Pisariarts

Hey all! I just arrived back after my vacation on a deserted tropical island paradise - can you beat that? Since we have spent the entire summer break at Xavier Fr Arthur decided to give us a break on Pisar. This small island sits on the edge of Chuuk Lagoon, a 1 hour boat ride from Weno Island. Pisar has a clear advantage over other Chuukese islands. The first thing you notice when you arrive is that it is clean. There’s no car wrecks or broken bottles. A Chuukese family lives on the island and keeps it in perfect condition. Pisar has beautiful sandy beaches and is surrounded by reefs and sandbars. The island is smaller than a football field and covered in palm trees and shrubs. You can actually walk around barefoot safely, feeling soft, normal sand under your feet.

The Pisariarts, as we called ourselves, were made up of Diego (the 20 yr old son of Mike in charge of maintenance at Xavier), Texter and Kevin (senior students at Xavier), Jeremy and me.

We arrived at Pisar on Friday morning and were greeted with gloomy skies and rain. The family were very nice and offered us fish and a unique dish – it was sea cucumber mashed and cut into tiny, slimy, very chewy pieces. It was a bit hard to swallow, but I swallowed it. Our accommodation was luxury. We had a nicely built house with tiled bathroom and shower, wooden floors, a nice balcony and a double bed – a proper bed!

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, which we spent snorkeling and swimming all day. This sun disappeared at lunch and did not appear until Thursday, the day we left Pisar. Instead the whole week was gloomy, cloudy, windy and wet. Luckily this did not dampen our spirits. The sea water was very warm and we swam everyday, rain hail or shine. Over the week we explored the reefs and walked to the very edge of Chuuk Lagoon. It was really cool seeing the waves crash on the rock shelf that stretched for miles on either side. We also explored the other nearby islands. There were 4 small islands linked by sandbars which were covered in hermit crabs. Texter taught me the art of hunting for and removing hermit crabs from their shells. We used them for bait and fishing was very successful (until we ran out of hooks and line).

The family cooked our first meals and then left to go to Weno for the week, leaving us totally alone on the island. We lazed around in hammocks or on the double bed and cooked our own meals (mainly corned beef, luncheon loaf and tuna). Since there was no power, we ate early and relaxed on the beach (if it wasn’t wet) under a full moon (if the clouds didn’t cover it). It was early to bed and early to rise most days. We played plenty of cards and games, and Jeremy also taught the guys wrestling moves. They are now all fanatical WWE fans. My only complaint was the flies -- there were thousands of them that pestered us until nighttime.

On the final night the skies cleared and the beautiful full moon lit up the island. We swam in the warm water watching the silhouette of the Chuuk lagoon islands behind us. The next morning was stunning – the clear water sparkled and so did Pisar. We swam and took in as much sun as we could before we had to leave.

When we arrived back home, Xavier was waterlogged. It was also very busy – all the new JVs had arrived and all the old teachers had come back. One of the JVs actually arrived in Chuuk in a wheelchair after slashing her entire knee open on a rock while playing soccer in Pohnpei. It may be a month before the stitches heal and she can walk! I missed everyone, but I also found it very strange having so many people around. Things seem so much louder and busier and I wish it was quieter again. Power is fairly regular now and the internet is variable. The JVs are struggling to cope after having such luxuries in Pohnpei. Dinner time is more interesting now as there are plenty of stories to tell.

Yesterday the Pisariarts crew helped paint one side of the interior of the dorm. After working with my Dad, I was shocked to see the way the boys paint – ‘careful’ is not one of the things they think of when painting. Paint was splattered on the floors and the beds and the lockers, but at least the walls got coated in it.

Planning for lessons begins next week. I am officially teaching freshman algebra this year and may also be helping Jeremy and Buddy with the computer courses as well. Life is sweet and I hope yours is good too. Take care.