Remember the game telephone we played back in second grade- well, today (now over a month ago…sorry I’ve been busy) in Chuuk was certainly a large-scale game of telephone gone bad. Mid-morning the principal came around to me and said that she had heard a rumor that a tidal wave was headed towards our island and was going to hit about 2:00pm. Even though the rumor came through the local police, she told us she wasn’t sure it was true, but she was looking into it. Apparently rumors like this have been unfounded before. We were instructed not to tell any of the students until we had more information, to remain calm, but to also be aware that we could be preparing for a potential natural disaster…the next 3 hours. We are located on a higher hill of the island, so our own safety was good. We were also told to not be caught off guard if a lot of locals started coming on campus since we are at a relatively high altitude. All in all, being a small speck in the middle of the Pacific amidst a tidal wave leaves you feeling pretty diminutive. Quickly I realized how difficult it is to figure out the “truth” about reality in Chuuk. There is no television, there is no radio, and when the power is off the computers, internet, and even some telephones do not work. Another volunteer that lives at Xavier but works at a school downtown had already been sent home because his school was preparing for the worst. Apparently the downtown was basic chaos as people feared for their families in outer islands of Chuuk (which would get hit worse if there were a tidal wave) and worried for their own safety. People came out and waited on their roofs. As soon as I was finished teaching and the power had turned back on, I hopped back on the internet and tried to look for any posted updates of tidal wave/tsunami threats. I found a website from the US National Weather Service which monitors the Pacific for tidal waves threats. It was 1:52pm and as I waited for the slow broadband to finally load the page, a couple volunteers and I chatted about the recent earthquake in Pakistan and how terrible it would be if this tsunami were real. After a couple minutes, I was calmed to find out they had just updated their site within the hour and no threat was listed.
Now, the question was why were the police yelling through the street to prepare for a tidal wave? It was conveyed as a serious threat, and above all, it came from the police, which you would think is a reliable source. Think again. After more searching on the Internet, another volunteer found committee meeting minutes from the organization that organizes disaster (specifically tsunami) preparedness in the Pacific region. The minutes stated that a drill would be held on October 29, 2008. Ha! So all of that for a stinking drill! Although this incident seemed small in the long run, since nothing really happened other than a lot of people were sent home from their jobs and school and felt scared as they prepared mentally for the possibility of a tsunami, it was striking to me. When I typically think of how developing countries lack materials or resources, I many times think in terms of food and water, housing, clothing, and education. As I spend more time in Chuuk, the extent of the “developing” nature of Chuuk becomes more and more apparent. Systems just don’t exist and the one that became the most apparent to me through this experience was communication. There is no newspaper, there is no local radio, there is no television station, the Internet is unreliable, and apparently so are authorities. While I am not the most loyal newspaper reader or news watcher back in America and listen to the radio mostly for its musical appeal, I have always had the luxury of knowing exactly where to go if I needed immediate information. I have taken this luxury largely for granted. For several hours I felt very powerless- obviously I could not stop an oncoming tsunami- but also because I could not even figure it out if it was true.
One last note on this event- even in Chuuk I was privileged. Xavier’s generator turned on and allowed me to use the Internet. Having a generator, a computer, and an Internet connection (although not always reliable) at my disposal still puts me way ahead the vast majority of Chuukese people. While people downtown waited out the afternoon on their roofs, I sighed when 2:10pm came around. I had realized the ridiculousness of the entire situation.
Ok…now for other info….
I have been able to go off island twice now: once to Tonoas for our fall JVI retreat and once to Parem for the junior retreat- a 3-day experience similar to Kairos, encounter, the junior retreat at GC, etc. Both weekends were really good experiences and nice breaks from Xavier. New settings and freedom from the chaos of the students is always a little refreshing, although I love the students also.
The weekend on Tonoas was planned as an immersion experience with a focus of interfaith dialogue/experience. The island was a Japanese center back in the 1930s and 1940s and holds a lot of history. We were really fortunate to have a local guide- an 82 year-old man named Lucas. He is the living history of the island. He formerly worked for both the Japanese and American navies pre and post-WW2 and watched the island undergo tremendous change, from an economic and social center of Japanese living in the early 1900s to a site of American bombings in WW2 and now to an island with pretty much nothing but inhabitants. One must take a boat into Weno to purchase anything since no established stores exist on the island anymore. This feature brings a specific beauty to the island. It is quiet, peaceful, and the people utilize mostly the natural sustenance of island, such as breadfruit, taro, bananas, coconut, etc. At first glance, it looks largely untainted by western culture.
On our first night we were welcomed with marmars and cold coconuts- the best I have had in Micronesia so far, followed by a FEAST! I mean a feast. There were about 10 of us but probably enough food to feed over 50 people. And it was all local and from what I had- delicious. Now pretty predictably I opted out of the seafood options. However, please be proud of me- I tried sashimi- raw tuna- a week or so ago and it was okay. People crave over it here as a delicacy. The next day we got to tour the island with Lucas. He showed us the remains of a hospital, the best local elementary school -Sino Memorial (pictures soon to come)- and the site of an old school for learning Japanese. Personally, I enjoyed just seeing the villages on the island and listening to Lucas’ stories more than anything. That day concluded with “entertainment,” apparently a pretty typical activity when guests come. The youth of the village got together and sang, danced, and did skits for us. Most of the time I didn’t really know what was going on since a lot of it was in Chuukese but it was still funny. The skits weren’t much of a surprise to some of the returning volunteers since they get recycled over and over again throughout the islands. Some of the returning volunteers would nod their heads once the skits started, “Oh, ok…this one.” It is somewhat funny to me that there’s a “pool” of skits to choose from that you use to entertain guests.
The most memorable moment of the weekend came as we were packing up. We all decided to get a picture sitting on the bench made of coconut wood, looking out into the water of the lagoon. It would be a perfect cap to the weekend. The window of the building we stayed in was at the perfect height to take a timed picture. So a couple of us set up our cameras and quickly ran to jump in the picture. We decided the first one didn’t go as well as planned and one more would be good. So as we all quickly jumped into the second photo, the bench collapsed! Here we are staying as guests at this church in a village of Tonoas where the people have treated us sooo well all weekend and as we are about to leave, we break their bench…Opps! The best part was that since we had 4 or 5 cameras timing the photo, the photos caught all of our reactions at different times. They are hilarious! I include mine in the photos going out soon. Probably everyone in the village heard us scream as well as could see us falling and laughing since we were on the top of the hill. They probably watched us as we desperately tried to rebuild their bench out of broken wood. I guess that’s what happens to wood in a climate that never dries. To say the least, I was blown away by the generosity of the people of Tonoas. They were hosts to us in a way very different than anything I have ever experienced or even thought to do for someone else or another group of people. On top of that, they didn’t get mad at us for breaking their bench.
Last weekend I got to go to Parem- the land of coconut trees- for the junior retreat. It is also the former site of the Japanese landing strip (for planes) during WW2, which is now just a bunch of broken up cement overgrown with coconut trees. Although the weekend was mostly occupied by the activities of the retreat, it also included a good amount of free time- at least enough to go swimming, enjoy the clear beautiful waters, and walk around the whole island. It wasn’t a very big island- small enough to walk around in a fast-paced hour or so. The best part of the weekend was just the opportunity it gave me to get to know and hang out with my students outside of the classroom.
However, it seems I can’t go anywhere without being taken aback by the generosity shown to me by the local people. During my walk around the island, I encountered a man who had just climbed a coconut tree to get down maybe 4 or 5 coconuts. Without any hesitation, as soon as he saw me, he extended his arm to give me a fresh coconut. Of course, I accepted, “Kinisou chapur.” So while I am slowly sipping from the coconut, he machette’d open another for himself. I have drank literally three sips when he threw the husk to the ground. I looked at him in disbelief, “A wes? (you finished).” While I finished about one half of a coconut, he gulped down 3. I would certainly lose at a coconut chugging contest. Once I had returned from the walk, we noticed that a volleyball net was hanging from a tree branch outside of the church. Without expecting the response of the locals, some of the students asked if we could borrow it since we had brought a volleyball but did not have a net. Literally within 5 minutes, the men we had asked had cut down coconut wood and begun digging 2 holes towards the edge of the shore to build a court right before our eyes. Within about 20 minutes we were playing volleyball. I was personally blown away.
I’d like to end the blog with an ode to Thanksgiving. This year, I am so thankful for everyone back home that is thinking of, supporting, and praying for me and for the people of Chuuk. You all are half the reason I am able to be here. It means a lot to know I have that backing. I am more thankful than ever for the 21 years of clean, warm shower water I have grown up with. I continue to hope that the plague of rashes will go away. I am thankful for the enthusiasm, smiles, and “thank-you’s” of my students; they make me realize more and more each day how much I have taken my own education for granted. And I am thankful for the possibility for progress.
Lastly I want to shout out to my family members Chris, Becky, Teresa, Mike, Monica, and Kevin who will all celebrate birthday’s in the next two weeks. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEDICIN (everyone)!
Hope to hear from everyone soon and keep a lookout for the email of pictures.
Peace.
-Steph
P.S. Several nights ago I saw the largest spider I have ever seen in my life. It was in my room and it took me talking to myself to muster up the courage to kill it. Eventually I did, although I chased it around my room a bit before I was successful. It was bigger than the palm of my hand and I am still freaked out by it. It means they are living in the walls of my house. L I can’t wait for everyone to see the picture of it.
