SCHOOL'S OVER!!!
Hey!!!
I can’t believe it’s May already. I’ve been here almost 4 months!!!
The past few weeks have been very chaotic, and exasperating, and funny. At the moment the school year has finished and everyone is slowly filtering onto planes to take them home for the summer break. This includes the JVs who head to the Marshalls for a retreat. Then two of them will holiday in Pohnpei, one will come home for the summer break, and two will head home to the US after completintg their two years. I am furious with myself now because I missed the bus that was taking them to the airport and never got to say goodbye.
You may wonder why this blog has taken a while to appear. It’s because I have had an unlucky run of luck the past three weeks. First we had 3 days of absolutely no power, then 4 days of complete power, but at the same time, internet problems. Then the last week has been preparing for graduation so I just haven’t found the time.
The ICU program has been going well. I’m getting to know the kids better and enjoying teaching math. ICU has been going well. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching math and the kids are great, and starting to warm up to me more. They’re even understanding my accent. Sometimes the constant marking of ICU homework keeps me very busy and tired! We have done 3 weeks of the program so far, and we will discuss with Fr Arthur what the plans are for the rest of the program.
Classes finished on Friday 28th April and exams were on the following week. (their final exams are not as important as the HSC to us). On Friday the seniors conducted the ‘official transfer of power ceremony’. It turns out it want official at all. Each island representative dumped anything they could find on their successors heads. Shampoo, coconut oil (lots of it!), coke, soda, soap, cold water, deodorant, talcum powder. Friday also marked the final classes of the year!! It’s really interesting watching the seniors go through graduation when I only did it a few months ago.
The first few days of no power started on Sunday 30th when the government ran out of money to buy diesel for their generator (a common occurrence) and our generator broke. (It is still broken). It was really cool experiencing no power at night – everyone played games and chatted around kerosene lamps, and all the boys sang outside and we baked ANZAC biscuits and cakes and had a great time. One night I heard screams on the oval. I thought it was a few boys fooling around out there. But when the security guard came down and flashed his high power torch, the entire group of boys were lit up, running around the oval wildly like ants. I rushed out and was mobbed by the freshman.
I could write about graduation week for pages and pages but I thought I would be brief and let you look at the photos instead. Monday and Tuesday was spent cleaning up the whole campus and practicing. Wednesday was Cultural Day. All the parents came from all over Micronesia (some paying $2000-$6000 to fly here) to watch the dances. First we welcomed the parents with singing and then each island group opened stalls selling local food and souvenirs that their parents had brought over. I feasted with the Palauans, and ate coconut candy and coconuts with the Marshallese, and ate Kosraean tangerines and apple pie, and weaved skirts with the Yapese and so on. It was fantastic. After lunch the dances begun. The whole of Chuuk basically turned up to watch. Boys and girls did various dances from all the island nations. We also watched Japanese and Indian dances. The staff stole the show with two Chuukese dances and the haka. The boys all dressed up in charcoal and oil with loincloths and went wild with Jeremy in the haka (we couldn’t think of an Aussie dance so we went with the kiwis). The crowd loved it. It was worth it after many nights spent practicing with the staff. That afternoon I watched the sakau ritual and drank it. It was a really cool experience.
Thursday we ate lunch with the seniors and their parents. On Friday we had Baccalaureate mass and ate another huge feast. The singing at mass as beautiful, as were the decorations. On Saturday we had graduation. It went all day, with the students walking up to the stage from the new bus, in style with red gowns and caps, sunglasses and chewing gum. The setting was beautiful and the day was a scorcher. Afterwards, it is tradition to line every graduate up and let every person come and lay a wreath around their necks. You could not see their necks as they buckled under the weight of lolly necklaces, $1 note necklaces even betelnut necklaces. Then that night we had the biggest feast of my life - enough for for 1000 people, include 2 slaughtered pigs on a table. It was amazing, and it was an all round beautiful day (especially considering it had poured down the whole week before).
Other news:
I can’t believe it’s May already. I’ve been here almost 4 months!!!
The past few weeks have been very chaotic, and exasperating, and funny. At the moment the school year has finished and everyone is slowly filtering onto planes to take them home for the summer break. This includes the JVs who head to the Marshalls for a retreat. Then two of them will holiday in Pohnpei, one will come home for the summer break, and two will head home to the US after completintg their two years. I am furious with myself now because I missed the bus that was taking them to the airport and never got to say goodbye.
You may wonder why this blog has taken a while to appear. It’s because I have had an unlucky run of luck the past three weeks. First we had 3 days of absolutely no power, then 4 days of complete power, but at the same time, internet problems. Then the last week has been preparing for graduation so I just haven’t found the time.
The ICU program has been going well. I’m getting to know the kids better and enjoying teaching math. ICU has been going well. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching math and the kids are great, and starting to warm up to me more. They’re even understanding my accent. Sometimes the constant marking of ICU homework keeps me very busy and tired! We have done 3 weeks of the program so far, and we will discuss with Fr Arthur what the plans are for the rest of the program.
Classes finished on Friday 28th April and exams were on the following week. (their final exams are not as important as the HSC to us). On Friday the seniors conducted the ‘official transfer of power ceremony’. It turns out it want official at all. Each island representative dumped anything they could find on their successors heads. Shampoo, coconut oil (lots of it!), coke, soda, soap, cold water, deodorant, talcum powder. Friday also marked the final classes of the year!! It’s really interesting watching the seniors go through graduation when I only did it a few months ago.
The first few days of no power started on Sunday 30th when the government ran out of money to buy diesel for their generator (a common occurrence) and our generator broke. (It is still broken). It was really cool experiencing no power at night – everyone played games and chatted around kerosene lamps, and all the boys sang outside and we baked ANZAC biscuits and cakes and had a great time. One night I heard screams on the oval. I thought it was a few boys fooling around out there. But when the security guard came down and flashed his high power torch, the entire group of boys were lit up, running around the oval wildly like ants. I rushed out and was mobbed by the freshman.
I could write about graduation week for pages and pages but I thought I would be brief and let you look at the photos instead. Monday and Tuesday was spent cleaning up the whole campus and practicing. Wednesday was Cultural Day. All the parents came from all over Micronesia (some paying $2000-$6000 to fly here) to watch the dances. First we welcomed the parents with singing and then each island group opened stalls selling local food and souvenirs that their parents had brought over. I feasted with the Palauans, and ate coconut candy and coconuts with the Marshallese, and ate Kosraean tangerines and apple pie, and weaved skirts with the Yapese and so on. It was fantastic. After lunch the dances begun. The whole of Chuuk basically turned up to watch. Boys and girls did various dances from all the island nations. We also watched Japanese and Indian dances. The staff stole the show with two Chuukese dances and the haka. The boys all dressed up in charcoal and oil with loincloths and went wild with Jeremy in the haka (we couldn’t think of an Aussie dance so we went with the kiwis). The crowd loved it. It was worth it after many nights spent practicing with the staff. That afternoon I watched the sakau ritual and drank it. It was a really cool experience.
Thursday we ate lunch with the seniors and their parents. On Friday we had Baccalaureate mass and ate another huge feast. The singing at mass as beautiful, as were the decorations. On Saturday we had graduation. It went all day, with the students walking up to the stage from the new bus, in style with red gowns and caps, sunglasses and chewing gum. The setting was beautiful and the day was a scorcher. Afterwards, it is tradition to line every graduate up and let every person come and lay a wreath around their necks. You could not see their necks as they buckled under the weight of lolly necklaces, $1 note necklaces even betelnut necklaces. Then that night we had the biggest feast of my life - enough for for 1000 people, include 2 slaughtered pigs on a table. It was amazing, and it was an all round beautiful day (especially considering it had poured down the whole week before).
Other news:
- The local cat had a kitten a month ago. It is sooo cute now. One day it accidentally walked off the balcony and fell 3 metres. The kitten (which is only 20 cm long) actually survived. Mike, the worker, just picked it up and through it back up to me! I caught it.
- We have kept ourselves busy on weekends, often playing games with the kids. I’m getting into baseball now but I still can’t hit anything. I’ve also become master baker with Luthi. We make cakes, brownies, pizzas, and ANZAC biccies whenever there’s a spare moment.
- I’ve been sighing a lot lately when it comes to the government here. They finally filled in the collapsing bridge with coral. But apart from that nothing has improved. The government is corrupt, and gives favours like free power to their family (that includes 5th and 6th cousins). The people don’t like the govt but can’t be bothered to do anything about it. When the govt gets money for power, they spend it all at once rather than conserving it! What can you do!?
- I went to the state debate on Tues 2nd at the Supreme court. Typically, they dumped the job of organizing the whole event on one of us. AJ tried to get judges but failed (no one responds as well to a white guy as they do to a local). Consequently the judging was bias and the schools got angry at AJ for mucking it up, even though they couldn’t do it themselves. It was eventually rescheduled and Xavier came 2nd.
- Our generator is still broken. It needed one part which took a week to arrive then the workers realized they need another part so I just keep waiting.
- It’s becoming more like rainy season here – frequent showers at least every second day. The frogs go crazy. I’ve already stepped on one frog in the middle of the night - it made a horrible squishy sound.
- Aloys donated some money to Xavier. Thank you!! It was very generous.
- Happy Birthday Papa (9th May). Sorry about the late notice. Thank you for the letter too Aunty Joyce.
I’m done typing now. It’s probably such an effort for you all to read! I’ll try and keep it updated better. Bear with me.
Byeee!
posted by N at
9:51 PM
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