Monday, September 29, 2008

Amphitheater progress

The amphitheater at the new park just down from the Casino is taking shape. They have been working on installing all of the metal rebar that gets buried in the concrete, and ties the building together. After putting the rebar in the beam-pockets (that are 3+ feet deep), they then covered the entire roof area with rebar.


You Can see the hatch-work of the rebar covering the roof.


I am assuming that the next step will be to actually pour the concrete over the roof.

Terri was on call this weekend, but it was one of the quietest weekends we have experienced since coming to Tinian--don't know why. Terri is the sole provider on the island this week, as her partner is off to a convention (or something) in Hawaii. Later this month Terri and I will be headed for San Diego for a PA convention, and the NP will have to handle the clinic alone. It is nice to have at least two providers in the clinic so that they can each get a break. I don't know how Dr. Toledo did it--he was the lone provided on the island for almost a year. I assume they brought help from Saipan.

Since we had some free time, we went swimming and up to check on the Bridge Casino. They built a patio off of one of the worker's dorms they have been building. On the way back, riding on our scooters, I was stung by a bee. It was the first time since being on Tinian that I have been stung. The bee hit my neck, and before I could swat it off, I got stung. Fortunately, I am not allergic to bee stings, but it did get red and itches a lot.

I have having a grand war with the ants in the apartment. Over time, we have won the battles with the large ants and flying termites, but we have these tiny ants that can get in the smallest crack or opening, and they don't seem to have any problem with bug spray! I find where they are coming in, spray the ants, and they are killed, and stop coming--for about an hour. Then they start coming again. So...although I am winning every battle, it is clear that I am losing the war! I'm sure we will wake up some morning and find ourselves out on the lawn--the ants will have just carried us out in our sleep and taken over the apartment...

Friday, September 26, 2008

Happy birthday to me

Yesterday was my birthday (#56), so Terri, Ramon and I went to Fleming for dinner at their hibachi grill. Ramon, the great chef, had made me a birthday cake!


Work continues on Broadway at the new median planters. After spending a week or so removing all the long grass that had grown in the planters, brother Cruz here is starting to re-plant grass to fill-in under the bushes. This grass, however, is called Japanese grass--a very short ornamental grass that is low maintenance. Cruz told me that they get the grass from several places around the island, near the beaches.


Soon this major maintenance problem--this long grass has grown back just since last week...


will soon be replaced by this short ornamental grass--once it fills-in!


They have also started what I assume will be a new light pole at the south end of the planters

We were also given a lot of bananas as a gift...now I just have to figure out new dishes to put all the bananas in! Let's see...banana lasagna anyone?

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Terri on Tinian forever?

There is a 'suggestion box' in the medical clinic here on Tinian, and occasionally people place their thoughts about the clinic in the box.

Recently, someone put the following suggestion in the box:

To whom it may concern:
I'm a citizen concern and I would like to place and put Terri here for good here Tinian.
Thank you!! :) 08/23/08

We often hear similar comments from the people of Tinian. They have accepted us into their community, and into their hearts, and Terri and I feel like family. We love living here, and are happy the Lord placed our feet on this path...

Only God knows how long we will actually be here, but we will be here for at least 2 more years, and after that, who knows?

The weather breaks

I was able to walk today with a short break in the relentless rainy weather. I wandered around to see the progress of the construction going on here on Tinian.

Here is a beautiful sidewalk of inlaid stones.


The new Tinian hardware is open, so I went in to check it out. They are still working on stocking the shelves. They have a little wood, some metal roofing, boxes of nails and screws, etc., and lots of odds and ends. There are now two hardware stores on Tinian!

Terri is taking a break at Taga beach during one of our morning walks (we can walk together occasionally, now that she takes a couple of mornings off).





The newest home on Tinian looks ready to move in!

Here are the other new homes, that are beginning to have that 'lived-in' look



This newly finished home is already starting on a new project:


Starting a two-car garage


The new amphitheater continues to be worked on. They continue to tie together all the rebar that will be buried under concrete in the main beams of the structure.

The roads continue to erode away with all the rain


They continue to work on the road through town


Since they are widening the road, they have to take down a few trees...but if they don't hurry, these trees will be fully grown again before they are done!


Tinian does clean-up well after a rain

To my surprise, I found a crew planting new flowering bushes all along Broadway as it goes up the main hill to the airport! I had understood that the brick/planters that they were installing along Broadway was to go all the way up to the airport...perhaps they have changed their minds.



Other crews continue to try to clean-up and finish the new medians that have been built at the bottom of the hill on Broadway


And another crew continues to install the pavers--cutting all the small pieces that 'fill-in' the gap between the full pavers and the planters


It's the rainy season here on Tinian, which means that walking around the island can be tenuous at best...at least if you want to stay dry! It is still amazing how hard it can rain here--cats and dogs does not describe it adequately...perhaps cows and kangaroos? Often it is deafening as the rain hits the buildings and the leaves on the plants and trees that surround us.

Terri has started to 'schedule' patients at the clinic. It was standard procedure for people to just 'show up' at the clinic, and be seen in order of when they arrive. But this often ended up with days that were overbooked and days that were very slow. So, after the Mayor and the Clinic director asked Terri to see if she could arrange to work out a schedule so that the clinic could be open in off-hours (at night and on the weekends), she implemented a new procedure at the clinic where people actually call for appointments. She also adjusted her schedule so that one night a week (Tues.) she goes in to work at 11 am and stays until 7:30 pm. And then she works Saturday morning and takes Monday morning off. So far this has worked well. The appointments has actually helped spread-out the work load so that Terri is booked every day, and yet is not overwhelmed. In addition, people who cannot come to the clinic during the day have the option of coming either Tues night or Sat morning. They may decide to extend the off-hours further, or modify the schedule further, depending on how this works out.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Jack and Jill went up the hill

Terri has a new schedule at work...at least for a while. The hospital is trying to serve the community better by having extended hours. So Terri will be working Tues. nights and Saturday mornings in order to help people who work have better access to medical care. In return, she is taking Monday and Tuesday mornings off. This may be extended, if it works and people like it. Also, Terri has begun taking appointments rather than take-them-as-they-come. This will help 'even out' the schedule so that there are not slow times and times when she is crushed with patients. Anyway, since she has a couple of mornings off, we get to walk together. So this morning we took a walk up the hill (it was her idea...).

The next section of planters along Broadway is completed (although there are still a few 'cut pieces' that need installed).


And some poor man has been assigned to begin weeding the planters... what a job! It is back-breaking work, but he is doing a great job! The planters look beautiful when he is done.


We made it about 2/3 of the way up the hill--not bad for Terri's first try (I only made it about 1/3 of the way my first few times). We made it back before the monsoon rains hit again.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Its the economy, stupid?

The Tinian economy is in a state of flux. It is hard to know if it is getting worse, or beginning to get better. One sees and hears a about a lot of activity going on, especially with the new casinos coming, and even, perhaps, the Marines coming to the island. On the other hand, one also sees businesses closing. For example, the paper had a story that the gas station and store located by the SN-5 is closing (SN-5 is the shipping company on island--almost everything that gets shipped from Saipan to Tinian comes via SN-5). There are also rumors that the Koreans are going to purchase the Dynasty Casino. The casino has been having some rough times, with tourism decreasing. Their staff has been reduced, some restaurants have closed, etc., all in an attempt to cut costs.

The boat they have been working on since we first moved to the island is taking shape. It looks to be another freighter that could be used for shipping freight between islands.


This is what it will look like when done? Perhaps. This is one of SN-5's boats


A group of tourists get ready to go out scuba-diving and/or fishing. There were also a couple of fishermen on the dock catching a few small fish.


The ferry has cut down the number of times it crosses to Saipan. Now there is one voyage a day to Saipan, at 1pm, and one return trip, at 5pm. If you miss the boat, you are out of luck until the next day.


This small store that has sit idle for years is being worked on. Men were removing the old corrugated metal roof, and will install a new metal roof. This could only mean one thing--someone is going to use the building for something--perhaps a new store or restaurant?

The roadwork continues. They have been removing the existing asphalt paving, and then grading the road.


Now it is just a wider, dirt road. It no longer has the large potholes in it, but it does get dirty!


The work on the home? next to Tinian High school continues. which reminds me, school is back in session now.


I discovered another little prayer chapel along the road. Not sure what it is used for. Perhaps on special occasions?


Here is another--possibly. It looks like the other one, but I always thought it was one of the 'bus stops' that had been build around the island...don't know for sure.

All in all life on Tinian doesn't change a lot, or quickly, just slow island life.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Becoming a Tinian-ite (or is it Tinian-tonian?)

Okay, it's Terri, not Kevan. My account got disconnected from the blog, and I can't get it fixed . . .

You know how you figure you've learned a language when you have a dream in the foreign language? . . .

Had a dream last night that I was standing in my house looking out over my yard and the grass was very, very long. I thought, it's time to bush cut!!!!!

Not mow the lawn, but bush cut . . . I've officially gone native.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A walk to the Scenic Overlook

The new barbecue shack across from the Dynasty looks great, but still hasn't opened yet. I'm not sure why...


The construction of the amphitheater at the park down the street from the Dynasty continues at a very slow pace--perhaps due to the rainy season.



Construction across from the Mayor's office, along main street in the village, continues.

New fan palms are being planted along the walkway between the Dynasty casino and the new park.



David Evangelista is the one doing the work. He has received a grant from the US forestry service to plant plants on Tinian. In planning this work, he did a lot of research to make sure to plant the right palms trees in this location: they had to have a small root structure so that they would not eventually break-up the road or walkway; and they needed to grow large enough to act as shade for the walkway. As Terri and I walk along this path to the beach all the time, we can't wait until they grow big enough to give us shade!


I think this is an example of these palms when they get larger.


David also planted these larger palms on the other side of the park.

For some strange reason, I decided to walk up to the Scenic Overlook. It turned out to be a seven mile walk--half of it uphill all the way. When I got to the new casino site I noticed that the grass that had grown head-high, was now cropped down again.


They were installing a new electrical transformer on the pole next to the casino site.


Here is a view of the casino site, all cropped down


And here is the lone bush-cutter, hard at work, completing the job! Take a look at the field... and then take a look at the bush-cutter... wow!


The work on the duplex near where we live has almost stopped, again, perhaps due to the rainy season we are in

Here is another 'election headquarters' on Tinian. During the week they gather here, eat and drink and listen to speeches by various candidates...we know, because they always use loudspeakers; and all Terri and I have to do is open our window to hear the orations! Last night the party lasted from 6pm to about 11pm.


Goat island from the new casino site


At long last, I made it up to the Scenic overlook. But then I still had to get back!


I found this small home next to the scenic overlook. He has the best view on the island!