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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Guamanian cooking is very similar to Spanish cuisine. Typical Guamanian dishes include red rice, shrimp patties and kelagven (a dish of chopped chicken, lemon juice, grated coconut and hot peppers). The wide selection of restaurants features American, European, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Mexican food.
Nightlife: A range of nightclubs feature music and dancing. Major hotels frequently stage shows with musicians from the US mainland, or local performers including the Guam Symphony & Choral Society. There is a number of cinemas in Tamuning, including at least one 14-screen cinema, most showing recent US films. Dance shows and dinner cruises are also available.
Shopping: There are many shopping centres in Agaña, Tumon, Tamuning and Dededo that offer an array of retail items. The main malls include the Agaña and Gibson’s Shopping Centers – the former with a 14-screen multiplex cinema. Micronesia Mall has recently undergone expansion and has the distinction of being the island’s first indoor mall. Good buys in Guam include watches, perfume, jewellery, alcohol, china, stereo equipment and cameras. Shopping hours: Generally Mon-Sat 1000-2100, Sun 1200-1800 but hours do vary from centre to centre.
Special Events: Each village has its own fiesta to celebrate its patron saint. They are celebrated on the weekend closest to the Saint’s Day and show the strong Spanish influence on local culture. Liberation Day on 21 July is celebrated with fireworks, feasts and one of the year’s most impressive parades (the other is on 8 December in honour of the Immaculate Conception). The Merizo Water Festival is held every August with various watersports events.
Social Conventions: Western customs are well understood – for the visiting Westerner it is quite likely that it will not be the customs of the locals that have to be observed, but those of the visiting Japanese who make up around 90 per cent of the island’s tourists. The most evident Chamorro legacy is the Chamorro language and a range of facial expressions, called ‘Eyebrow’, which virtually constitutes a language of its own.
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