Bytemarks
Thanks to Web, Guam is only a couple clicks away
By Burt Lum
Traveling in Guam, I couldn't help but notice how much the United States has influenced this island culture. More than 3,800 miles and 7 1/2 hours by DC-10 from Hawai'i, Tumon Bay on Guam, nicknamed Paradise Island, looks like a cross between Waikiki and Las Vegas. High-rise hotels share the strip with Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, DFS Galleria and fast-food chains. I longed for something different.
One sure bet for a dose of local culture is to find the nearest Chamorro food. Luckily, a friend knew the perfect spot: the Chamorro Village (www.visitguam.org/SHOPPING/chamvillage.html) in Agana is readily accessible for a plate lunch of Guam cuisine. I ordered a "fiesta plate." It consisted of red rice, ribs, chicken and a dish called kelaguen. I was told that kelaguen is vaguely similar to poke in Hawai'i, although you can use raw beef, chicken, shrimp or fish. Its ingredients include lemon, coconut, chili peppers and onions. The acid from the lemon "cooks" the raw meat, resulting in a broke-da-mouth experience.
While I continue to look for a good Chamorro restaurant in Hawai'i, I found an excellent Web site with a wide assortment of Chamorran recipes, including chicken kelaguen (kelaguen mannok). You can find Auntie Charo's recipes at http://charo.guam.net/list.htm?cat=Finatinas. There's even a recipe for red rice, another Chamorro specialty. Once you are done exploring the list of recipes, click on Pago. Auntie Charo's views of life in Guam are both humorous and opinionated.
Another site I enjoyed exploring was www.chamorro.com. This is put together by displaced Chamorros in San Francisco. They provide an extensive list of culture sites from Guam, the Northern Marianas and information about Chamorro transplants around the world. There is also an index of Chamorros if you are searching for long-lost friends and family, and a message board/gathering place for cyber-Chamorros. ;-)
Burt Lum, cyber-citizen and self-anointed tour guide to the Internet frontier, is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.
