PLEASE VOTE: CAROL SABLAN TAYAMA (KENG) FOR AGAT MAYOR!!!!!

                                                            

   My mom's sister, Auntie Carol, is running for Agat mayor.  Yesterday (Friday), they had their first official motorcade and supposedly the biggest wave they have had so far.  The support, according to my mom and cousin Jenny, was overwhelming, easily topping fifty people with at least twenty-five cars lined up, honking and waving and screaming out my auntie's name in rally of her mayoral journey towards office.  Fifty people may not sound like a lot when compared to what we're used to during gubanatorial election years, but considering the size of Agat, and the variety of candidates vying for the seat of Mayor, fifty people is quite impressive. 
   
   My auntie Carol, the eldest daughter of my grandparents' offspring, has been a recognizable face in the community for as long as I can remember.  A retiree from the Government of Guam, she has served as a teacher, an assistant principal, and finally retired at the position of principal.  After retirement, she felt her need to serve the youth of our village and island was not quite fulfilled, so she returned, this time as a Consulting Resource Teacher (CRT), specializing in children with special needs.  Along with the aforementioned positions she has held, she's also been a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and is the current Vice President of the Christian Mothers Organization.  She has sponsored numerous activities among the youth, including the Agat Cardinals, who participated in the recent youth baseball league.  This woman, I truly believe, is well-capable of holding the position of Mayor in our village.  She is dedicated to serving our community to the best of her capabilities, and I have no doubt in my mind that she will do just that.
  
    The point?  Last night, as I have mentioned, was the biggest wave and motorcade of her campaign so far.  It happened yesterday, the day before the Primary Elections, which is currently being held today, September 3, 2004.  In appreciation of all the support she received, auntie Carol held dinner that same night at her residence, which is right next to my house.  Dinner was served, and for entertainment, a kareoke machine was brought out, to which most of the people participated in.  I did not attend the motorcade or the wave because I had to go into work.  The dinner, however, I would not have missed for the world.  I went down next door to greet everyone, but I did not stay.  I took my food, my drinks, and my candy and went back to my place, where I could eat and relax in the comfort and privacy of my own home.  After I was done eating, I heard some very loud singing, and instantly remembered that there had been a kareoke machine.  I went outside to my patio, which is adjacent to my auntie Carol's garage and the location of the dinner, and had a seat on my ballister to listen to the people sing.  This simple act is what inspired this blog. 

   Kareoking has been a favorite part of the Chamorro culture for as long as I can remember.  My mom went kareoking, my older sister went kareoking, and now that I am old enough, I have found myself in a kareoke bar once or twice--the point is that it is a favorite among the locals of Guam.  As I sat there, listening to them belt out tunes like "My Hear Will Go On" by Celine Dion and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder, I began to think about how our culture is so influential in how one grows up and eventually lead their own lives.  As I gazed down towards the garage, I noticed that almost everyone there had a similar way of how they looked, how they talked, how they dressed, how they laughed.  Even their sense of humor were all reminiscent of each other, and I couldn't help but realize that it's because of the culture that they grew up in.  All of the supporters that were present for the kareoking were among the elderly, 50's and beyond.  They all grew up during pre-technology times, relying on each other and their enviroment to keep them company and entertain them.  This brought a great deal of "togetherness" to the community that they grew up in, something that we, products of Generation X, all but lack.  They know how to have fun with each other, just kareoking and enjoying each other's laughs, and we know how to have fun with XBOX's and Computer games.  They know how to scale a coconut tree and husk and grind the fruit, we know how to select a home page from the internet whenever we get online.  They chew pugua, we're drinking Red Bull.  We're so completely different from our parents, and although I know that it's inevitable beause each generation is different, I sometimes find myself longing for the knowledge and experience that they have.  I sometimes find myself wishing that I grew up in the fifties, where everyone knew everyone by not only their names, but they could've identified where everyone lived and who their parents were.  Nowadays, I can't even remember someone's name two minutes after I meet them.  My parents, and those who have grown up along with them, were blessed in ways that we will never know.  They grew up without the luxury of "convenience," more commonly known as technology.  They grew up the hard way, laying the foundation for the padded roads we, their kids, are now driving on.  I love my generation, and I love how catered to we all are.  I just think that it would've been nice to grow up in their time because it's blatantly evident that their morals and values, although similar, are polor opposites from ours.  We may share the same general values--respect for elders, the "Hafa Adai" spirt, etc.--but we  don't appreciate or understand them the way they do.  We often times think that our parents are so uncool because they aren't with the times.  I say our parents are cool because they aren't with the times.