Death at a Funeral, and lots of women dancing...

Kaselehlie,

I can't begin to fathom that I have less than three months left here on Pohnpei. This year has turned out to be one of the calmest moments of my life, filled with many moments of thinking and just being. It is commonly said that Pohnpeians are "expert sitters", as life here can often be slow, calm, and at times all you can do is just sit and take it all in (and at many times there's honestly nothing else to do). If anything, this place has taught me to just relax, which can be expected from living on an island for a year. I'm a bit nervous to transition back into the mainland lifestyle, especially being a full-time teacher back in the US. It is quite literally the opposite of my experience here, which consists of loose lesson planning, much flexibility as school is bound to be cancelled at least once a week, and expecting that up to 50% of my students won't show up on a consistent basis. The biggest thing I'll take from here is learning to be flexible as a teacher, and just go with the flow of your class, wherever that may take you.

Anyways, back to the point of this blog post. Last week, I was able to participate in some really cool aspects of Pohnpeian culture, aside from the biggest staple of the culture which is sakau. A friend's host grandfather had recently passed away, and I had the experience of attending one day of the funeral. Yes, I said one day, as Pohnpeian funerals usually last around 8 days with each having different traditions and practices. And since everyone on this island is basically related, when someone dies in a village, life as they know it stops for 8 days. Everyone takes off work, school, etc. to help with the preparations and give their respects to the family.

So we headed out to Palikir, which is about a 15 minute drive from where I live. The families residence was far back in the jungle, so we had a bumpy ride but we finally arrived around noon. My first few glimpses and smells were that of women preparing food like rice and taro, the men washing and preparing the sakau, and a few of the younger men carrying in two pigs that were tied to large poles by their feet. Of course they were still alive at this point, and were clearly distraught and squealing loud enough for neighbors for miles to hear, but noone blinked an eye because they have seen this a million times before. As my grandma even said (from her experience of growing up on a farm in Wisconsin) "it's part of life". So we had our few respectful sips of the slimy, mucky sakau (this was very strong sakau, meant for funerals) and watched as they killed and prepared the pigs for the local oven called an uhm which is made from stacking coconut shells and hot rocks off the fire. All of the little boys were so interested in butchering the pigs as they crowded around and tried to learn the ways so in a few years, they would be able to do it themselves. There were also some sea turtles, but thankfully they were killed before I got there (that would be hard for me to watch). We stayed for a couple hours, paying our respects to the family and taking in the cultural experience. It was then that they started carrying in two more live pigs, in which I bowed out and called it a day and headed back to the "city".

Sakau preparation

Everyone's so excited to watch!

The rest of my day was filled with significantly less animal deaths, as I headed to the PICS track to the big celebration for International Women's Day. Women were gathered together from all areas of Pohnpei, the Mwoakillese, Sokeh's, women of Madolenihmw and many more. Each different group wore beautiful costumes of bright, colorful, flowery muumuu's and traditional dress. I watched as they all took turns going up in front of the audience and higher seated titles (like village officials, Embassy employees, and governors) to perform choreographed dances. My favorite was that of the Mwoakillese women, who performed a traditional dance that told of how to pick the local breadfruit from the trees and prepare them for eating. It was a great celebration, and one that highlighted the beauty of the local island women and their traditions and customs.

Loved their costumes!

Describing this culture can be difficult, as one cannot really explain all the odds and ends of everything you see here. There's a lot of odd things, a lot of surprising things, but in the end, a lot of things that you grow to become comfortable to. As the year is coming to a fast ending, I am finding myself having feelings of not wanting to leave my routine that I have settled into here. Yes, there are so many things that I miss back in the US, but I've gotten used to my simple life here. My daily routine of waking up to roosters crowing, walking to school and seeing the tropical flowers, going to the grocery stores just to see it not stocked with essential items again but resorting to our usual meal of local fish and pasta, and having the relaxing feeling that if something didn't get done today it's okay because we can do it tomorrow. "Island time" has definitely found a way into my lifestyle.

Anyways, it's time to settle down to bed with my Netflix for the night. Yes, I still get Netflix here! (I'm currently watching the complete Friends series :) Keep an eye out for my next blog post soon- it's gonna be a fun one!

Pwohng Mwahu (pong-mwau; goodnight)

The COMET is upon us!!

You guys,

First of all, I'm sorry that I haven't been too updated with this whole blog thing. Although I'm on this island whose number one hobby is sitting around and doing nothing, I've kept myself surprisingly busy the past couple months. Not only am I running the Girls on Track club, library story hour, and teaching four sections of Algebra II, but I've found this great new Zumba women's workout group who meets once per night (once the sun goes down- it's impossible to workout here during the day!). I tell myself that it's good to keep busy, otherwise I think I would go completely insane some days.

This whole year I have been preparing my students for the COMET exam (College of Micronesia Entrance Test) which is comparable to the SAT. To gain entrance to the college here on the island, they must pass this multiple choice test comprised of a math section, essay, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. As their math teacher, we have spent these past couple weeks focusing intensely on algebra (mainly quadratics), basic geometry, and problem solving techniques. For most of my students, this is the most important test of their lives because it decides if they will be able to go to college and possibly gain their ticket off of this island. I asked my students today what their plan was after high school (assuming that they pass the COMET) and I got a variety of answers including starting a family, attending COM on-island, transferring to another island college like Palau or Guam, and attending college in the States. I can only hope that I have adequately prepared them for this exam, as the rest of their life can easily depend on the outcome. The exam starts tomorrow, so I'm crossing my fingers that they do well!

Christmas here on-island was the hardest holiday I've ever had, if you want the truth. Not only have I never experienced Christmas without snow, but never one away from my family. I was able to Skype with them back home, so that helped me feel connected. I spent Christmas day in mid-90's weather walking along the Nett Point beach and collecting seashells, which was beautiful to say the least, but still a struggle for myself. It's hitting that point in the year that I'm counting down the days until I can return to Wisconsin and just be home again. I genuinely and truly appreciate the experience to live in another country and culture for this year, and it has taught me more than I can compose in words, but at the heart of it I realize that the culture I come from back home is pretty great.

It's surf season right now on Pohnpei, which by the fact is considered one of the top surfing destinations in the world. Professional surfers have been visiting every few weeks to catch the waves out at Palikir Pass, which have been in the high 20ft range! It's fun to see new faces out at Mangrove Bay bar every weekend, and I've been able to meet people from all over the world, What a small world- for all of us to be pulled to this tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to meet at this short place and time. Sometime it still fathoms me that I am actually here. When I look up at the stars and realize that I am on the complete other side of the world, although scary and overwhelming, it can be very eye-opening.

Thank you to those of you who have stayed in touch these past few months- even a short message or few words can help me to feel connected back home. I could not have done this journey without your support.

Time for Zumba~~ let's dance!!

A testing and trying Thanksgiving...

Kaselel,

Well, if you're worried why I haven't posted in forever or talked to many of you, I apologize... It's definitely been quite a test of my emotional stability this past month. The good news is that I'm safe and content in a new apartment and continuing teaching at PICS. The bad news is that we not only got robbed once, twice, but THREE times within the past couple weeks. The most traumatic being the night that we returned to find our old apartment and personal items strewn about and the window pried wide open, and also waking up to see a black figure climbing out my bedroom window. Whoever is doing this has taken everything worth of any value from me, including my laptop, camera, iPhone, local phone, tablet, etc. It's more than just my personal electronics, it's a violation of my privacy and emotional safety. To be honest, the past month has been one of the most trying times in my entire life, and I've shed a lot of tears and done a lot of deep thinking in how I can feel safe and whole again. To think of some stranger going through my personal items, pictures, clothes, everything... it makes me shudder at the core.

I've tried not to let this alter my perception of this country and it's people overall. It's been hard, but I think I've come to a place that I have accepted that there are bad people anywhere you go. Throughout this experience, I've had many people, locals and friends, reach out a helping hand to get me through this. Yes, there is evil in the world... but you can't let that blind you from seeing the beauty in the innocent eyes of a local child, or the kindness in my students voice when they ask how I am, or the sincere apology of a complete stranger when they hear what someone has done to me. The people on this island aren't to blame- it's the few individuals that chose to make a bad decision. Yes, I do hope that bad karma comes their way and they will pay for their actions, but I am not the one that has to deal with that. That's on their own conscience and their own soul.

This whole thing has provided me with the silence and clarity (due to no laptop, phone, or any type of electronic device) to really think about things and ask myself some pretty deep questions. I never thought I would say that I could survive without a phone! But it's been okay. I have my friends and support here on Pohnpei, especially the other WorldTeach volunteers. We celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with good food, including my Red Lobster biscuits (thank you Grandma!). I was really able to think about what I'm thankful for in my life... which basically comes down to those special people in my life. There are so many distractions in our lives, and things can get so busy and stressful, but at the end of the day what you really have to be thankful for is the love you experience from those around you. The people in your life are what makes it worth living. Not your possessions, money, or luxuries... just the simple fact that there are people in this world that have made a difference in your life. So this goes out to all of you guys... my family, who have been more supportive than I could ask for, my friends, both college and hometown... we may not stay in touch this year as much as I want but you are constantly in my thoughts, and I can't wait to come back and catch up soon... and those few individuals who have been my rock and stronghold when I've come apart. You are the people that keep my holding on. And I cannot thank you enough- from the bottom of my heart.

On a brighter note, I'm starting a lot of new projects here on Pohnpei! I am officially the new head of the Children's story hour at the library, so all the little pwutak and serepein (boys and girls) better be expecting some fun songs and silly dances! Besides that, Aaron and I have also started a Debate Club at PICS high school. During our first meeting, I was able to meet our new debaters which range from freshman to seniors and I can tell it is going to be a fun year. Despite the fact that I know very little about debate, I'll do my best to help!

My most exciting new project is starting the Girls on Track club at school. This is an organization that I have also been involved with back in the states, and the motto and beliefs of this program I support wholeheartedly. It's a club that is dedicated to teaching girls how to live a healthy lifestyle, and to build their self-confidence and help them set out goals for their future. So far we've only had two meetings, but we've had over thirty girls in attendance! It's going to be interesting for me, planning the lessons with the Pohnpeian culture in mind, but we've already gotten to talk about some really important issues such as "Do you feel beautiful about yourself?" and "Why is it important to live a healthy lifestyle?". We've done some yoga (which proved to be more of a laughing fit than relaxation, but it was fun!) and jogging around the track field. I'm so glad to get to know some of these girls outside the classroom, where they can see me as more of an older sister than their teacher. I have big dreams for this club, and I will keep you updated on our progress throughout the year!

As for my own athletic activities- I've started going to a zumba dance class that is held right next door to our new apartment. Each night from 7-8pm, around 40 local women of all ages come together and we do our zumba dance to a mix of local music, Pitbull remixes, and the Macarena. I've realized that I'm not the most graceful or sexy dancer, but it's the fun that counts! I'm glad noone else can see me haha... you would get quite the laugh! But it's my time of the day to unwind and relax and just be in a group of women that are focused on physical health.

Well, I apologize that this isn't the most upbeat or positive post... but life isn't always easy, is it? I've had a lot of time to think and to focus on what is keeping me here. Although some days are hard to go in and teach and keep a smile on my face, my students are progressing a lot. At the beginning of the year, they could barely add and subtract basic integers in their heads... and now they are solving systems of equations using graphing, substitution, and combination methods! (that was for you math nerds out there) We have one more week of review and then it's finals and Christmas break. Wow- that first semester really flew by! I don't really have many plans for my Christmas vacation, but I know that the other WT volunteers and I are hoping to visit more of the island, and possibly go back to Black Coral island for a little paradise getaway.

December just isn't the same without snow! It truly is hard for me to believe that it really is winter right now. One of the biggest things that brings me back to reality is watching the Packers play on my roommate's laptop and seeing all the snowy and freezing yet damn proud and excited fans in Lambeau. Damn, do I miss Wisconsin!

---I'll be back sooner than you know---

Our Thanksgiving spread... yum!

Spooks is getting so big!

Project in Algebra II using linear equations

Some of my students from my A4 section

Sassy girls!! Love them

Four month mark

Can you believe it, it's already been over FOUR months that I've been on Pohnpei?! Some days it feels as if I just got here, and others is feels as if I've been on this island for years... To be honest, this month is the first time that I've finally felt really homesick. Seeing pictures of hunting and snow from back home really makes me miss it. Watching the Packer games on my computer in the 88 degree sun and heat just doesn't seem right somehow haha. I would love to spend even one day back home, bundled up in a blanket and eating some of dad's homemade food. To help from feeling so homesick, I've tried my best to keep myself busy this past month with lots of activities...

Halloween on the island was very fun. I celebrated in my classroom with candy and "Halloween graphing" (in which students plotted points on a Cartesian Coordinate plane and created spooky Halloween shapes). That night, Kolonia was filled with kids all over the place, dressed up in masks and fun costumes, trick-or-treating from house to house. Apparently, Halloween has been a growing holiday on Pohnpei in recent years, and it is celebrated the most right in town where I live. We did have a couple trick-or-treaters come to our apartment for candy, in which I gave them the Chewy bars that mom sent in my last care package (thanks mom!!). We celebrated later that night by going out to some of the bars on Pohnpei (the Rusty Anchor being the most packed) and had fun with the Costume Contest- my favorite being someone dressed as a local yam!!

We've done our fair share of waterfall hikes lately. In the Kitti (pronounced Ki-chi) municipality, there are many beautiful waterfalls to visit, including side-by-side Sawarlap and Sawartik Falls. My roommate and I hitchhiked our way out to Kitti through multiple generous truck rides and visited them a couple weeks ago. They are located on family property, so when we got there we had to pay the family to use their land (only $5 per person). One of the local boys was our guide, and he took us down into the valley. It ended up being around an hour hike, but it was beautiful and not too hard. Once we got to the waterfalls, I was able to look up at the 100-something foot waterfall spilling out of the jungly mountain above me. It was beyond beautiful. My favorite part about sightseeing on Pohnpei is that it is so natural and untouched- we were literally the only ones there, in the middle of the jungle, with no signs or tourists or touches of outside life- just the beautiful scenery around us. Many of the sights I've been able to see here are truly breathtaking.

This weekend was the Aussie Wombat Walkabout Sunset 5k Fun Run (you think they could shorten the name a little bit!) which was sponsored by the Australian Embassy. It was approximately 5k, starting and ending at Mangrove Bay and looping up to the Spanish Wall on the other side of town. Even thought it was later, starting at 5pm, I was still dripping in sweat as I ran (ok-walked/jogged) underneath the blistering island sun. It was totally worth it though- free t-shirts and entry fee! I try my best to stay in shape while on the island (all this salty/processed food is adding a couple extra pounds) so I often swim at the local pool or workout at our apartment. I'm so glad that the Embassy put on the event- it turned out to be a great evening and fun run.

Oh, the most exciting new news... we got a kitten!! On Halloween we were walking home, and on the side of the road we heard some meows- a tiny little black kitten was following us! It followed us all the way to our apartment and even up the stairs and wouldn't leave us alone! Here's my thought- it was so small and tiny and black that if we didn't adopt it, he probably would have gotten hit by a car. So long story short, we adopted the kitten and he is now living at our apartment for the time being. We call him Spooky, aka Spooks, on account of him finding us on Halloween. I'm guessing he is around 1 month old, because he is really tiny and still looks like a newborn. We've been feeding him some dry cat food, but also some scraps from our meals- including fresh yellowfin tuna sashimi and crab meat. He is going to be the most spoiled kitten on Pohnpei!

You can say that the island fever has set in on me a little bit... I often find myself sitting in my apartment, dripping from sweat, bored out of my mind... thinking of what I would be doing if I were not on this island. It's definitely not easy being away from home this long, let alone stuck on a small island, but I am very fortunate to be living in a beautiful area like Pohnpei. My goal is to learn more of the culture and language before I leave this year, and explore every inch of the island. My newest Pohnpeian phrase is "I poakpoakeiuk" (pronounced EE-Poke-Poke-Ay-Yuuk) which means "I love you". The language is far from easy here to say the least!

I hope all is good back in the US, and you guys are enjoying your first snow of the year! Believe me, I truly am missing it. I wish my students could experience snow and the cold- they've never felt anything below 70 degrees in their whole lives!

Peace and Palm Trees,
Kadinmadau

Our own private island?!!

Last weekend proved to be one of my favorite weekends so far on Pohnpei. Some of us WorldTeach volunteers, along with some Peace Corps and Jesuit Volunteers, pooled our money together to rent out an ENTIRE tropical paradise island for the weekend. Let me repeat... we rented out our own private island (and at $20 each, I don't know how it could get any better)!!

We took a boat out to Black Coral Island, which is about a 20 minute boat ride from the dock in Kitti. It is still inside the protective reef barrier that surrounds Pohnpei, so we didn't encounter any rough seas or have to take our big life saving equipment with us. There were around 18 people staying on Black Coral, which is a small enough island that you can see all ends of from any point. Black Coral is literally a honeymoon vacation island, accompanied with sandy beaches, small huts to stay in, hammocks to relax, and a beautiful channel for snorkeling. It literally couldn't get any better. So we spent our weekend drinking Red Horse and relaxing on our island.. I was even able to wake up early enough to watch the sunrise over the ocean. I cannot put into words how beautiful that moment was- just me and the ocean waves crashing up while looking at the sun come over the horizon. We also did some snorkeling in the channel that is next to the island, with beautiful colored coral reefs and millions of types of fish. I even was able to see an eel (don't worry, I stayed far away from it!) and a small seahorse. Wow, looking back at pictures I can't even describe the beauty of the scenery around us. I literally don't think I took my swimsuit off the entire weekend- that's how much we were in the water!

Group photo swimming at Black Coral

WorldTeach volunteers at Black Coral

This past school week was shortened due to Education Day (Thursday) and UN Day (Friday) so we had some free time on our hands. It is also Japan culture week here on Pohnpei, so they were offering free Japanese movies at the movie theatre here in town. Although I didn't really enjoy the long, confusing, crazy Japanese murder mystery we went to go see, I was able to sit in a fairly comfy theatre chair with AC for a couple hours- so, no complaints! Afterwards, we went to go check out a restaurant here on Pohnpei called Nett Ramen. Now, when I hear the word ramen I want to gag (literally, some people here on Pohnpei eat ramen for EVERY meal of the day!) but this was a real Ramen restaurant with homemade noodles, rich broth, and fresh vegetables. It's run by this cute little French woman and her Pohnpeian/Japanese husband, and it was one of the best meals I've had so far on Pohnpei! Sooooo delicious. Overall, it was a fun night with both new movies and new food!

Saturday, we were supposed to go on a snorkeling trip but opted out (money is low at the end of the month) so we took a day adventure instead. We hitchhiked (through 4 different rides) out to Kitti, which is an outer municipality of Pohnpei (basically, on the other side of the island from where I live in Kolonia). We arrived at the house of the family who owns the land that some waterfalls are on, and although it was a little late in the day they agreed to let us go visit the waterfalls. Our guide ended up being a high school student, and after he grabbed his machete and left his sandals to go barefoot, we were off into the jungle. Overall, it took us around 1-2 hours to hike down into this large gorge where we could get to the bottom of the waterfalls. I was stupid enough to wear flip flops (what was I thinking?!) so I left them to go barefoot as well. There were two different waterfalls that we visited, I would estimate that the first was around 60ft and the second one around 100ft tall. They were absolutely gorgeous! I wish I could show a video or somehow be able to describe how majestic they were. The coolest part is that there is no signs, no other people, no "touristy" stuff... just us! So many of the sights that I see here on Pohnpei are that much more beautiful just because it is 100% natural. This is their everyday life here- walks through the jungle and playing at the waterfalls.

Sawarlap falls (one of the falls I saw)

It is sooo crazy to think that my time here on Pohnpei is already 4 months gone! It seems like it was only yesterday that I was stepping off the airplane into the hot, humid air. They always say that one of the biggest things you remember about somewhere is your first smell when you get there. Mine was the smell/feeling of being near a swamp, because the air is so much more humid and sticky than I have ever experienced anywhere else. I never thought I could survive this long without my friends and family, but I'm learning to love this little island. There are so many small, beautiful things you can see if you open your eyes. The people here are humble and open, and will always be willing to chat (they could talk for hours and hours if you let them!). The pace of life is so much slower here- but not like a boring slow. Just more relaxed. Maybe I will learn a thing or two from this type of lifestyle.

That's all for now. I gotta go lesson plan #lifeofateacher

Random thoughts on first year teaching, Pohnpeian culture, and island life...

Kaselehlie maingko!

Ya iromai? (How are you?) My Pohnpeian is pretty much limited to these and only a few other phrases haha. So when our school meetings are run entirely in Pohnpeian.... yeah, I can get lost pretty fast! But I'm learning as much as I can every day. My favorite word in Pohnpeian is meleilei (meh-lay-lay) which means peace. I think it would be an absolutely beautiful name for a little girl!

I apologize that I don't have any picture to share this time. Ever since my camera and iPhone got stolen, I have no way of taking pictures anymore. It's a dilemma that I'm working on fixing soon, as I want to share so much of my everyday life with people back home. To be honest, I'm not sad at all about physically not having my items anymore... it's funny how living abroad can really open up your eyes to the truly important things in life. I've realized how unimportant my physical stuff really is. Back home, I've left boxes and boxes of clothes, jewelry, furniture, decorations... you name it. And I haven't missed it a single day since. My iPhone? Oh well. It's just an object. It sounds so corny, but I've really realized that I don't need any of that stuff that I thought I did. What's important are the people around you, and living and sharing those experiences with them. Even as far as physical appearances... I used to take at least an hour to get ready for school, and now? Maybe less than 15 minutes. I have so few outfits to choose from, it's pretty easy to pick one out in the morning. And makeup? I'll brush on a couple strokes of mascara but that's all. My hair? It's up in a bun every single day. No more straightening or hairspray or whatever I did.... and I still feel 100% beautiful and confident about myself! When it comes down to it, my students won't remember ten years from now what outfit I wore or how pretty I was a certain day... but what I'm hoping that they take with them is the confidence and strength that comes with learning, and the potentials that each of them have.

Which brings me to my next thoughts on my first year of teaching... It's hard for me to actually call it full-time teaching because I only teach 4 out of 8 sections, and many of the days are shortened due to rains (today, it was the case of a possible typhoon) or a broken cafeteria or you name it... But nonetheless, I am teaching. My four sections are extremely different, and each of them has a different personality which is the beauty of it. I'm learning every day better ways to teach them or new ways of thinking. Overall, I am extremely impressed and shocked at how smart, intelligent, and creative my students can be. Although they have been extremely shy, and continue to be at times, I'm starting to see their personalities and little funny quirks starting to come out. Pohnpeian culture is very different from American... the students are very shy, slow to speak up or stand out in a crowd, and often prefer traditional ways of learning in the classroom. Whenever I try something new like stations, vocabulary posters, group work or games... it usually takes a little bit for everyone to be completely comfortable with it. But give it a while, and these students will show you intelligence beyond measure. Last week, I saw a student who had never once spoken in class or asked a single question (I assumed she was confused and lost with the material) completely dominate her math quiz. Or when I see a student lend a hand to help their classmate out when their eyesight is so bad that they cannot see their own paper. These students have such beautiful souls- so quiet, so humble, and so selfless. I am constantly broadening my views of what a classroom should look and feel like, because these students are so different here. But it's a good kind of different. They are (most of the time) so focused and value their education. They are able to see that education is their only key at succeeding at life, so they take every opportunity they can to grasp onto that. I can only pray that I am strong enough to get them there.

This afternoon, I went to volunteer at the local library for "story time", in which around 10 students between the ages of 5 and 12 came to sing songs, listen to stories, and do some arts and crafts. I can be honest that I felt pretty silly doing the Hokey Pokey in front with everyone staring at me, but at least they got a good laugh! We read the "Real Story of The Three Pigs" (if you've ever read that children's book it's written from the point of view of the Big Bad Wolf). During arts and crafts, I was able to walk around and meet some of the children, learning their names, favorite colors, and what school they go to. It's funny, how you will see children here with almost nothing on their backs, wearing broken flip flops, torn shirts, stained shorts... but they are some of the happiest and most smiley kids I've ever met! The children here bring such a smile to my face, and they are always excited to meet me and learn more about someone different from themselves. I'll try to get some pictures at "story time" next week :)

There are some days that I am desperately missing life back in Wisconsin. When I see pictures from back home of the changing leaves, football games, and the crispness in the air... ahh those are some of my favorite things! What I wouldn't give to just bundle up in some blankets next to a campfire and enjoy some of my dad's cooking. I keep reminding myself that this experience, although hard, will teach me more about myself than I ever thought. At this point, the island is out of eggs, butter, cheese, and many fresh vegetables... yes, I will admit that I sit here and dream of food about 60% of the time (but let's be honest, that's nothing new haha). It's the little things that make me happy, like finding frozen strawberries at the store from which I was able to make my mom's famous Strawberry Shortcake recipe! I almost cried because it tasted exactly like hers :) Like I said, it's the little things that count.

Okay, well the rains are getting pretty bad right now and I want to be able to post before our internet gets knocked out. I hope everyone's school year is going well and you all are enjoying fall! I am enjoying the constant variations between scorching, humid heat and humid rain. The humid part never leaves haha. Kaselel!

Waterfalls, Long Hikes, and No Cheese!

This week, school is going good... the kids are progressing and we are having fun learning new Algebra stuff. Couldn't ask for anything more :) I can honestly say that I go home each day with a smile on my face because my students show me something new every day. Whether it be their creative drawings, funny jokes, or hard work learning the Commutative Property, they amaze me all the time.

Last week was only a two day school week (I know, cool right?!) because it was what's called Liberation Day on September 11th. Liberation Day here on Pohnpei is a national holiday, although I'm not 100% sure what is celebrates. I think it has something to do with the Pohnpeians and World War II, maybe it's the day that they were freed from slavery? Not exactly sure. Regardless, it is a day that is celebrated by all and huge sporting events are held around the island. Although we did not go to view any sporting events, we chose instead to go visit Liduduhniap waterfall.

Here on Pohnpei, waterfalls are considered sacred by the locals. It is thought that spirits of passed ones linger at the waterfalls, so it is extremely important to be quiet and respectful while visiting them. If you are too loud or being disrespectful, it is thought that the waterfalls may take your life (which has happened before in the past). For example, a couple years ago during the last Microgames, a group of visitors from Palau were at Liduduhniap (I think) and being extremely loud and noisy. Locals warned them to be quiet because of the spirits, but they did not listen. Soon enough, it started raining, and when it rains here it pours! It quickly turned into a flash flood, and they were carried down the waterfall and perished. Not a fun story, but it shows the importance of respecting the local culture!

Liduduhniap was beautiful, and a two-part waterfall. We payed the local family $1 for visiting the waterfall on their land, and made our way down the very groomed path. At the upper waterfall, we were able to stand on the riverbed and watch as the water tumbled over the giant waterfall. I felt like I was on the edge of the world! Then, after climbing down the path on the side, we were able to go to the second waterfall and sit at the bottom of the pool, looking up at the water falling down. Honestly, I could feel the majesty and spirituality that the locals talk about. Something about this place is so beautiful, and so pure. I sat there for a while, meditating and just taking in the scenery all around me. It was a very beautiful day- quiet, respectful, and scenic. 

*Not my own photo, my camera is MIA :( 

The next weekend, we took a hike with some fellow WorldTeach, Peace Corps, and menwai on the island. Our guide was a local Pohnpeian, and he helped guide us up the twisty and turn path through the jungle in Uh (one of the municipalities on the island). Once you get into the jungle with a treetop roof over your head, although it is not necessarily sunny it is EXTREMELY hot and sweaty. Not to mention sticky, slippery, and wet. So we took a 10 hour trek through the jungle, all of which the entire time I was dripping in sweat and slipping on moss-covered rocks. If you've ever seen the tv show LOST, that's literally what I was living. I was basically walking through the jungles of LOST (which is my freaking DREAM!!). Our guide used his machete to help cut our path as we walked. It sounds like a horrible time, but honestly it was really fun. The hike was beautiful, and we were able to see some Japanese cannons and bunkers leftover from the war. When we got to the top, which was around a 2,000 ft cliff overlooking the lagoon and island, I swear I've never seen a prettier lookout on the island so far. It was cool to look below me and see the birds flying over the treetops, while dangling my feet over the edge and feeling invincible. It was a beautiful day, accompanied with great friends and a great end to our weekend.

Best of friends! 

Our guide for the hike

The view at the top was spectacular!

Now, to the most important and heartbreaking announcement.... there's no cheese on the island!! I repeat, NO CHEESE! :( Being a true Wisconsinite cheesehead, I'm basically dying. Throughout the past couple weeks, I've gone store to store and cannot find any more cheese. Only a couple frozen, $30 bags of shredded mozzarella, which I cannot find in my heart to purchase quite yet. Not only an absence of cheese, but potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, green lettuce.... it goes on. At times, in-between boat shipments, the island can run quite short of many fresh produce. You would think that there would be some local produce, and there is, but it's hard to find any especially because I'm living right in the middle of town. If I were in one of the outer parts of the island, maybe I could have access to more farms, but right now I can only get what's shipped into Kolonia (town). So that means there's a lot of Chinese cabbage, yams, taro, onions, and cucumbers all the time. And tons and tons of bananas. Not that those are bad.. but I would like to have more of a variety sometimes. I can only hope that the next boat comes in soon, because then we can have access to a lot more produce from California, like grapes, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, and cheese. If you don't know, taro is a root that many locals eat on the island. They usually boil it in coconut milk to give it a sweeter taste, but to be brutally honest I think it still tastes like wood haha. But the locals love it!!

Local taro root

Ok- so that's it for now!! I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog and stay updated with all my stories. It's one way that helps me to feel connected with loved ones back home. Although I do miss Wisconsin and everyone so unbelievably much, I'm only a letter or email away! If anyone ever wants to write to me on island, or send school supplies (I'm in dire need of pencils, reading books, and calculators!) you can write or flat-rate ship to this address:

Laura Tracy 

C/O WorldTeach

P.O. Box 2378

Kolonia, Pohnpei 96941

FSM (Federated States of Micronesia)

Stay cool everyone- I know I wish that I could!!! 

Kadinmadau