On Top of the World

…or at least Pohnpei!

One reason I joined the Peace Corps was to get out of my “comfort zone” and experience more of what the world has to offer. Well, my hike up Nahnalaud certainly fulfilled that. Mind you, I have never been “real camping” up to this point in my life. I’ve done plenty of hikes, for sure, during my travels (America, Canada, Japan, Korea) and I’ve been to sleepaway camps, but I’ve never actually been camping. I am more of an indoors person, preferring a good fantasy book or a Super Smash Brothers smackdown to the wonderful outdoors.

So when the text message came from one of my friends (there are cell phones here, albeit very sketchy ones) asking if anyone wanted to climb up Pohnpei’s tallest peak, I hesitated. Did I really want to go on this hike instead of having a relaxing weekend doing nothing? Then I remembered why I was here in Pohnpei in the first place and decided to just go ahead and do it. Four PCVs also came and luckily our guide (Pohnpeian Super Man) just so happened to be the pahpa of one of the PCVs.

After a relaxing night of conversations and Merlin (the BBC series), we set forth on the hike. And it was probably the most physically demanding activity that I’ve ever had to do (not that I regularly do physical activity, but still). I stumbled through dense jungle by both sunlight and flashlight, crossed countless rivers (and almost fell in one), climbed up the mountain using my hands and feet and slide down it using my fifth appendage, and slept in a five-star cave (complete with leafy bedding and running water). I fell twenty six times, accumulated numerous cuts, scratches, bruises, and blisters, got all of my clothes really muddy, and drove myself crazy having Miley Cyrus’ The Climb stuck in my head for half the time.

Yet it was all worth it. The view was amazing, incredible, breathtaking. I could see my church from where I was standing! We had lunch on top of Pohnpei – how cool is that?

It took me about a week to fully recover from this hike (a.k.a. from the cuts, scratches, bruises, and blisters). My nohno and the rest of my host family all thought me crazy for having gone in the first place but nevertheless helped me heal. This will definitely be one of the highlights of my Peace Corps experience, a reminder that going out of my “comfort zone” is indeed worth it.

What else have I been up to, you may be wondering. Well, setting up the MHS Library is in full swing. I stack and sort books with the help of various students and my host sisters (which has been great fun). I also sweep the floor to get rid of never-ending gecko poop, wipe down the book shelves, and ponder ways to get the Trade and Industry students to build me more of them.

One of the highlights of my summer thus far has been the Summer Reading Program sponsored by the Pohnpei Public Library. Approximately 100 kids come in every Wednesday to participate in activities relating to “One World, Many Places.” The kids listen to stories, make fun crafts, and check out books to read at home. Their enthusiasm is infectious – every week they are so excited to travel to a different continent (they even have passports made by the library’s PCV) and find new books to take back with them, and I get excited to help read a story or supervise book check out. Plus they are all adorable. :)

I have also been planning for Library Camp’s Library Skills sessions, supervising banner making with GLOW girls (MHS represent!), attending my school’s graduation (the singing!), guest reading at Story Hour (what can we use our hands for?), commemorating the end of one PCV’s service (we all miss you!), swimming at Kepirohi Falls (yay being touristy), getting lost in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, hanging out with peeps, hanging out with the family, doing chores (what?), and eating fried bread fruit (delicious).

Today I am off to the Philippines (my flight is this afternoon). Thank you all for your continuous support and don’t forget to update me on your own lives!

Under My Umbrella

Pohnpei normally gets a lot of rain, but lately the amount we have been getting has been quite ridiculous (Is that even grammatically correct? I’ve been teaching too much!). At least we now have plenty of shower and laundry water!

The end of the semester has been a whirlwind of activity. My juniors suffered through vocabulary and reading comprehension with varying degrees of success. I helped prepare seniors who did not obtain satisfactory results from the first College of Micronesia Entrance Test take the second COMET. My health science freshman have learned all about the food we should and should not be eating (which included a fun activity of reading labels from all of the cans, bottles, and ramen packages they consume), as well as the reasons WHY tobacco, alcohol, and drugs are harmful to their bodies. I chose to teach these because they are issues most relevant to teenagers in Pohnpei and maybe a little bit of what they learned will stick with them over the summer.

I have triumphantly conquered grading the final exams and calculating final grades (all 103 of them). My students definitely earned their grades (for better or for worst). You can refer to me as Ms. Santos, destroyer of GPAs (hehe). I am proudest of those students who steadily improved over the course of the semester and learned to take ownership and pride in their school work. I am definitely satisfied that I could help them grow on both personal and academic levels. That’s the whole reason I’m here, right? I kept that thought in mind as I was grading stacks and stacks of papers over the past few weekss.

So what else have I been doing besides grading…well, I have been reading plenty of novels, catching up on the Asian pop music scene, and researching HBO’s Game of Thrones which I DESPERATELY need to watch. AHH, it looks SO GOOD!!! Sorry. On the home front, I have been doing more chores (easy ones a mehn wai cannot mess up), hanging out with my host sisters (Heroes marathons and card games), and losing at raffles (all for a good cause). Peace Corps staff visited my house and had a productive discussion with my host parents, which was nice. My nohno also says that I have been getting fatter and thus more Pohnpeian, which was both depressing and encouraging at the same time. Speaking of which, my family has recently been on a kimchi spree, which has been a treat for me (I miss real Korean food). I have had wonderfully delicious food (breadfruit is the best) and food that was not so much to my liking (you try eating salt disguised as ramen and canned mackerel).

Socially I haven’t really been up to much (surprise surprise for those of you who know me, right? hehe). The PCVs had a “Princess Party in Pohnpei” celebrating the royal wedding (look it up on CNN iReport). There was also a delicious dinner in honor of Cinco de Mayo and a birthday celebration for one of the hardest working PCVs on the island.

To begin this edition of the cultural corner, Madolenihmw (the municipality where I live) celebrated its Constitution Day on May 1. Everybody gathered together at the baseball field to listen to speeches, buy trays of food from the high school juniors raising money for the seniors’ graduation, and watch baseball, of course. Interesting note – baseball here is called iakiu, which comes from the Japanese yakyuu (I hope I spelled those correctly!). A LOT of the words in Pohnpeian are borrowed and modified from other languages, with Japanese and English being the main culprits. I enjoy this because I can easily memorize some Pohnpeian vocab since I studied Japanese.

My church has been hosting priests from Chuuk for big events such as baptisms and confirmations. Hearing English spoken at masses was a welcome change! One lesson I learned as we were feasting after one such event – NEVER get between a Pohnpeian woman and food. My attempts to serve myself at a buffet style table were thwarted by hoards of women dead set on getting only the best food for their families. Oh well! Thankfully my nohno took pity on me and helped me get some food.

I finally attended a Pohnpeian wedding, albeit an unusual one. The groom was my nohno’s brother and the bride was half-Filipino. They were already married legally but they wanted an actual religious wedding ceremony. The guests ranged from Pohnpeians to Filipinos to straight up white people, which I think reflected the diversity of people the groom worked with (in the FSM Department of Education). The wedding took place at a marine park picnic area with simple decorations and lots of food (per norm). The ceremony was in both English and Pohnpeian (I tried to see if I could follow both). The couple did not kiss at the end, but they did hold hands.

Since I am done with teaching (for now), my primary project over the summer is cleaning up and organizing the library with the assistance of interested students. I will also be coming up with GLOW ideas and keeping tabs on the junior counselors, helping out with library camp in Kolonia by teaching youngsters about library skills (let’s all hug books!), and start serious tutoring in Pohnpeian now that I have extra time. I also plan on rereading A Song of Ice and Fire series in preparation for the fifth book, visiting some of Pohnpei’s touristy areas, and going to the Philippines (I want to buy a bike and a mahjong set).

Thanks for reading, once again! Hope all of your summers are both relaxing and exciting. Shout outs to my newly married friend (congrats again!), my ACen friends (was it a blast this year?), and my recent IWU grad friends (you will all accomplish great things). Much love to my parental units and their amazing packages. Tupene mwur (until we meet again)!

Chillin’ with the King

Yeah, that’s right. Let me backtrack a bit.

Mid terms passed successfully for me, but not so much for some of my students. Grading was a bit hectic but I managed to turn in all of the grades way before the deadline. To celebrate, I visited the Pohnpei Public Library to be a guest reader for its weekly “Story Hour.” Reading the story of Peter Rabbit to a bunch of adorable children totally made my day! The bunny ears were a plus.

Speaking of the library…remember that library contest I mentioned? Well, of the four students who wrote essays and drew artwork from MHS, all four of them WON! Woo-hoo! Their entries were superb, I must say. Even though Pohnpei is, in many ways, their entire world, the students were able to capture the essence of the theme by thinking as global citizens. One of my students even won a brand spankin’ new cell phone and another won an iPod. Hard work does pay off!

The last quarter of the year is in full swing. I’ve been busy typing up plenty of relevant stories for intense reading comprehension as well as vocabulary lists and worksheets of “high words” for my juniors to expand their vocabulary. My health science classes have been discussing the stages of life all human beings go through, from birth to death and everything in between. Erikson, anybody? They also finally presented their poster presentations and skits at the High School Science Fair.

One extracurricular activity I’ve been involved with is being freshman academic advisor. I designed schedules for all 131 freshman to meet with one of their three advisors to talk about their classes, credits, GPA, and goals for the future. When they are all done being advised I will compile common triumphs and issues together and present them to the counselor. I met with my 52 students this week, and I think it turned out pretty well! They were at first a little confused as to why I wanted to talk to them, but most of my students became really comfortable chatting with me about their first year as a high school student. I definitely got some common responses so I will report those to the administration (confusion about credits, not knowing their GPA, teacher and subject complaints, the usual).

Another MHS activity is helping coach the debate team (again). Since I am the token English speaker who will be at the school next year, the Principal and LA department chair recruited me to advise the students. The debate topic was “be it resolved that the FSM Constitution should be amended to allow a state to secede”. MHS was on the “negative team” opposing this proposition. The debaters did a fabulous job in presenting their main arguments, including mentioning the fact that no constitution in the world has such a clause and that the four states of the FSM need to stay together for both economic and political reasons even though they are so diverse culturally and in many ways their own entities. However, due to the fact that they did not even know about the topic or their position until this week, they had little time to prepare arguments for the rebuttal portion of the debate and thus did not win. I was very proud of them though for doing the best that they could with the little time they had. We will be prepared next time!

I also represented Illinois Wesleyan University at College of Micronesia’s first college fair. I bothered my admissions office to send me promotional materials, and by some miracle they arrived the day before the college fair! I received wonderful brochures, informational packets, international student fact sheets, the latest copy of the IWU newspaper (in which I was indirectly mentioned – go Peace Corps!), and even a green tablecloth. I gave away plenty of information to prospective students and did my best to get them excited about studying anywhere in the U.S. (but preferably at IWU).

A Peace Corps activity I’ve been establishing at MHS is what I like to call, “Keep on GLOWing.” Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a week-long summer camp for 8th grade girls with the purpose of providing them with a safe environment to discuss women’s issues, to empower them to become the future leaders at their high schools, and to experience what it is like to attend a sleepover camp that is packed full of FUN. It’s absolutely wonderful! I have been periodically meeting with the girls who attended the camp last year to see how GLOW still influences their lives and how they would like to be involved this year. Junior counselors, anyone?

I have been on a mini-quest to sleep over at my fellow PCVs’ houses, just out of curiosity to see what their families and living situations are like. All of the families I’ve visited so far were very welcoming and fun, since they are used to crazy mehn wai. Just saying. During one such sleepover I had the opportunity to chill with the nan mwarki (king) of Kitti since he is the great-grandfather of my PCV friend! The whole church community gathered at his nahs for a mini-celebration and feast, complete with delicious local cuisine and free towels! Everybody listened to speeches given by high ranking people and then dug right into plenty of food.

The Pohnpei PCVs are, for the most part, doing well. It’s always great catching up with their daily lives at our various meetings. We all got to spend quality time together thanks to In Service Training (IST). For three days we discussed our progress at our schools, shared teaching practices, and learned about behavior change (very exciting). We are, once again, very lucky because we have pretty much unlimited access to the staff at the office and therefore can bring up our common concerns to people who can do something about them. In addition, our host families got to meet each other at an orientation and learn about the roles of their PCVs and their own expectations and responsibilities.

I think I’ve ranted about taxis here before, but it’s worth mentioning again. If you, dear reader, ever come to Pohnpei, be wary of all the taxis! ARGH! Taxi base phone lines always busy, taxi base forgets about your call an hour later, taxi fails to show up for another two hours, taxi has errands it MUST do while you’re waiting for another hour, taxi crowds eight people in a traditionally five-seater vehicle (talk about way too close for comfort!), taxi driver tries to propose marriage (a little too fast there, buddy)…just NO. AISH!

Happy thoughts. I will be going to the Philippines in June (I officially bought the plane ticket!). I think I will be more prepared for this trip compared to last time back in 2009 since I have been living in a country very similar to the Philippines, as well as all the Filipino soap operas and movies I’ve been watching. I still feel very much Filipino-AMERICAN and disconnected from my cultural heritage, but I will get to spend time with relatives and maybe get an actual cup of coffee! We’ll see. Other summer plans include a student organized library, library camp in Kolonia, and Camp GLOW. I’ll update with progress on all of these activities in the future.

In my cultural corner, one HUGE event took place on Thursday, March 31. Micronesian Culture and Tradition Day was a day off of work and school so everybody could celebrate with their communities. My family and I drove to the village of Temwen’s nahs, where everybody who cared to come from Madolenihmw municipality gathered together. I got an excellent place to sit in the nahs, alongside the women and the food. Hehe. The kamadipw began with the traditional pounding of sakau (kava) by the men and the passing of the cup to the nan mwarki of Madolenihmw (the highest king) and to other high ranking folks. I was surprised that my pahpa was the one doing the passing of the cup. I knew he was high ranking, but it was still impressive to see just how high ranking he is in the community. Pretty cool, huh?

Next came the bringing up and passing out of all the food. LOTS of food. I received an awesome basket made of woven banana leaves containing only local produce (such as local chicken and yams). After eating came traditional dances. Some high school students (including some of my own) performed this intricate dance involving hand gestures, little sticks, and a big stick that was constantly pounded on by mini spears. They were all dressed in grass skirts and coconut oiled up. It was lovely to watch them do this dance knowing that they are keeping their traditions alive. Following this were speeches, giving of the mwaramwars, and passing out of the pig parts (I received a very hairy leg that my family proceeded to cook in the days following). Needless to say, I was very tired but very pleased after this kamadipw. I know that Pohnpei wants to “catch up” to the developed world but its people still treasure and preserve their culture. It’s a beautiful thing.

Another event for the cultural corner is the celebration of Holy Week in Pohnpei. As you may recall, Pohnpeians are pretty much all Christian, and fortunately for me my family is Catholic. Holy Week began with Palm Sunday, but my family and I were late to mass because of the Blue Monstrosity’s flat tire (yes, I call the family car that. I always think it’s going to break down at any moment!). My nohno gathered some palms from our yard that we blessed on our own with holy water before entering the church. That was interesting. During the Holy Thursday mass the deacon washed the feet of twelve prominent church members (including my pahpa). Good Friday began with a three mile walk for the Stations of the Cross, then service around 3PM. Holy Saturday was the Easter Vigil, complete with the lighting of the candles and many, many readings. Finally, Easter Sunday was a solemn yet joyous mass, reminding us that on this day we “inherited the victory of life.”

I hope you were not intimidated by all of this text! I am plenty busy here, as you can tell. I’ve had good days, bad days, and mean days (just ask my students!) but for the most part I am happy with the work I’ve been doing here and the life I’ve been leading. I have been thinking about future plans and I am considering extending my service for maybe half a year to a full year. Now to improve my dismal language skills and integrate into the community more! As always, feel free to contact me about anything or just tell me about life updates. Tupene mwur!

On an island (sometimes I forget)

I am safe and sound here on my little island in the Pacific, so no worries about me! My prayers go out to everyone in Japan affected by the recent tsunami.

I have been busy busy since last we met. All of the teachers and students are preparing for the upcoming mid-term exams to wrap up the third quarter, myself included. More often than not, on any given Saturday my nohno (host mother) would find me staring at a stack of papers that needed to be graded ASAP. On the bright side, my classes have been going well! My Language Arts students have accomplished many things, such as successfully competing against each other in debates and writing very creative (and CRAZY) short stories. My Health Science students have undergone multiple examinations as well as prepared poster presentations for the science fair that finally has a set date! In the spirit of International Peace Corps Day (50 years, woot!), I had my students write letters to their former PCV teachers and also had my PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) come in to talk with them about STDs (complete with graphic images that really hit it home). However, I have been showing more of my mean side because discipline is a continuous issue. Can any teachers out there give me advice on effective classroom management? I have also been interviewing students and teachers as a part of a community assessment for the Peace Corps with some interesting results.

Additionally, since I am the “library coordinator,” the Principal put me in charge of a contest held by the Pohnpei Public library, where two of my fellow PCVs have their secondary projects. The theme of the contest is “One World, Many Places” and students from all levels either write essays or create artwork embodying the theme. I am anxious to see what the students come up with! Also, since I will for sure be here next year, I have been recruited to be one of two academic advisers for freshman (remember me mentioning this when I first got my site announcement? I am so excited it is finally coming true!), and to help coach the debate team that will apparently be going to Yap in July. I will keep you posted on all of these outcomes.

As one of three token menwai (foreigner) teachers at MHS (the other two being a World Teach Volunteer and an Eco-Tourism expert), I am often required to participate in several teacher events around the island. One was the Teacher’s Forum, where all teachers (Early Childhood Education, Elementary, and Secondary) got together to discuss important issues and listen to each other give informative presentations. Two of my fellow PCV’s were such presenters (and I heard only good things about their sessions!) For U and Madolenihmw teachers, the forum took place at Awak Elementary School (which boasts a beautiful ocean view – lucky kids!). I, along with the Science Department, gave a presentation entitled “Climate Change and the Children of the Pacific.” In typical Pohnpeian fashion I had absolutely no idea I was going to be a part of this until four days before the event was to take place. However, armed with several hours of research and index cards, the presentation went extremely well. My part was about the effects climate change is projected to have on the health, education, and general well-being of Pacific Islander children. Ask me for details if you would like to be informed!

Another event was a Secondary Teacher’s Retreat, which gave students the day off and brought me back to Kitti, specifically Enipein. Teachers from all three high schools discussed the strengths and weaknesses of their departments and possible strategies for improvement. I had great conversations with teachers from PICS about the challenges students face in furthering their education outside of the F.S.M. Once again, I was reminded of how blessed I am to have been born an American citizen into a family who placed education above everything else.

Outside of the school environment, I have not really been doing much. Peace Corps Pohnpei recently lost its most valuable staff member to retirement, our fabulous Program Assistant. He will be sorely missed. The retirement party, celebrated on a Friday, was followed by more partying by PCVs. Most Fridays everyone gets together to wrap up a productive week and socialize. Good times. Saturdays I mostly work then reward myself by reading (Neil Gaiman continues to amaze me) or watching videos on my laptop (Avatar: The Last Airbender is my latest obsession). Sundays I go to Mass (I can’t believe it’s already Lent!) sometimes followed by a kamadipw (feast).

Kamadipws are wonderful cultural experiences because everyone involved prepares food to be shared by everyone (and I mean everyone) beforehand. I was actually able to help out my host family in the most recent one by assisting in cooking! This particular feast was the Pohnpeian version of Mardi Gras. Lots of food was brought by women to the nahs (feast house) where everyone gathers, this one near our church. The food, anything from fish to macaroni salad, was divided equally among all attendees by the women whose husbands hosted the kamadipw. After hours of waiting, talking, and eating, entertainment was provided in the form of dances done by the young adults of the community. One of my host sisters actually took part and danced really well! Dancing is such a big part of Pohnpeian culture (I think because all Pohnpeians can shake it up!), whether it be traditional dances, Shakira-inspired moves, or country (don’t ask).

That’s about it for now, dear reader. As always, if you have any thoughts you would like to share or questions you want to ask, feel free to comment below. Kalahngan to College of Micronesia Professor Dana Lee Lang for your wonderful input and to my ever encouraging parental units. Until next time!

In the crowd

I have officially been a Peace Corps Volunteer for over three months! I have learned to live without many of the comforts of the typical American lifestyle (video games, hot naked showers, ethnic foods) and embrace a more Pohnpeian way of life (strange movies, shower skirts, many unique uses for instant ramen). However, I bet that I am the only PCV who can keep up with (and wants to keep up with) the ever changing Japanese and Korean pop music scene! Thank you internet. I plan, I teach, I grade. I plan some more, I teach some more, I grade some more. Life goes on. And then of course, in typical Pohnpeian fashion, some important event needs to happen in the near future that requires my immediate attention that I had absolutely no idea of until I read about it in the morning announcements.

“What do you mean?” you may ask. Well, one such event was the COMET (College of Micronesia Entrance Test) that all seniors who want to go to the only college in Micronesia need to take and pass. The LA department chair decided that intense practice two weeks prior to the big test would sufficiently help the seniors conquer it. This practice included crazy vocabulary words (raffinate?), very difficult reading comprehension passages (who seriously cares about the history of fossil fuels?), and multiple essays (anything from government sponsored health care to ocean pollution to the staple foods of Pohnpei). All of the LA teachers were expected to help out, even if it meant canceling their own classes in favor of supervising the seniors. I refused to make my freshman suffer the consequences so I only attended a few of the practices, but to make up for it I did my share of correcting tests and reading and grading the many, many essays produced. I think the seniors benefited since I heard only good things after they took the test. Let’s hope everyone passes with flying colors!

One unforeseen benefit was that all the classes that day had to be moved to the campus where the seniors were not testing (as to have a proper environment for thinking), so I had my students help me in the MHS library! Before, the library was an intimidating mountain of books. After, all the book shelves were in place with books in them and I could cry at how glorious everything looked. Now all that is left (haha) is some intense organization, and then the library will actually be usable for everybody! Let’s hope this happens by the next school year. Another good thing was that I took all the leftover tests and used them with my juniors. They will be super prepared for their test next year (I can only hope!).

The Science Fair would be another example of such an event. Scheduled to be in early February, the science department chair called for multiple meetings to discuss logistics and such. As one of three health science teachers, I was of course expected to have my students participate, and I was more than happy to have them do so. I had my students prepare and present role plays about “making the right decision” and everyone voted on which ones to send to the science fair. I was very proud of my students for creating some excellent skits. Since this was going on at the same time as the COMET practice, things were extremely hectic. Luckily (for me) the chair talked to the higher ups and now the science fair will be sometime in March or April. We’ll see.

One event that I had absolutely no role in but was affected by it nonetheless was Champion Week, which actually just occurred. Champion Week is just the fancy term for sports, sports, sports. Due to this, classes have been cut in half for the past two weeks so students could practice basketball, baseball, volleyball, and track and field after lunch. With all this time I could be productive in grading papers and tests (most of my students did horribly on their first health science test – perhaps it was too hard, perhaps nobody studied, perhaps I am a horrible teacher who shows no mercy but oh well), preparing lesson plans, and doing necessary (and unnecessary) internet things. I also had time to devour some excellent books (namely George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series that EVERYONE should read, thank you Ate!). I want to give a shout out to Mrs. Peters’ 6th grade Social Studies classes for their amazing letters and goodies that my students immensely enjoyed. I will do my best to get back to all of you!

Outside of school I have been hanging out with my family, hanging out with my fellow volunteers, and planning for a trip to the Philippines that will (God willing) happen late June. Thanks to Championship Week, I was also able to spend a few nights with my training family in Kitti (it was great seeing everyone and catching up!). The games were pretty exciting and even intense at times. I was teased for wearing the red of MHS instead of the white of NMHS (Kitti’s Nanpei Memorial High School). Volleyball was great fun to watch, and baseball was a blast because MHS girls really know how to work a crowd (the gun cheer was my absolute favorite). The boy’s baseball team even won! I guess all that extra practice paid off.

This past Saturday I helped clean up the PC IRC (in-country resource center) and attended Catholic mass in ENGLISH. I absolutely needed this since there is only so much Catholic mass in Pohnpeian that I can take without being able to fully comprehend everything that is said. However, one downside to hanging out in Kolonia (where anything social occurs) is the taxi situation. Once, it took me two hours instead of the usual one to get home since taxis like to make multiple pit stops, usually for no feasible reason I can think of (with my still Americanized mind set). Another time I had to wait two hours in Kolonia just for a taxi to show up, even after calling the base three times. Grr. However, I did meet a pretty awesome Chuukese security guard who was concerned for my well-being. Yay nice people!

That’s more or less life for me since my last blog post. Remember, I want to know what’s happening with all of YOU dear readers (preferably not from Facebook stalking). Updates are always welcome, as are books, letters, pictures, whatever you can think of and are willing to send me. Menlau! (a more informal way of saying thank you in Pohnpeian).

In the shower – without a shower skirt

Scandalous, right? Not really, once you read on…

On the second day of the new year, I ate Nothing for dinner.

Nothing was one of my family’s three dogs. It was black, kind of ugly, and quite tasty. I didn’t see the actually slaughtering of Nothing, but I did see a carcass roasting over a fire and figured it out pretty quickly. Dog tastes like a cross between pork and steak. Mwein (Maybe)? It’s one of those things you just have to try for yourself, like joining the Peace Corps! (HINT HINT) Is it sad that I was infinitely amused when I fed our family cat some dog? I get the same feeling whenever I throw chicken bones to the family chickens.

The first week of school was reserved for clearance and orientation, meaning that I had a whole week to plan for what I was going to do in the next semester, as well as work in the library. The vice-principal informed me that I was to co-teach two junior classes and solo teach two freshman classes. I would be teaching Language Arts III with one of my co-teachers from last semester, which was great. I would also be teaching the freshman Health Science…WHAT? I definitely needed to do a lot of planning for that! During the week I also managed to create an assessment containing grammar, writing, and reading for the juniors, exercise by running/power walking, catch up on Facebook, and do errands in Kolonia.

My first week officially back at school went pretty smoothly. Everyone was late on the first day, and I’m pretty sure my co-teacher and I were the only ones actually teaching since all the other teachers were making their students clean the classrooms. And my health classes…do you all know the three parts of the health triangle? Thank goodness I have a health textbook, but since my students do not it’s up to me to educate them about how to live healthy lives. Even if it means the occasional whack on the head for practicing unhealthy habits!

My primary assignment (English teaching) is also going well…like last semester, I am primarily in charge of writing and oral communication. I had a very fun and informative class about the different types of prewriting (I like to think so, anyway). It’s different for me, teaching juniors Language Arts instead of freshman, but this also means more possibilities for writing assignments and growth in my students as writers and speakers.

I attended my first PTA meeting this past Friday – it was basically the principal and vice informing interested parents about the progress of their children and who is teaching what this semester. I’m teaching the most classes (four classes in four periods – one period is 1½ hours, with an hour break for lunch) but my poor friend the World Teach Volunteer has to prepare for three classes while I only have to prepare for two! Teaching drains a lot out of me, though, especially when I move around and am active in the classroom in order for my students to be interested in what I’m saying. Sleep is amazing.

I was a total menwai (foreigner) this past weekend. After the PTA meeting, I went to Kolonia with my host parents to take care of more errands (like copying the almighty bathroom key). Saturday morning, I headed to Kolonia again with Team Madolenihmw so we could all celebrate another volunteer’s birthday! We hung out, watched Harry Potter (still good), ate delicious pizza, and partied it up menwai style, plenty of choice beverages and dancing included. After a crazy night, I had my first hot and absolutely GLORIOUS naked shower in over two months. All of you Americans reading this are probably laughing at how ridiculous I sound, but after experiencing daily “showers” using a small pink bowl to dump myself with COLD water collected in a former pig trough while wearing a skirt (you got that?), I definitely appreciated a hot naked shower. Sunday was a day for recovering – I ate a delicious tuna omelet and hung out in the PCV lounge with my fellow volunteers.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I asked my juniors if they knew who he was. Mind you, they just took an American History class last semester (even though it seems quite odd for them to be learning about the founding fathers when they should be learning about the history of their own country). They had no idea (“Teacher utahn sehse” – “Teacher I really don’t know”), so I launched into a mini history lesson and then a mini lecture about how they should all know what their rights as Micronesian citizens are, especially since they took civics their freshman year! I had them write about what rights they value the most and why. My health classes were all about the decision making process – do you know the six steps? MHS also hosted the Agricultural Fair, so all of the elementary schools came and students sold their locally grown produce.

“This all sounds great, but what about you personally?” You might be asking this to yourself right now. I’m doing well! My language progress is coming, slowly but surely, since my host family still uses Pohnpeian when talking to me (only using English when I really don’t understand what they’re saying). I am trying my best to speak Pohnpeian at home (using English when I lack the right words) and even at school, much to the amusement of my students. My host family is still awesome (we’re watching better movies now), the students and staff are still awesome (my co-teacher told me that she was glad I was with her – yay!), and my friends and family back in the states are still awesome (and continuously supportive).

So sohte pwunod (no worries) about me. But I am curious about all of you! What are you up to now? Write me letters or Facebook me – it may take me a while to respond but I would definitely appreciate it! I don’t think I’ve been truly homesick here, but I’ve had my fair share of low moments (I feel useless at home and at school, there’s no way I can integrate into this community, why can’t I freakin’ speak Pohnpeian, no one understands me, I’m bored!). I’ve gotten through them by reading emails from family and friends and looking at pictures. So more reading materials and more photos would be amazing and are always welcome. Kalahngan lap (Big thanks)!

In the New Year

I can’t believe it’s already 2011! 2010 will be a hard year to beat – besides finishing my final semester of college, graduating from IWU, visiting my sister in Sunnyvale, babysitting my adorable cousin, volunteering as an ESL teacher, and going to GATECON, I actually got a job – with the Peace Corps!

Before Christmas break, I wrapped up the semester by grading lots of papers and tests and turning in my very first grades. During the break I have been cleaning up the library space and stacking books, attending numerous Christmas parties (ice cream and presents are usually involved), watching Filipino soap operas with my family (very frustrating yet addictive), reading a lot of books, and going to Kolonia to run errands and hang out with people (I saw Harry Potter 7 Part 1!). I’ve participated in family sakau time, family movie time, and family nap time. On Christmas Eve I attended a family kamadipw (lots of sitting and staring at all the crazy things going on). On Christmas Day I went to mass with my family, gave and received presents, and drank lots of sakau, resulting in me being seriously ohn sakau (drunk) the next day (oh well!). On New Year’s Eve my entire family (which is very rare) attended a village party, complete with Lucky Number (you give a present, you receive a present), dancing, and BINGO. We rang in the New Year five minutes early (according to my watch) with noise makers and handshakes.

This year, I will do my best to be an effective PCV, whether that be in teaching, in doing community development work, or in cultural integration. Nantioahng! I will leave you all, my dear readers, with a quote from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere that perfectly summarizes my experiences in Pohnpei thus far. Happy New Year!

“It was pure madness – of that there was no doubt at all. It was loud, and brash, and insane, and it was, in many ways, quite wonderful” (109).