>The CNMI is related to the US - the US supplies lots of grant money for various projects (mostly health related), post office services, etc.

I thought I knew more geography than an average American, but now I stand corrected - I really didn't know any of this.

>>my country (Yugoslavia) was rather isolated for a decade
>I've heard that the coast line is really gorgeous...i used to cruise the Pacific on a sailboat, and met many cruisers who enjoyed visiting Yugoslavia...

The best part of the coast belongs to Croatia now, with lots of islands and very interesting coast (though rather barren, for the most part), with lots of little bays and peninsulae. In the Yugoslav part, the Montenegrin coast, is the only fjord in the Mediterranean, Boka Kotorska, which really is a must-see.

>How long have you lived in the US?

Fourteen months so far.

>I'll be back in Saipan in a few weeks, and will be checking in intermittantly until then...i'll be WAY behind on the UT by then.

Well, we don't have any exams here... the test questions which pop up when you log in are not counted against any credits, and, besides, you can cheat :)