The Joys of a New Place

Well I know it has been a few days since I checked in so I thought I better let you know the "natives" have not gotten me and send proof of how hard life is on an island :)

First of all, I think I am settling in well to the orientation here on Saipan.  It will be very different on Rota but at least what I am doing here on Saipan will give me a frame of reference and then I can go from there.  All my direct work colleagues seem very nice and welcoming.  Indeed I suspect they are happy to have another person to commiserate with!  This organization is like many others I am familiar with...............LOTS of politics.  I expect it will be a fun ride (VERY relative term!) for the first few months while I figure out the players and best chess pieces!  In the interim I am sitting back and observing, taking notes..............

I finally met my first fruit bat at the local zoo (see email #1 LOL).  This lovely fellow is about 3 months old and came in with his mother; they were both confiscated from poachers before they could be enjoyed in a "different" way!  He was quite active and adorable, if a bit worried.  I will say handling these fellow is a wee bit different than the smaller ones.........he was not aggressive but REALLY wanted to hang from my shoulder-an awkward thing to attempt and an awkward thing to deflect!  They have quite the grabby "fingers" and are not shy in using them.  Am not sure what they will end up doing with him in the end as he is so young and these guys imprint SO easily onto humans that it is unlikely he would survive in the wild.  I will let you know as I know more :)

Got up to Mount Tapochau which is the highest point of the Mariana's Islands at 474m.............one interesting note that was shared with me today by one of the locals is that if you take into account the Mariana Trench depth as it is the deepest part of the ocean you have the HIGHEST point in the world there at Mt. Tapochau!  Now I have not been able to verify that as a fact in ANY way and so don't say it as gospel, but I'm just sayin' it is possible I have scaled the tallest mountain on the planet! LOL.  I also managed to get out for my very most favorite holiday............Halloween!  Which was a surprise given the 12-15 hour days we have been putting in--no it is not ALL mai-tais and peels grapes on the beach! That is Russ (my direct supervisor) and Molly (the young lady working with me for 6 months).............he is a "delicate flower" and she is a zombie.  I am NOT a bat, but a cat.  I realize it is not creative but it was easy to transport halfway across the world and I wanted to be prepared in case the opportunity came up.  That said, it was a lovely 45 minutes at one of the local hotels and then off to bed for me!

Speaking of which.............off to bed for me!  Will send more soon!