The past week has seemed so long! The elementary school on the military base started a 4H/citizenship club, and invited students of the Ebeye elementary school to join. I found out right before the 2nd meeting that I was supposed to be a leader for this; so Monday after school, myself and another teacher brought 15 students on the boat over to Kwajalein, the military base. The school there had organized a Valentine’s Day party for our students (who obviously didn’t know much about valentine’s day). Everyone there was really nice. Fortunately, I think all my kids had a good time, so all’s well that ends well.
When I got off the boat back in ebeye at 7:30 or so, I was nervous because I assumed my van hadn’t waited for me to bring me back to Gugeegue (I was right), and I hate being in Ebeye after dark, especially alone (I’m sure it’s safe, I’m just intimidated by it). Fortunately, as I walked to the school I found my neighbor, Svoki, in Ebeye. Apparently she had come in for the closing ceremonies of Liberation week (liberation week had ended 2 weeks prior…. Island time). Though I was glad to have a ride and be amongst people I knew. The closing ceremony started an hour and a half late and didn’t end until 10:30 (with a ½ hour ride home), which made for a long day. I’ve quickly realized here that if you don’t get the necessary 8 hours of sleep, or don’t eat right (I was trying to eat school lunches for a while, but all I can eat of them and not get sick is the rice), you can immediately start to feel the sickness creeping in. With a long day to start the week and not having much time/choices in eating, I of course got strept for the second time since I’ve been here.
The rest of the week went on with the normal daily routines. Outside of school we have our weekly Gugeegue viewings of LOST on the channel. I’d always sworn against Harry Potter, but my need for reading has led me to book 5. The week had the normal school activities, lots of grading and preparing lessons, lots of yelling at my mischievous students. Wednesday, they were so bad and I was too sick to yell at them all day that I just had to send them home so I could spend the afternoon talking to the principal. However, when I told them to go home, they wouldn’t because they said their parents would beat them for skipping school- so I had to write notes saying I cancelled class and no one was in trouble (even though they were). Even then, some kids wouldn’t leave. One of my boys got in a fight, punching one girl in the stomach, and kicking another girl’s head into the wall. I’d love to tell you how my teaching is going, but I haven’t been able to do much of it with all the discipline problems. It got to the point where my class literally asked me to hit them so they will listen- I don’t think I’d ever been so confused. But it makes sense, if they get hit at home and hit at school, no other form of discipline I use will make any sense to them. After seeking advice, my current method is strike 1) name on board as a warning. Strike 2) Stay in for recess and after school detention. Strike 3) Go home with a letter to their parents to get signed. And of course it’s not that simple, because even dragging a student out of the class, they still won’t go home, so when they refuse, I have to now give their name to the police reporting them as a “disorderly student”. We’ll see how this method works….
Being here truly is lots of highs and lows, and while the discipline problems can be huge lows sometimes, the students also come with a lot of highs. While I don’t condone their distractions, I do find some highly entertaining and creative. Some students found Christmas ornaments that they unwrapped and realized were ping pong balls underneath. They put books on a table as a net, and use square pieces of wood as paddles and play ping pong.
All my students love to draw; I have a few wonderful artists and I wish somewhere here had resources for them to explore their talents. They are always drawing me pictures. One boy is so musically gifted. He’s always slapping himself with rhythms, or finding something to use as drums… I’ll have to get it on camera. They feel more than free to participate in class, unlike other classes who are maybe to scared or intimidated to. A lot of my students are really very smart. They are always checking their grades and retaking tests they missed, while others in the class couldn’t care less. The class has so many levels it’s hard to challenge everyone without leaving some behind. So while my class has constant discipline problems which cause me much grief, the highs of the classroom make it worth it.
The power went out on Friday, as it has done many times before, but Friday happened to be unbearably hot so with no AC, school got out early. I got back to Gugeegue and took our neighbors son (Sebastian) swimming, which made for a great start to the weekend. We spent most of Saturday and Andrea’s, who made us wonderful food (pasta sallad, waldorf salad, and homemade focachia bread….mmmm….). I went to church with Marci in Ebeye on Sunday to hear her speak (on the 5 mile walk home is when we found out about the tsunami warnings). Monday was a holiday (Nuclear Day- at least we got a holiday out of the US bombings!), so no school and some neighbors taught us how to make rice/pumpkin/coconut milk soup. While at home it will require some canned coconut milk, here it requires our neighbors husband climbing trees for coconuts.
Today was back to school! This weekend we are visiting another volunteer on an island in our atoll near another military base, so hopefully that goes well.
Hope all is well at home! Some days I wish I could trade my heat for snow… though not very many!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tsunami!...or lack there of...
Marci and I went to church this morning on Ebeye and on our long walk back to Gugeegue we were joined by our fellow volunteer Morgan who heard there was a tsunami warning. We couldnt help but laugh because we literally had the ocean 5 feet to our right, the lagoon 5 feet to our left, and nothing but road in front of and behind us (we were walking between islands). So if a tsunami were to come we were pretty much in the worst shape possible without even a tree to hold onto. For anyone who was worried, supposedly because of the continental shelf here or some other scientific reason, if a tsunami were ever to arrive here it would be broken up before hitting. There is no warning or evacuation protocol, there is nowhere to evacuate to when everything around you is water or flat land. There was no tsunami today, just some wind we are very greatful for to break up the hot weather! No worries here.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Ew, Lice!
Lice are extremely common here, and without making a constant effort not to get them, you are pretty much doomed. All the children sit around picking through each other's hair to find the little suckers. The people here all wear little pick combs in their hair, which aid in the constant de-licing process. While I thought the picking of the hair was for the purpose of de-licing, I realized otherwise today.
While trying to prepare my class for their Science test tomorrow, I saw one girl picking lice out of another girl's hair (normal). What I had not seen before is that the girl who was getting "de-liced" then picked up the lice, put it in her mouth, chewed it and spit it out. I really try to be culturally sensitive, but there was no way my face was hiding a look of disgust. After, a 3rd girl picked up a few lice, and brought them over to me trying to put them in my hair. I grabbed her quickly, wanting to keep my lice-free hair as it is. Assuming the girl was just trying to agitate me (she is a constant trouble maker), I didn't think much of it until I saw the girls putting lice in a boys hair. They then explained they want to keep lice in their hair to continue entertaining themselves with the process of picking them out- and that when they pick them out they like to crush them with their fingers, or in their mouth. My class can be great at times: kind, funny, and smart; but I would not say this is one of their best qualities, as I will continue to keep my head nowhere near theirs.
While trying to prepare my class for their Science test tomorrow, I saw one girl picking lice out of another girl's hair (normal). What I had not seen before is that the girl who was getting "de-liced" then picked up the lice, put it in her mouth, chewed it and spit it out. I really try to be culturally sensitive, but there was no way my face was hiding a look of disgust. After, a 3rd girl picked up a few lice, and brought them over to me trying to put them in my hair. I grabbed her quickly, wanting to keep my lice-free hair as it is. Assuming the girl was just trying to agitate me (she is a constant trouble maker), I didn't think much of it until I saw the girls putting lice in a boys hair. They then explained they want to keep lice in their hair to continue entertaining themselves with the process of picking them out- and that when they pick them out they like to crush them with their fingers, or in their mouth. My class can be great at times: kind, funny, and smart; but I would not say this is one of their best qualities, as I will continue to keep my head nowhere near theirs.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Photo Update
Stitch guarding the front door
Adriel and Grace live next door, their mom (Savoki) teaches at the high school. Adriel likes to sneak out of his house to come knock on our door. Some high school girls dyed his hair without Savoki knowing... hence the blonde. His hair has since been shaved and he is now bald.
This is in Gugeegue, there is always trash around everywhere. When people finish something, they throw it out the window, or there are just piles of trash around. Lots of vehicles are just left on the side of the road. It's hard because the only "dump" is in dumptown in Ebeye, which is just a matter of consolidating where they throw the trash- its still just in piles.
We finally got some rain. This is outside my classroom- apparently rain also means no school...
Dumptown in Ebeye, which also serves as the softball field.
We're usually pretty low on water, it's definitely not the rainy season!
The high school from our front door:
Around Gugeegue:
(lagoon side)
WW2 wreck
(Ocean side)
Adriel and Grace live next door, their mom (Savoki) teaches at the high school. Adriel likes to sneak out of his house to come knock on our door. Some high school girls dyed his hair without Savoki knowing... hence the blonde. His hair has since been shaved and he is now bald.
This is in Gugeegue, there is always trash around everywhere. When people finish something, they throw it out the window, or there are just piles of trash around. Lots of vehicles are just left on the side of the road. It's hard because the only "dump" is in dumptown in Ebeye, which is just a matter of consolidating where they throw the trash- its still just in piles.
We finally got some rain. This is outside my classroom- apparently rain also means no school...
Dumptown in Ebeye, which also serves as the softball field.
At school:
Some kids in Ebeye outside the hospital:
Savoki and Adriel at the end of a long Liberation Day:
Wine!
After starting to make wine almost a month ago, it was finally ready to bottle 2 nights ago! Morgan and I helped Terry bottle it. Afterwards, we all (Morgan, Andrea, Terry, their son Sebastian and I) went out to the hut on the water to see if our wine making skills were any good. The wine actually tasted great, and there are now 30 bottles to last us until the next batch is ready!
Terry with the first bottle:
Morgan and I bottling:
Watching the sunset
Sebastian Attacks
Andrea and Terry
Sebastian
Terry with the first bottle:
Morgan and I bottling:
Watching the sunset
Sebastian Attacks
Andrea and Terry
Sebastian
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Liberation Day and lots of happenings
The past few weeks have been full of lots of events. A fellow volunteer had a quick hospital stay, which introduced us to the country's healthcare system. For $17 a day for a non-citizen, the hospital will cover whatever needs to be done- x-rays, surgery, they will send you to the capital or Hawaii for anything they can't do. While the limited expense is amazing, the comfort and resources are certainly not the same, as you have to bring your own bedding and rooms are shared between 5 and most have guests spending the night.
I had strep throat or something like it, and finally went to the hospital for antibiotics last week. My doctor's visit did not include taking my temperature or looking at my throat; so how they knew I had strep other than me asking, I have no idea. Healthcare here is certainly different, though it has its benefits.
Morgan and I went one Sunday to the Kwajelein military base, which requires a ride from Ebeye to Gugeegue and then a quick ferry ride over. To go to the base, you have to have a sponsor which Morgan already had from past months. The base was like a little bubble of America- Burger King, Subway, a cleared beach that you could actually wear a bathing suit on. We went just for the afternoon to do laundry, take hot showers, and make calls etc., but for being so close to us it certainly is a whole other world. Our sponsor was nice enough to make us up some salad goods to bring home, as fresh fruits and vegetables are really hard to find here (the base gets shipments often but only workers on the base can buy them). The day was relaxing except that when we got back to Ebeye, our ride didn't show so we had to wait in dumptown to hitch one... it started raining and we had all our clean laundry with us- it took 2 hours to find a ride!
School is going well. My students have found it entertaining that I occassionally show up at their houses now when they don't come to school. Making house visits has also showed me a new side of Ebeye, the living conditions, and family life. It has also made me realize that there are many absences that occur because the parents keep the students from going to school. One mother told me as I showed up at her house to get her son that the boy was "lazy" and not good enough for school. Shocked, I explained he is great at school and very smart.... when he shows up. As hannah montana, jonas brothers, and high school musical have hit it big here, my students have been beside themselves with a rumor circulation around Ebeye that Troy (Zac Efron) has died. They continually make me check the internet to reassure them that he is well and alive.
Around Gugeegue the water levels have gone down and some beautiful beaches have appeared. We had a tv in our apartment with a dvd player, and our neighbor just got an antenna. After thinking we broke the tv trying to hook it up to the antenna, we finally got it up and working and now have 6 tv stations from the military base. They arent any exact channels from back home just a mish mosh of news and random shows. It's nice to keep up though.
This week we had Liberation Day, which celebrates Kwajalein atoll's liberation from the Japanese by America. Each atoll has a different liberation day. The holiday is mainly focused around the schools. Wednesday we had "field day" which was a running competition between all the schools at the beach in Ebeye (there was supposed to be tug of war, muscial chairs etc. but it didnt happen). Of course, this one day took lots of preparation, so last Friday had no classes for practice (practice took 1 hour), Monday was a half day (so the one runner that was decided from each grade could practice for 10 minutes), Tuesday was no school, Wednesday was no school and was a parade of all the schools followed by the real competition for field day. No one from my class qualified to run at field day, so very few showed.
All the elementary students in green waiting for the parade to start with our float:
A few of my 5th graders:
There was also a Liberation Day 6 mile race from Guegeegue (the island I live on) to Ebeye. My roommate Morgan had been training for it, and when I found out you got paid $10 or so just for partipating, I decided I might as well walk it. About 50 or so men participated and maybe 15 women. While I hate to run and can't remember the last time I did, my competitive nature took over and my "walk" turned into a run and I placed 3rd for the women, winning $100! Morgan placed first and won $200, so we both came home happy.
Morgan and I at home after the race:
Today is Thursday, the day after Liberation Day and we were supposed to have school. I arrived at 8:00 and by 8:30 I only had 3 students. According the principal, a private school had announced no school, and all the children took it as a general no school announcement. By 9:00 we sent the few kids who showed in all grades home (though mine stayed to play games) and cancelled school. I was excited to go home early and was really sore still, but then I found a teacher meeting was scheduled for 1pm, despite school being over by 9. After 2 and a half hours of waiting around, I found out the meeting was cancelled. Though I've gotten used to it, the lack of communication and efficiency here can still be frustrating. I did finally make it home by 1, which is making for a nice afternoon.
Morgan and I have been helping our neighbors, Andrea and Terry (they have a 3 year old son, Sebastian) make wine over the past few weeks and today is finally the bottling day, so if all goes well we'll be drinking some tonight!
I had strep throat or something like it, and finally went to the hospital for antibiotics last week. My doctor's visit did not include taking my temperature or looking at my throat; so how they knew I had strep other than me asking, I have no idea. Healthcare here is certainly different, though it has its benefits.
Morgan and I went one Sunday to the Kwajelein military base, which requires a ride from Ebeye to Gugeegue and then a quick ferry ride over. To go to the base, you have to have a sponsor which Morgan already had from past months. The base was like a little bubble of America- Burger King, Subway, a cleared beach that you could actually wear a bathing suit on. We went just for the afternoon to do laundry, take hot showers, and make calls etc., but for being so close to us it certainly is a whole other world. Our sponsor was nice enough to make us up some salad goods to bring home, as fresh fruits and vegetables are really hard to find here (the base gets shipments often but only workers on the base can buy them). The day was relaxing except that when we got back to Ebeye, our ride didn't show so we had to wait in dumptown to hitch one... it started raining and we had all our clean laundry with us- it took 2 hours to find a ride!
School is going well. My students have found it entertaining that I occassionally show up at their houses now when they don't come to school. Making house visits has also showed me a new side of Ebeye, the living conditions, and family life. It has also made me realize that there are many absences that occur because the parents keep the students from going to school. One mother told me as I showed up at her house to get her son that the boy was "lazy" and not good enough for school. Shocked, I explained he is great at school and very smart.... when he shows up. As hannah montana, jonas brothers, and high school musical have hit it big here, my students have been beside themselves with a rumor circulation around Ebeye that Troy (Zac Efron) has died. They continually make me check the internet to reassure them that he is well and alive.
Around Gugeegue the water levels have gone down and some beautiful beaches have appeared. We had a tv in our apartment with a dvd player, and our neighbor just got an antenna. After thinking we broke the tv trying to hook it up to the antenna, we finally got it up and working and now have 6 tv stations from the military base. They arent any exact channels from back home just a mish mosh of news and random shows. It's nice to keep up though.
This week we had Liberation Day, which celebrates Kwajalein atoll's liberation from the Japanese by America. Each atoll has a different liberation day. The holiday is mainly focused around the schools. Wednesday we had "field day" which was a running competition between all the schools at the beach in Ebeye (there was supposed to be tug of war, muscial chairs etc. but it didnt happen). Of course, this one day took lots of preparation, so last Friday had no classes for practice (practice took 1 hour), Monday was a half day (so the one runner that was decided from each grade could practice for 10 minutes), Tuesday was no school, Wednesday was no school and was a parade of all the schools followed by the real competition for field day. No one from my class qualified to run at field day, so very few showed.
All the elementary students in green waiting for the parade to start with our float:
A few of my 5th graders:
There was also a Liberation Day 6 mile race from Guegeegue (the island I live on) to Ebeye. My roommate Morgan had been training for it, and when I found out you got paid $10 or so just for partipating, I decided I might as well walk it. About 50 or so men participated and maybe 15 women. While I hate to run and can't remember the last time I did, my competitive nature took over and my "walk" turned into a run and I placed 3rd for the women, winning $100! Morgan placed first and won $200, so we both came home happy.
Morgan and I at home after the race:
Today is Thursday, the day after Liberation Day and we were supposed to have school. I arrived at 8:00 and by 8:30 I only had 3 students. According the principal, a private school had announced no school, and all the children took it as a general no school announcement. By 9:00 we sent the few kids who showed in all grades home (though mine stayed to play games) and cancelled school. I was excited to go home early and was really sore still, but then I found a teacher meeting was scheduled for 1pm, despite school being over by 9. After 2 and a half hours of waiting around, I found out the meeting was cancelled. Though I've gotten used to it, the lack of communication and efficiency here can still be frustrating. I did finally make it home by 1, which is making for a nice afternoon.
Morgan and I have been helping our neighbors, Andrea and Terry (they have a 3 year old son, Sebastian) make wine over the past few weeks and today is finally the bottling day, so if all goes well we'll be drinking some tonight!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Paradise Found
Sorry for the long pause in writing, the internet is not dependable and can be out for days at a time, as well as occassionally the phone lines.
A couple weekends ago, some volunteers at the Seventh Day adventist school in Ebeye invited my roommate Morgan and I to join them to go to Pikej, an island that is two past Gugeegue, and can only be arrived at by boat (they had arranged a boat ride). I was certainly glad we joined them! The island was the quintissential paradise, and everything I had been missing. White sand beaches, palm trees, turquoise waters. It looked like one of the "relax"posters or a screensaver. Only one family lives on the island, and while we were there, three of us managed to walk a ways down the beach where we happened upon that family, who invited us to join them to have some coconut milk (a taste I have still not become accustomed to). After a short visit, we walked back through the island paths back to the beach. We spent the day snorkeling (I later found out this island is even more prominent for sharks than others, so I am very thankful I didn't see any) and running into some "yachties" as they are called (people sailing through the Marshall Islands) and a few people from the base who were on Pikej for the day as well. The guys managed to catch quite a few good sized fish that we cooked right up, and we returned to Gugeegue ready to start the week.
Pictures for all my blogs to come later.... when I have fast internet which may be never
A couple weekends ago, some volunteers at the Seventh Day adventist school in Ebeye invited my roommate Morgan and I to join them to go to Pikej, an island that is two past Gugeegue, and can only be arrived at by boat (they had arranged a boat ride). I was certainly glad we joined them! The island was the quintissential paradise, and everything I had been missing. White sand beaches, palm trees, turquoise waters. It looked like one of the "relax"posters or a screensaver. Only one family lives on the island, and while we were there, three of us managed to walk a ways down the beach where we happened upon that family, who invited us to join them to have some coconut milk (a taste I have still not become accustomed to). After a short visit, we walked back through the island paths back to the beach. We spent the day snorkeling (I later found out this island is even more prominent for sharks than others, so I am very thankful I didn't see any) and running into some "yachties" as they are called (people sailing through the Marshall Islands) and a few people from the base who were on Pikej for the day as well. The guys managed to catch quite a few good sized fish that we cooked right up, and we returned to Gugeegue ready to start the week.
Pictures for all my blogs to come later.... when I have fast internet which may be never
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