GUAM | 6 Things You Should Know
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- If you’re planning to visit Guam or are potentially moving to Guam, this video shares about some interesting things and fun facts you should know about the island life. If you want to learn about the basics of Guam like everyday weather, location, people, etc. then you can definitely check out these videos:
Guam | People, Weather, Military, Travel: • GUAM | People, Weather...
Guam | Basic Needs: • GUAM | Basic Needs: Te...
0:00 Hi there!
0:37 Geckos
1:16 Rough roads
2:10 Military bases
3:34 Ma'goddai
5:03 Dating locals
7:57 Weight gain
1. Geckos - You can find geckos almost anywhere on Guam. In fact, it would be odd to visit and not see at least one! They are completely harmless though, even if they can be a little annoying if you see them in your house. The good thing is that they prey on other pests like roaches, ants, and spiders, so as long as I don't see those around, geckos a welcome "annoyance" in my house!
2. Roads - Guam doesn't have the smoothest roads unfortunately. Other than the main route that goes north to south across the whole island, a lot of the side roads are very bumpy, uneven, and sometimes have potholes. So you definitely have to be careful how you drive in certain areas. If you're not cautious then you'll be spending a lot more on tire maintenance!
3. Base access (visitor passes) - The military bases on Guam are definitely more strict than the ones in the states when it comes to letting civilians in. The process of attaining a visitor's pass involves a thorough background check which usually means a longer wait time, sometimes over an hour! It can be tedious but necessary, of course.
4. Babies (ma'goddai) - If you have babies, don't be alarmed if the older Chamoru people insist on touching or pinching them for the sake of "protecting them from spirits." This stems to an old Chamoru belief that some spirits who are attracted to cute babies may try to steal them. So pinching babies and making them fussy or cry would give them an ugly appearance that would then make them unappealing to the spirits. Ma'goddai refers to the strong urge or desire to hug, pinch, or squeeze a baby because they are just so cute. However you should't feel pressured to let your baby be pinched just because of this local belief.
5. Locals dating (or not dating) locals - There is a good number of local people who choose not to date within their culture, purely because there's a chance they may be related to that person. In my experience, when two people were interested in each other, they would have them meet their families pretty early so that the older members of the family could figure out where their family name stems from and know if they are related or not. Better to know early on!
If a non-local was interested in dating a local, the introduction to the family would still happen pretty early just to get an impression of the newcomer. As Guam is very family-oriented, if things worked out well between the couple, that non-local person would be embraced lovingly by the whole family. Most local families are very emotionally invested in their children/nieces/nephews/grandkids and just want to see them in a happy and healthy relationship.
6. Weight gain - Guam has some of the most delicious cuisine and restaurants, so it's natural to want to indulge in whatever you can when you are visiting. It is also a big community-like culture, so you'll find yourself invited to a lot of events that involve bonding over food. Enjoy your time when visiting, but if you are planning to live on Guam for a longer period, then you might want to be careful of how much to indulge in the local food. It does include a lot of fried foods, starch, and heavy meats so if not eaten in moderation, this can take a toll on your health!
This video brought some real memories back. I am Guamanian (dad was in the military). I can tell you for a fact that check pinching is 💯 true. As a kid my godmother would make my cry while pinching my check and hugging me. Weight gain 💯
Haha right? Do you all still live on Guam or did your family move after your dad's orders?
we don’t live on the island. After order my dad never returned to Guam. My mother returned to Guam briefly during the late 80’s to settle with the US govt as they US took our family’s land in Agana to build the military base. My mother and her family were there up to the 60’s
I was stationed in Guam for two months before being transferred to Okinawa, and I love that island! The people are warm and kind, but please don’t over tourism Guam! Keep it family..
I'm so happy you enjoyed your time there! ❤
💙🇬🇺🤙🏽
@@frankiefernandez9225 Hafa Adai! 🇬🇺❤
@@DaniAdams Hafa Adai 💙🤙🏽🇬🇺
I messaged you on FB Messenger with some questions! Enjoying every one of your videos.
Just got back Tuesday😎 Had 3 weeks over there. Fujiichiban👍👍👍 Jeffs also very nice. CrownBakery🐖🐖👍
Yes visitors pass was a hassle😵💫
Oh how awesome! I miss Fuji's yakisoba. So greasy but soooo good! Which base did you go to??
@@DaniAdams navy, love GabGab
So it should be it's an restricted military area
100% agree on the base. It's seems very discriminatory because of how strict it is to get a pass of all things.
So I don't know how true this is, but I heard about an instance a long time ago where someone used his friend's military ID and wore one of his uniforms to get in. He went on a spending spree buying cheaper gas, groceries, etc. So when an employee figured out that he was a civilian and reported him, then of course the bases became more strict with their process of letting visitors in. Sometimes all it takes is for one person to mess it up for everyone else 😓
It should be hard to get in because it's a military base it's a privilege to enter .
Ms. Dani, which base do you think is most hard to access with a visitor? Andersen, NCTAMS, or Big Navy? Just curious., Peace & Hafa Adai !!!!!!
I think Big Navy is harder to get into only because they have more beaches that people like to visit. So that waiting room is always pretty busy 😅 BUT there are so many beautiful beaches off base too!