UOG professor publishes poetry book
Dr. Yukiko Inoue-Smith, a professor of educational psychology and research at the University of Guam School of Education, released a new book of poetry entitled “The Inescapable Seasons of Life — Expressing the Modern Soul in an Ancient Poetic Style.” The book, written in a form of Japanese poetry called tanka, is published by JustFiction! Edition.
Inoue-Smith has written four other books of tanka: “The Shape of Love,” “The Wail of Gwaea,” “A Shawl of Mist” and “Do Cats Dream?”
Chamorro language children’s book published by University of Guam Press
Local author Simone Bollinger’s second Chamorro language children’s book, “Un Ha’åni yan Si Ena,” was published by the University of Guam’s Taguini Press and released on May 12.
The hardcover book is illustrated by Jack Lujan Bevacqua and describes a day in the life of Bollinger’s daughter Ena in Chamorro with a pronunciation guide and English translation in the back. The book also features a Chamorro version of the song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” The book is priced at $15.
NMI wins Marine Diving Fair awards
Teteto Beach on Rota was selected as the #1 Reader’s Choice Best Beach for the Marine Diving Fair’s Dive and Travel Awards in Japan, which was held April 6 to April 8.
Saipan, Tinian and Rota combined won 4th place for Reader’s Choice Best Diving Area, Overseas; Blue Palms Dive Service Rota won 2nd place Reader’s Choice Favorite Dive Operator, Overseas; and Megumi Takaku of Blue Palms won 2nd place Reader’s Choice Favorite Dive Guide, Overseas.
MVA brings Korean social media influencer to NMI; holds contest
The Marianas Visitors Authority brought Daedoseogwan, an influential YouTuber and live streamer in Korea, to Saipan and Tinian from May 31 to April 5 to promote the Northern Mariana Islands as a tourist destination.
Daedoseogwan, who has 1.7 million subscribers, was accompanied by musician and honorary Marianas tourism ambassador Jaehoon Lee. Video and photos from the visit will be featured in Lee’s upcoming music video.
The tour was also supported by Aqua Resort Club Saipan and Tinian Ocean View Hotel.
MVA also held a weekly Instagram photo contest throughout the month of May to celebrate Tourism Month on MVA’s official Instagram account with photos representing “My Marianas,” including the hashtags #mymarianas, #themarianas and #tourismmonth2018.
MVA takes China road show to five cities; hosts tourism expo
The Marianas Visitors Authority took its 2018 China Road Show to five cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Xi’an. Saipan has direct flights to all cities on the road show except for Xi’an, where potential for direct flights is being explored.
MVA was joined by major travel industry partners such as Brighten International Travel, Century Tours, New World Travel Agency, Asiana Airlines, Top Development Inc., DFS, Bridge Investment Group, Imperial Pacific International and Impression Tours.
MVA with Pacific Asia Travel Association Micronesia also hosted the Micronesian Pavilion at the 2018 Taipei Tourism Expo which was held from May 4 to May 7. The expo attracted 300,000 visitors and 350 exhibitors.
MVA hosts European dive
media tour
The Marianas Visitors Authority welcomed representatives of 11 European dive media outlets for a tour of Rota and Saipan according to a May 17 release.
The tour was coordinated through the MVA’s representative office in Korea, which also has branches throughout Europe.
Participating media were Nature Plongée, Oceane, Subocea, Spot My Dive, Pongez!, Plongée TV, Sono Tur, Ayisigi Diving & Travel, Absolut Scuba, Reisecenter Federsee and Pacific Travel House.
Hong Kong Airlines honors MVA
Hong Kong Airlines honored Marianas Visitors Authority with the 2017 Best Partners Award during 2018 Hong Kong Airlines Spring Dinner Party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Taipei on March 16.
GVB to hold #instaGuam Fair in Philippines
The Guam Visitor’s Bureau held an #instaGuam Fair in the Philippines to promote Guam as a tourist destination at High Street in Bonifacio Global City from June 1 to June 3.
The theme #instaGuam comes from GVB’s 2018 global marketing campaign that encourages local residents and visitors to create and share their own story-driven content through social media.
Participating GVB members include Discover Guam, Micronesia Mall, PacTours, Bank of Guam, PhilGuam — USA Travel & Tours, Two Lovers Point, Pacific Island Holidays and Pacific Star Resort & Spa and Hafaloha, with more pending.
The Guam Economic Development Authority is also collaborating with GVB to use this event as a trade mission to promote the Made in Guam brand to potential visitors from the Philippines.
GVB partners with award-winning creative agency
Guam Visitors Bureau and award-winning creative agency Beautiful Destinations launched a global social media campaign advertising Guam on May 10 and May 11 on Beautiful Destinations’ Instagram, Facebook and Weibo accounts.
Beautiful Destinations is a social media travel community that spans 15 million people across 180 countries and were voted one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company in 2017.
More photos and video content from Beautiful Destinations will be shared throughout 2018.
Palau and Taiwan postal services partner on environmental stamps
The Palau Post Office and Chunghwa Post Co., Taiwan’s national postal service, have collaborated to introduce ecologically-themed souvenir stamps. The souvenir sheets will have two stamps, one featuring sharks and the other a sea turtle, with backgrounds featuring sea views of the Palau islands and the sea floor off the Taiwan coast. The green sea turtle stamps will cost 93¢ and the shark stamps will cost 43¢. The stamps are scheduled to be released June 26.
Korean and Chinese pop groups film videos in NMI
Korean pop group Momoland filmed the music video for its song “Bboom Bboom” on Saipan from April 27 to May 2. The video is scheduled to be released in June through Japanese pop music channels and social media accompanied by a reality show called “Momoland’s Beautiful Days in Saipan,” which will be released through V App Live, Naver TV, MBC Music and cable broadcasting channels. “Bboom Bboom” was ranked #1 on Korean music charts in April.
Chinese pop group 7Senses, a sub-group of another Chinese pop group called SNH48, filmed the music video for its song “Kiki’s Secret” on Saipan in cooperation with the Marianas Visitors Authority and Century Tours. SNH48 was founded in 2012 and has won awards such as the 2016 Shanghai Influence Awards and 2018 China Top Ten Music Awards.
Guam book wins Independent Publisher Book Award
Guamology Publishing book “A Year on the Island of Guam 1899-1900,” by William Edwin Safford, was awarded a gold medal for the Australia/New Zealand category of Best Regional Non-Fiction at the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards.
The Independent Publisher Book Awards were started in 1996 to recognize independent, university and self-published titles.
Photo by Lara O. Neuman
Nissan Motor Corp. in Guam introduced the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the only 100% electric vehicle on Guam on April 24 at a press demo day. Guam media tested new and upgraded features such as the ProPilot driver assist technology, the first in an affordable mass-produced vehicle; the e-Pedal and Nissan Intelligent Mobility. Leaf owners are able to use the free charging station at the Nissan showroom, where a full charge takes around 30 minutes. The Nissan Leaf is offered in three grade levels: S, SV and SL and pricing starts at $37,210.
History book adds to story of the making of atomic bombs
Much has been written about the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan.
In “Tinian and the Bomb,” author Don A. Farrell re-examines that history from his own and his island’s perspective.
Farrell, an established author of several books on the histories of the Mariana Islands, not only lives on Tinian, but was told about and given access to the Tinian Atomic Bomb Files, which had lain quietly in the U.S. National Archives until his visit.
The book would take Farrell decades to complete — not surprising given the massive amount of already-published literature he read and returned to in preparation for his own manuscript. Farrell provides a source and reading list for those who wish to delve further after reading his book.
He tells the story and reasons for the atomic bomb’s creation by American, British and refugee European scientists.
Though he discusses the question of how many bombs needed to be dropped, Farrell is in little doubt. He also quotes his father, Joseph Patrick Farrell, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and said the bombs saved his life.
As to why the bombs and their innards were assembled on Tinian, Farrell details why initially Guam was the preferred factory site, but Tinian offered the best location were the bombs to be ready in a timely fashion.
Similarly, he shares with the reader why Kyoto was spared when cities in Japan to target were considered.
The size of the book may daunt the casual reader, but its style makes it easy to digest, albeit chapter by chapter. History buffs and history students will find the book’s chronology of events as it moves through time and from location to location of value.
Tinian and its bomb pits still attract tourists, visitors with connections in their own family, and some military tours. Tinian for many years received little attention — though the U.S. military has recently used the island for training exercises. The bomb pits may receive more recognition as the 75th anniversary of the bombing approaches in 2020 and assuming plans proceed to improve Tinian and its airport in preparation for its role as a divert airfield for the planned military buildup in Guam.
This book is an appropriate forerunner to those events, detailing what took place at Tinian and from Tinian.
Farrell’s trip to Washington was supported by a grant from the NMI Humanities Council; the book is published by the University of Guam Press.
“Tinian and the Bomb” retails for $35 and can be found at a variety of book stores in Saipan and Guam, to include the American Memorial Park Visitors Center, the UOG Triton Bookstore and the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center
