The Christmas Parade and Christmas

A week ago Saturday we spent the morning in town, shopping at a farmer’s market and running errands, and started on our way home. We were about two thirds of the way when we saw police lights and slow vehicles. We realized something was going on and then spied a pick-up truck that was all decorated and full of teenagers, many whom are my students. There were a few cars in the line-up but it was apparent that this pick-up was the main attraction. After we passed them we decided to pull over and see what the fuss was about. We pulled into a grassy area where a bus was parked. Out of nowhere some fifty kids came running and squealing with their bags in tow. They knew the truck was coming and they were ready. As the pick-up passed, the teens threw handfuls of hard candy at the kids on the street. Some they didn’t even take out of the bag – just threw the bag! The kids scrambled, grabbing as much candy as they could get their hands on. We got back in our car and now we were behind the entourage again, driving at about 5 mph. But it was entertaining because it didn’t matter who was on the road – one person or a dozen, young or old – the candy was hurled. And if you looked like a worker they threw bottled water at you! Eventually we were allowed to pass again so we hurried to the house and stood outside for our turn. Because I know several of them we were showered with more than our fair share. We called the kids who were across the street to collect the loot! Below are the pictures.

Today is Christmas. Nate is here and that makes us very happy. We got up and exchanged gifts; it was a little weird not having a tree and it being 80 degrees outside. We had a slow morning and got ready to go to church around noon. We were told that all sorts of groups from the outer islands would come to Majuro and go from church to church performing all day long and we were excited to see them. We had a taste of the dancing a few weeks ago when the juniors performed a biit dance for the school’s holiday show and loved it. So off we went, passing church after church and not hearing the whistling that goes with the biit dancing. At that point we decided to show Nate one end of the island he had yet to see and by the time we came back Willard was hungry. I was surprised to find anything open but there was a Chinese restaurant that is run by the family of one of my students that was open for business and so we had a nice lunch. Then back to find a church. There were a ton of kids in groups with different colored shirts outside of one of the Assembly of God churches so we decided that was the one. It turns out it was an hour and a half of Sunday School Program and then there was some dancing. Unfortunately it was never as good as the dance my students performed. Nate was patient but told us not to “stick around on account of me.” After three hours we decided we’d try again next year. When we passed some of the churches we’d checked out at noon we saw a lot of activity and heard the whistles. Next year we will stay home until 4:00 or 5:00 and then head out. Live and Learn!

Merry Christmas to all of you – Love, Becky

Racing for the candy!

 

This is right outside our house - they're almost here!





Here we are in the Chinese restaurant in front of a fake banana tree. I am wearing a wut that was a gift from a student and her family





The Catholic church decorated these trees by covering them with aluminum foil

The Internet Revisited



One of my favorite signs here in Majuro

 

When my last blog ended (11-18-11) I was waiting for the local phone company (National Telecommunications Authority or NTA, also known as No Talking Allowed) to hook up our internet. Well Saturday came and went with no sign or call from NTA. Monday I called NTA and was told they did not have any paper work for my installation and referred me to another person. That person told me that my paperwork was with the installer and he was out on his jobs. So I waited all day Monday and Tuesday with no results. Wednesday I drove to the main office of NTA and spoke with a counter person who made a series of phone calls and then told me that the installer was waiting for his boss to return from lunch and then he would be coming to our house. So I drove home and waited all afternoon in vain. Thursday came and went and Friday morning I called again and was told the installer would be out that day. I waited until about 3:00 PM and then left the house to pick-up Becky. About 4:00 I got a call that the installer was at the house. I left Becky in town and drove home like a madman (at a steady 25 MPH in Friday afternoon rush hour). The installer had already hooked up the house and was waiting to plug in the DSL inside the house. Once we were set up in the house the installer discovered that the line was not switched on at the junction box but it was locked and he didn’t have the key. So he said he would be back in the morning.  Saturday morning I was worried that NTA would do another no show but our installer returned about 9:00 and after having waited for eight weeks we had the internet.



Our quality DSL instilation

On a lighter note the men at Coop have been growing their moustaches for the month of November and I joined them to see what it would look like. So now after a month I am sporting a furry upper lip. There is a bit of uncertainty as to whether I should keep the “stash” or go back to the clean cut look. So I’m looking for input from my friends. Take a look and tell me what you think.



The Movember stash, yes or no?



It is strange to hear Christmas music in the stores and see decorations hanging around the town. But, I guess I’m not used to the lack of change in the weather to signal the seasons. The temperature has stayed in the low eighties and the rain has not seemed to increase. We still snorkel out our back door and enjoy the warm evenings on the back porch.

Have a great Christmas season.

Willard

Hard Times Bust a Chump and Alfred

Yes, we have watched O Brother Where Art Thou?  recently but that is not the subject of my blog. Last weekend we ended up at several events ( I have yet to be bored here!). We started off at the local art show on Friday afternoon. There were all kinds and qualities of local art on display and for sale. Since my name showed up on the poster at the last minute, I submitted a few pieces myself! Anyway, there were a couple of vases that looked really interesting. I was introduced to the woman who was selling the pieces. I asked her how she made them and she had quite the story. She told me she used a mold and paper mache and then crushed shells and adhered them to the paper mache. She then put the pieces in the kiln where the shells melted together. There were some parts of her story that didn’t quite sound right to me but I was really excited about learning the process and tried to talk her into a workshop. And of course I bought the vase. We only had a little time to enjoy the show because we had other places to be.

From there I joined the March Against Domestic Violence. This was put on by a group called W.U.T.M.I. (Women United Together in the Marshall Islands). Last year a woman was killed by her husband while the police were right outside her house playing cards. Evidently she said something about his mother and that was that. Anyway, for being a peaceful people, domestic violence in the home is an issue here and the W.U.T.M.I. group is addressing it. We marched for about a mile down the two lane road during “rush hour.” Students led the march with a large banner and adults from all sorts of nationalities joined the walk, complete with police escort. Before I knew it there were Americans who were breaking out in “How Many Roads Must a Man Walk Down,” “Give Peace a Chance,” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” The Marshallese looked at them like they’d lost their minds, it was hilarious! Meanwhile, we passed a female wearing a police shirt, long pants, and flip-flops directing traffic. Like I said, it continues to be quite interesting here!

We finished the march just in time to go to a graduation for first-year students at the University of the Pacific. I thought it important to go since we’d been invited and saw it as an opportunity to scope out and take notes at a graduation since I will be helping to direct one in a few months. We sat down in the back, thinking we’d sneak out early and go back to the art show where there was going to be live music, food and drinks. The woman in charge spotted us right away however, and ushered us to the front. We then sat through a two hour ceremony, much of which was in Marshallese. There was one point where the students were all directed to stand and sing “Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory Glory.” They looked miserable! For those of you unfamiliar with the song, it is something that primary children sing in Sunday School. It has lyrics that include Noah’s Arky Arky made of Barky Barky and so on. There are about ten verses. I looked around so see the reaction of the audience – everyone had a look of bemusement. We knew they were going to serve food at the end because it was all sitting on the tables waiting for us and it smelled delicious. But when the woman in charge decided there would be a receiving line for the students – for staff, then parents, then grandparents – we decided it wasn’t worth the wait and that we’d fly. I looked for a time when my host was busy and we made a bee-line – only to find she had chased us down and beckoned us back. We had to stay and eat! I am glad we did because they were all homemade dishes made by the parents of the grads. There was smoked octopus, curry, lobster, and on and on. It was delicious!

We did finally make it back to the art show about 9:45. It was winding down but there was some fun live jazz to hear and I wanted to grab the vase I’d bought earlier. That was when someone noticed there was a sticker on the bottom that read “made in Indonesia.” It seems the “artist” is hard up for cash and I became the chump. It turns out my new treasure could have been purchased at T.J. Max for $10. Oh well….

On Sunday we attended our church service. Willard had been “asked” (see previous blogs to understand being “asked” in this culture) to give part of the Thanksgiving message and he did a great job. Afterwards there was a potluck and, like the last one, the food disappeared at an alarming rate. We then went from church to the one grocery store that is open on Sunday and drove home with a trunk full of groceries. We were home five minutes when I heard a greeting yelled from our deck. One of Willard’s ten year old acquaintances had come to visit. Alfred doesn’t speak much English but he likes Mischief and was hopeful Willard would play with him. Plus he’s hoping for food. I told him he could play with the dog and went inside to put away groceries and make pies to take to work. I turned around to find Alfred had followed me in. I didn’t really know what to do but he was suddenly interested in everything. He probably didn’t know a house could have that much food in it. Rolling pie dough was fascinating to him and he wanted to help. I taught him to use a can opener and let him beat the pumpkin filling with the electric mixer. Later Willard showed him an addition program on the computer. It was the first time he had been on a computer and he was adding 3 + 2 on his fingers. He seems bright, just uneducated. There is a striking difference between my school and the public system here. Our fourth graders are multiplying and dividing. Anyway, we entertained him for an afternoon until he suddenly realized he would be expected to attend evening church with his family. I expect we’ll be seeing more of Alfred in the future.

It seems odd to be in 80 degree weather and hear Christmas music in the stores. Our school actually sells Christmas trees to businesses that come from the Pacific Northwest! I’d buy one but we have no stand, no decorations, and really no room! But I am excited to celebrate with the people here. I’ll tell you all about it later!

Take care, much love, Becky

The W.U.T.M.I. March - everyone got a t-shirt (courtesy of a grant)!

Willard giving his Thanksgiving address - they honor the speakers with these beautiful leis

Alfred (far right) and his buddies. They showed up this morning at 7:30 knocking on our door. We didn't let them in until 8:30 when we all watched the Muppet Christmas Carol together.

I showed Alfred how to use the camera - here is a picture he took of his friends.

The Kemmen

The two biggest celebrations for the traditional Marshallese are the first birthday (keemen) and the funeral. The keemen stems from the days of high infant mortality. When a baby reached the one year mark there was huge reason to celebrate. The baby could be named and relatives were thanked for assisting in the health and well-being of the child. The event is still cause for major joy and celebration today.  The parents honor their guests by giving gifts to those attending the party. In return the guests give the baby gifts, generally a dollar as the baby sits on a traditional mat with the parents. As an interesting side note, one teacher told us that if the keemen is held in the family’s home, it is fair game to take whatever you want! This last week we were invited to a keemen as part of the school staff. It was more elaborate than a lot of wedding receptions we’ve been to over the years! The hotel room was decorated, the food and drink were abundant and there was entertainment. First a live band, then a group of boys who did a hip-hop sort of dance, and finally the traditional Polynesian girl dancers. The parents are obviously more well off than most Marshallese, but it amazed me that we were attending an elaborate party and feast where we couldn’t eat all we were given in a developing country! The pictures are below (I know that’s what you really want!).

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Think of me if you go Black Friday Shopping the next day! We actually have a Thanksgiving lunch at school with turkey, stuffing and potatoes! We work on Thanksgiving because it isn’t a real holiday here but we do have Friday off.  I am hoping to find all of the ingredients here for pumpkin pie because that’s my favorite part of the feast!

Take care, Love, Becky



Te'a Lilly - this is who all the fuss is about



Up-date 11-18-11

Last week I spent Monday and Tuesday filling in for the P.E. teacher at the School. In the morning monitored recess and ran calisthenics   for the middle school kids before turning them loose to play volleyball and basketball. In the afternoon I led P.E. classes for the different primary classes (kindergarten through 6^th grade). All the classes were outside in the sun unless it was raining. By the end of each day I was ringing wet with perspiration, slightly sunburned and exhausted. I always thought being a P.E. teacher was a easy job but not anymore and I apologize to every P.E. teacher I ever had.

After working so hard on Monday and Tuesday I had to rest up on Wednesday and Thursday (and catch up on my house work). I also tried to find out what was going on with our Internet instillation. When we first got to Majuro we didn’t think that we needed Internet at the house because we had access at the school. But then our neighbor got Internet at his house and we were able to use his WiFi (with his permission). We found that we really liked having it. But our neighbor moved out at the end of September so I went down to the local telephone company on October 3 and paid my $69 for instillation of DSL at 256 speed for our house. The girl at the counter said that instillation would probably be the following week but they would call before coming out. So we waited two weeks and when nobody called or showed up at the house I went back to the phone company. The counter girl checked on my instillation and she was told that billing had not finished with the paperwork and they would be out the following week. So we waited another week, and you probably guessed they didn’t show up. Now it’s been over a month and I’m starting to lose my sense of humor over the whole thing. So I call again and this time they tell me that they will be out on Friday.

Now Friday I had been invited to a Remembrance Day (Veterans Day) observance at the Australian Navy Compound and planned to attend but if the phone company called I planned to fly home as we only live about ten minutes away. Anyway, I went to the ceremony which was very nice with about a half dozen Australian Veterans and a dozen U.S. Veterans in attendance.  While standing at attention for the three national anthems (U.S., Australian, and Marshallese) we were looking across the lagoon and I could almost feel  those American Marines crossing the reefs here in the South Pacific. After the ceremony there was a very nice catered lunch. The ceremony started at 10:45 and I was on my way home by 1:00 PM so I wouldn’t miss our internet instillation. I called the phone company and they said they would be out in about half an hour. I waited over on hour and then got a call from the phone guy who said they had run into a problem and would not be able to make it but would be out on Saturday. I told them great because I knew Becky would be home all day.

Saturday was the monthly fishing tournament and I was at Ronnie’s boat at 6:00 am. This month’s tournament was for biggest Marlin. We caught Wahoo all day. We had seven Wahoo, the smallest weighed in at 14 pounds and the largest at 35 pounds. We also caught two Barracudas weighing in a 14 and 34 pounds respectively. About 2:00 PM we hooked into a big Marlin that we fought for 40 minutes and had it right up to the boat before it got off. I was really disappointed because it looked like it was between 300 and 400 pounds. It had done everything possible to get off the line, including a beautiful tail walk, and we had just gotten it up to the boat and were preparing to gaff it when it surged forward and spit the hook. When we got back to the dock it turned out that none of the eight boats had caught a Marlin so the tournament is continued to next month. We cleaned the Wahoo and Ronnie sold 100 pounds to a local restaurant and the crew each took home a nice roast. When I got home I was not surprised to find out the phone company had not shown up.

I contacted the phone company on Monday and they didn’t know why no one had been there but scheduled me for first thing Thursday morning (they only do installs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). Thursday came and went and this morning I called again. I was told they were having some problems and said they would be out on Saturday. So I’ll wait and see what happens tomorrow. But the house is clean and I’ve got a good book and a new X-Box game so I’ll just have to wait it out. Life’s tough when you’re a Cabana Boy!

Dropping Like Flies

This story actually begins the same day as my last blog, the one about the church potluck. That evening Willard takes ill. At first he thinks he ate something he shouldn’t have, but then he succumbs to horrible chills and fever. We have no blankets or warm clothing here because we thought we wouldn’t need them in a constant 80 degree climate. So I hug him all night long, trying to warm him up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so sick. Meanwhile I don’t feel great either. I have a low-grade fever and I am waiting for my turn to go down. I go to work, worried about Willard, and trying to get as much done as I can so I don’t drop too many balls when it becomes my turn to take ill. My condition doesn’t really worsen, not to the point of sick-leave, but when I get home, Willard looks worse. His eyes are bloodshot and he still has a severe headache and a fever. He’s taking ibuprofen by the handful.

At work the next day we find out there is a mandatory assembly. The hospital is coming to talk to the student body about dengue fever because they have a confirmed case on the island. You get the disease from a mosquito that has bitten another person with dengue. They tell us to get rid of all standing water, whether it is in a planter, an empty container, whatever. They’re talking to people who live on an island with puddles everywhere! Symptoms? High fever, bloodshot eyes, rash, and on and on. It goes on for about three weeks. How to treat? Tylenol and lots of fluids – and NEVER take ibuprofen!

Needless to say, I am immediately off to the store to buy Tylenol and Gatorade in a rainbow of flavors. I make the 40 minute drive, praying all the way and kicking myself for going to work. When I get there, Willard is upright, eating, and his eyes are clear. He still has a fever but he looks like he is going to live and there is no rash so I don’t think he has dengue. The bloodshot eyes were probably from too much ibuprofen. About Friday we both feel better and think we have had some sort of flu, he on a much worse level than me.

By this time however, the folks at work have started to fall. First is our fifth grade teacher, Krista, who takes ill on Thursday. They take her to the hospital for blood-work; she doesn’t have dengue – she has the Willard Flu. Our office manager, James, steps up and covers her class. On Monday Kathy and I step into the office to find our health teacher, Katie, sitting in the chair with an obviously high fever. Kathy takes it, it’s 103. The kindergarten teacher is awesome and she works to nurse Katie. I call Willard and he drives in to cover her classes: Pacific Studies, Medieval Civilization, Health, and Geometry. We take her to the hospital for blood-work – she HAS dengue. There are now 70 confirmed cases, including three of our students. By the end of the school day our pre-school teacher and one of our TAs has gone home sick as well. It’s crazy because there really isn’t a substitute pool here. Everyone is pitching in and covering everywhere.

Just as the school day ends we get word that the hospital wants to admit Katie. Kathy tells me to go over there and GET HER OUT because if we don’t, we’ll have to take turns sleeping on a mat on the floor beside her. That’s the way it is. She is in a small room, just inside the emergency area. It is not a hospital room – just a room. It has a small bank of lockers where the employees change and stash their stuff. There is a broken down futon/couch that Katie and a friend are on, and a dental-type chair that is another person is on/in. The other person is a WorldTeach teacher from the public high school and she is hooked up to an I.V. She, too, has dengue and after a few minutes they take her to a ward because they feel she might have one of the more serious of the four strains. Now Katie takes the dental chair contraption. No change of sheets or anything, just plop into the chair. There’s an I.V. pole that’s missing a wheel or two but no I.V. This is where she is supposed to spend the night because there are no more available beds. We wait. While we wait, a young man who is a hospital employee of some kind (LPN?) comes in, sits and visits. He is holding a hypodermic needle for drawing blood and he’s playing with it. Off, on, off, on pops the cap intended to keep the needle sterile. He pushes the plunger and pulls it out – he is oblivious and I want to yell – DON’T USE THAT ON ANYBODY but he doesn’t speak English and I am frozen in horror. When the doctor comes in, he comes across as knowledgeable and capable. He wants her to stay because she has the rash. But I am determined; we WILL take care of her. We will keep her fed and hydrated and will return her if the symptoms worsen. She signs the waiver and we leave. She lives on campus and I know the other teachers and her boyfriend will tend to her. The doctor writes her a prescription for Tylenol because that’s now the only way you can get it here. Every shelf in every store has been wiped clean of both Tylenol and mosquito repellent.

It was fortuitous that on the same day a young Lebanese couple comes in to introduce themselves to me. The man has taught at the local community college for a while and has a new bride. She hands me a resume and tells me she is a biochemistry major who has both taught school and worked in hospitals and she is interested in a job. I am thinking I’d love to hire her but have no money for a new teacher. I ask her about subbing and summer school and she seems enthusiastic. It is not two hours later that I call her and offer her $20 to come in the next day and cover for Katie. Willard can’t cover her anymore because now he is the P.E. teacher. Mack is off-island for a funeral and Willard is doing calisthenics with the high school students and zombie relays with the kindergarteners. She comes in and is terrific. I hope to hire her! We check on Katie. She has returned to the hospital and her blood work looks better. There are now 150 confirmed cases.

I am happy to say that so far this small staff is surviving the flu and dengue crisis. It will be interesting to see what awaits us next week. I can tell you this: my work here is NOT dull, and it is paradise as long as you don’t get sick and have to go to the hospital!

On another note, some of you have asked what you can send. Books! Our high school library is severely lacking in material that would be fun and age-appropriate for them to read. Any appropriate novels, biographies, etc. would be highly welcomed. If you put them in a flat-rate box you can ship them to:

Becky Lathrop

Majuro Cooperative High School

P.O. Box 81

Majuro, MH 96960

Thanks for reading and take care! It’s Saturday - I am off to a bingo fundraiser and Willard is staying here, waiting to see if the Internet folks show up to hook us up and to sand a board for the church sign. Love to you all, Becky

Here are all the ladies playing Bingo. There were tables too (thankfully) but many of them played like this for over six hours using pennies, shells, rocks, etc. for markers. One lady told me I am now a "Real Island Girl" because I played Bingo with them!

Up-date 11-5-11

Three weeks ago (10-15-11), I went on my third monthly Billfish tournament. The weather was perfect. The wind was light, the sun was out, and the ocean was almost flat with big slow rollers. We left Majuro at 0600 and headed out to the neighboring atoll of Arno. We trolled around Arno for eight hours with absolutely no fish. Then about 1400 we suddenly got hits on three of our four poles. For the next ten minutes it was total craziness on the boat. I reeled in a 18 pound wahoo with help from Hugh. In the meantime Ronnie and Cary were bringing in a fifty three pound Sailfish. Once Hugh and I got the Wahoo in we went to work on the other pole and after a ten minute battle we landed a sixty three pound Sailfish. So in ten minutes we had three fish on board and two of them qualified for the tournament. We were on the back side of Arno and Ronnie was worried about making it back in time for the weigh-in so he cranked up the boat and for the next two hours we raced back to Majuro. We made it back with time to spare. At the weigh-in our two fish won the tournament for us. Back at the dock we butchered all three fish. I got a nice roast of Wahoo to take home.

Sunday through Friday I spent on the couch with the worst case of flue I’ve had in years. I spent the next week recovering from the flu and playing my new X-box game.  But after an uneventful weekend I was back to my Cabana boy duties - but only for two days.

Wednesday, after dropping Becky off for her ride, I got home and was getting ready for my run when Becky called in need of a substitute. So for the next two days I taught social studies and Friday I was the P.E. teacher.  So now I have the weekend off but I’m back teaching P.E. Monday and Tuesday. I hope that life gets back to normal soon and I can get back to my Cabana Boy duties/life style soon, but hey, I knew the job was tough when I took it. 

Facing my Fears

We all have our fears, things we are overly sensitive about and would rather leave alone. For me, it has always been my voice. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to sing! I sing in the shower, in the car, and in the privacy of my home. And because I believe God gave me this voice and wants to hear it, I sing in church – just not by myself. This stems from a childhood where my folks thought there was something wrong with my voice and sent me to speech therapy (to a creepy guy) at a young age. My voice was deep – I didn’t lisp, or slur, or any of the other things that usually send young ones off to therapy. But I knew I was different. So of course this was the button my siblings and peers knew they could push. Then as a young adult I had my vocal chords stripped and then got myself some more therapy. I know that if I sang Karaoke, it would sound as bad or worse than the woman in My Best Friend’s Wedding. I have come to terms with my tin ear and loud obnoxious voice and am thankful for the gifts I do have. That is, until Majuro.

I have already written about the culture here, how they love to put others on the spot. Really, it is a sport all its own. I have dodged the bullet a couple of times but this time I knew my time was up.

The church we have been attending was forced to move. They found a new place, made all of the lease negotiations and got ready to move in. Then they found the place was infested with termites, so much so it is a miracle the building was still standing. So down to the studs it went and Willard decided to lend a hand. After a long day of stringing wire he picked me up after work last Tuesday and wanted to show me the progress. It turns out there were several families at the site, still working and putting together a BBQ and we were suddenly invited. This is really the first time I have had a chance to chat with these folks and I was very happy to be a part of the group. During the conversation I asked about the upcoming potluck. “Oh yes,” they said, “it will be right after church, and by the way, every group performs.” I told them I’d probably take ill about 7:00 A.M. on Sunday Morning. They laughed and laughed, not having a bit of it.  Meanwhile, Willard volunteered me to paint their large outdoor sign.

On the following day, we repeat the whole experience after work. Willard has been there again working and now we are stopping by to look at his progress and to double check what they want for the sign. The women are all sitting together happily chatting and laughing and they invite me to join them. I don’t know all of what they are saying but they are having so much fun I find myself laughing hysterically with them. Then it becomes quiet for a minute. It is at that moment that a Marshallese lady, Rishi, asks me if I have decided what I will present on Sunday. They all start laughing because now it is a big joke; they know they have found my weak spot and they love every minute. They tell me what they don’t want to hear – something straight out of the hymnal or the Star Spangled Banner. They want a little more creativity from the Americans. Somewhere in the conversation I thought I heard something about dancing. “Oh, if I dance, do I get out of the singing,” I asked ( I don’t mind making a fool of myself in other ways). “No, the singing and the dancing go together.” Great – I was digging myself deeper by the minute. “What if I paint the sign, can I get out of the singing and the dancing,” I asked. They all stopped and looked at each other. “Maybe,” they said, but then they laughed and I knew it wasn’t going to be good enough. I prayed there would be enough other Americans to keep me covered.

This morning we arrived at our new church building. It isn’t done but they came a long way in a week’s time. They had flowers on the outdoor pillars and garlands of greenery decorated the sanctuary. It was lovely. I thought I understood the performing would be part of the potluck, but it turns out it was in the heart of worship. Not only that, but some of my high school students had come. I’d formulated a plan, but now circumstances meant I needed plan B. I suggested Swing Low, Sweet Chariot at the last minute. There were about seven of us, plus we asked the congregation to stand up and join us. We pulled it off; my new friend, Rishi, thought we were fine and was happy not to hear the Star Spangled Banner yet one more time. Not only that, but I still have Plan A in my back pocket for another time. I figure we can do Where Have All the Flowers Gone. I have the headbands and peace signs ready in the trunk of our car for everyone in the group and am hoping they will all be laughing so hard they don’t actually hear us. Little Bunny Foo Foo might come out as well.

It was a lot of fun seeing and hearing the other groups. The Filipinos were a large group who sang, the Fijians danced and a Solomon Island woman did a very pretty solo. Two Tongan women sang as well, as did a whole group of Marshallese members. And since it is an international congregation, when the potluck finally began, the food was amazing.. I tasted everything that was new to me. I’d tell you what I had but I have no clue! I can tell you though, that I have never seen so much food disappear that quickly!

I have to admit, I’ve been a little homesick lately. I think it is because I know things are going on at home and I feel bad I am not there to help or be supportive. Our hearts and prayers are with the Christian family.

We received the packages I ordered from Sue the other day and were thrilled with the surprises that were enclosed. The note, chocolate and coffee from friends are really appreciated. Thank you! I am looking forward to having Nate, Mom and Dad here for a while. It will be fun to share our adventure with them.

We lost our Internet here at home for a while and are in the process of getting it back. In the meantime we sure love hearing from you all. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Love to you,

Becky

Stings and Things

It seems hard to believe that over three weeks have gone by since my last blog but time seems to just slip by. About three weeks ago (on a Friday) I received an ant bite on top of my left foot. No big deal, right? Wrong! Turns out I’m mildly allergic to this variety of ant and my foot began to swell and by Saturday the whole foot was puffy. Fortunately by Sunday the swelling was dissipating and by Monday morning I was pretty much back to normal. However, Monday afternoon I got another ant bite while playing with Mischief in the yard, this time on top of the little toe of my right foot. Again I had another 48 hours of swelling, this time on the right side of my right foot. But by Wednesday I was pretty much back to normal which was good because Friday I got another bite! This time on time on the top of the second toe of my left foot and endured two more days of swelling and itching. I’m not totally stupid, and after three bites I now don’t go into the grass without a little bug juice on my feet. Sorry no pictures of my feet - you just have to visualize them.

We now have gardener who comes once week to rake the yard and pick up the garbage that floats in on the tide and ends up on the beach. His name is Juji and he is a young man of about 25 years of age who lives three houses over from us. He is nearly totally deaf and we basically communicate with gestures but, we generally understand each other.  He can be seen walking up and down the road looking for work at different homes. He is a very nice young man but has very limited prospects here in the islands.

It’s time to talk about the roads again. I’ve already talked about the road. Besides there being cars on the road there are kids, adults, dogs, pigs, chickens, and the occasional coconut.  This time I want to talk about the different types of drivers. First, there is the slow driver. I mean 10MPH to 20MPH tops. The vehicles of the slow drivers tend to be in poor mechanical shape; it may well be that they are going as fast as they can. Then, there are the speed demons who are basically going as fast as they can sometimes hitting the tremendous speed of 50 MPH while weaving around slow drivers, pedestrians, animals, potholes, etc. The last group of drivers (to which I belong) is the moderates. We drive fairly fast but rarely get over 35MPH. This group slows down around other road users and tends to be very courteous.  It’s still kind of wild place to drive but I’m used to it now and it doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it does Becky. There is fourth group of drivers, the dreaded Marshallese Taxi. The taxi driver will cruise slowly along until signaled by a pedestrian at which point he will dive over to the side of the road to pick up his fare. He may, or may not, get off the road and he will pull back into the road with a minimum of warning to other drivers. If his taxi is full he will continue on down the road to his destination. If his taxi is not full, he will pull over and pick up additional fares until it is (because there is really only one road everyone is going in the same direction). Most taxis hold four adult fares but I have seen four adults and four young children plus the taxi driver going down the road in a vehicle smaller than my old department issue Ford Taurus.

Well my house is clean, the laundry is done, my blog is written, it’s time to put my feet up and read a book for a few hours until it’s time to go pick up Becky. Life’s tough when you’re a Cabana Boy.

Manit Week

This week is devoted to celebrating the Marshallese culture, or manit. We celebrate this Monday through Thursday at school and then culminate with a national holiday on Friday (this means no school)! Today the middle and high school classes hosted volunteers who taught us various aspects of manit. This involves canoes, clans, music, and dance to name a few, and of course, food. Two foods that I learned about today are the coconut and the breadfruit.

Every part of the coconut tree is useful in some way. The Marshallese use the leaves or fronds to make plates (enra) and baskets. The coconut itself is used in various stages of ripeness. We drink from the young coconuts. As they age the juice turns into a semi-solid that is used for eating and making a coconut candy. Of course there is the meat that is shredded. The coconut is inside of a thick fibrous husk. The men husk the coconuts by shoving them onto a sharp stake and tearing off the outer shell. These husks make great kindling. The hard shell is used like our charcoal because it will burn for a long time. There is also another part of the tree that holds sap. The Marshallese drain this sap from the tree and boil it into a syrup. If left more than a couple of days it ferments into an alcohol; left longer it turns into a vinegar of sorts. This was the islanders’ source of sweetener before the missionaries brought sugar to the islands. Our volunteers boiled down the sap and added shredded coconut to make a type of candy. They rolled it into balls and then wrapped it in saran wrap. They gifted me with a necklace of the candy balls and was I ever popular today!

Another pair of volunteers taught us how to preserve breadfruit. Breadfruit is a green fruit about the size of a small acorn squash. It is a starchy fruit that ripens around May. The people here bake it and deep fry it into chips. But it can also be made into a pudding/paste type dish called bwiro that will last indefinitely. This was useful in times past because food supplies were limited. Also, they needed foods that would last on long canoe journeys. The process of preparing the dish was fascinating! The first thing I learned was that women take the ripe breadfruit, pare and seed it, and put it into a bag such as a pillowcase. There it sits. Once a month the bag is put into the lagoon where the saltwater takes care of any insects and bacteria. Meanwhile, the breadfruit softens, so that by the end of the year it is ready to knead.  Coconut milk is made from water and grated coconut and added to the kneaded breadfruit. The mixture looks like cake batter. Breadfruit leaves are washed and formed into cones and secured with ties made from the branches of pandanus trees. The cones are filled with the batter. The women gather up and turn down the top of the cones and tie with more pandanus ties. These are then put onto a fire created with the coconut husks and shells, along with pieces of coral to hold the heat. After a couple of hours in the fire, the sweet paste is ready to eat. You can eat it right away or save it for a later date.

I don’t know if I have been able to convey how interesting all of this was today, but I have included several pictures that I hope you enjoy! Tomorrow we go to a canoe exhibit and on Thursday we get to see a display of finely crafted mats. What a fun week!

I hope you all are well and enjoying life! Take care, Becky

husking the coconut

kneading the breadfruit

making the "twine" from the pandanus branch and looking cute

the ribelle teacher, Adam,  sits on the bench and grates the coconut

making the breadfruit leaf cones

making the cone packages from the breadfruit leaves

straining the cococut milk from the shredded coconut and water mix

cooking the breadfruit on the fire pit with the coconut shells and coral

More Fishing Marshallese Style

First I must tell you that I have been humbled. I was so proud of the 385 pound Marlin we caught last month but last week was the all Micronesian Tournament and Becky and I went down to watch the weigh in. A husband and wife team from Palau brought in a 551 pounder. Now that fish was a monster.

551 pounds

Saturday was the local monthly Billfish Tournament and I was again lucky enough to be invited to crew on Ronnie’s boat. John and Hugh were again on board and a friend of Ronnie's named Gary who is from Renton WA but has been living here aboard his 38 foot sailboat since 1998.

John

Ronnie at the helm

We left the dock at 6:00 AM and were soon out of the lagoon and in the open ocean. This time the sea was much rougher than last month. The swells were 4 to 6 feet and the wind was blowing around 20 knots. Ronnie’s boat handles the ocean well but we were tossed around all day.

Hugh not feeling well.

The fishing was great but the catching was lousy! We had two really good strikes that took everything including the swivels. We had one marlin on but it must not have been hooked well enough and spit out the lure. We did catch one 20 pound yellow fin tuna and two small (7-8 pound) skip jacks so there was fish to take home but a big goose egg for tournament points. Fortunately for us, of the eight boats in the tournament only one had a qualifying fish and it was a small marlin weighing in at 131 pounds. So Ronnie stays well in the lead for the years total points in the annual competition.

I count the day as a success because I didn’t get seasick (Hugh did) and still went home with a nice piece of tuna. Just another tough day as a Cabana Boy.

Trolling at 9 knots

Ronnie and John looking for birds

Our fishing platform

Mandatory Improvisation and Other Cultural Norms

I attended a conference this week. It was called The Pacific Epidemiological Workforce Development Academy. Basically, people from the Pacific island nations gathered to learn how to use data better to help prevent substance abuse on their islands. I have attended a lot of conferences in the past but his one had a flavor of its own!

Every day we opened in prayer. Then there were the usual ice breakers and the serious work sessions. We worked collaboratively in groups and did a lot of brainstorming and problem solving. Lunch though was an hour and a half every day! And on the third night, there was a BBQ where everyone was invited.

I told Willard we should go and so we went, thinking we’d stand around, swap some stories, eat some food and gracefully leave. It turns out it wasn’t THAT kind of BBQ! We got to the beach and the tables were all set up with large bottom fish in the center of the tables for us to munch on. The woman who organized the party, got up and thanked the host (The Honorable Minister, Mr. Addy, the Minister of Finance), and grace was said by a Samoan in his native tongue. We all got up to help ourselves to a buffet of local foods: sashimi, yams cooked in coconut milk, breadfruit, rice, chicken, and on and on. Because the conference was about substance abuse, water was served. It was delicious and we were all happy! The real entertainment, however, was yet to come.

Each country was expected to contribute something for the evening. Because the Republic of the Marshall Islands was hosting, we went first. I was happy to have safety in numbers because I was able to just stand and clap while everyone sang the song in traditional Marshallese. We finished and the next country was called up, Palau, I think. There were only a couple of people from this country so there was no hiding behind anyone. But it turns out that all of these folks from the Pacific feel free to invite anyone or everyone to join them on stage and it also turns out it is rude to refuse. Really, you just DON’T refuse! So they had a great time taking turns getting the folks in the audience to come up and sing and dance. They make great sport of it and think it is hilariously funny when the people they have called on look silly because they don’t have a clue! This happened over and over all night long; they even called the host and his cronies up! In the meantime, we enjoyed traditional songs and dances from all over the islands. At one point I about fell off my chair when the man from Saipan got up and began by dedicating his song to Nancy Reagan! But remember, we were all together to combat drug and alcohol use in the Pacific, and if you recall, First Lady Reagan was the person who had the “Just Say No” campaign. So he calls folks up to the stage and sings a song in his language about saying no to alcohol, no to marijuana, no to all of the bad stuff. It was a riot! We did get up and dance with the rest of the group around the tables for one of the numbers, but other than that, because we are not island people, they left us alone.  At the end, the RMI group did a beautiful dance involving their fans made from dyed coconut fronds. At the end the women all gave their female guests the beautiful hand-made fans they were using. They closed in prayer and we left three hours after we arrived, wondering when we’d had that much fun!

The following day was the last day of the conference. We finished up at 3:00 and I was thinking about how nice it was to be done early so I could get back to the Coop campus. Wrong! There was a half hour of closing ceremony. The RMI sang a traditional song about waving goodbye as the guests take off in their canoes, while the guests all paraded around the room “paddling their canoes” as they went. The Marshallese hosts followed this with another two traditional songs (again, I just stood and clapped) and then bestowed the lovely handmade handicrafts for which these folks are famous, on their guests. The guests then took turns at the microphone, thanking the Marshall Islands for their wonderful hospitality. The Samoans graced us with a song of their own. Then we all stood around in a circle, holding hands, singing yet another song. Of course we closed in prayer, this time in the Marshallese language. Hugs and kisses – and some tears - and the conference finally closed. It was an amazing cultural experience, especially from a conference centered on collecting data!

(Willard did ask me when we left the BBQ, what song I was going to prepare for the next event. I told him I’d fan him like a chief with the traditional fan while he sang HIS number! Yikes!!)

I hope all is well on the other end of the world. Our church prayed for the Americans this morning as you honor the 9/11 victims. You are all in our thoughts and prayers, Becky

This week in Majuro

My time as a Cabana Boy has been curtailed this week by the absence of two teachers, a principal, and a conference on substance abuse that Becky had to attend all week. So I have been teaching the first two periods of the day (algebra and Pacific Studies) and then covering the office until 4:00 when Becky returns. I will say that the kids are polite, and if not eager to learn, at least willing to do the work assigned. The students at the high school level speak relatively good English and understand the materials and concepts even when presented by an old retired cop.

Because we are both gone all day Mischief has been brought to school each day. She spends the first two hours in her crate but then spends the rest of the day making friends with whoever comes into the office. And of course the kids love her when I take her outside at lunch and at the end of the day. It appears that there are very few dogs treated as house pets here and many of the kids are shy of Mischief at first. But with a little coaxing, even the small kids come over to pet her. Because Mischief went on the middle/high school retreat all the older kids know her and think she is great. They are amazed that we would bring her from Auburn and they are intrigued by her looks.

I had planned an X-box fest for this week but as my loving bride reminded me, as part of my Cabana Boy duties, I must help her when she asks. So this week I am a teacher/secretary. I guess being a Cabana Boy means being flexible.  As I’ve said before, life’s tough when you’re a Cabana Boy.

Willard