This was one of the first things that was told to me upon arrival to this island. I just laughed it off thinking, “No way.” However, this is the 3rd weekend in a row we have been invited to multiple cookouts. You see, in Saipan, people get together every weekend and have potlucks. Everyone brings something and you get together. You don’t even have to have a reason! I love it because I think it is such a beautiful picture of community. You see these cookouts always have the most wide array of people-locals, young, old, people from near and far, lawyers, teachers, housewives-you name it and you can probably find it at a Saipan BBQ. Which also means that there is ALWAYS an amazing amount of delicious food. Hence why I believe it is not entirely unlikely that one might gain 25 pounds. Just about everything revolves around eating. But as I think about it, I wish it was more like this back home. Why do we have to wait for holidays like Labor Day or birthdays to get together with friends? Can we not just enjoy eating a meal together just for the sake of sharing and fellowship? It’s the same way even during the week with my friend Anna. We eat together almost every night and while, food is not cheap here, we have just come up with a system that ensures that neither of us feel like we are contributing or spending more. We are able to enjoy each other’s company, save on leftovers, and no one is worse for the wear. I believe that this is a huge part of living in community. Sharing meals. I love this aspect of my life in Saipan. And I love looking around at the people I am sharing the meal with and knowing that there are not many other places where you could find such a random mix of people all enjoying each other’s company and eating each other’s food!
