I thought a good post would be to take you through a normal day here in Pohnpei, detailing the work of the MAHI International Education Team. I then quickly realized that there is no such thing as a “normal” day here. This week was a prime example of the erratic Pohnpei schedule.
We’re scheduled to go to our adopted schools on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with Wednesday and Friday acting as buffer days for inevitable schedule conflicts. If the schedule holds, my Wednesdays and Fridays are spent tutoring students who are really behind, researching and writing grants, and making the necessary preparations for our time in the schools. I also plan to work at the Department of Education to help assist in policy changes to improve the level of education provided throughout Pohnpei. With that information, let’s get into the week!
Monday January 30
On Mondays we travel to Pohnlangas Elementary School, the largest and furthest school in our program. Mr. B and I usually leave Kolonia around 9:00 to arrive in time. I was informed early in the morning though that we wouldn’t be leaving until 10:30 as Mr. B had to attend a funeral. I wrote about funerals shortly after I arrived as a major part of Pohnpeian culture. When talking about the funeral dynamic in Pohnpei to friends and family back home, I often get the initial feedback of “Well, it’s a funeral, someone close to them died, of course it’s a big deal.” While this is true for those close to the individual that passed away, the funerals here are more of a large community event than a traditional American funeral. These funerals put families in debt for years and are a large impediment for progress on the island. How, for example, is a local to invest and start a business, if every time he saves up enough money he needs to spend it all, his entire savings, on a funeral?
Mr. B wasn’t close to the person that died, but he is an influential member of his community and high-ranking in the traditional leadership on the island and needed to be there. He picked me up and we drove past the funeral. We were running early and stopped by for me to have the cultural experience of visiting a Pohnpeian funeral. My first reaction was being surprised at how many people were there. I haven’t been in groups larger than 20-30 people during my time here, so it felt very odd to be around 150-200 people. Certainly, I will experience reverse culture shock when I travel home! Beyond all the people, it was impressive to witness the massive amount of resources gathered there. I counted over 20 large Sakau plants (which are very difficult to grow) and over 15 pigs. As I have mentioned, pigs are a sign of wealth in Pohnpei and contributing a pig to a funeral is seen as a major sign of respect. Despite my perceived large size of the funeral, Mr. B said it was an average-small funeral. When a very influential member of the community dies the funerals can get truly massive - imagine 60-70 slaughtered pigs! For this funeral though, seeing all the enormous pigs cut in half and children playing with them was most definitely a unique cultural encounter.
We’re scheduled to go to our adopted schools on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with Wednesday and Friday acting as buffer days for inevitable schedule conflicts. If the schedule holds, my Wednesdays and Fridays are spent tutoring students who are really behind, researching and writing grants, and making the necessary preparations for our time in the schools. I also plan to work at the Department of Education to help assist in policy changes to improve the level of education provided throughout Pohnpei. With that information, let’s get into the week!
Monday January 30
On Mondays we travel to Pohnlangas Elementary School, the largest and furthest school in our program. Mr. B and I usually leave Kolonia around 9:00 to arrive in time. I was informed early in the morning though that we wouldn’t be leaving until 10:30 as Mr. B had to attend a funeral. I wrote about funerals shortly after I arrived as a major part of Pohnpeian culture. When talking about the funeral dynamic in Pohnpei to friends and family back home, I often get the initial feedback of “Well, it’s a funeral, someone close to them died, of course it’s a big deal.” While this is true for those close to the individual that passed away, the funerals here are more of a large community event than a traditional American funeral. These funerals put families in debt for years and are a large impediment for progress on the island. How, for example, is a local to invest and start a business, if every time he saves up enough money he needs to spend it all, his entire savings, on a funeral?
Mr. B wasn’t close to the person that died, but he is an influential member of his community and high-ranking in the traditional leadership on the island and needed to be there. He picked me up and we drove past the funeral. We were running early and stopped by for me to have the cultural experience of visiting a Pohnpeian funeral. My first reaction was being surprised at how many people were there. I haven’t been in groups larger than 20-30 people during my time here, so it felt very odd to be around 150-200 people. Certainly, I will experience reverse culture shock when I travel home! Beyond all the people, it was impressive to witness the massive amount of resources gathered there. I counted over 20 large Sakau plants (which are very difficult to grow) and over 15 pigs. As I have mentioned, pigs are a sign of wealth in Pohnpei and contributing a pig to a funeral is seen as a major sign of respect. Despite my perceived large size of the funeral, Mr. B said it was an average-small funeral. When a very influential member of the community dies the funerals can get truly massive - imagine 60-70 slaughtered pigs! For this funeral though, seeing all the enormous pigs cut in half and children playing with them was most definitely a unique cultural encounter.
Children playing with a pig at a funeral
We continued our drive to Pohnlangas, finishing our 70-minute drive and arriving before lunch was over. We normally teach six classes at Pohnlangas (two for each grade - 6th, 7th and 8th), but combined the classes in each grade to accommodate for our late arrival. I used the Hooked on Phonics program, reviewing the basic letter sounds I previously taught. I then took out the note cards we used to assess all our students during our reading level assessments in October and November. I went through each grade level, correcting mistakes and noting tendencies. I’ll elaborate on my found Pohnpeian tendency in my Tuesday notes (below)!
After our three classes, we got back around 4:30 or so and I headed to tutor two children (ages 8 and 11) who recently arrived from Japan.
Tuesday January 31
On Tuesdays we work in ESDM Elementary School in the morning and Sapwalap Elementary School in the afternoon. Both of these schools are located in the municipality of Madolenihmw (Med-ole-in-e-um), with ESDM being a 45-minute drive and Sapwalap almost an hour. The normal classroom I use at ESDM was occupied so I had to use the office and adapt to not having a chalkboard. Pen and paper wasn’t as good, but it did the trick. Mr. B and I stopped by a container store on our way to Sapwalap and picked up our normal lunch of nutrition biscuits. They’re nothing amazing, but they get the job done. When we remember/if we have time, we pick up some local food, like below:
After our three classes, we got back around 4:30 or so and I headed to tutor two children (ages 8 and 11) who recently arrived from Japan.
Tuesday January 31
On Tuesdays we work in ESDM Elementary School in the morning and Sapwalap Elementary School in the afternoon. Both of these schools are located in the municipality of Madolenihmw (Med-ole-in-e-um), with ESDM being a 45-minute drive and Sapwalap almost an hour. The normal classroom I use at ESDM was occupied so I had to use the office and adapt to not having a chalkboard. Pen and paper wasn’t as good, but it did the trick. Mr. B and I stopped by a container store on our way to Sapwalap and picked up our normal lunch of nutrition biscuits. They’re nothing amazing, but they get the job done. When we remember/if we have time, we pick up some local food, like below:
Clockwise: Fried Grouper (a type of reef fish), Rice, Taro, and Mahi (aka Breadfruit)
I noticed on Monday in Pohnlangas a specific tendency most Pohnpeians have when speaking English. In fitting with the slow pace of everything on this island, Pohnpeians often speak too slow when pronouncing English words. Two of the most common words in Pohnpeian are spoken ridiculously slow. The word for hello is “Kaselehie” (casa-layyyyyyyyyyy-leeeeeeeee-ahhhhhhhhh). Culturally, the longer it takes to say the more respect you have for the individual(s) you’re addressing. This leads to it sometimes taking literally 5-seconds just to say "hello." The word for thank you is “Kalanghan” (ka-laaaaaaaaaaaaaan-guuun). This slow-speaking tendency translated directly to their speaking of English. When asking the students to say “Certainly” every time they said “sir-taaaaaaaiiinnnnnn-leeee.” Can you see the similarity to “Kalanghan” (ka-laaaaaaaaaaaaaan-guuun)? The students got a kick out of me speaking their Pohnpeian words, but I think they understood how English words are generally spoken more succinctly. Whenever possible, I try to apply whatever I’m teaching to something the students can relate to from what I know about Pohnpei.
Also, I had fun at the schools this week teaching them what "cadence" means. I explained how it's the rhythm in which you speak. I had them drum on tables to understand what rhythm means, and played some rap music (clean rap music, I must note) for them to get an idea of what it means to speak with rhythm and confidence.
Wednesday February 1
It’s February? What? Where did January go? I’m sure I wasn’t the only person that thought this, though being 16 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, I likely thought it before you! This week we were still figuring out how I would be using my new-found two “free” days during the week. I spent a large part of the morning researching new ESL teaching methods. I tutored my two Japanese children earlier in the day and spent the rest of the day researching. I expect having a day in the middle of the week away from the schools will be helpful in seeing the greater picture of the issues present in the schools and how we can help. Unrelated to my work was the needed pick-me-up. One of the things I miss most about home is watching sports. As an avid Chris Paul fan, and therefore a new Clippers fan, I likely accounted for at least 20 hits of this epic Blake Griffin dunk:
Also, I had fun at the schools this week teaching them what "cadence" means. I explained how it's the rhythm in which you speak. I had them drum on tables to understand what rhythm means, and played some rap music (clean rap music, I must note) for them to get an idea of what it means to speak with rhythm and confidence.
Wednesday February 1
It’s February? What? Where did January go? I’m sure I wasn’t the only person that thought this, though being 16 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, I likely thought it before you! This week we were still figuring out how I would be using my new-found two “free” days during the week. I spent a large part of the morning researching new ESL teaching methods. I tutored my two Japanese children earlier in the day and spent the rest of the day researching. I expect having a day in the middle of the week away from the schools will be helpful in seeing the greater picture of the issues present in the schools and how we can help. Unrelated to my work was the needed pick-me-up. One of the things I miss most about home is watching sports. As an avid Chris Paul fan, and therefore a new Clippers fan, I likely accounted for at least 20 hits of this epic Blake Griffin dunk:
Thursday February 2
On Thursdays we travel to Sekere Elementary School and Sokehs Pah Elementary School (also known as RSP). Both of these schools are in the municipality of Sokehs and are the closest schools, being only 15-20 minutes away. When Mr. B and I arrived at Sekere we found the school completely deserted, save a few kids playing basketball. We asked them if there was school and were informed that there was a teachers meeting all day for all the schools on the island. This is typical Pohnpei - a random teachers meeting in the middle of the week and school being canceled. I guarantee you these students don’t have the US required 180 school days a year. I honestly would be surprised if it was close to 130. We made the plan to do our Sokehs schools the next day.
It really is frustrating to have setbacks like this. I often wonder aloud if we can ever really make an impact in this place, given all the constant obstacles. Despite the frustrations, I took the opportunity to visit the Seventh-Day Adventist School to see my friend Katie, who teaches a student MAHI International mentors. We arranged for me to work with him after school on my two “off” days. I also hoped to obtain more mp3 files the school has on the computer for the rest of the Hooked on Phonics program. The Hooked on Phonics sets that were donated to MAHI International are from 1998 and have the ancient technology of a cassette. I was unable to get the mp3s on Thursday, but made arrangements to get them this coming week. The rest of the day entailed more ESL and grant research and tutoring. Not an expected day, but as you might have gathered, there is no such thing as an “expected” day here.
Friday February 3
I called our Sokehs schools early in the morning to inquire if we could teach that day. I’m told by one principal that many teachers are absent, being sick or attending a funeral. He thought it would be best if we didn’t teach because he wanted the teachers to be there. The other principal said yes (technically, he said "eeeeeeeyyyyy mein" - Pohnpeian for Yes, with the "mein" being for respect, similar to "usted" in Spanish) and we taught there in the afternoon. I spent the morning traveling around with John to various appointments. There are plenty of stories from my time tagging along with John, but I’ll leave those for another time. After teaching in the afternoon I tutored again, where it was nice to evaluate the two children and see their progress from the two weeks I have been working with them.
As you can see, there is no script for a normal Pohnpeian day, or week for that matter. When I woke up Monday I had no idea I would be attending a Pohnpeian funeral, standing in the scorching sun, smelling the sweat of the large group and recently butchered pigs. I didn't plan to use rap music to help teach English, but hey, I needed good examples of cadence in speech! And pulling up to an empty school Thursday wasn't in the game plan. This is just a very small sample among countless examples of a crazy life working on Pohnpei, full of the unexpected. Despite all the obstacles, I love how the days hardly ever blend together. While routine has its benefits, it ultimately makes life go faster – and it’s going fast enough as it is! More than anything, my time here is most definitely teaching me how to adapt and be flexible. Indeed, flexibility is paramount to accomplishing anything on Pohnpei.
So there ya have it. I only have one thing left to say: GO GIANTS!!!
On Thursdays we travel to Sekere Elementary School and Sokehs Pah Elementary School (also known as RSP). Both of these schools are in the municipality of Sokehs and are the closest schools, being only 15-20 minutes away. When Mr. B and I arrived at Sekere we found the school completely deserted, save a few kids playing basketball. We asked them if there was school and were informed that there was a teachers meeting all day for all the schools on the island. This is typical Pohnpei - a random teachers meeting in the middle of the week and school being canceled. I guarantee you these students don’t have the US required 180 school days a year. I honestly would be surprised if it was close to 130. We made the plan to do our Sokehs schools the next day.
It really is frustrating to have setbacks like this. I often wonder aloud if we can ever really make an impact in this place, given all the constant obstacles. Despite the frustrations, I took the opportunity to visit the Seventh-Day Adventist School to see my friend Katie, who teaches a student MAHI International mentors. We arranged for me to work with him after school on my two “off” days. I also hoped to obtain more mp3 files the school has on the computer for the rest of the Hooked on Phonics program. The Hooked on Phonics sets that were donated to MAHI International are from 1998 and have the ancient technology of a cassette. I was unable to get the mp3s on Thursday, but made arrangements to get them this coming week. The rest of the day entailed more ESL and grant research and tutoring. Not an expected day, but as you might have gathered, there is no such thing as an “expected” day here.
Friday February 3
I called our Sokehs schools early in the morning to inquire if we could teach that day. I’m told by one principal that many teachers are absent, being sick or attending a funeral. He thought it would be best if we didn’t teach because he wanted the teachers to be there. The other principal said yes (technically, he said "eeeeeeeyyyyy mein" - Pohnpeian for Yes, with the "mein" being for respect, similar to "usted" in Spanish) and we taught there in the afternoon. I spent the morning traveling around with John to various appointments. There are plenty of stories from my time tagging along with John, but I’ll leave those for another time. After teaching in the afternoon I tutored again, where it was nice to evaluate the two children and see their progress from the two weeks I have been working with them.
As you can see, there is no script for a normal Pohnpeian day, or week for that matter. When I woke up Monday I had no idea I would be attending a Pohnpeian funeral, standing in the scorching sun, smelling the sweat of the large group and recently butchered pigs. I didn't plan to use rap music to help teach English, but hey, I needed good examples of cadence in speech! And pulling up to an empty school Thursday wasn't in the game plan. This is just a very small sample among countless examples of a crazy life working on Pohnpei, full of the unexpected. Despite all the obstacles, I love how the days hardly ever blend together. While routine has its benefits, it ultimately makes life go faster – and it’s going fast enough as it is! More than anything, my time here is most definitely teaching me how to adapt and be flexible. Indeed, flexibility is paramount to accomplishing anything on Pohnpei.
So there ya have it. I only have one thing left to say: GO GIANTS!!!
