Tales from Micronesia
© Virginia Marin
- It was in May of 1962 when our plane landed on the
airstrip at Guam's capital city of Agana. As we
disembarked from the aircraft and my shakey legs touched terra firma, we were greeted by smiling faces as at
least a dozen fragrant flower leis were dropped over our heads. (Leis are not only made of flowers. There are
shell, bone, leaf, coral, nut and what-ever-else leis.)
But my main remembrance was the heat and
humidity. I was not prepared for their pleasantly
warm year round temperature of 81 degrees that felt like
98 to 100 degrees! There are no "overseas shots" to
prevent weather-related culture shock.
This would be our home for the next three years! Guam. The largest and southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago which numbers fifteen islands. Guam. Thirty miles long and nine miles wide at it fattest point. Guam. A duty-free port. There are no customs or passport requirements for American citizens, though luggage may be checked for narcotics, alcohol, firearms and plant life.
We were met by my husband's commanding officer and his wife, who drove us to the Anderson Air Force Base where we were to live in military housing. Really quite lovely! My husband, a Naval Officer, was on exchange duty with the Air Force, and I a Navy Nurse Corps Officer were surrounded by Wings - our transition was delightful!
From then until today, Guam has matured into a world class island paradise that offers deep sea fishing, golf, greyhound racing, great shopping, excellent cuisines, gorgeous beaches, and lush forest. It is a cosmopolitan community that embraces a blend of many races.
The earliest known inhabitants of the Marianas Islands were the Chamorros, who migrated there from southeast Asia as early as 2000 B.C. The islands are considered to be their ancestral home, as they claim their very origin from the islands themselves - from the first two beings, Puntan and Fu'una.
Chamorro legends tell of Fu'una who took parts of her dying brother's body to create the world. His eyes became the sun and the moon, his eyebrows the rainbow. The sky was made from his chest and the earth from his back. After the creation, she transformed herself into a rock from which sprung human-kind.
The legends of Micronesia are quite similar to those found in Polynesia, though like Greek and Roman
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