Quirks

In Saipan, things having to do with official business happen as if on Narnia time. You might make great strides in a short time on a given project, or it might take weeks or even months to make any headway at all. You never really know how things will progress until you're there. A few examples for your reading pleasure:

The basketball court at the school belongs to the city. We use it on a sort of free lease. The paint is terrible looking, so I decided that it should be painted before the Vball home game next week. I went over to the mayors office across he street right next to the sleezy poker game room (zoning codes? nah.. haha). The lady at the desk said she didn't have the ability to give me permission, but she knew who to ask. She disappeared a few minutes later, and said they said to call the dept of parks and rec. She calls them. They said they couldn't give permission but they knew who to ask. She calls the sub-division of P&R that handles the basketball courts. They said they'd call back. So yea. Big day. Oh.. She DID inform me that we would have to provide the paint. haha

A few days ago, we had to go get sand to put under he swing set (it's all kicked away). Mr. Berglund (principal) got in touch with the proper authorities, who said to meet them at 2:00pm so they could let us in to the locked sand area. At 2:00, we showed up, and finding the gate unlocked, figured it was unlocked for us and since we had permission, we went in, got our truckloads of sand and left. At 2:35, we get a call from the sand people saying "We're here, where are you?". Turns out, behind the school, there were FOUR people in a nice new government pickup truck chilling, waiting. Now, I don't know how many people it takes to turn a key, but I feel like tax dollars could be better spent than on four people in a new truck to unlock one gate doing nothing for a half hour hahaha.

Saipan is a land of great contrast. There is no middle ground. There are restaurants that look on the outside like somewhere I would never enter in the states for fear of consuming something reproachable. Then you go inside and everything is sparkling clean and you get a huge plate of delicious food. Or, take for example how the industry and economy of the island has fallen through the floor, deserted buildings everywhere in San Antonio (our town), and yet there is almost no trash to be found on the ground. Just the other day I had to buy gym shorts. After the lady rang up my card the old-ghettofabulous-fashioned way with a piece of carbon paper and everything, she turned and typed something on her easily $1200 laptop. Go figure. Some days, I just have to shake my head. It's a different world here. :)