Kwajalein Liberation Day

On Monday we celebrated the day Kwajalein Atoll was liberated from Japan by the Americans. The day started with a lot of waiting around and organizing. We had to wait until everyone showed up, which always takes a bit of time. Next the schools organized for the 'parade'. We were going to parade around the island, but because we took so long getting ready we just paraded down one block. The high school band from Kwaj (the US base) came and played in the parade. Then we had an assembly with at least four speakers. From where our school was sitting we couldn't hear the speakers so there was utter chaos. The juxtaposition of the public school with the private school was quite interesting. The private schools seemed so much more organized and put together, while our students were running around. After the assembly the schools all trucked over to the other end of the island for the races. Each school had a sprinter for each grade and the schools competed against each other. The team with the highest points at the end wins.

We have had two three day weeks because of Liberation Day. Our school canceled classes last Thursday and Friday so the students could race to find who our runners would be in the competitions. Then we had Monday off for Liberation Day and Tuesday off for a rest day.

I was going to run in a 6 mile race. I'm sure I told some of you. However, I lost track of time watching the girl's volleyball team with the Championships. Staci and I rushed to find the truck to get back to Guegeegue to change and start the race (starting line was supposed to be right near our houses). The causeway was flooded and so the race was started a mile up from our house. We actually had to walk the last mile to our house because the puddles were too big for the truck to get through. By the time I started running I was 20 minutes late, plus I was starting a mile behind everyone. Sooo I didn't run in the race, but I had a nice run on Monday... I was so disapointed.

A Visitor

First I want to say
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOOBIE!!!!!!!!!
Your package will get to you very late.


Yesterday after school I went home. As soon as I entered I heard this weird scratching noise coming from near the ceiling. I looked up and saw something move on top of the AC (it doesn't work). At first I thought it was a huge spider, we have spiders the size of cell phones here, but then I realized it was a crab! There was a crab on top of my AC, which is about a foot lower than our ceiling. I have no idea how he got up there! To see it better I stood on our kitchen table. I laughed pretty hard.

After knit night, which was really play-with-two-year-old-Sebastian-night, I came home and got ready for bed. As I was getting in I noticed there was a crab next to my bed on the floor. It was the same crab! Sadly he must have fallen or jumped off the AC, a good 7-8 foot fall, because he was in bad shape. He could barely move. I put on a skirt, can't run outside in sleeping shorts, and brought him down close to the lagoon. He was probably someone's breakfast this morning.

So sad.

Finally an Update

Me dancing the christmas jebta in my yellow mumu.

Erica, Jay, and my dad receiving gifts from my Marshallese Aunt.

Me, Erica, and my dad on a walk to the island north of Guegeegue.

Well, it has been awhile since I have updated my blog. December was a busy month, the beginning of January I was getting back into routine, then as I was finally getting ready to write a post, the internet died. It has been out for two weeks. It was out because of a late bill. Once the bill was paid there was a $10 reinstallation fee, which no one knew about, that took another week to be paid. Now instead of writing the longest post ever, I decided it would be best to give brief bulleted updates. So here goes…

I watched the Sex in the City Movie and loved it.

I finished knitting my washcloth. Andrea gave me a washcloth that someone started last year and didn’t get to finish. I messed up 5 times on the row she left off on. Now finally I am on my way to completing a row with no mistakes.

Andrea’s grandmother taught me how to make chow mien. Sebastian turned 2!

Stefani and I watched all of Grey’s Anatomy Season 4. Everyone was kissing at the end of it, I didn’t know what to think of all of those characters being happy at once, it didn’t make sense to me.

I got really sick. On the first day of finals I woke up super early and started throwing up and having poops (Stefani’s and my preferred name for diarrhea). I spent the entire day in my bed or in the bathroom. Luckily school was canceled because the causeway flooded. The next day I didn’t eat until school was finished because I didn’t want to have to leave my classroom during a final. Don’t worry Mom, I gained back the weight!

Last semester I failed over 30 students. This time I only failed about 10, yay!

I ate lunch on Christmas with my brother Hamill. We didn’t have a table or a fork. I held Hamill and the plate with one hand and with the other I ate and picked up the food Hamill dropped on us. Hamill ate with both hands, he even fed me some of the food.

I wore the brightest yellow mumu you can ever imagine on Christmas. When we did our beat (dance) my Marshallese mama made sure I danced in the front row. At least I didn’t have to sing in Marshallese without lyrics in the front row. We were in Ebeye from 10am until 1am on Christmas. I have never had such a tiring Christmas day/night.

I baked cinnamon buns. They were supposed to be Christmas morning breakfast. Stefani and I ended up eating them on December 26th at 2 o’clock am.

Erica, my dad, and Jay visited me for 10 days. We had a ton of fun. We crammed as much as we could into their stay: beach combing, watching Christmas dances, a BBQ with Guegeeguers, a family Christmas party with my Marshallese family, kayaking, ferry and water taxi rides, a walk to the island north of Guegeegue for a picnic, fishing cooking and eating the fish all in 3 hours, a 5 mile causeway walk during the hottest time of the day, snorkeling, puzzle making, a pig roast for New Years, jambo, and a bunch of movies. I wish they could have stayed longer.

I finished reading the book Those Who Save Us; a story of a mother who lived through WWII in Germany and her daughter who wants to know more about her past. It was a great story.

On the first day of classes after Christmas vacation the vice principal introduced me to a new teacher. I shook his hand and asked, “Which classes will you be teaching?” He replied he didn’t know. Altrid (the VP) asked me if it would be okay for him to teach my Pre-Algebra class. Now I teach five freshman English classes. (Remember when I was studying Elementary Education and Mathematics in college? Now I am teaching English to High Schoolers. Just another reminder that nothing goes exactly as we plan.)

Stefani gave me a hair cut in the middle of our living room. My hair is just above my shoulders now. Marshallese style is the longer the better, so I was hesitant to cut it but it had to be done.

Stefani is trying to apply to grad school with no internet. Pretty much impossible. Thankfully she is going to be able to stay on Kwaj (the base) to get it in.

My students took a health survey. One of the questions asked how often they wear seat belts; that was funny because everyone rides in the backs of pick-ups.

I finished reading The Gunsery Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I highly suggest it. It takes place after WWII and is written in letters.

I finished knitting my second washcloth. Andrea’s friend from the states sells them at Relay for Life. The day before I finished Jess sent me yarn, needles, and a pattern to make a hat, I think it was my inspiration to finish. Now I am almost finished with the hat… about 4 rows left!

My student Racey got up, walked across the room, took her friend’s Marshallese comb (the type of comb you can wear in your hair), handed it to me, and told me to comb my hair. I was wearing my hair down and curly. I laughed and told her I like crazy hair. She rolled her eyes and tried to hand me the comb again.

I am freaking out a little about what I want to do next year. This week I will make a huge effort to fix up my resume and start looking for places to apply.