Auntie Charo's Soapbox

HAFA ADAI!
Kudos to Mana Silva for having the gall to enter GVB with a camera just to see if Jerry Perez really means for the island to use 'hafa adai' as a greeting to our tourists. It must've been something he thought the reporter should know and probably didn't think she was savvy enough to enter the sacred office of GVB to see if she would be greeted with a 'hafa adai'.......the woman behind the counter wasn't dressed to be at any front desk(she could use the same clothes to clean her house or wash her car!) didn't greet Silva or her camera man. And you'd; think that the office would have learned from watching the package during that evening's news and everyone would be told to use 'hafa adai' as a greeting when anyone entered their office.....Alas.....Gerry talks the talk....but he and his kind....don't walk the walk....a few days after the package aired, Silva sent in her camara man and he was not 'hafa adaied'....Shame! Shame!
So.....we talk about this 'spirit' that we have as islanders. We're friendly and are happy for the tourism industry......but we're so out of the loop that we have no idea how to make our visitors feel welcomed. We don't know how to make those that live here welcomed....how can we make outsiders welcomed when we seem to be embarrassed to say , 'hafa adai'.....
We should greet our visitors in person and over the phone.....I think a radio station should have a call in to various offices and give a prize to those that use 'hafa adai' as a telephone greeting. We should compliment those that are making a difference....but don't expect GVB to make any moves, they're set in their ways....just waiting until they can retire.....or go off island on a trip. Me thinks that GVB isn't really tourist minded and you can tell that just from how they act towards a camera that's obviously rolling and trying to do better the 'next' time. We'll see if Silva gives them a third chance!
But........if you really want to experience the 'hafa adai' spirit, get on a plane and fly to Saipan where the people are friendly and when you're tired of their friendly spirit,; fly to Rota.....those Chamorros know the 'hafa adai' spirit and live it each and every day...to visitors and those that live there.