Hafa Adai! Greetings from Guam. I am roaming outside of the continental U.S, into the middle of the Pacific. I am the new Systems and Network Services Librarian for the University of Guam’s Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library.

I have been on the island for about a month now, and working for the University for about three weeks. It is a bit strange working full-time, five days a week, 8 to 5 or so, since I have been working part-time for the last six years, working only three days a week. It took a while to get use to the daily work schedule, but I am now OK at waking up at 5:30 in the morning :)

I had to take time off to get car insurance and run other errands, so I more planning when I need to handle personal business during the day. I am so glad I took care of all my medical stuff before getting here. Part of the job requirement was to have a physical exam and a TB screen test within 60 days of hire, and I took care of that before leaving Seattle.

My commute is about 7.5 miles long, or 20 minutes. In rush hour, its about 30 minutes. The speed limit is 35 mph but on long stretches on straight pavement, hardly anybody goes the speed limit...they all go about 50! So - its strange driving on the left side of the lane, and getting passed by on the right. The roads are not great - lots of potholes and un-even pavement, so I have to drive carefully.

The weather is *hot* and my temperature gauge says 86 degrees when its about 7 in the morning. The first few days were hard; I had to hide out at the shopping mall a few blocks from the house so I could get cool, and I was taking at least three showers a day, and sometimes I took a fourth one before going to bed. My mom does not have any air conditioning, and so I have a small fan going on all night to help keep me comfortable. Power is expensive on the island;my mom has decided to not get air-conditioning. Besides, being in an airconditioned room or house for a long time makes my nose stuffy.

I had couple of shocks while I was here. I found out that an off-island check takes *16* business days to clear...so for about a month, I was living off my credit cards. I get paid for the first time this Friday...yeah! I missed the first pay period, so this paycheck is a big one!

I got a used car from my friend's brother. He was selling his 2003 Nissan Xterra, v6 engine, and an SUV. It is a gas-guzzler and with gas prices at about $3.50 per gallon, the car is my guilty pleasure. I feel more comfortable driving it than a sedan, since I am high up, and its feels secure. I have seen a few cars run a red light here, so its a safety issue. Besides, I did not like the newer Rav 4's or the CR-V's.

I joined a fitness gym attached to the Hilton Hotel because they have beachfront, and its nice to lounge on the beach after a week of work, and have a nice pool to swim in when it gets dark. I try to go to the gym at least three times a week.

One of the first things I did when I got back on the island was visit my dad's grave. The last time I visited was in 1998, so it has been a while. I also enjoyed some pickled green mangoes that came from my mom's tree.

It is taking a while to adjusted to the slower pace here on Guam, but its fun being with my friends, getting challenged at work, and getting back to island life with my mom.

I finally got news that my household goods from Seattle is on its way here. I have to pay about $15oo for shipping and insurance since I went over my relocation allowance...I guess I packed too many books!