"Once upon a time, there was a Jamaican civil engineer
living in New York City who hated his job. He followed his passion,
started a sideline business publishing his own books, quit his job,
escaped the rat race, ran off to a tropical island in the Pacific,
and started a tourism business so he could give tours of the island
to pretty girls every day! He now lives a nomadpreneur's dream life, while helping others do the same!" This
is his story: ORDER THE BOOK
Walt Goodridge Hosts 7 Midshipmen & 2 Officers From US Naval Academy
I had the opportunity of providing a 5-day cultural and historical tour of these islands
to a special group from Annapolis, Maryland. See over 100 photos and media coverage on my tour blog...Read the full story on my DiscoverSaipan Tour Blog!
Local Author Receives Governor's Humanities Award
A former workshop attendee and coaching client revealed a few weeks ago that she nominated me to be considered for this year’s Governor’s Humanities Award here on Saipan. I thanked her (Thanks, Riza!), but I didn’t really believe I qualified because...Read the full story here
One man's escape from the rat race to live a nomadpreneur's dream
Subscribe to my DiscoverSaipan Youtube channel
Walt's Saipan-Specific Video Resumé
Promoting the CNMI for over a decade!
(the sequel to the "What's it Like..." interview)
"Since arriving here on Saipan in February of 2006, I've launched and/or participated in some great projects large and small, and met some great people! We've helped a lot of people, had a lot of fun, and even helped some folks earn a little money!
Watch the video below. Then, Download my CV
*CHAPTER JUMPS*
0:33 Introduction
2:01 SECTION • Saipan-Specific Creations Walt has written a slew of Saipan-specific books, websites, mobile phone apps and designs for t-shirts and merchandise!
2:06 Books
4:09 Websites
6:03 Apps & Merchandise
7:01 SECTION • Helping Others Walt has conducted workshops, visited schools, created health groups in an effort to help others
7:05 Workshops
13:49 School visits
14:15 Health&Wellness
15:41 SECTION • Showcasing Saipan to the World From the Saipanpreneur Project to the "What's it Like to Be Jamaican on Saipan" interview, walt has showcased the best of Saipan in his Saipan Tribune column, 3rd party documentaries and books, websites, tours and in the media!
15:45 Saipanpreneur Project
16:08 Saipan Documentaries & Books
17:35 Jamaican on Pagan
19:03 Tourism (clients, cruises, vets, authors, researchers, filmmakers)
23:49 Media Appearances
26:37 SECTION • Community Involvement & Activism Walt has launched crowdfunding campaigns and petitions, co-created a platform for bloggers, volunteered for community movements and launched the first Speech & Essay contest as part of the CNMI's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration.
26:43 Campaigns (GoFundMe, Change.org)
28:02 Community Matters (Bloggers & Tree Huggers)
31:20 MLK Day annual commemoration
36:08 Closing (patience)
August 30, 2021: "What's it Like Being a Jamaican on Saipan?"
An interview by Xavier Murphy of JAMAICANS.COM
00:32 - What part of Jamaica are you from?
2:05 - How did you end up in Saipan?
5:33 - What are the people like in Saipan?
9:49 - What languages are spoken?
14:39 - Are there any interesting customs?
18:44 - What is dating like?
23:38 - What is it like being Black there?
26:53 - How do people react when they find out you are Jamaican?
32:09 - What is the food like?
40:51 - What attractions do you recommend visiting?
43:44 - What is the cost of living like?
46:10 - How do we find you online?
51:07 - What is the first thing you are doing when you land in Jamaica?
53:42 - Does Amazon ship there?
54:40 - How do you say goodbye in Saipan?
Special Guest Tour Guide for Saipan Documentary
LaMancha Media has a great documentary series titled "America's Forgotten Colonies" which features American Samoa, Guam. I was asked to be
their guide for part 3 of the series that features Saipan and Tinian. Watch it on Youtube
One man's escape from the rat race to live a nomadpreneur's dream
Highlights & Milestones from the Jamaican on Saipan's journey….
(click the arrow for additional scenes)
Episodes
Walt's Saipan-Specific Books
The Best of Saipan™ series
America's best-kept secret!
Saipan is a small island in the Western Pacific, but don't let its size fool you, it has countless tales to tell! Join me as I partner with Saipan residents from around the world to share their unique stories.
There's Something About Saipan!
A visitor's guide to fantastic facts, tantalizing trivia, startling statistics, dramatic diaries and hair-raising history from America's most colorful island territory
Yes, there's something about Saipan that endears it to visitors and residents alike. But what is it exactly? Is it the weather? Is it the unique history? Is it the warm, welcoming indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people? Is it the unique mix of guest workers and expats from all over the world? Is it the unique, possibly magical. energetically enhanced proximity to the Marianas Trench, a combination of all these or something as yet unidentified? The Power of the Paperback!: Digital books (pdfs/ebooks for Kindle/Nook e-readers) are convenient, but they do not have mass. They do not have the same power a physical book has to continuously transmit information via the senses of sight, touch, hearing (e.g., the sound of pages turning) and even smell. In other words, the paperback sitting on your shelf will continue to communicate and influence you even after you've read it! (And, it's also much easier to share with others!)
• Something About Saipan will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of your enjoyable experience each time you glance at your shelf! Read more
• Something About Saipan will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of your enjoyable experience each time you glance at your shelf! Read more
Download a preview
Chicken Feathers & Garlic Skin
Diary of a Chinese Garment Factory Girl on Saipan
It took a lot of courage for a 25-year-old girl from Wu Xi City in Jiang Shu province, China, who had never flown on a plane, and who had never left home before, to travel 2,000 miles to a foreign country in search of work. It took even more courage to stay once she discovered what life was really like for a factory girl on the island of Saipan in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This is the only first-hand account of work and life in the garment factories of Saipan. (196 pages; 5.5" x 8.5"; ISBN: 978-0974531342) The Power of the Paperback!: Digital books (pdfs/ebooks for Kindle/Nook e-readers) are convenient, but they do not have mass. They do not have the same power a physical book has to continuously transmit information via the senses of sight, touch, hearing (e.g., the sound of pages turning) and even smell. In other words, the paperback sitting on your shelf will continue to communicate and influence you even after you've read it! (And, it's also much easier to share with others!)
• Chicken Feathers & Garlic Skin will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of this educational experience each time you glance at your shelf and remind you of the realities that other people around the world are living.
• Chicken Feathers & Garlic Skin will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of this educational experience each time you glance at your shelf and remind you of the realities that other people around the world are living.
Saipan Living!
A comprehensive guide for moving to, finding a job, working, living or vacationing in the Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota!
Where exactly is Saipan? Is it a place I can escape to? Can I retire comfortably there? What taxes will I need to pay? Will I be able to vote in the US elections? Do I need a visa or passport to go there? Find out the truth from current, on-the-ground information not even the CIA website, travel guides, or blogs can reveal! Learn everything you need to know about visa & passport requirements, job opportunities, labor laws, expat communities, pets, churches, schools, gun laws, crime stats, the economy, dating, land ownership and much, much, much more! (162 pages; 7" x 10"; ISBN: 978-1481277297) The Power of the Paperback!: Digital books (pdfs/ebooks for Kindle/Nook e-readers) are convenient, but they do not have mass. They do not have the same power a physical book has to continuously transmit information via the senses of sight, touch, hearing (e.g., the sound of pages turning) and even smell. In other words, the paperback sitting on your shelf will continue to communicate and influence you even after you've read it! (And, it's also much easier to share with others!)
• Saipan Living 2022 is more than just a title. It's the embodiment of a dream--particularly if that dream is to escape the rat race, relocate or retire, and live a simple, friendly, natural life on a little island in the Pacific!
• Saipan Living 2022 is more than just a title. It's the embodiment of a dream--particularly if that dream is to escape the rat race, relocate or retire, and live a simple, friendly, natural life on a little island in the Pacific!
Doing Business on Saipan
A step-by-step guide for finding opportunity, launching a business and profiting in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
There's an economic transition happening in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The future is uncertain, but that means opportunity for the savvy entrepreneur. Easy to follow checklists help you start a business; incorporate, get your business license & zoning permit. hire employees; file taxes, and more! Plus: An insiders' view: Opinions of veteran entrepreneur business owners on the island: What's needed on these islands; How federalization of Saipan's immigration and labor will affect the island, and more! (166 pages; 7" x 10"; ISBN: 978-0974531359)
From Bugle Boy to Battleship
a Battle of Saipan and Battle of Guam Veteran's Memoir
Born in California on December 28th, 1923, Lloyd Glick was a naive 18-year-old boy watching a movie at a theater in downtown Berkeley on Dec 7 1941, when they stopped the movie to announce Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Four months later, with his parents' signed permission, he joined the United States Navy. That decision would ultimately land him the position of Musician Second Class aboard the USS North Carolina as a member of the ship's band while it participated in the bombings of Saipan, Guam, Palau, Pohnpei, and battles throughout World War II's pivotal Pacific Campaign.
Bugle Boy to Battleship is Lloyd's fascinating account of his two years at sea, as well as his return to visit the island of Saipan 70 years later.
Bugle Boy to Battleship includes the actual emails that also tell the story of the unique relationship between Lloyd and his "tour guide" --an author living on Saipan--who became inspired by their correspondence to help Lloyd document his story for this and future generations.
• From Bugle Boy to Battleship will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of Lloyd's fascinating story, and the enjoyable and educational experience each time you glance at your shelf
Saipan Now!
A photo adventure
One man's escape from the rat race to live a nomadpreneur's dream
Author, local photographers and visiting tourists team up to create a photo book capturing the beauty, culture and lifestyle of contemporary Saipan! 100 pages; 8" x 10"; PAPERBACK ISBN: 978-1493736379) The Power of the Paperback!: Digital books (pdfs/ebooks for Kindle/Nook e-readers) are convenient, but they do not have mass. They do not have the same power a physical book has to continuously transmit information via the senses of sight, touch, hearing (e.g., the sound of pages turning) and even smell. In other words, the paperback sitting on your shelf will continue to communicate and influence you even after you've read it! (And, it's also much easier to share with others!)
• Saipan Now will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of your enjoyable experience each time you glance at your shelf!
Read more at www.bestofsaipan.com
• Saipan Now will stand out on your shelf and serve as a visible, physical reminder of your enjoyable experience each time you glance at your shelf!
Drinking Seawater
a typhoon Soudelor memoir
On the night of Sunday, August 2, 2015, Typhoon Soudelor made landfall on the island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Though officially recorded as a "Category 5-equivalent super typhoon," speculation continues that Soudelor's winds far exceeded this category. Cars and even trucks were overturned, and it was later discovered that the wind speed recording equipment was destroyed during the storm; the highest speed recorded before the failure was 180 miles per hour. At the time, it was the most powerful storm to make landfall...ever...anywhere that year.
The eye of a storm is a roughly circular region of mostly calm weather, typically 30-65 km (20-40 miles) in diameter, located at the center of strong tropical cyclones. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather occurs. Soudelor's core (the eye and eyewall) was smaller than the island. That's why the devastation on Saipan was so intense, and why the neighboring island of Tinian, only two miles away, was virtually untouched by the storm.
Riza Ramos, her husband Ferdinand, and two children survived the devastation of that typhoon at point during which they were actually outside and unsheltered. Drinking Seawater is that story. However there is more...
• Drinking Seawater is more than just a title. It's a reminder that even when you feel overwhelmed by (drowning in) life's demands and circumstances, that there is hope and a path to survival.
Amelia Earhart on Saipan
The mystery solved!
It's been known for over 70 years that the Pacific island of Saipan figures prominently in the real story of Amelia Earhart's fate after her supposed "disappearance." Check out this keepsake from my Saipan in a Day-Amelia Earhart tour! The Power of the Paperback!: Digital books (pdfs/ebooks for Kindle/Nook e-readers) are convenient, but they do not have mass. They do not have the same power a physical book has to continuously transmit information via the senses of sight, touch, hearing (e.g., the sound of pages turning) and even smell. In other words, the paperback sitting on your shelf will continue to communicate and influence you even after you've read it! (And, it's also much easier to share with others!)
• Amelia Earhart on Saipan is more than just a title. It's a reminder that there is another chapter to this famous story that you are now privy to; one that the majority of people--at least in the US mainland--are not being told.
• Amelia Earhart on Saipan is more than just a title. It's a reminder that there is another chapter to this famous story that you are now privy to; one that the majority of people--at least in the US mainland--are not being told.
Check out Walt's Saipan-Specific brands
Breaking News from Walt:
LOCAL AUTHOR RECEIVES CNMI GOVERNOR'S HUMANITIES AWARD(S)
A few weeks ago, a former workshop attendee and coaching client revealed that she nominated me to be considered for this year’s Governor’s Humanities Award here on Saipan. I thanked her, but I didn’t really believe I qualified because...(read why at www.jamaicaninchina.com/humanities-award)
A few weeks ago, a former workshop attendee and coaching client revealed that she nominated me to be considered for this year’s Governor’s Humanities Award here on Saipan. I thanked her, but I didn’t really believe I qualified because...(read why at www.jamaicaninchina.com/humanities-award)
Check out the FREE Preview of the Saipan Tour App!
Can't make it to Saipan during the pandemic? No worries! Check out this FREE preview of the Discover Saipan Tour App and experience the island's SECOND best tour experience! This special online version of the self-guided, GPS-assisted app, is available for a limited times! https://www.cnmitourism.com/saipantourapp/preview
Please allow a few moments for all the graphics to load! The mobile app (only $1) is available on the Google Play Store (See "About the App" for the link)
