“This is a joke, right?”
“Nope, I actually want to hear what you have to say about your ideal boyfriend. Now get up there!” ~ Exchange between a student and myself about a speaking exercise
I love being the “Peace Corps” at my school because I get away with making students do the craziest activities. Usually a lot of laughter and multiple reminders to SPEAK ONLY IN ENGLISH are involved, but overall I think my students are, little by little, gaining confidence in their English speaking abilities. My big plan to do interviews for the rest of the semester lasted for about two weeks, so I am actually teaching some lessons now. The interviews themselves went really well – I was able to speak individually with all of my students and I learned a little bit about their lives while gauging their conversational skills.
After multiple and last minute changes, I now have a set teaching schedule until the end of the semester. I team teach two freshman Language Arts classes and teach one freshman Language Arts class on my own. I am mostly in charge of writing and speaking while my co-teachers do reading and grammar. These poor kids now have someone who will return their multiple writing assignments back to them, red scribbles and all, and expect them to correct their papers to receive a grade. They also have someone who will force them to use English in class, which has definitely been good for them already.
What else…by the end of the first week I was put in charge of coaching junior and senior students in a writing contest and in the debate team. This was extremely last minute for everyone involved, so the students didn’t get much time to practice. However, the debate team and coaches were able to speak with the Vice President of the FSM regarding the topic! At the end of the session the VP shook my hand and wished me luck during my service. How cool is that! The debate team didn’t win but I felt that they did well, considering the circumstances (so much for the free trip to Kosrae though!). The principal was disappointed – I think he thought that having two Americans (there’s a World Teach volunteer at MHS) coach the team would guarantee victory, but it did not really matter in the end. We’ll try again next year!
Whenever I am not in school I am with my host family. They’ve taken me to several feasts, church every Sunday (Advent!), and Kolonia to do errands. Usually, though, the family just hangs out at home watching movies, chilling on the porch, and playing with the baby (my host father especially!). During these times I practice my poor Pohnpeian skills and read lots of books, ranging from books on how to teach English to the excellent Three Cups of Tea given to me by my cousin. Food has been interesting – sometimes I get tasty local food, sometimes I get ramen and rice for the whole week. The chores I do mainly revolve around keeping my room and my personal belongings in order, but I did get to rake garbage once – that was exciting. I feel useless around the house, mostly because I don’t know what to do or want to get in the way, so I spend that extra time planning for school, grading papers, or doing things to keep me sane. I also feel very needy whenever my family has to do something for me, such as buy a new light bulb just so I could shower or drive all the way to a different village just so I can get water, but I figure that they knew what they would be getting into signing up to take care of the Peace Corps.
Thanksgiving was fun – after a half day of school I went to Kolonia with Team Madolenihmw (woot!) to do errands and hang out in the PC lounge before THANKSGIVING DINNER hosted by the Deputy Chief of Mission (second only to the U.S. Ambassador in importance). It was a mini reunion since most of the PCVs came. I chatted with a Foreign Service Officer (I am considering that as a possible career choice) who, I was able to peg, majored in Japanese in college. Also present were the U.S. Ambassador, the new PC Country Director (a very cool guy), and a former PCV who now works in the embassy. Dinner consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, assorted vegetables, stuffing, potato salad, rolls, my favorite butter and sugar bread, and extremely delicious cheesecake with oreo crust! I was so stuffed at the end.
Speaking of thanks…I want to give a big THANK YOU to my very awesome and understanding mom and dad who constantly encourage me, my friends who support me a world away, and everyone in my new Pohnpeian family.
The U.S. gave money to the FSM to construct new educational facilities, and M.H.S. is the proud recipient of the very first, up to standards, school building. To celebrate the occasion, all schools in Madolenihmw canceled classes and everyone, including the Nanmwarki (King) of Madolenihmw, the Governor of Pohnpei, and the President of FSM (!), showed up for the big feast. It was quite exciting, but I didn’t have enough courage to ask the President for a photograph. Oh well! I don’t get to teach in the new building because it is reserved for the upperclassman, but I now have my very own classroom. I also have a possible secondary project – a school library! Now that there is space to organize the many random books MHS has, I have decided to help MHS organize a functioning library. The principal has jumped on the idea, so I just need to get started and hopefully all will go well! The principal has also decided that I will help out the Social Studies department next semester due to my Sociology degree – we’ll see how that all works out.
I have a request of you, my dear readers. If you have the time and money, please send me books containing speaking and writing activities in them. I want my students to get a wide variety of exercises that engage their creativity and imagination. While you’re at it, please send me books for the new library and more books for my personal enjoyment! Mwahaha. :)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
In Deleur
I’m officially a Peace Corps Volunteer! :) A lot has happened since my last post, so here we go…
The rest of Phase II included more language study, the dreaded Language Proficiency Interview (for me at least), another teaching practicum (this time with 8th graders), hanging out with the family, finishing all six seasons of LOST (I can’t believe we did it in five weeks), my first experience with Pohnpeian funeral practices, the coconut wireless going crazy (mwahaha), sleepovers, trips to Kolonia and Sokehs Rock (very steep but worth the climb), and the official Swearing-In ceremony.
To be perfectly honest, for the longest time I was scared that I would be kicked out of Peace Corps for not meeting the basic language requirements. Since I’m officially a PCV that did not happen (thank goodness!), but I really, really need to keep studying Pohnpeian. I can understand and respond to basic questions, but most of the time what is said goes way over my head. I’m pretty good at figuring out the gist of it (due to words I recognize and the random English words thrown in – kind of like my understanding of Tagalog) but getting it out is definitely the hard part. Practice practice practice!
The teaching practicum was only four days (so I wasn’t able to do much) but I did get my students writing about their school and participating in class (a little bit at least!). The last few weeks with my training family were filled with card games, random conversations, a few too many power outages, watching LOST when there was power, (a typical day would be training, LOST, dinner, sleep), giving candy to kids on Halloween, drinking more sakau (what else?), and for the first time being left alone when my family had to go to a funeral. I got a lot of reading done, including an excellent fantasy novel (I need more!).
Funerals in Pohnpei are four days long. I went to only one of the four days but I was extremely tired afterwords. People accompany the body in the morgue (in this case located in the hospital) until it is moved to the burial site, where it can be observed. The first day is for the immediate family, the second day is for extended family and friends, the third day everybody brings fish to eat (not sure why fish), and the last day is for cleaning up (I think). Food is important all four days, so everybody gathered can enjoy the company and reminisce about the deceased one. Due to another funeral one of my friends was able to sleep over at my place. Fun times!
The coconut wireless is one of the best things about being in Pohnpei. I’m not sure how it started (I think a few too many walks together) but rumor had it that two of the trainees were dating. When I heard about it I laughed hysterically and really did nothing to dissuade those who believed it (much to the chagrin of the two in question). I loved seeing them cringe, what can I say?
Days before the swearing-in ceremony the fellow trainees and I decided to provide our old and new families with entertainment in the form of singing and dancing. After hard work and practice we perfected two songs in Pohnpeian with accompanying dance moves. The ceremony itself went very smoothly – the families immensely enjoyed our songs. I still can’t believe we swore-in with our sunglasses on! I said goodbye to my training family and met my permanent family in a slightly awkward fashion, but it was all good. My new family has had several trainees and volunteers in the past so they’re used to crazy foreigners. They also like to laugh at my Kitti accent since we live in Madolenihmw (like having a southern accent in the States).
The family I was initially assigned to did not work out for me, but the family I am with now is wonderful. My pahpa is apparently high-ranked (kind of intimidating), my nohno insists on only speaking to me in Pohnpeian (there’s my practice!), my oldest sister has an adorable baby(whom everybody loves to play with), the second oldest sister is an honor roll student at M.H.S., and my youngest sister acts as my tour guide and tries speaking to me in Pohnpeian (not quite at her level yet). I’m still not sure about the other males in my family, but overall they have been great. They’re also Catholic, so I get to go to mass every Sunday (yay!). My room is smaller than the one I previously had and has frequent visitors (a.k.a. cockroaches and geckos), but I am slowly getting used to it. I am also getting used to not having indoor plumbing, meaning that I have an outdoor bathroom and an outdoor shower. Showering in the rain is quite the experience!
My first week at the high school was a bit overwhelming, but once I get into the groove of things I think I’ll like it a lot. The principal has high expectations for the new PCV (like helping the debate team become #1 in FSM) and I’ll do my best to meet them. All of the teachers in the Language Arts department have been very welcoming and have already given me great advice and ideas. Thankfully they are open to the concept of team-teaching. My assigned counterpart works in a totally different department but I think I have found two teachers whom I can work well with. I’ve been observing the different teachers this week and I have already begun teaching. My big plan for the next few weeks (until the end of the quarter) is to conduct interviews with the students in order to gauge their conversational abilities, only possible because I am team teaching. We’ll see how it all works out!
The rest of Phase II included more language study, the dreaded Language Proficiency Interview (for me at least), another teaching practicum (this time with 8th graders), hanging out with the family, finishing all six seasons of LOST (I can’t believe we did it in five weeks), my first experience with Pohnpeian funeral practices, the coconut wireless going crazy (mwahaha), sleepovers, trips to Kolonia and Sokehs Rock (very steep but worth the climb), and the official Swearing-In ceremony.
To be perfectly honest, for the longest time I was scared that I would be kicked out of Peace Corps for not meeting the basic language requirements. Since I’m officially a PCV that did not happen (thank goodness!), but I really, really need to keep studying Pohnpeian. I can understand and respond to basic questions, but most of the time what is said goes way over my head. I’m pretty good at figuring out the gist of it (due to words I recognize and the random English words thrown in – kind of like my understanding of Tagalog) but getting it out is definitely the hard part. Practice practice practice!
The teaching practicum was only four days (so I wasn’t able to do much) but I did get my students writing about their school and participating in class (a little bit at least!). The last few weeks with my training family were filled with card games, random conversations, a few too many power outages, watching LOST when there was power, (a typical day would be training, LOST, dinner, sleep), giving candy to kids on Halloween, drinking more sakau (what else?), and for the first time being left alone when my family had to go to a funeral. I got a lot of reading done, including an excellent fantasy novel (I need more!).
Funerals in Pohnpei are four days long. I went to only one of the four days but I was extremely tired afterwords. People accompany the body in the morgue (in this case located in the hospital) until it is moved to the burial site, where it can be observed. The first day is for the immediate family, the second day is for extended family and friends, the third day everybody brings fish to eat (not sure why fish), and the last day is for cleaning up (I think). Food is important all four days, so everybody gathered can enjoy the company and reminisce about the deceased one. Due to another funeral one of my friends was able to sleep over at my place. Fun times!
The coconut wireless is one of the best things about being in Pohnpei. I’m not sure how it started (I think a few too many walks together) but rumor had it that two of the trainees were dating. When I heard about it I laughed hysterically and really did nothing to dissuade those who believed it (much to the chagrin of the two in question). I loved seeing them cringe, what can I say?
Days before the swearing-in ceremony the fellow trainees and I decided to provide our old and new families with entertainment in the form of singing and dancing. After hard work and practice we perfected two songs in Pohnpeian with accompanying dance moves. The ceremony itself went very smoothly – the families immensely enjoyed our songs. I still can’t believe we swore-in with our sunglasses on! I said goodbye to my training family and met my permanent family in a slightly awkward fashion, but it was all good. My new family has had several trainees and volunteers in the past so they’re used to crazy foreigners. They also like to laugh at my Kitti accent since we live in Madolenihmw (like having a southern accent in the States).
The family I was initially assigned to did not work out for me, but the family I am with now is wonderful. My pahpa is apparently high-ranked (kind of intimidating), my nohno insists on only speaking to me in Pohnpeian (there’s my practice!), my oldest sister has an adorable baby(whom everybody loves to play with), the second oldest sister is an honor roll student at M.H.S., and my youngest sister acts as my tour guide and tries speaking to me in Pohnpeian (not quite at her level yet). I’m still not sure about the other males in my family, but overall they have been great. They’re also Catholic, so I get to go to mass every Sunday (yay!). My room is smaller than the one I previously had and has frequent visitors (a.k.a. cockroaches and geckos), but I am slowly getting used to it. I am also getting used to not having indoor plumbing, meaning that I have an outdoor bathroom and an outdoor shower. Showering in the rain is quite the experience!
My first week at the high school was a bit overwhelming, but once I get into the groove of things I think I’ll like it a lot. The principal has high expectations for the new PCV (like helping the debate team become #1 in FSM) and I’ll do my best to meet them. All of the teachers in the Language Arts department have been very welcoming and have already given me great advice and ideas. Thankfully they are open to the concept of team-teaching. My assigned counterpart works in a totally different department but I think I have found two teachers whom I can work well with. I’ve been observing the different teachers this week and I have already begun teaching. My big plan for the next few weeks (until the end of the quarter) is to conduct interviews with the students in order to gauge their conversational abilities, only possible because I am team teaching. We’ll see how it all works out!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
In sukuhl
I am currently in the midst of Phase II of PST. The end of Phase I included the conclusion to the teaching practicum (I’m going to miss my class!), bonding activities with all of the trainees (including lots of cards games and pizza), and a party for all of the host families and co-teachers with the trainees (including myself) providing entertainment. My family gave an excellent farewell party to my cousin (another trainee) and we all did the Cha-Cha Slide. Even though I wasn’t going anywhere I went to the airport to take photos and say my final goodbyes to the trainees who were leaving. If I ever get free internet I will definitely post pictures! That same day I went to a feast in my village and somehow ended up doing the Macarena in front of everybody – I know I’ll be remembered as that crazy dancing Peace Corps.
Phase II kicked off with a trip to Nahlap with the Pohnpei trainees, our Program Assistant (PA), and his family. We went swimming in the ocean, ate leftovers from the feast, and basically had lots of bonding time (complete with card games, land crab chasing, and too many rats). Learning Pohnpeian has been quite interesting, to say the least. Our teacher is the chief of his village – Peace Corps has some excellent connections! I know lots of random vocabulary (some words not as practical as others) but putting everything together to form sentences is a totally different matter. I try to practice by speaking phrases at home but my family pretty much resorts to English (oh well)!
Speaking of which – after living with me for five weeks my family finally decided to bust out some very strange Filipino movies and, much to my delight, a genuine Magic Sing karaoke microphone. Besides singing and puzzling out the love squares the main thing I have been doing is watching lots and lots of LOST. We’re already halfway through Season 3! The best part is that I have gotten my family hooked, so we all watch (and are confused) together. I also went to a Catholic church for the first time since coming here (my family is Protestant), went with fellow trainees back to the waterfall (good exercise), and fixed my doorknob. Don’t laugh, I was very proud of myself for doing it on my own. Drinking sakau with my family has definitely made me more determined to study Pohnpeian, while dancing at feasts is pretty much expected of me (and the rest of the Peace Corps) from now on.
Phase II is basically language training with cultural, teaching, and community development sessions thrown in, which has definitely been good for me. However, so far I have benefitted the most from the overnights with current Peace Corps volunteers. The first night I stayed with a PCV in Madolenihmw (woot!). It was great seeing her interact with her family (they are all hooked on a Filipino soap opera) and observing her in the classroom (and helping out a little bit too). I hope to one day reach her level of Pohnpeian! The next night I stayed with a PCV in Sokehs. She is very comfortable with her family and vice versa. I ended up playing Super Smash Brothers and other N64 games with her brothers! I also got to help her catalog the non-fiction books in her library. For me, the entire experience (minus the island tour which got me slightly car sick) was a wonderful opportunity to get to know some of the current PCVs better and see what my own experience could possibly be like when I finally get to my permanent site.
Sorry for my lack of updates, I’m just monumentally lazy (for those of you who know me personally). I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who reads my (sometimes boring but hopefully informative) blog and for those of you who leave comments. Please look forward to more posts in the future!
Phase II kicked off with a trip to Nahlap with the Pohnpei trainees, our Program Assistant (PA), and his family. We went swimming in the ocean, ate leftovers from the feast, and basically had lots of bonding time (complete with card games, land crab chasing, and too many rats). Learning Pohnpeian has been quite interesting, to say the least. Our teacher is the chief of his village – Peace Corps has some excellent connections! I know lots of random vocabulary (some words not as practical as others) but putting everything together to form sentences is a totally different matter. I try to practice by speaking phrases at home but my family pretty much resorts to English (oh well)!
Speaking of which – after living with me for five weeks my family finally decided to bust out some very strange Filipino movies and, much to my delight, a genuine Magic Sing karaoke microphone. Besides singing and puzzling out the love squares the main thing I have been doing is watching lots and lots of LOST. We’re already halfway through Season 3! The best part is that I have gotten my family hooked, so we all watch (and are confused) together. I also went to a Catholic church for the first time since coming here (my family is Protestant), went with fellow trainees back to the waterfall (good exercise), and fixed my doorknob. Don’t laugh, I was very proud of myself for doing it on my own. Drinking sakau with my family has definitely made me more determined to study Pohnpeian, while dancing at feasts is pretty much expected of me (and the rest of the Peace Corps) from now on.
Phase II is basically language training with cultural, teaching, and community development sessions thrown in, which has definitely been good for me. However, so far I have benefitted the most from the overnights with current Peace Corps volunteers. The first night I stayed with a PCV in Madolenihmw (woot!). It was great seeing her interact with her family (they are all hooked on a Filipino soap opera) and observing her in the classroom (and helping out a little bit too). I hope to one day reach her level of Pohnpeian! The next night I stayed with a PCV in Sokehs. She is very comfortable with her family and vice versa. I ended up playing Super Smash Brothers and other N64 games with her brothers! I also got to help her catalog the non-fiction books in her library. For me, the entire experience (minus the island tour which got me slightly car sick) was a wonderful opportunity to get to know some of the current PCVs better and see what my own experience could possibly be like when I finally get to my permanent site.
Sorry for my lack of updates, I’m just monumentally lazy (for those of you who know me personally). I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who reads my (sometimes boring but hopefully informative) blog and for those of you who leave comments. Please look forward to more posts in the future!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Still in Kipar (for now)
October 1, 2010 is a day that all Micro 77s (my Peace Corps group) will remember because it was the day we FINALLY received our site announcements. After sitting through some interesting sessions (one on mental health, ironically enough) we all went outside and saw different colored flags. The Program and Training Officer (PTO) handed each of us an envelope with a colored slip of paper inside and told us to go stand at the flag that matched the color we got. After opening the envelopes all the trainees scrambled to get to their flags. As soon as I got to my flag I realized that I would be staying in Pohnpei! In case you’re curious, two trainees are going to Kosrae, eight are staying in Pohnpei, seven are going to Chuuk, four are going to Yap, and eight are going to Palau. I can’t know for sure until next year’s Mid-Service training, but I think everyone is well suited for their states and assignments.
Based on an interview I had two days prior I guessed that I would either be staying in Pohnpei or going to Palau. The Program Assistant (PA) of Pohnpei had asked me what grades I would prefer to teach, and I told him elementary because I look like a high school student and would get no respect from the students. He laughed it off and everyone in the room told me that I would be just fine in a high school setting. He also seemed to like my strategy of learning the local language – having a host family that speaks no English. That’ll work, right? I also should have suspected that I would be staying in Pohnpei after the Training Assistant (a lively, lovely Pohnpeian lady) said that she wanted to keep me here in Pohnpei so I could assist her with next year’s group. I thought she was just joking, but I guess she was serious!
I admit, I was a little disappointed to not go to a new state (how awesome would Survivor: Janelle be?). However, after that initial feeling I definitely got excited because I realized that all of my efforts to learn about Pohnpeian society and culture would not go to waste and that I had a solid foundation to go into Phase II of training. I got really excited when my PA handed me the folder detailing my assignment. I will assist in teaching Language Arts at Madolenihmw High School (you pronounce it Ma-doe-le-neem). Imagine that, me as a high school English teacher. XD
I’ll be teaching Language Arts from morning until lunch every day. My counterpart is a recent grad from the University of Hawaii, so hopefully together we can help improve the English abilities of our students. I also want to be involved in several extracurricular activities as my secondary projects, such as teaching a basic computer class (similar to what I did over the past summer), helping out a tutoring program for high achieving students aiming to go to college (known as Upward Bound), participating in the Talent Search Program (where students get extra instruction in core subjects on Saturdays and go on special field trips throughout the year), leading various clubs on campus (Anime Club, anyone?), and to top it all off, being an academic advisor (I am THRILLED at this prospect!). I would also like to get involved with the library since a grant was awarded to Madolenihmw last year. If I have free time (haha) I might try to help out at the elementary school that shares campus space with MHS.
My permanent host family seems really sweet. They are currently hosting a PCV so I know that they are definitely open and willing to accept me as part of the family for the next two years. I have a 32-year-old host brother (a Pohnpei hospital employee), a host sister-in-law (who I’m going to assume is around the same age), three little host nephews (aged 3, 8, and 12), and a host father (a Pohnpei Economic Development Authority employee). Hosting me is going to be a big change for them because their current PCV is a white, athletic male. I think it will work out quite nicely, since my host brother’s only comment was “to hope that the trainee will very much have some respect and willing to eat whatever we have in our house. Food is a major part of our culture and that we eat, we would like her to try and eat our food.” I definitely do not foresee that as a problem! They live in the village of Kepirohi, in the municipality of Madolenihmw. I will have internet access (so much for escaping from the world), indoor plumbing but an outdoor toilet, and two other PCTs in my municipality.
So what does all this mean for you and me? I will be staying with my training host family until mid November, when I will (hopefully) be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer. From now until then I will receive intense Pohnpeian language and cultural training, as well as participate in a teaching practicum at MHS. I will move in with my permanent host family after their current PCV departs. I will keep the same mailing address (P.O. Box 9).
You may also been wondering what have I been up to since my last blog post. Well, I have been observing/co-teaching English at the local elementary school. This has been a really positive experience for me since I was lucky enough to co-teach with the principal! The kids have responded well and are always so excited to learn. Stickers are wonderful motivators. I’ve also been eating a lot (boo weight gain), exercising a moderate amount (running/jogging/hiking/ power walking), watching a variety of interesting movies, trying to do my laundry by hand (I have succeeded once out of my three previous attempts) and hanging out with the trainees (we’re all going to be LOSTIES by the end of our service). One weekend consisted of water safety day, where I learned to love my Personal Floatation Device (PFD), and going to Nahlap, a nearby picnic island where I got to spend quality time on a boat in the Pacific Ocean.
I’m really happy and excited to stay in Pohnpei but slightly nervous to start learning the language and training to become a quality high school Language Arts teacher. God has blessed me in countless ways and I’ll do my best to succeed!
Based on an interview I had two days prior I guessed that I would either be staying in Pohnpei or going to Palau. The Program Assistant (PA) of Pohnpei had asked me what grades I would prefer to teach, and I told him elementary because I look like a high school student and would get no respect from the students. He laughed it off and everyone in the room told me that I would be just fine in a high school setting. He also seemed to like my strategy of learning the local language – having a host family that speaks no English. That’ll work, right? I also should have suspected that I would be staying in Pohnpei after the Training Assistant (a lively, lovely Pohnpeian lady) said that she wanted to keep me here in Pohnpei so I could assist her with next year’s group. I thought she was just joking, but I guess she was serious!
I admit, I was a little disappointed to not go to a new state (how awesome would Survivor: Janelle be?). However, after that initial feeling I definitely got excited because I realized that all of my efforts to learn about Pohnpeian society and culture would not go to waste and that I had a solid foundation to go into Phase II of training. I got really excited when my PA handed me the folder detailing my assignment. I will assist in teaching Language Arts at Madolenihmw High School (you pronounce it Ma-doe-le-neem). Imagine that, me as a high school English teacher. XD
I’ll be teaching Language Arts from morning until lunch every day. My counterpart is a recent grad from the University of Hawaii, so hopefully together we can help improve the English abilities of our students. I also want to be involved in several extracurricular activities as my secondary projects, such as teaching a basic computer class (similar to what I did over the past summer), helping out a tutoring program for high achieving students aiming to go to college (known as Upward Bound), participating in the Talent Search Program (where students get extra instruction in core subjects on Saturdays and go on special field trips throughout the year), leading various clubs on campus (Anime Club, anyone?), and to top it all off, being an academic advisor (I am THRILLED at this prospect!). I would also like to get involved with the library since a grant was awarded to Madolenihmw last year. If I have free time (haha) I might try to help out at the elementary school that shares campus space with MHS.
My permanent host family seems really sweet. They are currently hosting a PCV so I know that they are definitely open and willing to accept me as part of the family for the next two years. I have a 32-year-old host brother (a Pohnpei hospital employee), a host sister-in-law (who I’m going to assume is around the same age), three little host nephews (aged 3, 8, and 12), and a host father (a Pohnpei Economic Development Authority employee). Hosting me is going to be a big change for them because their current PCV is a white, athletic male. I think it will work out quite nicely, since my host brother’s only comment was “to hope that the trainee will very much have some respect and willing to eat whatever we have in our house. Food is a major part of our culture and that we eat, we would like her to try and eat our food.” I definitely do not foresee that as a problem! They live in the village of Kepirohi, in the municipality of Madolenihmw. I will have internet access (so much for escaping from the world), indoor plumbing but an outdoor toilet, and two other PCTs in my municipality.
So what does all this mean for you and me? I will be staying with my training host family until mid November, when I will (hopefully) be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer. From now until then I will receive intense Pohnpeian language and cultural training, as well as participate in a teaching practicum at MHS. I will move in with my permanent host family after their current PCV departs. I will keep the same mailing address (P.O. Box 9).
You may also been wondering what have I been up to since my last blog post. Well, I have been observing/co-teaching English at the local elementary school. This has been a really positive experience for me since I was lucky enough to co-teach with the principal! The kids have responded well and are always so excited to learn. Stickers are wonderful motivators. I’ve also been eating a lot (boo weight gain), exercising a moderate amount (running/jogging/hiking/ power walking), watching a variety of interesting movies, trying to do my laundry by hand (I have succeeded once out of my three previous attempts) and hanging out with the trainees (we’re all going to be LOSTIES by the end of our service). One weekend consisted of water safety day, where I learned to love my Personal Floatation Device (PFD), and going to Nahlap, a nearby picnic island where I got to spend quality time on a boat in the Pacific Ocean.
I’m really happy and excited to stay in Pohnpei but slightly nervous to start learning the language and training to become a quality high school Language Arts teacher. God has blessed me in countless ways and I’ll do my best to succeed!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
In Kipar
I am sorry sorry that I have not been able to update this lovely blog for the past two or so weeks! I have been extremely busy preparing to become a Volunteer (I am still a lowly Trainee – I need to level up my TESL, language, and culture skills in order to gain that status). I currently live with an awesome host family in Kipar, a small village in Kitti (which is one of the five provinces of Pohnpei). I have learned so much about Pohnpeian culture (not so much the language) and PC policies (including medical, safety, and cultural stuff) in the little time I have been here, so if the rest of this entry seems a bit jumbled I apologize in advance!
*Note: I will be saying Pohnpeian culture, not Micronesian culture. Micronesia consists of four separate states who banded together to form the FSM because of the U.S. government. There is no sense of unity among the states because each is so different and so unique. I do not know (yet) what the culture is like on Kosrae, Chuuk, or Yap. I only know about Pohnpei.
Where to begin…my host family consists of my nohno (mother), father, two brothers, and two sisters. They all do their best to make me feel like a part of the family – I feel like they do so much more for me than I do for them, but I’ll keep at it! Crazily enough, we might actually be related since there is a Santos somewhere in the family tree. You never know! I also have host siblings and family in the States (even some in Cincinnati!). I have a bunch of host cousins (elementary school aged) running around. We all like to play together, whether it be jump rope, baseball, or Go Fish (which they speak only in English for – very impressive!). They also follow us (me and other trainees) whenever we go jogging (power walking), hiking, or exploring the village. Older host cousins have shown me how to husk, break open, and grate coconuts as well as how to start a fire and gut fish.
Speaking of food…I have been eating lots of rice (with soy sauce), fish, chicken, pork, spam, bananas, taro, breadfruit, and oddly enough, cucumbers. My favorite dish thus far is breadfruit dipped in coconut milk and fried – absolutely delicious! Breakfast is usually instant ramen, coffee, and some sort of baked good.
My nohno is a great cook and feeds me a little too well (wouldn’t it be sad if I gained weight in the PC?). She has a daughter currently serving in the U.S. Army, so she’s been to the States and speaks English fluently. Actually, all of the older family members speak English really well…my family has hosted a PCV before (back in 1996), so my nohno knows how to deal with me and my American tendencies. She has patiently taught me how to wash clothes by hand and how to wash dishes with a coconut husk. She does, however, seem impressed with my ability to knit (thank you again Joyce!) so I knitted her a placemat (recently finished yesterday).
Cultural Lesson: The Pohnpeian family, as I have learned, has mastered the art of hanging out and just being. On any given day as I walk back to my house from training I see people just chilling on the porch. Some days they feel like talking, some days it’s just everyone relaxing in silence. Sure, there may be a movie in the background and random people eating a late meal, but the family (including plenty of extended family who randomly drop by) is always together. I initially tried to fill what I perceived to be awkward silence with questions, but I have since learned that it’s quite alright to just sit there and be.
My room is sweet – it has a door lock, a broken air conditioner (where plenty of geckos live), and a nice big bed. There is one down side – the room is susceptible to insect invasion, so whenever a cockroach (or two) shows up I attempt to fend it off with my awesome broom wielding skills until my host sister shows up to save me. On my wall right now is a birthday card sent to me by my absolutely wonderful friends (you know who you are) and posters my host sisters made for me for the same occasion. The house itself is always home to many small creatures. My hygiene standards have gone down drastically ever since being here, but on the up side I love eating with my hands! I also like to follow custom and shower twice a day (if you didn’t already know, it’s incredibly HOT and HUMID in Pohnpei, so I tend to get sweaty very quickly. Showering often is necessary).
Cultural Lesson: Thighs, in Pohnpeian culture, are absolutely not to be exposed, so the local women (and now PC trainees) normally wear skirts (or capris for more daring women) that go below the knee. I have gained at least three skirts from my host family. They are absolutely beautiful – one is a bunch of random scraps of cloth sewed together to create a gorgeous skirt, the other ones have very detailed embroidery. I’m getting used to wearing skirts everyday, so those occasions I have worn pants I have felt slightly scandalous.
So you may be wondering what exactly have I been up to. Well…Mondays through Fridays I attend training and weekends I hang out with my host family. In training, trainees learn how to become effective and safe Volunteers. Some highlights included when the Ambassador came to speak with us and when current PCVs came in and taught us how to run a classroom. Week nights I spend eating dinner, watching movies, or playing card games with my host family. The activities we do on the weekends have been all over the place, such as me learning how to wash clothes by hand (long and hard, let me tell you), going to my host sisters’ baseball game (they crushed the competition), going to a feast for the king (spontaneous DANCE PARTY), and exploring the ruins of Nan Madol (really cool). If you want me to elaborate on any one of these exciting times just let me know!
Cultural Lesson: Men and women in Pohnpeian culture have very distinct roles. Women are expected to do everything around the house (cook, clean) while men are expected to…well, I’m not sure. Use the machete? Kidding aside, men and women hang out separately, eat separately, even sit on separate sides of the church. Both genders, though, are responsible for rearing children (which was a surprise to me) and bringing in the money. Also, both males and females love to chew betlenut (google it) and drink sakau, which is a whole other lesson…
Oh, sakau. Where do I begin? Sakau is THE DRINK of Pohnpei. It is used for apologizing to people, proposing to a future spouse, celebrating big events, and honoring the nan marki (the king, who holds considerable power considering he has none politically. Everything goes through this man before anything can be accomplished). It is a plant that is pounded on rocks and twisted in hibiscus to produce a grayish brownish liquid with a questionable texture. Its effects are said to be similar to that of opium. I’ve had it on several occasions (most notably my birthday, when I reportedly wobbled back to my room) and I think I like it. You should google it just it case I am completely wrong.
I apologize again for the spazziness of this entry, but hopefully you can get a small picture of what life is like for me here. In short, I absolutely love it and am learning a lot about the Peace Corps, Pohnpeian culture, and myself (of course).
*Note: I will be saying Pohnpeian culture, not Micronesian culture. Micronesia consists of four separate states who banded together to form the FSM because of the U.S. government. There is no sense of unity among the states because each is so different and so unique. I do not know (yet) what the culture is like on Kosrae, Chuuk, or Yap. I only know about Pohnpei.
Where to begin…my host family consists of my nohno (mother), father, two brothers, and two sisters. They all do their best to make me feel like a part of the family – I feel like they do so much more for me than I do for them, but I’ll keep at it! Crazily enough, we might actually be related since there is a Santos somewhere in the family tree. You never know! I also have host siblings and family in the States (even some in Cincinnati!). I have a bunch of host cousins (elementary school aged) running around. We all like to play together, whether it be jump rope, baseball, or Go Fish (which they speak only in English for – very impressive!). They also follow us (me and other trainees) whenever we go jogging (power walking), hiking, or exploring the village. Older host cousins have shown me how to husk, break open, and grate coconuts as well as how to start a fire and gut fish.
Speaking of food…I have been eating lots of rice (with soy sauce), fish, chicken, pork, spam, bananas, taro, breadfruit, and oddly enough, cucumbers. My favorite dish thus far is breadfruit dipped in coconut milk and fried – absolutely delicious! Breakfast is usually instant ramen, coffee, and some sort of baked good.
My nohno is a great cook and feeds me a little too well (wouldn’t it be sad if I gained weight in the PC?). She has a daughter currently serving in the U.S. Army, so she’s been to the States and speaks English fluently. Actually, all of the older family members speak English really well…my family has hosted a PCV before (back in 1996), so my nohno knows how to deal with me and my American tendencies. She has patiently taught me how to wash clothes by hand and how to wash dishes with a coconut husk. She does, however, seem impressed with my ability to knit (thank you again Joyce!) so I knitted her a placemat (recently finished yesterday).
Cultural Lesson: The Pohnpeian family, as I have learned, has mastered the art of hanging out and just being. On any given day as I walk back to my house from training I see people just chilling on the porch. Some days they feel like talking, some days it’s just everyone relaxing in silence. Sure, there may be a movie in the background and random people eating a late meal, but the family (including plenty of extended family who randomly drop by) is always together. I initially tried to fill what I perceived to be awkward silence with questions, but I have since learned that it’s quite alright to just sit there and be.
My room is sweet – it has a door lock, a broken air conditioner (where plenty of geckos live), and a nice big bed. There is one down side – the room is susceptible to insect invasion, so whenever a cockroach (or two) shows up I attempt to fend it off with my awesome broom wielding skills until my host sister shows up to save me. On my wall right now is a birthday card sent to me by my absolutely wonderful friends (you know who you are) and posters my host sisters made for me for the same occasion. The house itself is always home to many small creatures. My hygiene standards have gone down drastically ever since being here, but on the up side I love eating with my hands! I also like to follow custom and shower twice a day (if you didn’t already know, it’s incredibly HOT and HUMID in Pohnpei, so I tend to get sweaty very quickly. Showering often is necessary).
Cultural Lesson: Thighs, in Pohnpeian culture, are absolutely not to be exposed, so the local women (and now PC trainees) normally wear skirts (or capris for more daring women) that go below the knee. I have gained at least three skirts from my host family. They are absolutely beautiful – one is a bunch of random scraps of cloth sewed together to create a gorgeous skirt, the other ones have very detailed embroidery. I’m getting used to wearing skirts everyday, so those occasions I have worn pants I have felt slightly scandalous.
So you may be wondering what exactly have I been up to. Well…Mondays through Fridays I attend training and weekends I hang out with my host family. In training, trainees learn how to become effective and safe Volunteers. Some highlights included when the Ambassador came to speak with us and when current PCVs came in and taught us how to run a classroom. Week nights I spend eating dinner, watching movies, or playing card games with my host family. The activities we do on the weekends have been all over the place, such as me learning how to wash clothes by hand (long and hard, let me tell you), going to my host sisters’ baseball game (they crushed the competition), going to a feast for the king (spontaneous DANCE PARTY), and exploring the ruins of Nan Madol (really cool). If you want me to elaborate on any one of these exciting times just let me know!
Cultural Lesson: Men and women in Pohnpeian culture have very distinct roles. Women are expected to do everything around the house (cook, clean) while men are expected to…well, I’m not sure. Use the machete? Kidding aside, men and women hang out separately, eat separately, even sit on separate sides of the church. Both genders, though, are responsible for rearing children (which was a surprise to me) and bringing in the money. Also, both males and females love to chew betlenut (google it) and drink sakau, which is a whole other lesson…
Oh, sakau. Where do I begin? Sakau is THE DRINK of Pohnpei. It is used for apologizing to people, proposing to a future spouse, celebrating big events, and honoring the nan marki (the king, who holds considerable power considering he has none politically. Everything goes through this man before anything can be accomplished). It is a plant that is pounded on rocks and twisted in hibiscus to produce a grayish brownish liquid with a questionable texture. Its effects are said to be similar to that of opium. I’ve had it on several occasions (most notably my birthday, when I reportedly wobbled back to my room) and I think I like it. You should google it just it case I am completely wrong.
I apologize again for the spazziness of this entry, but hopefully you can get a small picture of what life is like for me here. In short, I absolutely love it and am learning a lot about the Peace Corps, Pohnpeian culture, and myself (of course).
Sunday, September 5, 2010
In Kolonia
It was SO GREAT to visit Hawaii again! (For those of you who might not know, I took an IWU May Term class at the University of Hawaii in May 09). Peace Corps placed all of the volunteers in a swanky hotel on Waikiki beach, so I got to go back there. My last three meals in the United States were all Korean dishes (love it!). Staging went well. All of the other volunteers seem awesome and we're all really excited to begin our service.
We flew out at 7AM for an 11 hour plane ride, with pit stops in three places. When we finally arrived at the airport in Pohnpei, current PCVs and staff were there to greet us with the Micronesian version of the lei. Everyone was so enthusiastic and genuinely happy to see us, which was wonderful. We drove to the hotel and had a mini-orientation, and after that I had a medical interview with two Filipino doctors (excellent). Dinner was buffet style at another hotel, where adorable little girls danced some traditional Micronesian dances. I slept like a rock after that.
Today I've be wandering around Kolonia a bit, mostly to find food and explore. We had a host family orientation in the morning - I am beyond excited to finally meet my training host family tomorrow!
The 31 volunteers that comprise of Micro 77 (as we are affectionately called) are very diverse, coming from a variety of backgrounds (educational, ethnic, etc.). There's even another Fil-Am, much to my surprise! We're all pretty much on the same page, sharing the same anxieties and aspirations for our time in Micronesia.
In sum, I can't wait to begin! Thanks for all the support, and I'll update whenever I can. :)
We flew out at 7AM for an 11 hour plane ride, with pit stops in three places. When we finally arrived at the airport in Pohnpei, current PCVs and staff were there to greet us with the Micronesian version of the lei. Everyone was so enthusiastic and genuinely happy to see us, which was wonderful. We drove to the hotel and had a mini-orientation, and after that I had a medical interview with two Filipino doctors (excellent). Dinner was buffet style at another hotel, where adorable little girls danced some traditional Micronesian dances. I slept like a rock after that.
Today I've be wandering around Kolonia a bit, mostly to find food and explore. We had a host family orientation in the morning - I am beyond excited to finally meet my training host family tomorrow!
The 31 volunteers that comprise of Micro 77 (as we are affectionately called) are very diverse, coming from a variety of backgrounds (educational, ethnic, etc.). There's even another Fil-Am, much to my surprise! We're all pretty much on the same page, sharing the same anxieties and aspirations for our time in Micronesia.
In sum, I can't wait to begin! Thanks for all the support, and I'll update whenever I can. :)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
In Chicago
For the moment. At approximately 10AM on September 1st I will fly out to Honolulu, HI (sweet) and spend the rest of the day preparing for what the Peace Corps calls staging, a "brief yet intense" pre-departure orientation.
You might be asking yourself, "shouldn't Janelle already be prepared"? About that...I have spent the last three days packing for the next 26 months or longer (I somehow did it!). The rest of the time I hung out a lot with family and friends, ate at many different restaurants and gained weight (WHY SO DELICIOUS), volunteered as an ESL teacher, and traveled both domestically and internationally. Ah, the life of a recent college grad waiting for the next phase of her life to begin. Good times. :)
For those of you curious, I joined the Peace Corps out of an intense desire to do what I can to slowly make the world a better place. I know that sounds idealistic and slightly ridiculous but I genuinely believe that by enabling others to help themselves everyone benefits.
I am super excited to finally begin my service (after seven months of paperwork and waiting) and to get away from the excess that is American society (reality TV and the ability to buy in bulk), but there are some things I will miss. Pants, for one thing. Hi-speed internet access. Streaming anime and buying the latest manga volumes. Reading the latest k-pop news and not downloading music (haha). My wonderful friends (VISIT ME) and my family (I'm missing my cousin's wedding :o).
I am also anxious about becoming an effective English teacher and community developer. I wonder, will I be able to learn the local language and become accepted enough in my community in order to bring about real change? Or will I crash and burn and come home crying after four months? Hopefully not! I will leave all my hopes and concerns in God's hands.
I will do my best to keep this lovely blog updated, but no guarantees. XD Kaselehlie!
You might be asking yourself, "shouldn't Janelle already be prepared"? About that...I have spent the last three days packing for the next 26 months or longer (I somehow did it!). The rest of the time I hung out a lot with family and friends, ate at many different restaurants and gained weight (WHY SO DELICIOUS), volunteered as an ESL teacher, and traveled both domestically and internationally. Ah, the life of a recent college grad waiting for the next phase of her life to begin. Good times. :)
For those of you curious, I joined the Peace Corps out of an intense desire to do what I can to slowly make the world a better place. I know that sounds idealistic and slightly ridiculous but I genuinely believe that by enabling others to help themselves everyone benefits.
I am super excited to finally begin my service (after seven months of paperwork and waiting) and to get away from the excess that is American society (reality TV and the ability to buy in bulk), but there are some things I will miss. Pants, for one thing. Hi-speed internet access. Streaming anime and buying the latest manga volumes. Reading the latest k-pop news and not downloading music (haha). My wonderful friends (VISIT ME) and my family (I'm missing my cousin's wedding :o).
I am also anxious about becoming an effective English teacher and community developer. I wonder, will I be able to learn the local language and become accepted enough in my community in order to bring about real change? Or will I crash and burn and come home crying after four months? Hopefully not! I will leave all my hopes and concerns in God's hands.
I will do my best to keep this lovely blog updated, but no guarantees. XD Kaselehlie!
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