a little privacy please

Sorry that it has been so long since I’ve been able to post an entry; we have been in a state of transition ever since the recent tragedy.  We were supposed to have moved out to our placements on August 8^th but instead, we stayed in Kolonia for an additional week.  Thankfully, we were able to stay together as a group while we tried to understand what we were feeling and adapt to our new reality.  I don’t want to dwell too much on the sad things but I do want to say that the support extended by the community has been tremendous and extremely thoughtful.  Several hundred dollars were raised by the DOE and other organizations to support Becky’s funeral services and many strangers have approached me to express their condolences.  Additionally, our host families were very gracious to continue to support us in their homes while we cleared our heads.  Although our group will never be quite the same again, our lives have regained some sense of normalcy thanks to the many caring individuals around us. 

A view from Cupid's Restaurant on one of the last days before we moved to our placements.  Sokeh's Island is in the center.

So, a week later than expected (August 15^th), Gabrielle and I moved out to our placement in Kitti.  This is the day that seniors started class, and since we thought that we’d be teaching seniors, we thought that we would be missing the first few days of school.  As it turns out, Gabrielle is teaching Language Arts to freshmen and sophomores and I am teaching Algebra I and Geometry to sophomores and juniors, so we’ll be starting school on time on the 22^nd.  Unfortunately, there are not enough teachers at our school so the administration was forced to get rid of 4^th block.  We are using this time instead to conference with the local teachers in mutually beneficial way – we’ll be able to learn how to become more than just novice teachers and in return we will be able to teach them what we know about subjects they have never taught before. 

A view from my couch at the ladder up to the bedroom.  The kitchen is on the right.

Our house has been very interesting to get used to.  The walls are made out of lattice work covered with mosquito netting, there’s about a foot gap between the top of the wall and the thatched roof, and I’m pretty sure that if you looked at the house from the street, you would be able to see everything that we’re doing at any time.  Because of this openness, I actually felt cold for the first time since I’ve been in Pohnpei.  It happened early in the morning, around 7am, lasted around an hour, and was glorious.  Very soon afterwards, I was back to sweating through my shirts and looking like a wet mess.  Another effect of having a house that is fully integrated with the jungle is the intrusion of many jungle creatures.  Despite our concerted efforts to wash dishes immediately after using them, our kitchen is covered with ants.  I’ve actually eaten a lot of them because they weren’t able to jump off of my spoon in time.  Additionally, we’ve begun to notice more and more cockroaches that not only appear unexpectedly but disappear even more suddenly.  Since they are capable of flight, this is a very unnerving occurrence….WHERE DID IT GO?? DEAR GOD, IT’S NOT ON ME IS IT????

Believe it or not, this is a candid picture of Gabrielle as she struggles to deal with her deathly fear of spiders.

Gabrielle and I have also invented a system of rating the spiders around the house so that we know what threat level we are currently at.  Stage 1 spiders are the size of the biggest ones you will see back home – about the size of a dime.  Stage 2 spiders are large enough that you can start to see some of their anatomy clearly but are mostly nothing to worry about.  Stage 3 is big enough to give you a scare if you saw one but are too small and numerous to go around killing them.  There is one happily sitting on his web above me right now.  Stage 4 will scare the bejeezus out of you and are capable of making webs that span five or six feet across your kitchen… When he stopped by, I asked my host brother, Nadaniel, how to get rid of one of these guys and he proceeded to snatch it out of the air with his hand and throw it outside.  While I was commenting on Nadaniel’s bravery, I watched the same spider run across my feet, under the door, and back into the house where it remade the web by the next day.  Stage 5 spiders are the ones you see at the zoo and until last night, the ranking was just theoretical.  I spotted one in my bathroom while I was on the toilet – I guess you could say it scared the shit out of me.  Five inch wing span, hairy, and capable of eating adult human beings.  The picture might not do it justice, and I concede that it may be possible for spiders to get larger, but c’mon, how am I supposed to feel comfortable getting naked in my bathroom when I know that thing is looking at me?

We named him Hairy.  I don't have the heart to kill him - he seems friendly enough.

For now, I am off to make another dinner of rice ($25 for 25 lbs!) and canned vegetables ($943875498 per can).  I’m not saying this to guilt you into sending me food, but I don’t not want you to send me food either.  Don’t feel obligated, but just fyi the shipping address is in my About Me section and flat rate priority boxes go for under 20 dollars… Love you guysssss!

in memoriam

On Saturday, August 6^th, we lost a fellow volunteer and great friend, Becky Schaffer.  While we were all swimming at a local waterfall, she lost her footing on a slippery section of rocks and fell off of a ledge.  This tragedy has deeply affected us all and we mourn the loss of such an inspiring individual.  Although we only knew Becky for three weeks, it was clear that she had a truly selfless spirit and drive to improve the world in which we all live.  Becky has volunteered extensively throughout Africa during college and was making plans to join the Peace Corps after her year in Pohnpei with WorldTeach.  Although we will never be able to see the wonderful things that she had planned for the future, her generous and compassionate character will be our inspiration as we strive to keep her legacy intact.  This past week has been a trying time for all of us but I cannot even begin to imagine what Becky’s family in Maine must be experiencing.  They should be proud to have raised such a remarkable young woman and I feel terrible that Becky was taken away from them.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they move through this difficult time.  Likewise, Becky’s host mom, Clara, loved her like a daughter and has held memorial services for her every night since she passed.  She will hold the last memorial service on Saturday night before Becky finally makes her way home to her family on Sunday.  Becky will be forever remembered.

and the work begins

As orientation draws to a close, I am reminded of what I came to Pohnpei to do (teaching, for those of you who have also forgotten).   Although my days have been filled with various lectures, discussions, and workshops designed to make me a better teacher, it’s easy to fall into the “vacation trap” – a term that I have just now coined that refers to how easy it is to forget you’re somewhere for a reason when you volunteer on a tropical island.  Not that I haven’t been working hard, I just don’t think I’ve fully grasped the reality of the fact that I’ll be a full-time teacher in ten days.  

Up until today, my teaching practicums involved teaching the other teachers how to teach a topic.  How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?  But today, I got my first real experience in front of a group of Pohnpeian students.  Authentic ones – not just the phony American ones I’ve had for all my other practicums!  I think that this experience really allowed the reality of our situation to sink in for me.  Every one of the ten volunteers got to test out an hour-long lesson on groups of 30-40 college students that are currently in orientation for the upcoming school year.  I think one girl accidentally told her students in her introduction that they would be her guinea pigs – unfortunately, things are very easily lost in translation here.  

Since these practicums were open-ended, I decided to present a lesson on diabetes, a disease that I’m familiar with and also that a third of Pohnpeian adults have.  Interesting and applicable: check.  I had students brainstorm all the food that they had eaten the previous day and then I lambasted their choices.  Just kidding; but I did describe the health risks to eating foods with highly processed sugars like rice and desserts while encouraging local, complex carb foods like taro, breadfruit, and bananas.  It seemed like a lot of the students were not aware that food choices even mattered, so I’m hoping I had an impact!  I won’t bore you with the science details (I only do that to my students!!), but I had a pretty cool activity where students acted as insulin molecules and receptors.  When they were healthy, the receptors were able to create a puzzle on the chalkboard (representing healthy functioning) and when I gave them diabetes (insert diabolical laugh here), the puzzle was scrambled and incomplete.  Since I’ll be teaching math, it’s too bad that I can’t reuse this lesson; but I hope to eventually start-up or help out with some kind of diabetes awareness program on the island. 

Afterwards, we went to a large luncheon with all of the DOE employees on the island.  We were specially recognized and each given ENORMOUS baskets filled with fresh fruit, fresh fish, breadfruit, candies, drinks, cookies, chips, hotdogs, Spam, Ramen - literally anything you can think of.  It really speaks to the incredible Pohnpeian generosity that I have been witness to for the past three weeks and have yet to wrap my head around.  I realize that I just finished talking about all the diabetes on the island, but gestures such as this have more to do with making sure that every single thing is provided for a guest than with filling or fattening them up.  

I also got to meet my future coworkers and the principal of my school.  Again, it was such a warm welcome!  After meeting our future coworkers and principal of our school, Gabrielle and I, along with the volunteers for the other high schools, were invited to drink sakau with the DOE staff.  It was nice to sit amongst the rest of our coworkers and loosen up over some especially strong kava.  Certainly not something you’d see in the states, but that’s why I like it here!  Now I know that I’ll have a pretty awesome staff to work with and learn from for the next year.

To explain the origin of my phrase, the Vacation Trap, I’ve included pictures taken from our group’s visit to Ant Atoll about ten miles away.  Enjoy!

An entrance to Ant Atoll.  We caught a fish in the water here that we fried up on the beach.

The visibility in the water was insane here.  It looked like we were floating on glass and could crash through to the coral at any time.

Preparing to dock the boat.

One of my favorite pictures from the trip.  This was the small coral that was near where we hooked up the boat.

Ant lagoon's beautiful baby blue waters.  Surprisingly, the beach was clear of whining babies, volleyball nets, and trash left behind by mobs of summer beachgoers.

A coconut that I single-handedly climbed a coconut tree to retrieve!  After I opened it with a machete, I could not have felt any manlier.

The second place we snorkeled.  The reef was much larger and the incoming tide made the water very clear.

Some of the other volunteers posing for a shot.

Me trying to see how far down I could get.

all the king's men

After the turtle experience, Mike and I said to each other, “well, that’s probably going to be one of the coolest things to happen to us in Pohnpei, it’s all pretty much downhill from here.” We were so naïve.  Two days later, our group had planned a trip to Nan Madol, the ruins of an ancient civilization that rival the mystery and grandeur of the pyramids.  Seriously, the “Venice of the Pacific” consists of hundreds of structures made from stones that are not only the size of cars but also made from rock that cannot be found anywhere else on the island.  Anyway, if you want to approach Nan Madol the proper way, you have to ask permission from the Nahmwarki of Madolenihmw (Mad-oh-leh-neem), the traditional king of that municipality (there are five municipalities on Pohnpei - I’ll be in Kitti).  This particular ruler also holds the distinction of being the most powerful of all the Nahmwarkis – so basically the most powerful non-politician in all of Pohnpei.  Regardless, he still influences state government to an enormous extent.  

Luckily, our language instructor, Tony, knows the special language and customs required to communicate with these kings – because he is also a high-titled man.  We were given the tremendous opportunity to respectfully greet this man at his house in Madolenihmw and tour the room where massive parties (well, ceremonies) are held.  I think he must have liked us because he invited us to his ocean-side hut where sakau is made and presented to him.  Furthermore, Mike and I were asked to pound the sakau roots with Tony and another man in a traditional sakau ceremony.  Although we were supposed to ride a boat out to Nan Madol, we postponed this for two hours because it is unpardonably disrespectful to say no to a Nahmwarki (and to pass up such an opportunity).

The Nahmwarki's house in Madolenihmw.  The party section is on the right.

Aside: sakau is a muddy (looking and tasting), thick, peppery drink that is extremely important to the Pohnpeian culture.  When you invite someone to drink sakau with you, you are showing them a huge amount of respect and these occasions can last well into the night and assuage many conflicts.  

Mike's head floating in a cup of sakau.  This photo was taken on the previous night at a sakau bar which is owned by a family hosting one of our volunteers.

For this reason, I was completely taken back by this invitation by the Nahmwarki.  I felt a mixture of anxiousness, excitement, and honor as I prepared to partake in the preparation for this intimate Pohnpeian tradition.  After we made the sakau with the two other men, Mike and I drank from the cup of sakau as it was passed around the circle several times.  It is something that I’m sure very few foreigners have had a chance to experience, let alone with the high Nahmwarki.  Although we have a long year ahead of us, I think that this time it is safe to say that nothing we do can top that.  The eventual trip to Nan Madol and even the Ant Atoll the next day (other things that were insanely awesome) paled in comparison.  I left out a lot of details because frankly, the experience that day is hard to put into words.  Pictures from Nan Madol and Ant Atoll shall be up soon!

Mike and I pounding sakau root with Tony and another man.  Only men are allowed to go anywhere near sakau as it is being prepared and shirts must be taken off (I wasn't complaining!).  The Nahmwarki is looking on in the background.

Another angle.  Our leader/tour guide/language instructor, Tony, is in the middle.

This is a picture also taken at the sakau bar.  The pounded sakau roots are mixed with water to make them a little goopy and laid inside strips of hibiscus bark.

The goopy root juice is squeezed through the hibiscus bark by twisting it to make the finished drink.  A little weird to drink at first, but it is very popular here - to the point of being a problem for those who have become addicted.