All posts by jamaicaninchina

"Once upon a time, there was a Jamaican civil engineer living in New York City who hated his job. He followed his passion, started a sideline business publishing his own books, quit his job, escaped the rat race, ran off to a tropical island in the Pacific, and started a tourism business so he could give tours of the island to pretty girls every day! He now lives a nomadpreneur's dream life, while helping others do the same!" This is his story: Read more at : https://www.jamaicanonsaipan.com/

In search of Japanese tunnels on Saipan!

I joined Patrick (of Island Nursery & Landscapes) along with Mel & Justin last week on a fun and informative trek into the mountains of As Falipe, Saipan (as shown on a topographical map given to me by past tour client, Fred Brems)…Well, at least it STARTED as a fun trek….(cue ominous music at the end of the video)

Join the Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/discoversaipan?sub_confirmation=1

 

 

 

Travel Itinerary 2022!

My travel itinerary has been limited over the past two years. However, I have had the opportunity to give history tours of Saipan and Tinian over the past several weeks. Many people aren’t aware that Tinian is the location from which, in 1945, the US’ Enola Gay B-29 bomber took off on its mission to drop an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. (and, from which Bockscar took off to bomb Nagasaki).  So for those interested, here are recaps of current flights from…

Saipan to Tinian:

 

Tinian to Saipan

 

The thing that freed me to roam…

Want to know how I create an untethered lifestyle of money and mobility? Want to know how I generate “location-free” income even when I’m Jamaican in Vietnam? Thailand? Singapore? Laos? and Saipan? Want to know one of the best, zero-cost, zero-barrier-to-entry nomadpreneur strategies around? Well, I’ve got a course for that! See details:

Click HERE

Behind the Scenes: My in-home studio

Things are falling into place! I’ve been meaning to raise the level of
my Youtube game for some time, but always get too excited and distracted by every new book idea that comes to me! Towards the end of last year, however, I decided to really do it this time! So, now, as of January 5, 2022:

The studio is set up:
(green screen; Blue Yeti microphone w/pop filter;
box light; umbrella light, Logitech 920c webcam, Galaxy (used/pre-owned) on a tripod

The software is in place:
• Galaxy camera software for recording video
• Audacity (free) for recording audio
• Openshot (free) for editing, effects & synching

The video elements are ready to drag and drop
•introbrand animated intro ($19.95); CANVA-created thumbnail(free);

I’m establishing my ideal routine
So, as I tweak my operation, it’s getting easier to simply
sit, flip a light switch, camera and Audacity and start
recording.

I get up at about 4:00am ( this gives me two hours before the garbage trucks and traffic and restaurant opening at 6:00am) and record one or more videos. As proof that things are coming together, I recorded my SECOND video in the PassionProfit™ series this morning! Look for the new bold thumbnails at https://www.youtube.com/passionprophet

The whole set up (new additions) cost*
Green screen/lighting kit: $175
Webcam: $72 (it’s only for Zoom calls; not video production)
Blue Yeti microphone: $112
Pop filter: $12 at local electronics store
TOTAL: $371

Check out my NEW Zero Cost Business Operations Manual on sale
for 2022! https://www.waltgoodridge.com/store/product/the-zero-cost-business-operations-manual-checklist/

 

Local author receives CNMI Governor’s Humanities Award(s)!

A few weeks ago, a former workshop attendee and coaching client revealed that she nominated me to be considered for this year’s Governor’s Humanities Award here on Saipan. I thanked her (Thanks, Riza!), but I didn’t really believe I qualified because the period of time under consideration was “during the past 12 months.” While I’ve done some workshops and zoom classes over the past year, many of my potentially qualifying projects took place prior to the pandemic.  In any event, as we often say in JA, “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” so I mentioned that I had recently created a video resumé she could reference if she needed to provide supporting documentation for the nomination.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised days later when the Director of the Humanities Council, Leo Pangelinan, emailed me a congratulatory letter on being selected for the “Humanities Award for Research and Publication in the Humanities, Outstanding Humanities Teacher, and Preservation of CNMI History.”

In preparation for the upcoming event, I ordered a few new shirts through an Amazon vendor (they were all sold out of white, by the way), had them shipped to a friend in NYC who subsequently shipped them to me here on Saipan. (Luckily, they arrived the Wednesday before the event)! I brushed the dust off my one pair of dress shoes and waited for Friday. Comes the day of the event, and I really believed I was going to be called up on stage to accept ONE award with a very long name. Imagine my surprise when I was presented with THREE separate awards at last night’s ceremony! As I told my friend, Cinta Kaipat, not many things surprise me, but THIS did! Many thanks to Leo, the entire board, Andrew (who made sure my name was spelled correctly!) and to Isaac Anderson, my photographer drafted for the night! The clip below is NOT the entire ceremony, just the first awardee, then my friend, Catherine C. Perry, then me. (A Walt-specific press release is available here: https://www.waltgoodridge.com/pressrelease/

…and, in case you’re wondering, masks were worn by most folks throughout the event (I met one lady–who was “in the family way”–who wore two masks!) but were occasionally removed for photo ops!


Emcee for the night: Romolo Orsini


Master navigators perform Phon Chant


Lino Olopai explains the chant’s purpose and meaning


All 5 award recipients with Humanities Board members


Attorney Joe Hill, the first person I met on Saipan back in 2006! I am wearing a mwar, traditional Carolinian (head lei) headwear typically worn for special occasions.


Cinta Kaipat, the fourth person I ever met on Saipan back in 2006!

 


Posing with Ralph Torres, Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands


Award number 1: for Research and Publications in the Humanities


Award number 2: Outstanding Humanities Teacher


Award number 3: Preservation of CNMI History

A Saipan-Specific Video Resumé

Here’s a video resumé of my Saipan-specific books, websites, workshops, school visits, campaigns and adventures from 2006 to the present! If you’ve ever attended or been part of Beautify CNMI, blogger, Friends of the Monument get-together, you might have been captured by the camera! (a sequel to the “What’s It Like Being Jamaican in Saipan” interview!)

 

0:33 Introduction

2:01 SECTION • Saipan-Specific Creations
Walt has written a slew of Saipan-specific books, websites, mobile phone apps and designs for t-shirts and merchandise!

2:06 Books

4:09 Websites

6:03 Apps & Merchandise

7:01 SECTION • Helping Others
Walt has conducted workshops, visited schools, created health groups in an effort to help others

7:05 Workshops

13:49 School visits

14:15 Health&Wellness

15:41 SECTION • Showcasing Saipan to the World
From the Saipanpreneur Project to the “What’s it Like to Be Jamaican on Saipan” interview, walt has showcased the best of Saipan in his Saipan Tribune column, 3rd party documentaries and books, websites, tours and in the media!

15:45 Saipanpreneur Project

16:08 Saipan Documentaries & Books

17:35 Jamaican on Pagan

19:03 Tourism (clients, cruises, vets, authors, researchers, filmmakers)

23:49 Media Appearances

26:37 SECTION • Community Involvement & Activism
Walt has launched crowdfunding campaigns and petitions, co-created a platform for bloggers, volunteered for community movements and launched the first Speech & Essay contest as part of the CNMI’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration.

26:43 Campaigns (GoFundMe, Change.org)

28:02 Community Matters (Bloggers & Tree Huggers)

31:20 MLK Day annual commemoration

36:08 Closing (patience)