Guam- A Tropical Paradise?
91Guam is tropical but definitely not a paradise. Guam is situated in the west pacific about 13 degrees north of the equator. Temperatures are hot and humid year round with temperatures in the 80';s and 90's. Trade winds blow during the dry season and offer some cooling. During the wet season, rain and thunder storms occur frequently and with intensity. They disrupt computers and cell phone service. Typhoons are always a threat. One major one occurs every 8-10 years. Minor ones occur too, as well as earth quakes. Houses are constructed like concrete bunkers to with stand the typhoons. . Windows have shutters.
Military Presence
The military dominates the island with its naval and air bases. Troops deploy from Guam. Security is tight. The military routinely changes civilian flight plans to accommodate its needs for airplanes. The island people, the Chamorro, do not like the military.
Employment
Unemployment on Guam is higher than on the U.S. mainland. Employment comes from three sources: military, tourism and Guam government. All civilian job applications must go through the Department of Administration (DOA) where they are rated for qualifications. There is much favoritism with jobs going to island relatives who are not qualified. The outsider job applicants refer to their job applications as (DOA), dead on arrival when they reach this government agency.
Traffic Congestion
Roads are poorly maintained and congested. Drivers don't follow the Rules of the Road. Accidents involving pedestrians are commonplace. The police fail to enforce traffic rules.
Phone Service
Land line phone service is unreliable. Most residents resort to cell phones. Cell phone service from Guam to the U.S. mainland is questionable at times.
Cost of Living
The cost of living is high because everything has to be imported. Gas, grocery and electricity are particularly high. Shortages occur routinely. People learn to stock up on the basics when they can.
Housing
Housing is cheap. However, this will change when the military moves its forces from Japan to Guam.
Schools
The public school system at all levels is terrible. Teachers are understaffed and underpaid. Teachers teach without the requisite degrees and some of them are hardly older than the students they teach.
Health Care
Except for the military, health care is poor as well. Patients wait a long time for appointments. The island lacks equipment such as MRI machines. Testing is done on the island, but results must be sent to the mainland for analysis.
Animal Control
Dogs roam the streets uncontrolled. If a dog is hit by a car, nothing is done to remove it. Dogs, especially black ones, are a food delicacy among some cultures on the island.
Population
The native people are called Chamorro. Other people make up the population such as Japanese, Korean, Pilipino and Vietnamese. English and Chamorro are the official languages. Guam is a territory of the u.S. It uses U.S. currency and the U.S. postal service. However, if you are going to send a package to Guam from the U.S. you need a customs form.
Tourism and recreation
Tourism is big business in Guam. Guam was once occupied by the Japanese. Japanese World War II bunkers are the biggest attraction. Parts of the island are very beautiful including the beaches and water. Guam boasts many water parks. Many hotels and apartment complexes have swimming pools.
Travel to Guam
Passports are required to travel to Guam from the U.S. Flights typically depart from San Francisco. The first leg of the trip is San Francisco to Hawaii then, Hawaii to Guam. The whole trip takes approximately 14 hours.
Festivals and holidays
Guam celebrates many festivals. Guam is Catholic and celebrates all the saints" days. It celebrates its own independence day. Very little work is done in the month of December because of the Christmas holidays.
If you are an intense, type a personality, stay away from Guam. You will be frustrated all the time. Things get done very slowly there if at all.
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Comments
wow. that's quite eye-opening. i might have an offer to move to Guam and im extremely curious about how daily life goes on there... doesn't sound so good from your description. I'm coming from the Philippines though, where things are pretty much inefficient as well... i was hoping maybe it would have mainland standards when it comes to basic services.
How's the safety issue? is it a safe place, conducive to bringing up children? are there any good pre schools and primary schools? I have a four-year old and im curious how life would be like for her there.
thanks! appreciate your reply
wow. that's quite eye-opening. i might have an offer to move to Guam and im extremely curious about how daily life goes on there... doesn't sound so good from your description. I'm coming from the Philippines though, where things are pretty much inefficient as well... i was hoping maybe it would have mainland standards when it comes to basic services.
How's the safety issue? is it a safe place, conducive to bringing up children? are there any good pre schools and primary schools? I have a four-year old and im curious how life would be like for her there.
thanks! appreciate your reply
I have a friend who lived on Guam for over a year. My hub is based on his experiences there. He has three kids ages, 8, 10 and 13. The kids loved it there. They had fun with water activities. It's the kind of place where kids can be kids longer than on the mainland. They felt safe there. My friend home schooled his kids, so he did not have to deal with the school system directly. The better schools are the private ones or Christian ones. My friend went to Guam looking for work. He was unable to find work there. The Department of Administration promised him a job and then began to stall around about it. If you have a job offer, that's great! Just make sure you get it in writing. My friend is back in California now. He and his family miss Guam. Yes, it is inefficient and lacks some conveniences. It has its good points. The people are friendly. Guam needs help but doesn't want to change. Politics gets in the way of change.It needs qualified employees. Good luck to you.
You have NO idea what the HELL you are talking about! Some are fairly true, But the DOG eating thing is NONSENSE! C'mon! You act like YOU ARE A NATIVE fromt he island! Learn your facts before you say anything about my Island. You say "we" don't like military? I beg to differ. We ARE THANKFUL for the military, in fact, 45-50 percent of the residents belong to the Army National Guard & Air Force and they are Natives.
It's not as bad as you make it seem. You forget that, Guam has many different nationalities and you may mistaken some of them. Speak of ONLY the chamorros and NOT compare us to any of the others that reside there. There are Micronesians, whicjh include, Chuukese, Ponapaie (however you spell it), Yapese, Fhilipinos, white, black, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Keep in MIND, NONE of them have any relation to "Native Chamorros"
Seriously though, Buy a book on the chamorro culture and LEARN the FACTS.
Esta!
WOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH
You shouldn't post your opinions and criticism on a place you've never lived in.
It's not sound and you have no experience, no reason, and no real source to derive an opinion.
And how can you say "Guam needs help but doesn't want to change"? - Do you know people from Guam? People who are involved in politics? Guamanians who are active in their community? Do you know the people who vote, the organizations starting programs to better the island, and even the younger generation of Guam?
Even though you have a friend that lived on Guam there for over a year, that's his experience, not yours, and that's a minimal amount of time to form such strong remarks. Just because he cannot get a job, doesn't mean you can make such generalization about employment on Guam. Your friend's children did not even take part in the education system on Guam, how can he have an opinion on it if he or his children have never experienced it? Even your travel to Guam section is limited like your other "summarizes" of aspects of Guam. I've flown roundtrip to Guam and numerous parts of the mainland, South Pacific, Asia, etc. various times and only once have taken the GUM - HNL - SFO route.
I can go line by line and criticize the things you claim, but ulimately I think it's important to say that like any other place, Guam does not need people who have never been part of its community to publicly post highly skewed and falsely conceived "information" on the internet.
Obviously you have not even come close to describing my home island! Seems to me that you are a pessimist and seem to only see the down side of things. You haven't even taken the opportunity to see the beautiful and busy things to do there. You probably just stayed at home watching the news. Where did you gather your information from? This commentary is apparently a reflection on your character as well as what you are seriously lacking!
If Guam is not a paradise, why do over a million visitors (from all over the world) come to Guam every year (and why do many come back year after year)? Why does your friend and his kids miss Guam? Why did his kids love it there? Why do over 150,000 people (and many others who reside stateside) call Guam home? Why do local residents who have moved stateside or to other countries for schooling or job opportunties or other reasons eventually or almost always return back home to Guam? And why do expatriates, military personnel & their dependents, civil and contract workers, and church missionaries who have lived, worked, been stationed, and served in Guam loved their experiences there and desire to return one day soon to visit or even live there. Every community including those I've lived in or visited for short and long durations of time (in the U.S. including Hawaii and other countries like Thailand, Japan, and Samoa) has its flaws and imperfections. No community including other tropical "paradises" like Costa Rica, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Aruba (where that one girl, Natalie, was kidnapped and killed and the local govt. did little in the beginning to find her body and provide justice and closure to her parents) is perfect. And little tropical imperfect Guam is no exception. But to generalize to the world that "Guam is definitely not a paradise", that the "education system is terrible" (even the educational system in the U.S. and in Utah where I currently reside is not perfect and requires some reform), and that if you are a type a personality to stay away from Guam, and other half truths is flawed, uninformed, and not true (though I do want to thank you for the positive points your friend brought up about the Island which are very true). Try living in Guam for a year regardless of your personality and you'll come to love it as millions of people from all over the world have and who have considered and call Guam "paradise on earth". Show me a true paradise on earth without its little quirks and imperfections in its politics, culture, economy, and people, and I'll eat my words. But Guam with all its imperfections and quirks only adds to its uniqueness, its beauty, and its claim as paradise on earth. It's all how you define or interpret paradise to mean and many have defined Guam as truly as close to paradise as you can get on earth primarily because of its natural, tropical and physical beauty and the beauty, friendliness and goodness of its people (if that isn't paradise, I don't know what is). All are welcome to Guam, where America's day begins and truly a little paradise on earth!
I may be a native of Guam and may be biased, but I have the testimonials of many thousands of friends who have lived or visited Guam who support my bias and who would in a heartbeat call Guam paradise.
p.s. If you ever want to visit, you have an open invitation to our family's beach property on the northern end of the Island. We'll even take you around the Island, take you to Talafofo and Tarzan falls, and throw a bbq for you and your friends.
I lived in Guam for a year when I was a kid (Dad was in the Navy) and I have some very fond memories. Sure, there are some bad things, notably: poor school system, not a terrific infrastructure, brown tree snakes!
But, there are some really cool parts, too. We had a great time assimilating ourselves with locals. They are very nice and really want to include people in their large 'fiestas'. They are very much friends and family oriented, and they love to have a good time.
how can you give a speech talking down a place you have never even seen in real life. you are a duesche bag and should get out of your house. its like saying that everyone in canada and alaska are all eskimos this is not only an uninformed statement but an untrue one so you can suck on ma balls!!
Aneka !
Think this place is only made for Military operations & other lifes very much dizzling n un secure as u mentioned here ..........
Aneka, you have no right to post criticisms of an island you've never lived on!! You make Guam sound primitive and it certainly is not! In today's economic crises, Guam is actually doing better than the states itself! I was born and raised in Guam, however, I currently live in the states. My family still resides in Guam and I call them every day. The communication is NOT questionable. The threats of typhoons are pretty much in most tropical areas.. they're just called differently! Ex: Hurricanes Guam has one of the highest U.S. military deployment rate (most of them are Chamorros themselves), so how can you say the people hate the military? I can argue about your statements for hours but you are not worth my time! So basically, you're a dumbass!! Stupid haole.
I'm sorry but you remind me of the phrase, it is far better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool, than to speak and completely erase all doubts...you have no clue...
Really now Aneka. I just moved off the island after living there for 3 years. We are a military family and were well received by the natives of Guam all around. The culture is rich and traditions are kept alive by the people there. I find your post here quite weak, especially because you write as if you actually visited Guam. In fact, there are some truths to your second hand assessment, you are certainly unqualifed to evaluate a place you've never set foot upon.
To contradict some of your notations, our children attended a Montessori school there which was simply amazing. (Two children, both reading by the age of 3.) We never had a problem with our phone, and in fact, didn't even use cell phones on the island. Yes, there are boonie dogs, but they typically aren't used for food. I could go on, but really, maybe you should visit yourself....eh?
To those of you from Guam who may be reading this, the island is truly beautiful, and complex. Our family hopes to return some day. In the meantime, we cherish our experiences and memories of Guam and its people. Thank you for sharing your island and its incredible culture.
Aneka, consider what you refer to as a 14 hour trip. And don't panic when you're not on the ground by then, it's just your miscalculation again.
Guam, Guam, Guam! Well I've heard it said that the TRUTH hurts! But it hurts more when it's mixed with misinformation. Maybe the person who wrote this tried to research the facts but hasn't any resources along with never having been here. People write about places they have never been to all the time (China, Italy, New York, Jamaica, etc., etc), so people shouldn't be so mad and start calling names (especially ethnic remarks). Don't forget that many, (if not most Americans) think that the people of Guam wear grass skirts on a daily basis.
This Island is beautifull, and luscious (so are the women here)! I just wish there was a better economy, and less government corruption (sounds like the rest of the U.S.A. - because it is)!!!
It's definintly the place to be if you want a tropical paradise vacation and you are want to try something besides Hawii.
As far as the Military issue, well...about half of all the able-bodied young males are either in the Reserves or Active
Duty (more than the main-land U.S.A.), so NO the people of Guam don't HATE the military. But the military men and women start alot of trouble across America in "Military Towns" and often feel a sense of friction at the larger bases. I was in the Marine Corps and stationed at Camp Lejeune North Carolina, the people in the city outside the front gate (Jacksonville) HATE Marines (not really but it feels like it some of the times).
Guam, great place to visit!!!
I thank everyone for their comments. You are right. I should not write unless I have personally visited there. I am leaving the hub as written along with all of yur comments. Let the readers judge for themselves. Maybe some will get curious and visit to see for themselves. I want to visit but don't have a job and can't afford it right now. My boyfriend wants to go bak there. We both need jobs. I am an attorney. He is a computer tech. Does Guam need any attorneys particularly in the Attorney General's Office and the legal aid offices? Somebody make us a job offer and I'll be happy to go there and write the hub with the correct and informed facts. I am also looking for anyh SGI, Lotis Sutra members on Guam.
Ryan Hupfer says:
13 months ago
Awesome Hub, but I would love to see some pics! Can you add some? :)