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!