Sep. 15, 2009
Powell River Vs. Guam
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It's been a week of reflecting and thinking about my former home in Canada, Powell River, BC.Partly this is due to a new magazine my mom shared with me. Powell River Living I moved to PR when I was 14. It was in high school that I met my husband, Les. We dated for four years and then got married when I was at the tender age of 19. This didn't thrill my parents as they felt I was too young to get married. And that I should finish my university education. I did attend two years at UVic, majoring in Elementary Education. But it was the early 80's and Canada was in a recession. Money was tight. Jobs were scarce. When it came time to return for my 3rd year of university, the funds just weren't there, despite my efforts to be frugal and save. So instead we returned home to Powell River and set up house there. Soon we began adding children to our family, and our first son, Kevin was born, while living in a cute cottage at Black Point. When Kevin was 8 months old I had the opportunity to go back to school at Malaspina College (now Vancouver Island University, Powell River Campus) for my Early Childhood Education Certificate. For the next few years I worked at various preschools and day cares throughout PR, adding two more children to our family (Adam and Stephanie). Then, in 1995, came the call to move to Guam. What a culture shock that was for me. Here I was, a small town gal, flying half way across the world - by myself! My husband and eldest son had ventured on ahead to assess the lay of the land. Two months later I was told to pack up, sell all we owned and join them in Guam. Upon arrival on Guam one of the first things I noticed was that the local Chamorros (native Guamanians) reminded me so much of the Sliammon Indians. Their looks, stature, skin coloring. It really opened up my eyes to how much alike all human kind is, despite a vast ocean between. Soon more similarities came to me. Living in Guam is really like living in a small town. First there was the isolation factor. Guam is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, reachable only by plane or a very long boat ride. Powell River is isolated too. You cannot drive to Powell River, but must take two ferry boats from Vancouver area up the sunshine coast. So leaving the island of Guam or leaving Powell River takes some planning, money and time. Guam also has that small town feel in the grocery stores and post offices. Eventually you get to know the people behind the counter and it is not uncommon for total strangers to comment about how big your children have grown over the years. It helps that my kids are an anomaly with their pale skin and blonde hair. It makes them more noticeable and people remember them. The same can be said for living in Powell River. I'll never forget receiving a parcel from my mom and the post office lady in PR had written on the outside "Hi Colleen! from Marge." After 14 years on Guam I'm now on first name basis with the post office workers here too. Then there is the ocean. The same Pacific Ocean lies outside my windows. Unfortunately not the same fish. I really miss Salmon. Here we get Mahi Mahi, Tuna, Marlin, and many small "reef" fish that live inside the coral reef. If I want Salmon, I have to buy it at Payless (our local supermarket) for outrageous prices. And the waters of the Pacific Ocean are decidedly warmer on Guam. One of our family traditions is to go swimming on Christmas and New Years Day, not something we could ever do back in Powell River! I think the biggest difference between living in Guam and Powell River is the lack of seasons. I miss having 4 seasons. Here we only have two. Dry and Rainy. And both of those are hot! My poor Guam born children (Cassie and Eric) have never seen a crocus bloom, never seen cherry blossoms, never seen the maple leaves turn color and fall to the ground, nor have they seen snow, which is Eric's biggest regret. Even my other girl, Stephanie, has missed out on these seasons as she was so young when we came here. Only the older boys remember the changing of the seasons. Food is different here too. Guam is heavily influenced by Asia, so we have a lot of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino foods. As well as the local favorites. Everyone eats rice here. Potatoes are not as common for meals. Chicken is a favorite as are beef and pork ribs. Everyone in Powell River is familiar with the beef shish kabobs sold during the Sea Fair. This same food is a local favorite on Guam! These are just some of the things I've noticed. |
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Sep. 19, 2009 - Powell River vs Guam
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Posted by Oct. 7, 2009 - Untitled Comment
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