Observations, Reflections, and Lessons Learned

As my internet access is less frequent now that I live in my village, I felt it was only right to post twice while I have the chance.

There is quite a bit of down time in my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and the following are just a few things that have crossed my mind over the past few weeks. Hope you enjoy.

Rain

I’ve always said I wanted to live somewhere where it rains all the time. Well I’m currently in one of the wettest places on Earth, and I am so happy about it. The rain is usually welcomed relief from the heat, and I sometimes embarrass my family by wanting to go stand in it instead of take shelter from it.

Anyway, the rain here is unlike any I’ve ever experienced before. Sure, there’s huge downpours, the kind you can see coming for hours, the dark cloud looming overhead (which also makes it cooler... rainy days are the best!). But there are also the daily showers that appear and disappear before you realize it. The funny thing about this type of rain, is it’s almost impossible to see. I know that sounds absurd, but I will frequently be inside a building, listening to the rain pour down outside, but all I can see is bright skies and sunshine. This is usually when I run outside to confirm it Is in fact raining, and bring shame upon myself by relishing in the invisible rain splashing on my face. Sometimes I dance.

Another thing I enjoy about the rain is what it does to people. Every ducks under whatever is close by: a tree, an awning, the doorway of a house or store. It doesn’t matter who you’re crammed in there with, nobody speaks. You just pile in, and make room for the inevitable few who were caught further from shelter, and who come sprinting down the road to join you, their clothing already soaked. Families separate, often times children are being temporarily cared for by a stranger, and sometimes you’re the stranger whose hand gets grasped by a small lonely child. But no matter what, once the rain stops, the silence is broken and people walk off in every direction, reuniting with their family members and resuming their lives.

But my favorite thing about the rain here is the few moments before the rain actually begins to fall. Everything goes quiet—all the birds, pigs, dogs, children—it’s like they can feel it. Then the wind shifts, and that’s how you know. You can literally hear it coming through the jungle even before the first drop is felt. If you’re lucky, you have just enough time to run out and pluck your clothes from the line, but most times you’re not, and you have only enough time to stop whatever you’re doing, look up, and take a deep breath of just-before-rain air before you must find quick shelter. And if you’re me, you take those few precious moments to smile and be thankful for the beautiful place you live in.

The Language Barrier

This is probably the most amusing thing about my daily life. At school, my coworkers use me as a buffer to ward off parents who are calling about unnecessary things. Whenever the phone rings, they make me answer the phone. One of two things happens: either it’s somebody from the DOE who thinks it will be fun to only speak to me in Pohnpeian, even though they can speak English fluently (I think they enjoy hearing me struggle, in fact I can usually hear them chuckle under their breath), or the caller is a parent who hears my voice and they immediately hang up the phone. My coworkers’ theory is, if it’s really important they’ll call again. They usually don’t.

My Pahpa and I communicate minimally. He only speaks Pohnpeian, so I usually run out of dialogue shortly after, “Ia rohmw? (How are you?)”. Our daily interactions usually involve him telling me he will go get me a coconut, him presenting me with a coconut, and me thanking him for the coconut. But he is the sweetest man on this island, so he often acts out what he’s trying to tell me (usually involving “eat more” or “go rest”). It’s all very endearing. One day I hope to be able to carry on a real conversation with him. I think that will be the moment I know I have a grasp of the language.

But an unfortunate result of a language barrier comes in when you’re sick. Naturally my family is always concerned, but especially when I cannot communicate to them what is wrong. My Pahpa and Nohno practice local medicine, so they especially are always interested in details about my ailments and what kind of medicine I will be taking to remedy the situation. They usually try to prepare special food for me that corresponds to my particular ailment, take today for example. I have a cold, so my Nohno prepared a special soup that, as best as I can tell from my limited Pohnpeian, is a local cure for a cold. It was essentially chicken noodle soup, and as I ate it I sort of laughed in spite of myself. I was somewhat skeptical of some local soup cure, but then I realized Americans do the same thing, and in fact, in this case, we have the exact same remedy.

A less adorable interaction involving explaining sickness occurred last weekend, when I had the joy of pantomiming “diarrhea” to my Nohno. But don’t worry, I now know the appropriate word.

American Influence

This country has a very unique relationship with America, made possible through what is called the Compact Agreement. If you are unfamiliar (as I think most Americans are), you should definitely look into it. I am very interested in your opinions on the matter, and am more than willing to give mine, but in a far less public forum (email me!). As a result of the Compact, imported American food, music, movies, clothing, and products pop up everywhere. The effect is a very strange mixture of tradition vs. innovation, which is just as interesting to observe as it is sad to fully understand. My fear is that American culture is stepping on the toes of the local culture, and will eventually will overrun it. There is already mounting tension between the governmental leadership (FSM follows the US government structure) and applicable laws and regulations and the local, traditional leaders and their accepted customs. It’s hard to explain unless you live here and see it every day, but I never expected the strange hybrid culture that exists here. I’m not sure if I like it.

Expert Jerry-Riggers

One of the many things I have noticed about the people here that I find inspiring is their ability to take just about anything and turn it into something useful and to truly make the best of whatever they have. I’ve already mentioned the plumping—the water is in this large receptacle of sorts just outside my window and it is pumped to various locations around the compound using an assortment of complicated pipe configurations. It may not look pretty but it definitely works. The same goes for electricity. The number of extension cords running everywhere is staggering, but every place that needs power, gets it. One of the first things I marveled at was the use of large coolers as tubs in which to wash dishes, clothes, and children. Brilliant.  Water is pumped to the coolers (which are in three different locations) via the pipe system, and once the water needs to be drained, the plug is simply opened and the water pours out the bottom. Genius.

But my favorite thing I’ve seen are these wonderful toy cars some of my cousins created this week. They used old plastic bottles for the bodies (mostly old motor oil jugs), whittled sticks for the axels, and carefully pieces from old or broken sandals for the wheels. They assembled them themselves one day and their ingenuity took my breath away. The toys are perfect. A car purchased from a store in America could not have made them happier. The moment I saw the boys playing with their cars might have been the same moment I knew I’d like it here.

Ignorance is Bless

This old adage can apply in countless situations here, but I have narrowed it down to two daily occurrences in which it really is just best if you don’t know. Trust me.

1.       Don’t look up.

Credit for this tip must be given to Mark Brown, a Volunteer in the FSM State of Chuuk. It is relevant any time you’re in a abuilding (but especially if you’re in the bathroom). It’s is always best to just not look up, because then you’ll see what creatures are lurking in the corners and on the walls and you’ll have to deal with them. Ignorance really is bliss.

And even though this has been my team’s mantra since about day three in FSM, lo and behold on day one in my new house, I was lying in bed about to go to sleep, when I did what I knew I shouldn’t—I looked up. And when I did, I saw the most enormous spider I think I have ever seen, about eight feet from my head. I tried to ignore it, but it was too late. I looked up and  now I knew it was there. I ended up having to rouse a few brothers from their sleep to shoo it out, which was both awkward (I had only been there a few hours) and embarrassing. Let me repeat: don’t look up. Just don’t.

2.       Don’t ask, just eat.

It’s like when I was a kid and my parents decided not to tell me  and my sister what calamari was until after we was sure we liked it. Sometimes food just takes better before you know what it is you’re actually eating.

Take an experience I had last weekend. I was at a local feast celebrating a baby’s 1^st birthday (which is huge here) with one of my sisters Yoren. I was served a giant plate of food and began eating. As I’m tearing off pieces of meat (Pohnpeians rarely use flatware) the thought occurred to me that since this is a large celebration, someone probably killed a dog or two in honor of the baby. I pause to ask Yoren if any of my meat is dog, but then I decide not to, because really no good could come of me knowing. And suddenly I am very thankful that we are eating outside in the dark, where I am unable to inspect my food closely.

Well, that’s all I have for now. I hope you are all happy and healthy, and as always, enjoying your air conditioning.

With love,

Christy

Ahi Paneinei Kapw (My New Family)

In an earlier draft of this blog post, I began to attempt to untangle the complicated genealogy of my family, but since then I have grown to accept and embrace the fluidity in which Pohnpeians view family, so my description will be different. I apologize if my explanation doesn’t make things entirely clear, but this is the way I see my family, and the way I want you to see them, too.

I have two fathers and two mothers: Nohno Melipher and Pahpa Ioney, and Nohno Carly and Pahpa Wetper (the latter two are possibly an aunt and uncle). I have about nine siblings (some of them are probably cousins by American standards) with ages ranging from about 16 to about 38, four women and five men. Then I have probably a dozen cousins (again, many are most likely nieces and nephews, but who’s counting?) ranging from 18 months-25, all guys with the exception of two little girls. So that’s who I see on a daily basis, and on a given day, about 12-15 people stay at my house, the mixture of people constantly changing. My entire street is filled with family, and it’s members disperse amongst the houses with no set “home”. Everyone’s house is home, everyone’s Nohno is your Nohno, and every child is yours to take care of (and scold).

My family is loud, funny, sweet, caring, and just insanely wonderful. I’ve been telling fellow Volunteers that I feel spoiled, because my family is just that amazing, and I don’t feel like I did anything to deserve such an incredible placement, especially knowing that some of my teammates still feel awkward and uncomfortable at home. We call these feelings PCG (Peace Corps Guilt) and it takes many forms—from feeling guilty of your disproportionate wealth and affluence compared to the local people to feeling guilty that you have regular bowel movements while all your fellow Volunteers do not.

Most of my time is spent just hanging around the house eating, watching the kids, or just sitting and talking. The majority of my siblings speak English to me (I’ve found there is a big difference between being able to speak English and being willing to speak it to me, so I feel I need to clarify “speak English to me” rather than just “speak English”, as a larger hidden population of my family knows English but is too intimidated to attempt to speak it with me) and enjoy giving me little lessons in Pohnpeian. The older members of my family delight when I can string sentences together to create a simple, but respectable conversation. They always laugh at me, and I initially took offense, but now realize it is a sign that I did something good and they are too overwhelmed with excitement and pride to do anything else.

My home complex consists of several structures. The main house is  where I have my own bedroom (with a full sized mattress no less, I almost cried when I saw it, as  up until that point I had been sleeping on a bed frame with no bed that was, paradoxically, a little too short for me, and my feet hung off the end). There is also a living room in which probably five or so teenage boys sleep each night, sprawled out on matts and pillows, and a make-shift bedroom for one of my sisters, Marla (she’s 26), with a curtain hung up and drawn to give her some privacy. The bathroom is also in the house, and I’ll go ahead and satisfy your burning curiosity right now: I have a toilet. And it flushes. I'll give you a minute to bask in my luxury. I shower standing in a tub much like you would find in the States, but the water (that is expertly jerry-rigged into the bathroom via a tangle of pvc pipes) pours into a large bucket that sits in the tub, and thus began my love affair with “bucket showers”. Basically, you fill up the big bucket, and using a smaller bucket, you dump cold water on yourself to bathe. It may sound primitive, but it is amazing. I’ve already grown to yearn for the cold water in the shower (it’s nearly the only escape from the heat), but there’s just something extra special about the bucket shower, and it’s actually quite relaxing. You should try it. There is also a small kitchen attached to the house. It’s under the same roof, but in order to go inside, you have to first walk out the main front door. It features two small kerosene burners, a sink with again, expertly jerry-rigged running water, and lots of counter space for food preparation.

About 10 yards past my bedroom window is a smaller house in which my Pahpa and Nohno sleep, along with assorted youngsters. There is also a large fire area, covered by a tin roof in which much cooking occurs, and a raised cement platform, covered with a thatch roof, that is the general hang out location during the day. There are two wooden bench seats attached, and the floor space is large enough to accommodate about a dozen people crowded around the t.v. that is housed there. When there’s power (my village routinely experiences power outages, and occasionally my family simply runs out of power, as it is a prepaid system) my family enjoys watching American films (pirated, of course), which I find ironic because the vast majority of those watching don’t speak a lick of English. But there aren’t many options, because Pohnpei could never have the resources necessary to either dub over films in Pohnpeian or produce films of their own, so the American stuff will have to do. This is an added bonus for me, as I get occasional reminders of home.

My Nohno loves to cook, and my Pahpa is a fisherman. This translates into delicious. My food situation has dramatically improved since leaving Kolonia, partly because in the jungle there is naturally a greater abundance of fresh fruits and veggies than in town, and partly because my Nohno stays at home, giving her plenty of time to cook, rather than simply open a can out of sheer exhaustion at a long day’s work. Every morning I have a single fluffy pancake, occasionally smeared with peanut butter (no syrup, there’s just no way to store it to keep the ants out), scrambled eggs (did I mention we have chickens?), and hot green tea. Breakfast of champions I’d say. Lunch and dinner consist of usually reef fish, crab, or (my favorite) lobster, all of which were caught the same day and generally kept alive in buckets until moments before being cooked. If that’s not fresh, I don’t know what is. My Nohno also loves vegetables and fruits (another Pohnpeian anomaly), so each meal usually comes with breadfruit, yams, a local squash (currently duking it out with breadfruit as my favorite local food item), mango, local apples (not actually apples), bananas cooked in countless ways (it’s funny, in America we’d specify if we were cooking the banana, such as fried plantains, etc., but here, they specify if the banana is uncooked—I was actually asked a few days in if I ate raw banana, and the expression caught me so off guard), or various other greens that don’t actually translate. And of course, each and every meal (I’m managed to convince them I don’t need it with my pancake) comes served over a huge plate of white rice. I generally drink a coconut or two with each meal, as I’m advised not to drink the water, and my Pahpa takes great pride in being able to locate, knock down, and open the coconuts for me each time. He even went to town to get me straws, so I wouldn’t have to put my mouth on the coconut itself (which makes no difference to me, but was important to him). Generally, my belly is full and happy.

So that is just a brief glimpse of my life here in my village. Nothing is perfect (as I type this in my room in the dark due to a power outage), but I don’t think I could be happier. So take comfort in knowing I am being well cared for by my wonderful, loving family. I’ve only lived her for a few short weeks, but I feel like I’ve lived here all my life, and I can already tell that It’s going to be hard to leave in two years. I’m beginning to truly feel at home here in Pohnpei, a feeling I didn’t think would happen until much later in my service. Look out, here comes another dose of PCG: feeling guilty about not being homesick.

 But don’t worry, Mom and Dad, (and  of course, Kay) just because my family is amazing here, doesn’t mean my family at home isn’t just as amazing.

I’ll leave you with my two favorite lines from the Pohnpei State Anthem, sung every morning at school:

I sohte pahn kak manokehla

Ahi wasahn kouosan Pohnpei

I can never forget

Where I come from, Pohnpei

--Christy

FAQs

 One of my letter writers, the wonderful Debbie, has been asking me numerous questions, but she suggested I answer them on my blog. “I can’t be the only one who wants to know”, she wrote. I thought that sounded like a great idea. So here you go. Peace Corps FAQs.

1.       How did I decide I wanted to join Peace Corps?

This is a long story with many parts. A dear friend of mine in high school, John, always talked about joining the Peace Corps, and I always listened as he talked about it. So I was aware it existed, and a vague understanding of the details relating to application, duration, etc. Also in high school, I had the opportunity to participate in two service trips to El Conejo, Honduras with my church’s youth group. The experience was life altering, and I knew that I had to do international service again in some way. My friend Michelle and I had talked about returning to the same mission site after college and staying as long term volunteers, but unfortunately the site was closed during our Freshmen year in college, and so was my plan for post-collegiate service.

Toward the end of my Junior year in college, I was beginning to prepare for whatever I would do after school. I researched schools, and had decided I would pursue a Master’s degree in Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Everything seemed like a good idea, so I began studying for the GRE. About a month before I was scheduled to take the GRE, I was starting to have my doubts. I was in a place in my educational career when I was starting to feel disenchanted and discouraged with the whole thing. Studying frustrated me, and my plan for my future began to lack its appeal. 

One day, I kid you not, while I was watching Jeopardy, a new idea was planted. During that awkward “interview” portion directly following the first commercial break, Alex was talking to one of the contestants, who just got back from the Peace Corps. A light went on somewhere in my head, and I resolved to just Google Peace Corps later for a bit of research. I did, and decided it would be okay if I added myself to the ListServe. Almost immediately, I got an email stating that anyone who wanted to leave between June 2012- August 2012 needed to apply by a certain date, which happened to be about a week away.

I stared at the email for a while, then decided it might be fun to apply. I remember John telling me in high school how rigorous the application process was and how selective Peace Corps is, so I figured the chance of me moving along in the process were pretty slim. I am usually big on planning, so this spur of the moment decision was completely uncharacteristic. The application was lengthy, but about five days later, I had finished and submitted it. About two days later, I got an email from my local recruiter asking for an interview. Oops. So much for a harmless application. I went to the interview, knowing that this woman decided whether or not Peace Corps was in my future. I’m a big believer in things being “meant to be”. I figured, if she passed me on, then perhaps Peace Corps is something I should be doing. Well, she did.

So I was forced to make a choice. My GRE exam was fast approaching, but the Peace Corps appeared to want me. After much deliberation, I decided Grad School could wait, but that I wanted to take a chance on the experience of a lifetime.  So I canceled my test, and  here I am.

2.       Am I happy with my choice?

Absolutely. Talk to me again in two years, but so far I wouldn’t change it for anything.  This is such an amazing chance to step outside of yourself and just help others, in the most basic sense of the term. It’s incredible to be so immersed in another culture, and to have the ability to affect positive change. I am so glad I took that leap.

3.       How did I/ do I deal with the uncertainty?

Hah. Not well. For anyone who is not familiar with the application process, after you interview Peace Corps nominates you for a region of the world, but tells you to be flexible because things could change. My nomination was for Sub-Saharan Africa, so they weren’t kidding. Basically, the way Peace Corps works is they have a bunch of projects all over the world that require volunteers. Those projects begin at different times during the year, and the trick is to match your skill set to a project scheduled during your preferred departure time. So essentially, when you apply, you agree to serve, and only that. You agree to go wherever they send you, whenever they send you, and to do whatever they need you to do. As a control freak and compulsive planner, this posed a serious problem. But as probably my first step in personal growth relating to Peace Corps, I decided to try and go with the flow. So I ended up here, in a completely different region of the world, doing something completely different that I had originally thought. But I’m so glad I am.

4.       Did I know anyone who was in Peace Corps?

Yes. My friend Katie, who is two years my senior, joined Peace Corps right after college and just finished up teaching English in China. I hadn’t really been able to talk to her before she left on her service, but I definitely contacted her while I was deliberating. Her inside advice really helped.

5.       What has been my favorite “adventure” so far?

Easy. A few weekends ago, the Trainees went to visit a site called Nan Madol. It’s a collection of incredible ruins, believed to be former burial grounds and it was amazing to climb around and soak it all up. I posted photos on Facebook after our trip, but they really don’t do it justice. The structures are huge and intricate, and unfathomable. Google it right now.

6.       What has been the best part so far?

Getting to know my Peace Corps family. The other Trainees in M78 (M stands for Micronesia, and we’re the 78^th group here) are amazing, and I have relished the opportunity to get to know so many people from diverse backgrounds and regions of the country. We all have similar ideals, yet we’re all so different. I love it and them.

7.       What has been the worst part so far?

Being away from home. I have this irrationally fear that all my friends and family will forget about me while I’m here, and I hate the fact that I missing so much. Not the big things, because I get written or called about those things, but the little day-to-day events. Those are the things I miss. But the sacrifice is definitely worth it.

8.       What do I miss from the US?

Driving. FSM imports food, music, movies, etc, so while the quality might be called into question (and the price is usually absurd), those things are readily available. What I miss most is the freedom associated with driving. Peace Corps doesn’t allow us to operate motor vehicles, which is fine, but as a result, I am a slave to the taxi. It’s not too bad, it just limits my movements.

9.       What has been the most unexpected pleasure?

Hm. Breadfruit. It’s one of the most abundant fruits here. It tastes a little like a potato, and can be served in a variety of ways. My favorite is in chip form (sliced thin and fried). I ioki (It’s delicious).

10.   If I had the chance to do it again, would I?

In a heartbeat.

11.   What am I doing over here?

Teaching English! Well, not yet, school starts on the 20^th, but I will be Teaching English. Part of Peace Corps goal is sustainability, so I am co-teaching for my two years, helping to build up the teachers and their skills, so they can continue on after I’ve left.

12.   Are the Micronesians crazy about the Olympics like Americans are?

Not as far as I can tell. The only “live” feed we get here is from New Zealand, so we watch their highlights in bars sometimes. We do get American tv, but it gets here like 2 weeks after the fact. I can’t explain why, so don’t ask me. But pretty soon the Opening Ceremonies will air. I’ll let you know how things change after that. It’s been pretty hard to find Olympics anywhere, my hope is once we get the US feed, it will be easier to watch. We’ll see! The good thing about being so isolated is I have not been able to keep up with Olympic news, so even though it will be old news, it will be exciting and new to us.

13.   Am I moving? Where to and what about my host family?

Yes. On Wednesday I become an official volunteer and I move out to my permanent site. We’ve all been here in Kolonia, the capital, for training since we arrived, but we will now disperse. For security reasons, I cannot disclose on my blog my permanent site location, but I can say that it’s much more rural (which in this setting means jungle). I will be living with a different family at my permanent site and I will stay with them for the duration of my two years. Email me if you want more specifics about my new site.

14.   What do I eat?

Rice. Lots and lots of rice. Also chicken or fish. Canned meat is a big thing here, usually in the Spam variety. The occasional vegetable, and the always abundant breadfruit.

15.   What school supplies do I want sent to me?

I don’t know yet. Once I get to my site I’ll send out a formal request for things I need. Thanks for all the support!

16.   Are my Peace Corps friends leaving?

Yes and no. We have 22 in our group in total. Everyone has gone to their respective islands, but there are 7 staying here on Pohnpei with me, so they are not leaving. We are spreading out, but not separating. Unfortunately I won’t be able to see the rest of my teammates until our Mid Service Training next summer, but by then we’ll have lots of stories to share.

17.   What will happen to Lucky?

Lucky and Kissin (the kitten) will remain with my Training host family. When I come back into Kolonia, I will be able to come visit both of them.

Thanks for reading! Email me more questions if you have them!

With love,

Christy

Blog Lists

Hello all!

I'm in the process of drafting an update blog post, but in the meantime, I've managed to create a list of other blog links from my M78 Teammates that you should find at the right side of this screen. Just in case you want to check up on my friends...now you can!

Thanks for all your love and support. It is felt, even across the globe.

I swear in on August 15th, which is super soon, and I'm so excited! We move to our new villages the same day and begin our new lives. It's kind of a big day. It is also my dear friend James' first day of Law School at FSU, so if you're sending out good thoughts come Wednesday, send them two places.

The next time you hear from me, I'll be a legitimate Peace Corps Volunteer. No big deal. :)

Looking forward to the next chapter of the crazy adventure I call my life.

--Christy