Well, I made it through all the training and am now an official Peace Corps volunteer. I was sworn in Friday and met my new host family!
I had my language exam on Thursday. I didn't do great but I suppose good enough to pass me on. I really hoped to pick this language up quickly but I've definitely struggled with it. Just when i thought I was getting it...boom, I'm sucking yet again and feeling completely lost. I feel like an idiot at times, but what's new! Anyway, there's no crying in pohnpeian!
Our ceremony was pretty hi-larious. A few local leaders gave short speeches then we were sworn in by the country director. It took place directly outside our cafeteria area so it was right along the lagoon. Beautiful view! During the various speeches, the dogs entertained themselves by lounging on the "stage" and at one point a cat found the snacks. It was entertaining to say the least. The finale involved all us newbies dancing with sticks while chanting a local song. I meant to record it but accidently forgot my camera. But, other volunteers got pictures so there will be some great incriminating evidence.
After the ceremony I said my final goodbyes to my family. I was very sad to leave them. I can't imagine being in pohnpei and not living with them. They are fantastic and so loving. I'm so blessed to have entered this country with such great support. I will make it back to visit. Maybe not every weekend, as they all would like, but often enough.
I met my new family and rode home with them. I am now living about 30 minutes (walking) outside Kolonia. My family includes a mother, Truscilla, father, Kiester, and 4 sons- Kiestrue, Kayward, Kaye, and DJ. These boys are darling! So handsome! The youngest is 3 and the oldest is 14. I will not be teaching any of them this year, but Kayward will have me as his teacher next year.
My house is lovely! My room has a closet and desk and is very big. The house is equipped with indoor plumbing!! I get to brush my teeth in a sink. It's the little things! My family seems very excited to have me here. They really want me to work with the boys in school. They too want to better their English. So expectations are set. It's nice to finally be in my placement.
I also started teaching at my school in Sekere. The first day my teacher was late gettin to school, so I started my lessons immediately. No I was not prepared so I pulled some shit out of my ass. No fear. The kids seemed to enjoy it and honestly that is all that matters. My brothers and cousins walked me to and from school. It was quite precious.
Not much more to report here. Not many funny stories as of late. Though I am searching high and low for some goodies! So please stay tuned.
PS (can one include a ps on a blog?)... I am no longer allergic to sakou! You have no idea how happy I am about this! Freak face is gone for good. Though my nose is swollen and cut from hitting it 2 times on my glass blinds when attempting to shoosh the damn roosters from outside the window...at 3 am...so loud! Old MacDonald can suck it.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Housecleaning
I've been thinking that my blogging has not been too exciting lately, sobi thought I would provide you with a few stories. Please laugh...
My host sister asked me the other day what i ate in the states. I
mentioned burritos, cheese, pasta, cheese, nachos, fish, cheese. She was stunned that I didn't eat spam or corned beef. When i first arrive in Pohnpei I found a pig leg with hoof still attahced in
freezer. If anything drills home the reality of the situation, it was this surprise.
Thankfully my family is careful when they cut up pig as I don't have
to worry about eating pig hair, unlike a few of my peers. The huge chunks of fat on the diced meat, well that's another aspect I have a feeling I will never learn to appreciate.
Ive perfected the art of eating dried apricots and prunes. After many
failed attempts of my snacks becoming infested with ants I now eat with freedom from ants...or so I believe, anyway. You see, I stand in the middle of my room, shoosh all the ants off the bag, then open it. I have to be very careful as to not let any remaining ants make their way to my hands. You would be surprised how ants just appear. Oh, as soon as I finish my apricot serving I must immediately wash or sanitize my hands. It appears that ants can sense apricot nectar from afar. The one time I didn't wash my hands about 10 tiny ants were crawling all over my hand and arm as I was reading on my mat, which is located on the floor. Last night I was scaveging for a snack and decide to try to finish my trail mix. I was snacking away when I noticed an ant. After careful inspection it became apparent that the ant have taken over my trailix. A sad day. I loved that mix from my brother and Natalie. This morning I went to throw the bag away and noticed something very strange. It was no longer controlled by the tiny ants as ninja ants now ruled the mix. Very weird!
A few nigts ago I woke up at 4:45am and had to pee. I'm very lucky
that I have an indoor bathroom and that it's located next to my room.
So I make my way to the bathroom, open and close the door when
something catches my eye. By this point I'm on the toilet and just
inches from my head is a huge spider- about 4"x4". I found myself
leaning the opposite way looking at this spider directly in his/her
eyes. Creepy. Back home I would have freaked out and probably not been able to fall back asleep. Here- no problem. I slept like a baby with my host of ants and mosquitos.
Oh! I figured out what is causing my freak face! Sakou! The local
drink that gets ya drunk after many many times drinking it. Anyway I drank Sunday with some family members and got drunk! I realized that I felt awesome when I looked up from my chair and all of a sudden I felt as if I was tripping. Later I was walking up to my house through a shortcut in the jungle when I felt all wobbly (yes I had wobbly knees and for those who know me and my wobbly knees you can only imagine what I looked like). When I got to my house I was taking off my flip flops, lifted my head, and knocked a vase of fake flowers (don't ask why we have fake flowers when real ones grow wild everywhere) out of the holder. My host brother was walking by and busted out laughing. Later that night I was reading my chic book, which reminds me, when i read its with a flashlight on my chest- every few pages i have to wind it to brighten the light. I love flashlights! I was wearing my glasses and the words were blurry. However the more I tilted my head back the better I could see. It wasn't until later that I realized I could see better with my glasses off. It was at this point that I thought maybe I forgot to take out my contacts. So I get up and nope they were in the case. So sakou cures farsightedness! However I will never get to test this theory because Im allergic to it. So sad.
I woke up in the middle of the night scratching my face off. At 4am I'm trying to look in my tiny compact mirror to see if i'm
freak face and sure as shit, red face is back. 3 days
later and I'm still red faced although it has dissipated somewhat. So
I've come to the conclusion that I am allergic to sakou.
Disappointing that I will not be able to get drunky on sakou as it
was quite an enjoyable time.
I have 2 weeks left with my current family. My host mom told me that she's going to cry when I leave. I have been instructed to come back every weekend to spend time with them. I don't know about every weekend but I'm sure I will be coming back. They have been a wonderful family. I've been blessed to have had this experience. I have developed a great relationship with my sisters and, this is shocking, tend to only speak pohnpeian in the hose. It's a great feeling. I look forward to my next family but they have a lot of work ahead of them to compare to my current. Regardless, I have faith in knowing that it will be a good placement.
Stay tuned for more stories!
My host sister asked me the other day what i ate in the states. I
mentioned burritos, cheese, pasta, cheese, nachos, fish, cheese. She was stunned that I didn't eat spam or corned beef. When i first arrive in Pohnpei I found a pig leg with hoof still attahced in
freezer. If anything drills home the reality of the situation, it was this surprise.
Thankfully my family is careful when they cut up pig as I don't have
to worry about eating pig hair, unlike a few of my peers. The huge chunks of fat on the diced meat, well that's another aspect I have a feeling I will never learn to appreciate.
Ive perfected the art of eating dried apricots and prunes. After many
failed attempts of my snacks becoming infested with ants I now eat with freedom from ants...or so I believe, anyway. You see, I stand in the middle of my room, shoosh all the ants off the bag, then open it. I have to be very careful as to not let any remaining ants make their way to my hands. You would be surprised how ants just appear. Oh, as soon as I finish my apricot serving I must immediately wash or sanitize my hands. It appears that ants can sense apricot nectar from afar. The one time I didn't wash my hands about 10 tiny ants were crawling all over my hand and arm as I was reading on my mat, which is located on the floor. Last night I was scaveging for a snack and decide to try to finish my trail mix. I was snacking away when I noticed an ant. After careful inspection it became apparent that the ant have taken over my trailix. A sad day. I loved that mix from my brother and Natalie. This morning I went to throw the bag away and noticed something very strange. It was no longer controlled by the tiny ants as ninja ants now ruled the mix. Very weird!
A few nigts ago I woke up at 4:45am and had to pee. I'm very lucky
that I have an indoor bathroom and that it's located next to my room.
So I make my way to the bathroom, open and close the door when
something catches my eye. By this point I'm on the toilet and just
inches from my head is a huge spider- about 4"x4". I found myself
leaning the opposite way looking at this spider directly in his/her
eyes. Creepy. Back home I would have freaked out and probably not been able to fall back asleep. Here- no problem. I slept like a baby with my host of ants and mosquitos.
Oh! I figured out what is causing my freak face! Sakou! The local
drink that gets ya drunk after many many times drinking it. Anyway I drank Sunday with some family members and got drunk! I realized that I felt awesome when I looked up from my chair and all of a sudden I felt as if I was tripping. Later I was walking up to my house through a shortcut in the jungle when I felt all wobbly (yes I had wobbly knees and for those who know me and my wobbly knees you can only imagine what I looked like). When I got to my house I was taking off my flip flops, lifted my head, and knocked a vase of fake flowers (don't ask why we have fake flowers when real ones grow wild everywhere) out of the holder. My host brother was walking by and busted out laughing. Later that night I was reading my chic book, which reminds me, when i read its with a flashlight on my chest- every few pages i have to wind it to brighten the light. I love flashlights! I was wearing my glasses and the words were blurry. However the more I tilted my head back the better I could see. It wasn't until later that I realized I could see better with my glasses off. It was at this point that I thought maybe I forgot to take out my contacts. So I get up and nope they were in the case. So sakou cures farsightedness! However I will never get to test this theory because Im allergic to it. So sad.
I woke up in the middle of the night scratching my face off. At 4am I'm trying to look in my tiny compact mirror to see if i'm
freak face and sure as shit, red face is back. 3 days
later and I'm still red faced although it has dissipated somewhat. So
I've come to the conclusion that I am allergic to sakou.
Disappointing that I will not be able to get drunky on sakou as it
was quite an enjoyable time.
I have 2 weeks left with my current family. My host mom told me that she's going to cry when I leave. I have been instructed to come back every weekend to spend time with them. I don't know about every weekend but I'm sure I will be coming back. They have been a wonderful family. I've been blessed to have had this experience. I have developed a great relationship with my sisters and, this is shocking, tend to only speak pohnpeian in the hose. It's a great feeling. I look forward to my next family but they have a lot of work ahead of them to compare to my current. Regardless, I have faith in knowing that it will be a good placement.
Stay tuned for more stories!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Too hot to handle, too cold to hold
Have you ever encountered so many issues that it makes you ill to even think about them? That when you begin considering how to deal with them, you don't even know where to begin? It's so overwhelming that you just want to scream?
Obviously I have come to this enevitable point. Only 1.5 months into my pre-service training and already the issues are too much. It's mind boggling. No, I'm not going to quit. It's actually quite the opposite. It's given me the power to want to do something. Make a difference. Do what I came here for. And so I begin...
"The Compact"
Did you know that a portion of your tax dollars goes to The Federated States of Micronesia? In exhange for air, water, and of course land, the Micronesians receive a chunk of change (which compared to the amount of money to finance the iraq war is really nothing) for various things such as education, healthcare, roads, etc. This all began in the early 1980's and was recently reenacted under the bush administration. After the reenacted, Micronesians have to be more accountable for the money they receive. Plus they have to divide the money amongst the four states, which is another problem. Since the money must be divided evenly some states have to let the money sit in a trust account until there is enough money for projects to be completed. A great example is Chuuk state which does not have a main paved road. Currently there's a dirt road that circles the entire state which according to current volunteers is a complete mess...huge potholes and muddy terrain. Not fun shit. This year the trust contained enough money to begin the road project which, thankfully, is underway.
Return to the compact...this money flow is supposed to end in 2023 with the hopes that Micronesia will be well established. The money is also accruing interest so it is anticipated that the people will be able to use the money accordingly and will no longer be involved with the States. What will happen to Micronesia when the compact ends?! Well it looks like China is getting in on the action. They are currently building an embassy here in Pohnpei and have been tending to a pilot garden project. Both projects employed only Chinese workers and used little resources and people from the island. The garden project now sells their produce to local markets which has taken away the opportunity for local farmers to sell their whole foods. Currently the govenor of Pohnpei is in talks with the Chinese about a casino. The casino would, of course, be built by he Chinese and would serve as a travel destination for Asian tourists. It would provide job opportunity for locals-after the construction is completed, but if you talk to any local person, a casino on this island is unheard of.
So what does a little peace corps volunteer do? I've recently started getting out in the community. My home is behind my family's store which is located on the main road. On my family's property there is also a thatched roof enclosure that has a sakou rock and bench seating...a great setup. The area is always a hot spot for sakou drinking and serves as a spot to simply rest and chat. It's a great place to meet many locals. It's taken some time for me to be comfortable and "read" and understand the culture. I've taken to chatting with many who speak English. I've neglected working to speak pohnpeian but have instead decide that's okay as I have gained a better understanding of the issues.
The Catholic Dicone and I have chatted on several occasions about Pohnpeian issues- issues that seem so easy to fix but making things come together here is a problem within itself. My perspective on various government issues and the risk on education have heightened my awareness of what is not being done. The government is all English speaking. However English isn't even "officially" taught until the children are in 4th grade and even then it's loosely a piece of the instructional element. By 7th grade all subjects need to be taught in English. By this time retention of students is compromised. There is an 8th grade exam that students must pass in order to go to high school. So most students get in but their grade level is approxmately 2-3 grades below. So a freshman is at a 6th grade reading level. Many of the teachers try to speak English in the classroom, but seeing that it's so easy to speak their native language, lessons tend to be taught in Pohnpeian.
Another aspect that has recently astonished me is that elementary students K-8th are not provided a lunch. Nothing! High schoolers get fed at school but not the little ones. Apparently the recently elected govenor pledged that he would provide school lunches for all public education citing specific funds to use. Unfortunately those funds disappeared as did the " school lunch for all kids" promise. Many kids bring food but those who don't spend $ 1-2 to purchase ramen noodles and a soda. Awesome nutrition. Get them hyped up on sugar and preservatives and wonder why they misbehave or are simply lethargic. My knowledge of how this is affecting these hildren developmentally is heart breaking. They deserve lunch for Christ sake.
One must return to the government. They only speak English and the majority of pohnpeians don't have the language ability or the confidence to speak their minds. There are leaders, congressmen and such, in the community, ones I haven't met, but I really hope have the pohnpeian best interests in mind. These people need to have their voices heard. If they continue down the current path they will lose power of their state, and the younger generation may not be able to pull them through.
All in all, I've become acquainted with various aspects of what Pohnpeians are doing right and wrong. More importantly, I'm learning why I'm here. Although it's quite overwhelming and sometimes nauseating, I honestly believe that I'm in the right place- physically and emotionally. I can only hope that I will do what is right for the people here and, of course, be of an asset to the society. Only time will tell...
Obviously I have come to this enevitable point. Only 1.5 months into my pre-service training and already the issues are too much. It's mind boggling. No, I'm not going to quit. It's actually quite the opposite. It's given me the power to want to do something. Make a difference. Do what I came here for. And so I begin...
"The Compact"
Did you know that a portion of your tax dollars goes to The Federated States of Micronesia? In exhange for air, water, and of course land, the Micronesians receive a chunk of change (which compared to the amount of money to finance the iraq war is really nothing) for various things such as education, healthcare, roads, etc. This all began in the early 1980's and was recently reenacted under the bush administration. After the reenacted, Micronesians have to be more accountable for the money they receive. Plus they have to divide the money amongst the four states, which is another problem. Since the money must be divided evenly some states have to let the money sit in a trust account until there is enough money for projects to be completed. A great example is Chuuk state which does not have a main paved road. Currently there's a dirt road that circles the entire state which according to current volunteers is a complete mess...huge potholes and muddy terrain. Not fun shit. This year the trust contained enough money to begin the road project which, thankfully, is underway.
Return to the compact...this money flow is supposed to end in 2023 with the hopes that Micronesia will be well established. The money is also accruing interest so it is anticipated that the people will be able to use the money accordingly and will no longer be involved with the States. What will happen to Micronesia when the compact ends?! Well it looks like China is getting in on the action. They are currently building an embassy here in Pohnpei and have been tending to a pilot garden project. Both projects employed only Chinese workers and used little resources and people from the island. The garden project now sells their produce to local markets which has taken away the opportunity for local farmers to sell their whole foods. Currently the govenor of Pohnpei is in talks with the Chinese about a casino. The casino would, of course, be built by he Chinese and would serve as a travel destination for Asian tourists. It would provide job opportunity for locals-after the construction is completed, but if you talk to any local person, a casino on this island is unheard of.
So what does a little peace corps volunteer do? I've recently started getting out in the community. My home is behind my family's store which is located on the main road. On my family's property there is also a thatched roof enclosure that has a sakou rock and bench seating...a great setup. The area is always a hot spot for sakou drinking and serves as a spot to simply rest and chat. It's a great place to meet many locals. It's taken some time for me to be comfortable and "read" and understand the culture. I've taken to chatting with many who speak English. I've neglected working to speak pohnpeian but have instead decide that's okay as I have gained a better understanding of the issues.
The Catholic Dicone and I have chatted on several occasions about Pohnpeian issues- issues that seem so easy to fix but making things come together here is a problem within itself. My perspective on various government issues and the risk on education have heightened my awareness of what is not being done. The government is all English speaking. However English isn't even "officially" taught until the children are in 4th grade and even then it's loosely a piece of the instructional element. By 7th grade all subjects need to be taught in English. By this time retention of students is compromised. There is an 8th grade exam that students must pass in order to go to high school. So most students get in but their grade level is approxmately 2-3 grades below. So a freshman is at a 6th grade reading level. Many of the teachers try to speak English in the classroom, but seeing that it's so easy to speak their native language, lessons tend to be taught in Pohnpeian.
Another aspect that has recently astonished me is that elementary students K-8th are not provided a lunch. Nothing! High schoolers get fed at school but not the little ones. Apparently the recently elected govenor pledged that he would provide school lunches for all public education citing specific funds to use. Unfortunately those funds disappeared as did the " school lunch for all kids" promise. Many kids bring food but those who don't spend $ 1-2 to purchase ramen noodles and a soda. Awesome nutrition. Get them hyped up on sugar and preservatives and wonder why they misbehave or are simply lethargic. My knowledge of how this is affecting these hildren developmentally is heart breaking. They deserve lunch for Christ sake.
One must return to the government. They only speak English and the majority of pohnpeians don't have the language ability or the confidence to speak their minds. There are leaders, congressmen and such, in the community, ones I haven't met, but I really hope have the pohnpeian best interests in mind. These people need to have their voices heard. If they continue down the current path they will lose power of their state, and the younger generation may not be able to pull them through.
All in all, I've become acquainted with various aspects of what Pohnpeians are doing right and wrong. More importantly, I'm learning why I'm here. Although it's quite overwhelming and sometimes nauseating, I honestly believe that I'm in the right place- physically and emotionally. I can only hope that I will do what is right for the people here and, of course, be of an asset to the society. Only time will tell...
Red-faced no more!
The rash is gone the rash is gone! You have no idea how jubilant I was last week when I realized that the frickin rash had finally subsided. Who knows what caused it and why. All that is left, yes, I did lie a bit but really the freak face is no longer as apparent as before, is dry skin. Moisturizer helps but I'm rather paranoid putting anything on it! Anyway, I feel much better these days.
Language class is going well as well as the rest of training. Today we learned how to gut a fish and de-scale it. Don't worry Dad and Hal, I proved my skills and actually one teacher commented on my fisherman abilities. You would have been proud. I sliced the stomach open and yanked out the guts. This sounds odd, but yanking the guts reminded me of sucking the head of a crawfish. Is it weird that my mouth started salivating? Damn. Just thinking about it makes my stomach growl. My friend Erica was having problems so j took over for her. Dealing with the guts and smell didn't bode well with her.
Speaking of Erica- this past Saturday was her 23rd birthday! So to celebrate, she, Kate, and I went to Nan Madol. We checked out the ruins quickly before making our way into the water. Although the bottom isn't sandy and glorious, the water was amazing. We sat in the water looking out at the nearby island and simply enjoyed the beautiful day. Our friend Morgan, a local, tagged along as our tour guide and when it came time to depart, he decided to take us an around about way home. I was game and although Kate was a bit whinny, we went ahead and followed him. He prefaced the journey by saying 1)this will only take about 10 minutes and 2) you will get to see our town from a high point...2 statements that I will be more cognizant of in the future.
So the journey begin...we hike up this road and up the mountain that is now made up of deep ravines that even a truck can not get up. It's hot and were all wet from swimming. Kate is complaining that her legs are chaffing and Erica is commenting that she's going to sprain her ankle. I am trying to remain optimistic and peppy and tell Morgan that everything is fine.
We are hiking along and it's nearing 5 pm. We come to a house and end up cutting behind it into the jungle- literally the jungle. We are now going down the mountain and are following the water pipe. The shit is scary! I'm sliding all over the place, tripping over roots, and sliding down deep trenches, where I have to shimmy my way down. Kate keeps commenting and muttering under her breath and Erica is now convinced that, yes, she is going to break her ankle. I'm still maintaining and ask Morgan several times "how much longer?". He responds with "3 minutes and we will be at the highest point in this district.". I tell the girls but they aren't buying it. Finally we reach a place where we can see our training site in the distance and before we can marvel in it, Morgan pushes us on. So, now were in the middle of this jungle going down the mountain and have passed our scenic lookout spot. My optimism is fading and I'm starting to feel a bit nervous. We are wet, tired, and hungry and it's getting late. If we have to climb the mountain, we are not getting home until well after dark.
So the expedition continues...I cut my foot, Kates shoes are rubbing blisters(don't forget about the chaffing on her legs) and Erica has grown quiet, also not a good sign. Eventually I can't go on without a break. I tell Morgan that we have to stop and evaluate and he seems confused. I don't care at this point and we stop for a rest. Kates muttering that she doesn't know how she's climbing back up this mountain, blah, blah, blah...and I'm simply tired. We pee and hang for a bit before deciding that were losing daylight- and so we press on. Oh, but what's that 100 feet in the distance? A road?! No shit! It's a road...that forks...and yes, we are now almost home! Morgan hooked it up with a great shortcut through the jungle. You can only imagine how thrilled we were to know where we were. A first of many lessons on communication barriers.
Needless to say, we all made it home safely and indulged in a cocktail and laughed about the entire day. I can't wait to see what we do for my birthday!?
For my exciting news...I started scuba diving class last night and will go out on my first closed water dive on Saturday. I'm super stoked to get certified especially since I will be living close to Kolonia and will have access to many dive sights. The teacher for the class is a peace corps alumnist from the 1960s and never left the island. He looks like Santa and is super jolly! Haha!
The weather has been interesting. According to locals we are entering the rainy season as well as the trade winds. Wind is awesome! Rain is good mainly because it really cools the air. Humidity- well that's a given. But actually my body is adjusting to it. It's much more intense than living in New Orleans but half the time I don't even take notice of it. I'm just excited about having some sort of breeze!
Food is still an interesting aspect of this experience. This morning I ate oatmeal while my sister ate rice and canned Vienna sausages. Muy interesante. I considered taking a bite of the sausage...I love those things! Remember Mer when your parets would buy me a case of them monthly freshman year? So fricking tasty! Yam season is upon us and will be here through March. They are pretty good, although starchy, but when dipped in ketchup- deeeelicous! I'm over rice. Totally over it. My sister asked me the other day what I ate in the states. She was shocked that I didn't eat pork, rice and was in a state of complete confusion when I said I didn't eat canned food- particularly corned beef and spam. The good part is that I won't have to eat it for the rest of my stay...canned tuna and Vienna sausages though will do just fine. :)
Last week I made black bean burritos! So so so good. The tortillas I found at a wholesale outlet cost me $7 but it was worth it. I made them last for 4 meals. Oh how I miss cheese...I considered buying some but it would have cost me $25 for a considerably large chunk...I couldn't bring myself to pay that much. I'm sure once I get settled I will indulge myself.
I heard through the coconut wire that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize...how did that go over with the majority of Americans? What other news am I missing out on? I feel out of the loop so please write me! I need details of American life...aham@huskers.unl.edu.
Grandma Modie- thank you for the lovely letter! I love you!
Brian, Misty, and Janet- thank you again for the packages. You don't know how great it is to get a piece of mail. Jenny-I look forward to the letters from the students. I know the kids here are gonna dig corresponding with American students!
Peace out, y'all!
Language class is going well as well as the rest of training. Today we learned how to gut a fish and de-scale it. Don't worry Dad and Hal, I proved my skills and actually one teacher commented on my fisherman abilities. You would have been proud. I sliced the stomach open and yanked out the guts. This sounds odd, but yanking the guts reminded me of sucking the head of a crawfish. Is it weird that my mouth started salivating? Damn. Just thinking about it makes my stomach growl. My friend Erica was having problems so j took over for her. Dealing with the guts and smell didn't bode well with her.
Speaking of Erica- this past Saturday was her 23rd birthday! So to celebrate, she, Kate, and I went to Nan Madol. We checked out the ruins quickly before making our way into the water. Although the bottom isn't sandy and glorious, the water was amazing. We sat in the water looking out at the nearby island and simply enjoyed the beautiful day. Our friend Morgan, a local, tagged along as our tour guide and when it came time to depart, he decided to take us an around about way home. I was game and although Kate was a bit whinny, we went ahead and followed him. He prefaced the journey by saying 1)this will only take about 10 minutes and 2) you will get to see our town from a high point...2 statements that I will be more cognizant of in the future.
So the journey begin...we hike up this road and up the mountain that is now made up of deep ravines that even a truck can not get up. It's hot and were all wet from swimming. Kate is complaining that her legs are chaffing and Erica is commenting that she's going to sprain her ankle. I am trying to remain optimistic and peppy and tell Morgan that everything is fine.
We are hiking along and it's nearing 5 pm. We come to a house and end up cutting behind it into the jungle- literally the jungle. We are now going down the mountain and are following the water pipe. The shit is scary! I'm sliding all over the place, tripping over roots, and sliding down deep trenches, where I have to shimmy my way down. Kate keeps commenting and muttering under her breath and Erica is now convinced that, yes, she is going to break her ankle. I'm still maintaining and ask Morgan several times "how much longer?". He responds with "3 minutes and we will be at the highest point in this district.". I tell the girls but they aren't buying it. Finally we reach a place where we can see our training site in the distance and before we can marvel in it, Morgan pushes us on. So, now were in the middle of this jungle going down the mountain and have passed our scenic lookout spot. My optimism is fading and I'm starting to feel a bit nervous. We are wet, tired, and hungry and it's getting late. If we have to climb the mountain, we are not getting home until well after dark.
So the expedition continues...I cut my foot, Kates shoes are rubbing blisters(don't forget about the chaffing on her legs) and Erica has grown quiet, also not a good sign. Eventually I can't go on without a break. I tell Morgan that we have to stop and evaluate and he seems confused. I don't care at this point and we stop for a rest. Kates muttering that she doesn't know how she's climbing back up this mountain, blah, blah, blah...and I'm simply tired. We pee and hang for a bit before deciding that were losing daylight- and so we press on. Oh, but what's that 100 feet in the distance? A road?! No shit! It's a road...that forks...and yes, we are now almost home! Morgan hooked it up with a great shortcut through the jungle. You can only imagine how thrilled we were to know where we were. A first of many lessons on communication barriers.
Needless to say, we all made it home safely and indulged in a cocktail and laughed about the entire day. I can't wait to see what we do for my birthday!?
For my exciting news...I started scuba diving class last night and will go out on my first closed water dive on Saturday. I'm super stoked to get certified especially since I will be living close to Kolonia and will have access to many dive sights. The teacher for the class is a peace corps alumnist from the 1960s and never left the island. He looks like Santa and is super jolly! Haha!
The weather has been interesting. According to locals we are entering the rainy season as well as the trade winds. Wind is awesome! Rain is good mainly because it really cools the air. Humidity- well that's a given. But actually my body is adjusting to it. It's much more intense than living in New Orleans but half the time I don't even take notice of it. I'm just excited about having some sort of breeze!
Food is still an interesting aspect of this experience. This morning I ate oatmeal while my sister ate rice and canned Vienna sausages. Muy interesante. I considered taking a bite of the sausage...I love those things! Remember Mer when your parets would buy me a case of them monthly freshman year? So fricking tasty! Yam season is upon us and will be here through March. They are pretty good, although starchy, but when dipped in ketchup- deeeelicous! I'm over rice. Totally over it. My sister asked me the other day what I ate in the states. She was shocked that I didn't eat pork, rice and was in a state of complete confusion when I said I didn't eat canned food- particularly corned beef and spam. The good part is that I won't have to eat it for the rest of my stay...canned tuna and Vienna sausages though will do just fine. :)
Last week I made black bean burritos! So so so good. The tortillas I found at a wholesale outlet cost me $7 but it was worth it. I made them last for 4 meals. Oh how I miss cheese...I considered buying some but it would have cost me $25 for a considerably large chunk...I couldn't bring myself to pay that much. I'm sure once I get settled I will indulge myself.
I heard through the coconut wire that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize...how did that go over with the majority of Americans? What other news am I missing out on? I feel out of the loop so please write me! I need details of American life...aham@huskers.unl.edu.
Grandma Modie- thank you for the lovely letter! I love you!
Brian, Misty, and Janet- thank you again for the packages. You don't know how great it is to get a piece of mail. Jenny-I look forward to the letters from the students. I know the kids here are gonna dig corresponding with American students!
Peace out, y'all!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Rain, ants, and a site assignment
I realize that it has been quite some time since I've updated so please bear with me...grab a coffee or soda, take a break and see what's been happening in Micronesia.
This past week it rained a lot! Now that i know about the tsunami (the day after it hit america samoa) i can understand why. Needless to say, my shower water was brown with floaters. It was dark in the bathroom when I noticed it. At first I thought I was seeing things. No, after investigation with the flash light, it was obvious that there were floaters. Eh. No biggie.
No major roach stories as of late...though ants never cease to amaze me. I bought ant traps thinking that I was a genius but the damn ants are too smart! They see the ant trap, walk up to it, turn around, and continue to go around it. After awhile they stop their trek around or near the trap but this just results in them migrating to another place. Most notably my underwear.
Yes, the ants have eaten thru my underwear- my clean underwear!
Little holes were showing up in random pairs...i thought, hmmm hats strange- I just bought these. During school some other
volunteers were discussing holes in their underwear. It turns out that they too have been victims of under eating ants. I sprayed a shit ton of Off in my room...I left and came back and to find my sheets covered with dead Mosquitos and ants. My underwear now reside in a ziploc bag that is inside a plastic grocery bag that hangs from a nail on the wall. Awesome!
Speaking of ants--after we received our site location, the volunteer group that will remain in Pohnpei got to go to Nahlap, an island off the reef on the western side of Pohnpei. The island is about 1 mile long and a quarter wide. It's located on the reef so during high tide, we were able to swim out pretty far. The island had water slides located in various places along the reef so we were all thoroughly entertained. In addition, on the far end was a nice lttle place to swing from ropes into the water. I didn't partake, I was exhausted and just wanted to relax, so a group of us watched the sun set along the horizon. It was beautiful!
For the first time, I realized that I'm a peace corps volunteer in Pohnpei, Micronesia...you would have thought that this was realized before, but after being so busy and just reveling in the fact that I was surrounded by all these new and amazing people, I had forgotten I was here. Needless to say, Nahlap made it all real.
We ate great local food and relaxed in the hammocks that were stationed along the beach. There were no beds but the island people provided us with mats and pillows in our little wooden huts with tin roofs. The downfall- abundance of ants- Nahlap ants. The ants in pohnpei are somewhat level headed- in Nahlap they are cracked out! They have no governing system and are everywhere. After awhile I referred to them as ghost ants because you could see only their shadow. In addition, the damn things bite! Fortunately I didn't get bit...until I got home. I had taken a pair of cotton pants and only wore them a short time due to the heat, so when I got home I put them on, until I started feeling these weird tingling on my legs. I quickly rip off my pants and sure enough- ant bites all along the inside of my legs. Awesome. It turns out that I brought some Nahlap ants back with me. Maybe the Pohnpeian ants will educate them on order and such.
I started language training this past week. It has been pretty intense and
will end up being over 100 hours of Lang training in 6 weeks. My
instructor is funny- total pohnpeian. His laugh is hysterical and his
smile always makes me giggle a bit as he's missing some front teeth.
The other instructor also kills me. He's this shorter pohnpeian but
could completely pass as Italian. He has white hair and wears these
round blue eye glasses. When he doesn't have his shirt pulled up
above his potbelly, he wears silly sayings on his clothes. His shirt
today was a picture of him from some birthday bash drinking
sakou...it read "I may be old but I can still do it!".
I've decided that I will learn the
language in time. I'll do my best and use the locals to help me
through it....though I'm really picking up words and phrases and am
feeling confident. It takes time and thankfully these peole are very
forgiving. Unlike Spanish this language emphasizes short responses.
What's crazy is that they have over 10 counting systems...such as one
for ordinal numbers (no problem), long objects, general counting, days
of the week, coconuts, poop!, people...nutty!
My biggest concern right now is this rash on my face. Obviously it's
an allergic reaction- the culprit i have yet to deduce. What started as a
mere nuisance has spread to cover my entire face, ears and neck. It
itches and when I get hot, which is the majority of the time, I get
super red face and it just explodes in freakiness. Now it is swollen
around my nose and under my eyes. My host family was very concerned. I met with the medical officer and she believes it's a virus. I wonder if maybe it's mold. As of now, benadryl
and cortisone do nothing...as the mutant on my face has become
immuned. I refer to myself as freak face. Awesome. The med officer gave me some super strong benadryl that does the job but it's still there.
I had a bit of a breakdown the other night. It was so hot in my room...my
face was itching and the benadryl wasn't doing anything for me both
with the rash and sleep. I was tempted to borrow a fan from my family
but abstained from projecting my problems on them. So I ended up
sleeping on the tile floor with only a pillow probably in an ant
colony. I woke up at some point and moved to my mattress but again
couldn't sleep. Finally I slept but woke at 6 am to the damn rooster
directly out my window. The only thing I can do is accept the
reality...which I have. But good news as of recent- my host sister gave me her fan. I slept like a baby and my face didn't look near as bad. It was so chilly in my room that I had to turn it off in the middle of the night. I was so elated when this occured...some of the best dreams!
So the good things....i met my future school staff at Sekere Elementary! Fortunately I will be working with mainly women including the principal and co-teacher. The principal prefers modern day instruction practices and the teacher uses these in her classroom. I will be teaching 8th grade (originally it was going to be 5th grade but after my principal saw my background she switched teachers) in all subjects. My teacher was recently nominated to begin a health club at school- yet another perfect match! This will definitely make a great secondary project in which i have to complete by the end of service. We chatted a bit and I found out that my teacher is 34, has a background in health education, has been teaching for 11 years, and is single with 2 younger children. She gave me an overview of her work day and I honestly believe this is going to work out great. They both seem very excited to have me and at one point my teacher said, "I admire you. You go to school for many years and then decide to join the peace corps. You must be a free soul." I was delighted.
All in all, everything is well on this side of the world. Just living the life and learning so much about myself and this "new world" that I am continually impressed with. Each day is a new day and there is rarely the routine that I remember and dread about America. Of course I sometimes wish for the finer things in life, but honestly, those pass. All it takes is one glimpse out my bedroom window...oh and a root beer float! Yes a root beer float! The Pohnpeians have yet to really embrace the deliciousness, but I will work on them!
Loves....
Ham
This past week it rained a lot! Now that i know about the tsunami (the day after it hit america samoa) i can understand why. Needless to say, my shower water was brown with floaters. It was dark in the bathroom when I noticed it. At first I thought I was seeing things. No, after investigation with the flash light, it was obvious that there were floaters. Eh. No biggie.
No major roach stories as of late...though ants never cease to amaze me. I bought ant traps thinking that I was a genius but the damn ants are too smart! They see the ant trap, walk up to it, turn around, and continue to go around it. After awhile they stop their trek around or near the trap but this just results in them migrating to another place. Most notably my underwear.
Yes, the ants have eaten thru my underwear- my clean underwear!
Little holes were showing up in random pairs...i thought, hmmm hats strange- I just bought these. During school some other
volunteers were discussing holes in their underwear. It turns out that they too have been victims of under eating ants. I sprayed a shit ton of Off in my room...I left and came back and to find my sheets covered with dead Mosquitos and ants. My underwear now reside in a ziploc bag that is inside a plastic grocery bag that hangs from a nail on the wall. Awesome!
Speaking of ants--after we received our site location, the volunteer group that will remain in Pohnpei got to go to Nahlap, an island off the reef on the western side of Pohnpei. The island is about 1 mile long and a quarter wide. It's located on the reef so during high tide, we were able to swim out pretty far. The island had water slides located in various places along the reef so we were all thoroughly entertained. In addition, on the far end was a nice lttle place to swing from ropes into the water. I didn't partake, I was exhausted and just wanted to relax, so a group of us watched the sun set along the horizon. It was beautiful!
For the first time, I realized that I'm a peace corps volunteer in Pohnpei, Micronesia...you would have thought that this was realized before, but after being so busy and just reveling in the fact that I was surrounded by all these new and amazing people, I had forgotten I was here. Needless to say, Nahlap made it all real.
We ate great local food and relaxed in the hammocks that were stationed along the beach. There were no beds but the island people provided us with mats and pillows in our little wooden huts with tin roofs. The downfall- abundance of ants- Nahlap ants. The ants in pohnpei are somewhat level headed- in Nahlap they are cracked out! They have no governing system and are everywhere. After awhile I referred to them as ghost ants because you could see only their shadow. In addition, the damn things bite! Fortunately I didn't get bit...until I got home. I had taken a pair of cotton pants and only wore them a short time due to the heat, so when I got home I put them on, until I started feeling these weird tingling on my legs. I quickly rip off my pants and sure enough- ant bites all along the inside of my legs. Awesome. It turns out that I brought some Nahlap ants back with me. Maybe the Pohnpeian ants will educate them on order and such.
I started language training this past week. It has been pretty intense and
will end up being over 100 hours of Lang training in 6 weeks. My
instructor is funny- total pohnpeian. His laugh is hysterical and his
smile always makes me giggle a bit as he's missing some front teeth.
The other instructor also kills me. He's this shorter pohnpeian but
could completely pass as Italian. He has white hair and wears these
round blue eye glasses. When he doesn't have his shirt pulled up
above his potbelly, he wears silly sayings on his clothes. His shirt
today was a picture of him from some birthday bash drinking
sakou...it read "I may be old but I can still do it!".
I've decided that I will learn the
language in time. I'll do my best and use the locals to help me
through it....though I'm really picking up words and phrases and am
feeling confident. It takes time and thankfully these peole are very
forgiving. Unlike Spanish this language emphasizes short responses.
What's crazy is that they have over 10 counting systems...such as one
for ordinal numbers (no problem), long objects, general counting, days
of the week, coconuts, poop!, people...nutty!
My biggest concern right now is this rash on my face. Obviously it's
an allergic reaction- the culprit i have yet to deduce. What started as a
mere nuisance has spread to cover my entire face, ears and neck. It
itches and when I get hot, which is the majority of the time, I get
super red face and it just explodes in freakiness. Now it is swollen
around my nose and under my eyes. My host family was very concerned. I met with the medical officer and she believes it's a virus. I wonder if maybe it's mold. As of now, benadryl
and cortisone do nothing...as the mutant on my face has become
immuned. I refer to myself as freak face. Awesome. The med officer gave me some super strong benadryl that does the job but it's still there.
I had a bit of a breakdown the other night. It was so hot in my room...my
face was itching and the benadryl wasn't doing anything for me both
with the rash and sleep. I was tempted to borrow a fan from my family
but abstained from projecting my problems on them. So I ended up
sleeping on the tile floor with only a pillow probably in an ant
colony. I woke up at some point and moved to my mattress but again
couldn't sleep. Finally I slept but woke at 6 am to the damn rooster
directly out my window. The only thing I can do is accept the
reality...which I have. But good news as of recent- my host sister gave me her fan. I slept like a baby and my face didn't look near as bad. It was so chilly in my room that I had to turn it off in the middle of the night. I was so elated when this occured...some of the best dreams!
So the good things....i met my future school staff at Sekere Elementary! Fortunately I will be working with mainly women including the principal and co-teacher. The principal prefers modern day instruction practices and the teacher uses these in her classroom. I will be teaching 8th grade (originally it was going to be 5th grade but after my principal saw my background she switched teachers) in all subjects. My teacher was recently nominated to begin a health club at school- yet another perfect match! This will definitely make a great secondary project in which i have to complete by the end of service. We chatted a bit and I found out that my teacher is 34, has a background in health education, has been teaching for 11 years, and is single with 2 younger children. She gave me an overview of her work day and I honestly believe this is going to work out great. They both seem very excited to have me and at one point my teacher said, "I admire you. You go to school for many years and then decide to join the peace corps. You must be a free soul." I was delighted.
All in all, everything is well on this side of the world. Just living the life and learning so much about myself and this "new world" that I am continually impressed with. Each day is a new day and there is rarely the routine that I remember and dread about America. Of course I sometimes wish for the finer things in life, but honestly, those pass. All it takes is one glimpse out my bedroom window...oh and a root beer float! Yes a root beer float! The Pohnpeians have yet to really embrace the deliciousness, but I will work on them!
Loves....
Ham
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A curious case of the roach and water
I've mentioned in past blogs incidents with cockroaches. Well let me take this moment to update you on the most recent encounters.
A few nights ago the power went down. No not just my house but all houses in the area. After charting with my host family, I decided to take a shower- yes the infamous shower. Some of you may question my decision to tuhtu during a blackout but seriously it's no different than when we have power for two reasons: 1) the night light in the bathroom illuminates the toilet area only and 2) my showers are cold water only, which honestly is fine with me since it's 80 degrees everyday.
So I gather up my shower accessories and make my way into the bathroom. I'm all lathered up getting ready to rinse my face when I have an "itch" on my back. I reach around and realize the itch is moving and is "raised". I swipe at it and off flies a fucking cockroach. A roach on my back! In the nude on my back. Suds in my eyes I scream. I'm trying to blink the soap out while keeping an eye on the friggin' nasty ass roach, kids knocking on the bathroom door to see if I'm okay and the roach scurrying around my feet to safety. It ran into the shower wall and fortunately didn't reappear...that night. The next morning I go to tuhtu...I creep in and swing the door wide open. Sure enough that bastard again makes way toward my feet before scurrying into the wall. Thank god. Oh but if that's not enough....I'm in the shower with one eye open just waiting for the nasty thing to come out when I look up and yes, a huge spider watching me. You people back home may think- ha just a spider. No! You know the bathroom tiles, they're what, 3x3" or so? Yes this marvelous creature expands beyond! Beyond! And when it moves up...all it's legs come together behind it with it's ginormous head/body leading the way and making it look ten times as large. That thing sat there and watched me the whole time- the whole time...who am I kidding, I finished washing my face and busted out of there. Later that day he was still in the same place which by this point was just fine with me. At least I knew where he was. The next morning, mr ginormous spider was in the toilet...dead I would assume. I don't know though as I refused to flush him. I held my pee until school- an hour later.
On to the good things...this week as been filled with exciting events. Saturday I joined a group of volunteers and made our way to Keporhi Falls. I believe this is the largest waterfall on the island. The great part- it's about 5 minutes from my house!
The waterfall was spectacular! A few of the other volunteers and I immediately got in the water and waded around the huge rocks- water splashing on our faces. It was one of the best feelings I've had up to this point. It was breathtaking. So much that I sometimes forget that I'm in Pohnpei, Micronesia. It's moments like this that drill it home to me. I spent some quality time in the water but eventually made my way to a boulder. I climbed upon the wet rock and just looked around. Living in America, I think we tend to forget to just be. To take the time and watch the life around us. Me being here has made me more aware of my surroundings. Shit how could it not? This island is full of beautiful and sometimes obnoxious (nasty roaches and annoying ants) elements but I have to remember to just grasp the fact that this is one of the most exotic places in the world and deserves much appreciation. With that in mind I shot some pictures and tried out a few features on my camera. I hope I captured the essence I was searching for and you will be able to at least get a remote understanding of what I'm attempting to portray.
Before I forget...photos. I sent my dad my SD card and he will be posting pictures on my flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/theamberham
So check the site from time to time for any additions.
In addition to the water fall I also enjoyed my first snorkeling exhibition. I knew that I would love this recreational activity but didn't think I'd fall in love so quickly and without hesitation.
Peace Corps emphasizes the importance of water safety so they inadvertantly have to give us a chance to understand that we are surrounded by water and will most likely spend much time in it. As a result-we spend a full day snorkeling!
We arrived at The Pohnpeian Surf Club just outside Kolonia in the earmy morning and set sail (or motor in this case) for Lagnar Island (don't quote me on this). This island was used for the Japanese during WWII and served as a runway way. As of late, though not currently, it seves as a clam farm. Regardless we stopped here to do some training and get familiar with the water and reef. After a quick lunch we headed for a spot to dive along the reef. The moment we took off in the boat I will never forget.
You know that feeling you get when you realize that you're alive and free? That sensation rushed through my body. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. The water is crystal clear, the air blowing through my hair, and the jolting of the boat sent me somewhere else. I can't even contemplate the last time I had that emotional response. I don't intend to sound corny, but all this reaffirmed the fact that I'm here. I'm finally here. I'm in the damn Peace Corps...so many years of contemplation have finally come to fruition. Wow! What a mesmerizing experience.
The reef that we dove around contains a large population of manta rays. Unfortunatley there were only a few for our viewing pleasure. I actually got a decent picture of one...thanks to Mike who pointed it out to me! The coral was quite beautiful and the marine life rather lively. The only downfall- the excessive current. I was exhausted by the time I got back to the boat! After we all loaded up, our captain took us to our next destination...a lovely spot right off the reef where the waves were breaking...beautiful and nice sized waves. Just seeing them made me more aware of the fact that I must learn how to surf. Before I get sworn in I will be a certified scuba diver! Yippee! A returned volunteer who has lived in Micronesia since the 70's certifies PCV for a reduced rate, so within the next month, I'll be a diving novice!
Our 3 weeks of training in pohnpei is finally coming to an end. I'm very sad to see many of the volunteers departing and beginning the next phase of this experience. Damn Micronesia for being so spread out! So to all my peeps moving on- good luck and peace out!
I apologize foe the delay in posting but this week has been chaotic. I begin language training on Monday as well as some practicum experience over the next 6 weeks. So hopefully I'll be able to make it up the hill to post some messages here.
I'm going to Nahlap this weekend for an over night trip with the other Pohnpeian volunteers. Nahlap is a resort island decked out with beaches and water slides...I can't express how excited I am to get away, even if just for the night!
Until I get the energy to make it up the mountain...
Ham
A few nights ago the power went down. No not just my house but all houses in the area. After charting with my host family, I decided to take a shower- yes the infamous shower. Some of you may question my decision to tuhtu during a blackout but seriously it's no different than when we have power for two reasons: 1) the night light in the bathroom illuminates the toilet area only and 2) my showers are cold water only, which honestly is fine with me since it's 80 degrees everyday.
So I gather up my shower accessories and make my way into the bathroom. I'm all lathered up getting ready to rinse my face when I have an "itch" on my back. I reach around and realize the itch is moving and is "raised". I swipe at it and off flies a fucking cockroach. A roach on my back! In the nude on my back. Suds in my eyes I scream. I'm trying to blink the soap out while keeping an eye on the friggin' nasty ass roach, kids knocking on the bathroom door to see if I'm okay and the roach scurrying around my feet to safety. It ran into the shower wall and fortunately didn't reappear...that night. The next morning I go to tuhtu...I creep in and swing the door wide open. Sure enough that bastard again makes way toward my feet before scurrying into the wall. Thank god. Oh but if that's not enough....I'm in the shower with one eye open just waiting for the nasty thing to come out when I look up and yes, a huge spider watching me. You people back home may think- ha just a spider. No! You know the bathroom tiles, they're what, 3x3" or so? Yes this marvelous creature expands beyond! Beyond! And when it moves up...all it's legs come together behind it with it's ginormous head/body leading the way and making it look ten times as large. That thing sat there and watched me the whole time- the whole time...who am I kidding, I finished washing my face and busted out of there. Later that day he was still in the same place which by this point was just fine with me. At least I knew where he was. The next morning, mr ginormous spider was in the toilet...dead I would assume. I don't know though as I refused to flush him. I held my pee until school- an hour later.
On to the good things...this week as been filled with exciting events. Saturday I joined a group of volunteers and made our way to Keporhi Falls. I believe this is the largest waterfall on the island. The great part- it's about 5 minutes from my house!
The waterfall was spectacular! A few of the other volunteers and I immediately got in the water and waded around the huge rocks- water splashing on our faces. It was one of the best feelings I've had up to this point. It was breathtaking. So much that I sometimes forget that I'm in Pohnpei, Micronesia. It's moments like this that drill it home to me. I spent some quality time in the water but eventually made my way to a boulder. I climbed upon the wet rock and just looked around. Living in America, I think we tend to forget to just be. To take the time and watch the life around us. Me being here has made me more aware of my surroundings. Shit how could it not? This island is full of beautiful and sometimes obnoxious (nasty roaches and annoying ants) elements but I have to remember to just grasp the fact that this is one of the most exotic places in the world and deserves much appreciation. With that in mind I shot some pictures and tried out a few features on my camera. I hope I captured the essence I was searching for and you will be able to at least get a remote understanding of what I'm attempting to portray.
Before I forget...photos. I sent my dad my SD card and he will be posting pictures on my flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/theamberham
So check the site from time to time for any additions.
In addition to the water fall I also enjoyed my first snorkeling exhibition. I knew that I would love this recreational activity but didn't think I'd fall in love so quickly and without hesitation.
Peace Corps emphasizes the importance of water safety so they inadvertantly have to give us a chance to understand that we are surrounded by water and will most likely spend much time in it. As a result-we spend a full day snorkeling!
We arrived at The Pohnpeian Surf Club just outside Kolonia in the earmy morning and set sail (or motor in this case) for Lagnar Island (don't quote me on this). This island was used for the Japanese during WWII and served as a runway way. As of late, though not currently, it seves as a clam farm. Regardless we stopped here to do some training and get familiar with the water and reef. After a quick lunch we headed for a spot to dive along the reef. The moment we took off in the boat I will never forget.
You know that feeling you get when you realize that you're alive and free? That sensation rushed through my body. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. The water is crystal clear, the air blowing through my hair, and the jolting of the boat sent me somewhere else. I can't even contemplate the last time I had that emotional response. I don't intend to sound corny, but all this reaffirmed the fact that I'm here. I'm finally here. I'm in the damn Peace Corps...so many years of contemplation have finally come to fruition. Wow! What a mesmerizing experience.
The reef that we dove around contains a large population of manta rays. Unfortunatley there were only a few for our viewing pleasure. I actually got a decent picture of one...thanks to Mike who pointed it out to me! The coral was quite beautiful and the marine life rather lively. The only downfall- the excessive current. I was exhausted by the time I got back to the boat! After we all loaded up, our captain took us to our next destination...a lovely spot right off the reef where the waves were breaking...beautiful and nice sized waves. Just seeing them made me more aware of the fact that I must learn how to surf. Before I get sworn in I will be a certified scuba diver! Yippee! A returned volunteer who has lived in Micronesia since the 70's certifies PCV for a reduced rate, so within the next month, I'll be a diving novice!
Our 3 weeks of training in pohnpei is finally coming to an end. I'm very sad to see many of the volunteers departing and beginning the next phase of this experience. Damn Micronesia for being so spread out! So to all my peeps moving on- good luck and peace out!
I apologize foe the delay in posting but this week has been chaotic. I begin language training on Monday as well as some practicum experience over the next 6 weeks. So hopefully I'll be able to make it up the hill to post some messages here.
I'm going to Nahlap this weekend for an over night trip with the other Pohnpeian volunteers. Nahlap is a resort island decked out with beaches and water slides...I can't express how excited I am to get away, even if just for the night!
Until I get the energy to make it up the mountain...
Ham
Friday, September 18, 2009
Pohnpeians put the Fun in Fundraiser
I finally attended my first fundraiser in Micronesia...needless to say it was more than I expected.
After getting out of school, Kate (another volnunteer who was assigned to Pohnpei-an actual outer island) and I headed back to my house so that I could tuhtu before walking to her house. We reached her house around 6ish and ate a wonderful meal of tuna sashimi, rice, mixed veggies, and fresh ripe tomatoes. Around 7, Kate, her host mom, and I stopped by Emily's (a volunteer selected to serve on an outer island in Yap) house to pick her up. After a lovely conversation with she and her host family we set off for the fundraiser.
The festivities took place at a local house and instantly reminded me of a street party. Many of the locals as well as a few men wai were there drinking sakou and partaking in the raffle. My host family surprised me by showing up and I instantly found a spot next to them. I quickly found my money and bought 2 dollars worth of raffle tickets at 25 cents per ticket. Before I knew it the raffle was beginning...
Now let me bring you back to the Micronesian dog issue...they are everywhere and are considered property not pets. This is due to the fact that they are guard dogs and a local food product. They are NOT pets so people don't play with or pet them. When they are stinky or bothersome they are "shooshed" away.
So I'm sitting there all excited that the raffle is about to begin when a dog ends up tangled under my feet. I try to shoosh it away and end up pushing it back with my feet when it erupts and ends up biting my ankel. So here I am in the middle of this place with a dog clamped onto my ankle while the woman is reading off the winning ticket. My host father shooshes the dog and it runs off whimpering. My host mom is on the other side looking over my shoulder reading off the ticket number. And guess what?! I'm the lucky winner! I stand up, do my little ditty dance, and everyone laughs at the men wai lady. My nono (mom) stands up and I suggest that she go pick out the prize. While she's gone getting what I believe is A prize another lady comes over with a sack of ramens and some local hot peppers. Awesome right? Oh no, it gets better! A man brings over a kerosene lantern and a huge cucumber looking vegetable. My nono brings a large sleeping mat and informs me that we also won some bananas. I'm happy as hell. All the other volunteers are extremely jealous and my baba (father) suggests that I buy more tickets since I'm having such great luck...so of course i do. Unfortunately I didn't win anymore. My baba leaves shortly thereafter with my winnings and eventually I tell the rest of the volunteers goodnight and head home with my nono.
When we return home I find out that not only did I win the lantern, cucmberish vegetable, sleeping mat, and hot peppers but also...(drum roll please) but not just a few bananas but about 5 ginormous bunches. I'm not talking American idea of bunches so let's say about 5 trees worthn of bananas with the huge flower still attached to each bunch. Not only that but also a huge yam, a 25 pound bag of coconuts used prarily for cooking or feeding pigs, and 3 banana trees! Apparently you just plant the already mature tree and boing-more bananas! It a fricking party!
My family was super stoked and presented me with a, okay several, bottles of sakou and a lel (beautiful) skirt. What can I say- they love me. Hehe!
We finished the evening passing the sakou around and chatting. My baba taught me how to count in Pohnpeian and my sister schooled me in a new cuss word...i'm not gonna tell you! Okay maybe later!
Have I mentioned my fondness for the collectivist society? The fundraiser is conducted to raise money for birthday parties. Families donate items which are raffled off so that all children can celebrate their birthdays accordingly. My winnings go directly to the family which is supporting me here in Micronesia. Honestly I think they have the right idea. Some may feel differently but if you were here- you just may change your thinking, if even for a second, you may see just why this group of people are happier than the majority of Americans. Life isn't about wealth, success in ones job, or personal achievement. It's about aligning your priorities- family and happiness. I'm sure I will have much to say on this topic as time goes on.
I will conclude witb this- Pohnpeians know how to get down and overall, it was a productive night with many happy endings. Oh the life of a PCV!
Oh my ankle- no wound- just a sign from the karma gods. No?
After getting out of school, Kate (another volnunteer who was assigned to Pohnpei-an actual outer island) and I headed back to my house so that I could tuhtu before walking to her house. We reached her house around 6ish and ate a wonderful meal of tuna sashimi, rice, mixed veggies, and fresh ripe tomatoes. Around 7, Kate, her host mom, and I stopped by Emily's (a volunteer selected to serve on an outer island in Yap) house to pick her up. After a lovely conversation with she and her host family we set off for the fundraiser.
The festivities took place at a local house and instantly reminded me of a street party. Many of the locals as well as a few men wai were there drinking sakou and partaking in the raffle. My host family surprised me by showing up and I instantly found a spot next to them. I quickly found my money and bought 2 dollars worth of raffle tickets at 25 cents per ticket. Before I knew it the raffle was beginning...
Now let me bring you back to the Micronesian dog issue...they are everywhere and are considered property not pets. This is due to the fact that they are guard dogs and a local food product. They are NOT pets so people don't play with or pet them. When they are stinky or bothersome they are "shooshed" away.
So I'm sitting there all excited that the raffle is about to begin when a dog ends up tangled under my feet. I try to shoosh it away and end up pushing it back with my feet when it erupts and ends up biting my ankel. So here I am in the middle of this place with a dog clamped onto my ankle while the woman is reading off the winning ticket. My host father shooshes the dog and it runs off whimpering. My host mom is on the other side looking over my shoulder reading off the ticket number. And guess what?! I'm the lucky winner! I stand up, do my little ditty dance, and everyone laughs at the men wai lady. My nono (mom) stands up and I suggest that she go pick out the prize. While she's gone getting what I believe is A prize another lady comes over with a sack of ramens and some local hot peppers. Awesome right? Oh no, it gets better! A man brings over a kerosene lantern and a huge cucumber looking vegetable. My nono brings a large sleeping mat and informs me that we also won some bananas. I'm happy as hell. All the other volunteers are extremely jealous and my baba (father) suggests that I buy more tickets since I'm having such great luck...so of course i do. Unfortunately I didn't win anymore. My baba leaves shortly thereafter with my winnings and eventually I tell the rest of the volunteers goodnight and head home with my nono.
When we return home I find out that not only did I win the lantern, cucmberish vegetable, sleeping mat, and hot peppers but also...(drum roll please) but not just a few bananas but about 5 ginormous bunches. I'm not talking American idea of bunches so let's say about 5 trees worthn of bananas with the huge flower still attached to each bunch. Not only that but also a huge yam, a 25 pound bag of coconuts used prarily for cooking or feeding pigs, and 3 banana trees! Apparently you just plant the already mature tree and boing-more bananas! It a fricking party!
My family was super stoked and presented me with a, okay several, bottles of sakou and a lel (beautiful) skirt. What can I say- they love me. Hehe!
We finished the evening passing the sakou around and chatting. My baba taught me how to count in Pohnpeian and my sister schooled me in a new cuss word...i'm not gonna tell you! Okay maybe later!
Have I mentioned my fondness for the collectivist society? The fundraiser is conducted to raise money for birthday parties. Families donate items which are raffled off so that all children can celebrate their birthdays accordingly. My winnings go directly to the family which is supporting me here in Micronesia. Honestly I think they have the right idea. Some may feel differently but if you were here- you just may change your thinking, if even for a second, you may see just why this group of people are happier than the majority of Americans. Life isn't about wealth, success in ones job, or personal achievement. It's about aligning your priorities- family and happiness. I'm sure I will have much to say on this topic as time goes on.
I will conclude witb this- Pohnpeians know how to get down and overall, it was a productive night with many happy endings. Oh the life of a PCV!
Oh my ankle- no wound- just a sign from the karma gods. No?
Bugs Nails and Hair...who would have thought of the commonalities?
I spoke with my sister Misty a few nights ago. She asked how I'm dealing with the bug situation. I was pretty much suspecting the worst possible scenario within this realm. However, it's not all that bad! Yes! I too was quite shocked- happily that is. My first night here I was showering, mind you it was in the dark for the most part. I assume that the light in the bathroom doesn't work as there's a night light next to the sink that happens to be located behind the shower wall. So essentially I am showering in the dark. Anyway as I'm pouring cold water over my head I notice a "hole" in the wall. Nothing to worry about. After washing the suds from my eyes I realized that the hole is moving! Little to my surprise do I realize that it's a ginormous cockroach. Huge! It was at that moment that I asked myself- what in the hell am I doing here!? Why did I think this was a good idea? After a few intense moments of contemplation I simply said aloud...I'm showering with an effing cockroach and there's nothing I can do about it but deal and get over it. Get over it Amber cause this is my life for the next two years. It was a humbling moment and one that I will not forget.
My placement
I received word today regarding my placent for the next 2 years. I'll begin with what I wanted...
I began the selection process by looking through all the site folders. There were 36 places wanting a volunteer and only 30 volunteers to fill the selected sites. Apparently in past hears there were approximately double the spaces for the number of volunteers...honestly I can't imagine that many sites! I was quite pleased with the openings presented.
I wanted to be placed on either Palaou or Chuuk. And again I'll be honest why- both islands are closest to Japan and any chance I would have had, I'd take the next flight out to see Misty and Co. Needless to say I didn't get either island. Anyway, I was given the chance to give my top three choices so I did just that. The placement day was very nerve racking and when they called my name...well I was very apprehensive. Next they said my placement-Sekere elementary in Sekere,Pohnpei. I was disappointed. I knew not to get my heart set on any one place but the disappointment was inevitable. The best part- two of the women volunteers that I have gotten close to also were assigned Pohnpei. There are a total of 8 volunteers staying in Pohnpei.
On to the good stuff about my placement! First and foremost I get to stay with my current family for the next 7 weeks! I love love love this family and they are wonderful counterparts for learning the language and the culture. Also I have one up on mastering the language!
My future school is located in northern pohnpei about an hour from my current location which is called Madolenihmw (the w is silent). I'll be living in Sekere (the e sounds like a long I and you roll the r) which is located about 10 minutes via my 2 feet from Kolonia, the largest city in Pohnpei. So yes, I'll be near a city which has it's pluses including nightlife, clothes, and all types of food. More importantly, I'm within walking distance from one of the best places for swimming! Ah- surfing and snorkeling are also super close which is located in Palikir. Of course there is plenty of hiking areas throughout the island. I recently learned that snorkeling can be done for a mere 10 dollars which includes the boat fare! So I'm set for entertainment.
As for my school...there is a volunteer presently working there and he has accomplished much with great support from the community and principal. The principal is a woman- and is the first in the community to earn a Masters degree. She is a great contact and loves having volunteers. My co teacher is also a woman and I'll be working with her in her 5th grade classroom teaching all subjects. I also believe that I'll be assisting in the computer lab. The school is quite large with about 350 students and about half leaving the island for college, so efficacy is rather high. In addition due to my location I will have access to many city goverments, nonprofits, and local community groups. This will definitely help with any projects I want to begin/continue and will provide many resources.
So although i was a bit dissapointed in the beginning, I am now very excited. I have not only a supportive school but also an urban environment to access when I need it. Even better-Internet and a laundry mat! No mildew clothes for me! Haha!
I'm very excited to immerse myself fully in the language. I've already started working on parts but am definitely all about having a tutor/language instructor. I will remain in my current village until about November 6th. I have yet to learn who I'll be living with once I officially begin teaching so I will keep you posted.
As for upcoming activities...all PCV will be going to Kolonia for a much needed shopping excursion and out to the reef for diving. Also a group of us will be hanging out drinking sakou and enjoying a "fundraiser/birthday party" (more info on exactly what this entails), a trip to the Kepirohi Falls waterfall, and finally a weekend at Nahlap Island for camping...pretty awesome plans, eh?!
So now that you all know I'll be in Pohnpei- you best start planning a trip to visit! It may be expensive to get here but to play- amazingly cheap! Shit y'all 1 dollar for a taxi ride anywhere in the city and to my house/site 3 bucks! Can't beat that. Gitty up!
I had another cockroach incident...
Ham
I began the selection process by looking through all the site folders. There were 36 places wanting a volunteer and only 30 volunteers to fill the selected sites. Apparently in past hears there were approximately double the spaces for the number of volunteers...honestly I can't imagine that many sites! I was quite pleased with the openings presented.
I wanted to be placed on either Palaou or Chuuk. And again I'll be honest why- both islands are closest to Japan and any chance I would have had, I'd take the next flight out to see Misty and Co. Needless to say I didn't get either island. Anyway, I was given the chance to give my top three choices so I did just that. The placement day was very nerve racking and when they called my name...well I was very apprehensive. Next they said my placement-Sekere elementary in Sekere,Pohnpei. I was disappointed. I knew not to get my heart set on any one place but the disappointment was inevitable. The best part- two of the women volunteers that I have gotten close to also were assigned Pohnpei. There are a total of 8 volunteers staying in Pohnpei.
On to the good stuff about my placement! First and foremost I get to stay with my current family for the next 7 weeks! I love love love this family and they are wonderful counterparts for learning the language and the culture. Also I have one up on mastering the language!
My future school is located in northern pohnpei about an hour from my current location which is called Madolenihmw (the w is silent). I'll be living in Sekere (the e sounds like a long I and you roll the r) which is located about 10 minutes via my 2 feet from Kolonia, the largest city in Pohnpei. So yes, I'll be near a city which has it's pluses including nightlife, clothes, and all types of food. More importantly, I'm within walking distance from one of the best places for swimming! Ah- surfing and snorkeling are also super close which is located in Palikir. Of course there is plenty of hiking areas throughout the island. I recently learned that snorkeling can be done for a mere 10 dollars which includes the boat fare! So I'm set for entertainment.
As for my school...there is a volunteer presently working there and he has accomplished much with great support from the community and principal. The principal is a woman- and is the first in the community to earn a Masters degree. She is a great contact and loves having volunteers. My co teacher is also a woman and I'll be working with her in her 5th grade classroom teaching all subjects. I also believe that I'll be assisting in the computer lab. The school is quite large with about 350 students and about half leaving the island for college, so efficacy is rather high. In addition due to my location I will have access to many city goverments, nonprofits, and local community groups. This will definitely help with any projects I want to begin/continue and will provide many resources.
So although i was a bit dissapointed in the beginning, I am now very excited. I have not only a supportive school but also an urban environment to access when I need it. Even better-Internet and a laundry mat! No mildew clothes for me! Haha!
I'm very excited to immerse myself fully in the language. I've already started working on parts but am definitely all about having a tutor/language instructor. I will remain in my current village until about November 6th. I have yet to learn who I'll be living with once I officially begin teaching so I will keep you posted.
As for upcoming activities...all PCV will be going to Kolonia for a much needed shopping excursion and out to the reef for diving. Also a group of us will be hanging out drinking sakou and enjoying a "fundraiser/birthday party" (more info on exactly what this entails), a trip to the Kepirohi Falls waterfall, and finally a weekend at Nahlap Island for camping...pretty awesome plans, eh?!
So now that you all know I'll be in Pohnpei- you best start planning a trip to visit! It may be expensive to get here but to play- amazingly cheap! Shit y'all 1 dollar for a taxi ride anywhere in the city and to my house/site 3 bucks! Can't beat that. Gitty up!
I had another cockroach incident...
Ham
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Always an interesting day
I recently did my laundry at a small laundromat-it has a machine that you have to fill with a hose. No problem right? However I didn't realize that when it drains, all the water comes pouring out of the back of the machine. So although my feet were covered in soapy water-at least I knew the clothes would be clean! The biggest worry regarding the clothes is that they 1)get clean and 2)don't smell like mildew. There's so much moisture here that it's tough to get clothes completely dry. I don't want to smell like mildew!
Training has been going well. The most exciting aspect thus far is selecting a placment. There are a few schools in Palou that I'm interested in as well as Kosrae (pronounced Koshrie). I'm really looking to do something within health educaton as well as teaching English. However Chuuk has a few potential schools that are looking for a volunteer with grant writing experience and health education so that may also be a good fit. Ultimatly it comes down to me giving my three preferences and the staff deciding where to place me. Granted this may pose a disappointment but I have much faith in the staff as they have been doing this for many years. Wherever I go, I will do my best.
On to more exciting things! The beauty of this island! Pohnpei is gorgeous. Everything is so lush and green. It rains about 2-3 times per day, sometimes more or less. It's very hot and sticky but thankfully showering is always available. My school is located along the water...not the ocean but more of a lake/lagoon I suppose. Each day during class I look out over the cocunut trees and palms to view the beautiful pristine blue water. It is breathtaking. My house is located along the main road that circles the entire island. My family has the store there and a bit behind the store is the house nestled in the jungle. There are mountains, islands, and waterfalls throughout the island. Actually I run to the top of the mountain to get an internet signal. I really don't mind though. It gives me a chance to exercise and meet the locals. The local waterfall(the name I can't remember) I hope to visit on Sunday after the cockfight and church...yup cockfight! Is it bad that I'm super stoked to see this go down?
There are about 30 volunteers here not including the 2 current volunteers serving the area. So white or as the locals say "men wai" people are common and many locals speak English. There is one gentleman on the island who served as a PCV back in the 70's. He decided this should be his home and has really taken to the island. He has an actual ranking in the community and knows much about agriculture. He's a great resource for plant identification and can name almost every species of plants.
Learning the language has been difficult. I have this thought in the back of my head in that o don't want to focus too hard on learning the language if I'm leaving in 2 weeks. I do my best and I'm sure my family has learned to read my facial expressions especially the one that reads "I have no clue". Regardless the area is gorgeous and overtakes any qualms or difficulties I experience.
One thing is for sure the animals here are plentiful! In my yard- actually in all yards, along the roads, and nestled within the jungle live chicken, dogs, cats and roosters. It is not uncommon for all animals to be frolicking amongst one another. It's amazing how I've just gotten used to it all so quickly. The first few days I woke at 3am to the roosters. Little did I know that they are up so early! Damn american history/fallacy saying that roosters are up when the sun rises. BS! Anyway I now sleep right through them. What does wake me up are the pigs! My family confines the pigs to a cage not too far down the hill from my bedroom window. They get all riled up in the early hours. They drive me nuts...but it is food so I can't complain.
A few nights ago I spent time with my host sisters. We drank sakou and chewed beetle nut. Beetle nut is a local fruit that grows on trees everywhere. You crack open the fruit with your teeth, sprinkle some lime powder and tobacco in it, close it, and wrap it in a chewing leaf. You stick it in the back of your mouth and bite down. The leaf turns your spit super red as well as your mouth needless to say it was pretty sweet! Immediately my ears felt warm and I got a bit dizzy. It's a stimulant and sends a rush to your head. The sakou counters the effects and before I knew it, I was ready for bed. It was great to hang with my sisters! They are very smart and speak english quite well. We had some great girl talks.
Well, I find out tomorrow where I will be placed for the next 2 years! I'm very excited! Can't wait to spread the word.
Talk soon...
Ham
Training has been going well. The most exciting aspect thus far is selecting a placment. There are a few schools in Palou that I'm interested in as well as Kosrae (pronounced Koshrie). I'm really looking to do something within health educaton as well as teaching English. However Chuuk has a few potential schools that are looking for a volunteer with grant writing experience and health education so that may also be a good fit. Ultimatly it comes down to me giving my three preferences and the staff deciding where to place me. Granted this may pose a disappointment but I have much faith in the staff as they have been doing this for many years. Wherever I go, I will do my best.
On to more exciting things! The beauty of this island! Pohnpei is gorgeous. Everything is so lush and green. It rains about 2-3 times per day, sometimes more or less. It's very hot and sticky but thankfully showering is always available. My school is located along the water...not the ocean but more of a lake/lagoon I suppose. Each day during class I look out over the cocunut trees and palms to view the beautiful pristine blue water. It is breathtaking. My house is located along the main road that circles the entire island. My family has the store there and a bit behind the store is the house nestled in the jungle. There are mountains, islands, and waterfalls throughout the island. Actually I run to the top of the mountain to get an internet signal. I really don't mind though. It gives me a chance to exercise and meet the locals. The local waterfall(the name I can't remember) I hope to visit on Sunday after the cockfight and church...yup cockfight! Is it bad that I'm super stoked to see this go down?
There are about 30 volunteers here not including the 2 current volunteers serving the area. So white or as the locals say "men wai" people are common and many locals speak English. There is one gentleman on the island who served as a PCV back in the 70's. He decided this should be his home and has really taken to the island. He has an actual ranking in the community and knows much about agriculture. He's a great resource for plant identification and can name almost every species of plants.
Learning the language has been difficult. I have this thought in the back of my head in that o don't want to focus too hard on learning the language if I'm leaving in 2 weeks. I do my best and I'm sure my family has learned to read my facial expressions especially the one that reads "I have no clue". Regardless the area is gorgeous and overtakes any qualms or difficulties I experience.
One thing is for sure the animals here are plentiful! In my yard- actually in all yards, along the roads, and nestled within the jungle live chicken, dogs, cats and roosters. It is not uncommon for all animals to be frolicking amongst one another. It's amazing how I've just gotten used to it all so quickly. The first few days I woke at 3am to the roosters. Little did I know that they are up so early! Damn american history/fallacy saying that roosters are up when the sun rises. BS! Anyway I now sleep right through them. What does wake me up are the pigs! My family confines the pigs to a cage not too far down the hill from my bedroom window. They get all riled up in the early hours. They drive me nuts...but it is food so I can't complain.
A few nights ago I spent time with my host sisters. We drank sakou and chewed beetle nut. Beetle nut is a local fruit that grows on trees everywhere. You crack open the fruit with your teeth, sprinkle some lime powder and tobacco in it, close it, and wrap it in a chewing leaf. You stick it in the back of your mouth and bite down. The leaf turns your spit super red as well as your mouth needless to say it was pretty sweet! Immediately my ears felt warm and I got a bit dizzy. It's a stimulant and sends a rush to your head. The sakou counters the effects and before I knew it, I was ready for bed. It was great to hang with my sisters! They are very smart and speak english quite well. We had some great girl talks.
Well, I find out tomorrow where I will be placed for the next 2 years! I'm very excited! Can't wait to spread the word.
Talk soon...
Ham
Friday, September 11, 2009
Outside Kolonia, Pohnpei in Micronesia
Before I begin this post I want to warn you of many typos and a strange formatting issue. It's a learning experience!
Kasalehlia! This is "greetings" in pohnpeian.
I have officially began my preservice training in micronesia. It has
been a wonderful start in this journey. On Monday I met my host
family who I will be staying with until September 25 or 26. They are
a beautiful family! In the house lives 2 older daughters one who is 19
and the other who is 21. In addition is baba and nano (mom and dad) as
well as 2 sons and my sister-in-law. Kelly and his wife have 4
children whose ages range from 10 months to 6 years. Ely Mae is 3
years old and she absolutely adores me- well let's be honest, I love
her just as much. The house is 3 bedrooms and a living space as well
as a bathroom. Altogether there are 12 of us living here. I have my
own room and often feel selfish taking up one room while everyone else
sleeps in the rest of the house. However I have to remind myslef that
pohnpei is not like America. Here sleeping with your family is the
norm and taking in guests means providing them with their space. The
Micronesians are all very kind and continually accept Americans
particularly peace corps volunteers. We live in a home that has
running water and a "water seal" toilet which ultimately means that it
will flush with the addition of a pitcher of water. Unlike many of my
counterparts I also have an indoor shower. I have running water and
take a shower two times per day via a "bucket shower". Although the
water is only cold, I have no qualms as the heat and humidity make
cold water a necessity. Micronesians are very clean people and highly
suggest one duhtu (shower) each morning and night. I prefer to shower
before dinner as by the time I return home from school/training I am
stinky and ready for a shower!
My host family is wonderful! They feed me a lovely breakfast usually
eggs (a luxory) fruit (either watermelon or breadfruit) and a cup of
super sweet coffee. Before I know it it's time to get to school where
I sit in a hot classroom that is festering with multiple men wai
(white person) scents. Honestly I don't mind and have already become
accustomed to the various smells. After school I walk home which is
actually only a ten minute walk. The second day here I started
running/exercising. That day I invited my little brother (Kelly Jr or
as he is known Jun Jun and his neighbor friend Christopher) to run
with me. Little did I know how much they would enjoy such an
activity! The next few days when I would return home they would be
there waiting to go running. I love it! Not only does it
keepeotivated but the children love it.
The past few nights I have spent te with my family and studying. After
my duhtu I have dinner. I am very fortunate to be with such a
wonderful famy! My diet has consisted of yams, fish, some spam, and
much rice. Never will I go hungry here! In addition I have enjoyed
many evenings of sakouh, a traditional drink on pohnpei that is made
by grinding taro root and then sifting it through a bladder type thing
(I'm lost for words here), running water through it, and finally
squeezing it into bottles. There is a customary process to accepting
and drinking sakouh and it's affects are comparable to a mild
sedative. Needless to say, I sleep like a baby after a night of
ingesting sakouh!
Again I must mention the hospitality of my family. At the te of my
meeting th- I was presented a headress and a necklace. After my
arrival, my mother gave me a beautiful skirt. Each day since she has
greeted me in the morning with a new skirt. They are all locally made
and are colorful with various sequins. All the women wear the skirts
and it's quite the sight. Although I've only been here for less than
one week, I already feel at home. I wonder if coming back to the
states is even an option. A collectivist society is such an unreal and
unimaginable state to be in. I can't wait to really learn the language
and embrace the culture. I feel so fortunate to be in the place.
Just to let you all know- I will find out my permanent placent on
wednesday. I'm looking at a few other islands including Palau, chuuk,
and kosrae. They all have schools where I think I will work well. I
hope to let you know as soon as I get the opportunity.
My future blogs will most likely encompass the various themes- lack of
AC, Thousand Island dressing (I couldn't believe it either Misty!),
Mosquitos/bugs/cockroaches, beetle nut, the language and many laughs
attempting the language, cock fights, church, and the absolute beauty
of this island.
I hope to hear from you all. Please be aware that connection is quite
limited and my email is tough to access. I actually have an easier
time getting on Facebook...weird I know.
For those concerned or even a bit hesitant- I'm happy as can be and
loving every minute thus far. I know it will get tough but I have the
support of all of you!
My love to all.
Kasalehlia! This is "greetings" in pohnpeian.
I have officially began my preservice training in micronesia. It has
been a wonderful start in this journey. On Monday I met my host
family who I will be staying with until September 25 or 26. They are
a beautiful family! In the house lives 2 older daughters one who is 19
and the other who is 21. In addition is baba and nano (mom and dad) as
well as 2 sons and my sister-in-law. Kelly and his wife have 4
children whose ages range from 10 months to 6 years. Ely Mae is 3
years old and she absolutely adores me- well let's be honest, I love
her just as much. The house is 3 bedrooms and a living space as well
as a bathroom. Altogether there are 12 of us living here. I have my
own room and often feel selfish taking up one room while everyone else
sleeps in the rest of the house. However I have to remind myslef that
pohnpei is not like America. Here sleeping with your family is the
norm and taking in guests means providing them with their space. The
Micronesians are all very kind and continually accept Americans
particularly peace corps volunteers. We live in a home that has
running water and a "water seal" toilet which ultimately means that it
will flush with the addition of a pitcher of water. Unlike many of my
counterparts I also have an indoor shower. I have running water and
take a shower two times per day via a "bucket shower". Although the
water is only cold, I have no qualms as the heat and humidity make
cold water a necessity. Micronesians are very clean people and highly
suggest one duhtu (shower) each morning and night. I prefer to shower
before dinner as by the time I return home from school/training I am
stinky and ready for a shower!
My host family is wonderful! They feed me a lovely breakfast usually
eggs (a luxory) fruit (either watermelon or breadfruit) and a cup of
super sweet coffee. Before I know it it's time to get to school where
I sit in a hot classroom that is festering with multiple men wai
(white person) scents. Honestly I don't mind and have already become
accustomed to the various smells. After school I walk home which is
actually only a ten minute walk. The second day here I started
running/exercising. That day I invited my little brother (Kelly Jr or
as he is known Jun Jun and his neighbor friend Christopher) to run
with me. Little did I know how much they would enjoy such an
activity! The next few days when I would return home they would be
there waiting to go running. I love it! Not only does it
keepeotivated but the children love it.
The past few nights I have spent te with my family and studying. After
my duhtu I have dinner. I am very fortunate to be with such a
wonderful famy! My diet has consisted of yams, fish, some spam, and
much rice. Never will I go hungry here! In addition I have enjoyed
many evenings of sakouh, a traditional drink on pohnpei that is made
by grinding taro root and then sifting it through a bladder type thing
(I'm lost for words here), running water through it, and finally
squeezing it into bottles. There is a customary process to accepting
and drinking sakouh and it's affects are comparable to a mild
sedative. Needless to say, I sleep like a baby after a night of
ingesting sakouh!
Again I must mention the hospitality of my family. At the te of my
meeting th- I was presented a headress and a necklace. After my
arrival, my mother gave me a beautiful skirt. Each day since she has
greeted me in the morning with a new skirt. They are all locally made
and are colorful with various sequins. All the women wear the skirts
and it's quite the sight. Although I've only been here for less than
one week, I already feel at home. I wonder if coming back to the
states is even an option. A collectivist society is such an unreal and
unimaginable state to be in. I can't wait to really learn the language
and embrace the culture. I feel so fortunate to be in the place.
Just to let you all know- I will find out my permanent placent on
wednesday. I'm looking at a few other islands including Palau, chuuk,
and kosrae. They all have schools where I think I will work well. I
hope to let you know as soon as I get the opportunity.
My future blogs will most likely encompass the various themes- lack of
AC, Thousand Island dressing (I couldn't believe it either Misty!),
Mosquitos/bugs/cockroaches, beetle nut, the language and many laughs
attempting the language, cock fights, church, and the absolute beauty
of this island.
I hope to hear from you all. Please be aware that connection is quite
limited and my email is tough to access. I actually have an easier
time getting on Facebook...weird I know.
For those concerned or even a bit hesitant- I'm happy as can be and
loving every minute thus far. I know it will get tough but I have the
support of all of you!
My love to all.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A final word
I made it safely to LA today. Orientation went very well and I feel very excited and anxious to get the ball rolling.
All the other volunteers are amazing and itsqu
quite relieving to be surrounded by others who are also intje same place as myself. It's a very long road ahead but the quicker I get to the islands the easier this entire transformation will be. I'm really tired so will cut this short.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible and for the wonderful times before I left. I'll see you all soon!
I love you!
All the other volunteers are amazing and itsqu
quite relieving to be surrounded by others who are also intje same place as myself. It's a very long road ahead but the quicker I get to the islands the easier this entire transformation will be. I'm really tired so will cut this short.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible and for the wonderful times before I left. I'll see you all soon!
I love you!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Two Days Until Departure for LA
Well, it's official. My life is about to change forever. I thought that I was ready for this and that I wouldn't be nervous. However, this morning or rather early afternoon when I awoke- I suddenly had this nervousness that I hadn't experienced yet. I was scared. Not frightened, just eerily stricken with that feeling- "What am I forgetting?!". After a lovely afternoon spending time with my best friend Rae, I feel better. Maybe it's the fact that I'm having dinner tonight with she and her family. Maybe it's because this roller coaster is finally coming to an end, and the new roller coaster will be starting quite soon. Whatever the feeling, I'm happy to be where I am right now.
So on to my past week experiences. After my stay at my mom and Hal's vineyard I met up with my father at my grandma Ham's house. I hadn't had an opportunity to visit with my grandma since Christmas so it was wonderful to see her. I don't think anyone who I've spoken with since this adventure began has asked me more questions. She was full of amazing questions and was so smitten with the whole idea. I feel blessed to have a grandmother who is so in-tuned with the world around her and excited to have someone to live through vicariously. The stay was wonderful and included Grandma's amazing fried chicken, gravy, sweet corn, fresh tomatoes...the same meal that as a child I would beg for- sometimes even plead. Fortunately, Grandma knew exactly what I needed. Later that evening we went to Mac's Drive-In. I had the usual and loved every moment of it.
The following day, my dad and I headed back to Sioux Falls, SD to finally get to see the lovely and lovable, Janet. After a long drive, thankfully dad and I get along so well that the trip seemed rather short. No let's be honest, it was a damn long drive. Before making it to Dad's house, we stopped at good ole' down home Cabela's. I used to loathe this place, about as much as I did Michael's or that fabric store in McCook that Mom would drag me to at least once a week. I think I spent the majority of the time there sitting in the racks under the fabrics whining. WELL, this time, Cabela's was on MY side. Dad hooked it up with everything that I needed. I got my mattress pad that I'll be sleeping on for the next 2 years, a gortex rain jacket for the 400 inches of rain/year that I'll be experiencing, a mosquito net that Dad and Brian insisted I get, and a great dry bag for my electronics- or electronic since very few electronics last the entire two years in the South Pacific. Mmmmm....me likey Cabela's.
The rest of the week was dedicated to quality time with my Dad and Janet which included shopping, eating (a lot), and drinking mass quantities of beer, and I definitely got my Margarita fix. I had my last filet and fried eggplant before I head off...all delicious. I found myself savoring each bite compared to the old days where I'd gorge myself in 4 minutes and feel like complete poop for the next 4 hours. I also used the time to harp on my dad concerning his salt intake (as I know Brian and Misty appreciate much). Hopefully Dad will watch his diet- I can't imagine anything happening to him while I'm gone.
Eventually, it was time for me to move on to my last stop in this Pre-Peace Corps expedition....the goodbye. Dad has had his qualms regarding my departure when I first mentioned the whole idea. I don't know if it was the fact that I'd be gone for an extended period of time or if he was worried that I will always be searching for my calling in life. Fortunately, time has been on both of our sides. Dad has done his research and I think this last visit with him really solidified his beliefs in why I'm going and how it's going to make me a better person. Just the shear fact that he said those 4 words- I'm proud of you- made the goodbye probably one of the bests during this entire experience. Goodbye was tough but the support, respect, and never ending love are all I needed to know that yes, this is my calling, and yes, I have more support than I could ever imagine. So with that, I say again- thank you to my family. Thank you for believing in me, never giving up when you knew how insane I was, and thank you for always loving me- even when I made those ill fated mistakes, which I did learn from (thank God!). My time with you all was exactly what I needed. Muah!
Now on to time with the peeps of my life! Yes, what an adventure and great time we have had. You know you have good friends when you can go without talking for weeks sometimes even months, and yet it feels like yesterday that you last talked. Fortunately that is exactly what this has been like. Only, it will be years before I see them again. :( I am counting on you all to write me and at least let me know when the big things happen. Thank you for the great times and the many laughs. You are all such wonderful people! My love will be with you all....so, if you ever see something that Ham might like- take a chance, send it my way. I bet you anything that if it's something I can't use, the people that I will be working with or living with or just hanging with- they will be amazed! So think eccentric. This original....or as Loren would say- unoriginal because the original, even though it's the original it could be better.
This is long and needs to come to an end for the time being. I leave Wednesday for LA, then out on Thursday for Hawaii. Friday morning I leave Honolulu for Micronesia and finally arrive there on Saturday afternoon. I will do my best to at least update this blog but please realize that it will be sketchy and if anything, it'll be a little information to inform you that I'm at my post. Please pray, cross your fingers, or summon the karma gods that I make my trip successfully.
Oh, before I forget...the packing situation. Well, lo and behold- I packed two years of my life in one bag that is technically a carry-on. However, I will be checking it and carrying on a backpack (thanks Jody) that has only a few things in it. I figure that if I have to lug this luggage around for 3 months and then take it to my permanent place, I'm going to be as light as possible. The final weight- 41 lbs. Thank goodness I got it all to fit. I sure hope I'm not forgetting anything. Thanks Dad and Janet for being so willing to send me my boxes when I get to my final placement.
Thank you to everyone who have made these last few weeks in the States some of the best. I love you.
Until we meet again...
So on to my past week experiences. After my stay at my mom and Hal's vineyard I met up with my father at my grandma Ham's house. I hadn't had an opportunity to visit with my grandma since Christmas so it was wonderful to see her. I don't think anyone who I've spoken with since this adventure began has asked me more questions. She was full of amazing questions and was so smitten with the whole idea. I feel blessed to have a grandmother who is so in-tuned with the world around her and excited to have someone to live through vicariously. The stay was wonderful and included Grandma's amazing fried chicken, gravy, sweet corn, fresh tomatoes...the same meal that as a child I would beg for- sometimes even plead. Fortunately, Grandma knew exactly what I needed. Later that evening we went to Mac's Drive-In. I had the usual and loved every moment of it.
The following day, my dad and I headed back to Sioux Falls, SD to finally get to see the lovely and lovable, Janet. After a long drive, thankfully dad and I get along so well that the trip seemed rather short. No let's be honest, it was a damn long drive. Before making it to Dad's house, we stopped at good ole' down home Cabela's. I used to loathe this place, about as much as I did Michael's or that fabric store in McCook that Mom would drag me to at least once a week. I think I spent the majority of the time there sitting in the racks under the fabrics whining. WELL, this time, Cabela's was on MY side. Dad hooked it up with everything that I needed. I got my mattress pad that I'll be sleeping on for the next 2 years, a gortex rain jacket for the 400 inches of rain/year that I'll be experiencing, a mosquito net that Dad and Brian insisted I get, and a great dry bag for my electronics- or electronic since very few electronics last the entire two years in the South Pacific. Mmmmm....me likey Cabela's.
The rest of the week was dedicated to quality time with my Dad and Janet which included shopping, eating (a lot), and drinking mass quantities of beer, and I definitely got my Margarita fix. I had my last filet and fried eggplant before I head off...all delicious. I found myself savoring each bite compared to the old days where I'd gorge myself in 4 minutes and feel like complete poop for the next 4 hours. I also used the time to harp on my dad concerning his salt intake (as I know Brian and Misty appreciate much). Hopefully Dad will watch his diet- I can't imagine anything happening to him while I'm gone.
Eventually, it was time for me to move on to my last stop in this Pre-Peace Corps expedition....the goodbye. Dad has had his qualms regarding my departure when I first mentioned the whole idea. I don't know if it was the fact that I'd be gone for an extended period of time or if he was worried that I will always be searching for my calling in life. Fortunately, time has been on both of our sides. Dad has done his research and I think this last visit with him really solidified his beliefs in why I'm going and how it's going to make me a better person. Just the shear fact that he said those 4 words- I'm proud of you- made the goodbye probably one of the bests during this entire experience. Goodbye was tough but the support, respect, and never ending love are all I needed to know that yes, this is my calling, and yes, I have more support than I could ever imagine. So with that, I say again- thank you to my family. Thank you for believing in me, never giving up when you knew how insane I was, and thank you for always loving me- even when I made those ill fated mistakes, which I did learn from (thank God!). My time with you all was exactly what I needed. Muah!
Now on to time with the peeps of my life! Yes, what an adventure and great time we have had. You know you have good friends when you can go without talking for weeks sometimes even months, and yet it feels like yesterday that you last talked. Fortunately that is exactly what this has been like. Only, it will be years before I see them again. :( I am counting on you all to write me and at least let me know when the big things happen. Thank you for the great times and the many laughs. You are all such wonderful people! My love will be with you all....so, if you ever see something that Ham might like- take a chance, send it my way. I bet you anything that if it's something I can't use, the people that I will be working with or living with or just hanging with- they will be amazed! So think eccentric. This original....or as Loren would say- unoriginal because the original, even though it's the original it could be better.
This is long and needs to come to an end for the time being. I leave Wednesday for LA, then out on Thursday for Hawaii. Friday morning I leave Honolulu for Micronesia and finally arrive there on Saturday afternoon. I will do my best to at least update this blog but please realize that it will be sketchy and if anything, it'll be a little information to inform you that I'm at my post. Please pray, cross your fingers, or summon the karma gods that I make my trip successfully.
Oh, before I forget...the packing situation. Well, lo and behold- I packed two years of my life in one bag that is technically a carry-on. However, I will be checking it and carrying on a backpack (thanks Jody) that has only a few things in it. I figure that if I have to lug this luggage around for 3 months and then take it to my permanent place, I'm going to be as light as possible. The final weight- 41 lbs. Thank goodness I got it all to fit. I sure hope I'm not forgetting anything. Thanks Dad and Janet for being so willing to send me my boxes when I get to my final placement.
Thank you to everyone who have made these last few weeks in the States some of the best. I love you.
Until we meet again...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Colorado, Vineyard, and on to Sioux Falls, SD
I arrived in Nebraska after a short 2 days in Colorado with my BFF's...Jody and Scott. The memories from the stay with them are merely additional memories of what all we have shared over the past 6 maybe 7 years. I don't know what I'm going to do without those two friends. What I do know is that I will be waiting for my first care package! Thanks, Jody! Muah!
I've come to realize through this journey, that one does not have to search deeply to truly find the friends who will forever remain a part of your life. I once believed that friends were like wealth, the more you have the better your chances in this life. This definitely is not the case in either aspect....thankfully (as I know I will probably never have wealth- a fact I accepted long long ago). I am very fortunate to be leaving on this journey knowing that I go with "much love and respect" (thank you, Brian, for your wise words).
Upon my arrival in Nebraska on Monday I was immediately put to work on my parent's vineyard, Sage Hill Vineyard and Winery. I helped my mama and Hal, my stepfather, put up bird netting on about 4 rows of vines and, of course, snapped many pictures along the way. The vineyard looks amazing for this time of the year. The majority of the place is green, lush, and covered with sunflowers. The grapes also look quite marvelous....as well as tasty! The vineyard is definitely in for some great wines in the near future!
The stay with my family has been beautiful. I have been able to really bond with my sisters before they begin their Freshman year of high school, my mother, grandmother, stepfather, and a few distant family members- Abbie and Donna. I am very thankful for this time with these people. Although it has been short, I can honestly say that I have never felt closer and more secure with leaving my family. This is a very sad time for me, but I haven't cried- not yet, anyway. Through much reflection I have discovered that it is most difficult to leave someone when I know that they are going to have a difficult time while I am gone. I know that these people are all going to be okay. They are surrounded by love and family; therefore, guaranteeing them a first-placed spot in life.
Before I forget, thank you to all those who purchased items on my Wish List....you know who you are. However, I don't! So, with that in mind, please feel free to let me know what you contributed so that I can personally thank you. If you're shy--my thanks to you! This includes a big hug.
My next stop is Sioux Falls, SD to visit my father and stepmother, Janet via McCook, NE to visit my grandma Ham. I'm looking forward to this leg as it puts me closer to departure and reality. Until then....
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Va Beach Wrap-Up....On to Family Time...
It's official...I am no longer a resident of Virginia. Well, not that I ever was but technically I did pay taxes in that backward state, so that has to count for something. I sold my scooter yesterday at 7:30 pm, just in time for dinner with an old New Orleans friend, accumulated some sleep the night before my flight, found a ride to the airport, and today- landed in Baton Rouge.
I am now a transient. Really, a transient. It just so happens that my karma ran out before my exit from Va Beach when I failed to get my ATM card from the machine. So, I have no ATM card currently, but as Melissa said, "At least you won't be tempted to spend money". Amen to that, sista!
It's great to be visiting my brother and his family. I'm mentally preparing for the rest of my visits. I know it's going to be difficult but I have to push through. Shit, y'all- 3 weeks until departure from LA! People keep asking me if I'm nervous. I haven't had the nerve twitch yet. I think it has been overshadowed by the anxiety of getting all my belongings shipped and my possessions sold. Even now that those aspects are complete, I feel a since of excitement that is more powerful than nerves. What is keeping me going and avoiding the nerve impulse- the mere fact that I'm about to embark on a journey of a lifetime and fortunately, I will not be doing it alone...Not the first 3 months anyway.
I have yet to purchase a few more items. It looks like I may want to invest in some silicone packets? My sister has done research and the moisture destroys electronics and grows mold on about anything, including clothes, linens, etc. So for all you hoarders out there- if you have any silicone packets, you know, the little packets that read "DO NOT EAT", send them my way!
I'm debating the purchase of a nice pair of sunglasses, but seriously, I've never been able to keep a good pair in working condition and with all the water that will soon be around, I don't see it being a smart decision.
I must find some below-the-knee shorts as well. Although I dread wearing these things, it is a must. I feel like a gomer with them on...they just look ridiculous on me. Bless those who can wear them without fear of
My number one purchase priority at this point- a mattress for sleeping....on the floor....with the bugs.
Before I forget...I got my staging ticket! I leave Omaha at 6:37am connecting in Denver and eventually arriving at LAX. It's official- I'm leaving on a jet plane....
I am now a transient. Really, a transient. It just so happens that my karma ran out before my exit from Va Beach when I failed to get my ATM card from the machine. So, I have no ATM card currently, but as Melissa said, "At least you won't be tempted to spend money". Amen to that, sista!
It's great to be visiting my brother and his family. I'm mentally preparing for the rest of my visits. I know it's going to be difficult but I have to push through. Shit, y'all- 3 weeks until departure from LA! People keep asking me if I'm nervous. I haven't had the nerve twitch yet. I think it has been overshadowed by the anxiety of getting all my belongings shipped and my possessions sold. Even now that those aspects are complete, I feel a since of excitement that is more powerful than nerves. What is keeping me going and avoiding the nerve impulse- the mere fact that I'm about to embark on a journey of a lifetime and fortunately, I will not be doing it alone...Not the first 3 months anyway.
I have yet to purchase a few more items. It looks like I may want to invest in some silicone packets? My sister has done research and the moisture destroys electronics and grows mold on about anything, including clothes, linens, etc. So for all you hoarders out there- if you have any silicone packets, you know, the little packets that read "DO NOT EAT", send them my way!
I'm debating the purchase of a nice pair of sunglasses, but seriously, I've never been able to keep a good pair in working condition and with all the water that will soon be around, I don't see it being a smart decision.
I must find some below-the-knee shorts as well. Although I dread wearing these things, it is a must. I feel like a gomer with them on...they just look ridiculous on me. Bless those who can wear them without fear of
My number one purchase priority at this point- a mattress for sleeping....on the floor....with the bugs.
Before I forget...I got my staging ticket! I leave Omaha at 6:37am connecting in Denver and eventually arriving at LAX. It's official- I'm leaving on a jet plane....
Monday, August 10, 2009
And it all comes together...
Well, I have officially sold my car! I didn't get the full amount I was hoping for, but I did get it sold. It was chaotic and I didn't realize until I was almost home that my VW beetle was no longer mine. It was actually quite sad. Although that car gave me hell at times, it was my first real car, and well, it was my baby. It is nice though to not have to worry about a damn car anymore!
I finally got all my belongings packed and ready to Fed Ex to my dad's. I did some shopping yesterday and have officially completed my list of purchases....this is not to say that my Amazon Wishlist is complete... :) I got some sweet sandals and a load of polo shirts. Plus, I didn't spend half as much money as I thought I would have.
I have 2 full days in Virginia Beach left. I'm going to be so sad to leave. The things/people I will miss the most- Shelley, Libby, and Macey- my family unit that was there for me when I needed them the most. I don't know what I would have done without them. They were my rock. It really excites me to know that I will be moving to a new country where I will again be with a family unit. In addition to my family here, I will definitely miss the days of laying out at the pool, the beach, and the oceanfront. Melissa- you were such an important element here and I will miss our mid-week cocktails and our everlasting adventures in VA Beach. I've never experienced the realities of living so close to a beach and just how refreshing it is to sit, watch and listen to the waves crashing in. So beautiful and natural. It's amazing to think that I will soon be in a country surrounded by rain forests, beaches, ocean, and natural landscapes. I couldn't be happier knowing that for 2 years, I will be one with nature.
I'm off to Baton Rouge on Thursday then back to Colorado and Nebraska. I'm looking forward to my last few weeks in the States spent with my loved ones. Thank you Shelley for your hospitality and friendship- you will be missed. Thank you Virginia Beach for giving me insight into this region and only failing me a few times. :)
I finally got all my belongings packed and ready to Fed Ex to my dad's. I did some shopping yesterday and have officially completed my list of purchases....this is not to say that my Amazon Wishlist is complete... :) I got some sweet sandals and a load of polo shirts. Plus, I didn't spend half as much money as I thought I would have.
I have 2 full days in Virginia Beach left. I'm going to be so sad to leave. The things/people I will miss the most- Shelley, Libby, and Macey- my family unit that was there for me when I needed them the most. I don't know what I would have done without them. They were my rock. It really excites me to know that I will be moving to a new country where I will again be with a family unit. In addition to my family here, I will definitely miss the days of laying out at the pool, the beach, and the oceanfront. Melissa- you were such an important element here and I will miss our mid-week cocktails and our everlasting adventures in VA Beach. I've never experienced the realities of living so close to a beach and just how refreshing it is to sit, watch and listen to the waves crashing in. So beautiful and natural. It's amazing to think that I will soon be in a country surrounded by rain forests, beaches, ocean, and natural landscapes. I couldn't be happier knowing that for 2 years, I will be one with nature.
I'm off to Baton Rouge on Thursday then back to Colorado and Nebraska. I'm looking forward to my last few weeks in the States spent with my loved ones. Thank you Shelley for your hospitality and friendship- you will be missed. Thank you Virginia Beach for giving me insight into this region and only failing me a few times. :)
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