Dear Family and Friends,
I know, it’s about time I update my blog. I’ve had trouble knowing what to write on here for a while because life became a struggle for a while and I didn’t want to publicly talk about the frustrations I’ve encountered here. While those still exist, I had a really wonderful and exciting weekend to share. (and currently, my biggest frustration is a kitten named Monkey that has been living with us and has been climbing up my leg since I sat down. Monkey NEEDS a new home! I am not a cat person!)
So onto my great weekend, last Wednesday I boarded the ship, Chief Mialo and set out for a 15 hour boat ride to the outer islands of Chuuk, the Mortlocks. I had been wanting to go to the Mortlocks for over a year now, so, FINALLY! I went out to the Morlocks because there was a 100 year Celebration of the Catholic Church in Chuuk. SCA’s principal set me, Sister Ina, and Seminarian Robert up with the diocese to go out for the celebration. So, me and Sr. Ina became great buddies and spent tons of time together.
We got on the ship for 15 hours and sat under an open stair well. Bad decision but there was no place else to go. So, it rained all night, and water flooded down the stairwell soaking the floor all around us, so the whole night instead of laying on the floor sleeping, we sat on buckets in corners trying to avoid rain. Thank Goodness we didn’t get sea sick!
Once we got to the Mortlock Lagoon we were told to get off with the Bishop at Moch. Getting off with the Bishop was a little of a surprise, but YES! I get to go to Moch. This is the island where most of my Mortlockese students are from and the island 2 of my volunteer friends, Steph and Alex are living on. So, after quite a cluster we get off and get to Moch. We go to a welcome prayer, and after the prayer Steph and Alex find me and welcome me! There were a lot of other things going on like flag raising AND FALLING, but less important. Later Sr. Ina, Steph and I were invited to dine with the bishop...first time i ever talked to him...i didn’t know what to say. Afterwards we set out to go to another island, Kuttu. So, I got to see another island and I knew of some people who had lived or live on that island so it was great! Sadly, I witnessed how the water is rising over the islands sea wall and flooding the island. Global warming and environmental issues do matter! Then i went back to Moch and had some time to hang with Steph and Alex and see Moch.
Friday we spend the day again on the ship picking up people from different islands to head out to the celebration at Lechinoch (sp?) Two more of the Peace Corps from the Mortlocks got on the boat and we caught up a little. After being on the ship from 10-6pm we got to Lechinoch and settled. The next day started the celebration with Mass said by the Bishop and singing competitions which went on all day and into the late night. Along with singing there were many speeches. The singing is a cultural highlight. Firstly, Chuukese people have beautiful voices. Second, they make is so much fun. They will sit and do hand motions they made up and their leaders and people from the crowd will get up and dance. Then people throw candy into the group singing and walk around spraying them with perfume. It’s very different from home, but so enjoyable. (I want to throw Monkey out on the streets!)
The next day there was another mass and then a meeting of all the parishes. I skipped this hard core and hung out with Peace Corps and Steph. Then we got back on the ship around 4ish, dropped people from Moch off, and took a 20 hour ride back to Weno. I got here around 10:30, and taught three periods of classes. Then i passed out! The ride back was better than the one there though.
Other things left out:
*i ate total of three times with the Bishop.
*We were with the Bishops secretary all weekend and she was helping us know what and were to go.
*The islands out there are much cleaner and more peaceful that in the lagoon.
*The president came, but the bishop seemed more important, but President Mori seemed to have made a good speech about children instead of campaigning which i respect.
*Last years VP Marz was there with Pres.
*It was an all around great trip. I wouldn’t want to take the boat ride again, but i am glad I had the chance to do it once.
*I think that’s it!
Blog # 2 of good things:
The Thursday of getting back to Weno was a great day. Sometimes with frustrations here, I forget to enjoy myself and notice good days, but Thursday was good. I only had three classes which probably helped a lot. The school day was more less normal, but i had an after school Lit class with two juniors. They were supposed to finish the book Of Mice and Men and we talked about the book and what they were to do for next week. Then, I asked them questions on the book and they did great. I think they really read the book. Any lit teacher knows getting students to read a book is a challenge. Most somehow trick you that they read, but i think these boys read most of it at least and got the questions right. They also seemed into the conversation we were having about the book and one said he really liked it. At the end of class, one of the two boys asked if he could end in prayer. Now, I don’t let students pray at the beginning and end of my normal classes because i see it as a tactic to make class shorter, but they choose to stay one min. extra after school to pray and it’s just the three of us and i love it!
After class I walked to the new college to look for a teacher and on the way out, was snagged by a student to sit as a coach at a volleyball game. I asked where the coach was and they didn’t know. The other team was already there and i wasn’t surprised that a coach just left the students out to dry and skipped something they were supposed to be at. This happens all the time. teachers don’t go to class, don’t follow through on their obligations, and the students get screwed. Knowing how often this happens i didn’t think twice in sitting in on the game with no questions asked. Game starts and i sit watching the boys coach themselves. I get really proud of them. Normally I get more frustrated with the male students but most of the boys on the team were some of the good students, or at least students i enjoyed in some form. I actually felt loving watching them which sometimes my anger and frustration blocks that love.
Well, the game got cancelled...i looked like a fool. Apparently there was no game scheduled and the coach STILL hasnt picked the official SCA team. I don’t know why there is no team, but i know i looked like a fool, and don’t really care. I prob. would have done the same thing again because the team should have been organized by the school, and the students were doing something that kept them out of trouble and they enjoyed. I don’t know who is at fault, and I am not investigating because there is fault in sooooo many place I think it would take away from the joy i felt just being with the students.
When the game ended I started to walk out to buy dinner and was easily roped into a conversation with one of the local priests who I talked to a little on the way to Moch. I have a lot of questions about the role of the Cathlic Church here, but this priest is WONDERFUL and really doing his best to live out the gospel and help Chuuk. We had a 1.5 hour conversation about so much from education to faith to social issues here. It was wonderful to talk to him and feel like i could be honest with what i witnessed and how in some unjust situations my hands seem tied. He has the same problem. I won’t go in depth about what we talked about, because that would be publicly detailing the frustrations in Chuuk and could have repercussions, but the conversation was really life giving and gave me some hope. I grew a lot in respect for him, but was forced to say a prayer for him and others like him who are working with so many road blocks. one step forward, two kicks back….
So at the end of the day, despite having a drunk guy try to kiss my hand on the way to the store, I realized that this day was something I really needed. I needed a pick me up, and these personal interactions did just that. I actually feel like Thursday has given me some energy for more than a day. Yeah!
That’s the end. I hadn’t written in a long time, so I wrote a long one that I doubt you really wanted so long. You know me, I’ve always been wordy!
Peace, Love, and God Bless,
Jessica
Friday, February 25, 2011
2 posts: Mortlocks and A Good Day
Dear Family and Friends,
I know, it’s about time I update my blog. I’ve had trouble knowing what to write on here for a while because life became a struggle for a while and I didn’t want to publicly talk about the frustrations I’ve encountered here. While those still exist, I had a really wonderful and exciting weekend to share. (and currently, my biggest frustration is a kitten named Monkey that has been living with us and has been climbing up my leg since I sat down. Monkey NEEDS a new home! I am not a cat person!)
So onto my great weekend, last Wednesday I boarded the ship, Chief Mialo and set out for a 15 hour boat ride to the outer islands of Chuuk, the Mortlocks. I had been wanting to go to the Mortlocks for over a year now, so, FINALLY! I went out to the Morlocks because there was a 100 year Celebration of the Catholic Church in Chuuk. SCA’s principal set me, Sister Ina, and Seminarian Robert up with the diocese to go out for the celebration. So, me and Sr. Ina became great buddies and spent tons of time together.
We got on the ship for 15 hours and sat under an open stair well. Bad decision but there was no place else to go. So, it rained all night, and water flooded down the stairwell soaking the floor all around us, so the whole night instead of laying on the floor sleeping, we sat on buckets in corners trying to avoid rain. Thank Goodness we didn’t get sea sick!
Once we got to the Mortlock Lagoon we were told to get off with the Bishop at Moch. Getting off with the Bishop was a little of a surprise, but YES! I get to go to Moch. This is the island where most of my Mortlockese students are from and the island 2 of my volunteer friends, Steph and Alex are living on. So, after quite a cluster we get off and get to Moch. We go to a welcome prayer, and after the prayer Steph and Alex find me and welcome me! There were a lot of other things going on like flag raising AND FALLING, but less important. Later Sr. Ina, Steph and I were invited to dine with the bishop...first time i ever talked to him...i didn’t know what to say. Afterwards we set out to go to another island, Kuttu. So, I got to see another island and I knew of some people who had lived or live on that island so it was great! Sadly, I witnessed how the water is rising over the islands sea wall and flooding the island. Global warming and environmental issues do matter! Then i went back to Moch and had some time to hang with Steph and Alex and see Moch.
Friday we spend the day again on the ship picking up people from different islands to head out to the celebration at Lechinoch (sp?) Two more of the Peace Corps from the Mortlocks got on the boat and we caught up a little. After being on the ship from 10-6pm we got to Lechinoch and settled. The next day started the celebration with Mass said by the Bishop and singing competitions which went on all day and into the late night. Along with singing there were many speeches. The singing is a cultural highlight. Firstly, Chuukese people have beautiful voices. Second, they make is so much fun. They will sit and do hand motions they made up and their leaders and people from the crowd will get up and dance. Then people throw candy into the group singing and walk around spraying them with perfume. It’s very different from home, but so enjoyable. (I want to throw Monkey out on the streets!)
The next day there was another mass and then a meeting of all the parishes. I skipped this hard core and hung out with Peace Corps and Steph. Then we got back on the ship around 4ish, dropped people from Moch off, and took a 20 hour ride back to Weno. I got here around 10:30, and taught three periods of classes. Then i passed out! The ride back was better than the one there though.
Other things left out:
*i ate total of three times with the Bishop.
*We were with the Bishops secretary all weekend and she was helping us know what and were to go.
*The islands out there are much cleaner and more peaceful that in the lagoon.
*The president came, but the bishop seemed more important, but President Mori seemed to have made a good speech about children instead of campaigning which i respect.
*Last years VP Marz was there with Pres.
*It was an all around great trip. I wouldn’t want to take the boat ride again, but i am glad I had the chance to do it once.
*I think that’s it!
Blog # 2 of good things:
The Thursday of getting back to Weno was a great day. Sometimes with frustrations here, I forget to enjoy myself and notice good days, but Thursday was good. I only had three classes which probably helped a lot. The school day was more less normal, but i had an after school Lit class with two juniors. They were supposed to finish the book Of Mice and Men and we talked about the book and what they were to do for next week. Then, I asked them questions on the book and they did great. I think they really read the book. Any lit teacher knows getting students to read a book is a challenge. Most somehow trick you that they read, but i think these boys read most of it at least and got the questions right. They also seemed into the conversation we were having about the book and one said he really liked it. At the end of class, one of the two boys asked if he could end in prayer. Now, I don’t let students pray at the beginning and end of my normal classes because i see it as a tactic to make class shorter, but they choose to stay one min. extra after school to pray and it’s just the three of us and i love it!
After class I walked to the new college to look for a teacher and on the way out, was snagged by a student to sit as a coach at a volleyball game. I asked where the coach was and they didn’t know. The other team was already there and i wasn’t surprised that a coach just left the students out to dry and skipped something they were supposed to be at. This happens all the time. teachers don’t go to class, don’t follow through on their obligations, and the students get screwed. Knowing how often this happens i didn’t think twice in sitting in on the game with no questions asked. Game starts and i sit watching the boys coach themselves. I get really proud of them. Normally I get more frustrated with the male students but most of the boys on the team were some of the good students, or at least students i enjoyed in some form. I actually felt loving watching them which sometimes my anger and frustration blocks that love.
Well, the game got cancelled...i looked like a fool. Apparently there was no game scheduled and the coach STILL hasnt picked the official SCA team. I don’t know why there is no team, but i know i looked like a fool, and don’t really care. I prob. would have done the same thing again because the team should have been organized by the school, and the students were doing something that kept them out of trouble and they enjoyed. I don’t know who is at fault, and I am not investigating because there is fault in sooooo many place I think it would take away from the joy i felt just being with the students.
When the game ended I started to walk out to buy dinner and was easily roped into a conversation with one of the local priests who I talked to a little on the way to Moch. I have a lot of questions about the role of the Cathlic Church here, but this priest is WONDERFUL and really doing his best to live out the gospel and help Chuuk. We had a 1.5 hour conversation about so much from education to faith to social issues here. It was wonderful to talk to him and feel like i could be honest with what i witnessed and how in some unjust situations my hands seem tied. He has the same problem. I won’t go in depth about what we talked about, because that would be publicly detailing the frustrations in Chuuk and could have repercussions, but the conversation was really life giving and gave me some hope. I grew a lot in respect for him, but was forced to say a prayer for him and others like him who are working with so many road blocks. one step forward, two kicks back….
So at the end of the day, despite having a drunk guy try to kiss my hand on the way to the store, I realized that this day was something I really needed. I needed a pick me up, and these personal interactions did just that. I actually feel like Thursday has given me some energy for more than a day. Yeah!
That’s the end. I hadn’t written in a long time, so I wrote a long one that I doubt you really wanted so long. You know me, I’ve always been wordy!
Peace, Love, and God Bless,
Jessica
I know, it’s about time I update my blog. I’ve had trouble knowing what to write on here for a while because life became a struggle for a while and I didn’t want to publicly talk about the frustrations I’ve encountered here. While those still exist, I had a really wonderful and exciting weekend to share. (and currently, my biggest frustration is a kitten named Monkey that has been living with us and has been climbing up my leg since I sat down. Monkey NEEDS a new home! I am not a cat person!)
So onto my great weekend, last Wednesday I boarded the ship, Chief Mialo and set out for a 15 hour boat ride to the outer islands of Chuuk, the Mortlocks. I had been wanting to go to the Mortlocks for over a year now, so, FINALLY! I went out to the Morlocks because there was a 100 year Celebration of the Catholic Church in Chuuk. SCA’s principal set me, Sister Ina, and Seminarian Robert up with the diocese to go out for the celebration. So, me and Sr. Ina became great buddies and spent tons of time together.
We got on the ship for 15 hours and sat under an open stair well. Bad decision but there was no place else to go. So, it rained all night, and water flooded down the stairwell soaking the floor all around us, so the whole night instead of laying on the floor sleeping, we sat on buckets in corners trying to avoid rain. Thank Goodness we didn’t get sea sick!
Once we got to the Mortlock Lagoon we were told to get off with the Bishop at Moch. Getting off with the Bishop was a little of a surprise, but YES! I get to go to Moch. This is the island where most of my Mortlockese students are from and the island 2 of my volunteer friends, Steph and Alex are living on. So, after quite a cluster we get off and get to Moch. We go to a welcome prayer, and after the prayer Steph and Alex find me and welcome me! There were a lot of other things going on like flag raising AND FALLING, but less important. Later Sr. Ina, Steph and I were invited to dine with the bishop...first time i ever talked to him...i didn’t know what to say. Afterwards we set out to go to another island, Kuttu. So, I got to see another island and I knew of some people who had lived or live on that island so it was great! Sadly, I witnessed how the water is rising over the islands sea wall and flooding the island. Global warming and environmental issues do matter! Then i went back to Moch and had some time to hang with Steph and Alex and see Moch.
Friday we spend the day again on the ship picking up people from different islands to head out to the celebration at Lechinoch (sp?) Two more of the Peace Corps from the Mortlocks got on the boat and we caught up a little. After being on the ship from 10-6pm we got to Lechinoch and settled. The next day started the celebration with Mass said by the Bishop and singing competitions which went on all day and into the late night. Along with singing there were many speeches. The singing is a cultural highlight. Firstly, Chuukese people have beautiful voices. Second, they make is so much fun. They will sit and do hand motions they made up and their leaders and people from the crowd will get up and dance. Then people throw candy into the group singing and walk around spraying them with perfume. It’s very different from home, but so enjoyable. (I want to throw Monkey out on the streets!)
The next day there was another mass and then a meeting of all the parishes. I skipped this hard core and hung out with Peace Corps and Steph. Then we got back on the ship around 4ish, dropped people from Moch off, and took a 20 hour ride back to Weno. I got here around 10:30, and taught three periods of classes. Then i passed out! The ride back was better than the one there though.
Other things left out:
*i ate total of three times with the Bishop.
*We were with the Bishops secretary all weekend and she was helping us know what and were to go.
*The islands out there are much cleaner and more peaceful that in the lagoon.
*The president came, but the bishop seemed more important, but President Mori seemed to have made a good speech about children instead of campaigning which i respect.
*Last years VP Marz was there with Pres.
*It was an all around great trip. I wouldn’t want to take the boat ride again, but i am glad I had the chance to do it once.
*I think that’s it!
Blog # 2 of good things:
The Thursday of getting back to Weno was a great day. Sometimes with frustrations here, I forget to enjoy myself and notice good days, but Thursday was good. I only had three classes which probably helped a lot. The school day was more less normal, but i had an after school Lit class with two juniors. They were supposed to finish the book Of Mice and Men and we talked about the book and what they were to do for next week. Then, I asked them questions on the book and they did great. I think they really read the book. Any lit teacher knows getting students to read a book is a challenge. Most somehow trick you that they read, but i think these boys read most of it at least and got the questions right. They also seemed into the conversation we were having about the book and one said he really liked it. At the end of class, one of the two boys asked if he could end in prayer. Now, I don’t let students pray at the beginning and end of my normal classes because i see it as a tactic to make class shorter, but they choose to stay one min. extra after school to pray and it’s just the three of us and i love it!
After class I walked to the new college to look for a teacher and on the way out, was snagged by a student to sit as a coach at a volleyball game. I asked where the coach was and they didn’t know. The other team was already there and i wasn’t surprised that a coach just left the students out to dry and skipped something they were supposed to be at. This happens all the time. teachers don’t go to class, don’t follow through on their obligations, and the students get screwed. Knowing how often this happens i didn’t think twice in sitting in on the game with no questions asked. Game starts and i sit watching the boys coach themselves. I get really proud of them. Normally I get more frustrated with the male students but most of the boys on the team were some of the good students, or at least students i enjoyed in some form. I actually felt loving watching them which sometimes my anger and frustration blocks that love.
Well, the game got cancelled...i looked like a fool. Apparently there was no game scheduled and the coach STILL hasnt picked the official SCA team. I don’t know why there is no team, but i know i looked like a fool, and don’t really care. I prob. would have done the same thing again because the team should have been organized by the school, and the students were doing something that kept them out of trouble and they enjoyed. I don’t know who is at fault, and I am not investigating because there is fault in sooooo many place I think it would take away from the joy i felt just being with the students.
When the game ended I started to walk out to buy dinner and was easily roped into a conversation with one of the local priests who I talked to a little on the way to Moch. I have a lot of questions about the role of the Cathlic Church here, but this priest is WONDERFUL and really doing his best to live out the gospel and help Chuuk. We had a 1.5 hour conversation about so much from education to faith to social issues here. It was wonderful to talk to him and feel like i could be honest with what i witnessed and how in some unjust situations my hands seem tied. He has the same problem. I won’t go in depth about what we talked about, because that would be publicly detailing the frustrations in Chuuk and could have repercussions, but the conversation was really life giving and gave me some hope. I grew a lot in respect for him, but was forced to say a prayer for him and others like him who are working with so many road blocks. one step forward, two kicks back….
So at the end of the day, despite having a drunk guy try to kiss my hand on the way to the store, I realized that this day was something I really needed. I needed a pick me up, and these personal interactions did just that. I actually feel like Thursday has given me some energy for more than a day. Yeah!
That’s the end. I hadn’t written in a long time, so I wrote a long one that I doubt you really wanted so long. You know me, I’ve always been wordy!
Peace, Love, and God Bless,
Jessica
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Hey Everyone. Sorry I haven't updated recently. This won't be much either. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas or Pwa Pwa Kristmas from Chuuk! I hope it's great! I'll be home next year and see you all then! I can't wait! Until then, enjoy the holidays!!!
Love,
Jessica
Love,
Jessica
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
all over the place
Currently I’m sitting at a hotel using the internet after lunch. While eating lunch though, some girls from a once a year cruise ship were in the restaurant. I witnessed a hysterical moment, yet realized that I used to be on the other side so recently. So, culturally, girls legs are sacred, and the girls from the cruise ship were dressed, scantily. They were wearing short short shorts and midriffs shirts with heal, needless to say, in this conservative culture. That is NOT ok! So, at I watched this young lady walk past. So did the four Chuukese women at the counter. I watched one of the lean over and check her out with Oh My God eyes. All of the ladies had Oh My God faces on, and then they saw me watching them and looking at the same thing. All 5 of us started laughing!
Awesome.
Anyhow, I wanted to share something one of my students wrote. This student is wonderful and seems to see what we see too. She can look at Chuuk with a critical and loving eye. The assignment was to write a paragraph connecting Chuuk and common good in any way she could. Here is her response:
According to the web definition, common good is the good of a community. In my own understanding, I understand that common good is the good that people share in the community or society. As for myself, I do not think I see common good in Chuuk for some reasons. Most importantly, the leaders are charting in their work. They cheat and as a result their plans do not work out such as the road, cleaning system, and electricity. Second, people are careless. They think of their own good. For instance, they help their own families instead of helping the community people. Last, the leaders and their people do not work together. If the people work for common good, then the problems should be solved. Therefore, I strongly state that there is no common good in Chuuk.
On other notes, I’ve been wanting to write a good essay on Chuuk and what’s going on, but there is so much it’s hard. Recently, I’ve felt to be in a paradox. There is beauty in my students, the tropical life, and relationships I have here. This beauty is indescribable, yet, I’ve felt a little trapped on an island seeing so clearly, so much, that’s been hard. The above paragraph explains a lot of that. I try to remember that my perspective is that of a 23 year old American that has been in Chuuk for only 15 months, but my response is still alive.
Daily I notice the silence that is cause by the culture. No one speaks up. I would say it’s apathy, but I really think it’s forced apathy because if someone speaks up they’re seen as disrespectful by society. Because no one can speak up due to social pressures, things are falling apart here. People explain how the society has digressed. It’s sad. As Chuuk is forced to meet the western world, everyone gets confused. As the culture shifts, men have lost their place and begin to drink more and violence takes over. Then there is education. Education seems like a way to combat some of the problems, but education is so undervalued here. Students don’t do homework, there is little parental support, and the school doesn’t always even take education seriously. Teachers don’t always show up to class or class is cancelled or shortened for some odd reason.
So recently, I have loved the students but have been really saddened. I feel like Chuuk is a place where people have lost hope and passion for life. Violence, alcoholism, and apathy rule while other things are put on the backburner. Family life is incredibly important and something we don’t see as much, but at times it seems to be more family verse family. My role here at times seems trivial, and then I remember the hard working students and keep going. There are plenty of aspects of Chuuk that keep me going, mostly the wonderful people, nature, and finding God, but it’s a hard place to understand and really hard to see a society in the situation that Chuuk is in.
These are just thought, not so organized and not what I wish I was posting, but thoughts nonetheless.
As I think this though, I look out over the water into the sun and see the other islands in the distance, hear the motors of the boats, and see the beauty here. It’s such a paradox, and none of my critical thinking can get me to understand what steps need to be taken here, probably because I know I cannot be the one to take them. The steps have to come from within. As cliché as it is, all I can do is plant the seeds and hope they will be fertilized.
I miss you all, and am trying to figure next year out…we’ll see what comes of that, but I will be on a plane somewhere around July heading for the US.
Love,
Jessica
Awesome.
Anyhow, I wanted to share something one of my students wrote. This student is wonderful and seems to see what we see too. She can look at Chuuk with a critical and loving eye. The assignment was to write a paragraph connecting Chuuk and common good in any way she could. Here is her response:
According to the web definition, common good is the good of a community. In my own understanding, I understand that common good is the good that people share in the community or society. As for myself, I do not think I see common good in Chuuk for some reasons. Most importantly, the leaders are charting in their work. They cheat and as a result their plans do not work out such as the road, cleaning system, and electricity. Second, people are careless. They think of their own good. For instance, they help their own families instead of helping the community people. Last, the leaders and their people do not work together. If the people work for common good, then the problems should be solved. Therefore, I strongly state that there is no common good in Chuuk.
On other notes, I’ve been wanting to write a good essay on Chuuk and what’s going on, but there is so much it’s hard. Recently, I’ve felt to be in a paradox. There is beauty in my students, the tropical life, and relationships I have here. This beauty is indescribable, yet, I’ve felt a little trapped on an island seeing so clearly, so much, that’s been hard. The above paragraph explains a lot of that. I try to remember that my perspective is that of a 23 year old American that has been in Chuuk for only 15 months, but my response is still alive.
Daily I notice the silence that is cause by the culture. No one speaks up. I would say it’s apathy, but I really think it’s forced apathy because if someone speaks up they’re seen as disrespectful by society. Because no one can speak up due to social pressures, things are falling apart here. People explain how the society has digressed. It’s sad. As Chuuk is forced to meet the western world, everyone gets confused. As the culture shifts, men have lost their place and begin to drink more and violence takes over. Then there is education. Education seems like a way to combat some of the problems, but education is so undervalued here. Students don’t do homework, there is little parental support, and the school doesn’t always even take education seriously. Teachers don’t always show up to class or class is cancelled or shortened for some odd reason.
So recently, I have loved the students but have been really saddened. I feel like Chuuk is a place where people have lost hope and passion for life. Violence, alcoholism, and apathy rule while other things are put on the backburner. Family life is incredibly important and something we don’t see as much, but at times it seems to be more family verse family. My role here at times seems trivial, and then I remember the hard working students and keep going. There are plenty of aspects of Chuuk that keep me going, mostly the wonderful people, nature, and finding God, but it’s a hard place to understand and really hard to see a society in the situation that Chuuk is in.
These are just thought, not so organized and not what I wish I was posting, but thoughts nonetheless.
As I think this though, I look out over the water into the sun and see the other islands in the distance, hear the motors of the boats, and see the beauty here. It’s such a paradox, and none of my critical thinking can get me to understand what steps need to be taken here, probably because I know I cannot be the one to take them. The steps have to come from within. As cliché as it is, all I can do is plant the seeds and hope they will be fertilized.
I miss you all, and am trying to figure next year out…we’ll see what comes of that, but I will be on a plane somewhere around July heading for the US.
Love,
Jessica
Thursday, October 21, 2010
We Pray For....
One of my favorite things to do for spirituality nights is to re-write prayers. I always love what comes out of it and I love putting prayers into our own words. Tonight, as a group, we wrote this prayer based off of “We pray for the Children…” This is what we came up with and can give glimpses of what we love and struggle with being volunteers in Chuuk and what prayers we hold for the people we serve and people serving in other places.
We pray for Chuukese
Who have hidden passions,
Who are victims of violence,
Who dip fingers in kool-aid and ramen.
We pray for volunteers
Who could leave at any time,
Who question their purposes,
Who want to feel more part of the culture,
Who put ideas into action,
Who are just learning,
Who miss their families and friends.
We pray for Chuukese
Who shake it at track and field events,
Who have the capacity to make this a better state.
We pray for volunteers
Who are burdened by expectations,
Who forget to have dance parties,
Who build relationships with those they serve,
Whose vision is often blurred,
Who think they are going crazy,
Who need to be reminded to watch the sunset,
Who make mistakes.
We pray for Chuukese
Who sing their hearts out,
Who leave their notebooks in the other classroom,
Who turn the other cheek,
Who don’t see the virtue of education,
Who share everything,
Who sweep water out of their yards,
Who work in markets,
Who have been robbed of their cultural identities (by a bureaucratic nightmare),
Who shout waioooo and mwasamwas,
Who are victims of substance abuse.
We pray for volunteers
Who stare at calendars,
Who miss smelling good and feeling clean,
Who haven’t had a solid shit in 6 months,
Who are changed beyond their ability to effect change,
Who are all over the world.
We pray for Chuukese
Who chew betel nut,
Who search for hope,
Who enjoy laying down anywhere,
Who need role models,
Who stay in Chuuk.
May our hands join together as instruments of change in Jesus’s name. Amen.
I hope you enjoyed.
Love,
Jessica
We pray for Chuukese
Who have hidden passions,
Who are victims of violence,
Who dip fingers in kool-aid and ramen.
We pray for volunteers
Who could leave at any time,
Who question their purposes,
Who want to feel more part of the culture,
Who put ideas into action,
Who are just learning,
Who miss their families and friends.
We pray for Chuukese
Who shake it at track and field events,
Who have the capacity to make this a better state.
We pray for volunteers
Who are burdened by expectations,
Who forget to have dance parties,
Who build relationships with those they serve,
Whose vision is often blurred,
Who think they are going crazy,
Who need to be reminded to watch the sunset,
Who make mistakes.
We pray for Chuukese
Who sing their hearts out,
Who leave their notebooks in the other classroom,
Who turn the other cheek,
Who don’t see the virtue of education,
Who share everything,
Who sweep water out of their yards,
Who work in markets,
Who have been robbed of their cultural identities (by a bureaucratic nightmare),
Who shout waioooo and mwasamwas,
Who are victims of substance abuse.
We pray for volunteers
Who stare at calendars,
Who miss smelling good and feeling clean,
Who haven’t had a solid shit in 6 months,
Who are changed beyond their ability to effect change,
Who are all over the world.
We pray for Chuukese
Who chew betel nut,
Who search for hope,
Who enjoy laying down anywhere,
Who need role models,
Who stay in Chuuk.
May our hands join together as instruments of change in Jesus’s name. Amen.
I hope you enjoyed.
Love,
Jessica
Friday, September 24, 2010
update and mice
Hello Everyone. Sorry I haven’t updated in more than a month. I’m not even sure what to say now, so let me start with, we’ve caught 10 mice so far without killing them. Let’s be honest, there is no way to kill them because traps here don’t work. Our kitchen has been invaded by pooping mice and there have been mice trapping missions. For a while, we had a mouse trap maze set up in our kitchen using cans, games, boxes, and Tupperware. At random intervals, there would be a sprint to the kitchen to catch the mice and if the mouse was eating the food in the maze, most of the time, he would get caught and be thrown to the ground outside (probably to find his way back up to our kitchen…agh!
In addition to catching mice, school has started. I am teaching freshmen and sophomore lit, and English composition. Once I get to the comp class, I fall over and tell the juniors and seniors how much I love them! Haha. The sophomores are great too, and some of the freshmen, but WHOA BABY, some of these freshmen need someone to put them in their place. Part of the problem though is that there are 40 in each class and they’re just at so many different levels…it’s insane. I’ve been concentrating mostly on vacab though so the students can increase their vocab. It’s not really a fun class at all, whereas the sophomore class is wonderful. I love teaching that lit class.
Although teaching freshmen and teaching in general can be difficult, I am really at peace with it. I’ve been missing home in a weird way. I am super happy here and don’t want to leave, but I still miss people and things from home. The feeling is more wanting to visit home than to be there for good. Regardless though, I’ve been really happy and at peace here. This is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing at this moment. This past weekend was our staff retreat and I realized I’m really at peace with God, nature, and where I am right now. As everyone there are things on my mind, but overall I’m peaceful. I’ve felt at one with nature. I’ve felt closer to God, and as if my life is truly blessed as a product of God’s love.
Along with being at peace this weekend, I’ve been feeling a weird feeling that I’m supposed to really do something with my life. I know I want to be a wife and mother, but I also feel like I’ve been given so many opportunities and blessing I need to figure out where my gifts and talents best meet the worlds needs. I’m still thinking on that! I think what I’ve been doing though is a path to where I’m supposed to be.
So, that’s a life update.
Peace,
Trout
PS. Caro’s parents got here yesterday and brought sticky traps-so sad- and we are up to 16 mice caught in our house! INFESTATION!!! We drown then on the sticky pad to be more humane so they didn’t starve to death. One of them still had head mobility and poked his head outa the water in panic…Tyler had to push the sticky pad lower in the water….really really sad day. Heart breaking… wah wah.
In addition to catching mice, school has started. I am teaching freshmen and sophomore lit, and English composition. Once I get to the comp class, I fall over and tell the juniors and seniors how much I love them! Haha. The sophomores are great too, and some of the freshmen, but WHOA BABY, some of these freshmen need someone to put them in their place. Part of the problem though is that there are 40 in each class and they’re just at so many different levels…it’s insane. I’ve been concentrating mostly on vacab though so the students can increase their vocab. It’s not really a fun class at all, whereas the sophomore class is wonderful. I love teaching that lit class.
Although teaching freshmen and teaching in general can be difficult, I am really at peace with it. I’ve been missing home in a weird way. I am super happy here and don’t want to leave, but I still miss people and things from home. The feeling is more wanting to visit home than to be there for good. Regardless though, I’ve been really happy and at peace here. This is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing at this moment. This past weekend was our staff retreat and I realized I’m really at peace with God, nature, and where I am right now. As everyone there are things on my mind, but overall I’m peaceful. I’ve felt at one with nature. I’ve felt closer to God, and as if my life is truly blessed as a product of God’s love.
Along with being at peace this weekend, I’ve been feeling a weird feeling that I’m supposed to really do something with my life. I know I want to be a wife and mother, but I also feel like I’ve been given so many opportunities and blessing I need to figure out where my gifts and talents best meet the worlds needs. I’m still thinking on that! I think what I’ve been doing though is a path to where I’m supposed to be.
So, that’s a life update.
Peace,
Trout
PS. Caro’s parents got here yesterday and brought sticky traps-so sad- and we are up to 16 mice caught in our house! INFESTATION!!! We drown then on the sticky pad to be more humane so they didn’t starve to death. One of them still had head mobility and poked his head outa the water in panic…Tyler had to push the sticky pad lower in the water….really really sad day. Heart breaking… wah wah.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Summer Switch of Islands
Currently, I am sitting on a flowered wooden couch in the smallest house ever in Pohnpei, FSM where the JVs here live. I have lived in this house for the last 5 weeks with two other JVs, Mike from Xavier (Chuuk), and Samantha from Pohnpei. In one week, Philip, a JV from Pohnpei will come back from Chuuk, and the next day Mike and I will say goodbye to Philip and Sam for another 9 months until we meet again at the end of out JVI experience. Mike and I will arrive back to our home in Chuuk to have our new JVs arrive the next day. After they arrive, we start a series of Phase II orientation events; talking to people, adventuring around Chuuk, getting to know one another, and going on a 20 hour boat ride in the vast, open Pacific Ocean!
This all sounds like quite a lot in a few days, but I’m ready and excited. The summer in PNI has been wonderful and I do not regret switching islands and placements for the summer, but I am ready to go back to Chuuk and excited to meet our new people! I can’t believe I’m more than half way done though! I don’t feel like I’ve been here that long.
Anyhow, what did I do this summer in PNI? Well, I was the Director of the Higher Achievement Program. HAP is a program run by Xavier volunteers and people closely affiliated with Xavier (AKA me) for to be 8th graders at the top of their classes from all elementary schools in PNI. My job was to plan field trips, make sure logistics were done, take care of the budget, and just make sure things were running smoothly. To be honest, the job wasn’t so hard. There were moments of high stress such as during our field trips making sure all 61 students and volunteers were with us, respectful and so on, but the planning wasn’t so bad.
I learned a lot through being director, and got to see a lot too. For the field trips we went to Micronesian Seminar (www.micsem.org) and I got to see more in depth what they do for FSM. We went to the Local Food Community of Pohnpei and had a presentation from the Conservation Society in Pohnpei, which I got to see both of these presentations and go to the LFCP and see their place. Then, the two coolest and hardest field trips came-Nan Madol and the Capitol at Palikir where we met with the President of the FSM. These were awesome although STRESSFUL! Nan Madol is ruins in PNI created in the 1200s I think and mark the lands of the highest ranking chief because of the prime location and history of the people in the area. It was the first time I had seen ruins, therefore it was pretty awesome. I was also met by a lot of hospitality of the local deacon and parents. Finally, yesterday we went to the FSM Capitol at Palikir. This fieldtrip may have been less stressful in planning, but I would say it was the most stressful and coolest for me once there. When we got to the Capitol, the tour guide did not show up. I went into the Dept. of Edu office and they called him. He arrived 45 mins later so I had 60 13 year olds bored for 45 mins. I decided to walk around the buildings with them and tell them what I could about each of the government offices but I am no expert in government and what happens in each office. Luckily I had gone through the 3 branches of government with the students the day before and some other information so I was able to quiz them along the walk. Still, we got back to the bus and the tour guide still wasn’t there. When he showed up he had a lot of energy and humor and all turned out great. At 10:30 we had a meeting with the President of the FSM, Manny Mori from Chuuk. This part proved rather stressful too. The president was in his office and ready for us, very hospitable, and honestly, I have a good impression of him. Anyhow, as we went in to sit down, the presidents employees told me to go sit up front next to him-eeek…I’m a 23 year old teacher. How am I the person that should be sitting next to the president of a country in front of a large group? Anyhow, I did as asked and the tour guide presented the group briefly, passed it to the president’s office, who passed it straight to me….shoot, what do I say?!?! So, I spoke a little more about the students and the group, the goal and so on, and then passed it to the president. WOOSH! He spoke to them with great humor and honesty which I appreciated. Then they asked him questions which we prepared beforehand. He answered the questions very humbly and gave us a ton of time. He talked to the students about the value of their education and the need for leaders with honesty and education. I was thoroughly impressed with him. All at the same time though, I was watching my students talking and laughing in the back of the room, directly ahead of him and me, and girls poking each other with pencils and covering their faces. I was 100% embarrassed! They were being so disrespectful in front of the president! I say that, yet some of them were truly captivated by what he had to say and listening intently. I was so proud of those students.
So, I met the President of the FSM (technically again) and really like him. He has a bad rep on the island I think, but he was great to us, seemed very humble, and like he’s doing the best he can with what he has.
Next week is the last week. 3 events in one week…and a speech from me at graduation…EEK.
Then back to Chuuk!!!! Yeah!!!
****2 weeks later and I’m not back in Chuuk. The 20 hour boat ride got canceled…agh! And the new people are here. They rock. My speech and all the events went great and I look back on HAP and know it was the right thing for me to do over the summer. I gained so much. I’m happy to be home now though and getting back to SCA!
Stop reading here if you don’t want reflections on the islands.
So, Pohnpei is very different than Chuuk. Admittedly, I have been living in Kolonia and not the outer municipalities of PNI. Even so, Chuuk does not have a Kolonia. PNI is much more developed and the students generally speak better English than in Chuuk. There are a lot more expats working here, more places to go to, and constant power. Living in Kolonia compared to downtown Chuuk is totally different! I’m not sure if I saw enough of Pohnpei to say this, but I feel like Chuuk embraces their culture more and has more of a small town feel. In PNI, I see girls wearing mini skirts, short shorts and pants more rather than the local skirts and muumuus which has been confusing to me. PNI seems much more…westernized? Time and travel has shown me a lot more simple, natural island life in Chuuk’s lagoon islands. This difference in the islands has been hard for me. I don’t really know what to think of it. I’m not sure if one is better than the other. Yes, Chuuk is less developed but seems to have more of the cultural pride. PNI is more developed but seems to have less of the simplicity of Chuuk. Is one better than the other? I’m not sure. I know being in PNI it has been really hard for me though to see Pohnpieans wearing skimpy cloths. To me, it seems very disrespectful to their culture (which I am not fully part of so can I say that either?) I feel differently about women in the states wearing skimpy cloths (I’m still not a proponent of it, but it is much more accepted in the US). Seeing girls showing leg here breaks my heart. Loosing the traditional values of their home and the sacredness of legs shows westernization rubbing off on the people here. It’s a visual sign of westernization to me.
I’m not sure that cultural change and westernization is really a bad thing, but I do think it needs to be integrated into traditional culture. Some good can come from the western world, and some bad can come from the western world. As I think about the contrast between the two states, I truly hope that integration of westernization can be done in a way that also embraces and keeps their culture to its fullest.
I’m still trying to process the difference between Chuuk and Pohnpei. I’m not sure that I ever will understand it. I have theories but nothing that I find to explain things. I don’t think one place is better than the other, just different. I see strengths and weaknesses in both sides of westernization in the islands. My heart is obviously in Chuuk, but it has been great to be in PNI, meet new people, go to movies and bars, have electricity, and even a hot shower…yes, I got to take 2 hot showers while here! AMAZING!
One thing that really bothered me here though was how often people say that Chuuk is a horrible place with horrible, violent people. Most people have only seen Weno, and for a brief time. Similar to what I stated, what I saw here is only a sample after 5 weeks. I can’t fully talk about PNI, yet people here think that once they’ve been to Chuuk for a day, they can quickly agree with what others have said, that Chuuk is the unwanted step child of the FSM and not a good place. I found myself defending Chuuk over and over again and being frustrated with their quick glance opinion of my home. There was no shame in slamming Chuuk to my face. Again, I reiterate, Chuuk is where I live. I would never say your home is a POS, especially not to your face, so please, think about how much you’ve seen of a Chuuk before slamming the state-hence why I restate over and over again that I don’t know if I have enough experience in PNI to even say what I have said.
So to conclude, I restate, I do not think what I have seen in PNI nor Chuuk is bad. I simply think it’s different and don’t know how to understand the differences yet. I don’t think I understand either place well enough to decide what I have seen. These are just thoughts after spending 11 months in Chuuk and 1 month and 2 weeks in Pohnpei, which can be completely flawed from what someone would understand after much longer.
Enough writing.
With love,
Jessica
This all sounds like quite a lot in a few days, but I’m ready and excited. The summer in PNI has been wonderful and I do not regret switching islands and placements for the summer, but I am ready to go back to Chuuk and excited to meet our new people! I can’t believe I’m more than half way done though! I don’t feel like I’ve been here that long.
Anyhow, what did I do this summer in PNI? Well, I was the Director of the Higher Achievement Program. HAP is a program run by Xavier volunteers and people closely affiliated with Xavier (AKA me) for to be 8th graders at the top of their classes from all elementary schools in PNI. My job was to plan field trips, make sure logistics were done, take care of the budget, and just make sure things were running smoothly. To be honest, the job wasn’t so hard. There were moments of high stress such as during our field trips making sure all 61 students and volunteers were with us, respectful and so on, but the planning wasn’t so bad.
I learned a lot through being director, and got to see a lot too. For the field trips we went to Micronesian Seminar (www.micsem.org) and I got to see more in depth what they do for FSM. We went to the Local Food Community of Pohnpei and had a presentation from the Conservation Society in Pohnpei, which I got to see both of these presentations and go to the LFCP and see their place. Then, the two coolest and hardest field trips came-Nan Madol and the Capitol at Palikir where we met with the President of the FSM. These were awesome although STRESSFUL! Nan Madol is ruins in PNI created in the 1200s I think and mark the lands of the highest ranking chief because of the prime location and history of the people in the area. It was the first time I had seen ruins, therefore it was pretty awesome. I was also met by a lot of hospitality of the local deacon and parents. Finally, yesterday we went to the FSM Capitol at Palikir. This fieldtrip may have been less stressful in planning, but I would say it was the most stressful and coolest for me once there. When we got to the Capitol, the tour guide did not show up. I went into the Dept. of Edu office and they called him. He arrived 45 mins later so I had 60 13 year olds bored for 45 mins. I decided to walk around the buildings with them and tell them what I could about each of the government offices but I am no expert in government and what happens in each office. Luckily I had gone through the 3 branches of government with the students the day before and some other information so I was able to quiz them along the walk. Still, we got back to the bus and the tour guide still wasn’t there. When he showed up he had a lot of energy and humor and all turned out great. At 10:30 we had a meeting with the President of the FSM, Manny Mori from Chuuk. This part proved rather stressful too. The president was in his office and ready for us, very hospitable, and honestly, I have a good impression of him. Anyhow, as we went in to sit down, the presidents employees told me to go sit up front next to him-eeek…I’m a 23 year old teacher. How am I the person that should be sitting next to the president of a country in front of a large group? Anyhow, I did as asked and the tour guide presented the group briefly, passed it to the president’s office, who passed it straight to me….shoot, what do I say?!?! So, I spoke a little more about the students and the group, the goal and so on, and then passed it to the president. WOOSH! He spoke to them with great humor and honesty which I appreciated. Then they asked him questions which we prepared beforehand. He answered the questions very humbly and gave us a ton of time. He talked to the students about the value of their education and the need for leaders with honesty and education. I was thoroughly impressed with him. All at the same time though, I was watching my students talking and laughing in the back of the room, directly ahead of him and me, and girls poking each other with pencils and covering their faces. I was 100% embarrassed! They were being so disrespectful in front of the president! I say that, yet some of them were truly captivated by what he had to say and listening intently. I was so proud of those students.
So, I met the President of the FSM (technically again) and really like him. He has a bad rep on the island I think, but he was great to us, seemed very humble, and like he’s doing the best he can with what he has.
Next week is the last week. 3 events in one week…and a speech from me at graduation…EEK.
Then back to Chuuk!!!! Yeah!!!
****2 weeks later and I’m not back in Chuuk. The 20 hour boat ride got canceled…agh! And the new people are here. They rock. My speech and all the events went great and I look back on HAP and know it was the right thing for me to do over the summer. I gained so much. I’m happy to be home now though and getting back to SCA!
Stop reading here if you don’t want reflections on the islands.
So, Pohnpei is very different than Chuuk. Admittedly, I have been living in Kolonia and not the outer municipalities of PNI. Even so, Chuuk does not have a Kolonia. PNI is much more developed and the students generally speak better English than in Chuuk. There are a lot more expats working here, more places to go to, and constant power. Living in Kolonia compared to downtown Chuuk is totally different! I’m not sure if I saw enough of Pohnpei to say this, but I feel like Chuuk embraces their culture more and has more of a small town feel. In PNI, I see girls wearing mini skirts, short shorts and pants more rather than the local skirts and muumuus which has been confusing to me. PNI seems much more…westernized? Time and travel has shown me a lot more simple, natural island life in Chuuk’s lagoon islands. This difference in the islands has been hard for me. I don’t really know what to think of it. I’m not sure if one is better than the other. Yes, Chuuk is less developed but seems to have more of the cultural pride. PNI is more developed but seems to have less of the simplicity of Chuuk. Is one better than the other? I’m not sure. I know being in PNI it has been really hard for me though to see Pohnpieans wearing skimpy cloths. To me, it seems very disrespectful to their culture (which I am not fully part of so can I say that either?) I feel differently about women in the states wearing skimpy cloths (I’m still not a proponent of it, but it is much more accepted in the US). Seeing girls showing leg here breaks my heart. Loosing the traditional values of their home and the sacredness of legs shows westernization rubbing off on the people here. It’s a visual sign of westernization to me.
I’m not sure that cultural change and westernization is really a bad thing, but I do think it needs to be integrated into traditional culture. Some good can come from the western world, and some bad can come from the western world. As I think about the contrast between the two states, I truly hope that integration of westernization can be done in a way that also embraces and keeps their culture to its fullest.
I’m still trying to process the difference between Chuuk and Pohnpei. I’m not sure that I ever will understand it. I have theories but nothing that I find to explain things. I don’t think one place is better than the other, just different. I see strengths and weaknesses in both sides of westernization in the islands. My heart is obviously in Chuuk, but it has been great to be in PNI, meet new people, go to movies and bars, have electricity, and even a hot shower…yes, I got to take 2 hot showers while here! AMAZING!
One thing that really bothered me here though was how often people say that Chuuk is a horrible place with horrible, violent people. Most people have only seen Weno, and for a brief time. Similar to what I stated, what I saw here is only a sample after 5 weeks. I can’t fully talk about PNI, yet people here think that once they’ve been to Chuuk for a day, they can quickly agree with what others have said, that Chuuk is the unwanted step child of the FSM and not a good place. I found myself defending Chuuk over and over again and being frustrated with their quick glance opinion of my home. There was no shame in slamming Chuuk to my face. Again, I reiterate, Chuuk is where I live. I would never say your home is a POS, especially not to your face, so please, think about how much you’ve seen of a Chuuk before slamming the state-hence why I restate over and over again that I don’t know if I have enough experience in PNI to even say what I have said.
So to conclude, I restate, I do not think what I have seen in PNI nor Chuuk is bad. I simply think it’s different and don’t know how to understand the differences yet. I don’t think I understand either place well enough to decide what I have seen. These are just thoughts after spending 11 months in Chuuk and 1 month and 2 weeks in Pohnpei, which can be completely flawed from what someone would understand after much longer.
Enough writing.
With love,
Jessica
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