Race Day!

Race day. The time has finally come to celebrate the 5 months of training our athletes have endured and race. As coaches it's hard not to be nervous. In a place where preparing months in advance for, well, almost anything is counter-cultural it has been an uphill battle at times. We have had to teach our athletes patience, dedication and hard work. Do we think we have succeeded in teaching them these values...some days yes...most days no :)...but we try our best. Additionally, as women coaches we have had challenges with gender power imbalances...but once again, we keep pushing forward. Perhaps most nerve-racking is how visible we will be at the track meet. Every other team has been practicing for maybe three weeks so if we get beat tomorrow (due solely to natural talent) people will talk about how we "wasted our (and our athletes') time." Any chance to discount something as crazy as training for months will be utilized. I keep telling myself that our athletes are strong and, if they don't give up, they will persevere. We'll see! Currently Michaela and I are getting our hair put into full braids...just a little pre-meet debauchery. Here are a couple stories to highlight different challenges and cultural barriers that we have endured (below).

Track Team Drama: It is crazy how much pride and the need to win affect things on this island. Unfortunately our track team has been victim to this self-centered pride. There is a group of old men with high titles that will do anything to protect their egos. Historically Kitti, another municipality in Pohnpei, has always won the Championship Week Track and Field meet (this is our big race). However, Michaela and I have been training our athletes for 5 months now and everyone is talking about how PICS 1(our team) is going to beat Kitti this year. We have had Kitti coaches and athletes come observe practice and a few experiences of coaches (who fall into the "high title, older men" category) cheating. For example, Kitti has really strong sprinters but they are lacking strong distance runners so at the track meeting they decided that each team could only enter TWO athletes in the 1500, while every other event would allow FOUR athletes from each team. Kitti knew that we would get all of the points in the 1500 so they just limited the Field. What sucks most about this is how it affects the athletes. We have two athletes who have been training with us for MONTHS and now will be unable to run at the meet because of the old men's decision to limit the 1500. It's disappointing how winning supersedes letting athletes compete. We even asked if they could have a heat that didn't count towards team points (just so the athletes could at least run) but they wouldn't allow it.

Another ridiculous attempt at cheating happened last week. We had started training an athlete (McCaffrey) in October. Initially he was far from being a "stand out" athlete. He was uncoordinated in sprint drills and his running form was all over the place (Michaela and I enjoyed many "secret" laughs watching him struggle through the drills...horrible, I know!). He didn't make the "varsity" team last year; however, over the last 5 months he has been extremely dedicated to our training regimen and to our surprise he is currently tied as our #1 runner. He is FAST! If there was ever a success story from our training, it's McCaffrey. Anyway, we had a time trial last Thursday and McCaffrey wasn't there. Later we found out that the "JV" coach, who McCaffrey had ran for last year, decided to "take him back." McCaffrey is a really nice kid who can't say "no" to much of anything so when the JV coach approached him and said, "so you're running with us, right?" McCaffrey just shrugged his shoulders, which was interpreted as a "yes." Michaela approached the JV coach about this and he said (a complete lie), that McCaffrey had come up to him and asked to be on the JV team. He said that he thought we were training McCaffrey this entire time for his team. This could not be any further from the truth. Grant it, yes, if we would have known from the start that McCaffrey was going to run for the JV team we still would have trained him (we're here for the kids, first). However, because we thought he was with us, we centered our team around him. Can you even imagine this happening in the states? A coach trains an athlete for 5 months and then another coach steps in (one week before the competition) and persuades him to join his team (hopefully this hasn't happened to any of you coaches!)?? The JV coach hasn't even lifted a finger to coach his team yet. They have had maybe two practices and the meet is this tomorrow. It seems like he was just planning on throwing a team together at the last second and stealing our top runners (he also tried to take one of our girls). Luckily, we were able to talk to him civilly and get our athletes back. CRAZY.

Another track story is regarding our athletes' biggest fear during the competition. They aren't afraid of "bonking," which is basically running out of steam during a race, pulling a muscle or having poor weather conditions. No, no, no. They are terrified of black magic. Supposedly Kitti uses a lot of black magic that can make people slow, sick, have rashes, go insane or even die. It has gotten so bad that some of our athletes' parents won't let their kids run because of black magic. They wholeheartedly believe in it and if we don't win the track meet, I know they are going to think it was because Kitti used black magic. They say that only a few people know how to do it, but apparently they will be sitting on the bleachers whispering spells and pointing at people in attempts to help Kitti win.

"Broken Balls" (yes, I"m going to go there...these stories just have to be told): So, cultural difference, and I'm just going to put this right out there without beating around the bush: there is a culture difference when it comes to talking about one's testicles to a person of the opposite sex, a teacher, or a coach. I have now had two young men come up to me and talk about their "broken balls" since I have been here. The first was a student. He came into my office, limping, and asked me if he could miss class. When I asked him why (big mistake) he looked around the room, leaned in, and whispered, "my balls." I was so taken off guard that I stumbled through some follow-up questions, which I should have just avoided, and pushed him out the door! When I asked the student what happened, he just took his hands and first cupped them in a way to symbolized "normal sized"...testicles... and then he gradually began to move his hands further and further apart to symbolize them "swelling." The best part was, I (his teacher) was having a terrible time keeping a straight face, while he was completely serious. TOO MUCH INFORMATION! The minute he left my office I just put my head in my hands, shook my head, and laughed.

The second "broken balls" incident happened last week with an athlete. I saw him after practice and he appeared to be in pain. So (of course) I asked him how he was. He looked at me and just shook his head. I then asked if he was injured/sore ("madok"). He simply replied, "Not good." I looked at him, concerned (he's one of our toughest distance runners) and asked why (big mistake). He then replied (in tattered English), "I am hurt in the balls." I stopped (tried not to smile) and said, "Wait, what? (yet another mistake on my part)" and he replied, "my balls, they are not good." Again, I was caught off guard and rather than just saying, "okay...make sure you rest," and running away, I continued to asked how it happened (WHY MEGHAN???). He said that an enemy kicked them and that they really hurt. I was obviously uncomfortable, so I quickly tried to give him some ungrounded advice to try and wrap up the "balls talk"...."Uh...do you have...um...Tylenol? You should take that...and..hmm...elevate your legs(???), maybe(???)...do you have access to ice (???!!!???!!)...it might help to ice (ouch!) (???!!!)." He took my advice and went home. The next day he reported that his balls were a little bit better. Wonderful.

So life has been VERY interesting in Pohnpei as of lately! I'll try to send an update after tomorrow with some pictures from the meet and of Michaela and my braided hair!

Reflection

Reflection (10/24): Last week I got an email from a friend and it really made me stop and think. She talked about reading my blog (the little I've posted) and how she's noticed that my posts have gotten less and less reflexive and more a recitation of different experiences. She encouraged me to take some more time to reflect and write for me rather than just to share stories for other people’s benefit. She had studied abroad and now, after four years +, she still wishes she would have taken more time to write and reflect to try and keep one memory from bleeding into to another causing the entire experience to seem like one big blur. This made me realize that I'm halfway done with my experience and to be honest, I'm not ready to be this far along. The first few months of adjustment have been physically and emotionally challenging and already they feel like a blur. From the first night I stayed in Pohnpei, I have been trying to reflect on what I have learned and what I want to work on for the remainder of this stay; however, I often get overwhelmed trying to sort out my emotions and thoughts. I guess, what I do know is that I am happy - really happy. I miss everyone from home every single day, but I have this overwhelming feeling that this is exactly where I should be right now. I'm going to try (this is my first attempt) to write a few reflections on my experiences so far...here goes a little bit of nothing that will hopefully turn into something…

1) HAPPINESS: "I'm really happy here" is one of my daily reoccurring thoughts. Even on the most difficult days, something catches my eye and places my frustrations into a larger context. I don't know if it’s the simplicity of Pohnpei, the rawness of the people, the kids playing in the streets (sandlot style), or the significant reduction in stress/work load, but I feel like I'm finding balance and it is refreshing. Every day I get to go to a job I love and interact with energetic, funny, and welcoming kids. Every day I get to eat deliciously healthy local food. Every day I get to live in a place that has consistently hot weather (I love HOT weather!). Every day I get to exercise with a track team my roommate and I created. Every morning I get to wake up rested from a full-night's sleep; and mostly (because my external environment is so positive and therefore less distracting), every day I get to have time for some introspection. I actually have time to think about me. It feels weird writing/thinking/saying that, but I'm realizing how beneficial it can be to spend a little part of every day trying to develop a secure sense of self. At home there are too many external messages that distract me from looking inward (above all our culture says that thinking about yourself - especially your positive characteristics - is selfish, vein, etc). However in Pohnpei I actually am able to work on developing a little inner-voice that only gives positive statements. :)

2) CONFIDENCE: Like I said earlier, my self-confidence is increasingly becoming stronger and more deeply rooted. My students have a lot to do with this. They are challenging, but this is exactly what makes my job so rewarding. Some aspects of my job that help with my confidence is that my students light up whenever I enter the classroom, they trust me enough to write personal stories and worries in their journals (in a culture where sharing your feelings is not accepted), their English abilities are improving and they are becoming more and more confident in their own potential. Everyday I try to tell myself that I have played at least a minor role in this positive learning environment. ☺

Another area that is helping me realize my own strengths is how I have been able to adjust to a completely different culture that is thousands of miles from everything that is comfortable back home. Yes, I get run-down from time to time (because the contrasting cultural norms can be overwhelming), but I have found that at these moments I tend to grow the most. I think about how I can better handle specific frustrations the next time they surface. I think about what sensitive aspect of me was poked and then, once exposed, I think about how I can improve upon that specific insecurity. Living in Pohnpei has given me a much needed opportunity to work on my own self perceptions. Slowly I'm growing and becoming more confident. It's really refreshing. During the second half of my stay in Pohnpei I plan to write more reflections to help clarify experiences that could easily blur into one big homogenous blob and to help pull out meaning wherever I happen to stumble upon it.

3) TEACHING: I have never loved a job more than I love teaching ESL students. Every single day I look forward to going to work. Not only do I know every one of my students' names, but I also have had the opportunity to get to know each of their personalities, abilities, growth areas, and worries. I know how to motivate them to learn (most days-ha!) and I love watching them react to my dumb jokes and my personal stories. I also love when they misuse English words and idioms (I know, I’m a cruel teacher!), when they sing with all of their hearts, and when they try to do what I tell them even if they have no idea what I’m asking! One example of this happened last week. We were working on using the words some, any, a lot and much and for their assignment I had them write about what they would like to put on their sundaes. They started working diligently on the activity and only after I decided to walk around to check their sentences did I realize that I had some more explaining to do. I started seeing sentences like, “I like some chicken and a lot of rice on my sundae” and it finally clicked that they had no idea what a sundae was! They thought they were writing about what they like to eat on a Sunday rather than on a sundae! Everyone burst into laughter when they realized what they had written they wanted on their ice cream!

Even when my tank is empty, they fill me up. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to do when I have to say good-bye. As cheesy as it sounds, they all have found a place in my heart. Another reason that teaching has gone so well is that there is another WorldTeach teacher working with me at the college. She is one of those "real teachers" from the states and has been an immense source of support and guidance each day. She is a patient, invaluable resource for me at the college and another reason why I love teaching ESL. Who knows, maybe teaching ESL is in my future...good call Erik! :)

Long time, no blog...

Me in the Jungle!

Hello everyone! WOW, it has been ages since I have written anything on my blog! The good news is that I have been writing, the bad news is that I haven't posted any of my reflections! Another problem is that my computer completely died on me, so most of my reflections were trapped inside (Scott was able to fix it, after I sent it home)! I will post more of my reflections once Scott gets here with my computer (ONE WEEK!).

Life in Micronesia is going wonderfully. I love my job as an ESL teacher more than I have loved any other job. My students fill me up each day and I actually look forward to Mondays (that's messed-up, huh???). Tomorrow is the last day of finals, and I'm actually feeling a little morose about it. I'm really going to miss them over break. At least Scott will be here to fill that void!!

I collected my students' journals for the last time and I was blown away by their appreciation and kindness. They are such great kids. It's weird, for the first time in my life I feel like I'm really making a difference. In the past I would always try to push a "thank you" or "good job" away; however, here it's different....I believe them. :)

Other than teaching, I'm tutoring 53 kids, coaching high school track, running a lot, and going on crazy jungle adventures up extremely tall mountains. Life is wild! I am still enjoying the 80 degree weather (sorry, had to rub it in a little!) and the ocean. I also feel like I'm growing. I'm becoming more confident and finding my lively spirit once again...it's refreshing. :)

I hope all of you are well! Don't give up on my blog! More reflections will be on their way (however, they will be old!).

Teaching in Pohnpei; Story #1

In May, before leaving for Micronesia, two of the WorldTeach volunteers had sent four boxes filled with teaching curriculum to use in Micronesia.  Two months had passed with no signs of the boxes and they were becoming increasingly anxious that the boxes may never come.  Erin, to help with her frustration, changed her expectations to a December arrival time.

During lunch one afternoon I went to do the routine mail-run and to my surprise, Erin and Andy's boxes had arrived!  I was so excited to give Erin the news that I decided to try and take as many boxes as possible back to our office.  The man working behind the desk carried two boxes for me to sign for and without testing their weight, I happily signed.  I picked them up and thought, "Wow.  These are really damn heavy...but you know what, it's only 800 meters, I can do it."  It's unfortunate that I'm an optimist and that I made that decision with only five steps into my trek, because after 10 steps I was absolutely exhausted!  The boxes combined weight must have been over 60lbs and the temperature was hovering around 100 degrees.  Halfway through I was almost in tears, so I decided to purposely over-exaggerate my exhaustion hoping that someone would notice my obvious struggle and give me a ride.  I plopped my foot down, sighed obnoxiously, wobbled and pushed one more step forward.  The sequence repeated. Plop, sigh, wobble, push, plop, sigh, wobble, push. Finally, I arrived back to campus and was already five minutes late to my own class. I looked in the mirror and gasped at what I saw.  I was completely drenched in sweat, I smelled like ass and my hair was one big frizz ball.  Now, in the states if a teacher arrived looking as I did it would raise at least a little concern, but in Pohnnpei no one seemed to notice or care!  I taught an 85 minute class looking as though I just ran a marathon in a skirt and a dress shirt...

Sokehs Rock

making our way up

kids at the top

            the view

   

making our way down

Sokehs Rock 8/26/08: We had heard stories about Sokehs Rock, but none prepared us for the intense rock climb we conquered two Sundays ago.  For the first few miles we walked on a paved road around a small island to get to the trail head.  Once there, we started our trek up hill.  We climbed rocks made into stairs, used trees to stabilize ourselves, and took breaks as needed due to the steep incline.  It was a challenge to even reach the base of the rock!  Once we arrived at the base, Michaela said, "Okay, now begins the technical part of the climb.  Do you see that pipe?  That will become your lifeline."  I looked up at what we were about to climb, noticed the rusted pipe and started to shake.  However, my ego wouldn't let me back down, so I continued upward.  As we ascended, we reached for tree roots and held our body tight against the vertical earth.  We carefully tested each rock and branch to make sure it would hold.  We gave guidance to one another when one of us got stuck.  There were times when I imagined myself dying (okay, a little exaggeration...hehe), and times when the adrenaline pumping through my body made me want to yell out in excitement!  Once we reached the top we were greeted by Pohnpeian kids (yeah, they put us to shame on the climb) and fresh pineapples ready to pick!  We spent some time enjoying the view, taking pictures and listening to the kids sing hip hop songs from the states.  Basically, we were avoiding the reality that at some point we had to go back down!  After almost an hour of relaxing one of us had to get back so, just as carefully, we made our way back down the rock.  I found going down much easier.  Whenever I couldn't find solid footing I would use the pipe as a firefighter pole to slowly inch my way down.  When we reached the pavement, we talked about how each of us (at least at one point) thought that we were going to die.  However, immediately following that conversation we made plans for the next encounter with Sokehs Rock!

Picture Update!

Below are some pictures for all of you to enjoy!  Hopefully this will give you a better idea of how my life is in Pohnpei!

Me and my Pohnpeian family-and that's only some of them!  

Sepe and me "making our style"!
SohSol (one of my host brothers)
Host brothers and Sisters:Indigo, Sepe, Emma, Sohsol (front) and Jojo (far left)

This is a test to see if my internet connection can handle uploading four pictures at a time...stay tuned for more pictures!