:: Find Saipan ::

Sorry folks.. the flu got me this week. I have laughed at the people who lined up for the free flu shots in Saipan but now I am kicking myself for not getting one. I guess if it doesn’t kill me it makes me stronger .. or some shit like that.

Anyways I am back and today.. a in depth investigation report that took me all of … 10 to 15 min to put together regards the 300 million dollars hotel, villa complex slated to open in Saipan May of 08. Now how the hell did I miss this news till now? You figure, something of this magnetite we would have heard it threw the local grape vine. I mean it is the 1st new hotel in .. what 5 to 10 years in Saipan….

In today’s Saipan Tribune is an article done by Agnes E. Donato about the so-called “Island Paradise Hotel” that just broke ground. A Korea company called KSA group will undertake this new investment in a 5-hectare public land located north of Pacific Island Club (PIC).

Now, I am no news reporter but I figure my 10-grade class report lesson should still apply. The basics, who, what, where and when of putting a story together, but I guess Mr. Donate didn’t attend that day.

So lets break this report down:

Who: a Korean-Owned investor group called KSA group… (Korean-Saipan-Association.. what the hell is KSA stand for)

Always smelling something fishy when regards to Korean and investment, I spend about 5 min googling anything about this Korean investment group KSA. And found nothing, I tried to find something on chairman Llhawn Kim found nothing. Understanding that on spelling errors Korean names are confusing, tried Ll Hawn Kim and Lee Hwan Kim, Ll Hang Kim, Lee Hang Kimm and LlHang Kim and still got nothing. Heck I even called the local Korean association regarding this article and they had no clue who this company or chairman was. Now I though that was interesting, the local Korean association was as clueless as I was.

What: Building of a 300 room and 55 villas hotel

Now I am not going to name names, I don’t want people to get in trouble but I called the following departments to find some information regards this project. I mean if the report is true and the company is expecting to start within two months. These department should have been notified and paper works filled right …. makes sense doesn’t it? One doesn’t just walk.. fly into a random island and say “You know what I like to meet to your governor about investing 300 million dollars on Saipan”…

Department of Public Works …. The person on the line states she saw it on Fridays locals TV’s news, but that’s about it.

Department of Public Lands…. No permits regards any public land in that size for that areas.

Commonwealth Development Authority…. Never heard of a company called KSA nor have they had any contact with such company.

Marianas Visitors Authority … mmm I don’t know anyone their to call on a Saturday and office is close. (On a site note.. shouldn’t this office be open all the time, especially on the weekend when the most tourist travels to Saipan)

Joeten Kiyu Public Library… I have books due from my days in elementary school.

Where: The project will be built on nearly five hectares of public property north of Pacific Islands club.

Okay … I know Mr. Donato job is tough, but Jesus can you be any more ambiguous then this. Come on north of PIC means almost anywhere in Saipan. Take a look at the picture below from Google Map (God you gotta love this little software, its like a terrorist wet dream) the yellow pin is where PIC is located. Lets try to imagine north of PIC from that location. It’s reporting at is finest.

At least he did give us some details on the report, five hectares and public property. So lets play a detective and locate some public land around that size near PIC north side.

For those who are scratching their head figuring out what the area of one hectors is, let alone what five is. Here is a little cheat sheet for the geometry.

One hectare is equivalent to: 10,000 square meters = 100 meters x 100 meters
One hectare is equivalent to: 100 acres
One hectare is equivalent to: 107,639 square feet or .00386 square miles
One hectare is equivalent to: 15 mu (Chinese), 10 dunam (Middle East), 10 stremmata (Greece), 6.25 rai (Thai) or ~1.008cho (Japanese)

Okay possible location one: right next to Pacific Island Club (PIC), granted I am sure that property belongs to PIC itself but lets just move on.

The square location marked off is 1 hectare, as you can see it’s not big enough unless you take account of the school property right above it. Then you might get five hectors of beachfront property out of it. And school property is public land after all.

Location two, its just about half a ¾ mile up from PIC, and its also not a public land. The square location marked off as A is 40,000 square meters so about four hectares, close still not close to five mention in the news article. Unless once again you take fact of the school located right above it, which is also public property.

Both location, the primary land was not public land, and both had a school property next to it witch is public land. I am sure their is a connection their but… just can’t make it .. mmmm

When: Construction is expected to begin in two months.

Last time I checked, it took me months to get my immigration card, or any other government document certified and filled. KSA is going to get all the paper works, environmental impact studies, the government paper works, the bribes and the kiss assing all done within two months so construction will start in two months…. Look I know Koreans are efficient but no way are they that good.

Actually I really can’t fathom, how this going to turn out and in all sense it maybe actually be true, if all the above statement is true. Slated to open May of 2008, I do truly do hope that KSA group will open a new hotel on this island. And we’ll see within a month or so if this story has a grain of truth to it.