Spending almost a full day on one airplane was not Beca's idea of a good time. Luckily she was a foodie and the airline meals were superb. Countless movies were at her fingertips – if only she liked movies. The project manager chose to spend her time working crossword puzzles and listening to her music.
When the stimulation finally became too much, she switched off her tunes and left the noise cancellation feature activated on her headphones. She tucked the puzzle book back into her backpack and pulled out a small sketch pad and a small pouch of artists pencils. Her best drawings often came from the depths of silence and contemplations about life's mysteries.
Lightly gripping a light charcoal pencil, Beca found herself sketching the woman who had been trapped in her brain – Posen's redhead friend. While she wasn't sure if the likeness was correct, the drawing looked just like Beca's mind's eye view. After sketching the face and knock 'em dead smile in tones of gray, the project manager reached for pencils with tan and red hues. Smudging the colors together, she made long, loose curls that fell down the woman's back and over the front of her shoulders.
Beca decided to forego any coloration on the clothes as the sketch was only of the woman's torso. But something seemed to be missing. She chewed on the end of pencil until she remembered the captivating eyes – next to the smile, the woman's eyes are what drew her in. Beca closed her eyes and tried her best to recall what she saw. However, her grogginess caused by long flight confused her brain. "Don't redheads normally have green eyes?" She muttered to herself. She dug in her pencil bag for her dark green pencil. She placed the tip on the corner of her drawing and stared for quite some time. She then changed her mind, dropped the dark green pencil back in her bag and drew out another color which satisfied her mind much better.
The layover in Tokyo was relatively short and uneventful. Beca cleared immigration, customs, and rechecked her bag on the last, much shorter, leg of the trip – a direct flight to Guam. Beca did have some time to wander in some of the small shops scattered around her concourse. The people were quite friendly if not overly kind in their attempts to convince her to purchase their goods. She ended up buying some confectioner candy of unknown origin because the samples tasted divine and a box of Japanese tea leaves because she knew tea was Posen's weak spot. Beca was planning to do as much kissing up as possible when she returned to New York City.
All too quickly, Beca's plane was boarded and she was headed towards the tiny island on a three-hour flight. She couldn't help herself but to hum the Gilligan's theme song in her head… three-hour tour – a three-hour tour.
Because this flight originated in Tokyo, once the plane landed in Guam Beca had to again clear immigration and customs to get back onto U.S. soil. She grabbed her checked bag and headed out of the international arrivals area to the meet and greet section of the airport. While she knew what the people she would be working with looked like because of the video calls, Beca was cautious at meeting them face to face. She was a loner by nature and the island culture seemed to be quite outgoing and boisterous. They were serious enough when it came to their jobs, but she was just nervous about the rest of her stay.
A young boy came running up to her, attempting to tug her suitcase from her hand. Beca's eyes widened as she wasn't quite sure how to react. He was a slight young lad, no older than nine and wouldn't be a very good thief on the streets of New York City. A marginally chubby woman quickly came to her bag's rescue as she scolded the lad in what Beca only imagined was the local Chamorro language. A familiar man was not far behind. He waved a sign in the air on which her name was printed and gave a sheepish grin.
"I see my son found you before you saw the sign." He held out his hand. "Kurihi, your local project lead." Beca shook his hand as he motioned to the woman. "This is my wife, Amista, and my youngest, Guafi."
"Nice to finally meet you, sir." Beca was beginning to laugh as Amista still struggled with her son to get him to release the project manager's bag. "It's okay ma'am. He can pull it if he wants." The boy looked up at Beca, his brown eyes shining with excitement.
Amista apologized as the small lad took off at a slow pace with the heavy suitcase. "He doesn't get to interact with many non-islanders but the military people. He's been looking forward to you getting here." After a bit of small talk, Amista began to herd her husband towards the car. "I'm sure she's tired Kurihi. She's been traveling for upwards of a full day."
Soon Beca's bags were loaded and everyone was in the car. Guafi was chattering away with Beca struggling to keep up with his rapid fire questions. His father finally told him to be quiet for the time being that she was coming off of a very long trip. His eyes grew wide as he asked. "How long Miss Beca?"
She looked at her watch. "What time is it here now?" He told her that it was almost one in the afternoon. "Then I left the United States about one in the afternoon Guam time yesterday." This seemed to confuse him and slow down his questions to a reasonable pace.
"Your co-worker Jessica booked you at the Hilton." Kurihi looked in the rearview mirror at Beca for confirmation. "I hope you don't mind but when the team saw this, we decided that the Hilton wasn't how you needed to experience Guam your first trip. Sirena's cousin has a bed and breakfast and had an opening. You can walk out of your bedroom door and right onto the beach. You are going to love it. Plus, with the friends and family rate, it's about half the cost of the Hilton."
The small family of three talked incessantly. As polite as Beca was trying to be, her mind kept zoning out as she struggled to stay awake. The next she realized, she woke up curled up in the center of a huge bed in what she assumed was her lodging for the week. She vaguely recalled stumbling up the steps to a small cottage and collapsing on the bed. She sat up and swung her legs off the edge of the bed, spying her suitcase and backpack with a note laying on top.
Once you wake up, find the host; her name is Hanomtano but she goes by Hano. She'll show you around your lodgings. Here is the agenda for the week. We are hosting dinner at our house at 6. Hano will bring you since she's coming anyway. See you then. Kurihi
Beca pulled back the heavy curtain which was drawn over the sliding glass door. She was immediately in shock that the beach was literally at her doorstep. There was a small wooden porch with steps leading directly onto the sand. Less than fifty yards away was the ocean. She took a deep breath in and let the salty air seep into her lungs.
Forgetting about her plans to take a shower, Beca retreated back into her hut and immediately changed into a pair of swim trunks and a tight UnderArmor shirt she used beneath her wet suit when she would go scuba diving. Slipping on a pair of water shoes, she immediately headed out to the beckoning surf, allowing the crashing waves to wash away her tiredness and the filth from traveling for twenty-four hours.
She hadn't been relaxing long before she noticed a woman coming from the house in which she was staying. The woman was carrying a tray and a towel. Beca swam back to the shore, shook off the best she could and approached the woman.
"Beca, I presume?" The dripping swimmer nodded. The woman's smile was warm and welcoming. "I'm Hano. I see you found your way to my personal bath." Beca chuckled and nodded. She took the towel offered by her hostess and began to dry off.
"I woke up to this beautiful sight and couldn't resist." Beca was grinning.
"It's quite a journey to get to our island, but you do get an amazing reward once you arrive. I brought you a quick snack because I'm sure you are famished. But we need to leave in about half an hour to make it to dinner. Wear something island-casual."
The project manager was on-edge knowing she'd have to meet her entire team at a dinner function. As she and Hano drove up, considerably more people were there than Beca expected. Shock must have shown on her face as Hano told her that was a family gathering with spouses and children included. Beca immediately relaxed as she realized that she was not going to be put on the spot.
Hano found Kurihi and turned Beca over to the project's local lead. He gave her a brief tour of his house and the grounds, encouraging her to pick up a drink make from local fruits. Guafi quickly found his father and his new friend. He insisted on staying glued to Beca's side as a secondary host. When Beca ruffled his hair, he looked up at her with his huge brown eyes and grinned.
A tall, lanky man approached with his hand out-stretched. "I'm Tasi, lead for procurement and installation. Glad to have you on our island." He reached down and swooped up the young boy. "And this is my nephew."
"So you are Kurihi's brother?" Beca knew the team's names and faces relatively well; now she had to concentrate on getting the relationships down. Tasi nodded. "Your team has been moving quickly on the contracts with the panels."
Tasi frowned. "Yeah, well the vendor is a prick. BUT no work talk tonight. We all have full reports to give in the morning. And then tomorrow afternoon is team-building." His eyes sparkled.
Before Beca could question him about the team-building exercise, he turned, threw his nephew over his shoulder, and trotted off with his nephew playfully screaming and flailing against his uncle's back. So she continued to wander around watching people. Plates of food were beginning to appear in the hands of many people. She spotted the food line and went to find the end.
Amista quickly found her and hooked her arm through Beca's elbow and guided her to the front of the line. "Guests don't wait in line. And you, my dear, are the guest of honor here." She handed Beca a huge plate and walked her through the line and explained each food to her, encouraging her to take as much as she wanted. When food was mounded on her plate, practically falling off the edges, Armista walked Beca to a table and let her know the team would be joining her shortly.
Not much time had passed before all of the team leads had filled their plates and were sitting with Beca. When Sirena, the team lead for Grants and Sales, introduced herself, Beca immediately expressed her thanks for the accommodations with her cousin.
After looking over the schedule earlier, Beca had realized that she was paired with a team member almost every evening after work. "I appreciate the tentative schedule Kurihi. There are some things I'd like to do while I'm here, so I don't want you guys to feel as though you have to baby sit me the entire time."
Amista patted her on the hand. "This is our way Attau. You will find plenty of time for yourself, but this is our way."
Unsure of how to response, Beca tried a more direct question. "I can accept that. So what are we doing tomorrow? This team building exercise?" She tried to inject as much excitement into her voice as possible when in reality, these types of activities were the bane of her existence.
"Ahhh Attau. The look on your face tells many a tale." Tasi threw his head back in laughter. "Trust us. You will enjoy it." The entire team nodded in agreement.
"Attau? Why do you keep calling me that?"
Sirena looked at her team mates in a scolding fashion. "It's the Chamorro word for she who hides herself. They mean nothing by it. You will become a maiana or flower soon enough."
Eventually Hano found Beca and they made their way back to the bed and breakfast. "Tasi will pick you up at 7:45 to head into the office. I can cook breakfast ready any time after 7:00."
"Oh you don't have to cook Hano. I normally just grab some coffee." Beca definitely was not used to this level of hospitality.
"For tomorrow, I must insist. Your body needs fuel for many reasons. Oh, and I'm told for you to bring a bag with clothes suitable for water. There will not be time to return before you go to your afternoon activity. They did not give me any more details. There are small bags suitable for this purpose in the front closet. They are also water resistant so you can use them for your wet clothes after your team building exercise."
Beca agreed and headed to her room. She left her sliding glass door open and just pulled the screen door over the opening. As she sat on her bed, she could see the ocean and hear the pounding waves. Through her weekly conference calls, she knew the team here was good. But tonight made her realize how bonded they were and just how quickly they accepted her as a part of the Guam family. She somehow felt her New York gifts were going to pale in comparison to the experiences they were going to share with her.
Curious as to what the team building activity was for the next afternoon, she packed her small bag. She also made sure all of her New York City gifts were in another tote. Jessica had purchased a variety of cheesy Big Apple gifts for grab bag gift to include a "I Heart New York" t-shirt, a Big Apple snow globe, a light up Statue of Liberty, and a toy New York taxi. Beca knew they weren't much, but maybe she could play it off with her "Attau" persona.
The next morning came early as mornings normally do for Beca. However, because of the time change and the nap she took the day before, she seemed to be adjusted to the extreme time difference. Sleeping with the screen open so the sounds of the ocean could lull her to sleep also went a bit in ensuring a good night's rest.
Hano had a variety of local fruit ready for Beca along with a steaming cup of locally grown coffee. While the project manager woke up, Hano fried some eggs and bacon for a heartier breakfast.
"Woah." Beca stared down at her coffee. "What is this?" She quickly downed the cup and poured herself another.
"I believe you call it coffee." Hano laughed. She knew what Beca was asking but couldn't resist teasing. Beca glared at her. "It's locally grown."
"I definitely need some of this to take home. Do you know if it's available in the states?"
"Actually our coffee is not exported. Most families grow it at their house, but overall the island doesn't have the capacity for mass production."
"So I can't take any home." Beca's voice was as sad as the look on her face.
"I didn't say that. We have a handful of companies that you can tour to see the full process. You can purchase roasted beans there. As well Armista would probably be tickled if she could give you some from her house. She likes you." Beca made a mental note to put a bug in Kurihi's ear for his wife.
The morning was spent with each team providing an update on where things stood with their portion of the project. There were two main teams, each with two persons. The second person played a minor role in the project, but Beca was a firm believer that good ideas did not form in a vacuum.
Sirena was in charge of Grants and Sales. She and her partner had identified the first round of possible recipients. "The Open Records Act allowed us to pull records of families receiving government assistance in the form of food stamps. The details were not kept on file; we just needed a starting place to find low income families to talk to." Based on the initial contracts she had drawn up, the grants for which she had applied had tentatively funded the first round of solar panels.
Next up was Tasi who was over Procurement and Installation. Beca could tell he was quite anxious. The look on his brother's face let her know this probably wasn't typical for Tasi. He ran his fingers through his long hair. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I suppose if you have spent any time around me, you know I despise the vendor we are thinking about going with. He's arrogant, condescending, and honestly – I don't trust him." Tasi went on to explain how the vendor avoided giving direct answers and pinning him down on contracts was difficult.
"Last week, he alluded to a much shorter discount period than we had originally discussed. He's also insisting on using his own installation team. And he talks to me like I'm an imbecile. I don't think he knows I have a degree in Energy Conservation." Beca's eyebrows shot up. Even she didn't realize this but understood this why the man was so efficient in his work.
Tasi went further to explain that he and his partner had not brought their concerns to the team until they had a solution to propose. Tasi had located a smaller start-up company who more than willing to work with the island project. "Their prices are better. The vendor will commit to the long-term discounts until we move into the military phase. AND he wants to use local labor for installation."
Discussion on the team reports was tabled until the next day to give everyone time to absorb and consider what they learned. Two things on the agenda for the next day were requirements for the first round grant recipients and installation concerns brought up by the same. Beca was pleased with the progress and impressed with their work. Kurihi could not have put together a better team.
A light lunch was brought in, and Beca let team member pick out their mystery wrapped gifts. Everyone got a kick out of the New York presents which made her feel slightly less uncomfortable about accepting the kindness shown by everyone she'd met thus far.
When the food was all gone, people began to grab their bags which were tossed in the corner of the meeting room and head to the restroom to change clothes. Beca cornered Sirena and challenged her to tell her where they were going. The Chamorro woman's eyes were sparkling as she said, "Let's just say we are more alike than you think."
The entire team piled into an old, battered passenger van with a picture of a scull on the side with two axes crossed behind the scull. The words "Axe Murderer GDS" were printed beneath the scull. Beca gave a chortle as she climbed in. "Seriously? I'm getting into a van that says axe murderer and you won't tell me where we are going."
Tasi got into the driver's side and started up the ancient van. "Nope."
After a short drive, the van pulled up to a marina and everyone piled out and walked towards a rickety building. The team members all went around back while Tasi took Beca in the front. "I heard you were PADI certified and wanted to take a look around our island waters. Jon here will hook you up with your gear." He then left through the back.
Despite her total excitement about going diving, Beca was slightly confused at the team building exercise portion of this. Regardless, she quickly got her gear and headed out to an extremely nice looking boat which she assumed would take her team out on a dive. Soon everyone was outside, each in their own gear which they apparently stored in the back of the building.
Tasi grinned as he walked up with the boat driver and dive master. "What do you think of my dive company?"
Beca's eyebrows shot up. "This is yours?"
He explained that he and a few of his friends opened up the shop a few years ago. He fronted the money while they provided much of the labor. "I bet you are also wondering how this is a team building activity. The entire team is certified, so it's really more of a reward. We all come out as a group once a month on one of the shop's slow days."
The project manager was grinning from ear to ear as they loaded into the boat to head to their first dive location. Sirena leaned over and yelled above the wind. "Did he tell you we are doing the tourist dive today?" Beca shook her head. "Sometimes it's nice to remember your roots."
She went on to explain the history behind the site they were headed towards. "This is the only place in the world this can be experienced." The pride was evident in her voice. "We are headed to a place with two wrecks that are practically touching – within an arms' reach of each other, a little over a hundred feet down."
"One is a German ship that was scuttled when the U.S. entered into WWI. She's resting on her port side. The other is a Japanese cargo ship that was sunk during WWII, and she's leaning on her screw. This is the only place in the world where you can touch wrecks from two different wars and two different countries. It's a grim reminder of the importance of Guam's physical location and why we have two military bases."
Not quite knowing what to say, Beca took in the solemn story and knew that what the team was offering her was special. The dive was special indeed and Tasi had brought along an underwater GoPro with which he took multiple videos and pictures of Beca as well as different team members. They also got some great team selfies. Beca found herself getting almost jealous of their monthly excursions.
The next day at work was spent discussing project specifics, particularly the items uncovered by the two teams the previous day. Sirena explained that the conditions of her main grant was that the recipient not be passive. She was proposing that for the first year, the residents pay one third of the monthly bill from the previous year's electric statement. Future rounds would step up the amount paid based on the residents' abilities. The hopes were that the solar panels would eliminate the need for any dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity, but having the residents pay a nominal fee seemed to satisfy the grant requirements.
Another concern was placement of the panels themselves. The planned number of solar panels per residence would be substantially heavy. Some people were concerned about the ability of their houses to be able to hold the pieces. Tasi and his partner agreed to go out to each of the first round recipients and take pictures to send to his vendor to ask for a plan.
The team also discussed the initial vendor. With the information Tasi had provided, the agreement was to not enter into a contract. Beca e-mailed Jessica to have her company's legal time to initiate new paperwork with the new vendor. This time she was sure to have the price discount for residents guaranteed and a clause about using at least 75% local labor for installation.
As she worked with her team, Beca quickly learned what "island time" meant. They always started a little later and ended a whole lot early than in the states. However, Beca found she didn't mind this because the teams were so efficient. On more than one occasion, she caught herself feeling this was more of a vacation than a work trip. Then she looked at the nightly reports she was writing up and realized that they were accomplishing so much more.
Each afternoon, one of the team members would take her to her little hut to allow her to rest and freshen up. Then a few hours later, someone would come pick her up for their activities. She also discovered this was Kurihi's way of giving each team lead individual time with Beca which she now understood was key in the strength of his team.
After the afternoon of team building, Sirena was next. She took Beca to Chamorro Village on Wednesday night. They watched a traditional cultural dance and gorged on the inexpensive stick food and traditional plates. Beca was able to pick up a variety of souvenirs and gifts for her friends and people in the office.
A crowd was gathered around a booth and Beca insisted they go see what was happening. Sirena stopped her and smirked. "Promise me if we go over there, you'll … well, that you will."
Beca looked at her strangely and nodded her head. "Sure. Whatever dude." As they worked their way through the crowd, Beca's face blanched as she saw the two humongous crabs and their handlers. Delighted children were squealing as they pet the large arthropods and teenage girls were trying to get up the nerve to hold them. "DUDE. That thing is HUGE. They have claws as wide as I am tall."
"You promised."
Beca shook her head. "Nope, no way, I'm out of here." She turned to walk away as Sirena caught her by the elbow. "Does this mean I can tell the team tomorrow that you wimped out?"
The project manager let out a breath and steeled herself as she got in line for the pictures. She asked the local who was handling the one she was about to hold. "What IS this?"
"A coconut crab," the girl chuckled. "And no, it doesn't bite." She handed Beca the huge purple and blue crab and showed her how to support its weight. "They are the largest land-living arthropod in the world, you know."
"I didn't know. Thanks." Beca tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she handed the crab back.
Sirena was waiting in line to buy the official tourist pictures and cackled when Beca walked up. "I already posted pics and a quick video to Instagram. The team is going to love it."