Center, located atthe University of Guam School of Business.

Each year, applicants 13 to 30 years old arewelcome to submit business ideas to join thecompetition. e applicants are divided intotwo age categories: 13 to 17 and 18 to 30.

Once the application is accepted, the competitorsgo through a series of training and counselingsessions to develop their business plans.

At the end of the training period, theapplicants must submit their business plans forjudging, after which the top competitors areselected for interviews.

e top three competitors from each categoryare awarded cash prizes.

THE PROGRAMis program encourages participants to

think through their business ideas to create aformal, documented business plan. Shelldirectly contributes approximately $3M to ShellLiveWire programs globally.

Shell LiveWire plays an invaluable communityservice role through the practical assistance itgives future business people — not only for theirown personal success, but also for the jobs theywill create and for the overall benefit to thebusiness world.

Being your own boss, making your owndecisions, being a success — these are all goalsfor today’s aspiring business owner. It’s anattractive idea, but some may not be able tocope with long hours, isolation, and pressure.

Guam Shell LiveWire can help young peopledecide if running a business could be the rightchoice. It helps the process of thinking througha business idea with the aim ofcreating a formal, documented business plan. Bybecoming part of the Guam Shell LiveWireprogram, young people are assisted in movingcloser to making that final decision aboutstarting your own business.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?First of all, there is no financial cost — only

time. is program is completely free. However,on average, competitors need to spend about 10

Fast Forward

winter 2009 15

hours per week for 12 weeks to produce a real-istic and viable business plan.

Competitors have the opportunity to talkthrough the idea with an experienced businessperson and the opportunity to win cash prizes.

SUCCESS STORYCarina Fejerang, owner of Salon Paradis, won

the first Shell LiveWire Guam business plancompetition in 2002. She opened Salon Paradis,a full service day spa with hair, makeup andmassage packages. Since the competition, herbusiness has grown and flourished and in Au-gust 2007, she opened Princess Jolie, a spa andsalon for kids, at the Agana Shopping Center.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONContact the Shell LiveWire coordinators:

Georgette F. Reyes at 735-2591 (Guam SmallBusiness Development Center) or Eileen Guer-rero at 647-0123 ext. 109 (Shell Guam).

Material Courtesy of the Pacific Small Business Development Center

Entrepreneur: Salon Paradis owner, Carina Fe-jerang (front), winner of the 2002 Shell LiveWirecontest, pictured with her staff.

Fast Forward

16 winter 2009

A ccording to an independent study by theBarrett Consulting group, the following is a

breakdown of Guam’s Municipal Solid Waste:• Paper/cardboard - 37.9%• Aluminum/metals - 5.8%• Food/Yard waste - 18.8%• Wood - 7.4%• Glass - 4.4%• Plastics - 13.0%Total recyclable - 87.3%

Statistics• e average American throws away 3.5 pounds

of trash a day.• e average American uses 650 lbs. of paper a

year.• One ton of paper from recycled pulp saves 17

trees, three cubic yards of landfill space, 7,000gallons of water, 4200 kWh (enough heat to heata home for ½ year)z, 390 gallons of oil, and pre-vents 60 pounds of air pollutants.

• Recycling 1 ton of cardboard saves over 9 cubicyards of landfill space.

• Recycling 1 ton of newspaper saves 15 trees.• Producing recycled white paper creates 74% less

air pollution, 35% less water pollution, and 74%less process energy than producing paper fromvirgin fibers.

• Recycling a soda can saves 96% of the energyused to make a can from ore and produces 95%less air pollution and 97% less water pollution.

• It takes the energy equivalent to half a soda canof gasoline to produce one can from bauxite ore.

What You Can Do• Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescent

bulbs.• Drive less.• Recycle more.• Keep your tires inflated to improve gas mileage.• Use less hot water.• Avoid products with a lot of packaging.• Adjust your thermostat.• Plant a tree.• Turn off electronic devices when not in use.• Spread the word.

Fast Forward

Source: Recycling Association of Guam

REDUCE the amount of plastics thrown in the trash,by using compostable products instead of plas-

tic ones. Cup & Saucer, Firefly Bistro andBestseller, for example, use utensils and con-tainers made of corn and sugar cane, whichare 100 percent biodegradable.

REUSE bags for groceries, by pur-chasing a green bag from Bank ofGuam, Pay-Less Supermarkets andJoeten Supermarkets. e reusablebags cut down significantly on the useof plastic bags.

Reduce, Reuse, RecycleTake a big, green step in your everyday life by making more enviro-friendly choices.

RECYCLEand save money on your morning joe byswinging by Hava Java with your own cupor recycling your coffee sleeve. Hava Javaoffers 10 cents off any beverage.

Techie Tools

The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show launched a plethora of new gizmos for the seasoned techie.

Gotta-Have GadgetsBy Alex Salazar

Battery:Fuji EnviroMAX “green” batteries are making

their world debut at the 2009 InternationalCES. Eco-friendly, long-lasting, mercury,

cadmium and PVC-free, Fuji EnviroMAXbatteries are land-fill safe, emit no ozone-depleting compounds and are made with

recycled materials.

Camera:e 12.2-megapixel Samsung TL100 camera

comes in a purse-size frame, at a little morethan half an inch thick and a large 2.7-inch

LCD screen. A new Smart Auto featuredetects exactly what you are snapping and

picks the exposure mode, especially for thosewho probably never take the camera off auto.

Television:Mitsubishi’s LaserVue Laser TVharnesses the power of the world’s purest light

source to deliver two times the color ofmany of today’s HDTVs. Laser beamsprovide an extensive range of rich, com-plex colors, truly distinct clarity and im-mersive depth of field.

winter 200918

Techie Tools

winter 2009 19

Content from Consumer Electronics Show 2009Web site. The International Consumer Electronics Show is a trade show heldeach year, with more than 2,700 exhibitors. It is considered one of the biggest technology-related trade shows in the world.

Gaming:e Novint Falcon game controller is an entirely newtype of PC game controller. Replacing your mouse or

joystick, the Falcon is essentially a small robot thatbrings realistic virtual 3D touch to gaming.

Home Security:WowWee’s Spyball is a transforming robotic ballthat opens up to become a remote controlled,WiFi enabled rechargeable spycam.

Computer:Computer: Sony launches its new 8-inch, P-seriesVaio Lifestyle PC. It weighs 1.4 pounds and issmall enough to fit in a jacket pocket. It features a

3G modem, 802.11N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth andturn-by-turn GPS.

There is no need to be at home or in theoffice to be fully connected to theworld,” says Ricky Delgado, president

and chief executive officer of IT&E.True to its tagline, Life in Motion, IT&E

launched its new high-speed telecommunicationswireless transmission of data for broadbandInternet access. Simply stated, you can connectto the Internet anywhere — on Guam, Saipan,Rota or Tinian — anywhere you can use yourIT&E wirless phone.

You no longer need to find a Wi-Fi hot spotto access the Internet with your laptop or mo-bile phone. With the new technology, you caneven be surfing the Web at the beach.

e technology, known as Evolution-DataOptimized, or EV-DO, was launched in theCNMI and Guam in the fall of 2008, makingthe company the first in Micronesia to launch anEV-DO high-speed mobile broadband network.

IT&E now offers the first and fastest nextgeneration mobile broadband network servingGuam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota. e networkoffers users the ability to access e-mail, photos,spreadsheets and other large files via phone orlaptop at unprecedented speeds. Its users will alsoenjoy a new world of entertainment, as theirphones can easily access social networking sites,such as MySpace, Facebook and Friendster. eability to watch streaming video from the Internetas well as the ability to upload videos to popularsharing sites like YouTube from a wireless phonemakes this next generation mobile broadband amust.

e high-speed network is the same used byU.S. telecom giants Verizon Wireless and Sprint,with well over half of the U.S. wireless market.

“We are extremely excited about the potentialof our growing network … We want to beknown as a local company focused on bringingthe world’s finest mobilebroadband technology,not just to places thatmake economicsense, but to allthe customerswe serve,” saysDelgado.

Techie Tools

20 winter 2009

Fully ConnectedWith EV-DO, everywhere is a hot spot.

Verizon UM-150Wireless EV-DOModem

22 winter 2009

Celebrate the reefSometimes, living on an island, wetake being so close to the beach forgranted. e Year of the Reef Proj-ect, which celebrated its finale onJan. 18, teaches residents that weneed to take an active part in caringfor our environment. Families en-joyed free movies, games and prizesas a finale of the celebration. eproject organized an educationalpuppet show and a big-screenmovie at Asan Beach Park as well.

Play (or watch)softball >>Want to see thebig bosses reallyswing a bat?Every year, theGuam Hotel &Restaurant Asso-ciation hosts a softballleague, bringing together differentcompanies, to promote health andsportsmanship among differentbusiness people. It gives companiesa chance to interact outside ofwork. Games are held every Sundayuntil April. Batter up!

Discover 20ways to eat

Tuna tartare, tunacarpaccio, black pep-

per crusted tuna —those are just

three ways to eatbig eye tuna at the

Hilton Guam Resort &Spa’s promotion to discover manyways a certain ingredient can beprepared. e tuna promotion isthe first in Hilton’s goal to promotea different ingredient each month.

Control Guam’s strayanimal population

Want to put an end to Guam’s strayanimal population? Get your petsspayed and neutered at the GuamAnimals In Need pet sterilizationclinic from Feb. 3 to 9 inTamuning. Check in is between 7a.m. and 9 a.m. and the cost is only$25 for the first pet, and $10 foreach additional pet. To volunteeror get more information, contactCrystal Calvo at 929-2871 or gain-snapclinic@gmail.com.

<< Supportlocal artistse Guam Gallery of Art, in col-laboration with the ChamorroArtists Association, is presentingan exhibit entitled “Paintings byViktoria” through Feb. 5 at theChamorro Village, with the cur-rent watercolor paintings of Vikto-ria Sayrs. Sayrs lives and paints inMerizo, Guam. She paints withboth watercolors and acrylics toportray the lush, tropical beauty ofthe island.

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EIGHT WAYSTO START THE NEW YEAR

winter 2009 23

Find time to >>play after work.

Every Wednesday, Sam Choy’s hosts a happyhour Wine Affair, with complimentary pupusand featured wines. Every week, different winesare featured, which complement the appetizers.On Feb. 11, Kristal Koga, owner of Kristal Kol-lections, will hold a fashion show during theWine Affair, so you can shop while enjoying aglass of wine.

Join a Triathalon

On April 4, XTERRA Guam will hold itsannual XTERRA races as part of the XTERRANational Championship. Swim, bike, run andget ready. Events include swimming, a mountainbike course, and a trail run. Points are awarded to-ward qualification for the championship. StartTime is at 7:30AM. e modified sprintdistance off-road triathlon has a 1K swim in thebeautiful waters of Piti, Guam, 31K bike upNimitz Hill and through the Mt. Alutom area anda challenging 8.2K trail run. Cash prizes go to thetop 3 overall male and female finishers. It's theperfect primer race for athletes on their way toeither the Saipan or New Zealand XTERRA races!

<< Spoil yourselfFor starters, maybe you need a newset of wheels. According to AKToyota, the more powerful re-designed 2010 Lexus RX350 setsnew benchmarks in the luxury util-ity vehicle, with innovative, stylish,and strong qualities in performanceand comfort. e sleek, five-pas-senger SUV is now available onGuam, though it won’t be releasedin the U.S. until February.

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Photo: Rich Cruse.

24 winter 2009

Dwellings

By Alex Salazar

Hidden SanctuaryTucked away in an elevated spot,Monika Nugent’s home serves as awelcome retreat after a long, hard day.

Dwellings

Imust say, the feel of total seclusion iswhat I love when coming home at theend of the day,” says Monika Nugent.

She recalls the lush garden of her Saipanhome and feeling like she’s on vacation everyday. “Also, its elevated location makes thehouse cool and breezy, not needing air-conditioning all the time.”

e fenced-in home is a quick drive todowntown Garapan, but remains secludedand private.

Nugent says that when she designed thehouse, influences of Indonesia and Italyinfluenced the structure and materials within.“e house has a lot of arches and I used slatearound the pool area and stonework on thehouse,” she says. ere is also a separatetoddler pool, which is great for kids.

“Being from Austria-Europe and Italy onlybeing a few hours away, Tuscany has inspiredme the most with its architectural flair of theItalian country homes.”

She says one of her favorite parts of thehouse is the master bedroom, spanning 25feet by 30 feet. It has its own private terrace,walk-in closet, and a marble bathroom con-necting to an outdoor Indonesian shower.

e stairs to the third floor of the house aremade from Saipan’s ironwood tree and eachpiece was hand cut to perfection, she says.

Nugent purchased most of her furniturefrom Java, which are all made of teak. She alsohas synthetic outdoor furniture, which shesays, requires zero maintenance in addition tobeing waterproof and UV filtered. is

prevents them from fading in color.She also says she likes the privacy of thebottom floor, complete with a kitchen, a fewbedrooms, dining area, bathroom and garage,which separates it from the rest of the house.

Last year, Nugent put the house on the mar-ket. “Since my kids are grown and married, thehouse became too big for me.”

She has since moved to Guam and openedMonika’s Furniture.

Being from Austria-Europe and Italy only beinga few hours away, Tuscanyhas inspired me the most

with its architectural flair ofthe Italian country homes.

“

“

“

Dwellings

26 winter 2009

By Alex Salazar

Photos by Faye Varias

W hen you hear the name GuamHardwood, images of plywood andhardware are sure to pop into mind.

However, unlike many of today’s hardwarestores, Guam Hardwood offers more than ahome’s much needed nuts and bolts. When youwalk into the main store, the necessary hardwareis there, as expected. However, next door, is ashowroom of beds, loveseats, reclining chairs,dining tables and cabinetry.

Beyond purchasing the basics, GuamHardwood also offers pots, pans, and cookingutensils for the kitchen and pillows, bed sheetsand lamps for the bedroom.

Customers looking for a complete shoppingexperience will find one at Guam Hardwood,because you can literally find everything youneed, from the wood for your kitchen cabinets,to the coffee mugs you’ll be placing in them.

Guam HardwoodLocation: 1797 Army Drive in Dededo, Guam,Route 16 across Napa Auto PartsContact: 671-649-8821Hours: 7:30AM to 5:30PM Monday to Saturday,8 a.m. to Noon Sunday

Dwellings

Dish Network

28 winter 2009

By Alex Salazar

Chipotle Pizza

Three girlfriends try their handat being gourmet socialites inthis reviewof thenewly-openedCalifornia Pizza Kitchen.

Finding a good restaurant is like find-ing an oasis in a dry desert; it shinesand you never forget its location.Sam, Shane and I are always in searchof that perfect restaurant – with the

perfect ambiance, service and food. We’ll take atleast two out of the three, more often with anemphasis on food, not to sound too epicurean.

Our quest continued with a visit to a famedrestaurant chain, California Pizza Kitchen, or CPKas it is endearingly known. From experience, plan

(Continued on page 28)

Editor’s Note: There’s nothing like refreshingdrinks and good food to complement anight out with friends. In this inaugural seg-ment of Dish Network, three girlfriends —Alex, SamandShane—foodie, socialite andmedical professional by trade, gather at oneof Guam’s newest watering holes to samplethe dishes and talk about life — amongother things.

Kung Pao Spaghetti

Dish Network

30 winter 2009

(Continued from page 26)to arrive at least five to ten minutes earlier thanplanned, as it may take a while to find parking inthe Holiday Resort & Spa area on a Friday night.

I arrived at the restaurant a little after 8 p.m.to find Shane waiting in the reception area. eboth of us are usually the ones who arrive at get-togethers late, so we took a quick look aroundthe restaurant to find Sam. Kindly enough, oneof the waiters did a walkthrough around therestaurant looking for an assigned table with onelone guest waiting for her party.

Once we ascertained that the tides had turnedand Shane and I were “early,” we joined thegroup of people waiting to be seated. We expe-rienced a very minimal wait – not even five min-utes after the hostess handed us that disk withthe flashing lights to advise the availability of ourtable – which reminds me so much of that“Simon” game – we were seated.

Wanting Sam’s input on our choices, weopted to wait to place our orders. Instead, weordered cocktails as an aperitif – a refreshingCPKolada for Shane and a marvelous mangomojito for me.

Once Sam arrived, fresh from an apparentlysentimental movie that had her in tears beforethe closing credits, we proceeded to scrutinizemenu items and their descriptions. It turned outthat we would embark on a culinary trip aroundthe world through pizza and pasta.

To start, we ordered lettuce wraps – anappetizer of minced chicken with shiitake mush-rooms and water chestnuts. I remembered some-thing similar that I had eaten in Hong Kong lastyear, except instead of chicken meat, the dish

featured pigeon meat.e lettuce wraps appetizer also included a spicy

chili ginger sauce, which added more flavor anddeepened the dish’s richness. Shane opted to skipthe extra sauce, which was a tad salty for her taste.Not a lazy appetizer, the dish requires you to scoopsome of the warm minced chicken concoction ontoa cool, crisp piece of lettuce and intently enjoy.Without sounding like the panel of judges on IronChef, the three of us could agree that the textureand taste intertwined pleasantly to our delight.

Next, we traveled to bustling Bangkok withthe ai crunch salad, which, when it arrived,Shane remarked as visibly busy. A mixture ofshredded cabbage, chilled grilled chicken breast,julienned cucumbers and carrots, edamame,peanuts, topped with lime cilantro sauce waspresented in its most artistically abstract form;however, the salad’s exciting experience excusedits eclectic anomaly.

Among the three of us, we all agreed that thecrisp crunch of rice sticks, cabbage, cucumbersand carrots meshed well with the tenderness ofthe chilled grilled chicken in a tangy aipeanut dressing. If the lettuce wraps and theai crunch salad were any indicator of the restof our meal, we were immensely excited.

Continuing our East-meets-West adventure,we sampled kung pao spaghetti. e enjoyabledish, combining a concoction of westernizedkung pao sauce, garlic, green onions, peanutsand hot chili peppers, coated a bed of spaghettinoodles. It’s the classic Chinese favorite kungpao chicken with comfort-food spaghetti – whydidn’t I ever think of that? I’m sure a homemadeversion of the dish will invade one of our

kitchens soon.After departing Asia, we landed in the Texas-

Mexico border with our order of the chipotlechicken pizza. A labeled Mexico-phile, I havebeen searching for some good chipotle-baseddishes or salsas, so I readily agreed to order thisdish. Within a few minutes of indulging in ourother dishes, we said “¡hola!” to a fair sized thin-crust pizza with diced chicken pieces andjalapeno peppers. In the center of the pizza wasa dollop of Tex-Mex culture – corn and beansmixed with a pico-de-gallo-like salsa. e pizzareminded me of a mini-sombrero.

While the pizza was different from pizzas we’reused to, Sam and I were iffy about the flavor. I, forone, wanted a more dominant sweet-spicy flavor ofchipotle. Shane, on the other hand, enjoyed thepizza. We then knew who should take home theleftover food that we were too stuffed to finish.

Although we did eat heaps of good food, wepracticed some constraint in order to sampleone of CPK’s desserts. We chose the chocolatebanana royale cake a la mode. e cake wasn’t asheavy as we feared, and the banana creamwasn’t overbearing. Collectively, the cake, withits chocolate mousse topping, banana creamcenter and drizzles of banana cream and hotfudge is enough to entice a non-sweet tooth toenter the realm of desserts.

Overall, we were pleased with our experienceat CPK. e restaurant has a hearty selection ofitems on the menu that we have yet to try andthe service was great. When we find time to begourmet socialites again, CPK would be one ofthe restaurants on our radar.

Lettuce Wraps

Chocolate Banana Royale

Fresh Spring Rolls

winter 2009 33

W hether I am on the set for a photoshoot, or on the road competingin an international pageant, I al-

ways find ways to make sure I stay sexy andstrong through a lifestyle of healthy living.Here are some of my must-haves.

1. WaterFiji is my favorite! I carry a bottle of water inmy bag all the time and drink throughout theday and fill up (using the same bottle) aftereach use.

Breakfast Options2. Organic peanut butter, wholewheat

bagel, and banana with orange juice.3. My own energy smoothie creation: ice,

frozen/fresh fruits, low fat vanilla yogurt,and one can of raspberry XS energydrink. Blend all together and you're set.Only takes five minutes to prepare andincludes tons of B vitamins that youwould need to sustain you, not to men-tion it's definitely filler for your stomach!

4. Quaker oats, apples and cinnamon spiceoatmeal in a cup with a banana.

Lunch Options5. California Pizza Kitchen chopped salad.

ey offer it in a half size (which fills meup) or a full size where you can sharewith a friend, family member, or some-one special.

6. Tony Romas Greek salad7. Wholewheat grilled chicken sandwich,

made by me, loaded with veggies

Dinner Options8. Subway six-inch ham sandwich. No

mayo. Just mustard. I always ask forextra bell peppers and extra jalapenos! Idon't get the meal, because it will temptme to eat the chips and cookies and geta soda, which I don't want.

9. Grilled chicken breast, steamed asparagus,and brown rice with water and strawberryice (frozen strawberries in an ice tray).

10. Snacks, for those in between times, I likePlanters South Beach Diet Nuts orvegetable sticks.

Dish Network

Photo by Herman CrisostomoAttire courtesy of Iridescent

GameOn

Chaturanga dandasana.Utkatasana.Tadasana.

To the majority of us, the first three lineswritten in some foreign language arejust that – foreign. For most seasoned

yogis, however, the same Sanskrit words de-note types of poses during a yoga class.

The word yoga, according the AmericanYoga Association Web site, means “to join or

yoke together” or the practice of bringingone’s mind and body together into “one har-monious experience.” Yoga is built upon threestructures – exercises, breathing and medita-tion, which when practiced in unison con-tributes to a stress-free mind and strong,sound body. “Yoga is for everybody,” saysWendy Christiansen, a yoga instructor at JiivanaSpa. “I’ve heard people say that they can’t do

(Continued on page 34)

36 winter 2009

(Continued from page 32)yoga because they are just not flexible enough.is really is a common misconception, sinceyoga is much more than the stretches and theexercises. It allows us to connect with our body,connect with our mind and connect with ourspirit.

“Yoga is good for your health at any level. Itcan reduce stress and help you to lose weight,”Christiansen added.

e documented practice of yoga is said to haveoriginated in the Indus Valley some 5,000 yearsago, as illustrated in stone carvings; however, yogamay actually predate written history by thousandsof years. A small part of yoga may have beenintroduced to the United States in the late 1800sbut did not gain its popularity until the 1960s,according to the American Yoga AssociationWeb site.

I first stepped into a yoga class in the earlypart of 2007, not really knowing what it en-tailed or what to expect. I went with a friendwho was as equally clueless. We did bring ourown mats and towels though – we knew thatmuch, since my friend had called the studio afew days prior to ask what we needed to bring.I remember wearing regular exercise type cloth-ing – down to the running shoes – to the studio.Once in the studio, I was instructed to removemy shoes and lay out my mat and towel in thefront of the studio to be closer to the instructor,since I never had done yoga before.

An hour and a half later, I swore to have beenthe most tired I had been in a while, but I alsohad a great feeling of accomplishment. At theheight of my yoga stint, I was attending classesat least three times a week consistently for acouple of months.

Christiansen shares a similar sentiment.“I started out with Bikram Yoga … and it was

like a love/hate relationship,” says Christiansen.“ere were times I almost felt like passing outdoing poses in the intense heat, but I always feltamazing after the class was over. Once you startto feel the advantages, you’ll always come back.”

Christiansen has practiced yoga for about 11years and has taught yoga classes in San Diego,

California for about three years prior to teachingin Guam. In San Diego, while teaching her yogaclasses, she also was managing the studio as wellas working in a restaurant. Her journey toGuam resulted from a visit to an Internet sitecalled Craigslist and initial disbelief.

“One day, I just decided to log onto Craigslistand look up yoga teaching positions,” Chris-tiansen said. “I saw this ad looking for a yogainstructor to work in Guam. It said that roomand board would be paid and I’d work in a spa.I said, no way, this isn’t real. I decided to send anE-mail asking about the position.

“Ron (Romero, Jiivana Spa director) E-mailedme back asking for my resume, so I eventuallysent her one. Six weeks later, I sold all of mythings in San Diego and I was on a plane toGuam,” Christiansen added.

Yoga fits into the island lifestyle, as its practiceallows for variations for people of various ages andphysical conditions to gain similar healthbenefits. It’s not uncommon to find a beginningyoga student in the same class as someone whohas practiced for years. According to the AmericanYoga Association Web site, “the exercises of Yogaare designed to put pressure on the glandularsystems of the body, thereby increasing itsefficiency and total health.”

Many of the yoga postures are designed tostretch various muscle groups, even muscles youprobably thought you never had.

In my first few experiences with yoga, holdingcertain poses for a period of time put some un-welcomed stress on my body. In some poses, myarms, legs or abdomen would shake involuntar-ily, or I would “fall out” of a position. In thesecases, I worked through the shaking, whichmade resting positions much more appreciated.If I would fall out of a position, I wasencouraged to ease my way back into theposition to reap its health benefits.

Once you achieve a pose and are not losingbreath, moving deeper into the pose is possible.It’s mainly about knowing your body and whatyou can take. If you move into a pose too deepand start to lose breath, then you may need toback out of the position to where you can practice

long breaths. In due time,many of the poses whichseemed like challenges inthe beginning become stan-dard poses you movethrough during a class.

In my particular case, armbalances posed as some of thebiggest challenges in my be-ginning sessions. As Iwatched fellow yogis moveinto arm balances, I wouldask myself, do I even haveenough upper body strength

to hold up my whole body? Would I first needthe brute strength to get into the pose?

My yoga instructor did mention that whilesome people can muscle into arm balances,anyone would be able to achieve them, sinceemphasis is on balance, rather than upper bodystrength. With each class, I struggled to get onmy hands for a low crow position, where Ibalanced only on my hands and arms, with mylegs resting above and behind my elbows. Afterseveral weeks of trying, I finally was able to holdthe pose. Once I experienced how it felt to be inthe position, I was able to move into it withgreater ease, remembering that initial feeling.

After some sessions of yoga, I started to noticedifferences in how I carried myself at work and athome. I was sitting up straighter and was moreconscious of my breathing. I did feel stronger andmore flexible. Long gone were the days when Ibelieved yoga was the art of turning oneself intoa human pretzel. It was something I did, and thebenefits, I felt, were attainable by anybody.

“You just need to take it one step at a time,”says Christiansen. “Some people say that theycan’t even touch their toes, so they wouldn’t beable to do yoga. You’ll never know what you’recapable of doing unless you go to a class.”

Jiivana Spa is planning to open its newoceanfront, open-air pavilion for yoga classes inthe first part of 2009. With the new larger and

GameOn

winter 2009 37

dedicated space, more yoga classes may be avail-able, including ones in the early evening. In themeantime, Jiivana Spa yogis practice yoga fivetimes a week either in the early morning orearly in the afternoon.

Other locations in Guam offer yoga classes atdifferent times. Synergy Studio, which openedits doors in the summer of 2004 according toits Web site, offers several different types of yogaclasses six days a week, with some sessions twicein one day. Paradise Fitness Center also offersyoga classes on different days and times.

Once you’re bitten by the yoga bug, you’ll wantto practice yoga at home in addition to attendingclasses. Many Internet sites offer information onyoga, as well as photos of different poses. One ofmy favorite yoga sites is www.yogajournal.com,which has a wealth of information about yoga.

I’ve also started to consciously notice yoga intelevision shows I watch. I’ve spotted yogaclasses in HBO’s Sex and the City, Showtime’sL Word and even mentions of it on Lifetime’sArmy Wives. It seems that Hollywood has madeyoga quite fashionable. Whenever I think of armbalances, I think of an incredibly toned TeaLeoni doing what looks like the “Astavakrasana”or eight-angle pose in the movie Spanglish. Oneof these days, the low crow arm balanceposition I accomplished will turn into that.

GameOn

Jiivana Spa, Pacific Islands Club(PIC)[Location] Tumon, Guam[Phone] 671-646-9171[Yoga Type] Vinyasa/Hatha[Schedule]Sunday and Tuesday: 4PM–5PM

Monday, Wednesday and Friday:6:30AM–7:30AM

[Fee] $15 per class or $120for 10 sessions[Web site]www.picresorts.com/en/Guam/Guam_Spa.asp

Paradise Fitness Center[Location] Hagatna, Guam[Phone] 671-475-2100[Yoga Type] Hatha and Power[Schedule]Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Noon(Power)Wednesday and Friday: 9AM (Hatha Yoga)Thursday: 4:30PM (Pilates/Yoga)[Fee] Please contact gym for rates[Web site] guamparadisefitness.com

Synergy Studio[Location] Maite, Guam[Phone] 671 472 YOGA (9642)[Yoga Type] Vinyasa, Bhakti, Hot andPower[Schedule]Monday: 5:45PM–7:15PM (Vinyasa Flow)Tuesday and Thursday:Noon–1:30PM

Tuesday: 5:45PM–7:15PM (Bhakti)Wednesday: 5:45PM–7:15PM (Hot)Thursday: 5:45PM–7:15PM (Power)Saturday: 9:30AM–11AM

Sunday: 10AM–11:30AM (Hot)[Fee] $15 per class, $120 for 10 sessions,$200 for 20 sessions or $65 per monthwith an annual contract (some restrictionsmay apply)[Web site] www.synergyguam.com

Club Elan[Location] Hyatt Regency Saipan[Phone] 670 323 5888 or 670 234 1234[Schedule]Tuesday and Thursday: 7:30AM to 8:30AM

[Fee] $7 per class or $50 for 10 sessions(Fee includes use of the Fitness Center inaddition to the yoga class)[Web site] saipan.regency.hyatt.com

Gold’s Gym Saipan[Location] Garapan Central Park[Phone] 670 233 400[Yoga Type] “Body Balance” whichincorporates both yoga and tai chitechniques[Schedule]Monday and Wednesday: 8:30AM–9:30AM

[Fee] $10 per class(Fee includes use of fitness center)[Web site] www.goldsgym.com/saipanmp/

*All schedules are subject to change.Please call beforehand to get updated classtimes.

Yoga Props

Yoga matMat towelFace towelYoga blockYoga strap

*Many of the yoga venues have equipmentfor use during class. Please call beforehandto inquire which items are available forclass use at the studios. Like any fitnessroutine or exercise, be sure to stayhydrated before, during and after each yogasession. It is advisable to bring drinkingwater to class.

References:www.yogajournal.comwww.americanyogaassociation.orgwww.synergyguam.comwww.picresorts.com/en/Guam/Guam_spa.aspwww.guamparadisefitness.com

Where to Yoga

Enroute

38 winter 2009

En Route

Hovering above the Queensland rainfor-est aboard the Skyrail Rainforest Ca-bleway, I couldn’t help but feel dwarfed

by the majestic, green canopies that stretchedfor miles around me.

Like many travelers, I hold a special place inmy heart for these moments, humbling mo-ments, reminding me that I am just one beingin life’s natural order.

Crystal, my best friend and travel companionon this trip, and I stared in silence and probablyshared the same thought—I hope this stays justthe way it is.

I’m only too familiar with the scene when Icome back to a place about which I have a specialmemory, only to find that it has become a touristtrap, morphed by development and change.

But education has given rise to a new type oftraveler, one who is conscientious of the placehe visits, and how his presence helps its com-munity. is connection is what makes one des-tination a different experience for everyone.Ecotourism, as this type of responsible tourismis referred, is described by the InternationalEcotourism Society as “responsible travel to

natural areas that conserves the environmentand improves the well-being of local people.”

In a nutshell, ecotourism can be defined astravel that takes into account three issues—theenvironment, culture, and economy. It minimizesnegative environmental impact, respects theculture and traditions of local people, and bene-fits its host community financially.

SKYRAIL RAINFOREST CABLEWAYI wasn’t surprised to learn that Skyrail

received global recognition with its Green GlobeGold Certification. e award is given tocompanies who have achieved Green GlobeCertification for five consecutive years, demon-strating outstanding, continuous commitment toenvironmental performance and improvement.Green Globe is the worldwide benchmarking,certification and improvement system assistingthe international travel and tourism industry toattain and maintain sustainability. Skyrail is theonly organization in Australia to have receivedthis award of 18 groups worldwide.

e experience spans over pristine rainforest,with stops along boardwalks and scenic lookouts.

At the end of my cable car ride, I reached thevillage of Kuranda, known for its laidbacksurroundings and art shops, where I perusedthrough Aboriginal artifacts.

At the other end of Skyrail sits Tjapukai Abo-riginal Cultural Park. It showcases the culture ofindigenous rainforest people of Tropical NorthQueensland and is the most awarded Aboriginalcultural attraction in Australia.

TJAPUKAI ABORIGINAL CULTURAL PARK

“Tjapukai” means “rainforest” and this isused to describe the Aboriginal tribe of the area.During a brief stay, most visitors to Tjapukaiexperience every aspect of the people’s culture,from history to food and even didgeridooplaying and boomerang throwing.

ough customs today aren’t as traditional asthey were many years ago, such as undergroundcooking and arranged marriages, the Tjapukaiculture is very much alive and well, in terms offamily values and the importance of familialbonds. Cousins are like brothers and sisters, anduncles and aunties are respected as parents.

By Faye VariasCruise through Cairns as a responsible tourist.

PhotoCourtesy

ofTjapukaiCulturalPark

En Route

e Tjapukai are just one tribe amonghundreds across the Australian continent. Justone hour north of Cairns lies a different tribe,one that shares their culture through the Flamesof the Forest.

FLAMESOF THE FORESTe Flames of the Forest experience is one of

fine dining within the depths of the rainforest,featuring Gary and Robert Creek, two local Abo-riginal brothers who come to share their stories.

eir grandparents are from different clans ofQueensland, but met in the days when they wereforced to live at the Lockhart River Mission. earea where Flames is held is significant to thebrothers and their families, because it was a place

to gather with other people of their tribe andexchange cultural stories.

One important thing to note, although therainforest people were hunters and gatherers,they respected other creatures with which theyhad to coexist.

Australia is home to many indigenous animals,including crocodiles, snakes and many more thatlive under the sea.

HARTLEY’S CROCODILE ADVENTURESSet in the foothills of MacAlister Range, in

Tropical North Queensland, Hartley’s CrocodileAdventures is home to a range of habitats.

It provides a new approach to viewing andinteracting with wildlife, so that visitors can

immerse themselves in the natural environmentwhile staying safe.

Visitors can help feed turtles, fish and waterbirds, take a boat cruise among dozens offeeding crocodiles and watch cassowariesswallow entire fruits.

I took a chance to take a photo, whileholding a baby crocodile named Rufus.

CAIRNS TROPICAL ZOOOwned by the same family as Hartley’s,

Cairns Tropical Zoo is the largest wildlifeattraction in Tropical North Queensland. It islocally-owned and operated, and is home tohundreds of different types of animals found inthe northern tropics.

Photo courtesy of Flames of the ForestPhoto courtesy of Flames of the Forest

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40 winter 2009

En Route

Unlike many traditional zoos, Cairns TropicalZoo offers opportunities to get close, touch andinteract with many animals. is experiencemakes more of a connection with its guests,creating an emotional tie between the visitorand nature.

e zoo’s philosophy is that personal interactionwith animals encourages a greater understandingof native wildlife and promotes the need to pre-serve their natural habitats.

Crystal and I spent a lot of time with thekangaroos, hanging out in an enclosed she as wejoined them staying out of the rain.

At night, the zoo offers an entirely differentexperience, as many of the zoo animals arenocturnal.

e night zoo experience begins with atraditional Aussie barbecue before a guided tourthrough the dark to meet the creatures of the night.

I was told not to be surprised if any of the ani-mals hitched a ride, which I was a bit confused by,until I saw a green tree frog jump on a little girl’shead. He stayed with her for the rest of the night.

ough this journey to Cairns wasn’t my first,it’s still one full of first impressions. And when Ireturn, I hope to make many more lasting ones,not just for me, but also for many future visitors.

(Continued from previous page)

Photo courtesy of Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures

Photos courtesy of Cairns Tropical Zoo

42 winter 2009

Trend Spotting