Small Business Ideas on Saipan

G and I were just talking about how we wish we would have seen Saipan at its peak in tourism and in the economy.  We are hoping and praying that Saipan's economy picks up for everyone's sake.  Let's face it, austerity Fridays suck.

Well it looks like there may be a some hope.   BOH is accepting grant applications for small businesses on Saipan.  I would apply but I don't have a proven track record or management experience in owning a small business. Still I keep wondering what type of business would thrive out here.  It's sad to see so many empty commercial buildings and shops along Beach and Middle road.

 I was thinking about what type of small business I would open if I got approved! I have two lists. One list is what I think Saipan really needs and the second list is my wish list for Saipan.

What I think Saipan needs:

1. A top notch birthing center like the one in Guam called Sagua Managa.  Come on! Wouldn't you rather give birth in a more comfortable environment rather than CHC or any other hospital? I would have if I had a low risk pregnancy.  At Sagua Managa you can Facetime or Skpe with family and friends on their free wireless network after you give birth.  
2. A farm that produces organic fruits and vegetables much like this one called  Pie Ranch.   I would also incorporate an educational program with the schools that would teach kids  the importance of sustainable farming and food system education.  Plus I would have a cool barn that you could have community functions at.
3. A Japanese Cultural Center and Tea house-Saipan has a lot of Japanese memorials and relics from the war so why wouldn't we have a Japanese cultural center here to?  Plus a Japanese Tea house could feature tea ceremonies.  G and I went to a traditional tea ceremony in San Francisco and it was awesome!   I think the tourists would enjoy it and so would the locals.

What I wish Saipan had:

1. Blue Bottle Coffee - Java Joes is my favorite coffee shop in Saipan but I am really missing my lattes from Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco.  Luckily they just opened a web store online.
2. Jamba Juice-Saipan has something called Pearl Shakes that are made of ice and a flavored powder.   They're okay once in awhile but I want something healthier and fresher. Plus who knows what type of preservatives or icky food dyes are in those powders anyway.
3. Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt or a Yogurtland -Saipan has the Scoops and the Big Dipper Ice Cream shops but again I think Saipan needs a healthier alternative.
4. A Mexican Restaurant. Man I miss Mexican food. Enough said.  

Anyway, that is all I could think of at this moment. Let me know what business you would open in Saipan if you were approved a grant from BOH.

My Little Coconut

 It's hard to believe that I am half way through my pregnancy. I'm 19 weeks pregnant in this picture taken by my hubby Greg.  The most exciting thing is that I'm starting to feel a lot of movement in my tummy! We had an ultrasound done recently and found out that we will be having a baby boy in July!  

Adieu Saipan

I’m terrible at goodbyes.

Amy, what would I have done without you?!

So I’ll keep this short and tell you how you guys were the BEST part of my every day. Thank you for your friendship and the memories. I’ll never forget the laughter and happiness you brought to my life. Here are a couple pictures of my last week in Saipan.

My Saipan Family

My scuba buddy, Harry! Thanks for coming to the airport to see me off.

The SDA Dental Clinic had a farewell party for me. A favorite patient baked me a yummy Apple Coffee Crumb cake!


My daily sunshine at work! I'll miss Mark and Tammy James. Thank you for throwing me a farewell party at your house! I will also miss Aunt Judy and Uncle Dennis for teaching me how to scuba dive. You introduced a whole new world to me and now I'm ADDICTED!

Ken and Crystal gave me a beautiful lei from Chuk! I have had the time of my life and I'm so glad I got to spend it with them. They were my spiritual mentors in Saipan and have encouraged me to follow my passion and dreams. I'll miss you guys!

My good friends, John Dax and Mai. Always there to listen to me Rant about everything! There's Noah squeezing his cute face in the pic.

Lunch at 360 with Angelo. Thanks for the laughs!

If you have ever read the book Eat Pray Love you’ll understand me when I say that living and working in Saipan was my “India” experience. I came to Saipan on a quest for personal and spiritual growth and left with so much more. This journey changed my life. My heart has awakened and my soul is at ease.

This picture pretty much describes my experience in Saipan: A blast!

My beautiful friends.

And now I’m ready to grab life by its two horns. I hope you will continue to enjoy the ride with me. I’ll keep the same blog address but there will be some changes in the next couple of weeks. I’m still trying to come up with a new title. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Scott and Atsuko Eck baked me this yummy choco brownie cake! Thank you!

What’s Bubbles’ next adventure? Scuba diving and searching for Whale Sharks in Belize this June! Greg found this one just recently in Belize. I hope they come out when I get there. Stay tuned Neh !!!=)

Whale Sharkey! Picture taken by Greg Moretti.

True Island Baby

Sweet Max. I just want to squeeze this little guy every time I see him. My good friends, Mike and Gemma, from Guam came to visit me in Saipan.  We took them on a classic island tour.  Max really loved the Bonzai Cliff view.

You know you are a true island baby when you've got a zorrie tan!=)

Happiness is

. . . Flame Tree season in Saipan. I love the brilliant orange hues.























. . . Seeing White Tip Reef Sharks when you dive at Obyan Beach!

















. . . my Sunday morning bike rides from Hyatt to Suicide Cliff with Crystal and Lorrie.














. . . standing on Mark and Tammy's terrace that overlooks their beautiful pool and Lau Lau Bay. Can you imagine coming home after working and having this view to look at everyday!?


















. . . friends who inspire me in so many ways.





















. . . hearing the kids have a big belly laugh at our drama skits. Real Christian is getting ready to perform at the schools in Palau.












. . . Sabbath and picnics at Pau Pau Beach.

Shaking Things Up

Lately I haven't been scuba diving or mtn biking on the weekends. To shake things up a bit I've just been reading and enjoying the sun. Amy and I usually hang out at Pau Pau Beach or the spa on the weekends.

One of my New Year's resolutions was to read more and I'm really happy that I've kept up with it. We started a small book club that meets every 2-3 weeks. At our book review sessions everyone brings something tasty to eat. I always look forward to Vero's Cuban desserts!

This past Saturday night we all huddled in a circle on the floor and reviewed the book Love in the Time of Cholera. The power was out so we had to light candles in the room. Losing power still didn't keep us from having great conversations and a chance to bond over one of our favorite passions - literature.

Meet You Where You're At

As I kneeled on the platform one by one the hands of my friends and family touched my shoulders as my pastor prayed for me. A million things were going through my head during my missionary dedication that took place at the Garden Grove SDA church almost two years ago. I was about to embark on spiritual journey.

One thought was how will my spiritual journey in Saipan change me? I knew that change was inevitable but I wasn't sure exactly how I would change. As silly as this sounds I was scared God was going to turn me into one of those REALLY religious followers. Some people refer to them as the "bible thumpers". I really dreaded that thought. For those of you who really know me, know that I'm more spiritual than religious. I simply just wanted to follow God. And I wanted to dedicate the years that I'd spend here to learn more about Him and to share with others what He has done in my life.

First off, I had this idea that missionaries had unshakable faith. I also thought missionaries always came back home stronger in their faith after serving time in the mission field. I have learned that being a missionary doesn't make you any less susceptible to experiencing weak moments and doubts. There was a point when I even questioned the existence of God and the existence of organized religion.

My spiritual experience in Saipan has been the hardest point in my life. It has challenged me to think about what It is I actually believe not just what I was taught all of my life.

Though I struggle with my spiritual daily walk I know that no matter what phase I am in my walk . . He will always meet me where I am at.

Blogger Meet up

Angelo mentioned another blogger meet up. It will be on April 30 (Wed) at the 360 restaurant at 5pm. I'll be a little late, but I'll be there. So go go go! It'll be my last meet up since I'm leaving in May. Hope to see you there=)

Tuesday Round up

Yes yes, I have been slacking off a bit.

Firstly, I dislike CUC. I'm REALLY irritated with the rolling black outs. It would be nice to have a nice dinner at a nice restaurant and not worry about the power going out. Or it would be nice to play our championship volleyball game without the lights going out in the middle of our last set. Thats right, the lights shut off at Ada Gym during what was suppose to be our last game of the season. We had to reschedule or last game a couple of days later. When the power goes out some schools actually shut down and send their students home. Such a shame that CUC can't get it together.



Well at least our team, the Yoyo's, defeated the Pikan Gaga girls in the next round. Thats right, we sweat like men! We are the champions!! Woo hoo.







Secondly, I have a new crush! j/k Jake Shimabukuro. My favorite song of the night was Let's Dance. He's the most amazing Uke player ever!





He's brilliant! His performance at the Beautify CNMI was absolutely magical. The VIP seating was totally worth it! He's just really passionate about music and I love that he encouraged the youth to follow their dreams. What an inspiration. Also, Gus and Jun, performed some medley's on their Uke's which I adored.


Thirdly, I planned beach vespers at Ladder Beach and beach volleyball night at PIC for the SDA Youth group with the help of Amy, Mai, Judith, Jessica, Rikki, and John.

One of the goals this year was to try and combine the youth at our central church with the newly built Kagman SDA church. The girls from Kagman are sooo shy but I think they are starting to break out of their shell. We were just happy that they were able to make it to our vespers.


Joy played melodies on the guitar while we sang a couple of our favorite praise songs. One of my favorite songs is Grace like Rain. Its kind of the youth version of Amazing grace but a bit more upbeat.


We had yummy veggie haystacks for dinner and just enjoyed each other's company. The sun was starting to set. I paused and enjoyed the view. Before we knew it was dark and the stars covered the entire sky. Some of the kids saw a shooting star and I heard them laugh and wish. . . Wow, it was a beautiful night.


John talked to the kids about making plans and where God fits in. We went around in a circle and talked about our plans. The kagman kids had great dreams. Some wanted to be a teacher, a policeman, or in the military. Some of our kids wanted to be doctors . . . Me? I guess I have goals but I'm not one to make plans. I dont' even know where I will be at the end of this year. I said I wanted to travel for a bit. See more places that I didn't know much about. Thats about it.


After we closed with prayer we toasted marshmellows and made s'mores! The perfect ending to a perfect night.











Fourth . . . Greg crossed the finish line after his grueling 8 day Cape Epic Race in South Africa.

It's probably the hardest mtn bike race in the planet and the mother of all stage races. He averaged on the saddle about 9 and a half hours and sometimes ten hours on his bike every day! So proud of him and his partner Rou! Mtn biking rocks. I gotta find a crazy partner to do this race with me before I turn 35. I've got five years. =) *nudge nudge* Crystal!

A Bittersweet Ending

I've been thinking a lot this past week. Stay or go!? Stay or go?! I'm going crazy. Leaving Saipan is a bittersweet feeling for me. I could stay another year but I'm hesitating. Something doesn't quite feel right. I just think it is time for me to move on.

Maybe I have island fever. I just know that I can't hack it here till Sept. So, my early departure from Saipan will be on the 19th of May since I have to go home anyway for my best friend, Michelle's wedding.

Real Christian Theater performs at the schools in Palau early May for about a week and then I'll work one more week. You know what that means?! I'll spend my last dives of this year in Palau! I'm so excited.

One thing is for sure, I came alive in Saipan. I'll never forget that here is where I learned how to truly forgive and how to trust God.

Riki Turns 21 and Spring Break!

Great things come in small packages and Riki is one of them. We celebrated her 21st birthday over dinner at Spicy Thai.

















We crammed together in the corner at one of the low tables. You're either sitting cross-legged on a pillow or on the bamboo mat . The thick lacy curtain blocks our view of the outside and there are colorful Christmas lights still hanging from the ceiling. I really like it here and they have the best Thai food

In the meantime various plates are being served to us. Lets see, there was Phad Thai, Fried vegetable rice, Tofu Yellow Curry, Spicy Papaya Salad, Mixed Vegetables, and Veggie Egg rolls. All my favorites! Great company and good eats. Life is good.


My how the school year has flown by. Spring break has started and some of the teachers will go to either Australia or the Philippines for a week. I'm going to Guam for the weekend to meet up with my girl friend, Nikki, from California.






In about two months the teachers will be leaving and I will have to say goodbye again=( Riki will be attending Loma Linda University in June for the Masters in Occupational Therapy degree in California. The other girls have all made plans already. Me? My contract ends in September. I feel like I'm floating inbetween dreams right now. Not quite sure where I belong yet but I kind of have an idea.

Well, where ever we end up . . . I'm so thankful that God brought us together here in Saipan. I know I'll always cherish the moments we spent together.

I'm In Love Again

Woo hoo! The Indoor Volleyball league started tonight! I love Scuba diving and Mountain biking . . . but my number one love is indoor volleyball. Our team is called the YoYo's with Gin Gridley as our captain. Mai and I have an awesome team! I felt like I was back in College Varsity again=)

The Ada Gym was packed with volleyball players as well as plenty spectators. I honestly didn't expect that great of a turn out. The roaring crowd, catching air when you are about the spike the ball, and team work are what excites me about this game. I get to play in the league every Tuesday and Thursday nights. Most of our games are at 7 pm. If you're bored come out and support us, Neh!

Sunrise Catchers & Dolphins

There are great rewards in being an early morning riser. One of them is catching a sunrise on Saipan. Funny how you'd think catching a sunrise is relaxing but sometimes racing down Middle Road at 5:30 am to make it in time is stressful! Sunrise usually is around 6 am. My favorite place to catch sunrise so far is Bonzai Cliff in the Northern part of the island. Its about a 15 minute drive from where I live.

It's true that no two sunrises are ever the same. Some of them are electrifying and some just peak through the clouds. Its rainy season and the clouds are out. If you're patient and willing to wait sometimes in the rain to see when the morning sun breaks through the clouds . . . it is a spectacular site. I don't know how anyone can live on this island and not experience a sunrise atleast once a week. If I could, I'd watch it everyday but I'm usually swimming or running that early.

Monday morning Greg and I spotted a pod of atleast 20 Spinner Dolphins making their way across bonzai and towards Bird Island!! How lucky were we. They looked really small but really playful. We were so excited since this was the first time we ever saw dolphins in Saipan! Sorry no pics of the dolphins. They were hard to capture since they blended in with the waves. We also saw two turtles below us just riding the waves.

There is this other spot near bonzai where the fishermen sit above the cliffs and fish. I really love this spot because it gives you a clear view of the sunrise, bonzai cliff, and suicide cliff. You also can dangle your feet while sitting on the cliff ledge which is about 100 ft from the waves crashing below. Such a sweet site.

Excited About

Troung's Yummy Avocado Smoothies! Hurry up and taste one! Apparently there are only 11 avocado's left! You know that it takes awhile to get fruit in from the states or the Philippines. Go go go!




Real Christian Theater Drama is performing at Hopwood School, San Vincente Elementary School, and Kagman School this Friday. Its our first school tour and we are psyched . . . ok, alittle nervous. We are performing nine short skits focusing on the basics like having patience, forgiveness, honesty, real beauty, and the effects of drugs/alcohol. All really good take home messages and definitely NO cheesy skits. I think they'll enjoy our program . . . it beats being in class, eh? The program should last about 30 minutes if things run smoothly. I'm in charge of props/setup and i'm in 3 skits! Eeeek! I'm sure we'll pull it off.




It's a 4 day weekend for me! Woo hoo! My plans? I'm going to rock climb at Suicide Cliff, mtn bike, scuba dive, and finish my book at the Mandi Asian Spa. I hope it doesn't rain. Check out Mai rock climbing this past September. Ohhh, this is going to be sooo much fun!

























Trying to tap more into my Filipina roots=) Tan Holdings will be hosting a free concert by Martin Nievera on November 18 at American Memorial Park. Gary V. and Martin Nievera are two of my favorite Filipino singers. I've seen him perform in California before during a sing-a-like contest. He's just got an amazing voice. Here's a video clip of him and Kyla.






Judith, Jessica, Missy, and me will be backpacking Thailand together from December 21-January 7! I'm looking forward to riding an elephant, diving the hot spots, and wandering in a new country. Christmas and New Years in an exotic place . . . what more can I ask for?



22 people dedicated their lives to Christ at the end of our Kagman Evangelistic Tent Meetings. The Saipan Central Seventh-day Adventist Church held meetings for three weeks with possibly more baptisms to go. You never really know who and how many will show up to meetings like this. Saipan is predominately Catholic. The times that I did go I noticed that the crowd kept growing night after night. Its amazing how God can move and transform a person's heart when they take that leap of faith.








Baptism pics by Mai