Things are certain to get worse and the next local elections are three long years away. But then again, there is more to life than politics and a dying economy. Indeed, amazingly, there is still a lot to be thankful for. Moreover, deadline is approaching and we’ve to put something on this page, so here then is the Variety’s legendary 15th annual Thanksgiving list. The items, as usual, are not necessarily arranged in order of importance.
Praise the Lord and hand us that bottle of Tanduay please.
1) Jobs
2) Paydays
3) The CNMI will have a new governor…in 2015
4) Junhan says “for the bliss each day, I sing my appreciation and shout my gratefulness to our READERS. You are the champion.”
5) Raquel thanks Chikka, YM, e-mail, Facebook and PTI phone cards for bridging the distance from Saipan to Cotabato, to her family for the inspiration to hang on Facebook (again) for keeping her “connected” and for resurrecting high school classmates whom she hasn’t heard from in decades, to everything that keeps her world rolling — Internet, cable TV, remote control, Iconnect’s radio/cellphone, garage sales, e-bay, Google, coffee sachets, turon, halo-halo and ice cubes.
6) The creators of Farm Town, Farmville, Café World, FishVille, Yoville, Roller Coaster Kingdom, Barn Buddy, Bejeweled and other games that keep her up and kicking every night until 5 a.m.
&) She is also grateful to buddies Jeanette, Arnold and Andrew for the unplanned trips, movies, DVD marathon, “chow” times and for all the midnight and past-midnight adventures, Andrew again for the desktop invasions, long-existing friends Bobong Quiñones, Ben T., Jepoi, Rex, Wangyu, Sunstar people, Sir Tony, Davao media, Nazi, Agnes A. and Kristy guapa.
7) Robert for the memories that will always be here
8) Newsroom links Zaldy, Juneh, Junhan, Gemma, Krissy, Richelle, Tess for the “you know,” the art department, Vino for the subscriptions and the rest of the Marianas Variety people for adding “pressure” to the daily pressures.
9) Zak for his floundering attempts to pretend he’s still young and able to bark normally every night, an assurance that the barracks is not that deserted yet. Thank you!
10) Cindy Aldan says: “I’d like to thank God for the blessing of my baby boy. She’s also thankful “for having a supportive family that stood by me: BJ, MOM, DAD, NANAY & TATAY. Thanks to all my close friends: Victoria, Jen, Joey, Edbhy, Jem, and Rose Ann.”
11) Juneh: “First, thank you to my family, my mom, my sisters, for being understanding, to my papa doodles, mommy Rio (for the helping hand and for always cooking banana bread), daddy Sandie, Johnray, Ayi & Weng, to all members of Badminton, to all my friends, playing Farmville, Farmtown, Chef World. Thanks also to all editorial staff Gemma, Raquel, Cindy, Krissy, Andrew, Arnold, Richelle, zd and most especially tulindoy (Junhan), to the Younis family, to my friends outside, Atchie, Chammy, Zyra, RV, and special thanks to Bernice.”
12) Chelletot would want to “Thank Papa J for all the blessings he gave us, Variety management for the opportunity they opened for me, my colleagues, Sir Zaldy for the ‘sungit’ (hehe I’m learning though), kuyas and ates of editorial team, my mommy, daddy, fafa and oasis kulit.”
13) Gemma is “thankful for my family and friends. Thanks too to Radio Australia, AP, AFP, & Kyodo; Bright Maritime Corp.; attorney David Cohen; Human Rights Advocates Elsa Cheung & Wendy Doromal; Northern Marianas Congressman Gregorio Sablan; the Philippine and international media; Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and the Royal Dutch Navy; Betty; Juliet; Aries; Angie; Bhey; Weng; Myla; Alexie; Facebook friends and their friends; Cherrie; Virgie; Junhan; Raquel; Chammi; Tita Lits; Libay; Sallie & Rocelyn; Senate Clerk Doris Bermudes and staff Vicky; House Clerk Evelyn Fleming; Rep. Stanley Torres and staff Jessica & Esther; Speaker Arnold Palacios & Staff; Jojo Dass; LB staff; Laila, Marianas Variety & Staff; DPS PIO Jason Tarkong; former governor PIO Charles Reyes; SAPLR staff Nace, Michelle & Rose; sources, etc.”
14) Tina Sablan and Ed Propst
15) Saipan’s next mayor, Angelo Villagomez
16) Arnold says “thanks YAS for the dental, the BANMI for non-stop leagues, RGA and SGA for the monthly supply of score sheets, the NMI softball community — Chamolinian, Budweiser, Belau for the never-ending tournaments, SBA for the monthly roll-off results and the Saipan MMA family. Thanks also to Papa San of Maganda Utang and FPJ. Thanks to Cris for reformatting my computer. Thanks to attorney Maravilla and congrats to all my former Journal Union colleagues for winning the labor case. Thanks to the Journal Group for speeding up the sale of properties so they can pay us soon. Thanks also to zd.”
17) Ron Hodges, Rabby Syed, Greg Cruz
18) The election victories of Senator Reyes, Rep. Stanley and former Gov. Lang Tenorio
19) Charles P. Reyes Jr., Cinta M. Kaipat, Deanne Siemer, Howard Willens
20) Sen. Frica Pangelinan
21) The HA team
22) zd wants to thank the gang — Uly, Badjhoe, Paul, Patricia G., Ella, Joy, Jacq, Arnold, Andrew, Dia, Raq, Janet, Makoy, Julio, Ka Ed, Talitz, Ka Louie, Sally, Bino, Betong, Greg, Cris, Mike, Tekya, Prolayn, Ernie, Ka Max, Ka Nards, Jonathan Logtu, Jerty, Loids, Ariel and Khalil
23) Bobby Myers, wife and kids
24) Jim & Grace Belyea
25) Brenda & Fred
26) Bruce & Maya
27) Jeff, Cynthia and their kids
28) tsetse ija
29) Brad R., Bruce B., Mike E., Brad D., Jay S.
30) Miguel Dandan, his wonderful grandparents and ate Lisa
31) Whispering Palms School, its principal, teachers, students, parents
32) Miggy’s, Viralicci, Aliviera
33) Flame Tree Terrace
34) Gold’s Gym and its management, staff and patrons
35) Hollywood Theaters
36) In Plain Sight, Burn Notice, Monk, Psych, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, South Park, Reno 911, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, History Detectives, Community, American Idol, The Office, 30 Rock, White Collar
37) Sarah Palin
38) Diet Pepsi & Coke Zero
39) Hollywood Video
40) Floyd and the Big Beats Band
41) Kevin’s Video
42) Zhen, Galvin & Velma
43) Jigz Barber Shop
44) zd and che say thank you to the Palmtrees, Jason and Mar-Vic, for being incredible hosts on Guahan
45) Ruby Tuesday, Horse & Cow, K-Mart, GPO, Micronesia Mall, the Tumon strip, Guam Fiesta Resort, Denny’s
46) Thank you Lolitsky of Guam!
47) Andrew says: “I wish to thank our good Lord for the continued blessings for my family and for all of us. Also, special mention to the Marianas Variety family. Thanks also to our news sources and would-be news sources who keep our community informed. Happy Thanksgiving to all! CHEERS!!!”
48) Godfather’s Bar
49) Emperador Brandy
50) Up Dharma Down
51) Che says thank you Kazu Nishida
52) Guam Variety editor Mar-Vic, who invented this list 14 years ago, says: thank you that we still have this list after all these years, lol!
53) My boys, nakni and ico, joining me and jason on guam next year
54) My gorgeous husband Jason Palmertree! Eat your hearts out! y’all!
55) Recently shipped old copy of Lin Yutang’s “Pleasures of a Noncomformist” from amazon.com
56) Being over 40 and still weighing under 100
54) Nick Pichay, Beret & John, Jeff Schorr, Pamela Mathis
55) Zaldy wants to thank the Variety’s publishers, management, editorial staff as well as the company’s other hard-working personnel.
56) Guam Variety, Palau Horizon and their superb management and staff
57) Manang Lilly’s siomai
58) Watermelon seeds
59) Cherrie Villahermosa of Palau says “thanks to all my friends in saipan: gems, alexie, chummy, andrew, raquel, junhan, juneh tita lits, noemi, teri, norleen, macoy, betong, jonathan, ferdie, cla, zd and the rest of the MV staff!”
60) KSPN’s election day coverage
61) iPod
62) Facebook
63) Friends of the Arts
64) The Joeten-Kiyu Public Library
65) YouTube
66) NPR’s music
67) J’s Restaurant
68) The CNMI held peaceful and orderly elections
69) Ayn Rand
70) Fox News Network
71) H-Mart
72) Best wishes to Aggie and Sebastian!
73) Joeten stores
74) Lucky De Store
75) Red Horse
76) red wine
77) MGD
78) Tanduay Rhum
79) The CNMI’s hardworking public servants
80) The poetry of Mookie Katigbak and Joel Toledo
81) Don DeLillo’s Mao II
82) NMI Humanities Council
83) John Banville’s The Sea
84) chess
85) Google
86) AP, Reuters, AFP
87) The Wall Street Journal
88) The Comedy Channel
89) Turner Movie Classics
90) old KMCV news
91) the rosary
92) sleep
93) waking up
94) Levis
95) cereals
96) cell phones
97) Lipton tea
98) milk
99) Christmas approaches
100) The Variety’s readers and advertisers
