Relaxation, Anticipation

This weekend, we went to the island of Pisar. It is about an hour away from our island, Weno, and close to the size of a football field, maybe a little smaller. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We left Friday afternoon and spent the weekend relaxing, exploring the island, snorkeling and walking along the reef. During this time of year, flies infest Pisar, so we had a few meltdowns with how many flies there were; otherwise, it was an amazing weekend! The beautiful thing about Pisar is that it is on the edge of the Chuuk Lagoon, meaning we can go swimming in the true Pacific Ocean and see all of the awesome sea creatures, including reef sharks, eels, and a ton of fish. It was exactly what we needed to refresh ourselves and get ready for the first week of school!

This year, I am teaching four sections. I am teaching one section of sophomore biology, two sections of junior literature, and one section of senior English skills. It will be a big challenge lesson planning for three different classes, and probably an even bigger one teaching all four of them, but I’m excited to get going. We had our Mass of the Holy Spirit on Friday before we left for Pisar, and it was really great getting to see all the students. Another great thing is that the Saram students are incredible singers, and it made mass so beautiful. I’m fired up and ready to start off the semester; it will have its challenges, and I still have to learn how to actually teach, but it will be a growing experience for all of us!

The Little Things

My journal excerpt from yesterday:

“It’s the little things. I say that all the time, and I mean it, but I always seem to forget that for me, the little things really matter. So, I got a little reminder of that from my neighbors this afternoon. It rained today, it rained hard. And when I went up to grab something from my room, I heard a giggle coming from outside. I looked out my window, and saw my neighbor’s little boy, butt naked, shampoo on his head, empty half of a milk carton in his hand, gathering rainwater as he danced and laughed and ran around the compound, sometimes dumping the water on his head but most of the times throwing it everywhere but. A rain shower. And an infectious giggle. It’s the little things.”

My Host Family

This weekend, we all went to our host families for the first time! My host family lives on the island of Udot. It is about a 40 minute boat ride from Weno, where we are all staying. That is when the weather is good and the lagoon waters are calm, which wasn't the case Friday. It had rained most of the night Thursday and into Friday, so the lagoon was really rough. Doesn't make for a very cozy boat ride, especially in a 15 ft. boat. Luckily, Jo my hot dad is an expert behind the wheel, so it wasn't too too bad. We got there and we were all soaked to the skin though, because the waves were hitting us on one side and the rain was getting us on the other! It was definitely a first boat ride to remember!

That night, we just had dinner and I went to bed. Nai Nai (my oldest sister) made sashimi and fried fish, which was amazing. Nai Nai has given us all Chuukese lessons in the past, so hopefully I can convince her to do that again this year. We definitely need it! Nai Nai has two  younger sisters, Crystal and Keinani. Crystal will be home from school in about a week, so I will get to meet her then. The way the family unit works, Kiki (my host mom) also has five of her nephews living in the compound with her, Jo, her parents, and her daughters, so there are 12 people overall. All the kids call Kiki "Mom," so the boys are all my brothers and the girls are all my sisters. The youngest of her nephews is about 12, and his name is Kanei Jr. He's an awesome kid, even though we can't communicate very well.

Saturday morning after breakfast, Kanei Jr. comes up to me and says "Sa na" (pronounced sa dah) and we're off into the jungle. We went to go pick some breadfruit. The way they prepare it is by picking it from the trees, boiling it, and pounding it into dough form. Hence, bread-fruit! Everyone I met here can climb trees like it's nobody's business. Two of the older boys, Jess and Rifsan, came with us, and they were at least 30 feet up trying to get at the fruit. And then Kane Jr. shimmied his way up a palm tree no problem to get us some coconuts while we waited. It was crazy! Pretty cool!

After a nap and lunch, we were back out adventuring. This time, we just went and grabbed big leaves to wrap the finished breadfruit in, and then came back and played foursquare for a good three hours. It was a ton of fun! I'm glad foursquare is a universal game, and that you don't need to say much to play! Whenever I did say anything, I got laughed at because I said it wrong. Guess I'm going to need to practice more!

We came back to the house and Kiki got out her ukelele and started playing and singing, and the rest of the weekend, random family members would be walking around doing the same. The Chuukese are so talented! It's awesome to listen to. Saram students are known for their ability to sing, so I'm really excited for that (yes, I know, I can't sing...living vicariously through others!).

It got dark pretty early, and Kanei Jr. and I went and laid under the sky for a while, watching the bats waking up. After, we went to their back yard area and hung out while he sang some songs with one of the neighbors. After a few minutes, Kanei Jr. stuck his arm around me, leaned in and said "my brother." For knowing him for only a day, it was really heartwarming to hear that. It will definitely be something I look back upon when we start hitting hard times. And I know I have a family here in Chuuk.

Sunday morning, we went to mass, and came back and played more foursquare and some volleyball. After that, took another nap, had lunch and got in the boat to come back to Weno! It was an incredible weekend with an incredible family, and I am so blessed that they have taken me in. I can't wait to spend more time with them in the future, and to keep learning more about this place and people.