Finals, School Picnic, Freshman CSP and getting ready for XMAS

What's up everyone! It's been a real long time since I updated this. I've been really busy with finals and relaxing. Finals week was very busy, then we had a small break, then two more weeks of classes before the week long winter break. Right now it's Saturday, one more week of classes, then break time. Here is what's been going on:

Finals Week

For my English Skills final, there was a Vocab Exam with 50 questions, but ALSO an essay due. The essay was actually based off the Manresa Talks format: they had to choose a life aspect (all that were used as topics for the Manresa retreat) like community, commitment, family, friends, obstacles, suffering and so on. Their essays were actually very good. They were upset because I wouldn't accept any rough drafts, which they usually depend on, but I told them they needed to write something on their own and do their own revisions and checks. THey all turned out to be very good, which pleased me. The sophomores, however, not so well on their HIstory Exam. They were doing much better in the quarter, but they still do not know how to study for tests. I'll work on that this quarter, obviously. Grading is always tough during Finals time, I was told, and it was true. But I made it my goal to grade as soon as the tests were over. I got most of them done on that very day, too, which was good. I didn't want grading to drag out. The first exam was on a monday, and the last one on a Thursday. Thursday was the school picnic...

School Picnic

Every year the entire school (except for the students on the Drug List, meaning they were caught or suspected of using drugs) go to a nearby island for a day-long picnic. We left early in the morning, packed on top of this flatbed, and arrived at the docks where a pretty big boat loaded us on (check pictures). After an hour boat ride we arrived to a very small island, about the size of a football field or two, and anchored about 300 yards from the island while small boats started picking up the students and staff to ferry them to the island. Chris Dwyer, Joe and I, however, didn't want to wait, so we were the cool ones and jumped in the water and swam to shore. It was longer than I thought, andwe barely made it. I jumped in and thought to myself "man these waves are choppier than we thought." Then I swallowed a lot of salt water, and struggled to be the cool teacher and swim to shore. But I was fine.
So on this small island, we basically swam around in the beautiful and warm water the entire day and played in the sand. We had a short mass at the cetner of the island, and had a good, relaxing time until sunset. Also, there were many sand fights, which were a bit intense at first, seeing that we were getting sand in our eyes and mouth and ears, and I was hit at least twice point blank range with huge sand ball in the head, but sand fights are pretty awesome. I told the kids that they would never go over in the US. Anyway, it was a real fun time. Going to the small islands in the lagoon is not that much of a big deal any more. They're all beautiful, amazing coral, great swiming water. I appreicate it every time, but it's like "going to the beach" back home. There is more of that special feel and extra prepaaration needed.

Freshman CSP

So after being thoroughly exhausted from being in the sun all day and swimming all day and having many sand fights, Friday, the real first day off, was supposed to be very relaxing, finishing up grading and just taking it easy and enjoying the fact that finals were over. However, one of the other American volunteers, not a JV, got sick, and he was supposed to be one of the faculty that was going on the Freshman Community Service Project (CSP) that day. So Joe, the frehsmna class moderator who was also going, asked me to come along. I havent gone on a CSP yet because I am supposed to go next year. I definitely said yes, for a few reasons. One, I really wanted to help out with a CSP. Second, I wan't to get to know the Freshman class a lot more. I dont have them for class, only a few as advisees, and maybe play sports with a few. But I wanted to get to know them better so I can be friends with them and be ready for them next year. Finally, I wanted to experience life outside of Xavier campus, and this CSP was going to be done in Sapuk, the neighborhood that Xavier is located next to. As you have seen from the pictures, it's a completely different world. I have been accustomed to passing by these houses and neighborhoods on my walks and driving by, but this was the first time that I would be staying, eating and sleeping with some local Chuukese for 3 days and 2 nights.
So after a meeting and mass, all of the freshman, the faculty moderators and I walked about 20 minutes down the road to the place we were staying. It was this big meeting house where mass is sometimes held, people eat, and people sleep. It's just a big room with screen windows surround it with a kind of soft floor for sleeping. People actually sleep there, not just guests. Traditional Micronesians usually sleep on mats on the floor. That night I just used my backback as a pillow and I slept on a sheet. It wasn't that bad, actually.
So that friday night we were just chillin around this meeting house, which is also next to a few other houses in the community. There wasn't much to do that night, and because there was a death in one of the family's houses a few months ago, the mourning period was still going on, so we had to be very respectful and quiet. It was hard for the freshman to be hushed all of the time, but they managed. After the girls left to go sleep with some sponsor families, the boys went to a shower/bath ... um, hole, about 20 minutes away. Joe, Kieran (the Australian volunteer) and I stayed back to write letters. However, there were many little kids around, and as of now they are my new best friends. Earlier that afternoon I was entertaining them with card tricks. But that night, while sitting under a light, the kids slowly started to congregate around me and Joe. We eventually started trading the paper and pen back and forth, drawing pictures and trying to talk to each other. They knew very little english, and I know less Chuukese. But they were absolutely adorable and really cute. They were about 10 years old, both boys and girls. I have many pictures of them. Man, they were awesome. I entertained them with the thumb trick, where it looks like I'm pulling my thumb apart. They loved that, and they were "chopping" my thumb in half for the next two days. They never got tired of it. I also taught them that rope dance that I do. Basically, I could have been there all night entertaining them, but we both had to go to sleep.
The next day, Saturday, we got up early, met up with the girls, and took two flatbeds to a church in the neighborhood, near the Japanese dock that we swim at. We worked on it all day by cutting grass with machettes, pulling weeds, sweeping the inside, and painting the inside and outside. There are a lot of pictures. For the mst part the freshman did a great job doing a lot of work, even though I heard that the other classes liked to slack off on the other CSPs. It was a hot day but we all managed to get through. We had the staple meal for lunch: chicken, rice and tapioca. That's basically all they eat. Chuukese food is a bit bland, which I'm not too pleased with, but it's good. There is also fish sometimes, which I sometimes eat. I actually love raw fish now, sashimi.
Anyway, after a hard day's work, we all went to the Japanese dock to cool off, then we walked back to the meeting house were staying at. On the way a student was trying to be funny and accidently knocked my glasses off. They were already snapped, for those of you who dont know that, and they resnapped. So I had to cheat the CSP and walk back to Xavier to re-tape and glue them (I'm such a nerd). I also cheated by taking a nice shower. (PS, I havent taken a hot shower since July. I'm not really complaining, because it's hot here most of the tmie, so cold showers are welcome, but there are rainy days and cold nights and cool mornings where I could use a hot shower. But, again, it's one of these things I'm accustomed to now, and it's just funny to think that I used to take hot showers and couldnt stand cold showers.)
That night, after the boys showered and the girls showered at their sponser's houses, we had a toned-down entertianment, in respect for the community and the mourning they were still observing. It was beautiful, actually. Each island nation (the Marshalls, Kosrea, Yap, Pohnpei, Palau and Chuuk) got in their groups and sung some traditional songs. I will have to record them sometime and get them home for all of you. It seems as if everyone's voices in Micronesia are trained for singing. Lucky.
The American group, along with Kieran, sang a funny version of Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. We messed up and acted a bit goofy, which everyone got a huge kick from. Joe later explained to me that it was actually really good that we messed up, because everyone usually has this impression that Americans are always with it and perfect, so whenever we act goofy or mess up, the Micronesians, especially the more traditional ones, get a huge kick from it. It is humbling, Joe said, and it was a very interesting perspective. After entertainment I continued to hang out with the kids again. I think there were 15 kids all toghether, ranging from 4 years old to 13. They are so cute and fun. Again, I could have been playing with them all night.
The next day we had a mass all in Chuukese at the meeting house, followed by lunch. It was acutlaly sad when were started to go, but I had a chuukese student translate for me to the kids, telling them that i had a great time, I would promise to visit, and for them to come up with Xavier if they wanted to visit. I remember most of their names (Lucia, two Rosaleens, Lue...and some I can kind of pronounce) and I really do intend on visiting them again. They're just 20 minutes down the road, and if I ever need to get away from Xavier and the students, I will walk down, bring them some chocolate, maybe a gift for the parents, and just chill with them all day, and really immerse myself more into authentic life here. Anyway, the CSP was a hit, I got to know the freshman a lot more, I made some good rfiends outside of school. I can't wait to visit those kids again.

Almost XMAS

So we try to do our advent prayers every night around our make shift advent wreath, made out of cardboard and magazine cut outs. Dwyer and I climbed up side of the school to put up our only christmas lights hanging out of our offices. We've been playing XMAS music constantly. It's insane how it is still 80 degrees and humid, yet the middle of December. Now it's really starting to feel weird to be away from home. Not really too homesick, but I definitely miss everyone at home. But I have been very happy here. Always busy, always satisfied. Um, I guess there really ins't more to say about getting ready for Christmas. Just one more week of classes. We are having a holiday party on Thursday, then on Friday some JVs from Pohnpei are coming, so that should be a lot of fun.
By the way, I learned how to drive stick today! We first went around the school driveway, then down the road for a while. I stalled only once. I'll be a pro in no time. All of that video game playing fine tuned my hand-eye coordination. OK, this was long, but I havent written in a while. Enjoy the pictures. Send XMAS packages, you know the drill. Take care, and enjoy the cold weather. Peace out.