Christmas, New Year's, and roaches

Well first, I want to start with a list of books I have read since being here. Don’t ask me why I want to start with this, I don’t know, but I have often been asked what we do when the power goes out and it’s night time, and well, we read. I will also include a rating system where one * is pretty bad and 5 * are pretty darn good. So here is my book list:
Istanbul - Orhan Pamuk *****
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - ***
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - ***
Confessions of an Economic Hitman - John Perkins ****
A Legacy of Ashes - Tim Weiner (a history of the CIA) *****
A Fool’s Gold - Bill Merritt ***
The Fire this Side - Julian Augon (sp?) A collection of essays on Chomorro independence. ***
Soul Mountain - Gao Xingjian ****
Becoming Who You Are - James Martin S.J. ****
The Language of God - (written by the man who headed the uman genome project, I had to give the book back and I forgot to write down his name) ****
Snow - Orhan Pamuk *****
China - Enabling a New Era of Changes - World Economic Forum - Pam C.M. Mar and Frank Jurgen Richter ****
A Peace to End all Peace - Fromkin ****
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein ***

I am currently working on The Scramble for Africa but it is so damn dense that I had to put it down for a while. Now I am reading The First Taint of Civilization: a history of the Caroline and Marshall Islands in Pre-Colonial Days, 1521 - 1885. Then I will move onto this book called A Farewell to Alms: a brief economic history of the world.
So there is my book list, pillage at your own discretion. As you can tell, I am a pretty easy grader.

Well, it’s New Year’s Eve day and the weather is beautiful. We have been on an amazing streak of power for the last month, but then the island generator broke and there was no power two nights ago and sketchy power last night. But tonight is looking optimistic. I do not know what I am going to do yet, there is not exactly a lot going on... Also, I vow to talk as minimally about basketball as possible this time because I have heard that Katie Meyers isn’t a huge basketball writing fan. And I like Katie so damn much that I could not refuse such a request, and plus it came from a pretty amazing medium.

The Pohnpei JV’s have come and gone. In between, we had a blast. It was so great to see Luke and Jo, and to finally meet Megan. I had heard rumors about how much fun Megan is and now I can spread them myself. We went to Pisar. It is a little flat island, well actually like three islands, out on the reef and they are basically uninhabited. It was great to get out there and read and swim and play. I have not laughed that hard in a long time. Our communication with Pohnpei was difficult so the organization of the retreat was not perfect, and I think Pohnpei felt under prepared because they did not find out the theme or their role until they arrived in Chuuk. But they all did very well.

Christmas went pretty well, but honestly, in my mind it is all running together. A couple packages and letters I had received from home were hidden from me by Jessie, one of my roommates, and then they showed up under the Christmas tree on the morning of the 25th. It was wonderful. I can honestly say that I am absolutely overwhelmed by the support I have received from everyone at home. I really am blessed in that way.

So I have a story, that I think is pretty interesting. The night of the 21st Michael Gall, a Peace Corps volunteer, who went to Xavier with Jessie, stayed over and he stayed in the downstairs apartment with me. Michael’s family is in the pest control business. And we have cockroaches. Michael purchased two cans of bug spray and we went to work. I use the term "we" very loosely because it was mainly Mike, I just sprayed where he told me. We tore apart the kitchen and canvassed the bathroom. By the end of the ordeal we counted 45 cocraoches, that we could see, either dying or dead. I would say that the total number is close to 90 or 100. The ants are thrilled. They had a feast. So we really cleaned up the place for Pohnpei!
Also, a sidenote, as I write this, I keep hearing more and more pigs squealing as they are slaughtered for the New Year’s feast. It is an interesting sound.

Moving on,

Jake, a Peace Corps volunteer, and myself have been working on this project. Jake started it in August, then we were talking about a month ago, about things we would like to do in Chuuk or things that we find necessary. I described to him an organization that would promote health awareness and local food. Focusing on local food as a way, a small way, to help the economy. And then Jake explained that he already had the ball rolling on that exact project. There is still some debate about the name but it sounds like it will be the Island Food Community of Chuuk. We are currently trying to become incorporated and the support from everyone in the community has been so overwhelmingly positive. We had an excellent day yesterday obtaining the signatures and support of some very knowledgeable people in the community and I am really excited to see where this goes in the next two years!

As is always the case, the holidays are never easy. And this one is no exception. It seems like everyone back home is doing something scary or important or relevant and I can’t help but find my mind wandering to their adventures. Then, inevitably, missing them. Things here can be hard, but worth it. Everything, from the island to the people are so beautiful. I am truly lucky to be able to be a part of the island community here.

For our retreat we were supposed to give oral histories, storytelling. And my story was about a time in high school where I found myself on a rocky beach after the tide had just gone out and everywhere I stepped the phosphorescence glowed blues, turquoises, greens, and cyans. But my point about all of this was light. How amazing I find light and how easy it is to be amazed and awed by light. Especially here in the islands.

The light is bright and hot, but not harsh. It is clear and crisp yet changing. It is unlike any light I have ever experienced. My point was that when I am able to stop and be amazed, when I am able to stop and admire the light, I know that things are going pretty well. And lately I have admired, almost daily, the beautiful Micronesian light. Illuminating a translucent lagoon and decorating the lush hills. I have watched it paint the clouds in broad brush strokes and puncture thousands of tiny holes in the dark blanket of night. And I have been amazed.
I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this and for all your support and love, it really means a lot. I would also like to say that if you didn’t like my little spiel on light blame Brad Reynolds. If he wouldn’t have gotten me hooked on this whole photography thing I never would have been amazed by light in the way I am now.... So it’s all his fault. Thanks Brad!

Thanksgiving

As I sit here, at Xavier High School on Thursday, November 27, 2008. It is Thanksgiving. Today is unlike any Thanksgiving of my life. When in I lived in Europe I spent Thanksgiving with many very close friends in Ireland. It was wonderful even if I did feel a twinge of loneliness and longing to be with my family. That twinge easily dissipated with laughter and friendship as we had one of the best (extended) weekends of my life.

Today is different. I love Chuuk. I am learning so much from my time here, but it is not easy. I have met people here who fast turned into role models and have taught me more about life and development than any class ever could. For them I am thankful.

Today I give thanks in the manner of most of my days, subdued and quietly. I give thanks for my basketball team. We are now 3-1 with our first blowout under our belts (75 – 52). They have taught me how to coach more than I have taught them how to play. My lesson started the second day of practice when I was coming down pretty hard on one of the new and very tentative freshmen for not attacking the basket. His defender was one of our 2 captains, a senior and the best perimeter defender on our team. On the very next possession T.J., the senior captain/defender extraordinaire let the freshman go by him. But he did not let the freshman (Kay Kris) know. Kay Kris did not stop smiling for a week. And I am very thankful to say that Kay Kris was our second leading scorer with 10 points in our last game.

I am thankful for T.J. teaching me Chuukese. He teaches me language, but he teaches me how to be Chuukese, how to lead like he does, how to live humbly like they do, and how to help each other in the Chuukese way.

I am not trying to say that things here are perfect because they are far from it, but there is beauty everywhere. I love going to bed at night listening to the wind stir up the branches on the nearby coconut and breadfruit trees. I love listening to them, rustling louder and faster until a storm comes in, carried by the westward wind. I love the calm after the storm. It is so still. The night becomes hotter and more humid as the rain evaporates until the slow sea breeze comes back and cools us off.

I love listening to the students who arrive early for school. They talk outside of our apartment window. They play and they sing. I love Chuukese singers. They have the most beautifully haunting voices. I do not have the words to describe them, but they are truly remarkable. Moreover I love how accepting they are of each other. In school I was always the most self conscience when it came to singing because my voice is not that pleasing, but these students, whenever we have a few extra minutes in class they always want to sing. And everyone sings! It is beautiful. No one can help but smile as they watch and share in their song.

I am Thankful for many things today especially Chuuk. But I am also thankful for everyone back home. The support I have been given through these past four months has been remarkable to say the least. I never feel alone and always feel loved, no matter what is happening here. While I am often saddened to think of Gracie walking or Gabi talking and how far away I am from all of that. I am not sad for long. I think of, and am thankful for, how much I am learning here, and how much I believe that will help their lives.

So while I may not be able to walk into Viafore’s and talk with David and Debbie as I eat my sandwich, I am still in a wonderful place and it is becoming a home. There are challenges but they are nothing more, or less, than learning experiences and opportunities to grow. So thank you all for your support and love. Because I am thankful for many things on this day and if you are reading this then you are one of those supports from home topping my thanksgiving list.

first game

So this is going to be very short, but I've been asked by a lot of people how the season is going. Our second game is tomorrow.

Our first game started very well. At half we were up by 12 in what wound up being a 33 point game. The kids were playing 'd' and responding to all of my instructions. Then came the fourth quarter and the game had tightened, as had my players sphinctors. We wound up committing 8 turnovers in the 4th quarter as giving up 12 points to their "best player" and losing by one. 34 - 33. I was less than thrilled with our utter meltdown in the 4th quarter. I also was less than thrilled by the sideline coaching that some of the parents were doing. We gave up 24 of the other teams 33 points to one player. When he shot, even from behind the 3-point arc, which he hit 5 of, his shot did not go any higher than 10'8" off of the ground. It was like a laser beam.

Our offense was stagnant at best and there was a lot of moaning and groaning. But we are developing a good sense of family and I think they will rally and continue to figure it out. I had to bench one of our best players for showboating in the game, which really hurt, and the island is not used to our style of defense so, by the end of the game, we had 4 of our 10 players with 4 fouls... That hurt. But we all mad emistakes, including me, but I did draw up a play with 2 seconds left in the 1st half that go us a layup and I felt like a real coach after that. I fully expect to win a lot this year, even though I feel like our talent is subpar on the island. But that is all for now and I'll try to write more later. Feel free to write a comment if you enjoyed or didn't. Just let me know that someone is reading this other than the fam! Toodles.

basketball

So, it is late here, close to midnight and my roommates are in their apartament fast asleep because they both have stuff to do tomorrow. But me, I am livin' large. We have had an absolutely ridiculous streak of power lately. There has been island power everynight since Tuesday (it is now Friday, almost Saturday) and the power is still on. I don't have anything to do tomorrow, so I figured why not stay up, write a blog and then maybe make some phone calls. It is a wild night here in Chuuk.
Well, although our season does not officially start until November 4 (that would be Nov. 3 for those of you back home in the States) the coach at Xavier is a JV and we decided to have a scrimmage. Naturally a couple stories came out of it.

First, a little background on Xavier, it is the premier high school in Micronesia. Kids from all over attend Xavier. They have students from all 4 states in the FSM, students from Palau, the Marshall Islands, probably Kiribati and I am sure more. The boys board at the school and the girls stay with host families. Their coach had been having two-a-days for a week and we had 3 practices in 3 weeks due to various cancellations. But lately we have been practicing consistently and I am relatively pleased with our progress. I have been teaching them a man-to-man defense. This is particularly difficult because everyone on the islands plays zone. A great example illustrating how hard this is to coach is that they did not know how to match up during the start of the game. So we came out and no one knew who they were guarding. It was my fault for not teaching them this, but it never occurred to me.

So Josh called me Wednesday night and told me he was taking his team down to play at Saramen (my school) on Thursday. This was perfect because we have use of the full gym on Thursday and we don't have to share with the girls' team. Well Xavier did not show up until 4 pm, which was stressful for me because my students walk home and after dark in Chuuk is not safe for them, as many teachers took the liberty of telling me what felt like several hundered times as we waited for Xavier. Josh and I decided to play two 10 minute halves stopping the clock at dead balls. We also decided that we - Josh and I - would call the fouls. Now my natural tendency is to let the kids play, I feel that it builds mental toughness, teaches them to play through the whistle and not rely on the refs. I think Josh and I differ on this view.

Warning: this next section contains basketball jargon please skip if you do not feel like reading that!

The brand of defense I have been trying to teach the kids is a physical and aggressive man-to-man style defense with a lot of help. I encourage them to play physically especially against cutters and screeners. Apparently this is a new concept on the island. But the kids have taken to it and are doing very well and learning very quickly.

After a few posessions the guys figured out who they were guarding and looked like a basketball team. Then the whistles started. Josh called a reach in foul and I rolled my eyes. Then, in the same possession, he called another and I bit my tongue. Then his "star" player drove into the lane, out of control, jumped not knowing what the hell he was going to do with the ball and threw it away. Josh called another foul here. I, as calmy as I could, told him that I felt that was an unfair call... I believe "chicken shit" was the phrase... and explained that I view basketball as a contact sport and I did not feel that my players breathing on his constituted a foul.
We jumped on them by about 12 points early on and Josh eased up on his whistle. The half ended and we had about a 4 or 6 point lead. I subbed out my starters and put in the 2nd group. I decided we should split the time between the players because it was only a scrimmage and everyone needed the experience. Josh did, during the intermission, explain that he thought we should call the game a little tighter several times.

The second half started and Xavier showed us their half court trap, which worked for a few possessions and tied up the game. But we continued to play solid defense and subpar offense and Josh continued to voice his opinion that we needed to call a tighter game. Like I said earlier, I did not call much of anything, either way, for the reasons stated above and also because I don't really worry about the refs. There is nothing I can do to change their call, and their word is the law, so unless I see something blatant I just assume we had a liberal ref.

Well the game was tight and getting down to the wire. I was a little competitive. One of my roommates asked me when the game was going to get over midplay and I snapped at her. I knew that she was alluding to the fact that our kids needed time to walk home while it was still light but I did not have to be hear all of that again. Xavier had offered to give them a ride up the road, so that solved the problem. So, poor Jesse caught my short side. Shortly after this incident Josh expressed that he thought we should call the game tighter and I, as calmy and tranquilly as possible, explained that if he took his pacifier out and his whistle out of a certain orophus (spelling?) he could call whatever he wanted. This little quip warranted several comments from teachers and students the next day at school, apparently I was excited. I like to use the word passionate.
Well, regulation ended in a tie. I put my starters back in and we decided to play a 5 minute over time. We both scored a few times and the game ended 28-28. Josh and I decided to call it at that.

, I was happy with the game. We have not even put in an offense yet, but our defense looked very good. I like to think of it like the kind of defense that Lincoln High School ran when coach Kelly was there. It is that physical brand of basketball. Though we are young, they are coming around.

Now I would like to add another disclaimer: Josh I am sure would argue that we are hackers who grabbed and pushed his kids at every chance we got. Just know that because I am the one writing this, the story is biased.
After that I went home and caught a ride up to my new host family's house. We had dinner and I recieved a Chuukese lesson. We talked for a few hours, then I went to bed and slept like a baby. It was a very good day, but I did feel stressed.

I have only been on the island for two months and I am the new guy. I like being the new guy because I get some room to make mistakes and such. But it can also be frusterating at times, like when 800 people tell me that the kids need to get home before dark. Or, for instance, after the game was over I had three people tell me 6 times in the span of maybe two minutes that we needed to get everyone out of the gym and lock up. Then they continued to remind me even after I said that I would take care of it and started collecting the balls and herding the kids out. Going to the host family's was the most welcome of breaks.

My host family is the secretary at Saram. Her, her husband, and son have taken me in and have been so wonderful. They always feed me and are giving me Chuukese lessons. This is absolutely clutch because the girls (Jesse and Caitlin) decided that this year they did not think that our community as a whole should have a Chuukese tutor like they did last year. So we were all on our own. This was a little difficult for me because I had only been here two months and didn't know enough people, or know them well enough, to feel comfortable asking them to help me with the language. But the host family has been awesome. I really feel like I am making progress.

OK, that's enough for now. Thanks for reading and I'll try to write more soon.

pictures up

so i am uploading some pictures to www.snapfish.com.  username = mmille14@gonzaga.edu password = mm7841.

hopefully they will go up and you all can enjoy, please don't steal them though (that one goes out to the JVI office, in particular).

Camping, deafness, and basketball

I have a lot to talk about in this blog.  For starters, I have gone through three days of basketball cuts and we officially have a team.  I originally kept 16, but 3 are ineligible because of grades and I suspect that we will lose more after 1st quarter grades come out.  Tryouts were fun.  I recruited a Peace Corps volunteer to help out and he was a God-send.  Although he had never played basketball before it was great having another pair of eyes there and someone to help break up the group of 40 kids.  

Island basketball is different from any type I have ever played or coached before.  On other teams around here, if you are too tired or don't feel like doing a drill, you just don't.  Needless to say that did not fly with me and I had to try my hardest to relax.  It was nice to know that it was tryouts and I could just cut most of the people who walked off.  I did explain that that sort of shit won't fly in practice, though.  So we will see how it goes on Monday.  We are sorely lacking in talent and I kept 4 freshman.  I probably could have kept more, but I figured I needed to give the upperclassmen a chance.  The freshman will have 3 more years to play. As for our limited skill, well I hope that they can understand the concept of man-to-man and help defense.  I am also going to put in some plays that push the ball of off any basket, but especially for made free throws, so that we can hopefully get lay-ups and capitalize on the lazyish brand of ball that is sometimes played here.  To bolster our fastbreak offense I am also going to put in a containment press that focuses on trapping and getting the other team to take quick, bad shots.  With that said, I do not know how realistic this whole plan is, but I will do my best.  Hey, at the very least I have some great offensive ideas from Coach Ruby!

So, moving on, last weekend we went up to Xavier and decided to go on a hike up to a mountain called Wenipong (pronounced Wett-ta-PONG).  Xavier originally planned on doing this 2 weekends ago, but I could not go.  So they postponed their trip which I appreciate so much.  We headed out at about 3.  The hike went through the jungle and past marijuana farms to a large field of tall grass, about 4' high.  The hike was a steady climb until we reached one part that was a hill.  But it was more than a hill, it was about a 15' high face that went straight up.  A little trail marked the path.  The trail was muddy and grass surrounded it on all sides.  It was a vertical incline and intimidating at first glance.  All of us made it up, but it was hard and I definitely almost fell several times.  

9 of us hiked up that day:  Myself, Jessie (one of my Roomates), Caitlin (the other roommate), Stephanie, Megan, Katie, Josh (Xavier JV's), Brian (Peace Corps at Xavier), and Matt an Australian volunteer at Xavier.  Everyone except Caitlin and Brian, so 7 of us, planned on staying the night.  The hike took us past old WWII caves dug by the Japanese and rusted artillery positioned on the top of the hill.  The old guns really amazed me.  They seemed like WWII howitzers.  As we walked by it, I caught myself wondering if grandpa Al or grandpa Less would have ever believed that I would be here.  Or even if they would believe that I would work here alongside Japanese volunteers (there is a girl named Fumina who teaches at Saramen Chuuk who is JOCV, which is basically the Japanese Peace Corps).  It amazes me how much can change so fast.

So we get to the top of the hill, or mountain, as the Chuukese would call it.  We found a place where there was relatively flat bedrock and set up camp.  Brian and Caitlin headed back for Xavier, about an hour and a half walk.  After we set up our mats and took some time to relax some people opened up the food and began to eat as Matt, Josh, and I started working on a small fire.  Well, it had rained the past few days and was very windy.  So keeping a mat lit and igniting the kindling proved more difficult than I originally thought.  Good thing we brought kerosene lanterns and toilet paper.  All of you who know me pretty well are probably already afraid when I mention that combination.  But everything went perfectly.  We dipped some TP in the kerosene and that turned out to be perfect kindling.  No forest fires or anything!

The fired burned for a couple hours as we stayed up and talked.  The wind blew hard, but it's Micronesia, you can't be cold here, right? Wrong.

For the first time since moving to Micronesia, I felt cold that night.  Really, really cold.

We did not bring blankets, only a couple sheets, nor did we pack tents... It's Micronesia damnit!  We live on an island paradise!

Well after I had fallen asleep for like 20 minutes I awoke to a strange sound and feeling.  It sounded like a thousand tiny children running on pieces of scrap metal.  And the feeling startled me.  It felt cold and wet and very unusual.  Well the rain had blown in.  Thank God it was sprinkling.  I can sleep through a little sprinkle anytime.  We all woke up and laughed a little, secured our bags, and went back to lay down.  But the rain did not stop until about midnight.  The wind kicked up.  Then the thunder and lightning hit.  I have never seen lightning like this.  It hit in the sky not far above us and it was bright.  It was not a bolt, nor a sheet.  It fell somewhere in between.  It did not seem friendly.  One of the girls, in-particular, did not like the lightning and she articulated this to all of us by making a lot of jokes and laughing, borderline, hysterically.  

I lamented that we did not have a 2-iron because not even God can hit a two iron.  Meanwhile the rain continued and even started to pick up.  At every crack of the thunder we all jumped, instinctively.  Although the lagoon surrounded us and we have a 360 degree view of the water and lagoon islands and all the beautiful things that come with Micronesia, it did not seem to matter.  It all drifted away, only to drift back again at sunrise.

So by 1 or 2 the rain died down.  I discarded the sheet, went to my bag and put on my sweatpants and a new tee-shirt.  I laid back down, closed my eyes, and heard the rain on the tin roofs again.  This time it sounded more violent, more angry.  It sounded like those rain sticks you find at the Natural Wonders store at the mall.  But not just one, it sounded like thousands being used at once.  Then all of a sudden the tropical Micronesian rains came down in full force.  We all realized that there was nothing we could do at this point.

Heading back was not an option, we would never find the trail at night, and plus trying to get down that vertical face seemed utterly ludicrous in this rain.  The hysterical laughter started again and we just began talking.  No one was going to get any sleep tonight.  Well almost no one, Jessie, my roommate and colleague at Sarramen Chuuk has narcolepsy.  I am sure that this has caused a lot of problems in her life, but tonight, in this situation, we all envied Jessie.  She slept like a log, occasionally turning to put her yoga mat on top of her instead of lying on it, to shield herself from the rain.  Jealousy filled us all until about 4, when the really hard stuff hit we heard, "Are you kidding me? I can't sleep through this!"  Not even Jessie Fullenkamp could sleep through our rainstorm.  And let me tell you, she has slept through a lot including but not limited to: a 28 hour boat ride on the open ocean on a deck with all sorts of livestock and no bathrooms, so the deck served that purpose.  She also fell asleep at her senior prom (before the disorder was diagnosed) standing up, while dancing.  She loves dancing! 

If the United States had an Olympic team for sleeping I had always considered myself a prime candidate until I met Jessie.  She would be captain, MVP, coach, and one-woman team.

With Jessie up we decided to fight back.  Shivering and chattering had become a brutal fact of life at this point.  T-t-t-t-t-alking be-be-be-be-be-came vvvvvvvvery sporadic and difficult; as did moving and thinking (something I have trouble with even before the rain and wind).  Waterlogged, we decided it would be best to spoon.  And now we run into language difficulties.

American and British are different languages.  British and Australian are different languages.  American and Australian are VERY different languages.  All of the Americans know spooning as a sleeping position.  It is front to back, where everyone faces the same way in, more or less, the fetal position.  We decided that this was the best way to conserve heat.

Matt, the Australian, seemed appalled.

Turns out, in Australia, spooning means anal sex, usually homosexual.  So after we assured Matt that there would be no sex on the mountain that morning, he agreed.  It worked better than I thought.  I refused to join the spooning session for a while.  Opting instead to lay on my own mat and just tough it out.  As the rain picked up and the chattering and shaking became worse I gave in.

It was warmer with everyone else and, given the circumstances, quite nice.  We continued joking around and I threw off my sheet.  The sheet was hopelessly waterlogged.  I would prop it on my knees and elbows a few feet above my head to shield myself from the rain.  But after the first rain, it no longer absorbed any water and basically turned into a faucet pouring all over me.  

As we all laid there, American spooning, I managed to catch about another 30 minutes of sleep.  I awoke to a beautiful sunrise over some islands in the lagoon and encouraged everyone to pack up and head back asap.  

As we walked back, we all talked and, as strange as it sounds, we decided that even if we had the choice to do it all over again, we would have stayed the night ill-equipped.  It helped us all to get to know each other so much better and even proved to be surprisingly fun.

Ok, so jump to the present and moving on.  I am currently experiencing a major hearing impairment in my left ear and it looks like I won't get it fixed until Monday or Tuesday.  My ear was hurting so I decided to q-tip.  I was really looking forward to q-tipping too.  It just sounded really satisfying to me.  And it was, until I clogged my ear canal.  Now I cannot hear anything out of my left ear and it is driving me officially crazy!

So I needed to throw in that last bit about the ear because of the title.  

I would like to remind everyone to email me at:

mmillerfsm08@gmail.com

I want to wish Mike happy birthday!  33 always has been my lucky number!

And I would like to ask any and all of you who are teachers to check at your school.  If they happen to be throwing away or getting rid of any book... ANY book, especially text books, please grab them and send them to SCA.  I will be glad to reimburse for any shipping costs.  It is driving me nuts not being able to give my kids books to take home!  Thanks everyone and I miss you all!

Siis and thoughts on the first few weeks

Ok so in the last post when I said I was going to the island of Fefen I lied.  I meant Siis.  They are right next to each other, so at least I was close.  I am trying to upload some of the pictures I took right now, so we will see if that goes through. 

Even though I have not put any pictures from Micronesia up yet, if you want to see my pictures when I do put them up, go to www.snapfish.com.  The user name is mmille14 and the password is mm7841.  It seems to be the best way to share pictures, mainly because its free and it uploads the fastest.

Ok, so back to Siis.  It was awesome.  We were barely there for 24 hours but it was very very fun.  We left Weno late on friday, close to 5 or 6.  It was about a 45 minute boat ride.  We rode right into a storm, so the ride took a little longer because the water was a little choppy.  So, Siis is an island in the lagoon, meaning that it is protected by the reef that protects all the islands in the lagoon.  Basically it is not open ocean.  The marine life and water is all the same but we don't exactly get waves here in the lagoon.

Pulling up to Siis we had to pull up the engine and push ourselves in because it was so shallow and there were a lot of plants growing under the water.  As we were approaching I looked down and saw, as the water splashed off of the outside of the boat, the phosphorescence lighting up on the surface.  This made me very happy and reminded me of the Puget Sound.  They did not light up as bright and are much more scarce, but it was still a little taste of home.  When we got there it was night and we ate dinner, talked with the family, then went to bed.  Oh, we also sang.  Turns out that everybody in Chuuk is a phenomenal singer.  I don't know how it happened but it did.  And apparently Saramen is famous around here for always having the best choir.  A rumor which I completely believe after hearing them sing at mass!  I want to try and record them and maybe make some cd's to sell in the States in order to raise money for the school.  If anyone has any ideas how to record them well, I am all ears.  I was actually thinking of emailing Uncle Johnny to see if he had any suggestions.

So the next day in Siis we walked around the island, that took all of 20 minutes.  Then we went to the sandy beach there and snorkeled around a coral reef out there.  The water was literally too warm at times, but if you go deeper it cools off.  After swimming we played some volleyball with the local kids some of whom were in the pack that walked with us around the island.  We returned to the house (more like a compound really because the whole extended family lives there too) and had lunch, then prepared to leave.  

While I did not get to go spearfishing this trip I heard a lot about it and it is definitely on the top of my list for of things I need to do while here.  They take a boat out and dive in with a spear and an underwater flashlight.  They basically spear tuna and other big fish but what sounds really fun is all the fish that you get to swim with (like stingrays).  Then they told me that sometimes the blood from the spearing attracts sharks and if a shark comes you just give them your fish.  While a little scary it sounds awesome.  I mean, if they can do it, I certainly can do it with them, I hope.

I finished my first week of school and although it was challenging and difficult I did enjoy it.  I just hope I do well!  I ams till waiting for our Vice Principal of Activities to return from Beijing (he is on the FSM Olympic committee so he is at the Olympics) we can open the gym and start basketball stuff, which I am most excited for.  I am really worried that they will not play man-to-man because literally all they play here, even in pickup games at the park, is zone.

Speaking pickup games at the park, I played in one.  The Micronesians loved it because the rim was lopsided so I hung on it to straighten it out.  That was an instant hit with the locals and after that they were much nicer to me.

As for our community, we are still in the polite phase, but we do get along pretty well.  There are some differences to be expected: since I am new I have a lot of energy and have all these ideas I want to help undertake (by 'all' I actually mean like 3 or 4)  but they often explain how that is not possible of insinuate that it would not be a good idea, for whatever reason.  I think they are a little disillusioned with the whole process here because life can get a little stagnant and we hang out with a lot of Peace Corps people who are better paid, get better scholarships after leaving, get better training, support, and live in more remote and seemingly more fun areas.  But the way I see it is that we have the opportunity to educate the future leaders of Chuuk and possibly Micronesia, so that is how we can contribute and change.  A disclaimer for this paragraph is that these are only my opinions and observations, that does not mean that they are accurate.

So I have been taking a few things in my own hands and I do not know if that is good or bad for the whole community thing.  For instance, we are supposed to have someone come about once a week to tutor us in Chuukese, but it does not seem that this is a high priority right now, so I am just going to find someone I can do that with personally.  That way I don't feel like I am stepping on their toes but I can also begin to learn the language... We'll se how this goes.

Also, a Navy ship called the MercyShip is here right now and it is quite the big deal.  The ship is basically a huge floating hospital.  It has a staff of 600 and can sleep 1200 patients.  They do all the work for free.  The only stipulation is that you get a TB test before you can board.  They administer the TB test for free at a local clinic.  It sounds like we might get to go and tour it soon.  However the bad news is that the people aboard the ship confirmed a rumor that had been going around the "coconut wire" (the local gossip) lately.  We already knew that there is a Hep A outbreak on the island, but now we have confirmed that the case of Multi-Drug Resistant TB that surfaced in Canada has been traced back to Chuuk.  So there is also apparently a TB outbreak here too.  We are all really excited about this.  But we are taking care of ourselves, and honestly, I am not that worried....

So a lot has been happening, but I will only tell one more story before I get off of here.  Last night I was sleeping in my apartment.  The girls live in the apartment upstairs so I get the whole downstairs to myself (the kitchen, dining room, and two other bedrooms are in the downstairs apartment) which is great because that is where we spend most of our time anyways.  But last night I heard something slam against the wall outside.  I assumed it was the neighbors and that maybe they had drank too much and were throwing beer cans up at our windows, which has been known to happen.  So I rolled over and tried to sleep.  Then I heard the screen on the window outside my room rattle.  I laid silently still for a moment and heard some more movement and some papers fall.  So I slowly and (hopefully) stealthily got up and walked out of my room until I was about to see the window where the noise was coming from.  I turned the corner, turned on my headlamp, and began to talk.  I was saying "hello", then I realized that there was someone on the ledge outside of the window.  As a side note, there is a cement ledge that goes around the outside of the entire second floor of the school.  So, startled, I yelled some profanities and ran at the window.  The person bolted and did not come back the rest of the night, but it did add a little adventure to my life.  After the adrenaline wore off I went back to bed.  It was, nonetheless, quite the experience.

Thanks for reading!

Shades of Chuuk

Here I am, about a week in and I am still sweating like a whore in church (pardon the expression). It is not overly hot, but the humidity is very difficult. I have had a lot of down time since there is just not a lot to do on the island (the nearest swimming beach that I know of is a good 6ish miles away, however snorkeling there is sweet). I have read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and am about 200 pages into HP and the Deathly Hollows. It is a little lame, I know, but I saw the teaser for the new movie and had to get caught up on the story line since there are no movie theaters here, but there are some on Pohnpei.

We went to Xavier last weekend for some phase II stuff and Xavier's campus stunned me. They had grass huts for kids from the different islands, a big field, newly painted buildings, etc. It even has a generator so that they don't need to rely on the extremely sketchy island power. Also, their toilets flush without having to dump a bucket of water in just the right place. However, you still shower out of a big rubbermaid bucket of water, so its not that adavenced.

And now we have appled for an USDA grant to get solar panels on the roof of Saramen, so that could mean that we will have a steady power source... how frightening is that?!?!

We have been cleaning and getting ready for classes which has been nice, but I am sick of lesson planning and seriously procratinating doing them anyways. I have done my first week and written out a tenative pace plan so I know where I want to be at the end of the year, but I am waiting for my first classes so that I can better judge where the kids are at and where we can realistically get. For instance I asked our principal, Wayne, how far I should get with the sophmores in World History class. He responded, "Well just start with the beginnings of humankind and get all the way to now, or at least through the cold war." Now Wayne is a great guy and we get along well, especially since there are only about 4 males employed at the school. But how am I supposed to get from the dawn of civilization to the cold war in 2 semesters. So, I'd say I have a pretty full plate in history. Not to mention the fact that I have only taken about 2 econ classes in my life and now I have to teach it... that should go well... But english, jr english skills to be exact, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on. I am going to have them do a portfolio throughout the year doing units on various forms of writing, so I at least feel like that should be decent.

Next weekend we are going to the island of Fefin, its about an hour boat ride and it is much more remote than Weno (pronounces Wetta or Wenna, the "n" in the original spelling makes a sound somewhere between an 'n' and a 't'). I am really excited to get out into the bush and see what the more remote islands are like.

Xavier is coming down for a community night tonight. I am looking forward to tonight not only because there is a male JV at Xavier and I went to orientation with 2 of the girl JV's up there, but also because there will be beer and frankly, I'd die for a beer right now. I am also hoping to get them all involved in several of my favorite passtimes, not the least of which will probably be pong or catchphrase. ok, well I hear lesson planning and Harry Potter calling me, I wonder which one I will answer???

phone # and thanks to john ruby

ok so the phone # here is: +011 691 330 6765..... if you use it do try and remember the time change, I have roommates.

and I dont have a lot of time but I want to say a huge thank you to John Ruby, who, after talking to mike at a golf tournament promptly emailed me some stellar zone offense ideas. Although I might also be mad at him because now if we lose I do not have the excuse that I had poor x's and o's versus a zone! So thanks a million coach!

Guam for a night

Well I am finally at the hotel in Guam. I was in an airplane for, all tolled, about 16 - 18 hours (i don't know exactly) plus layovers I have been travelling for about 25 hours. I think the smartest decision I ever made was not going to bed last night. I think my body is so confused that it has no idea what time it is and I might just be able to adjust to this big time change rather easily. Flying in was crazy, I did not realize how big the Pacific really is. There were points when, if I didn't know where the ocean was and where the sky was, I would not have been able to tell. Both up and down were blue and cloud swept. It was very pretty. They also did a good job in placing me on the plane. From Huston to Honolulu I sat behind a midget who felt the need to try and recline his seat all the way. Naturally I put my knees there so he couldn't, but I did let him recline a little. However about four hours in that tactical bastard got me. I was sleeping and I turned angling my knees towards the window - I was in the window seat. As soon as I turned he reclined that thing so that his head was on my lap, and in so doing damn near dislocated my knee cap. Needless to say I was not happy and everytime I saw him put a pillow behind his head or even make a motion that could, by some stretch of the imagination, be concieved as a sleep position I made sure to drill the back of his chair several times and at 3 or 5 or 10 minute intervals. Apparently I am really cranky when I don't sleep.

But I did manage to sleep on most of the plane rides, watch some movies and even read a little. Now the big decision is what to do about dinner.... Also, when packing last night I forgot to include a change of clothes for the flight tomorrow, so I get to enjoy my first several hours in the saune that I imagine Micronesia to be in August wearing sweatpants and a tee shirt... Sorry Mike but I forgot the Peninsula shirt in one of my big checked bags. I'll get a good sunset pic for you with it on though!

Allright, a quick word on Guam then I'll head back up to the room. Guam is gorgeous, but it is strange. The houses (at least the ones by the airport, so actually thi probably is not very accurate at all) seem very run down. However the people are so wonderful and gentle. The flora is also gorgeous and it is as humid a place a sI have ever experienced. THis makes me worried for Micronesia. Basically, I think the long and the short of it is that I am going to sweat a lot these next two years. Thank God I brought those two cpntainers of extra strength GoldBond. I just hope it lasts the whole year until mom and dad visit and can bring some more.

Ciao for now,
Matt

ADDRESSS!!!! USE IT!

the address for me in micronesia is 

P.O. Box 662

Chuuk, FM 96942

Federated States of Micronesia

USE IT!

also, it turns out that the bball team i will be coaching is going to be facing a lot of zone... almost exclusively zone d.  So i am trying to think of some zone offenses to run against it, and right now all i have is a 1-3-1 (or 1-4) high post low - post system and a baseline cutter system, so if any of you have any other ideas I would appreciate them.  Thanks!

So orientation is fully underway and it is going pretty well.  I thought this whole spirituality aspect might be weird for me but the way they are doing it is thoroughly refreshing.  I am really enjoying the Ignatian Examen sessions, it is a quick, and intense way to reflect on the day and get in touch with myself and God.  Which is nice.

There are a lot of speaker/informative/heavy sessions which sometimes get very hard for me to stay awake (especially right after lunch) but the speakers have been fantastic especially one named Carlos Mejia.  He was one of the best speakers I have ever seen.  He talked about being present to the community you are serving, and to anyone/everyone you are with.  He gave us some very simple techniques on how to center ourselves and do that and they really helped.  Then he moved into a talk about knowing ourselves which I was very nervous about, but the openness in this group put me at ease right away as well as his very loving and accepting style of teaching.  All in all this whole orientation this has been going very well, even if it seems long at times.  

I would also like to apologize to everyone about my blogging abilities. I guess after reading Dan Talevich's blog for so long, I feel like a 6 year old, and he is a PhD.  But I imagine that I will get better as time goes on.  Plus my best writing has always been descriptions of scenery and nature, and I am willing to bet I will be putting a lot of that on here when I get to the island.

I read about dad's case on Tribnet today and it seemed pretty complimentary.  That was a very positive and uplifting feeling going into dinner and reflection tonight.  I hope to talk to everyone a few times while I am still close to your time zones so, if you think that I do not have your number memorized, comment and leave your number and I'll give you a call sometime soon.  So, until next time peace and love.

Big-O (that's big orientation for those of you not JVI nerds)

Well, I got into Cleveland last night and it has been about 90 and pouring rain ever since.  We are currently experiencing thunder and lightning.  I will update more later.