Guamology: Clever name…who thought of it?

Chef Sablan: It was definitely a collaborative effort, but I would give more credit to my wife, Marie. Portland has been our “home away from home” since the end of ‘93, and we really love the fresh local food that can be found out here. So when we came up with the name, we knew we wanted to create a place that would combine the food sources of Portland,OR & the Pacific Northwest, with the cooking techniques and flavors of Guam.

Guamology:  I’ve been checking out your Facebook page and your fiesta plates have been selling out. How do the non-Chamorros/Guamanians take to the island flavor?

Chef Sablan: They love it!! One wonderful aspect about the people out here is their willingness to try something new. I’ve even been very strict about making things “pika”. And you know what? They eat it up! One thing I’ve seen a lot is people putting “Sriracha” on their Kelaguen Mannok! I’ve tried it, and its not that bad! But it tells me that I need to add MORE donne’ to the Kelaguen.

Guamology:  Chef Sablan, give us a little insight to your career and how you ended up residing in Portland.

Chef Sablan: Well, the short story…..I followed my girlfriend. Thats how I got to Portland. When I decided I was coming here, I knew I had to find an art school. It was what I was into at the time. Later it was music. Then years later it became food. It is funny though, because the whole time I was pursuing art or music, I had always been in the kitchen(at home). I got my first food-service job in ‘95, and since then have had 2 others before I enrolled in the Western Culinary Institute for Baking and Patisserie in 2003. At the time I had landed a job at a reputable French Bakery, where after about a couple of years, I had been promoted to Production Manager. Then in 2008, I left to focus all efforts in developing PDX671.

Guamology:  What was the deciding factor in starting your own business and how did you decide on a Chamorro food cart in Portland?

Chef Sablan: Well I always felt a need to do my own thing. Whatever it was going to be. It took finding out who I am, what was I good at, and how could I do something that would contribute to society. I found it in food. We’re always making this food at home, hardly anyone has ever tried our food, let alone know anything about Guam’s culture. It gave us pride to not only create a place where all Guamanians out here could taste a piece of home, but also educate the rest of our communities out here. We’re keeping our culinary traditions alive.

Guamology:  Let’s be honest. Your cart has the best aroma, right?

Chef Sablan: What’s really great is when we have customers coming up to us, saying they can smell our barbeque two blocks away! And yes, aside from the smell of pastries from the bakery cart next door, ours does have the best aroma.

Guamology:  With so many Chamorro/Guamanian recipes, was it difficult to narrow down the menu to keep it practical?

Chef Sablan: Extremely difficult! What we went with in the end is a selection of dishes that would entice and inspire our customers into learning more about our culture. Sort of like meeting someone for the first time. As our relationship grows, they’ll learn more about our food as we introduce other dishes.

Guamology:  The whole menu looks deeee-lish! I personally would go for the grilled short ribs. What seems to be the best seller on the PDX671 menu at the moment?

Chef Sablan: Well, unfortunately short ribs is not on the menu yet…..Yet. That choice really came down to the business side of things….costs. But you wouldn’t believe how many people we’ve turned on to Kelaguen Mannok with Flour Titiyas! It’s our best seller!

Guamology:  Is it as fun as it looks in the pics from opening week on the PDX671 Photo Blog? What lessons have you learned from opening week?

Chef Sablan: Discipline. Lots of Discipline. On those days when you wake up and you don’t want to do anything, you have to remind yourself why you’re doing this. You have to remind yourself of the fun you’re supposed to be having doing this. Always remember to have fun. I vividly remember, at the end of our opening night, laying down in bed. I was thinking, “That’s it! We did it! It’s over now, we’re done!” I laughed at myself for that, and thought how everyday now, for at least the next 5 years, I was gonna smell like barbeque.

Guamology:  Where would you like to see PDX671 in three years?

Chef Sablan: In 3 years, I see the business out of debt! I would also like to see our “restaurant” in development. Most likely it’ll be here in Portland.

Guamology:  Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

Chef Sablan: I don’t think there is anyone I can’t thank. Our family and friends have been supportive from the beginning. If it wasn’t for their belief in us, none of this would have been possible.

Guamology:  Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Chef Sablan: If you’re planning on starting your own business, do it! It takes a lot of discipline, and so far its been a lot of fun. Just remember rule #1: Family First. The time you share with your family is worth so much more than making that next dollar.

I couldn’t agree more. For more info, check out their site: www.pdx671.com and on Facebook (keyword: pdx671)

One of the reasons why I haven’t been posting much on Guamology lately is because I’ve been writing a regular weekly column titled “When the Moon Waxes” for the Marianas Variety. It runs every Wednesday right across from Dave Davis’ “The Outsider Perspective” column, which makes the Wednesday issue of Marianas Variety the most schizophrenic issue of the week.

The title of my column comes from the song Dalai Nene, which is the song from which I first heard the word “sumahi” which is my daughter’s name. The first line of the song states that I pilan yanggen sumahi, or when the moon waxes. Often times when I’m driving around with Sumahi, I’ll sing that first line from the song and then make up the subsequent lyrics, often times incorporating dragons, dogs and frogs who do hilarious and ridiculous things which Sumahi knows they aren’t supposed to do.

The column covers anything and everything. Since starting it last month I’ve written about decolonization, art on Guam, Chamorro dancing, nuclear weapons, Native Americans getting their land back, and even last week about puking on Liberation Day and the deep meanings involved with that.

This Wednesday my column will be about my recent trip to Japan where I attended the 2010 World Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, and gave many speeches in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on current events in Guam, especially surrounding the US military buildups here. While at this conference I got to hear so many stories from so many different countries, especially those from places which have been negatively affected by the use, storage or testing of nulcear weapons. My column tells the story of Paul Ahpoy, an elderly man from Fiji who was a sailor in the British Navy, who along with hundreds of other sailors, witnessed numerous nuclear tests in Kiribati. Like all other communities damaged by nuclear weapons, Paul and other veterans were beset by numerous invisible and unknown diseases, which would riddle their body with cancer, make them sterile, and even be passed down to their children.

I’m pasting a preview of my column below for people to check out. If you have any suggestions for future columns, please let me know!

*****************************

“So Our Children May Live in Peace”

We on Guam should all know about the US testing of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands and its deadly and tragic legacy. It is something that this entire region should take seriously, and teach to students of all levels, alongside Columbus sailing blue oceans, Americans and their independence or Chamorros suffering in Manengon waiting for liberation. It is critical because that history of nuclear testing speaks volumes to the relationship Micronesia has to the United States, by making clear this region’s strategic value.

But, one thing that we should always keep in mind is that the Marshall Island weren’t the only place where nuclear weapons were tested in the Pacific. There were US tests in the Aleutians, French tests in French Polynesia and British tests in Kiribati and Australia.

At the 2010 World Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs that I attended last week in Japan, I got the chance to hear the story of Paul Ahpoy who is a member of an association for veterans from Fiji who were adversely affected by the testing at Christmas Island in Kiribati. Paul, who was a sailor in the British Navy and witnessed 7 tests, described a test day as follows: “…we would line up on the beach and were told to obey orders from a loud speaker on poles nearby. With our groups of about 400 servicemen, none of us wore any special protective clothing or monitoring devices.

An airburst weapon would be dropped over the ocean about 12 miles away…, we would follow the drills, sit down, close your eyes, this would be followed by a searing heat flash, then sound waves enough to bust your eardrums. We would be ordered to stand up and turn around to see the huge moonlike object in the sky which then turned into a huge mushroom, blotting out the sun. We would then be yelled at to run for cover as strong winds blew in from the seas and black rain would pour down from the sky.”

A British veteran of those tests, Ken McGinley wrote in his book No Risks Involved, that when the bomb exploded “…there was a flash. At that instant I was able to see straight through my hands. I could see the veins. I could see the blood, I could see all the skin tissue, I could see the bones, and worst of all, I could see the flash itself. It was like looking into a white-hot diamond, a second sun.”

Paul and other sailors were not warned about the radioactive materials they were transporting, nor the dangerous effects of the testing and were in fact being fed fish from the very waters which were being poisoned by the testing. For the past 50 years, these sailors and their families have struggled with unknown, horrible diseases, which have claimed the lives of their children in mysterious shocking ways or made them and their children sterile. It was common for them to kiss their children goodnight and find them dead in the morning having choked to death on their own blood. Paul summed up his own tragedies as follows: “Personally I have had 59 lumps removed from my body. I lost my daughter when she was 3 ½ years old. My son is sterile and I fully understand that I will never have a grandchild. “

Through their organization, the Fiji veterans won the right to sue the British Government for compensation last year. Despite this victory, they recently had to close their office, and as in all cases such as this, the more time passes, the more pass on and the heavier the burden is for those who remain.

Paul concluded his speech by recounting what these veterans were told prior to these tests; namely that what they were doing with these bombs was a great service to humanity so that all their children could live in peace. Prior to the US conducting their testing in the Marshall Islands, they told the people of Bikini a similar thing, that because of the tests their islands, there would be no more wars.

This is why, these tragic stories are so crucial for all of us in the Pacific. These tests were not conducted on the mall in Washington D.C., in Piccadilly Square in London or Les Champs Elysees in Paris. They were conducted in faraway, isolated islands where even if things went horribly wrong, who would really be affected? A few thousand people which as Henry Kissinger noted, no one gives a damn about anyways? Some sea turtles and some coral and coconut trees? In other words, these were places which matter precisely because they do not matter. The lesson here is that while geography is strategically important in today’s globalized world, so is smallness and invisibility.

While Paul was giving his speech, I had a copy of his prepared remarks in front of me. After remembering those words about the great service for humanity those tests meant, he choked up and he quickly ended his speech. I looked down at the text to see what he had left to say. It was just a single sentence, but perhaps the most important one considering his tragic tale. The last line of his speech was: “I now thank you all for sharing with me and hope that our combined efforts to remove forever all nuclear weapons from our planet becomes a reality, so our children may live in peace.”

they disabled the embed, so just click on the link below…

Jump In My Car

Jerry Rice’s Hall of Fame Speech

I have something I have to admit to today. My uniform, the way I dress, is everything. I’m a very honest guy. I made a mistake today. I have a blue and a black sock on today (smiling).

Now, for me to do this speech, I need to borrow a black sock from someone (laughter). Just joking, guys.

Hey, look, thank you, Eddie DeBartolo, for that introduction. Thank you, thank you. I love you fans, especially the greatest fans in pro football, the 49er fans. Thank you, God, for allowing us to travel here safely. This has been such an unbelievable week. To the City of Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, thank you for your hospitality. It has been incredible. To the selection committee, thank you for bestowing this great honor to me.

I had never been on an airplane until I was drafted by the 49ers. And I left Crawford, Mississippi for a long, stomach-churning flight to San Francisco. I was scared to death, but excited at the same time. Scared about surviving the flight, excited like I am now because I knew I was joining a great team that had already won two Super Bowls. And, of course, we went on to win three more.

I was also part of the Oakland Raiders, a team I admired that also went to the Super Bowl.

But standing here today as the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, feeling like a rookie all over again, I can honestly say this is the greatest team I have ever belonged to. I’m truly honored and humbled.

I also feel very fortunate to be part of the 2010 Hall of Fame class. Russ Grimm, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, another 49er Rickey Jackson, and, of course, the NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith. If not for you, Emmitt, and the Dallas Cowboys, there would be three more Super Bowl rings on my fingers (laughter).

Rivalries are great for the NFL, and it’s fitting that the 49ers and Cowboys are represented here today. We definitely made each other better. When I was a kid, I had these embarrassing huge hands that I would hide in my pockets. I was always running, even before I played sports. I ran everywhere. I didn’t even know why. But I guess I was preparing myself for something, destined for something, but I didn’t know what.

In the summertime, holidays, I would work with my father laying bricks for homes and businesses. We started at 5 a.m. and finished after dark. It was hot, hard work. My brothers and I would be the supply chain for bricks, and many times I would be the last link between the bricks and my father. Sometimes I would balance myself on the scaffolding two stories up and catch bricks thrown to me from the ground. There was a certain standard. Even though my job was to make sure that my dad had bricks and everything worked out smoothly, I took pride in it. There were no shortcuts. The concrete had to be laid a certain way. The bricks had to be stacked because any slowdown was money lost. It was a lot of pressure. I didn’t want to let my father down. I was afraid to fail.

I’m here to tell you that the fear of failure is the engine that has driven me throughout my entire life. It flies in the faces of all these sports psychologists who say you have to let go of your fears to be successful and that negative thoughts will diminish performance. But not wanting to disappoint my parents, and later my coaches, teammates and fans, is what pushed me to be successful.

My dad was a hard man. I never saw him cry, and he didn’t say, I love you. But like men of his generation, he expressed it in other ways. He taught us about responsibility at an early age. I miss him and I know he would be very proud of me today. I wish you were here, dad. I love you.

Despite the fear of knowing my mom and dad would whip me good, one day my sophomore year at B.L. Moor High School, I decided to play hooky with a friend. We got caught by the school principal, Mr. Ezell Wickes. He saw how fast I sprinted away from him and realized I could put my speed to better use. So after whacks with a leather strap, he forced me to meet with Charles Davis, our head football coach, who convinced me to come out for the team.

Coach Davis made us run hills after practice, 40 yards up, 40 yards down, a training regimen I kept doing 20 seasons in the NFL. I received a lot of letters from recruiters at big schools like USC, LSU, Mississippi State. But I chose Mississippi Valley State for two reasons: Coach Archie Cooley loved his team to throw the football, and they were the only ones who sent someone to see me play. Coach Cooley is here today. Thank you.

Before Joe Montana or Steve Young, there was Willie Totten, my quarterback at Mississippi State Valley University. We earned the nickname satellite express because the ball was seemingly in orbit. Willie is here today. Thank you.

It was a dream come true to be drafted by the 49ers, and I’m so proud to be part of such a classy organization, with the greatest owner ever, Eddie DeBartolo. The greatest coach of all time, Bill Walsh, and the greatest fans. There will never be another organization like that in the history of sports. To have two guys like that, who were all about winning. Eddie would say, I’ll give you guys everything you want. You’re going to have the best hotels, the best planes to travel on. You’re going to go a day early to the East Coast. All I want is for you to do is win championships. Eddie was like that 12th man. He loved football, loved his players even more, and he wanted to win. And, man, did the 49ers win under Eddie DeBartolo. Five Super Bowls in 12 years.

Every player knew nothing was finer than to be a 49er, and some was willing to take pay cuts to play there. We were the envy of the NFL, the guys they said wore wing tips and carried briefcases because we were a first-class operation and meant business.

Just like he did after every game, Eddie has greeted players like Joe Montana, Steve Young, Fred Dean and me in Canton, Ohio. He deserves to be standing with us as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thank you, Eddie. I love you and your family, your wife Candy, and your daughters.

I miss Bill Walsh every day of my life. I know he’s up there looking down from heaven today smiling. What can I say about the genius, the legend? He was like magic. He would cast a spell on you just being in his presence. You wanted to win for this guy. There was just something about him, and he knew how to get the best out of his football players.

Bill is the reason I played in the NFL. He was like a father to me, someone I could talk to about relationships and business or professional football. I never wanted to let my father down, and I was afraid to let Bill Walsh down. He taught us to be perfect. If you failed to be perfect, then excellence would be within your grasp. He had every gift but length of years.

I love you, Bill, your wife Geri and your family. Jerry Lynn, thank you for joining us here today. I love my teammates and coaches. There are too many of them to mention. I was blessed to play for not one but two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Joe Montana and Steve Young. Joe was the ultimate prankster, put in Tiger balm in jocks and Steve would roll out of bed and come to work with his hair all messed up. Dwight Clark and Freddy Soloman, they were true professionals and took me under their wing. Even though they knew I was there eventually to replace them. To Roger Craig and Raymond Ferris, thank you for helping me take my training regimen to the highest level possible. I wasn’t the most physical or the fastest receiver in the NFL, but they never clocked me on the way to the end zone. The reason nobody caught me from behind is because I ran scared. That old fear of failure again. It’s hard to go into every game with a red X on your chest, and I could feel the hair rise on the back of my neck when people chased me.

People are always surprised how insecure I was. I love it when some commentary would refer to an upstart receiver as the next Jerry Rice. That made me work even harder. It was as if I was saying, You’re going to have to work so hard to get to where I am, and if you can pay that price, you deserve it.

But I was always in search of that perfect game, and I never got it. Even if I caught 10 of 12 passes, or two of three touchdowns in the Super Bowl, I would dwell on the one pass I dropped.

I played for 20 years and I still believe in my heart I could play today. I played that long because I love this game of football. I loved everything about it, especially the fans. The stadium was my stage, and I was there every Sunday to put on a performance for the fans. I hope the players today respect the game, respect the men whose shoulders they are standing on. But most importantly, don’t play for what the game can give them rather than what they can give to the game.

I felt proud every time I put on that uniform. That’s why I’m still humbled to pose for pictures and to sign autographs. I’m a lot like my mom in that respect. If she just met you, she would invite you into her home and cook you dinner. She is the most caring and passionate person I know. I love you, mom.

Thank you to my brothers and my sisters for sharing this moment with me today. To my children, I am so proud of you. You are my life, and I love you with all my heart. I’m so looking forward to seeing you make your mark in this world.

To Jackie, thank you for being the anchor for our family and for supporting me for all these years. In addition, thank you to your family for their support.

To my management team, thank you for all those hats you wear and keeping me together all these years. To the York family and the 49ers organization, thank you for your continued support.

When you play as long as I have, there are a lot of people that have contributed to my journey. I regret that I cannot mention all of you today, but I hope you all know how important you are to me.

To my Dancing With the Stars family, you provided me with a whole new audience to thrill and a new challenge, another venue where I could be judged and triumph over my fear. All I had to do was wear sequins, an afro wig and heels.

Today I feel as if this honor of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was made not just to me but mostly to my work, to my sweat and sacrifice of all those who carried me to the steps of this hallowed ground.

But if I have a single regret about my career standing here today, it’s that I never took the time to enjoy it. I swear to God, this is true because I was always working. Right after the season, whether we won the Super Bowl or not, I would take two weeks off and go right back to training. The doubts, the struggles is who I am, and I wonder if I would have been as successful without them.

A lot of emotion that I kept submerged bubbled to the surface last February when my name was finally called for selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You see all the faces of the people that helped you reach your goal: My mom and dad, brothers and sisters, my family, my coaches, my teammates, the fans. But you also realize that it signals the end of your career.

But I am excited about tomorrow. I’m like the guy who jumps out of a high-rise building and every floor he passes on the way down, he says, So far so good. But this is finally it. There are no more routes to run, no more touchdowns to score, no more records to set. That young boy from Mississippi has finally stopped running.

Let me stand here and catch my breath. Let me inhale it all in one more time.

Thank you. Thank you. You know what, guys, I feel like dancing!

Hello and hafa adai! Inspired Living writes to announce the commencement of the planning and organizing of the 2010 Luna Festival. Last year’s festival in October down at Jeff’s Pirates’ Cove was a smashing success. A celebration of art, music, holistic living, magic & imagination and costume! If you’d like to see more on last year’s celebration, visit our website listing in our heading above.

I’d like to thank all of our sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and of course all of those who attended the 2009 Luna Festival and made it the success that it was. We had over 500 people show up and this year we will expect to double that amount at least!

Inspired Living aims to provide an outlet for the Guam community to come together to celebrate art, music, holistic living, family fun and magic. We hope that you’d love to participate in this year’s fun-filled event, to be held on Saturday, October 23rd from 2-8pm at Jeff’s Pirates’ Cove in Ipan, Talofofo.

Sponsorship Packages:

Gold Sponsor: $1000 Package includes mentions in all radio advertisements as well as live, in-studio mentions, logo listed on all publications, on our website, facebook page and in email updates. Plus: bonus opportunities to display a large banner and/or company products at the entrance of the event, as well as frequent mentions throughout the event.

Silver Sponsor: $500 Package includes mentions in all radio advertisements as well as live, in-studio mentions, logo listed on all publications, on our website, facebook and in email updates, as well as mentions during the event.

Bronze Sponsor: $250 Package includes logo listed on all publications, on our website, facebook, and in email updates, as well as mentions during the event.

Donations and Volunteers:

We are accepting donations of all kinds to be given away as raffle prizes throughout the event, and mentions and thanks will be given throughout the event, as well as on our website. We also need volunteers! If you would like to volunteer, please give us a call or email! We need your support in any way to make this event happen!

All sponsorship funds will go toward marketing and advertising costs, as well as booking entertainment. We sincerely appreciate all that you or your business can do to support the 2010 Luna Festival. We are accepting up to 60 vendors selling or displaying goods or services, as well as ongoing entertainment such as music, magic shows, skits, and dance/martial arts groups.

Attendees are encouraged to come in costume. We will have yoga sessions for all ages, and some fun natural crafts for kids to get involved in. Jingles the clown and other guest appearances are expected. There will be an entrance fee of $5, or $2 if you’re in costume. Jeff’s Pirates’ Cove will be serving food and drinks all day and will be offering discounted gift shop items the day of the event. Help us make this day happen, we need your support!

Thank you and Si Yu’us Ma’ase,

Michelle Pier

More info on the issue of Pagat for military use:

http://weareguahan.com/2010/07/13/jgpo%E2%80%99s-plans-for-pagat/

http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/western-region/pagat.html

http://savepagatvillage.com/

*feature photo from Preservationnation’s Flickr album

Please excuse her forgetting of several verses and her mixing up a couple of the words. Although she does massacre the song, she still wins in terms of pure cuteness.

Below is Sumahi’s version of Fanohge Chamorro. For those interested also I’ve pasted the lyrics below and changed them according to Sumahi’s modifications. The first verse in particular is very intriguing given Sumahi’s edits.

Fanohge Chamoru put i tano’-ta(nota)
Kånta (nanana-na )i ma tunå-ñagi todu (l)i lugåt.

Para i onra, para igloria
Abiba i isla sen parat.
Para i onra, para i gloria
Abiba i isla sen parat.

U todu i tiempo i pas para hita
Yan ginen i langet na bendesion.

Kontra i piligru, na’fansåfo’ ham
Yu’os prutehi i islan Guam.
Kontra i piligru, na’fansåfo’ ham

Yu’os prutehi i islan Guam.

Sumahi does pretty well on the second verse, but not so much on the first. I especially like her touches towards the end, where she gets softer, put more “Whitney Houston” like feeling into her singing and then places objects in her ear and asks you to “look at me,”

To download the song, go here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OUGYLOU0

For more of Sikmind’s music, you can check out these links:

http://www.youtube.com/user/sikmindentertainment

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sikmind