Last In-Country Blog

This will be my last blog I will write from Chuuk. The next, and probably last one, will be a reflection of how things are going in the States. Before I enter in my final thoughts, some things you need to know:

I will not be going to Yap. Therefore, I will not be staying longer this summer. Basically, the debate win technically went to the other school. It was an incredibly hard few days for me after I wrote the last blog, mostly because we were dealing with complaints from others about the scoring, but we also had to decide how to deal with the ridiculous judging. We ended up simply pulling out because I thought it would be too difficult and sensitive to fight, and it was the honorable thing to do. It is nice to give the two students from Berea Christian High School a chance to go to another state and represent Chuuk. My two debaters agreed with this course of action, they knew in their hearts that they truly won, and they will be off to bigger and better things in their future.

To keep this short – because I have spent a lot of emotional energy on this – the judges were either extremely incompetent or extremely biased. There is huge amount of indication that they are truly biased because they did not like the fact that two Pohnpeian students (both of our debaters were from Pohnpei) would represent Chuuk State in the National debate. Secondly, even though the Chuuk community praises the presence of Xavier, they usually have it out for us, and try to cheat us out of competitive events. I have heard this from many sources, and apparently this has been going on for a long time. But that’s the reality of things here.

And that’s why it’s a sensitive issue to fight. Filing an official complaint (something I didn’t want to do, but Fr. Arthur now has me doing) does not just touch upon the issue of faulty judging in that particular instance. To address that issue is to address the very broad injustices that are a reality in this state. It would point out, indirectly of course, that the serious lack of quality education is pervasive in all aspects of the society here, and many decades of neglect have produced adults who are either incompetent, inexperienced, or legitimately corrupt. It’s a very sad reality, but that’s how things are here. For example: one of the judges is from the College of Micronesia (COM), but most of these administrators cannot do their jobs; a student from another school took the entrance test a few weeks ago, and his test got sent to two different administrators who grade the test. The result? One test was 20 points higher than the other, even though it was the same test, graded by two different people apparently working for the same school. Such discrepancies, which seriously affect individuals, are an indication that the people in charge are not qualified. Most government officials here do not have high school diplomas!

This is ranting, yes, mostly because I need to explain how very talented, hardworking students cannot win something as simple as a debate. However, I bring this up because this is the end of my stay here, and this reality basically is the reason why people like me are here. The social injustices here in Micronesia – whether caused by the consequences of colonialism, neglect from the U.S., the difficulty of a transitioning culture, or just internal problems like corruption or straight up apathy – are sad and hard to deal with, but it has opened my eyes. My eyes are now wide open to injustices of impoverished education.

And now here I am, at the end of two of the most wonderful years of my life. I say this sentence immediately after the previous paragraphs of my ranting of the problems here on purpose. This experience was not JUST getting down and dirty in the social troubles of this place; this experience was also not JUST about the beautiful screen-saver-esque geography, the amazing and incredibly unique culture, or the friendly, loving and generous people of Chuuk. It was also not JUST about the values of simple living, community, spirituality and social justice that JVI stands for. Finally, even though about 90% of my life dealt with this, my past two years were not JUST about being a teacher here at Xavier High School. My past two years, obviously, were a mix of all of these things. And it WAS wonderful because I (think) I grew.

We had our end of the year JVI retreat on Pisar (heaven) last week, and it was very relaxing and important. The sessions were intense but I definitely got a lot out of it. The ones for Jackie, Chris and I were very intense. I had a feeling there was going to be reverse culture shock (probably the theme of my next blog), but they went in depth with the stages of reverse culture shock. So for those of you that encounter me when I first get home, please bear with me.

Other than that, graduation, the baccalaureate mass and other end of the year parties were very good. No need to get into those. Saying goodbye, and realizing that my work here is finished (even though I’ve been busy with organizing and cleaning and wrapping things up constantly since school has been completed) is pretty hectic. A bit emotional, too. I’m sure it will hit me HARD later on.

I’m not sure what else I can say. I will be home very soon. I have 35 gigabytes of pictures and videos for all to see. I will have many stories and things to say, but I’m sure I will not know how to say it. They told us at the retreat that when people ask you how your “trip” was, you respond with either the 30 second version or the 30 minute version. I’ll try to keep it reasonable.

Thank you all faithful readers and package-senders and letter-senders and email-corresponders. It has helped me more than you know. Now you just have to visit me at home, or let me sleep on your couch.

Peace.

Debate Again

So yesterday (Saturday May 12th) was the Chuuk State Debate…

Before I go on with what happened, let me fill you in with some background details. Last year I was in charge of organizing the whole thing. Things fell apart, it was kind of a mess, and it was the first time I really had a look into the state of things here on Chuuk. Last year, I used words like “ridiculous” and “incompetent”, and it is unfortunate that most events or general matters are not sufficiently, efficiently, or properly run/organized/dealt with. Basically, it showed me how band aids are constantly used here: they ask a 2 year American volunteer to run this Chuuk State debate which SHOULD be run by the department of Justice (just like how the other JVs run the Interscholastic events for basketball, volleyball and track and field).

As for this year, I was in charge. BUT the guy at the Supreme Court (it’s his job I’m basically taking over) agreed to get the judges and arrange communication between schools; two things that I (or anyone else up at Xavier) can not feasibly do. So, unlike last year, things were more organized. Yesterday, after driving down my team to the court, I helped get the court ready, and everything really fell into place: the judges actually arrived (on time!) and ALL the schools (4 of them, including us) arrived (on time!)! We actually started at 9:00 AM, like we agreed, not island time (30 minutes to 2 hours later).

Long story short, Xavier beat Saramen (the school that won last year), then Chuuk High and Berea Christian High (two schools that are not, unfortunately, up to the standards of Xavier or Saramen) faced off, with Berea winning. It was not the prettiest form of debate I have seen, but I am immensely proud that these two schools are participating and learning. Usually, in the past, it was JUST Xavier and Saramen, but it is wonderful to see more schools participate. Then for the final round, we faced off with Berea. Everyone knew before we would win, and during the debate, it was very evident that Xavier was stronger and Berea, trying their best, could not compete.

However, according to the judges, Xavier lost.

I will not spend the rest of this blog elaborating WHY Xavier obviously did not lose. But it is the opinion of everyone that the judges were either:

1) completely incompetent in the ways of debate, even though they are adults (with rather important positions in the Chuukese community, by the way), AND they had the rules for judging in front of them;

or 2) the judges felt sorry for Berea, OR they discriminated against Xavier because both of the debaters are Pohnpeian (as opposed to being Chuukese).

No matter what the reason was for the obviously ridiculous ruling, everyone was shocked. Everyone. No one was happy – students, teachers, people working for the court, people not affiliated with Xavier high school – no one.

BUT, we had to count up the points from BOTH of the debates held that day, and Xavier ended up winning the whole debate.

So my team came in first place. My students won, and I am very, very proud of them.

Needless to say, I am emotionally exhausted now: drained from moderating this huge event all morning, incredibly proud of my students for winning, absolutely fuming over this poor, poor decision by the judges (which hurts the credibility of the event, and also does not give fair due to both the Xavier and Berea students – AND something like this honestly feels like a nightmare that it will haunt me for a while), and lastly I am very relieved that this last of my big responsibilities here is over with.

So here is some big news:

The winners from each FSM state go to the National Debate in Yap in the beginning of July. All expenses are paid for the two debaters and the coach. Well, since I am the coach, I would like to go, so right now I am in the process of seeing if I can change my plane ticket and leave from here one month later. So all of you that were expecting me home in June, there is a good chance that I may be home by the end of July. It is a bit sad knowing that I will delay seeing everyone, but this will be an opportunity that I will not want to miss. And what is one more month? It’s not like I have a job to go back to.

Debate is finished! I have hundreds of pages of grading to look forward to this week. Then my work is really done.

Almost there.

Matter of Weeks

Greetings everyone. To my multitide of blog fans (my parents and maybe 2 other souls), I sincerely apologize. My excuse would normally be that I was really busy (I was). But I honestly didn't think anything NEW was happening. It's the same old stuff: work work work, enjoying my short free times, the students are well, still pains and still love to scream and run around in their underwear, still have plenty of problems with this school, but the faculty and staff are hanging in there. My classes are going well, we just had Track and Field Day, and I have 2 weeks of classes left.

It's crazy. Yesterday I planned out my entire Geometry class (circles!!) and I will plan out the rest of my other classes today. It's funny, because while I'm planning, I am telling myself that I need more classes to finish what I need to teach! It's just insane that it's all coming to an end.

May 12th I have the debate. The team is working hard this year, but now that Track and Field is over, we will really start preparing a lot more. The proposition is about the FSM having an office of a Special (Independent) Prosecutor. It's very interesting, and I am actually learning a good amount
about this. So at least I have that to keep working on.

But other than that, this is basically it. my 2 years are up. And I'm trying not to think about it that much. Sure, when I go online and talk with people at home, that's all they bring up, and I bring it up as well, but as soon as I step away from the computer, it's back to reality and continuing my lesson planning, grading, sweating (it's really hot here, incase you forgot) and just getting through one day at a time.

I will be home sometime in mid-June. Again, just writing that is nuts, but knowing that it will be a reality very soon is something.

So that's really it right now. People ask me how I'm feeling, and at this point I say "Excited." I mean, we're all so exhausted that I AM ready to be finished with classes and these students. However, we all know that after 2
weeks, I will become more nervous, sad, depressed, who knows. But right now the feeling is not that bad. I'll let you know in a few weeks.

Oh, by the way, Campbell sent me a 40 gigabyte external hard drive for me to bring home all of the pictures and videos I want (it took 3 months to get here, but it got here). This thing is soooo big I can probably erase all of the computers at this school and back them up. This thing can also fly and make espressos. Just kidding. Point is you will all see plenty of quality pictures when I get home.

Take care and see you all soon!

The Past Two Years in Numbers

It's been a long time, everyone, but I'm still here.

I'm in the middle of Easter Break right now. This has been a break all of us have been looking forward to since January. Thank goodness for this break.

But the thing on my mind is the fact that I have 2 months left. It's crazy to think about. But I am resting up in order to reenergize myself, so the last 5 weeks of teaching are worthwhile.

There are new pictures uploaded as well. Enjoy those. And enjoy this blog by numbers.

Also, I can finally say with sincerity: "See you all soon."


Number of times I taught class with footwear: 0

Number of smelly teenage boys that sleep in the dorm right below me: 80

Number of inches my hair grew out to: 6-7

Number of waterfalls hiked to: 3 (4 if you count the Twin Waterfalls as 2)

Number of tiny kids who didn’t speak English I befriended (Let’s do the math: each village/small lagoon island has anywhere from 5-20 little kids, times the number of villages/small lagoon islands I’ve been to. Of course, this does not even count Pohnpei and the dozens of kids in Majuro…): A LOT

Number of new languages I can say "hello" in: 7 (6 of them you probably never heard of before)

Number of feet (depth) that I swam above in the ocean: probably a few
hundred; visibility only went down to 60 feet.

Number of times I experienced below 65 degree weather in the past two years: (not counting the super market in Guam) 0

Number of times to eat strawberries, steak, gorgonzola cheese, bagels, pesto sauce, fresh (insert ANYTHING): 0

Number of students taught: around 150

Number of subjects I had to "master" in order to "teach": 5

Number of times I wore shoes in the past year (starting from this August): 0

Number of satellites viewed in one hour: over 8, then stopped counting.

Number of times it snowed: 3 (just kidding)

Number of sports related to badminton I have mastered: 1

Number of glasses I had to go through: 4

Number of permanent scars (so far): 2

Number of Japanese and Indonesian items of clothing I now own: 3 and 1, respectively, so 4

Number of centimeters of my current (and thickest) zorries (sandles): .9 – 1.2 cm (some parts are worn down)

Number of nights to sleep on the hard floor or hard surface: Probably over 20

Number of days without any power (island power or school generator): record, during last year’s final exams, around 3

Number of days Chuuk had 24-hour power: Well, it began in the middle of this February, but last week we had 3 days without any island power, so about 60. (Of course, there were a few days in those 60 where island power went out for an hour/6 hours/12 hours, then continued generating long lasting power)

Number of times to see the president of the FSM / times we hung out with the president: 3 / 2

Pwa pwa pwi pwi pwe pwe
(The Happy, Friendly Turtle)

Chuukese Arranged Marriage

So this is the third piece in a series of my Junior's English Skills Expository Essays. This is by a Chuukese female who wrote about the practice of arranged marriage. Who better to let you in on some insights about the culture than a Chuukese, right? Forgive the grammar or high school level style, but the content should hopefully be interesting. Less than 3 months left. Keep finding me jobs. Oh, and a huge thanks to my grandparents and my uncle Charlie for awesome packages. Shout out!

In the islands of Chuuk State, arranged marriage has been known to be a very important and beneficial type of marriage to the Chuukese. Arranged marriage, which is also known as fixed marriage, has been practiced ever since the beginning of the Chuukese society. There are many things that brought about fixed marriage, however, there are three main factors: Political reasons, Social relations, and the chief’s reasons. Arranged marriage helps the Chuukese take what they want or accomplish their decisions, therefore, it is very crucial and it is still practiced today.

Political reasons is one of the reasons for fixed marriage. Families that are very large and powerful in certain societies are the main targets for those that are running for a seat in the government. Arranging a marriage between a candidate’s daughter or son and a child of a powerful family can help the candidate get more votes and win the position in the government. However, arranging a marriage for the candidate’s sake is not the only reason marriage is fixed. Within a society or community, a particular family that has been seeking power to control the whole society can look for another well known family within the society and make an arrangement of their children’s marriage with the intention of joining to rule the whole society. Of course, this arrangement always happens since people are looking for more power and fame within their communities.

Another crucial reason for arranged marriage is that the social relations are very important to the Chuukese. They considered friendships to be forever and promise to be kept between each other no matter what. Families with strong relations are said to need a strong bond to keep them together. With their children married together, the families live with the conviction that their friendship will never break. Promises of many important things, such as the responsibility of taking care of one’s land or taking care of one’s family, can also be made through arranged marriage. Through this marriage, the relationships and promises are kept and it is very difficult to break the rare chance the couple get their children are already married.

Last but not least, is the chief’s reasons are important factors in arranged marriages. In Chuuk’s history, the lineage of chiefs cannot be mixed with the lower ones. For the sake of their islands and in order to expand the lineage of chiefs, a daughter of a chief has to marry a son of a different chief. When a daughter of a chief marries the son of a chief from a different island, those islands can form alliances and help each other in whatever they need. As for the chiefs’ lineages, they will grow on both islands from which the married couples come from. In this case, the chiefs’ blood does not mix with the blood of the lower ones and alliances are formed between the two islands.

All of these things are the main reason for the instigation of arranged marriage. When arranged marriage is fixed between the children of different families for certain reasons, the children’s families are elated with the conviction that their dream has finally come true. As for the participants, they are sad that it is not fate that brings them together, but the will of their families, particularly, the fathers. On the contrary, some are very happy and they are married for as long as they live because they turned out to really love each other.

Over all, this form of marriage has helped many people in Chuuk State who are running for a position in the government, those who want more power in society, and the relationship between each other is kept and remained
strong. Over the past few years, those who found the meaning or truth of arranged marriage to be an ambiguous one, finally grasped the real meaning, understanding, and the reason why arranged marriage is very important to the natives and their ancestors in the past. Though, today’s modern life is changing the Chuukese life style, arranged marriage is still practiced in the islands of Chuuk State.

Palauan Culture

I hope you enjoyed the previous post, written by a Junior Yapese. I have another essay written by a Palauan Junior female about her native culture. I also hope you enjoy this one. You may find it interesting, or you may not.
Nothing new is going on. We had Crazy Day last week, which is just an excuse for the students to go absolutely nuts: scream, wear women's clothing, yell some more, run around, and flip out for no reason. I'm still getting through one week at a time. Always busy, always tired, but trying hard not to stress out. Time is honestly moving by too quickly. I basically have three months left, but, let's be honest, the month of May doesn't count because it's the last month and it's full of final exams, parties, saying goodbye, and freaking out because I'll be entering the real world soon. But your emails still help, and I'm still unsure of what's going on when I get home. Oh well. Enjoy.

A symbol, not embroidered on a flag or tattooed on one's body, but is worn around the neck of a woman. Each has a legend, which came from gods or mystical creators. There are hundreds of these legendary symbols varying in size, shape, color, and design. Each symbolizes wealth and status within each village of the Islands of Palau. The precious item is the traditional Palauan Money. They are rectangular-curved and circular stone beads symbolizing Palauan heritage.

The traditional Palauan Money varies in size, color, design and value. Most of the beads are made of colored stones and a few are made of glass materials, but the stones have a higher value than the glass. The colors of the stone range from yellow and orange to bright orange-red, and the glass looking beads range from light blue to sea-green. One type of bead money had a feather hanging from a small hole in the middle. The bigger the Palauan money, the bigger the value it possesses.

The ancient Palauan Money is extremely valuable; and therefore, not everyone is given the privilege or responsibility of holding this item. The old women of a family or clan is in charge of holding on to these valuables. The respected old women are given the power to choose which of their daughters, granddaughters, or any female in the clan will hold the precious item around their neck. According to tradition, only the old woman who hung the money around your neck could unhook the bead, or until the woman's death. When the respected old woman dies, all the Palauan Money in the family is passed on to either the deceased's sister or the second ranking woman in the clan. If the deceased woman has no sister, the money can be passed on to her eldest daughter, as the Palauan money may never be in the possession of a male.

However, the traditional money was not only worn on the neck but also used during customs and other occasions. In the old days, Palauan money was presented to a girl's family when a man came to ask for marriage. The traditional money was also presented again to the woman's family during a divorce. The Palauan money is also used when women are pregnant, wearing a round, yellow bead called "Omebael," to symbolize pregnancy. Women also wear Palauan money when presented to their husband's family during the first child hot-bath ceremony, showing that the mother and father of the baby are married. The Palauan money is not only used as a symbol for marriage, childbirth, and divorce, but is used to buy land as well as a house.

Therefore, Palauan money usually circulates between clans and families. Once presented to a clan, or family, one has the right to either keep the money within their family or use it in customs. Most Palauans these days choose to keep the traditional money within their family since problems arise of who originally owned the money.

The Palauan money has been used for many centuries. The money is a symbol of pride, culture, and heritage of the Palauans. Palauan customs are incomplete without the presence of this traditional object. The Palauan people have been able to keep this piece of their heritage until now and will continue to do so for many more generations

Yapese Traditional Dance Essay

Americans have 4th of July parades and picnics. Americans also have country fairs and Mardi Gras. Japan has the Tea Ceremony. Spain has the Running of the Bulls. And the state of Yap, the most traditional group of islands in all of Micronesia, perhaps the whole Pacific, has the Gaselaew. Here is an expository paper, written by one of my best students from Yap, about a very important cultural dance they still perform today.

GASELAEW

In the Western Carolines, on the island of Yap, a dance known as the Gaselaew* is performed synchronously that even the inhaling and exhaling of the dancers are done simultaneously. This dance consists of a single line of men who move in perfect unison. The lineup encompasses all ages from young boys to old men who still have the capacity to stand on their own. The Gaselaew is performed in a Malal*, a dancing arena positioned in front of the Faluw* or men’s house. Accounting for the dance’s compelling oneness and for the sake of it’s preceding reputation, the Gaselaew Dancers or Towrug* sacrifice long hours of organizing themselves mentally and physically before the dance.

On the day of the Gaselaew, the Dancer rises from a long night sleep and gets ready to depart from home. Firstly, he begins his day with a verbal recitation of the Gaselaew chant, the Bugan* and practices the most difficult movements of the dance. This method notifies the dancer of the liability of his voice and informs him which flick of the hand or which turn of the head he should meticulously pay more attention to when dancing. Secondly, the Dancer will take a morning swim. This physical exercise stretches and loosens his muscles to preclude cramps and avoid spraining in the course of the Gaselaew’s strenuous movements. Then, he returns to his house and eats a simple meal. The Dancer must not eat fish and only consume fresh or recently cooked food to prevent his voice from faltering during the dance. After his light breakfast, the fully nurtured man gathers the materials required for the Gaselaew. Such Materials include a Thaway*, a necklace of polished stones and shells passed down in his family for generations and a Taliyaw*, a crown of red strings and yellow dried bark intertwined to form a crisscrossing pattern with a tail feather. He accumulates the necessary utensils in a freshly made basket woven from coconut leaves, which he will carry with him. Lastly, he takes a shower, wears his Thuw*, or loincloth attire, and proceeds to the Faluw.

As the Dancer approaches the Faluw, he will search for a quiet, comfortable place to sit where he could mentally rehearse the Gaselaew while he awaits his co-dancers and the audience to assemble. The Dancer seizes every opportunity to practice the dance by himself. Habitually, he does this to reassure himself that he remembers every line and the specific movements executed in correspondence with each one. As a Towrug’s code of conduct, he
must be chivalrous and must lend assistance if needed. However, most of the time, he dwells in silence and reflective thought running the Gaselaew back and forth through his mind. Furthermore, he tries to attain composure which will warrant an exemplary performance later on. During his meditative trance, the Dancer listens to his teacher’s voice which overtime has found a permanent place at the back of his head and is his inanimate guide through the duration of the dance. With his head held high and his chin in the wind, the Towrug suffuses himself in a mental world seeking perfection.

Once the dance hour draws near, the calm rested man transforms himself into a Gaselaew Dancer. First, he will complete his attire by adding to his Thuw, a Bagiy* and thin dried strips of white hibiscus fiber also known as Galq*. A Bagiy is another type of loincloth designed in the Neighboring Islands(Outer Islands) of Yap. The type of Bagiy used for the Gaselaew is the striped, black and white pattern. It is tied around the Thuw with the Galq, making the dancer look majestic. Secondly, the Dancer ties his Palug* or leg decorations made of thin strips of betelnut leaves* that covers the calves like long socks with bristles. After the Palug, he puts on his Tem*, arm bands knotted from dyed coconut leaves with the ends protruding at the sides. Red and yellow flowers, known as Hana*, are tied with the Tem. However, the quality that distinguishes a Towrug is his golden shine. Pounded ginger roots dissolved in coconut oil excretes this yellow shade which is called Rrang* on the island. Next, the Dancer puts on his lei, Thaway and Lubuw*. His lei is made of yellow, red and white flowers along with some green fabricating a colorful, pleasant smelling ornament which matches his golden skin and crimson Thuw. Besides, his lei and his Thaway, he wears a second necklace called the Lubuw, which is made from double strands of a single white coconut leaf. This Lubuw is believed to posses supernatural power such as the prevention of a downpour and said to hold the stability and durability of the Towrug’s composure. Afterwards, the Dancer sprinkles himself with temporary counter black magic to prevent jealous spectator from cursing him. Finally, after everything else, he puts on his Taliyaw and joins his fellow dancers.

Lastly, the final rituals are performed before the Gaselaew begins. After the dancers have erected a line and confirmed that all of them are present, and escort will lead them to the Malal. Traditionally, the escort’s role is to dispel demons or evil spirits by chanting and lashing about with a branch of Yabung* or the Holy Tree. However, the escorts’ purpose is not limited to only dispatching evil, but also to serve as attention grabbers. Therefore, most escorts are battle polished , muscular men. While the Gaselaew Dancers carry out after the escort, their heads are bent and faces avert to prevent recognition and interaction with the audience before the dance. When the dancers enter, unlike most audiences, the crowd remains silent, this atmosphere of serenity spares the Dancers time to empty their minds of all thought and gives the Master or Teacher of the Gaselaew the chance to address the people. After welcoming the spectators and paying homage and respect to the chiefs, the Master blesses his Dancers. He begins by touching each of them with valuable artifacts such as shell money and presenting them to the audience. This ritual is mainly done to banish any negative sentiments that the people might have towards the Dancers. By then, the Towrugs have formulated a perfect line with the tallest in the middle and the shortest at the ends. They all have their heads bowed empty of thought, waiting for the hour to literally hypnotize the crowd. Finally, after a few moments of silence, a battle cry splinters the tranquility. The Dancers raise their heads and look straight into the eyes of the spectators as the Gaselaew is commenced.

The Dancers, because of the synchronously performed dance, need both physical and mental rest before the Gaselaew. The whole day of preparation is meant to fulfill this need. Composure is crucial for the perfection of concurrent movements. To attain this virtue, one must practice frequently, reciting the Bugan or rehearsing the difficult strenuous movements of the Gaselaew. This dance is considered by most Yapese to be the most difficult to learn and arduous to master. Therefore, the Towrugs are honored in Yap as “gods among men”.