Running With the Pigs

Running on Majuro is not like running at home. There is no sidewalk or shoulder but just about every yard has someone either sitting along the road or working around their house. Everyone says good morning or yokwe (hello, good bye) to you as you run by. There are dogs but they all seem to have a healthy fear of people and they are very road smart, unlike our dog who just seems oblivious to the traffic on the road. The other thing about running in Majuro is that no one else seems to do it. Some of the locals look at me like I’ve got rocks in my head but I have to keep that cabana boy good looks that my lovely bride expects. Now in Spain they run with the bulls but in Majuro we run with the pigs. This morning I ran past a yard with three pigs foraging on the side of the road. They actually trotted along with me to the end of their yard and then returned to their eating. A few houses further along I encountered two more pigs but these two ran from me like I was asking them to be the guest of honor at the next luau. Running here is a bit like running in a steam bath. With the temperature around 80 and the relative humidity about 80 you can’t run fast but you can sure work up sweat.

After a run you would think a long cool shower would be just the thing but there is no natural water supply here on the island. You have to wait an hour or so till you have cooled sufficiently so that a quick shower will suffice. Our house has a large plastic catchment reservoir that is filled by the gutters with rain water. Fortunately it rains usually every day and sometimes twice. And when it rains, it’s a torrential downpour that lasts about 30 minutes or so. If the rains ever fail us the catchment is also hooked up to the island water supply and at some point if the water level falls too far, the float will keep a minimum supply of water in the catchment. The rain is free but the island water is very expensive so we hope to use as little as possible. We don’t drink the tap water but just use it for washing and showers. For drinking water we have a water cooler in the kitchen that takes five-gallon bottles. We go through one of those about every four or five days and then I get it refilled for two dollars.

I have been shopping for a hammock to put up in the back yard but haven’t found the right one yet. I‘ve noticed that the space out back is pretty much in the shade all day and would be a great location to spend a little (or more) quality time with my Kindle.

Becky’s at work and I’ve had my run, cleaned our house, walked the dog, and up-dated the blog so I guess it’s time for a dip in the lagoon. Life is so busy when you’re a cabana boy (TaDa)!

Tatina and Marina

Every day I meet interesting people and learn a little more about the culture. It is amazing to see people live on so little. Two that stand out in my mind from this past week are Tatina and Marina.

Tatina is 14 years old. She came to Coop last spring and took a placement test, hoping to be admitted. The principal told her that she needed to improve her score and that she could retake the test if she went to summer school so she came back on Friday and retook the test. She tested for about four hours while her mother sat patiently at a picnic table outside. When she finished I reviewed her test while they waited (this took a while because I didn’t realize there wasn’t a key!). Her work had improved but it wasn’t enough. It was heartbreaking to tell this young woman and her mother that she could not be admitted to our high school. I was able to tell her she was welcome if she chose to repeat 8^th grade and that helped some. We’ll see if she comes. I sure hope so, but not only would it cost her a year, but it would cost her parents another year of tuition, money that can come to as much as 25% of their income. I wish the kids at Puyallup High had all of the hope and determination of this girl – oh, the places they would go!

The Marshallese woman who translated the meeting for me is Marina. Marina is a teaching assistant during the school year and right now she is earning extra money by cleaning our apartments and classrooms. I find her shy but friendly and helpful. She comes to Kathy constantly and asks what she can help with. She is probably in her 30’s and has three young children. Her husband came to the Seattle area with their eldest, a boy of about 12. He was supposed to send for her and the others but never did; he left her stranded. Meanwhile she has gone to school to earn her associates degree. She has done all of the work but will not be granted the degree until she pays off her loan to the school of $600. She asked if she could put a note in the teachers’ boxes, offering her services for extra pay. She works for $2/hour. If she pays her loan this year it is huge for her because she will have a contract with the school and will receive a raise. In the meantime, she cannot bring her own children to the school because she can’t afford it. It must be hard to watch others’ children receive a good education while you send your children to a school where often the teachers don’t have training beyond the Marshallese high school system and often don’t show up for work.

I know I can’t save the world but that doesn’t make it any easier, and one reason I am here is so I can help some of these people. I am going to try to work out some sort of fundraiser for Marina. They make beautiful earrings here and maybe she and I can make some and send them over for sale. Stay posted!

Love to you and thanks for reading, Becky

The Billfish Connection

Friday night I attended the semi-annual meeting of the Billfish Club. The purpose of the club is to promote fishing as a sport. The club has been around over thirty years and is considered the senior fishing club here in the islands. What attracted me was the chance to get out and fish for the big ones and when I heard the rules I knew I was in the right place. Now you can keep all the fish you catch but each species of fish has a minimum weight that has to be met in order to be counted for tournament points. For example each tuna submitted for tournament points must weigh at least 40 pounds, now that’s fishing. The meeting was run by an executive board with the president presiding but Roberts Rules of Order were only vaguely imposed and it was fun to watch the give a take in a chaotic atmosphere. There were appetizers and beer and several of the younger men had been to happy hour and were feeling no pain. At one point, one of the younger men began swearing and using some pretty strong language. Across the room was a table of elders. One of them had heard enough and he raised his hand and pointed across the room and said that he didn’t like the that type of language being used in the club. The youngster shut down and the rest of the room calmed enough that the board could finish the meeting. Good thing they only meet twice a year.

Saturday afternoon, Becky and I went snorkeling for the first time on the reef out our back door. We have been swimming in the lagoon almost every night but our snorkel gear has not arrived yet. This morning Kathy (the k-8 principal) stopped by with some loaner gear so we got our first chance to see what was under the water. The tide was out and coming in so the water at the shore warmer than bathwater but cooled rapidly as we went out.  The water was crystal clear, the corals were unbelievable, and the fish were many and varied. After an hour in the sun and sea Becky and I were on our way back. It was time to express how I felt about our living situation. In my best Forrest Gump accent I said “I’m on vacation. It's where you go and never come back.” Beck just laughs and shakes her head.

Our Beach Looking West

Life’s tough when you’re the Cabana Boy “Ta Da”.

It's Been Quite a Week!

July 22, 2011

It’s Been Quite a Week!

I am not sure where to begin; this adventure is certainly more than I could ever have imagined! We’ve been here just a week so I suppose we’re still in the “honey-moon phase.” But still, it’s pretty darn incredible!  I’ll describe my typical day so far. I get up around 6:30 if my mind and body will let me sleep that long – I am still adjusting. I eat a light breakfast, dress in my long skirt and blouse and I am off to work. I drive with either Willard or my co-hort, Kathy, down the road to work. There are nine speed bumps on the two-lane road. We pass the airport and dodge children, pigs, dogs and chickens along the way. Many locals are already hanging out, casually sitting or standing by the side of the road. I can see the water on both sides. 20 minutes at about 35 mph and I am at school. There is no describing work because it is so different each day. The teachers aren’t here yet but there is plenty of interesting activity with the locals helping get our facility ready. I’ll save discussing work for another day. But because we aren’t in school yet, we are free to go out for lunch. The food is delicious; I have to keep reminding myself that this is a developing country when we are eating! Somewhere between 4:40 and 6:00 I head back to the house. Willard has the house in great shape and he has my dinner for me (not even lyin’!). I go into the house, change, and we head out the back door into the lagoon. Coming out I am completely refreshed. I shower, change into my muumuu (yes Phil, it’s back!) and we eat on the back porch watching the palm trees sway and the water roll. Then it’s time to come in, unwind, iron a new blouse and get ready for a new day. Life is good; God is good.

I need to mention the people. Their kindness is overwhelming. We were walking a beach last weekend, and I was looking for shells when out of nowhere a little girl of about 5 ran up with a beautiful shell for us. Another day we came home to find our yard raked. At school students are eager to please and run to open the door for me. When I tell people I am the principal of the Coop High School they treat me like royalty. We have been warmly accepted for being such an oddity. There are but a few Caucasians here and no other scotty dogs. I think the folks are fairly humored by us. They refer to us as ribelle, or foreigner. Children will yell “Yokwe ribelle!”  The literal translation means person with many clothes; it stems from the days of missionaries. We do have to watch our step because they are all watching. I was introduced to a lady the other day who told me she’d seen me in her store the day before. It was a gentle reminder that someone is observing everything we do!

It is Friday night and Willard is at a meeting for fishing – something about paying $40 a year to belong to a club that goes out and catches the big ones. Women can go too but I thought I’d let him figure it out first and I would enjoy a quiet evening in my tidy little house. I hope you are all well and that you actually catch a few of our rays soon!

Love to you - Becky

Day Six in Paradise

The last three days have been very busy for Becky and I. She has started work at the Coop School and I have been putting a house together. Somehow this cabana boy gig has gotten to be a lot more work than I planned on. First the house had to be cleaned again from top to bottom then furnished with more than the basics. I have been traveling back and forth from town to purchase all the little items it takes to run a house.

We have been well taken care of by the other school principal and she has loaned us a car until we find one to buy. Speaking of cars, the road here is an interesting trip all by itself. It seems that no matter what the speed limit may be slower is better. The top speed on the island is 40 MPH and that is the area in front of our house. Generally the speeds are 25 and slower. This is really not so much a problem as the use of speed bumps to slow traffic makes it impossible to go much faster. There are no stoplights and very few stop signs. Pedestrians use the same roadway as the cars and it is very unnerving to see small children walking along the road next to passing vehicles. I’m getting the knack of driving here though and Becky doesn’t yell to often anymore.

The pace is slow here! It took two hours to get our cellphones, three hours to finish the dog importation paperwork, and a hour and a half to open a checking account. Our neighbors have been waiting for two weeks to have their phone line installed with no end in sight. But the people are friendly and helpful and Becky and I are having a great time.

As I write this, I’m sitting on our deck looking out at the lagoon. The sun is bright but the afternoon rain storm is visible across the bay. The wind is warm and blowing 10 to 15 MPH. it is a perfect afternoon here in Majuro. Life’s tough when you’re a cabana boy (TaDa). 

Becky, Mischief, and Willard arrive in Majuro

Remember Honey, It’s an Adventure!

Becky

WE ARE HERE!!

But it has been quite the ordeal. We got on the plane just fine, including Mischief, and had an uneventful flight to Honolulu. The dog arrived in good form and we thought we were through any potential rough spots.  WRONG!! We got off the plane and I visited the restroom, came back and realized I didn’t have my sunglasses. So I wonder back to the restroom and Willard re-boards the plane –only to find out that they had dropped into my bag. Whew! Then off to the car rental – major hike with a gazillion bags only to find out it isn’t where it is supposed to be – sign says they’ve moved. We get the renal and take off to find the other principal’s hotel so we can meet and have coffee. She isn’t in yet so I go to get the leash to walk Mischief while we wait. No leash because Willard didn’t pack that bag into the car. Back to the rental – WHEW – it’s there! So back to the hotel, but along the way we see Continental Cargo. Willard wants to stop and ask a couple of questions about the dog. They tell us we need a permit from Majuro and we don’t have one. Now, we have researched this like nobody’s business because we know every i has to be dotted and t crossed to get the mutt there. Willard, I, nor the vet EVER saw this. They like Willard so they are willing to call Majuro. We hang around for four hours (me and Mischief in the parking lot, Willard in the building) and wait, praying Majuro will reply and allow the dog. It must have been right before closing hours on their Friday but they do call. Literal answer to prayer. They allow the dog. WHEW!!! Now we need to just hang until 3 AM till we can drop the dog off. Honolulu is not a dog friendly place, all of the parks and premises say “no animals allowed” so we look for vacant parking lots to catch some shut eye. The car is full and we can’t really recline the seats.  Also, security finds us and tells us to move. Bottom line is, I have new appreciation for folks who live out of their vehicles. There’s a little more but you don’t want to know . We were very relieved to be on the plane to our destination!

THE DESTINATION

I wish we’d taken pictures but we were literally too tired and wired all at the same time. We’ll send pictures soon – they’ll speak volumes. I remember my first smell was of the ocean which was a nice smell – my second was of the house which wasn’t as pleasant. I love all of the foliage and the breeze. Kathy, the k-8 principal I’ll be working with, is great and was fabulous to us yesterday. She took us to our humble abode and then to town to get some basics to get us going. We had a great lunch in a surprisingly nice restaurant and saw the school. We bought enough to completely stuff her car and headed back. At this point we unpacked a little and crashed. Actually, before we crashed I totally had a meltdown and wondered” WHAT WAS I THINKING?” Now it is the next day. We slept at least 12 hours, maybe more. We don’t know, we’re now officially on island time. Life looks better though. We will unpack a little and go to a picnic with Kathy. We will catch up with pictures, we promise! Thanks for keeping in touch – we are truly blessed to have our wonderful friends and family and want to stay in contact from this side! Love to you, Becky

Day One – On the island!

Having reached the Marshalls, I am excited to begin my new duties as Cabana Boy! (should be a “Ta Da” after you say that) On a scale of one to ten the house is a four. Small and needs some work and but it will be a great home for us for the next two years. This morning I got up before six after sleeping for about ten hours. Traveling with Becky and a dog can take a lot out of a gut even Cabana Boy “Ta Da”. I made my coffee and sat on the back porch to watch the sun rise over the lagoon. The orange red sky and the warm tropical breeze made it a perfect early morning. I watched the sun rise, drank my coffee, and read my book until Becky joined me for a perfect morning together.   My thanks to all the well-wishers and family who helped to see us off on our new adventure and be sure to follow this blog for future episodes of Cabana Boy.  “Ta Da” Willard