More on the same subject

On the subject of the last post, the part I didn't explain is that it makes living in Guam like being in a children's educational TV program - like living in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood or Reading Rainbow or [whatever they watch nowadays]: "Here's the Supreme Court! Let's go in a meet the Chief Justice! Here's the Law Library, let's ask the Compiler of Laws about his job!" ...

That just doesn't happen in real life, does it? 

...

Living in Guam is also like living in a cartoon: you always have the same sets, over and over; the same characters, over and over (because the producers save money by reusing animation cels). If you're going somewhere, it's going to be one of a very few places. Even if there's a special event, it's going to be at one of those places. Over and over. Every weekend there is a festival somewhere. Every day in the news, you'll find a story featuring the AG or the one of the Assistant AGs - people we know. So, we see the same people in the news that we see in everyday life. The same politicians run for office over and over. 

And everywhere you go, you see the same people over and over. Nick ran into the furniture store owner at the grocery store Sunday evening, after she called us on Sunday morning, about a table we asked her for in her store on Saturday. Yesterday as we drove somewhere Nick mentioned one of his coworkers, and when we got to our destination and parked, the same person was there too. You can't go anywhere without seeing someone from somewhere else. It turns out that we already know a fair number of people who live in our condo complex. The same goes for cars: you always see the same cars in different places. 

The weather, too, makes it like a cartoon: there's no variety. Every day it is the same blue sky and clouds; they might as well be painted up there. We wear the same clothes week after week because it gets no warmer or colder.

There is a soundtrack, too: every shop on the island tunes into the same radio station (they also play it at Nick's work), and it plays the same few songs over and over and over; always the same "hits of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and Today!" It's such a persistent background that people sing along without even realizing it: recently, a store clerk informed me (singing) that it was "a quarter after one and I'm a little drunk and I need you now" ... yesterday at the grocery checkout I found out that the cashier was "dancing with myself." 

People are friendly. Everyone has a story to tell. Grownups are like children here, and children are like adults. Every day, week, and month has the same structure but a different adventure. 

We're learning something important, through all of this; but I'm not sure yet what it is!