Hello everyone! I have been trying to complete this blog for weeks now, and it seems that every time I come back to it I have to edit it because it is outdated, so sorry about the delay. Enjoy!
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Teaching and grading student work can be tedious at times, but every once and a while, students provide some comic relief to keep you going. I thought I would share some with you. The first response was a reflection of a junior after being introduced to the nuclear bomb testing that took place in the Marshall Islands post-WW2. The second response was by a sophomore on a recent Biology test.
“I think that the U.S. used propaganda to make the people of Bikini agree with them and leave their island. For the U.S. president, I can’t believe that he agreed to something like that. I wonder how he would feel if Micronesians came to the White House and told him to leave so they could test a black magic that they just came up with. I don’t think he would like it one bit.” -junior
Extra Credit: “What is a carcinogen?” (1 point)
“I think its that thing you know with the connecting that makes the thing and the thing and is caused by something or someone somewhere. Something like that. Or its that product in cigarettes, or nicotine.” -sophomore
I hope that brought a smile to your face. If not, maybe such is appreciated more once you have already read 30 reflections!
As for me, I’m doing well. I was lucky to have escaped the bacterial infection that about half the staff at Xavier is suffering right now from an iffy batch of tuba, a sweet drink typically made in Yap out of the sap of a coconut. Let’s just say, bowel movement has been a pretty open conversation among the staff recently. We just wrapped up the first half of the third quarter (Can you believe it?!). and the annual Catholic School’s Week. We celebrated Mass and games with the other 2 Catholic schools on island on Monday, held an all-school spelling bee on Tuesday, had a student exchange with the other schools on Wednesday, had a Math Competition on Thursday, and an Open Mic event on Friday! Are you tired yet? Because I am! Among all of that, we squeezed in volleyball try-outs somewhere. I am really excited to be coaching the girl’s team. We have some excellent talent, even though few of the players have ever had any formal training. Although the “season” is a mere 3.5 weeks, I am excited to be able to lead such with the girls and am contemplating starting a club to run year-round next year. Last Wednesday was our first game, and we won!! Unlike what I am used to at home, the girls expect that everyone on the team will play, including the starting players. It makes my job easy- the play is competitive, but the players on the team treat one another as team members. Geh, who would have thought?
A lot has happened since New Years. A couple weekends ago I had the opportunity to go to Fefan, another island within the Chuuk lagoon, to help administer the Xavier entrance exam to middle school students. Although I was only in Fefan for about 24 hours, I took a lot of insight from my experience there. Fefan is one of the less developed islands in the lagoon with no public power. Living in Chuuk is a constant learning experience for me, and being in Fefan gave me a small chance to get away from the chaos and think. Recently I have found myself thinking often about the differing cross-cultural perceptions of needs and wants. I have always tried to be an open-minded individual, craving to learn about other people’s experiences elsewhere. And while I may be very familiar with western, specifically American, culture, I know that I am still very naïve to life elsewhere. It is one thing to know the fact that people live in poverty- but to understand and conceptualize what it actually means to live in poverty is a totally different story, especially when you consider that the story or profile of “poverty” changes based on where you are.
Growing up, I repeatedly heard the statement, “Be grateful that you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food on your plate.” And while that statement sounds simple, now I feel as if I never really understood it. Or, at least, I understand it differently now. It is simple for a reason. What one needs is simple. Growing up, I slept on a comfortable bed with warm sheets. When I turned 12, I was even granted my own room. And while my family complained that my father would always somehow sneak to lower the AC or turn off the TV in the 5 minutes you happened to be going to the bathroom, I lived in a temperature-controlled house with electronic entertainment. We had a stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator, and freezer. I had a computer to complete my schoolwork, a reliable and technologically up-to-date internet connection, and 24-hour power. I had access to a car when I wanted or needed to get somewhere. My closet and drawers were always filled with enough clothes. I had my own clothes. My family’s pantry was always stocked. My family ate at a table with everyone sitting on chairs. Our house had running and heated water and multiple toilets and showers. If something broke, we usually had it fixed in a timely manner. I attended private school and there was never a thought in my mind after my high school graduation to pursue anything other than college. I went to the doctor at least once a year and got glasses for my minimal nearsightedness. I have held at least one job throughout the year since I turned sixteen and I often felt shafted when I did not receive a raise. Growing up among middle class Americans, my story was not unique.
In visiting my host family down in Penia (where I play volleyball), I have begun to understand a little more about what home life is like here. In Chuuk, a microwave holds a luxury tax. A typical person sleeps on a local mat made of dried coconut leaves and maybe a thin pad because a bed is considered expensive. Family members can all sleep together in a single room, which the next day is the living space for everyone (That’s easy when you don’t have a heavy bed to move). Chairs, mostly plastic, are reserved for the eldest or the “guest.” Most locals do not have ovens- stoves consist of a metal grate put on top of a couple of rocks with a small fire burning underneath. Most bathrooms are holes in the ground. Most showers come from buckets, which to people here is not even “cold” because the concept of heated shower water is pretty much confined to hotels. Some may have a washing machine, but it is only useful when the island grants public power. Schools function on varying levels, from poor to high. The best education seems to remain in the hands of few families. Health care is coin toss- some get it, some do not. Many individuals with vision problems just deal with it and learn to compensate. Finding employment is difficult and therefore, many open their own small businesses to cover costs. And since work is hard to find, some are forced to stick with their jobs even if it means being offered no raise after more than a decade or two of work.
I do not say this to arouse pity or depressed feelings. My local friends for the most part seem content. Their life is what they know and are comfortable with. There are always behind-the-scenes social problems that result in domestic violence, alcoholism, health problems, etc., but the people’s perceptions of what one needs are different. I continue to be taken aback by the ingenuity and resilience of the people I have met here. For as much as I can “teach” them, they teach me as well; their lessons may be more disguised and not straight from a text. Rather, I say all of this to convey my observations because I know that I did not realize some of this six months ago. I reckon it would take far beyond two years, if ever, to fully understand another’s reality because of how deeply imprinted my own upbringing is. Even in Chuuk, I still live in luxury. I have my own room. I have my own bed. I have a laptop, camera, mp3 player, access to an internet connection, refrigerator, microwave, and above all, if I so desired I could pick up everything and head back to my comfortable home in the states. For me, one of my father’s favorite adages holds new meaning now.
In college I often mentioned that I wanted to spend a day just sitting on a street corner in downtown D.C. watching people as they went about their business. While studying sociology out of a textbook has never thrilled me, I have always been observant and entertained by learning about others. And while I am not quite on a street corner in D.C., when you don’t know how to contribute to the language much, you end up just sitting, listening, and watching. I have noticed a significant shift in the way people treat me now around Penia. In my first months here, it was common for me to run or walk by and get laughed at. I just went with it and kept a smile on my face. I was clueless to what was being said and had been told that laughing was a typical reaction by the people here to being uncomfortable or not knowing what to say. Recently, that doesn’t happen so much anymore. People just say hello now and ask me how I am doing and where I am going. Now I can sit down with them for hours and laugh with them, even if little is actually being said. When I do sit down, I am not always the center of attention now. My host mom told me a couple weeks ago that she told her sons that if they heard anyone pestering me that they have to tell them to stop because I am their “auntie” now. The concept of family in Chuukese culture is very strong and provides one’s identity and security.
For the first time last week, a host-cousin of mine (knowing I teach science at Xavier) asked if I could help him with his homework. I of course said sure so he brought out his textbook. Within three minutes of tutoring him, about 12 other people on the family’s compound had circled around us to see and hear what was going on, including a 4 year old girl and a grandmother. I typically draw attention around the compound being a “guest,” but it was fascinating to me how curious everyone was once a textbook came out.
A similar event occurred a couple days later on Xavier’s campus. Occasionally the sons of the maintenance workers will come and hang out around campus. One day two boys probably between the ages of 8 and 10 were hanging around sifting through the pages of the couple of children’s books we have acquired to help with tutoring Sapuk Elementary. It was obvious by the way in which they were turning the pages that they were not actually reading the books. I was in no rush to get anywhere so I crotched down beside one of them and began reading. As I read, I dragged my finger underneath each word I was reading. The boy was quickly enthralled, trying to follow along and turn the pages when I finished reading. I noticed that although his friend was on the other side of the room, I quickly caught his attention also and he walked over and sat beside us so he could also follow along. These are small incidents, but they just emphasize how kids anywhere crave to learn, regardless of the functioning levels of their public schools. Sapuk elementary is one of the lowest-functioning public elementary schools on Weno. They have been attempting to meet half days this year, but it does not always work for many reasons, one principal reason being that the staff do not always show up and therefore the kids also stop showing up. Something that I wanted to do within weeks of stepping foot on Weno was to improve the situation at Sapuk (if anyone remembers that print out of Micronesian schools I showed people before I left, Sapuk was the photo where the kids sat on the ground in front of small tables in a water-filled classroom). This semester we have managed to set up at tutoring program between Xavier and Sapuk. Every morning for about 45 minutes, 10 Xavier students go down to the elementary school and tutor the students in English. The first day the turnout was low, but within a week we had about 20 students per class showing up. Although it is a short time each day, hopefully it will have positive effects as the Sapuk students continue to show up.
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A couple weekends ago was the annual “Dance Night,” and, in case you didn’t already know, it’s a big deal. I say that somewhat sarcastically, but also seriously. The enthusiasm of the students here is often over-the-top; I often find myself laughing at the pure innocence and ridiculousness to which some of the students here become so wrapped up in the excitement of an “event.” But at the same time, such enthusiasm is beautiful, awesome, and special. It makes me recognize how many opportunities I had growing up. Maybe an example would be best used to explain this. At my high school, there were at least 3 major dances throughout the school year. I went out with my friends weekly, either to the movies, to a football or basketball game, or just to a friend’s house to hang out. There was always something going on. Hence, when there is only one dance each year, it is a big deal. There are not many healthy options for teenagers and young adults to get together socially in Chuuk, which contributes to many of the social problems. Dance Night was fun and so different from any dance I went to in high school. The students decorated the “gym” with toilet paper, coconut leaves, and a couple balloons. “Dancing” is even somewhat different. Everyone gets a partner for each song and once each song stops, everyone scatters off the dance floor. Many students asked me to be their partners. Even the school’s director, a middle-aged priest, was out on the dance floor with the students. And the students were all for it. There was no grinding i.e. there was ample room for the Holy Spirit. It was fun to see the students so enthused and willing to be involved with the teachers. I appreciated how the students were excited to see us there and encouraged our involvement. I guess we do somewhat play the big brother, big sister roles here since the vast majority of the students are away from their families, but overall it was refreshing. It was the first time I actually got to dance since leaving the states and I have to say that is something I truly miss about American social culture.
Well, before I wrap up I want to share with you some of the exciting news Xavier received recently. The bidding to redo the road that stretches around about 9 miles of Weno went through a couple weeks ago. The project is scheduled to start within the next four months and last about three years. Although the road will start about 1 mile from Xavier, it will be a large benefit to the Weno community- and probably cut the trip downtown in half, as well as increase the lifespan of vehicles here by years. Secondly, a grant through Japan just went through to donate 2/3 of the cost of building a student center at Xavier. The plans include a small computer lab, an office for the Student Senate, a tutoring area, etc. And lastly, a Japanese company has agreed to donate a bus to Xavier. This is excellent news since we rely on 2 buses to drive the girls to and from school each day. Due to the condition of the roads here, the buses we have right now are struggling! They often die and get a flat tire about 50% of the time they are driven.
So things are looking up. Thanks again to everyone who has generously supported me in my work here in Chuuk. I hope everyone back home is enjoying the cold and snow in some capacity. It is still warm and beautiful here....I miss all of and look forward to hearing from you.
Peace.
Steph
