Hello Everyone,
For the past 2 weeks, I have been staying with a host family in a municipality called Madolenhmw, which is know for Nan Modol ruins and Kepirohi Falls. The family I'm living with is really great. My father speaks pretty good English and my mom speaks a little. My sisters can understand English a little bit and can't speak much. I have my own room in the house where my host father grew up. I've learned to cope with the lizards and the cockroaches that scurry around my room at night.
A normal day for me has been waking up at 6 a.m., taking a bucket shower, eating breakfast, training from 8:30-5, dinner and sleep. I get tired here very easily. It could be the heat and the vast amount of information I absorb each day.
I have one more week in Madolenhmw and then I'll go to my assigned island state of Chuuk for Phase II of training on Saturday. For the next two years, you can send all mail to this address:
Chuuk Field Office
P.O. Box 39
Weno, Chuuk FM 96942
This past weekend I attended a funeral which is not like funerals in the States. Only women were allowed to weep in a room where the body was. The men stayed out. Throughout the morning, men were bringing in live pigs and yams. I got to watch the men kill the pigs by stabbing them several times in the chest. I won't release any more details because it was pretty gruesome. I hung out with other PCTs during the morning and then saw my host brother and went with him to see our family. I met my host mom's oldest brother who is the speaker for the FSM legislature.
That night, we went to my host mom's sister's house where we drank Sakau and made our way to see some the Mercedes dancers. They are a group of nuns from Pohpei who spent the weekend in Madolenhmw to have fun and see their friends. They did a lot of shaking. It was very entertaining.
Last Thursday I found out my assignment. I am going to be serving on the main island of Fefan in the FSM state of Chuuk, which is know for its shipwreck diving sites. I am flying there Saturday and will move in with a new host family during my 6 weeks and language and cultural training. During my service, I will be working at an elementary school teaching 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade English with other teachers. I will be working with a counterpart and will be sharing resources and ideas with him.
Right now I am in Kolonia, the city where I spent my first 2 days. I have the morning free today but I will be in a meeting from 1-3 in the PC Office. Tomorrow I will have water safety which will be fun. I'll get to go on a boat and doing a little snorkeling. Half of the trainees are doing it today. I'll get to do more water safety when I get to Chuuk as well.
That's all I can think of to write at the moment. If any of you have specific questions you would like to ask, send me an email and I'll be happy to send you an answer. Hope all is well with you all.
Kasilel,
Ben
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8 comments:
You are a good man, Charlie Brown
i reiterate my thoughts of your writing style when you penned that first PC app. Humble. Heartfelt. Genuine.
Probably the fact of my lofty hopes, but it would be pretty cool to wander the earth with you and pen and paint.
"Oonu cyannt nyam di fish head if oonu fraid pon di eye"
GROOVE... see if you can track down the letter i sent to you at PC KiribAss
it must have ended up somewhere
came back from Jamaica and stayed with Danielle for a month which was really generous and surprising sometimes but definitely not the ideal sit. Now i'm in No.Virginia with a PCJ friend of mine... this has been a wicked tough year. i'm torn between finding a cave somewhere for a month or making a canoe, kidnapping raines and sailing our butts to Chuuk.
it was terrific to see you at the party Boss, and you know i'm rooting for you in thoughts and prayer.
(it was the other book i found another copy of. The JPII threshold of hope
did you open tamara's letter on the plane and bring my envelope along???
love, wonder and courage
Adrian
Hi Ben,
I could feel a smile coming through your writing...I hope I am right and that you are happy there. J9 and I went to Christine's Parents Weekend and we had a lot of fun. She is very happy there. Saw two comedy acts including the Evolution of Dance guy. Check it our on youtube.com -- amazing. Well, hope your adventure continues well. I know about the heat; when we go to Puerto Rico at Christmas, we are always slow and sleepy till our blood thins a bit, I guess. Love you. Aunt Clare
Hey Ben!
It is great to hear from you! Sounds like you are adjusting to your new surroundings. Liv is off from school today for Rosh Hashana and she sends A HUGE HELLO!! She misses you LOTS AND LOTS.... she adds. Scott and Liv are both doing well-have adjusted to being back in school. Jane sends well wishes and Hellos. I have past on your new address to the family. Hopefully, you will be receiving letters to keep you company of thoughts of home. Well I'm so happy to read that you are well and I miss ya lots!!
Love,
Beth
Dear Ben,
So many people have benefited by your written accounts, it's inspiring. I just got off the phone with my friend Ann Palmer, who I think you remember. She went to Mercy High School with Aunt Clare and me. She told me about her sister Beth who lived in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer and has made a living as a teacher of English as a foreign language and as a second language in the States. She later got her masters and is teahing at a College. Ann sends her love and you may be hearing from her soon. I was also talking to someone from Micronesia who suggested that we send our care packages to your Kolonia, Pohnpei address for safe keeping until you or a trusted friend could pick it up for you. I sent your package two days ago at that address for that reason. I hope you receive it soon. I was starting to chomp at the bit not having heard from you since you arrived there and am now so glad to hear how happy you are Ben. Much love,
Mom
Brotha Man,
Glad to hear you are adapting well and havnt been kidnapped yet. One more week till i leave for the islands, im stoked but wish i had the courage to take my tavels to the limit like you. We are gonna have to take a nuts trip together when you get home.
ps keep you head on a swivel, and look out for sheisty islanders
much love
little bro
Hi Ben:
Good to hear from you. I love the stoic way you say you are coping with cockroaches and lizards. Island life, mon.
Is your assignment on an outer island or a more populated one?
Team teaching sounds like a good set-up. It sounds like you got on well with your first host family--a very good sign.
Do you have any advice for me on coping with Gabe?
Sending you love.AA
Hello Ben,
It's so nice to hear from you already. I'm sure you're so busy now. I'm so darn proud of you. I know that I could never do what you're about to experience.
I think you are very brave.
Your Dad & me sit in the office early in the morning
and I get a kick out of hearing him pronounce the names of all the places!! He's missing you already.
He tells all of our patients about you & what you're doing. Everyone thinks it's great. Will you be able to come home for a short while to visit?? I would love to talk to you in person, so I could really get a picture of what you're doing. Good luck with all of your training & I'll be keeping tabs on you as much as possible. Be careful & take care of yourself.
Love,
Becky
Hi Ben Sounds exciting!! We miss you at the Valley. Hope all is well Sara says HI. Things are busy here but getting chilly. Lot of Love, Jane
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