Off to Moch!

Ok, everyone - I'm heading out to Moch tomorrow morning. I've been fully warned that the boat ride will be pretty terrible, but also beautiful. I won't have any internet until August - so enjoy your July's! Enjoy some fireworks on the 4th for me and happy birthday dad! (of course really early). Love you
-Steph

School’s Out For Summer

I can honestly say that I do not know where April and May (and now June) went. April disappeared and May went almost too fast. With finals finishing around the 20th and graduation on the 23rd, there was a lot to celebrate – 32 graduates, the completion of my first year teaching, 10 (now 11) months away from home, etc. Let’s just say that with all of the boys heading back to their homes, as well as about half the staff, the hustle and bustle of Xavier quickly turned into a quiet boredom with lots of board game playing and reading. I’m still trying to appreciate the boredom, knowing what it could be if school was in session or if I was elsewhere. I finished reading the Pillars of the Earth – 973 pages. So if you know me well, you probably know that the longest book I read before coming to Micronesia was about 400 pages. My poor mother used to have to lock me in her room to read my summer reading growing up and I still wouldn’t read it. Ha ha somehow I always still did well. But to say the least, reading has never been my most favorite of hobbies. I have really tried to motivate myself here to read and I am starting to like it more. I am now reading its sequel – A World Without End. And with that book, once I finish it, I will finally be able to claim I have read a book longer than 1000 pages. (I recommend the Pillars of the Earth if you are looking for a good book).

Graduation was a great experience. Besides trying to keep ourselves blind to any seniors being stupid the last week, I truly enjoyed the graduation festivities. The week before graduation the staff prepared a dinner for the seniors. It was special in the sense that they got to eat in the “staff area,” all of the food was prepared by the staff, and we served them. Some of them asked for multiple cups of water just to capitalize on the notion of us tending to their very needs. It was great to sit down and enjoy their company. It’s sad to think I will probably not see many of them for a long time, if ever again. Then we presented the 2009 Bad Azz Awards – it was a big hit. They were basic superlatives written on paper certificates each attached to a roll of toilet paper. They loved it.

The Wednesday before graduation all of the seniors’ parents were invited up to campus for a barbecue prepared by the rest of the students. It was pretty cool to see the students dig up huge holes and make fire pits to cook long links of hot dogs strung through coconut “rope.” Remember, I live in Micronesia so allowing our students to play with fire isn’t received the same way it would be at home. These kids walk around with machetes only a daily basis. Ha ha In Pohnpei parents have to give written statements if they don’t want their students using machetes. Ironic, eh?

The Baccalaureate Mass was held at the cathedral since Xavier’s chapel isn’t large enough to fit everyone. Because of transportation the staff got dropped at the church about 3 hours early and then the mass started, oh say, 1 hour late so it was just one long afternoon. But the students looked pretty sophisticated with their silver and black suits and dresses. Graduation was the next morning. If only I could convey to you what graduation was really like. It was an overcast rainy day – and half of the staff still got burned. I swear this must be the only place in the world that you can sit under a tent on a rainy day and still get burned! Anyway, the seniors convinced the director to “roll” in to the ceremony on the school’s bus. Half of them wearing shades, they entered to the traditional graduation hymn after the bus honked enough to indicate their “esteemed arrival.” I just recall my own high school graduation and how strict it was. We weren’t allowed to wear flip flops – of course that didn’t apply here and our shoes were not even supposed to have a certain size heel. We definitely weren’t allowed to wear sunglasses. Anyways, the attire lended itself to a comfortable atmosphere. At any point in time during the ceremony, people would approach the graduates and “mar mar” them. The mar mar phenomenon was incredible – I mean really big time J. By the end of the ceremony some students must have had 50 or more mar mars around their neck, literally covering their entire face. And the ones made of money were the coolest. Although the money ones were rare, most of them were made of $1 bills. However, one student had one made of $5 and $10 bills. I looked at her and said, “Be careful with that. That’s more than most of us make in a month!” She just giggled and nodded. The two student speakers were the valedictorian and the salutatorian. They both did well – except for at the “end” of the valedictorian speech, she invited the salutatorian back up to help her “introduce” individually all of the other graduates. So one by one they took turns talking about each person. It was nice I guess for maybe the first three or four, but then it turned into – “This is ________. He is the cool guy…” And 40 minutes later, they finished. Wow! That was exhausting, although entertaining. I would say at least 3 students broke out into dancing when introduced – apparently very typical of a Micronesian graduation. I would have never had the guts to do that at my graduation. The reception wasn’t until night– to give the families (host families in most cases) of the graduates time to prepare food. Oh my gosh, there was soo much food! I think Josh talked about how big the graduation feast would be for weeks before graduation, but never did I expect a 60 foot food line. I would say the best part of graduation would have to be that we got to eat turtle multiple times. If you know anything about me, you know I am not a seafood eater, but turtle is delicious.

The week before the 2nd year JVI’s headed out, Katie, Josh, Meg and I decided to go snorkeling. Meg decided to “test” whether or not her camera was really waterproof and it worked so we got some decent pictures of the sites we saw. Although they aren’t the best pictures of the underwater life I have seen, they give you a taste of the wrecks from WW2. It’s crazy to think that I have passed over the wrecks multiple times in boats and had no idea. But we got to see an overturn boat, a submarine, and a plane. The boat was snapped in half and we could only see about half of it since the other half was too deep to see. The overall visibility was great. The boat driver drove us over a tanker as well. He told us it was a little secret since normally you have to pay more to go over that spot. I think he said it was 30 meters deep but we could see it pretty easily. It is supposed to be the best site for divers to go to since it is easy to swim through.

Then the big event to start off June was the ordination. I think I heard about the ordination for at least three months before it actually happened. One priest from one of the outer islands of Chuuk (Polowat) was being ordained and it was a big deal – really big time J. I have never seen so many Chuukese people in one spot. It was a neat Mass to watch, with Micronesian-style processions and such. After the mass was another feast with dancing. I didn’t get to see any of the dancing because I headed to volleyball and there were too many people to see anyway. But some people voted the feast the best they had had in Micronesia – all you can eat lobster is pretty good for seafood lovers I guess. So the picture of the nice and crisp pig is from the feast. I’m not actually sure how we got invited into the feast. It was announced as a lunch for special guests, but being a JVI on the island somewhat makes you a “special guest” wherever you go – even if you don’t want that label. Anyways, Polowat is a more traditional island and the guests from Polowat stayed at Saram while they were on island. So some of the men still went shirtless and only wear thuu’s – the wrap that looks somewhat like a skirt – when they were hanging around Saram.

The same day as the Ordination was a musical festival downtown. This might have been one of maybe a couple possible public social events through out the year. It was pretty cool – 4 local bands played a mixture of Chuukese and American music. A good night of dancing and time to hang out with local friends – on that note, its nice to say I finally have a mini social life among locals. While that in essence means something very different than what I am used to at home, it is still a good feeling to know I have made some true connections with local people that are about my age.

Last week was Re-O/Dis-O, the annual JVI retreat for either mid or end of service. It was held on Pisar – the paradise island if you remember me mentioning it previously. Well a hidden paradise that is. Not many tourists know about it – nor do many locals even make it there in their lifetime of living in the islands. I have had the great opportunity to visit Pisar a couple times. Re-O/Dis-O was 5 days and focused on spending time with the other JVI’s in Micronesia to reflect on the year and how we had struggled and grown. It was relaxing and a good time for reflection and renewal. While I truly have loved my experience thus far in the Nesia, it is always helpful to set aside time to think about why I am here and what I am doing here. It is a much more complicated issue than “to teach Biology and Chemistry” - I guess one that after 5 days of thought still leaves me with great questions.

Two of the JVI Program Staff, ie my bosses, visited to lead Re-O/Dis-O, and I invited them to watch my volleyball game on the day we got back from Pisar. Hence, it was the perfect time to get pictures at volleyball. I am usually shy to bring my camera down to Penia. The kids love it when I do, but it just brings me too much attention since there might only be one other person in the whole village who has a digital camera. Not to mention, then I always get this feeling that they want me to develop the photos for them. But the “tourists” taking pictures at the game would be acceptable and almost expected. I guess Robin said it well when he said it’s okay to take pictures on the first and the last day, otherwise its sufficiently awkward. So I passed my camera off to them and they took pictures of me playing with my local team. I actually played really well that day, which was nice since it was the first time I brought guests. And my team won. This week is playoffs so we will see how my team does.

To say the least, the last month has been summed up with countless trips to the airport and A LOT of goodbyes or “see you laters.” The 2 Jesuit scholastics finished their 2 year tour and headed out, along with the Peace Corp, the principal (a former JV), the 2 JVI’s and all of the students. There’s a lot of come and go at Xavier. Right now, I am one of 9 people living on campus so now we feel like a comparably small group. It’s kind of exciting that come August and September we will get a whole new group of volunteers.

And I guess I can’t head out without giving a note on my summer plans. As of right now, I plan on heading out to an island called Moch in the Mortlocks within the next week or so. Its over a day to get there by boat – but most likely that’s the way I’ll go at least one of the legs because it is much cheaper. I am really excited about the boat ride, although I know parts of it won’t be great. It is generally crowded and most people get seasick. But I can only imagine how beautiful a trip it will be. I will be teaching English to the summer school at the high school. There is only one high school out that way and no native English speakers at the school. The island is much more traditional and less developed than Weno i.e. no power and no internet. So throughout July, I will pretty much be out of contact. But don’t worry. There are satellite phones and such in case of emergencies. I will be staying with a family and probably thinking and reading A LOT! J So Happy birthday a little early Dad!! I love you! (And Happy Father's Day!)

Moch will be a great experience and I can’t wait to share it with you. I am really enjoying my time here as I near the finish of my first year. But I miss you all and welcome updates anytime! I hope everyone is doing well and I’d love to hear from you.

P.S. A shout out to June birthday’s – Maddie, Becca, Urse, and Kelly – I have surprises in route but not on American time.

Grandma's Back Porch - Happy Mother's Day

Sorry this took forever to post. I had it written in January, but Chuuk internet connections are not quite the most reliable. Enjoy.

Grandma’s Back Porch
By Stephanie Osborne, 2009

The swift breeze blew past my face. The current rolled past me.
Wisps of hair tickled my cheek. The rays of sun blinded me.
There was a rumble in the distance,
A jagged white line of crashing waves.
I walked slowly, feeling the dense, sharp coral below my feet.
The waters became stronger, knocking my legs off balance.
I looked down and between my feet sat a beautiful cowry shell.
It was more beautiful than any other shell I had ever found on the shore,
With its white background and dark speckles, polished and smooth,
Like the kind you find in a store.
It reminded me of the shiny cowry that used to sit on my Grandma’s back porch.
I know I was smiling. I picked it up, feeling special.
As I turned to show it to my friend, the wave knocked me.
The perfect cowry slipped between my fingers and fell,
Back into the reef below my feet.
I panicked. Hunting for it, the waves knocked me into the reef.
It was gone, camouflaged within the earth tones beneath me.
I walked away disappointed.
As I walked along the sands the next morning, the reef surprised me.
There it was.
Its brown and white speckled back slightly emerging from the dried out sand-
Polished and perfect.
I picked it up, held it tightly in my hand,
And thought, “Mom will love this.”

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
I know this isn’t the first Mother’s Day I haven’t been home to celebrate with you, but hopefully you can feel my love and appreciation for you as much this year as any other. The shell in the package is the one from the poem. It is not only the most beautiful shell I have found in Micronesia, but it also holds sentimental meaning. Maybe it will even remind you of the cowry shell your mother kept on her back porch, also. That’s why it was so special to me when I found it back in December. She was the first person I thought of and then it became very obvious whom I would save it for – you. Happy Mother’s Day to you both. I love you.

To Mom, Aunt Caroline, Monica, Jenn, Aimee, Aunt Anne, Aunt Rhonda, Aunt Deborah, Josie, Sandy, Nana, Aunt Sally, Aunt Sue, Aunt Linda, Aunt Colleen, Ms. Hanlon, Ms. Cindy, Marcia, Gayle, Wendy, Donna, and Diane, and any other Mom out there, I wish you a happy and relaxing day. You are the unsung heroines of our world.

PWA PWA BIRTHDAY MOM!

Happy Birthday to one of the most special people in the world. I love you!
-Steph
P.S. Happy early birthday to Ruby too!

2nd Semester in a nutshell

So I need to catch everyone up on a lot! Sorry I have been putting off finishing this blog for a while. I guess that’s a good sign of being more present here in Weno. Regardless a lot has gone on in the semester that’s worth sharing. I think I know where to start…It all started one ordinary Wednesday- it was a lab day, which meant that I started extra early to prep the lab with all of the equipment that would be needed by the students that day. I had forgotten that the last lab day I had left early for a volleyball game and had one of the new volunteers substitute, therefore some of the materials were left out. Never trusting that things that have been left out are clean, I walked over to the wash bucket that is typically poured out after each lab. There was still soapy-looking water in the bucket, so while it crossed my mind to get fresh water, I justified that it wasn’t necessary since there were only a couple things to wash – especially since this was during the dead of the dry season and the main building and the lab had run out of running water. Otherwise, I would have had to go to the other end of campus to carry rain water. So I threw in a couple of beakers and stuck my hand in the get them. Unfortunately, the first thing I grabbed felt furry and squishy – obviously not a glass beaker. My first thought was, “what did the students put in here?” So as I poured out some of the water, I was immediately nauseated by the pungent smell of the water, and then my worst nightmare came true. I saw the tail and the hind leg and almost vomited. I had accidentally picked up a dead rat! Ugh! The thought, even still weeks later gives me the chills. Maybe I was traumatized. I immediately doused my hand with soap but of course there was no water to clean off the soap .So I walked out, probably looking as if I had seen a ghost or something supernatural, because all of the students realized there was something wrong. I told them what happened and how disgusted I was. The girls thought it was disgusting also. Most of the boys laughed, but actually later came to help dispose of the rat. Let’s just say I spent about an hour that day bleaching the lab. Meanwhile, a couple students continued to tease me I would catch some horrible disease. Well, that day set me up for the next rat experiences.

As I mentioned, some of the boys were entertained by my disliking for rats so a couple days later, I walked into class after one of the junior boys “warned” me that they were starting a prank war with me. There was a box of chocolates sitting on my desk. So I lifted the top and inside was a dead rat, bleeding from its mouth. Well, at least this one was easier to dispose. I guess my reaction wasn’t good enough for them so a couple days later, there was a brown paper bag with my name on it in the lab. The girls were pointing with worried looks so I knew something was off base. Next thing I knew, the bag tipped over a live rat crawled out. I jumped back and one of the boys (the one who had previously warned me about the prank war) came to “the rescue,” throwing a textbook on the rat. Blood started to ooze from its mouth. While they enjoy my initial reaction, after the rat was dead, they could tell I was not so happy. I sent a student to go get some bleach. The next day a bunch of the students complained when they walked into class because they said it smelled like poop. I agreed it smelled pretty putrid, but playing the teacher role, I just settled everyone down to start class. Within a couple of minutes I discovered a dead frog in a box at the front of the class. The rats, well, they actually live inside the lab, but the frog was more than an intentional setup. Let’s just say I told the student responsible that if he brought me one more dead animal, I would report him. It has been over a month now and no more dead animals so I guess in some ways I won the “prank war.

In the middle of February, I set out to Pisar with the 3 new Australian volunteers and 2 volunteers from Saramen, plus a visiting mom and grandma. We intended on leaving between 8-9 am to try and avoid the rising tides and windy current, but working on Micronesian time, we left at least an hour late. I noticed shortly after heading out that the boat ride was more rough than previous boat rides I had been on, but still thought little of it. We seemed to be traveling at a decent pace, and while my butt was continuously being slammed into the boat deck, I was not quite drenched yet. Rather, I was casually laughing at the reactions of the new volunteers as the swells from the water poured onto them- they happened to be sitting in the unpredictably “unlucky” seats. Within a couple of minutes, the driver stopped and consulted in Chuukese with his relatives, mutually deciding to detour slightly to avoid hitting the current straight on. Then we took a pit stop at another island, when our drivers switched. I guess the first driver wasn’t up for the drive- it wasn’t a smooth ride so it required more concentration, liking driving a car during a hurricane. We proceeded for about another couple hundred meters before a huge swell crashed over the boat drenching everyone. Within a minute, the driver stopped at communicated that it was becoming dangerous and we should not go any farther towards Pisar. As we got farther out into the lagoon, the swells would only get worse. So we decided to turn around. We stopped again at a small island and began to converse what the best course of action would be. Ignoring the possible disappointment people felt at that point, we decided to take our odds at visiting Eooaan, the “Bishop’s Island.” Essentially the land is owned by the Catholic church and we had not spoken to any of the local priests before going so we were skeptical if it was appropriate to just show up at an island that is typically reserved for retreats. We went to the island and nobody was there. Sometimes someone stays to do upkeep. So luckily someone was able to get a cell phone signal and got a hold of the Bishop’s office, and he granted us permission. We decided we would stay for the night and get picked up the following day. It was somewhat of an adventure- a little more of a rugged setup, we started to joke about how bad this could turn out since none of us had a cell phone and technically nobody at Xavier knew where we were. Either way we enjoyed a fresh cut watermelon that one of the new volunteers cut off a vine, not knowing that taking food one someone else’s land is very frowned upon here and thought of as stealing. In some ways, ignorance is bliss. We walked around the whole island collecting shells and enjoying conversation. The other side of the island was remarkably beautiful. Rocks jutted out of the water and the sun reflected off the water. The view of the other islands in the distance made a beautiful backdrop and my pictures do not do a justice to how wonderful it was. We taught the new Australians how to play mafia and we all learned a little about each other. That night we learned why people say Eooan is the island of the mosquitos. They were pretty unfriendly during the night & poor Joe’s feet almost looked speckled by the next morning. It was until the following afternoon that it started to feel as if maybe we were playing “gilligan’s Island.” After lunch we started cleaning up and waiting for our driver to show up. Well, 2:30 came and went…so did 3:00, 3:30, 4:00…and I knew everyone was thinking it, but nobody wanted to say it. Were we going to end up stranded on Eooan? Only our ride knew we were here. We had no more food and almost no more water. We wanted patiently, hoping that our ride was just running on Micronesian time. Well, finally more than 2 hours after our scheduled departure, the boat came. Relief! Another night on Eooan wouldn’t have been so bad, but I think people would have started to get cranky without food, water, or any real knowledge of how we were going to get back. Well, I didn’t mention before, but I always felt iffy about this trip. I debated going the week prior and was very close to staying home. At first I thought my intuitions were because of the rocky ride there, then I wondered if it was because of the worry over the ride home, but I was so naïve. The reason I had a bad intuition was really because of what happened after I stepped foot back on Weno. As I was stepping out of the boat (it’s usually more comfortable to take off sandals on a boat when you are cramped together), I stepped backwards without looking. There was about a foot wide region cut out of the dock that I didn’t notice. So as I started to stumble, which if you know we well you know I love to do, my foot felt for the next part of land. The boat driver held out his hand. I grabbed it, throwing me even more off balance. Unfortunately the first thing my foot reached was a piece of twisted rusted rebar sticking out of the dock. As I fell backward, the rebar jabbed into the bottom of my foot, puncturing it pretty good and deep. For as many times as I have fallen, I would have to say that this was the most pain I have been in since I got my face bashed in when I was in 8^th grade taking a foul ball to the mouth. I could not walk since the heel of my foot had blood gushing from the bottom of it so two people supported me as I limped across the street to my friends’ apartment. Of course this had to happen right as Mass was getting out on Sunday night so as I staggered across the Church parking lot, I saw people pointing and looking at me with glares of disgust. The girl supporting me told me she heard one group comment on how drunk I must have been. Great! Of course, that’s exactly what was wrong! (Complete sarcasm if you can’t tell). As if drinking and drunkenness were not already stigmatized enough in Weno. But, of course that’s not what I cared about at that point in time - I was in so much pain that I just wanted to make it inside. So I screamed a little in agony and maybe shed 2 tears, but ended up on crutches for 2 weeks and off running for a month. Now I know why my intuition was trying to keep me home. Looking back, Eooan was still worth it.

So for about half the volleyball season I was confined to crutches – even still I really enjoyed the experiences coaching. My team came out with a winning season, and I think ended 3^rd in the league of say, 6 or 7 teams. Oh how quickly did I realize that a high school sport in Micronesia is nothing like the high school sports I played in high school. We would practice an average of about 30 minutes a day, in comparison to the 2-3 hour practices I would have in high school. And while I came prepared with a list of practice drills, those quickly went out the window for the most part. All in all, the girls had fun, which is all that matters. We had the opportunity to order jerseys, which rarely happens for these kids, so it was really a big deal – even though they arrived well after our 3 weeks of games ended. Our end of the year party consisted of watching Juno, 2 pizzas, a bag of fries, chips and soda (for 15 girls) but somehow everyone ended up full. It was like the loaves and the fish I guess.

In mid-March, I helped lead the freshmen Community Service Project on Weno. While the album of pictures I just sent out just a few pictures from this, there should be more to come. All of the freshmen (about 50 students) stayed with host families from one village, provided entertainment for them on one night, and spent a day cleaning the local public elementary school. I stayed in one of the host families with 2 female students. I really enjoyed the experience, even though my abilities with Chuukese left conversation limited for the most part. But I learned how to make Chuukese donuts, which was pretty cool. It was also nice to spend some time with a family that I see every weekend at Mass, but have little communication with beyond that. The first night, since it hadn’t rained in a couple weeks, we had to walk a block or so to the village well to shower. Well, I guess the girls were in for a surprise when this happened. One of them, while ethnically Chuukese, actually grew up in Hawaii, and I would imagine has experienced a fair amount of culture shock living in Weno, while the other I imagine is from a wealthier family in Chuuk based on her reaction to this experience. When we got there, to the well with the bucket that is. Our host retrieved a bucket full of water for the 3 of us to shower and offered to hold our clothes. However, there was absolutely no privacy. The bucket sat on the edge of a path, which people occasionally walked past, and a group of men sat outside conversing at the top of the path. The girls were convinced the men were watching us, so I had to play the confident teacher card and convince them they weren’t. One of the girls eventually turned to me and in a desperate voice said, “Ms. Steph, I just can’t shower naked.” So I handed her my skirt and took one for the team. I must say it was a little awkward showering naked in front of 2 students, but I guess they were more concerned with other people watching them and grateful for the skirt than with the fact that I was with them. It was pitch black and by the reaction of our hosts, I imagine that, to the locals, us showering there just wasn’t a big deal.

The entertainment night was excellent. The students prepared 6 dances and then the village and our students held a dance-off. I was so impressed by these kids dancing abilities. I swear one of our junior students could be a professional break-dancer (if those exist). He just blew everyone away.

Two weekends ago was the big annual track and field competition. Since there are not really any college competitions for athletics in Micronesia, this is one of the competitions used to narrow down runners to potentially send to international competitions. My host brother actually won the 100-meter dash and will be heading to Germany in the summer – a great opportunity for him. The events included 1-mile relays, a “marathon” (a 6 mile run for the girls and a 12 mile run for the boys), and a whole host of other relays and sprints. I would venture to say that this might be the only place where a track and field competition includes a coconut husking and basket weaving competition, both of which were very exciting and competitive events. Could you believe that girls could weave a basket out of coconut leaves in less than two minutes? The students had a half-day on Thursday and no school on Friday. Then the principal treated everyone for their notable sportsmanship with a “free day” on Monday. I.e. CLASSES CANCELLED! I think the teachers liked this surprise as much as the students. The whole school has been practicing during “free time” (4:15-5:00) everyday since the end of February since the majority of the students in the school had to participate in the races. Even still a lot of students were not physically prepared for the mid-day heat here (who could be?). Many people fainted – literally collapsed right before finish lines or right after - and even one of our students was sent to the hospital for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. The marathon started at 5 am to avoid such heat. But in the end it was a super exciting day. With lots of cheering, jumping up and down, and eventually, sore voices. While it was a long day, I now see why the students get so excited about it. I won’t lie – I think the staff relay was one of the more exciting relays of the day. I started for our team (a relay of 8 runners- 4 male, 4 female). When I tossed the baton, we were in second…but then one of our runners fell and another dropped the baton, putting us in last. Our last 2 runners, Meg and Joe, “really chased big time” as the students would say and our one competitor fell right before the finish line giving us first place. The students were roaring with excitement. And actually our win gave us enough points to put our school in 3^rd place. It was a great almost-ending to the day.

I recently decided where I would be for the summer. I had a couple of options to go to “more remote” islands, but I decided to stay on Weno with my host family in Penia. I figured that if I went elsewhere there would be just enough time to overcome feeling awkward before I would be leaving again. It just made sense to stay where I have already developed some relationships. So I may still go to another island for about a week, but for the rest of the summer, I will be staying on Weno, most likely teaching math and English. Plus a couple of my host cousins asked me to stay to compete in their village volleyball and running teams over the summer. I can’t tell you how good they have been to me here so far. In fact, my host mom said something to me last weekend that really struck me. I can’t remember exactly how it came up, but it had something to do with my brother living in Haiti. She commented that people think Chuukese are poor, but they just don’t understand our life. She said, “We are rich. We are rich in natural resources. We have the sea, filled with fish. We have our land, filled with breadfruit, taro, and coconut. Nobody goes hungry here.” It just made me think about how different people perceive poverty differently. What is poverty anyway? Can it be socially constructed? I continue to be thrown by some of these questions, going back to my back a ways back about the perceptions of needs and wants. Just some things to think about -

So I guess to end I’ll leave you with something one of my students said to me recently that made me laugh. One of my sophomores came to me asking for an extra copy of a study guide. In an effort to instill responsibility, I gave him a skeptical look and asked, “Why?” He said he didn’t get one, but knowing that was not true, I told him I knew he got one. He succumbed to me and said, “Ms. Steph, it cursed me. I swear. My paper cursed me I had to tear it up.” Well, if anything, he worked hard for that excuse.

So sorry I am a slacker in writing these more regularly and instead just write novels when I finally sit down to do it. I hope you enjoyed anyway. As always, I miss you all and hope everything is going well as you are beginning to get some nicer, warm weather. GRADUATION IS IN THREE WEEKS! And then I am basically a year in!! Crazy! Peace.

-Steph

Natural Pearl

It’s not uncommon that I don’t know what is necessarily going on when I am visiting my host family. I sometimes follow along and smile, even though I am clueless as to what is being planned or discussed. Well, here’s an example where I wish I knew what was happening. My host mom had asked me to visit last Sunday and I was trying to avoid doing any real work anyway after hearing some not so fun news from home, so I headed down to Penia. The children down in Penia always make me laugh, relax, and bring me back to the good old days of innocent fun. Well, a particular boy down in Penia has been trying to talk to me a lot recently. He doesn’t speak much English and I don’t speak much Chuukese- you can imagine how far our conversations go. I met some of the girls that I typically visit and they invited me inside their meeting house. They looked excited, more excited than normal, but I just smiled back knowing I could not actually communicate much with them. They looked as if they were waiting for something so I just sat Indian-style on the tile floor and waited. I remember being very uncomfortable, now that we are starting Chuukese “summer” (as if it isn’t summer all the time). Eventually more cousins showed up, including the particular boy. People started singing in Chuukese, which is also fairly common and no reason to become suspicious. So I hummed along not really knowing the words, smiling back at forth and occasionally playing peek-a-boo with the identical twins in my host family. After about 10 minutes, one of the girls stood up and directed me to follow. So I got up and walked behind her towards the front of the meeting house. They pulled out a plastic chair and had me sit in it. This seems to always happen- and it still makes me feel as uncomfortable as it did the very first time it happened. Everyone around me remained on the floor and I was granted a chair as if I am royalty. I sat down and within a couple minutes the boy that seems to want to make smile talk approached. He first handed me a couple unripe mangos- a great treat. I graciously accepted with a smile, responding “Kinisou chapur” (thank you very much). At this point I did not feel as if I was the center of attention to anyone except maybe this certain someone. Then he pulled what looked like local rope from his pocket. He held it out to me and as normal, I accepted. Once I held it in my hand, I looked at it more closely and noticed that it was woven coconut husk with some sort of stone. It was a natural pearl- beautiful and probably very expensive, with a natural, but unpolished shine. I immediately felt awkward wondering if I should have accepted it after all. He motioned that he wanted to tie it to my wrist, so knowing that it is rude here to decline offers of hospitality and gifts, I allowed him. As he cautiously tied the rope around my left wrist and spoke words I did not understand. I smiled and nodded out of ignorance and people around me smiled and cheered Micronesian-style. It was only moments later that I realized that I had just promised myself for marriage i.e. was basically engaged. So I have made some cultural faux pas before, but at this point, all I could think about was how I was going to get myself out of this one. Obviously I could pull the dumb American card, but I have a feeling that would come with more consequences this time. So I actually have done nothing about this yet. I had to leave Penia before it became dark and I didn’t even want to attempt to explain myself and end up “running out of time.” So technically right now I have a Chuukese husband to-be. And while “our” conversations may only be a few sentences so far, I have a long supply of mangos and coconuts coming my way, as well as a beautiful pearl bracelet. I hope you sense my sarcasm. Anyways, if any of you have any thoughts on what I should do let me know. As smart as I am, I was dumb enough to get myself into this one so I hope you enjoyed my April Fool’s! It isn’t quite as good as the cockroach eggs in my skin, but I was lacking creativity! I thought about breaking my leg and heading to Guam but I didn’t want to jinx myself either….

I didn’t think it was too far fetched to get engaged without knowing it. I actually worried this might somehow happen- it kind of did to another volunteer in real life. So that’s a story to tell sometime. As for me I did play a couple April fools jokes today. I gave an April fool’s quiz in Chemistry. It had very difficult questions but in the format of what we had been studying (Lewis Dot Structures and Molecular Shapes). The directions included reading through the whole quiz. Of course, the last line mentioned to “Raise your hand silently to ask a question with only your name written at the top to receive an extra credit point and the real quiz.” Well 29 out of 31 students got it. 2 were fooled! One kept getting frustrated as he would raise his hand and say, “Ms. Steph, this is too hard. You didn’t teach this.” Then, he would turn his paper over and start drawing. I proceeded to turn his paper back over and tell him to read the directions. This probably happened at least 6 times. Meanwhile giggles came from the other students and he still had no clue. Another student found the first quiz “fun” since the problems were intense. This is the same student that inquired about the string theory earlier in the year, a theory related to advanced quantum physics. Needless to say, both laughed a slightly frustrated laugh when I pointed it out to them with a little more hints.

The students are always inquiring about the faculty’s “boyfriends” or “girlfriends.” They make up that certain individuals are dating, even though nobody is, but of course they enjoy starting drama. So I asked if they wanted to see a picture of my fiancée and I told them he proposed yesterday, pointing out that it would have been 2 days before April Fool’s. (I picked someone who is attractive and already known as “a friend of mine” by the students.) They screamed, ran up to my desk and started railroading me with questions. I guessed I tested my lying skills because only a couple thought it was actually an April Fool’s joke. The other’s were asking if they could go to the wedding and what was the date. The best line of the day came when one student asked for a copy of his picture. My response was, “No, I’m not giving you a picture so you can idolize my fiancée!” Now, even the ones who thought I might be fibbing turned the corner. The classes ended with girls begging to have a picture of him and actually one girl stealing the picture and running out of class with it. She eventually returned it and then I quietly whispered in her ear, “April Fool’s!” She stomped her foot and said, “Can I still have his picture?” Oh, high school students.

I hope you all had some innocent fun as well this April Fool’s….Don’t worry I am not going to marry a Micronesian T (well probably….hehe). Miss you. Peace
-Steph

Random thoughts

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