Island Adventures: Overdue updates

Iakwe aolep (hello everyone)...

I know this post is long time coming. I have been busy (well busy and not so busy at the same time). The major reason I haven't updated in a while is because I lost my beloved phone. I was very sad and felt naked although I could use it only in NTA wi-fi areas. I use it for a lot more than just phone-it was my camera, my pen and paper to communicate with people, my blog entries, and of course to keep in touch with people when I am in wi-fi areas. I put an announcement on the radio but it hasn't been returned to me yet. Life moves on. There are worse things happening in this world. Luckily, my sister Damara had an old phone that I could use for now until I return to the states when I plan to upgrade my phone. Thanks, Damara, mike, holligan and Melvia for finding me the phone and mailing it to me! Thus, the reason I haven't really updated my blog. I usually write an entry in my phone, then post it when I am in an Internet area. I can't type the blog on the spot on my laptop when I am in an Internet area. I type the blog on my phone wen I feel inspired to do so and post it when I am in an Internet area. So... I apologize to my family and friends who have been waiting for a new entry.

I am doing good-as good as I can be considering I have this pesky cold that has been going on for 2 weeks. If it doesn't go away by Monday I am going to the doctor. I have been putting it off because you all know how much I love to go to the doctor.

My birthday came and went. I started the day with a very good 8 mile run where I saw a shooting star, then did laundry and went to tide table where I video chatted with family and friends. Abby and I discussed our trip to Europe and we bought our plane ticket to fly to Europe that evening! There was also a beautiful sunset thy evening. It was a good, low key day.

There is a king tide warning happening here now. The last king tide (January) resulted in water covering the road around Rairok, blocking traffic for several hours until the water receded. I guess that was enough to cancel school for my school since we have kids from all over the island. The water levels were a bit high but no road flooding as far as I know. The school closure was real nice, though. I was able to do some errands. School was closed on Monday as well because crews were supposed to cut down a tree behind the school because it was leaning dangerously close to the school and if it fell down, it would hit the school. So school was cancelled on Monday so crews could cut down the tree... The catch was that no one came. The engine apparently died r something so they are working on fixing the engine then when they arrive, kids will go home immediately. I am not sure it will happen before we go home for the summer. We shall see. So basically I only had school for 3 days this week. Gotta love 3 day school weeks!

Last week was "education week". We weren't aware that we were supposed to plan activities for the kids the entire week until Tuesday so we planned activities for Wednesday-Friday. On Wednesday, we went on a field trip to the fire department, to the bank and to the wellness center. On Thursday we went to the airport to watch a plane landing (it's surprising how few kids have been to the airport considering how small the island is). We missed the actual lading by a few seconds and waited forever for the plane to take off, but when it finally did, it was magical for the kids who were willing to get out of the van and back into the sun after standing in the sun for a while waiting. On Friday, we had activities for the entire school to participate in and to interact with each other. After the activities. We had a bbq lunch of chicken, hot dog, fish for the adults, potato salad, rice, breadfruit, and chocolate cake. It was good to have the entire school together and seeing how they interact with each other.

This week... Majuro day was on Tuesday. No one I talked to has an idea of what that day signifies or what to do on that day. I was supposed to teach sign class in Laura (other end of the island) at 4. I had a feeling that something would happen but I didn't notify the other deaf volunteers. I went on my home visit in ajeltake like I always do before the sign class. The visit went a bit late so I was in a hurry to grab a taxi, no taxi vans came for a while. I finally got on a taxi at 4. I would have cancelled the class of it wasn't for my team teacher. I finally arrived in Laura at 430. The school was locked! So I got back on the same taxi and rode around picking people up, returning to majuro around 6:30. I basically spent 2 1/2 hours jamboing the island in a taxi cab. Fun times. It ended up that all schools went to the event. Of course no one told us.

I had a very busy Thursday evening. First, chinilla and I decided to watch a women's softball game. It was a championship game between delap (one of the neighborhoods of majuro) and the island chains beyond majuro but in the lagoon (I forgot the name). The island chains won the game. Then we went to her mother in law's home where they were cooking breadfruit. I was so fascinated with it.

They cook the breadfruit in a pit in the ground to make the skin hard, then use a piece of broken glass to shred the burnt black skin off the breadfruit (below). If it is not hard enough, the skin will come off.

Video of shredding the burnt part off the breadfruit.

After that, we went to grab something to eat and then drive to Chinilla's house so she could change into appropriate clothes for the funeral of an irooj (chief) from Maloelap (her family is from that atoll).

I think I counted 10 pictures of the irooj, it was the same picture but with different background photoshopped onto the pictures.

View of the coffin and pictures from outside the church.

It was my first funeral of an irooj. I had gone to another funeral for a child before but not for an important person. The funeral was held over several days at the international conference center where all the nitijela (congress) attended then it moved to the church. The body will either be flown or transported by a boat to Maloelap where there will be another funeral and then he will be buried. At each funeral, you are supposed to give at least a dollar to help the family offset the cost of the funeral and refreshments after the funeral. There was a big Marshallese basket near the coffin that was full of money of varying denominations. Amazing.

Friday was the Chinese New Year celebration. Two volunteers who know how to make Asian food hosted a dinner party. We learned how to make pork dumplings and shrimp spring rolls. I had a good time.