Saipan in the eye of a great person who stayed on Saipan for agreat # of yrs. 70s to 2005 is an old long time. Thank Sir. *********************************************************************************** The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Saipan is one of the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI); part of what was once known as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI). The Trust Territory was created by the United Nations after the end of World War II out of that part of Micronesia that was mandated to the Japanese by the League of Nations. The United States was given strategic trustee rights over the TTPI meaning that it was obligated to develop the islands with self-determination as the goal, but with a recognition that the US had the right to make strategic use of the islands. This ranged from missile testing in the Marshall Islands, to using Saipan as a CIA training ground. By the mid 70s the people of the NMI decided that they wanted a close political association with the United States. They voted to separate from the rest of the Trust Territory and negotiated an agreement, called a Covenant with the United States. The Covenant sets for the terms of the political relationship between the NMI and the US. The CNMI is a self-governing US Territory. Most US Federal laws and programs apply. The CNMI is served by the US Postal Service and uses US currency. The Commonwealth is in charge of its own Customs and Immigration. US Minimum Wage laws do not apply. The Commonwealth is in charge of its own taxation. US Federal taxes are collected and used by the local government, but substantial portions (90% of the tax on income sourced within the CNMI) are rebated to taxpayers. Other inhabited islands in the Commonwealth include Rota and Tinian. The Enola Gay took off from Tinian on its missio to drop the first Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands encompassed most of what is known to Geographers and Anthropologists as Micronesia. It included the following island groups: The Marshalls, Pohnpei (Ponape), Kosrae (Kusai), Chuuk (Truk), Yap, Palau (Belau) and the Northern Marianas. The Marshalls are now known as the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap make up the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau is now the Republic of Belau. (Palau has kept the Westernized spelling of its name for publicity purposes as it tries to develop its tourism industry. The official name, Belau, more closely reflects the traditional pronunciation when said by speakers of English.) The absolute best place for more information on saipan is Saipan DataComs home page. It contain a huge amount of information, including links to other pages, on Saipan. The local government also has a page. Also see Petes Hafa Adai Saipan blog. Aside from the blog there are a number of interesting Saipan and Chamorro culture links. Another Saipan blog which has a list of more Saipan blogs is this one by the Saipan Blogger: The Saipan Blog For current news check out The Saipan Tribune or the Marianas Variety. As noted above, the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) page has a wealth of information on visiting Saipan. Yahoo! now has a separate category for the Northern Mariana Islands, including links to Saipan pages. For some nice pictures taken all around Saipan, check out the Virtual Tour by Uncle Phil. Del Benson is a professional photographer whose web site, Del Benson, contains many beautiful photos of Saipan and elsewhere. For a completely different point of view on Saipan, check out the Saipan Sucks page. This page, by an anonymous author, contains some pointed and often valid criticism of Saipan and the local culture. I dont agree with everything he says and dont endorse the page, but anyone considering coming to Saipan to live or to visit ought to at least read it. For some interesting historical information, see the National Park Services page on American Memorial Park or this page of photos by WWII Vet Donald Bonvallet. Digitals AltaVista search engine has over a hundred thousand Saipan links. Heres the Micronesia Handbook. Finally, if youre planning to relocate to Saipan or make an extended visit, I highly recommend two books by P.F. kluge: A fiction work entitled Biggest Elvis and a non-fiction book called The Edge of Paradise. Kluge is a long-time resident of and visitor to the Western Pacific and has a unique and entertaining way of explaining what life is like in this part of the world. How Americanized is Saipan? The extent to which North American culture has influenced life on Saipan is quite amazing to some people. I suspect that this is largely a marketing triumph and reflects the fact that American media reaches Saipan in a big way: movies, American style radio, popular magazines, etc. Of course, the fact that people themselves move freely and frequently back and forth from Saipan to the States also results in a great amount of cultural transfer, on the surface anyway. American products fill the shops (SPAM and Budweiser are big sellers) and American styles are the rule. What about crime on Saipan? Sadly, crime is becoming an increasing problem on Saipan. My own home was burglarized three times in a three year period. In a six month period in the mid 90s, three drug-related murders were committed within a mile of where I live. Most of this crime is caused by an epidemic of the drug ice (crystal methamphetamine). Crime statistics are available at the Governments Criminal Justice Planning Agency site. Fortunately, crime against persons is rare and Saipan is a pretty comfortable place to live. My own home has been trouble-free for five or six years now. As a tourist or a resident, you will be safe if you follow ordinary, common-sense precautions. How are the schools on Saipan? Sadly, the Commonwealth government doesnt spend much on Education. As a result, schools are poorly maintained and needed construction projects have fallen way behind. There is reported to be a shortage of good materials as well. However, there are a large number of talented and dedicated people working for the Public School System. As a result, the quality of education is highly variable. There are a number of private schools, some parochial. Space is limited and the cost ranges from $200 to $350 a month. My own daughter attends Saipan International School. How is the health care system on Saipan? The primary health care facility on Saipan is the Commonwealth Health Center (CHC). I recently (January 2002) visited CHC to obtain a needed vaccination. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly, courteous and professional treatment I received from each and every staff member. The hospital is equipped and staffed to perform most medical treatment making off-island referral much less necessary than in the past. Visitors and residents alike can have confidence in the treatment they receive at CHC. In addtion, there are a number of private outpatient clinics operating on Saipan, including a branch of the HMO PacifiCare. Can I bring my pet? Pets are OK, with some caveats. Most yards are not fenced. There are packs of boonie dogs roaming all over the entire island. Other cultures sometimes dont look at pets with the same fondness as folks from North America. You will have to put your pet in quarantine for four months. Personally, I have not had great luck with dogs. All have either suddenly disappeared or died. There is a vet on Saipan. So, whats the bottom line? As a tourist destination for North Americans. Saipan doesnt offer much because other places in Asia (Bali, Thailand) are cheaper and somewhat more exotic. For residents of Asia seeking a visa-free tropical vacation, Saipan hits the spot. As a place to live Saipan can be enormously satisfying and incredibly frustrating. When I need to get away I usually head somewhere in Southeast Asia. Heres me enjoying a beer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Your Comments and Questions For more information, to make suggestions, or let me know about dead links, drop me a line. Send Me Email Mike Newman [Free SPEECH RIBBON]
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 21:02:46 +0000
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