Woke up feeling ready to attack the world, in a positive way.  After a really great work out session I had time to shower and watch the sun rise.  It was still raining but as always this beautiful island just gently welcomed me to the new day.  The warm weather is cooled by the ocean breeze as I sat and recalled old memories of former shipmates that at one time sat on my porch in the morning swapping sea stories.  It is a different feeling being the old man now, ushering in a new generation of minemen.

So off to hunt down the University of Guam.  I decided that after the sun was fully up I would grab the camera and hit the roads to find the school.  I had quite some trouble navigating without Siri to tell me where to turn.  Note to self, navigate more on my own back home.  The roads in Guam at times have a third world charm with no signage that makes me nostalgic for my years growing up in South America.  After a few twists, turns, and getting lost once I found the University.

Let me tell you this is a small school with a lot of charm.  Overlooking the ocean on one side of the campus with several buildings built in the 1960’s era architecture.  I drove around the parking lots for a few minutes and headed back to the Fine Arts building.  This is a very small building.  It is about the size of Oak Street Hall studios at UNT, but I can just tell that all these art student know each other and have a very special bond because you couldn’t help but overlap each other.  Like a small artist commune, sharing ideas and exchanging art work, what an amazing fortress of solitude away from the rest of the world these artists must share.

 The cloudy photos are due to rain and humidity, they don’t do the environment the justice it deserves.  The growth is actually on the brick of a high fire gas kiln.  Nature is always ready to take back.

Now we move to the new museum of Guam.  This is a very welcome addition to the island.  A permanent structure that will have rotating exhibits.  It is placed right on the main highway overlooking the old colonial structures on one side and the ocean on the other.  The people working here are very friendly and my tour guide, John, also a teacher during the week, was awesome.  I had my own private tour of the collection as well as a tour of the upstairs that is currently under construction for their permanent collection.  The current exhibit is about the island and it’s people.  I learned so much about the Chamorro people.  I have been coming to this island for almost two decades and I learned more on this trip in two days than all the years put together.  This is really my trip to gain knowledge and get immersed.