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.