today guam celebrates liberation day: 61 years ago, american forces ended japanese occupation of the island during world war 2. the brutality was so great that even i, a non-native guamanian who has never experienced the horror of war, am grateful to all that brought some semblance of normalcy back to the island.
'course, i'm not so sure what i think of the guys who brought the SPAM.
update: found these wonderful photos of chamorro refugees in saipan (a nearby island) in an american encampment after the war. yes, there was SPAM.
Hi Santos,
ReplyDeleteHappy, happy! I still have the can in one of my kitchen cupboards by the way! =)
Congratulations
ReplyDeleteLiberation is good.
But Spam, jeebus, everyone else got chewing gum and nylon stockings.
Reid, it's safer there, let it be.
Hi Ate! Happy Liberation Day! To commemorate the day with you, I opened a tin of Garlic Spam. My mom was surprised what has gotten into me, hehehe!
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember Lola saying about the Americans bringing here was powdered potatoes. Spam and potatoes go well together...
hi reid--is it next to your can of hawaii spam?
ReplyDeletehi anthony--liberation *is* good. i heard the american soldiers also brought over canned corned beef. just for a change, i suppose.
hi karen! have you seen bacon spam? i heard it's a little frightening, even to avid spam lovers. did you ever hear the stories about lolo hiding american soldiers in the old house from the japanese troops? i remember the one weird hidey-hole near the staircase, and the secret room between one of the bedrooms and the dining room, but i wonder if there were more....
Santos,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder about Liberation Day, even though I have been away for such a long time, I still think of Guam as my home. Childhood memories are not easily forgotten or erased. The island housed my family when we ran away from another war.
I also can't forget that I love SPAM, esp. the Guam Slam at Denny's, fried rice or red rice, SPAM or Chorizo, eggs and Hawaiin Punch with extra ice.
I think I saw a tin of Bacon Spam the last time the Hawaiians were here but don't know who got it. Another thing I just remembered is powdered eggs and as a child I was really puzzled how EGGS can be transformed that way!
ReplyDeleteYes, heard the stories from Uncle Pitts and I know that hidey-hole with a lock on both sides, if I remember right. We used to play there a loooonnnggg time ago. In that big house, I suspect there were more. You want me to examine the backyard next time I'm there? Hehehe!
Hi Santos,
ReplyDeleteI actually think the Guam can is on top.
hi gia-gina--i have hazy memories of the encampment in asan back in 1975, but my dad remembers bringing medical supplies down there. i remember having only a few vietnamese playmates when i was growing up, but i know their families were wholeheartedly accepted into the neighbourhood. i hope you had a similarly positive experience.
ReplyDeletedo you want a can of "only-on-guam" spicy spam? it's totally goofy, but i wouldn't mind sending you one :D
hi karen! my mom completely remembers the powdered eggs, but not the potatoes. she also remembered those grey-green rations cans of jam that had a hard candy in the center. was there another floor in that giant house that we don't know about?? i'm thinking there might have been a basement room somewhere...maybe under the chicken coop!
do you want a can of only-on-guam spam??
hey reid--better eat that suckah, we're on the 61st liberal day already :)
Santos, thanks for the offer of spam but i may come home this x-mas and then i can treat him to one of my faves, spam kelaguen!
ReplyDeletehi gia-gina--yay! a trip home! don't forget spam sushi and spam fried rice :)
ReplyDelete