Advent and getting ready for Christmas!

#Advent is upon us!

These first few days have been busy ones 

and I am very happy 

that we started it right with Mass and lighting of the first Advent candle of #HOPE.

I also started my nobena for the 

Immaculate Conception November 30 and ends on December 8th, 

the Blessed Mother's Feast day

our island's patron saint feast day,

Santa Marian Kamalen.

Wishing everyone, near and far, manamko and children a blessed Advent season.

HOW TO SAVOR ADVENT

Seek reconciliation.  

Focus on good deeds.

Create and "Advent Chain".  

Participate in a Giving Tree.

Volunteer your time.  

Create your own Jesse tree.

Make homemade gifts for each person 

in your family.

Delicious food and more

The holidays are a time when so much cooking is happening in our families.  Growing up, my mom was one of the main cooks and she loved hosting parties and choosing the menu, and doing 90% of the cooking!  She was amazing.  My 3 sisters and I were the kitchen help.  Taking out, thawing, cutting, sorting, etc.  We grew up with homemade meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

A true description of Chamorro fiestas (c) Gerard Aflague Collection

FINA'DENE, A spicy sauce available at every fiesta table on Guam!

Today, many parents fill multiple roles and families don't get homemade meals as often  If you would like to try making your own meals, check out the sites below.  Everyone can make at least one or 2 dishes themselves!

One of the Chamorro cooking/recipe sites I have enjoyed is Annie's Chamorro Kitchen.

She keeps her site filled with the most common & enjoyed dishes found on any Chamorro family table!  Especially fiestas!

Other sites I use include: (notice I love spicy and flavorful foods)

Food Network

Bobby Flay

Grilling Recipes

Chinese Recipes

Japanese Recipes

Korean Recipes

You can also download apps to your phone for quick references.  Technology has opened so many avenues for information.  Your computer, laptop, smartphone, and tablet.  With a good Internet connection, you can find information on just about anything!

NOTE:  Many people are changing their lifestyles and eating habits going Vegetarian, Vegan, and Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB).  There are many recipes available for every taste and need.

Vegan Recipes

Whole Food, Plant Based Recipes
If you're not sure what this is, it's basically removing all meat, meat byproducts, oil, and dairy products from your meals... AND it's actually not as bad as it may sound for all you meat eaters. LOL

Hafa adai November!

Hafa adai islanders!

November is here... All Souls Day is done and now we get ready for #Thanksgiving; a day filled with love & laughter, homemade meals, and #blessings as we give thanks with a heart filled with #gratitude for our loved ones, family, friends, and every blessing in our lives.

I am thankful for each person who has continued to check in and post here on IslanderView.  Each of you is an awesome individual and I am #grateful for you. 

Please continue to share about family, friends, accomplishments, hardships, funny & inspiring quotes.

I'd also like to remind everyone, posts not suitable for family audience will be deleted.  Let's keep it loving and happy, please!  

#happyblessedbirthday to all of you November babies!

#happyblessedanniversary to all celebrating your wedding anniversaries, too!

Si Yu'os Ma'ase & Thank you. 

MUCH LOVE!

Si, Vera <3

Guam Fiesta Calendar updated 28Nov17

The exact date of each village fiesta is set by the Catholic Church each year.

DECEMER 2017

8- Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Hagatna (Cathedral of Santa Marian Kamalen)

25 - Christmas Day; mass schedule available at each parish

Santa Barbara, Dededo

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Santa Rita

Nino Perdido, Asan

JANUARY 2018

Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, Tumon

Nuestra Señora de la Paz Buen Viaje, Chalan Pago

Nuestra Señora de las Aguas, Mongmong

Our Lady of Purification, Maina

FEBRUARY 2018

Our Lady of Lourdes, Yigo

MARCH 2018

St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Inarajan

APRIL 2018

San Vicente Ferrer, Barrigada

Santa Bernadita, Agafa Gumas

San Dimas, Merizo

MAY 2018

San Isidro, Malojlo

Santa Rita, Santa Rita

JUNE 2018

San Juan Bautista, Ordot

St. Anthony, Tamuning

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Chalan Pago

Immaculate heart of Mary, Toto

JULY 2018

St. Andrew Kim, Dededo

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Agat

Santa Ana, Agat

AUGUST 2018

St. Victor, Tamuning

Assumption of Our Lady, Piti

San Roque, Barrigada

Santa Rosa, Agat

SEPTEMBER 2018

San Ramon, Canada Barrigada

Dulce Nombre de Maria (Sweet Name of Mary), Hagatna

San Miguel, Talofofo

Santa Teresita/Saint Therese of Liseux, Mangilao

OCTOBER 2018

St. Francis of Assisi, Yona

Santa Teresita, Mangilao

St. Jude Thaddeus, Sinajana

Umatac: San Dionisio

NOVEMBER 2018

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Agana Heights

DECEMBER 2018

8- Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Hagatna (Cathedral of Santa Marian Kamalen)

IslanderView Contact Information

Hafa adai,

To contact us at IslanderView, email, text, or comment on social media...we look forward to hearing from you and any informational contributions you would like to make such as islander activities, events, and updates that our audience can benefit from.

Si Yu'os Ma'ase!


Vera Flores Dela Cruz, Publisher
P.O. Box 326724
Hagatna, GU 96932
Text or WhatsApp:  671-864-6187
Email Us!

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Favorite sites AND groups! Updated Dec 1

Hafa adai,

As an advocate of higher education, life long learning, and cultural diversity, I'm sharing these sites in a separate post today so you can find it easily in the future, as needed.

University of Guam GO TRITONS!
I am very happy to have been accepted to the Graduate program to complete my Masters in Education, TESOL!

Capella University
Completing undergraduate degree in business administration with Capella was awesome!  I highly recommend this university mainly because of the faculty and staff.

Guam Department of Education
GDOE is my second family since 2011; awesome team found in my division (C&I).  The support is always there and everyone does great work for schools, teachers and the students!

PIBBAGuam  Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association, Guam


I've been a member of PIBBA Guam since 2013; amazing people in this group who work hard and dedicate so much time to preserving and promoting language and culture.  BIBA PIBBA GUAM!

PIBBA International  Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association, International



PIBBA INTERNATIONAL 2018 Conference will be in Saipan next year.  See you there!!

JOIN PIBBA; Request for membership application here

Apartment Therapy FOR SMALL LIVING SPACES
I receive weekly newsletters from this site that helps me make a home of my rented space.  Love it!

Dr. Matilda N. Rivera, Professional educator, blogger, active officer, member and webmaster of PIBBA International and PIBBA Guam, Guam Poets Club, Micronesia Poets Club, PEC Guam, NABE, UOG SOE Alumni, etc. etc. and a wonderful role model & mentor!

     Just reminded that it was Fred Wootten who introduced me to Dr. Rivera.  Hope to meet him in person one day.  Saina Ma'ase Fred!!

Bloglovin'
A collection of favorite blogs with all kinds of information and resources.  You're sure to find something you love here!

ISLAND GIRL POWER GUAM
Ayuda Foundation and IGP project director, Juanita Blaz have done an amazing job with IGP and the girls they take in.  "Island Girl Power is…A local Prevention Program focusing on offering positive activities & role models for young girls and their families.

Island Girl Power was originally founded in the Spring of 2002 by Ayuda Foundation (a 501C-3 Non-Profit Organization) including Carlotta Leon Guerrero, Shannon Murphy, Mike Cruz, Cindy Hansen, and Ayuda Board Members. The Guam Program was partially modeled after a U.S. National Initiative that began in 1998 and ended in 2003. IGP continued on with the local program to work on addressing our increasingly high rates of Teen Pregnancy, Suicide, Substance and Sexual abuse rates. IGP is not a Government program and is funded by Cooperative Mini Grants from Public Health (Rape Prevention), Corporate Sponsors (DFS, Community First Credit Union, Etc.), Foundation Grants (Pacificare), Donations and Fundraising Projects (rummage sales and car washes)."

VARO GUAM
This important group helps women by advocating not only for all victims of violent crime and trauma, but also to elevate the stature of women and children on our island, those most often victimized by physical and sexual abuse.  VARO provides annual Victim Advocate Intervention Training for victim advocate volunteers and other prevention/education and awareness presentations/training for the community. It is our hope that education and awareness will lessen the need for crisis intervention in future generations.

Thanksgiving 2017 Weekend and we're back!!

HAFA ADAI!

 

IslanderView is back!

First, this is your host Vera Flores Dela Cruz.  I started IslanderView back in 2010 while residing in Sacramento, CA with my hubby, Henry Dean Tydingco Dela Cruz with the goal of connecting all islanders from our beautiful part of the world.  We moved back to Guam in January 2011 and have been here with occasional travel since then.  We are lifetime residents of Guam but have resided in California and Washington state for a few years. In the end, Guam is always home.

I started IslanderView to help bring our islander family together no matter where we reside today.  This includes all of Micronesia!  Guam, Nornthern Mariana Islands [Saipan, Tinian, Rota], Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia [Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae], the Marshall Islands, and our sister families & islands of Hawaii, Samoa, Philippines!

HAFA ADAI!When you visit Guam you can find over 40 different languages!  Amazing!

Learn more About Guam

Learn more about Magnificent Micronesia

As I work to bring back this blog site for all to share, I am thankful for your patronage, friendship, and willingness to help me build IslanderView up to what we can all make it, a place for all.

Si Yu'os Ma'ase, Saina Ma'ase, Thank you for supporting IslanderView with your visits and posts on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter and here at our site!

All images are from Pinterest.com or my own, unless otherwise noted. 

P.S.  Happy Thanksgiving!  I trust everyone had an awesome feast, islander style, with family friends and more!  Blessings to all!