Category Archives: 2015

The short happy tale of the 42 Americans, Canadians and Germans and the Jamaican on Saipan

October 2015. Well, it’s happened again! Back on Oct 12, the island of Saipan was visited by the Holland America cruise ship, the Statendam, and some of their passengers got treated to a personalized Jamaican on Saipan tour experience! Here are some photos from the day!

In years past, I’ve had singer and entertainer Gus Kaipat, Carolinian elder Lino Olopai, Humanities Council director Scott Russell as special guest guides for my tours!

Unlike any other tour available that day, we could boast that we had Robert Hunter, the director of the CNMI museum, as the special guest guide for our clients! Thanks, Robert!


Picking up vans in the morning.


The Statendam docks!


Entering the port with Statendam in the background


Getting through the chaos in the parking lot

Click here to watch and listen to the welcome at Memorial Park


Touring the Memorial Park grounds


Robert Hunter keeps ’em enthralled at the Carolinian Village Utt


A light moment while spam shopping!


Okay, let’s roll!


Entering the Bomb Magazine at As Lito


Inside the Bomb Magazine

 


We had four vans rolling convoy style around the island!


At Lao Lao Bay golf course

 


Posing with the Ladies of the Statendam!

 


Overlooking the Statendam


Banzai Cliff


Revealing secrets


Driver/Guide Catherine confers with Robert


“I think it’s THAT way!”

 


The Last Command Post


Robert shares some history


My troopers were willing to brave the elements muddy water and all to get inside and experience a bit of history


Inside the Command Post


Bird Island

Of course, there was a whole lot more we shared during the day, but you’ll have to book your own personalized tour to get the full experience!

Special thanks to photographer, Ferdinand Ramos of facebook.com/paradisesaipan, and also to Willy from Fiji, Microl Toyota, Hertz, Kathy Odle, Cathie Slota and to all the guests who made the day special!  To book your own tour, visit www.discoversaipan.com!

Typhoon Soudelor on Saipan

For those of you who are inquiring, I was not on Saipan at the time of Typhoon Soudelor, but thank you for all the inquiries about my safety as well as the well-being of everyone on island. I’ve been in touch with a few people on Saipan, and while the island was, in fact, battered, there have been no reports of any fatalities. Here are some resources to keep up to date:

Video of drive through Beach Road and Middle Road

 

News report about gas lines and essential services:

 

Saipan’s Local Newscasts
https://kspn2.com/archive-v.asp

The Jamaican on Saipan’s top 10 favorite Country music songs!

Admit it! You’re dying to know what I listen to while
I write my books and enjoy life on Saipan, or during airport layovers while I travel! Therefore, I offer to you:

THE JAMAICAN ON SAIPAN’S TOP 10 FAVORITE COUNTRY SONGS
Following a recent conversation with a friend about the music we listened to growing up, I decided to spend a few hours compiling a list. My favorite country music songs are from the 70s and 80s. (Yes, we listened to all types of music in Jamaica!) In my humble opinion, Country artists/writers have great lyrical dexterity, great melodies, great hooks and represent all around great music making!

The following are in no particular order, but if you’d like to know which song I listen to most often, it would probably be Ronnie Milsap’s He Got You (‪#‎3a‬)

Most of these youtube versions I found have the lyrics onscreen for your contemplation. Please take a listen to a few. Even if country’s not your thing, take a little adventure with me and let me know what you think! Thanks!

1. Your Memory by Steve Wariner

2. Middle Aged Crazy by Jerry Lee Lewis

3. He Got You & Any Day Now by Ronnie Milsap

4. Foolhearted Memory by George Strait

5. Highway 40 Blues by Ricky Skaggs

6. I Don’t Need You by Kenny Rogers

7. Luckenbach Texas by Waylon Jennings

8. Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton

9. Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue by Crystal Gayle

10. I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool by Barbara Mandrell and George Jones

If you’re hearing any of these for the first time, I’d love to
get your feedback and which ones stand out to you!

Chinese idol group, SNH48, films video on Saipan

Chinese Idol Group SNH48 films video on Saipan

As I prepare for the next “Jamaican in China” nomadpreneur travel adventure starting with Macau in a few days, I’ll share my most recent “passionpreneur/follow your passion and do what you love/Jamaican on Saipan/saipanpreneur” adventure!

Now it can be told!

Back in January, ZanyBros, Korea’s biggest video production company (known for their work with K-pop artists in the global “Hanryu” Korean Wave pop culture explosion) , contacted me to help them arrange a video shoot on Saipan for Chinese idol group, SNH48, for their latest release. After months of planning and preparation, an advanced team arrived on March 17, the remaining film crew arrived on March 20, and filming took place from Saturday March 21 to Monday March 23. Here are just a few of the 1200 photos documenting the project with me as location manager along with my project partner, Chang Yoon Suk, PR Director of the Korean Association here on Saipan.
(photos by Ferdinand Ramos)

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Meeting Director Kim, Assistant Director Lee, and Producer Nomura at the airport

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Chang, me, Lee, Kim and Nomura scouting locations days before the shoot

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Chang has an idea

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Shooting around the island ( Banzai Cliff) 24 artists, 25 artist support staff, 17 film crew, 5 fifteen-passenger vans, 2 siennas, 2 pickup trucks, Korean-English translator, Korean-Mandarin translator, drivers, equipment, generator….now let the fun begin!

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Doing the location manager thing…

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Internationally famous Carolinian singer, Gus Kaipat, as sound engineer

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Drivers for a day, Mario, Conrad, Kevin, Alejandrof, along with me and Nomura

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Producer Nomura, Chang, Marlin and me

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
On location at the Bird Island trail

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Behind Hyatt Hotel

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Camera on the ground, camera on the crane, camera in the air

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Me and a little more than a quarter of SNH48

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Chillin’ with the local crew

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan

Watching the filming…it’s a great gig if you can get it!

ZanyBros and SNH48 video on saipan
Final shot at the airport with ZanyBros! (photo by one of “Saipan’s Finest!”)

The weather was perfect!
And with our international team consisting of a Chilean overseas marketing producer, Korean film crew, Chinese artists, Japanese producer, along with a uniquely Saipan mix of Chamorro and Filipino drivers, Carolinian sound engineer, vendor owners and hotel managers from Czech Republic, Bangladesh, India, Russia, Korea, Hong Kong and the United States, along with one Jamaican location manager, we pulled it off! Things went smoothly, and all filming was finished in three days! Stay tuned for info on the release of the video and see if you can identify the various filming locations around Saipan!

SPECIAL THANKS TO
Angelina at ZanyBros, Nancy McDowell and Pamela at Hyatt Hotel; Kazu, Martin, Das and Joseph at Fiesta Hotel; Helen, Yukari and Yulia at Aqua Resort; Hafa Adai Hotel; Doug Brennan and Jocelyn Pangelinan at Microl Toyota; Alex and Kit at Hertz; Divine at Islander Car Rental; Ephraim at Thrifty Car Rental; Tati and Shane at the Department of Public Lands; Top Development; Coastal Resources Management; Saipan TV, Noli at Marianas Studio; Domingo at Hanmi Hardware; Gus Kaipat; Cinta Kaipat; Lino Olopai, John Joyner; Joe Hill; Godfather’s Beach Bar; Anna Chang and the staff at Canton Restaurant; Byung Hoon Park at The Grill Hai (Fusion) restaurant; Frank Li at U-Save Car Rental; Darlene and Debra at Joeten Supermarket; Joseph at Island Equipment Rental; Gordon Marciano; Mario, Alex, Conrad, Jude, Kevin, Alejandrof, Gids, Dave, and Joe , Ichi Ban Marine Sports, plus all the security personnel, front desk clerks, and other staff, plus extra special thanks to photographer, Ferdinand Ramos, for capturing it all!

Check out SNH48 at https://www.snh48.com and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNH48

Read more about the idol group phenomenon which started in Japan at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_idol

Check out ZanyBros at https://www.zanybros.com

Read more about business services (location management/logistics) at SaipanBookings Business Services