20 TRUTHS Living on GUAM (Do Tourists Know?)

In this video, I wanted to take the time to provide you with my personal understandings of what it is like living on Guam after just a few months.

I know it's difficult to judge Guam after the recent typhoon, especially since I wasn't here before it. I know that many things are a touchy situation and always have been. The goal of this video is to bring some things into the spotlight (even though some shift between the light and shadows) that way you (local or tourist) can understand what living here could be like.

My idea of this video is still to show appreciation towards Guam while making us all aware of the many things some like to hide away. We want a better and brighter future for the island, for locals, and for tourists. We want to have a quality life and enjoy the beauty of this Pacific Paradise.

There are many parties to be held accountable with such series of changes, but unfortunately our voices are never strong enough. Let's cross our fingers and hope that the path forward is of improvement and correct judgement.

I'd like to have an open discussion with you all. Tell me below: how do you feel about these things? Are there any other things that should be brought out from under the carpet? How do we tackle such situations?

And lastly, what do you love most about Guam?
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🔹Locations 🔹
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Vlog 086
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🔻Video Chapters🔻
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Living on Guam for 3 Months | Why I'm Making This Video
03:30 #1 - Nature
03:58 #2 - Some Tourists Don't Leave The Tourist Zone
05:02 #3 - Weather Gets Crazy
06:05 #4 - The Rules of the Road Are More like Suggestions
07:05 #5 - Tourist Zones Resemble US States
08:10 #6 - The Government Doesn't Always Do What it Says
09:42 #7 - Lack of Energy Supply for the Demand
10:40 #8 - Lack of Works to Complete A Job
11:00 #9 - High Unemployment Rate (Always Fluctuating)
11:45 #10 - Construction is Never Convenient
12:38 #11 - Imports/Exports Take FOREVER!
13:30 #12 - The Locals Are Friendly & Hospitable
14:15 #13 - Spike in Homeless Population
15:13 #14 - Pollution Happens (Illegal Dumping)
17:20 #15 - Abundance of Stray Dogs
18:15 #16 - Military Lives A Cheaper Life (HUGE Discount)
19:10 #17 - Cost of living is Increasing Rapidly (Because of military)
19:28 #18 - Low minimum Wage
20:20 #19 - Terrible Roads & Lighting Outside of Tourist Zones
20:50 Guam is So Beautiful but the Interior is Crumbling?
22:20 #20 - Do People Really Trust the Government?
23:06 (EXTRA 1) Convenient Home Base for Americans/Locals Traveling SEA
24:45 (EXTRA 2) - You Don't Really See Police Ever
25:08 Wrapping Up How I Feel About Guam After A Few Months
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Follow me here:

[mahadaalvi]

The fact that there’s a car behind you driving through the grass while you talk about bad drivers killed me 😂

[lizamaj]

I'm Chamorro, born and raised on Guam, and then I moved to Hawaii for college. I came back after 14 years, in 2019. I was on the island during typhoon Mawar. I have to say, this is the most honest review of Guam I've encountered. I have to agree with pretty much everything said. Thank you for the honest review.

[lisabrawn]

I lived on Guam for 3 and a half years and loved it! Very humid. Expensive. The water is beautiful. 70 degrees at 2 am. The roads are bad because they are built with coral which makes it like driving on ice when it rains.The locals we found to be wonderful to the military. Everything is shipped in which make things expensive. But they have such wonderful food! I still make chicken Kelluguen and Finedene!

[glennwatkins]

Matt, man you are spot on! I lived on Guam for two years and experienced many of the things you spoke about. First of all, I have to say the local people are indeed very nice and made me feel special being on their island. The abandoned cars, bad roads, pollution, and poverty is ubiquitous. I think the Island can be so much more beautiful if they got rid of all the trash and stray dogs. I learned that one of the reasons why there are so many stray dogs (Boonie Dogs) is the cost to ship them; it is extremely expensive to ship pets from Guam and often times when people leave, they simply leave their pets behind, especially their dogs. The cost of living for the local folks is out of hand, Payless and KMart are the main stores and both of them are far too expensive as well as the cost of gas. Construction is everywhere and as you mentioned is ridiculous. Ypao road has been under construction for two years and it does not seem it is going to be completed anytime soon. Guam will soon be like Hawaii where it will be too expensive for local people to live on their own land. I was paying $2, 300 for basically an Efficiency, well over priced. Because of the influx of military personnel coming to the Island, the cost of housing has gotten well out of hand! I did enjoy my time on Guam, but dude this is a Great video!

[KuxWolf]

I'm born and raised in Guam and can appreciate and understand the video with an open mind. Don't mind the other closed minded people who think everything is negative/hate towards Guam.

[bradh]

I lived on Guam for two years and loved every thing about it. Locals weren't real friendly towards military, but this was in the late 80's. The rain was normally very small squalls. I once avoided a rain shower by crossing to the other side of the street.

[MrBreadman]

I lived on Guam for 12 years and really loved my time there. If I didn't look at the date you made this video - I would have thought it was filmed in the 1980's. The things you talked about, are the same problems the Island has had for many years and they don't fix it.

[berthamendiola]

Ty for sharing your video and your opinions. You spoke the TRUTH my friend. People needed to hear it. The government is #1 in making laws but horrible at enforcing. Our island IS beautiful but we truly need a STRONG community and a very FIRM government to demand a great change for our island. Ty for sharing this hopefully it will get across many. 😊👍🏽🙏🇬🇺

[light]

Hit the nail right on the head! I'm local and still on island I appreciate the honesty definitely a military and tourist destination and locals get the shit end of the stick.

[harlowblackadder]

It's amazing how on point you are despite only staying on Guam a couple months! 🤯🙌👍

[MiasGrandma]

Thanks for sharing your honest observations about Guam. It brought back memories for me and my husband. 😍

[csnide]

I'm glad you touched on the Stray Dogs .... ! It is what prevents me from moving there... It's not as bad as American Samoa - where the wild dogs are mean and attack at times- but it's bad enough that you notice... One local told me there are 60, 000 stray dogs on the island of Guam. Not sure WHY they don't do anything about it.

[henrygutierrez]

I think Is very interesting video, i'd like to take a trip to Guam, maybe this year. Thanks a lot. From Colombia, South America.

[PTRRanger]

The reason the tourists areas look like they do is because the tourist areas cater to people from mainly Japan. It is the closest part of the US to Japan and people from Japan, Korea, China who want to experience the US go to Guam and CNMI to get the feel of the US without having to travel a day to get there.

It is a short plane ride as compared as flying to Hawaii or mainland US, cheaper too.

So they want the vibe of the mainland US in the tourist areas, while still catering to things like Japanese tastes when it comes to the quality of things. They expect it to be nice and perfect.

Things on Guam and CNMI offer things to foreign citizens like renting muscle cars or shooting ranges. Things that they will not find in their home country.

Like the food offered, like big American “hamburgers” still cater to Japanese and Chinese tastes, and are not what would be found on mainland, but they can still say they had an American Hamburger, even though it’s a fusion.

But that’s the reason why the tourists areas seem perfect it because they cater to one type of tourist from one certain part of the world, not as a major tourist destination for the entire world. Not like mainland US where it caters to tourists from every inch of the world at any given time.

[badideaman]

I lived there as a teenager in the late 1960s. Best place ever!

[bruceleewayne]

U kept it real and stayed positive. The truth hurts and the truth is ugly when it comes to what “America/n” means. U did great. Thank you 👏🏾🇬🇺

[PTRRanger]

Also the price difference for the military is due to the fact that the military imports their own items. They are not relying on using shipping companies and paying import and export taxes to get things from Korea, Vietnam etc.

They use their own ships and planes to bring supplies so it’s much cheaper and they can sell things on base for much cheaper. Military personnel and contractors are also getting set pay based on their rank. Unlike civilians, which historically can get paid anything, higher or lower wages. Depending on what their employers want to pay them.

Military personnel don’t have the luxury to apply to different jobs, to make more money or up and move to a different place. They are stuck there, making what they make until they can advance in rank. So prices on a military base need to be pretty standard because it has to be affordable when there is no other option and they HAVE to remain on the island, and HAVE to remain at their pay scale.

[catherinecuevas]

#5. Not California or Florida, but Hawaii. Even back in the 80's the main tourist locations looked the same and was marketed as a less expensive "Hawaii like honeymoon destination" mainly geared towards the Japanese and Koreans. Besides the military, tourism is the main source of income. #6. As my Chamorro father like to say "everyone is on Guam time" I never understood what that meant until I lived there. They are NOT in any hurry. #11 Guam is open 24 hrs a day. Though construction would make more sense being done at night I think it has to do with the lifestyle of Guam. #14 &15 There is horrible dumping and stray dogs in every part of the US. It's an issue no matter where you live. #16 you'd be surprised how many locals have access to military perks. #17 Cost of living...no argument there, but families do take care of their families better than in the mainland. Please note if it weren't for the US military, Guam would be under Japanese rule. One thing you never mentioned even when you were at Asan Point, was the monument of native Chamorros who were imprisoned by the Japanese who were liberated by the military. Please note Guam does not get any funds from the US. They are a truly resilient and loving people.

[mamaRoom-vkzx]

I'm native chamorro. The situation with Guam unemployment is due to high immigration and not enough businesses. The government isn't spending the money sufficiently as always. I do agree with a few of your truths. When it comes to pollution... it's basically common sense...the government allows it to happen, some locals don't care, and those coming from third world type countries starting to treat the island like how they did to their country. Pretty much disgusted with political corruption influencing the destruction of our home.

[MarkPuke]

Big ups!!! Also cheers and thansk for the GUAM love 💪