the perfect day in saipan

when i wake up its hardly a challenge to know that i am somewhere truly special. this day is going to be a perfect day in my home island of saipan. to anyone that knows me they know that the first thing on my mind in the morning is FOOD! Before being able to satisfy this aching stomach of mine i first have to get up say good morning to my very lovely mom and my adorable little sister. Together we go to the ideal breakfast location Jay's. For the next 30 minutes my mind solely consists of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and BACON! I am full. I want to nap, but i cannnot i must continue on with my perfect day. i say my sad goodbyes to my little sister as she has to leave to go to her polynesian dance practice. Even though shes only going to be gone for a few hours i still miss her so much. Shes a bright part of my day. all that stuff aside, i get into my fly ride a 2007 Honda fit (thats right) and i head out to cruise the sunny roads. before long some of my friends manage to wake up and give me a call. So off i go headed over to one of the many beach parks for a afternoon session of picking flowers, hanging out and of course little herbal remedies. So tired.. i want to sleep.. no the perfect day must go on. the day is half way through and the sun is beating down on me hard. whats the solution for this you ask? there is only one... lets hit the beach! Typical of an island girl i came swimwear prepared. water so relaxing.. so cool.. .. whats the word for this? ah yeah. Perfect. Im out all dried up and its time for a little work. I am a polynesian dancer so my work day and office is a little out of the ordinary. My day starts as the sun dies, my office is the lit stage. As i dance the traditional dances of the pacific moving to the beats created by my band happiness is not fleeting but right in my hand. Show is over i head home, richer with tips i recieved, to kiss my little sister goodnight and rest my head... so tired... so happy... so satisfied... thanks for sharing what i would consider a perfect day in my island of Saipan

top 25 must do activites when you visit saipan

1. buy some local flip flops, aka, "zories," for if you're not used to humidity, you will sweat like a dog
2. stay at any of these fine, and affordable hotels: hyatt regency, fiesta resort & spa, pacific islands club, world resort, or aquarius beach towers.
3. take a walk a long the west part of saipan, there is where all the white sandy beaches are located
4. go spearfishing, saipan is known for it's plentiful sea life
5. watch a polynesian dinner show at world resort or fiesta resort & spa
6. visit the thursday night street market in the heart of downtown saipan
7. stop by the local farmers market saturday morning at kilili beach
8. take a submarine tour, and enjoy the post world war 2 remains
9. if you are a certified scuba diver, or have the time to, saipan's grotto located on the northwest part of the island is named number three best cave diving spots in the world according to numerous diving publications
10. rent a moped, and cruise through the northern part of the island
11. watch a saipan sunset with a special someone, or a budweiser
12. try chewing the local treat called betelnut, which gives you a high:)
13. visit the outlying island of managaha, entertainment and water activities are all over
14. hike on one of the numerous trails, and witness the amazing scenery
15. find a local party to crash, and taste some local cuisine....yummy
16. gamble gamble gamble
17. visit a massage parlor**
18. enjoy numerous water sports, such as: banana boat riding, wind surfing, boogey boarding, kite surfing, wake boarding, snorkling, jet skiing, and many more
19. get a tan tourist
20. get a tattoo
21. watch a local band, every club for the most part has live entertainment
22. make some friends, and have them show you some sights, chamorro people are very friendly
23. watch a magic show at the sandcastle at the hyatt regency hotel
24. visit mt. tapochao and embrace the entire island
25. oh ya, and since saipan is only fourteen miles long, i dare you to run it! i can't.
    

The Mengloi Sisters

my mother danced during high school, all the way til she was two months preggo with my older sister kimberly. my father had to stop her, for the sake of the baby. they married straight out of high school. after taking a break for twenty two years to raise us, she is dancing once again back home in saipan. my mother is a beautiful and highly skilled polynesian dancer, and there's no doubt that her daughters got their skills from her.

my eldest sister kimberly started dancing when she was ten years old with our aunties hawaiian dance troupe throughout her elementary career. six years later, she auditioned for the most elite professional polynesian dance group directed by a respected and scary samoan man named lewa tasi. she was hired the instant she danced for him, and that's where the legacy of the mengloi sisters at the dai ichi hotel began.

with the help of kimberly dating the main musician, richard santos, lewa's nephew, my little sister britney, thirteen at the time, easily got in. britney has trained with a french polynesian dance troupe, te' kana hao nu'i dancers, since she was seven years old. she got to dance with the big girls, and made the big bucks. that beats my mother paying $200.00 a month for her to train with the tahitian group, and on a good and generous japanese filled audience night, she could easily make that $200.00

now i danced with my sister since i was five years old with our aunties hawaiian dance group, but i took a different turn for a couple of years. i always had a passion for polynesian dancing, just like my mother and my sisters did, but i also had passion for music. from when i was ten to fifteen years old, i dabbled in various instruments that include the guitar, drums, key board, and vocals. soon enough it became more of a hobby to kill time, than a passion to enjoy. it was then that i talked my sister into getting me an audition with lewa tasi. with a little practice, being rusty from taking a break, i was hired as one of the polynesian dancers at the dai ichi hotel when i was sixteen years old. on that stage is where i belong, and i long for a stage here in idaho. but, i'm in idaho, so not only is that stage practically unreal, it's also for the most part unheard of.

five years ago, the latest addition to the mengloi women gang came with the arrival of my little sister mary frances, kika for short. her god mother is the director of the tahitian dance group that trained britney, and of course she was a natural at it. she started to dance when she was barely three years old, and she's still at it as you read.

my mother, my sisters, and i, are known back home as the mengloi sisters throughout the islands entertainment demographic. i think that's pretty damn cool.

enclosed are some clips of my family at our best, hope you enjoy!