Saturday, August 30, 2008

Thursday, October 09, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Thursday, October 09, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

It's been yet another week since I wrote last. Writing helps me process, but sometimes I just need to absorb, and not process.

Gnats, little ants, tiny little mite-like things crawling on my computer screen at the office and home. Unavoidable. More of the mite-like things at the office than here. I worry they'll fritz a connection inside the computer one day. Ants are incredible here. Leave some food on the floor for ten minutes and they're marching to it, to carry it away. Things like dead spiders too. If anyone comes to visit, and wants to stay at my house, ants are a fact of life. Haven't seen many cockroaches, a few small German variety is about it. Nothing like what we used to see on Kwaj, or that I used to see in Montgomery.

But I was musing yesterday that this place is really something in terms of poisonous or dangerous flora and fauna. The only animal species to be wary of are centipedes, which I've never seen, and the toads or frogs ~ which come out like a plague at work when it rains. No other indigenous animal life that is poisonous or bites, other than maybe the mosquitos, which isn't a problem at my house as there's good ventilation and not much standing water, as there is at the villages. Nothing like poison ivy or poison oak. Just about all the flora is edible or medicinal.

My household goods arrive tomorrow morning, my time. The ship came in yesterday. I notice new fresh food and different items in the store too. Must be from the same ship.

I don't know where I'm going to put the stuff that comes in. I've really gotten used to living even more spartanly than I did in Montgomery. I should have left my washer and dryer and bought them or a smaller version here. I won't be able to get them through the door of the little storage shed where the hookups are, and the landlord's not crazy about enlarging it. Also, I think this place has termites. Which will eat everything of wood I have. I was planning on leaving everything here when or if I leave, anyway.

I can see Mars with the naked eye here. It was supposed to be very visible about a month ago, but a couple of nights ago I saw a red star or something not far from the moon. Seemed stable, not twinkling like a star would. Could've been a geo-synchynous satellite.

I think we're going to get a T-1 line and Westlaw, the legal research database, for the office, which will bring our office into the 21st century, and really give us an advantage on the Law side and Litigation side. The Law side could use U.S. statutory exemplars. The Litigation side could use access to case law precedent from the U.S., which is used when there's not FSM law on point. And there's a big absence of that. Our online dial-up time for 8 lawyers-lawyer types, only five of whom can access it at a time as we share phone lines in pairs, averages $1100 a month! One shared account we all access. A T-1 for the whole office would cost $390, and we may be able to split that by halving it with another department in our building. Westlaw will cost about $400 a month for six account passwords. And I may have figured out some other ways to add to cutting costs, which will hopefully serve me in good stead with the acting AG.

Very passive-aggressive, these people here are. Say yes, do no. And the mehn why (Americans, not the Australians, who are quite like us, but have their own quirks) pick it up in short time. Say "sorry" enough times and that's supposed to cut it, and I'm learning to do that when things get confrontational. Getting frustrated, and showing it, trying to do so gently, with certain people piece-mealing me to death. Someone asks for a ride home ~ no problem, it's on the way, there's only one road that circles the island ~ then keeps you waiting at the last minute, or want to drop by some store on the way. Locals and mehn why both do it. I go to pick up Lynn and she asks me at the last minute to run favors ~ take a $2.00 bag of rice to her brothers, get this, do that. I don't like to say no, but I do like to plan my time, and have personal expectations of where I'm going to be when.

I should be going to Chuuk (Truk) soon. Probably early next month. Planned to go next week, but Congress is coming into session and we need lawyers around.

I got desperately sick the night my stuff came came. Woke up hyperventilating, sweating, shivering, skin painful, weak, no balance. Couldn't drink enough juice. Tons and tons of it. Was a little better Friday during the day, then at night and all Saturday it started up again, just couldn't move. Weak, couldn't sit up by myself. Threw up twice. Once when Lynn gave me some Tylenol, another when she tried to administer a local remedy of some local plant in steaming water that I was supposed to inhale with a towel over my head. It was too hot and steamy. I've never felt that way. Must have been some island flu. Feeling a little better now as I got some sleep and rest last night.

Not much else to write about as I've been dead to the world the last couple of days.


Friday, August 29, 2008

Monday, September 29, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Monday, September 29, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

It's been a week since I last wrote anything. Just haven't been feeling very descriptive lately. Lynn will be 27 in November. We got back together (again) last night. The highs are so high. Too high. That much further to fall. Remembering Icarus. It's what happens when you fly too close to the sun.

No news on who is going to be the new AG. It'll be a few months, I'm sure.

My stuff from my house in Montgomery was supposed to arrive by ship yesterday. May be delivered to the house today, or tomorrow, or the next ....

I came home this evening and the front door was wide open. Must have been one of Lynn's girls, or maybe Lynn, who's usually very security conscious. We think we've heard people walking about on the front porch once or twice. I went outside with my boken, the wooden practice sword, which I'm comfortable with. Never saw anyone. I wasn't paying attention this morning to security. She must have been distracted, if it was Lynn. Nothing taken, not that there's much here other than clothes, a borrowed TV, a microwave, a small cheap CD/tape/radio player. My passport, a few other things. Amazing that nothing was taken.

I'm by myself tonight. I need some downtime from Micronesians and their children. There's only so much two and four year old intermittent crying and running around and fighting sleep I can take. The hydrocortizone I bought really seems to have worked on the oldest's bug bite scabs. She'd been on Guam and the food must have been different there, attracting the mosquitos in her village. I spoke to Lynn extensively on the phone tonight. Not even sure about what.

There was a soft knock on my side door shortly after I came home. (Micronesians knock (and talk) softly.) A boy around 11 years old, the son of a neighbor, said his father, Justino Gusto, asked if they could cut the sakau plant and some of the hibiscus tree, for sakau. (I've had his sakau, must be from here or hereabouts. Everyone claims the sakau on their property is better than elsewhere. But there's good sakau, and not so good sakau. His is good.) It was something to see the kid's older brother up in the hibiscus tree with a machete cutting off thinner branches. They strip and use the skin to wrap the pounded sakau, add water, and squeeze it out. Very interesting process I've described before. But to see this kid up a tree with a machete', so natural. My childhood Tarzan fantasy come to life.

Justino Gusto, also my former boss's landlord of a very nice house, runs a little store that sells cheap cigarettes, bottled water, soaps, betel nut, Ramen noodle soup (a staple, along with rice), Spam, canned tuna and salmon, a few other things. Actually, his 13-14 yr. old daughter runs it. And it's really just a convenience for his family and friends who live nearby. Many tiny little "convenience" stores like that, that only sell a few dozen items. Lynn may think I should keep the sakau plant for her family, don't know, will have to ask. (after talking to her, she said I did right) But these are my neighbors, and I always wave to the daughter on my way into the house. They were very kind to me my first or second night in this house, when I locked myself out of the house, wearing nothing but a pair of pants, and they let me use their phone and waited with me for a couple of hours until the landlord came with a set of keys.


Thursday, August 28, 2008

Monday, September 22, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Monday, September 22, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei

People here have so much anger and pain, at their helplessness over things they have no idea how to control, on so many levels, but they hide it behind smiles and laughter. And eventually it just boils over. In inappropriate ways. Sometimes with words, sometimes knives and machete's.

Saying "I'm sorry," doesn't change things. I'm going to hear that a lot soon from Lynn. And, yet, "I'm sorry" is an incredibly important part of culture here. I've seen how significant customary apologies are in the culture here. If someone does something to me, his family will come to mine to apologize. Mind-boggling, but incredibly effective. And maybe that's why they can sort of get away with it, in their minds. It's different from us. But there's much to learn too. Sometimes, hearing "I'm sorry" sounds shallow to our ears, but sometimes, saying and hearing it here feels more accepted and genuine than I've ever experienced before.

I'll never understand why some people pick fights with me. And I was so good to them all weekend. I really was. There shouldn't be a thing as "too good." Maybe I was. And maybe Lynn was trying to find the balance of good and bad she's used to.

People vent their fears in anger. And that's probably what she was doing. She's afraid I'll leave her in two years, whether just leaving the island or for somebody else; that I want someone with education (she's bothered by me saying she's not educated in an early email that I let her read); or that what I really want is a mehn why (ex-wives/girlfriends/a woman at the office I have no interest in); or that her family will come to love me more than her; or that the more I learn to speak Pohnpein, the less I'll need her. It's just fear. None of it is true. It's just not true. I don't know how I can stop her from feeling that way. She's created classic self-fulfilling prophesies. And she's smarter than that. And we'll lose each other to fear.

An older aunt, one who talks to Lynn that Lynn respects, called here last night looking for her and Irene and Benido. She called twice. Worried, apologetic the second time for bothering me. I told her I left Irene and Benido where they wanted to be left, and were fine, but that I couldn't say about Lynn, or even where she was, as I don't know the geography well enough. Should be some interesting talk in the village today, and I suspect Lynn is really going to get it, from more than one auntie. Some I-told-you-so's will be happy that we'll split up; others will tell her how "pui pui" (stupid) she's been to do that to me, and drive me away.

Welcome to Pohnpei.


Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Saturday, September 20, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Saturday, September 20, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei

Lynn and her two and four year olds are over this weekend, plus an 11 yr. old and 14 yr. old to be nannies/sitters/watchers. The four of them started out last night going to sleep with the two youngest on the futon in the living room, the 11 and 14 yr. old on the floor next to it. I got up this a.m., and the 2 yr. old was on the floor, the 4 yr. old the only one on the futon. They're all still sleeping. Perfectly comfortable. I'll be making a big breakfast.

It grounds me somehow, having people in the house like this. Weekends like this. Anyway, it's nice, pleasant. And for some reason, I like having people around me talking in a language I don't understand. It lets me be with my own thoughts. At the same time, more and more, I pick up a word or phrase or two, here and there, and I'm almost subliminally picking up the language. Lynn is quietly impressed how I pick up what's going on in a conversation, but it's really more guesswork from context than actually knowing what's being said.

And it doesn't feel like a houseful, though it should. So peaceful. Couldn't be more pleasant.

I was reading a paper from Guam. Most "news" I get from the Internet, but it's nice to read it in paper form occassionally.

I downloaded a free demo typing-tutor program for Lynn. She used to be jealous of me spending time on the computer. Now, I can't keep her away from it.

I won a motion in a criminal case in Chuuk that I expected to lose. It was a motion to dismiss the defense filed based on the statute of limitations. I was sure I'd lose it, but won it. I'll probably be going out to Chuuk the second week of October to interview witnesses for trials involving this guy. May try and get in a dive.


Monday, August 25, 2008

Saturday, September 20, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Saturday, September 20, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

Things are pretty stable at work. It's been a couple of weeks now since Paul left, and the grieving process seems over. You just can't and don't dwell on things here. I'll probably be travelling among Chuuk and Yap next month a bit. In addition to needing to interview witnesses on Chuuk in a criminal case involving election violations, on Yap and Chuuk there are some immigration deportation proceedings I think I'm supposed to be handling. Filipinos, I think, not sure of details. We have some Vietnamese "refugees" on Yap, but I think they're going to be repatriated. I'm not involved in that. And I'm about to be handed some deportation proceedings involving a Chinese guy who's brought six Chinese "working girls" to the island. Prostitution is apparently not illegal here, per se, but these aren't desirable elements, eh? Their entry permits have expired, and they've been told to get off the island, so it's just a matter of getting them to do so, whatever that entails.

I enjoy working with the Immigration staff, and the national cops too. Well, just about everyone I've come in contact with professionally. Within the office, of the four secretaries, I really only like one. Another, in charge of procurement, does things when (and if) she wants to, and it's getting really old. She's the one who never got my stuff moving from my house; I've had a computer that blew up the second day I was here, she's done nothing about; she's done nothing about getting more phone lines in the office so I don't have to share an Internet connection with Anthony, the lawyer next door. She tells you she's doing what you've asked, and have had approved, and it never gets done. The other two secretaries are just dead wood, and can't even take messages properly. The halls are littered with old and spent computers and printers and the like, piled up with old filing cabinets and boxes. Our copier machine constantly produces darkened images. The phones and intercom system are awful.

I've shared earlier about the Filipino man and boy that washed up on the shores of Yap some years ago. Their bones and the man's skull are visibly exposed in a storage shed next to my office building. The Phillipines won't pay to have the bones repatriated. They were buried on a beach to have the elements clean them up, like we used to do cleaning up shells we'd find that still had the animal in them. They should be buried, but there's no such thing as a pauper's graveyard here, and the bones would decompose in the soil here.

It was actually cold last night. Very heavy rains yesterday, especially in the first hours of the morning, which made me late for work. It probably wasn't that cold, but my blood has probably thinned out enough by now that it felt that way. I certainly don't sweat like a "puik" (pweek / pig) like I used to. It was the first night in a long time that I kept a shirt on after I got home, and didn't have the floor fans running.

My learning to speak Pohnpein is coming along, slow but sure. As more locals realize I'm trying to learn, the more they throw at me, the more comfortable I become and recognize words and phrases, and how to respond in a natural way. There doesn't seem to be a grammar structure like we have in English, but it could be that I'm only learning a word and a phrase here and there, verbs, nouns, a few adjectives, and haven't put together full sentences yet. But it's very simple.

It's close to 5:30 a.m. I've been up since before 4 a.m. The sun will start to come up soon.

I heard we had a tsunami heading toward Yap, FSM's westernmost state and closest to the Philipines. I don't know how high the tsunami is or will be when it reaches Yap, but it was 7 foot high off the coast of Hokkaido's Pacific coast.


Sunday, August 24, 2008

Friday, September 19, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Friday, September 19, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

My mother notes in an email that in the recent United Nations vote condemning Israel for their decision to remove Yasser Arafat from power by force if necessary, only two nations ~ the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands ~ joined Israel and the United States in opposing the resolution. What that suggests to me is that the FSM and RMI remain entirely too dependent on the U.S. to exercise independent judgment in world affairs, including, regrettably, those that directly impact the region here, such as in fisheries, control of coastal and territorial waters, environmental concerns and the like. U.S. tuna fishing interests are extremely strong lobbies in Washington and exert powerful influence on Congress.

It was the same blind deference with supporting the war in Iraq. FSM natives who serve in the U.S. armed forces have already suffered casualties there. The FSM gets nearly $1 billion a year from the U.S., is entirely dependent on the U.S. for it's military protection, etc. Any time the U.S. doesn't automatically get its way with FSM, it threatens that it'll affect Compact negotiations and how much money and "subsidies" the FSM will get in the future. Although it has a growing understanding of what sovereignty means as an internal matter, it will never be a truly independent sovereign nation. In that sense, it will always retain a colonized mentality.

I won't be going to Chuuk Saturday. The judge granted my motion to hold the hearing scheduled for Monday by telephone conference. The judge sounded nice on the phone, very thoughtful, prepared. But the thing took an hour for what should've taken 20 minutes. In law school, and in my former practice, we're taught to argue precedent, and throw in policy arguments afterward. Here, there's so little FSM precedent that policy argument come first. That can make for some convoluted arguments that just ramble at times. Not my style. This country, whose law is based on U.S. law, doesn't need to reinvent the wheel.

Last weekend I was on my front porch listening to music, drinking morning coffee, with Lynn. I was visited by a walking Australian Jehovah's Witness, a local vocational education teacher. He was the most interesting Jehovah's Witness I've certainly ever met. We had a most pleasant conversation before he got to "witnessing," when it sounded like everything else you'd expect. I was polite and respectful, offered my phone number in case he needed anything, and he was soon on his way before wearing out his welcome.

I finally saw Lynn's "house," basically a couple of cement walls with corrugated metal for a roof and rain cover. It's dry, but so primitive. She "showers" outside with a hose. I don't know how they can all stay so clean, but they do. Very difficult for me to navigate the muddy stones up to and from it. My weekends often result in very muddy clothes from visiting her village.

Sex roles are so 50's/60's here. While women are in a number of positions of responsibility in a variety of areas, feminism hasn't really struck the islands. Lynn shoo's me out of the kitchen when cooking or washing dishes or sweeping. She thinks nothing of offering to wash my clothes from the weekend. A guy could get used to this. (No. He couldn't. Yes, he could. No, he shouldn't.)

But there are trade-offs that I don't think I'd like to get used to. The father of her children stopped sending her money when he learned of me. She hasn't worked since we met, and has no income. I'm trying to get her to appreciate I'm not made of money (though the other mehn why attornies and I are the highest paid government workers on the island), that she needs to learn to budget what I give her, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. No concept of planning for tomorrow's or next week's needs here. She pays no rent, has no electricity, but does have a phone and water. So, her only real needs are for food and supplies for herself and children. But everyone shares everything here, so it's not limited to just herself and her kids. Other family too. Those that fish or catch crab reciprocate in their way, but I'm increasingly having to say "no" when asked to contribute more than what I consider my proportionate share.


Saturday, August 23, 2008

Wednesday, September 17, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Wednesday, September 17, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

The people here have a deceptive friendliness, not always sure how sincere it is, but I think I'm beginning to learn some nuances.

The weather does change here, I'm told. Some times of the year rainier than others. But not much in terms of temperature. It rains at various parts of the day almost every day. Especially in more mountainous areas, where the mountains catch the clouds. Average temperature and humidity are in the mid-80's.

I can't look at all the children here, and not think about my nieces. I think they'd love it here, and would make good friends. (Of course, I wouldn't school them here, an entire different subject.)

Lynn has been good for me. Me for her, too, she tells me. And me, for her family. And many of them to me, brothers and uncles especially. But there are petty elements in her family, "aunties" mainly, that are just too petty, or jealous, that make it hard on her, as much time as we spend together, which is never enough. They rag her about neglecting her children, which actually isn't true. Her children are happy, healthy, cared for; she knows what's she's doing. They don't acknowledge the efforts I'm making to contribute, though it's not my responsibility. But at the same time, I have to do things my way, to maintain and establish boundaries. I'm not going to be sucked into being a husband, and father to her kids, but I am providing. It's hard on Lynn. She can't tell her aunties to back off and leave her alone as we would. Not the culture here. Too disrespectful in the familial hierarchy. I suspect the mehn why here think I've gone off the deep end with her. And perhaps I have, maybe so. But Lynn and I have a real connection that I haven't felt in years, and years.


Friday, August 22, 2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei

I want to thank everyone for their indulgence this past week in letting me attend to other matters. And I very much appreciate those of you who dropped a note letting me know you were missing my daily blog.


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Tuesday, September 16, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei

I may have already shared that I ate some Australian lamb at my (former) boss's house, a few weeks ago. Quite tasty, but didn't have exactly a lamb taste, but close enough. I assumed it was just because it was Australian, and that's the way Paul prepared it, is why it was different....

This morning, Lynn asked me to promise not to be mad if she told me something... It wasn't lamb.... It was "kidi" ... dog. Still pretty tasty, but I wish they'd told me. (That explains the absence of mint jelly.) They said they thought I'd over-analyze the experience too much, so they didn't tell me, and had a great laugh about it. They weren't going to tell me until I tried it knowingly, and then were going to see if I'd recognize the taste.

People here acquire a very odd sense of humor....

So, I guess the only thing I haven't tried is betel nut, which I'm not interested in.

So, I'm going to spend Saturday till Wednesday in Chuuk. It'll cost FSM more than $1,000 just for me to go, with per diem and airfare and car rental. All for a 1/2 hour hearing that could be done by telephone. I'm taking an investigator along to show me around and introduce me to witnesses I need to interview. I'm flying in Saturday afternoon. I'll probably try and catch a dive on Sunday, interview witnesses on Monday and Tuesday, fly out Sunday morning.

People keep telling me how lawless it is there in Chuuk. Some are serious, some are just looking for a reaction from me. It's the job. Someone has to do it, eh? Unlike my predecessor on these cases, I'm not going in like gangbusters. But things are going to get worse between the national goverment and Chuuk before they get better. We're about to indict a lot of high officials on theft and conversion of public funds, almost all from Chuuk.

The laws here are in such need of repair. Just about every aspect of them. No bankruptcy laws; consumer protection laws are a joke; reciprocal enforcement of child support laws are not enforced; many others date back to Trust Territory days, and need name designation changes, referring to offices that don't exist, and just need general updating; customs and immigration laws lack coherence and process; no serious ethics or conflict of interest laws. I could spend a couple of years re-writing and updating just about every aspect of the laws and writing regulations. Factor in that the U.S. makes arrogant, paternalistic, unreasonable demands without reciprocity, tied to threats that failure to comply with their demands will affect Compact II negotiations, and there's plenty of work to do.

Interesting stuff. My work ranges the gamut of every aspect of their legal issues here. My background provides me a good basis for where to look for answers to certain questions, even in fields I know nothing about. I never would've thought it, but I like working on immigration, customs, maritime resources and fisheries, foreign and consular affairs.


Friday, August 15, 2008

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor, and for Station Identification:

I'd like to thank everyone for their support and encouraging words on my chronicle of my time in Pohnpei, "It's Been Five Years." I'd especially like to thank those of you who've made editorial suggestions, comments, even criticisms. It has all been well-received and very much appreciated at my end.

Some of you may have heard that I've been asked by the Chief Justice of the Guam Supreme Court to serve as interim Public Guardian while he searches for a new one to replace a very dedicated public servant who has held the job for about eight years. It was totally unexpected, came right out of the blue. In fact, I had other plans at the time, but I welcome the opportunity to be of service, if only in a temporary capacity.

Over the last three weeks, I've been transitioning, learning about the job for the first two weeks while still working for the Superior Court. I took over officially on August 11th and have been slowly taking over the reins there while still doing other work for the Court, which will end in a couple of weeks. With the addition of a couple of outside endeavors and commitments, the last few weeks have been a bit of a blur.

The Public Guardian manages the estates and sometimes the personal affairs of incompetent persons, disabled adults and the aged who cannot or can no longer manage their own personal and financial affairs and have no one else to look out for them. For more on the Office of the Public Guardian and what it does (or what I'll be doing), see here.

So, please forgive the absence of daily posts for at least a few days, if not a bit more. I've been working around the clock at the Office of Public Guardian, working for the Court in other matters, and studying for and finally taking the Ethics part of the Guam Bar. (I've been a lawyer over 20 years, and now they're going to test me on ethics?) Don't ask me how I did. I don't have a clue, although I studied well enough for it, I'm sure. I mean, seriously, 60 multiple choice questions given to a bunch of would-be lawyers who've done nothing but train a minimum of three years (and in my case over 25) to argue both sides of a question? You mean there's really a right answer? In the meantime, I'm provisionally licensed to practice for the next two years.



While you're waiting for me to get back to it, please feel free to poke around some of my other posts, if you haven't already:



Random Thoughts:

  • It is not enough to know how to ride. You must also know how to fall. ~ Mexican Proverb

  • The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. ~ Chinese Proverb

  • Aim at nothing and you will hit it every time. ~ Unknown

  • Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. ~ Albert Einstein

  • By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. ~ Socrates

  • Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one's potential. ~ Bruce Lee


See you soon. ~ Rob

RLC

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Tuesday, September 16, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

One of my nieces is terribly allergic to animal dander. So, my sister tells me she is thinking about getting a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig as a pet and I told Lynn about it. Lynn says, a pig as a pet?! She thinks it's a cute idea, albeit a bit risky, as someone is likely to assume it's for dinner. (I still haven't had dog yet, but I'm not sure I'll ever look at them the same way again.) Lynn has asked me to buy her a couple of small pigs to raise, a couple of dollars a pound. Assuming it must be one or the other, Lynn asks if my sister, who lives in Texas, lives on a farm or a ranch. I told her neither. She seemed disappointed.

Lynn's female cousin caught a mangrove crab, a small one, and gave it to us. Johnny, Lynn's brother, caught lobsters (spear fishing at night) for us, but we forgot to pick them up, and she suspects he's mad about it, though he'd never say anything.

I have to go to Chuuk Saturday, for a hearing on Monday. The flights are only three days a week. So, I go Saturday, for a half hour hearing on Monday, and don't return until Wednesday. Lynn and I haven't been away from each other that long. I'm not afraid to go to Chuuk, despite what I've said before about getting killed out there. It's not a matter of false bravado. I'm taking a very different approach with these cases ~ more gentle, respectful, deferential to local custom and tradition. I'm also going with an investigator, and will use the time to good use interviewing witnesses.

My colleague, Anthony, still talks about and is actively seeking other employment. It's mainly here in the Pacific realm that he's looking. He's ten years older than me. I really wish he wouldn't be working on finding work elsewhere. I really enjoy our working relationship. His wife was in a serious car accident some few years ago, and drinks beer (behru) from morn till night, and is, not to be too technical, wacko, but they're a good combination, and fun to be with when she's not had too much to drink. The other mehn why litigator in the office is a bit of a psychopath. He's all hyped about public corruption cases. He's actually onto something, but he's a loose cannon, out of control. There's a crazy glint in his eyes sometimes....


Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Monday, September 15, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Monday, September 15, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

I threw a softball around with Brined ("Brin-ette") Saturday, just rolling it back and forth to each other on the porch. They're terribly coordinated. I've noticed that about all the children here. (Though they have no idea how to fight.)

Speaking of coordination (as in I'm not), I'm all cut up. I tried to cut up some firewood with my machete'. Big blister on my left palm from holding it too tight. Other scrapes and nicks. Lynn says I just have to relax, which is true. I'm always that way learning new things. You should see Lynn with the machete', cutting up the firewood! You should see her open a can of hash with the machete'! So nimble, and efficient. She doesn't want to show me ~ as though it would make me less dependent on her or something, not need her anymore. She says the same about me learning to speak Pohnpein. Not true.

Yesterday, we were supposed to go back to the waterfall we went to before, with my colleague, Anthony, and his wife, but they bailed on us at the last minute. They've been here three years, and have never been. I suspect he was just depressed about Paul having to leave.

So, we picked up my friend Peter, and a relative of Lynn's and went to another river somewhere. Very nice time. We met some guy there who's a college mate of Peter's. We keep meeting locals at the falls or rivers, and have a good time with them. I love the weekends.


I'm taking off today. Technically, I worked on Thursday, attending the Counter-Terrorism course. It was a State Holiday, Pohnpei Liberation Day (Sept. 11, 1945, from the Japanese), and the President of the FSM issued an executive order giving the day off to the national workers. So, I'm claiming it.

I used one of the sauces/marinades my sister sent, a Hawaiian sauce, to make pork chops and rice (of course) with, plus some frozen French cut string beans. It went over very nicely for dinner. It's fun watching kids eat, and feeding them. Saturday, a.m., I made some scrambled eggs with onion and diced up marinated mushrooms, and bacon, and toast. Sunday, more cheese eggs and corned beef hash, and charcoal (toast).

OK, OK, I burnt the toast (toasted it in the oven, and forgot about it). But Lynn has burnt a lobster, and just can't make rice without burning it either. (Hah, hah, hah!!!) She likes the Old Bay seasoning. Lynn says her younger brother Johnny has more lobster for us. These people are feeding me too much. This kind of stuff would be very expensive in the restaurants. I'm looking for ways to reciprocate, and I think I am.

Her uncle, Phillipe, is the mangrove crab fisherman. Really nice guy. His wife is in the hospital, very, very ill. Something about needing blood, but I don't understand what. Anemia? I don't have details. We visited her this weekend. Hospital wards are sad here, not third world exactly, just different from our expectations. People bring food and stuff. And Phillipe's wife had a lot of stuff piled up compared to others around her in the ward. She didn't look that ill, nor did others there visiting; and she just looked very, very tired, like she needed rest. I left her some money, and I hope it's put to good use to get her the blood she needs. Public hospitals here are not a good thing. You go to Guam or the Philipines, or Hawaii for real treatment, that is, if you have insurance.

I'm trying to encourage Peter to go to law school. He's very passionate about public corruption issues here, and they need more local lawyers. He has one semester left to go in college. What they really, really need is lawyers who are from Chuuk, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

I'm doing good.


Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Friday, September 12, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Friday, September 12, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

I'm not sure what all we're doing tomorrow, but Sunday, Lynn has a cousin who's being Christened (Lynn's Catholic, whatever that means here), that we're attending, then taking my colleague, Anthony, and his wife Maryanne, to the falls, the one I think Mom's been to, that I've sent recent pictures of.

Lynn and her girls, and her 11 yr. old cousin are over tonight. The cousin is here to watch the girls for us, while we're all out and about tomorrow together, the five of us. No idea what we're doing, but it's about time we get the girls used to me. The oldest, Brined, likes me; the youngest, Renay, just cries all the time, especially when she sees me and Lynn close. Very jealous. Except when she's being fed. They're sleeping now. Lynn's holding Renay. Her family gives her crap about neglecting the kids, especially on weekends like this, when Lynn and I are together, usually alone. So they can't really argue about this, I wouldn't think.

Interesting how they "train" young girls or prepare them for motherhood. ("Interesting," "fascinating," I've run out of adjectives). The 11 year old, Leilani (Nani), is perfectly comfortable picking them up, propping them on a hip, and caring and looking after them. Essentially, what we have is a "nanny" to keep a third eye on the girls if we all go out and go to the store, or whatever.




I throw leftovers out in the front yard. Always gone the next day. Couldn't bring myself to do it at first, but it's fine, and doesn't attract bugs or rodents. Tonight's leftovers was Lobster shells from a lobster one of Lynn's brothers speared for us last night. We had squid, too, lightly sauteed in oil with onions. Very good. This was a big one, two. Fed all five of us, with a little extra.

Lynn's brothers and uncle (who catches mangrove crab) have been very nice to me. Such things would be very expensive in a restaurant here, and I get them for free. I have to find a way to reciprocate. I may buy Lynn's brother a mask, or some fishing line, though I don't know what to buy with regards to the latter.

I need a professional haircut. People here don't care about looks, but the men do have nice haircuts. My thought was to grow mine long and tie it back, which I'll probably do, but it's in that unattractive stage.

Renay, Brined ("Brin-nette") and Nani are sleeping on the futon, where Lynn and I usually sleep (the bed's too soft). I'm on the edge of it, writing this.

I'm really adjusting. I sense that the local people like me for who I am, and that they sense I have no agenda other than to be their lawyer, not to impose some American sense of values and "justice" on them. That's the big, obvious, mistake that certain mehn why make. And they make many. Not that I haven't made a few of my own, I'm sure. But they know I'm trying. To learn the language, the culture(s), etc.

I went to a conference/seminar on counter-terrorism today and yesterday, sponsored by the U.S. Attorney's Office from Guam. It was for law enforcement, police, but very informative in many ways for me. Some parts were downright wrong, where the lawyers talked about the USA Patriot Act, or US money-laundering statutes (which have no bearing on local cops here, that's what my office would do). But it's been a very educational couple of weeks, combined with the "Law of the Sea" course. So much learning going on for me. What opportunity.


Monday, August 11, 2008

Tuesday, September 9, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Tuesday, September 9, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

Paul is leaving at the end of the week. Such a shame what the Chuukese delegation did to him, all because he authorized investigation and prosecution of corruption in Chuuk. Such a kick in the guts. He really could've been good for this country, but now it's headed toward chaos. Monday was like a funeral in the office, but without Sakau en Pohnpei or alcohol. I think we all just didn't allow ourselves to think about it over the weekend, and as result mine was very, very pleasant.

I'm about to go down and get something to eat and be with him, and whoever else is there. When my phone rang, I thought it was going to be Lynn, not thinking anyone else would call. I answered with "meht-med-eh-wai-ya?" which translates to "are you thinking of me?," a little joke Lynn and I have from something the secretaries taught me, which was longer, and translated to "Did you sleep last night, or were you thinking of me?" It turned out the caller was Peter, my friend, who's already at Paul's.

Lynn and I spent more nights together the last four days than we probably should have, so she's not with me tonight, and probably won't be for the next couple of nights. Another joke we have is when I pass over a certain bridge, I used to mock-cry out "boat," beause I wanted a boat to be on the river. The Pohnpein for "boat" is "poorch" (sp?). So, now, when we cross the bridge, she says "poorch." Paul and I were going to buy a boat together when my house sold, and tie it up at his place, which is just down the road. It would have been perfect. Can't think of anyone else I'd want to do that with, so it may be a while.

Getting used to uncertainty and disappointment in expectations is life here. Adjust or leave. Welcome to Micronesia.


Sunday, August 10, 2008

Monday, September 8, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Monday, September 8, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

Another very interesting morning attending the Law of the Sea course. I missed the afternoon session, because I was in court for the first time since I've been here. I've filed pleadings and the like, but this is the first time I've been in court itself for a hearing. Dressed in an Aloha shirt and sandals. Gotta' love it. The judge didn't wear robes, but he did wear something reflecting his position that's their equivalent.

This is the case I think I've shared a little bit about already. When the guy was 29 (not 17 as I've written before), he killed two guys with a diving knife. Having now seen how easy it is to kill a pig, I can see how it might not be difficult to kill a man if you're drunk and have, shall we say, anger-management issues.

Six years on one charge, ten on the other, to run consecutive for 16, plus another few years to run concurrent on a possession of a dangerous weapon while drunk charge. Then, in 1989, he assaulted another inmate with a machete' and got three more years to run after the 16, for a total of 19. He'd been denied for parole twice before. As of today, he's been in 17 yrs., seven months. Not much to us for a double-murder perhaps, but it is a long time to them. He's 46 now. He'll be eligible for consideration after serving 1/3 of his sentence.

Since the last denial of parole, he's really turned his life around in prison, and become a model prisoner, the only trustee they have, helping other inmates with grievances, etc. So, we didn't oppose it. And all I said during the hearing was "no questions, your Honor."

But it was such a fascinating thing to be part of. In the States, victims' rights groups and get-tough prosecutors oppose parole, victims and their families want to attend and be heard at sentencing and parole hearings. Big controversy in the states about whether to allow it, or whether it's too prejudicial to permit victims to be involved in that way, especially before juries (which they don't have here). Here, with the culture the way it is, it's totally different. Totally. As I've said before, there's a built in parole system, with family and clan leaders taking responsibility for him and keeping him on the straight and narrow, helping him to adjust and become a contributing member of society.

First, the defense put on the guy's cousin, a "traditional" leader in the family, rank not really understood. He testified, that he wanted Youper Primo back, that he would watch out for him, help him as best as he could, etc.

Then, an older brother was put on the stand, who said the same kind of thing. Also has a title, not sure what. I've already written about the N'marki and the Naniken (sp?), which, in western terms are the equivalent of king and prime minister in terms of duties, rank, privileges. This guy's traditional title/rank was somewhat the equivalent, but at the level of village chief.

The village chief was put on next, 71 years old, responsible for 170 people in the village (which, by the way is in Awak, in U, the municipality where I live, and where Primo will come to live, with his mother and sisters and brothers). He testified about similar things.

There's was a fourth witness, a police captain from the jail, who testified how Primo had become a model prisoner, and how he supported parole.

Now, the public defender asked a lot of questions she had prepared on paper. I didn't ask any. The judge asked a lot of questions of the witnesses. "If I grant parole, what conditions should I impose? Should I order him not to drink? How much and what kind of work should I require him to do?" Primo's plan was to work his land, so he could feed his family and help the community. Working the land or being a fisherman is very important here. The judge asked the village chief how much he should order Primo to plant per day. The chief said 5 yams. That seemed reasonable to everyone, so it must be a lot of work. I have no idea.

Something else the judge was very interested in was customary apologies and whether there would be any tension between the families of Primo and the victims. Here, when someone commits a crime or offends someone, his family goes to the victim's or offended's family and makes a formal ceremonial apology. All that's already been done, long ago. And the victims and their families support the idea of letting him out on parole. Could you imagine me assaulting or killing somebody, and your family having to come apologize to the victim's family? Without it, clan warfare and revenge killing would just escalate. It'd never work in the states, but these people are onto something. The Hatfields and McCoys wouldn't know what to do here. And I wonder how the story of Romeo and Juliet would have turned out if Juliet's family went and apologized after Mercutio was killed.

And all of this was done through a translator, going back and forth between Pohnpein and English for the benefit of the witnesses and the defendant. The translator was also the court "ombudsman," who'd done a pre-hearing investigation and made the recommendation for parole with certain conditions. I'm not sure how ombudsmen work here, but it's very different than anything we're used to in western terms. I need to read the law on it. But, with the "it takes a village" community mentality they have, it's a critical part of their judicial system. He went and interviewed witnesses, victims, victims' families, jail officials, and made his report and recommendation. Seemed quite thorough to me.

Then Primo testified, through the translator, but I almost didn't need the translator. Not that my Pohnpein is good enough by any means. Just that I could pick up a word or two and get it from the context, and from the English that was spoken by the judge. Primo began by thanking everyone for their respect, and apologizing (I caught that word; it's "mahk.") He said he agreed with all the conditions that were being suggested. He said he would not plant five yams a day, but six! "Why?" the judged asked. "Because I have to feed my family." It was actually almost eloquent.

Sakau vs. alcohol: Now, this guy killed the two while he was drunk. So, the "no alcohol" thing is an important condition of parole. Sakau is actually, I think, a generic term for anything liquid that's mood-altering, so I've heard it used in terms of wine, beer, etc. But when people refer to the sakau from the pepper plant, they say "Sakau en Pohnpei." What put it in context for me was when I heard the term "sakau mehn why," which told me they were talking about foreigner's alcohol, not the pepper plant. I'd been wondering if there would be a distinction. Sakau en Pohnpei is such a traditional, customary thing, that's part of so many rituals ~ funerals, get-togethers, celebrations, you name it ~ that I think it's not considered something he'll be prohibited from doing.

Afterwards, I shook Primo's hand and wished him good luck. Quite a pleasant, educational, fascinating experience, all things considered.

It's been raining quite a bit since my drive home, and my ex-boss just invited me down to dinner. Usually, it stops after ten minutes or two, but I've been home an hour and its still raining.


Saturday, August 9, 2008

Sunday, September 7, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Sunday, September 7, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

In the sakau market I sit with the men; Lynn sits with the women. My thoughts drift through the rythmic pulse of river rocks being pounded on a large flat stone the size and shape of a coffee table to mash the pepper plant root and release what will become sakau. I am invited over to sit with the men while they squeeze the pounded pepper plant roots mixed with water through a webbing made of the inner bark of the hibiscus tree, like a towel being twisted to squeeze out the water. Very interesting to observe close up. One would think it'd take some serious muscle, but these people are no bigger than me, and are no more muscular.

The liquid sakau is squeezed into a cup from a coconut shell that someone else held. The first cup goes to the N'marki, or Naniken, whoever is the highest official present. The second, I don't know. The third to a woman. The fourth, I'm not sure to who or why, but I received it at one point. There's something about the number "4" here, but I haven't inquired yet what it is.

The Sakau experience is interesting, and quietly enjoyable. Very mellow, a mild narcotic. People are quiet, and talking, sharing a common cup. It's a very communal experience. Everyone speaking in Pohnpein, of course, which is kind of nice, as I catch a word or phrase or two, but don't really care that I'm missing anything, and have no concern that they're talking about me (which they are, especially when teasing Lynn). I have a certain tolerance limit for Sakau, where I know I don't want any more, or I'll suffer intestinal consequences the next day. I've never actually been "drunk" on it, although I have felt its effects. Lynn commented tonight that I showed no effects of being drunk. As I've said, it's not something I'm drawn to; but I do it to be a participant in Lynn's clan.

The locals actually seem to get drunk pretty quickly, beginning to nod off after a few cups' worth. It doesn't affect me that way, and I'm in no competition with anyone, and that's not what it's about. I only do it to be polite and respectful.

Toward the time I was ready to leave, someone passed me a cup and I said "Soh, Menlau" (no, thank you). That impressed the guy sitting next to me, that I was speaking the language. Lynn and the secretaries at work think I'm learning it fast. Doesn't seem that way to me. But it is a simple language. And I still need to hear and repeat a word or phrase many times to retain it.

Many on the island think Lynn and I are married. Lynn does what she can to disabuse them; I divert the issue. It's the life here. Doing the typical American boyfriend-girlfriend thing, like shopping for groceries together, results in an automatic presumption that we're married. On the other hand, there are those who don't know us, who see us, who stare, and sometimes even glare, assuming that Lynn is a "winnit" (sp?), a prostitute, who goes to the docks. We encountered that many times today while out shopping. Lynn's angry about it, and rightly so; but I figure once we're seen out and about enough, and once people learn who I am, it'll stop.

No rains the last day or two. Rains bring the breeze. It's been hot, but I'm sweating less. It's been over two months and I'm still adapting.


Friday, August 8, 2008

Saturday, September 5, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Saturday, September 6, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

The FSM Congress is a unicameral legislature ~ one house; not a house and senate like we have in the States. It was the Chuuk delegation (6 of them out of 14 total), plus one we think is from Pohnpei that killed Paul's confirmation. A terrible kick in the teeth for Paul. Such is life in a developing nation. Especially Chuuk. No foresight. There are many in government here who are very worried about the future.

I saw a piglet and a sow killed today, and butchered. The machete' is slip-stabbed into the rib cage through the lung, into the heart. Pretty quick and relatively painless if you do it right. The piglet suffered, and had to be stabbed a couple of times; the sow died within one slow minute of a single stab through the rib cage. It reminds me of a scene from "Gangs of New York," where Bill the Butcher is educating Leonardo DiCaprio's character about killing a man, using a pig carcass as a model, because anatomically they're very similar to humans. Having seen a pig killed that way, it makes perfect sense. I am pleased to report I had no reaction one way or the other to seeing its slaughter, never having seen such a thing before. Lynn tells me dogs were killed, though I wasn't offered any, and a third pig was killed, and a fourth ran away.

It was a celebration for someone coming home. They built an "uhm" (sp?), an above-ground oven heaped with stones, heated from within with mangrove wood, until searing hot. We left to do a little shopping and I missed the rest of the preparation, but when the stones are done, they will place the pigs on top, cover with banana leaves, and then let it cook for about three hours. We brought a case of chicken and a couple cases of soda as our contribution. No one comes empty-handed; and no one leaves empty-handed.

Lynn and I went looking for a birthday present for one of my nieces and a present for the other in the Kapingimarangi village, the famous woodcarvers village. We didn't find anything I thought my nieces would like. When we came back from shopping, we went to the sakau market where people were congregating. There was breadfruit, banana cooked in coconut milk (pretty decent, I usually don't like it, too bland), rice, chicken, turkey tails (the all-fatty part we all throw away at Thanksgiving but is almost a delicacy here), hot dogs (it's a staple, like rice and Spam, a party isn't a party without hot dogs), guava, beef ribs, more. The pig ribs, which was all I ate, were good. No marinade, or seasoning, but very tasty, and tender. It was the sow. It'd be great with some BBQ sauce. (I hear the local chicken is very, very tasty. When my bow and arrow come, I'm going after one of those silly roosters in my yard.)

Very primitive conditions, the village where Lynn lives. But it doesn't really faze me, although I think it does freak the locals a bit when I'm there. They have running water, some have electricity (Lynn doesn't), some have phones (Lynn does), they sleep on mats on concrete floors. One of the unspoken reasons Lynn and I left and came back, that we later agreed about, was that I was just watching, being a tourist, so-to-speak. And in that capacity, I wasn't more than a woman. I didn't help build the fire, kill the pig, sear the hair off, butcher it, split breadfruit. So, without saying anything to each other, Lynn and I decided it'd be a good idea to take off for a few hours, get my laundry done, do some shopping and come back.

It's not that it's a male-dominated society, per se. Far from it. But there are defined roles for who does what. The men kill and prepare the meat, the women do other things. Both tend and make the fire. So, it is no slight to feminists what I just said about not being more than a woman. I just wasn't filling a man role, as an observer.

I haven't taken pictures in a while. That just seems too touristy. Lynn's clan is still getting to know me, and I want to do things their way, the best I'm learning how. Most are warming up to me. Some have their reservations still.


Thursday, August 7, 2008

Friday, September 5, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Friday, September 5, 2003 (continued) ~ Pohnpei

The secretaries and many local officials are very bummed that Paul wasn't confirmed. He's in the anger phase of the grieving process right now, if I judge right, and rightly so. The other guy I like working with, Anthony, is actively looking for another job, which leaves the guy who made all the problems to start with as the only other litigator in the office besides me, in addition to three and 1/2 on the law/advisory side. The "acting" AG's appointment ends Nov. 11, and he doesn't want to be the AG anyway. He's from Kosrae, as is another on the law/advisory side. He's supposed to take vacation from then through the end of December, and Anthony is supposed to be off from December through halfway into January. I think the office is soon to be in complete disarray.

The secretaries think I'm learning the language really fast, and are working on me to learn not just words, but phrases, a good next step. Me, I don't think I'm learning that fast, as I have so much to learn ~ new substantive and procedural areas of the law, names of people I interact with. But with the four of them and Lynn, I'm working on it. I try and learn a couple of new names a day, read and absorb as much new law as I can, and learn to speak Pohnpein a word, a phrase or two every few days to add to my vocabulary. I still haven't been to Sokeh's Rock, or Nan Madol, but maybe by the time my family arrives for a visit, I'll be a pretty decent tour guide.

Friday, September 5, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Friday, September 5, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

So, yesterday, someone moved to reconsider defeated nominations, and it was set again for today. He lost again, same score. Which was another, major, kick in the teeth, considering the hope the motion raised for all of us that at least the score would be different. One thought at the time was that the Chuukese delegation was "sending a message" about things, discussed above. But I'm wondering if it's not a message to the President about who he nominates to what. Regardless, they've seriously f*cked over someone who truly had their best intests at heart.

No more boss. He's packing up Monday, and flying out Wednesday. Such a shame to see him go. He was really making an effort. Just proves the adage about nice guys finishing last, and no good deed going unpunished.

Congress also defeated a nomination for the head of the Finance Dept., which is a crucial position in upcoming Compact implementation with the U.S. The U.S. is insisting on so much, giving so little, and doesn't have any strategic interest in this area anymore other than fishing rights, and the possibility that it may be a terrorist target-gateway to humiliating the U.S. due to FSM's blind dependence on doing what the U.S. says (a remote idea, but possible).

Next week, I may miss a day or two of this fantastic Law of the Sea course I'm attending, to attend a terrorism security conference. It's here in Pohnpei, but the opportunities to go to other countries to attend conferences is considerable, although the national government is going to be seriously broke soon. The opportunities working here are opening up great things ~ to work in international law and other areas, is something I'd never have been able to do if I hadn't come out here.

The laundry: Living out of my suitcases the last couple of months, I run out of fresh t-shirts to wear to work every ten days or so, except that weekends seem to take their toll on laundry if Lynn and I go swimming somewhere, as she borrows my stuff. So, I wind up taking my laundry to the laundry about once a week. Took a bunch of stuff, and wet towels, and linens to the laundry at lunch today, but the girl who does them wasn't there today. Probably at a funeral (a lot of deaths recently, including a national police officer who died in his sleep on board one of our three patrol boats, about my age, a child on the way...). So, damp laundry sat in my car the rest of the day. which I have draped over my porch ballistrade to air out and hopefully not smell so bad. I bought a couple of t-shirts today, and hope to buy more clothes this weekend.

The cat: Roxanne mews at me from the moment I get home. Drives me nuts. Can't stand things whining or crying at me. I've taken to storing leftover food in the fridge to feed her and leave out for a neighboring dog, named Carraway. Both are seen in the first or second web page I sent that has pictures of the house and car in it. The front and side doors are Micronesian garbage disposals. Takes care of the ant/bug problem to go ahead and do that.

It's not food she craves as much as attention and petting. She was weaned too early. She does that "making biscuits" thing on you. Pet her, and she settles down. Tonight, I fed her some days-old mixture of tomato, corn and Spam that Lynn made for us last weekend when I had nothing in the house. I let her eat and eat and eat. And she crawled up in a chair and went to sleep. Ah, peace.

I went to pick Lynn up, and when I returned, Roxanne went out of the house. I don't encourage her to come in, but don't prevent it either. She came back and went into a nearby corner, and was mewing, which didn't make sense, as she has access to Lynn and me for petting, and I was certain she'd had more to eat than she was used to. I leaned over to look, and she was chewing on a mouse she'd caught!! I gently shooed her and her catch out of the house with a broom, thanking her for her contribution. First mouse I've seen. I have no reason to be concerned about mice or rats here. Now Lynn wants Roxanne as a mouser for her place. I said "sure" as the mewing drives me crazy. Maybe I should reconsider....

K'nease: I often wake up around 4 a.m., or so, and did last night. Waking up, talking to Lynn, I smelled cologne, a scent I've smelled before. All the windows are open, the fans were off, it was a coolish (for me, now) night. I suspect K'nease came up to my porch and looked in the windows. My house is secure, bars on the windows, heavy doors with deadbolts. I need to get some material for curtains.

But, if it's him, I remain offended at the rudeness as he's such an American-o-phile. With certain people here you must command, not demand, but command, respect. And what they understand is fear of retribution, a leftover from Spanish, German and Japanese occupation, I suspect, but Americans have their own contribution in that regard. I've done it once, and in other little ways about personal space and boundaries, but every thing new demands new commands. It could get it old quicky, and did in other ways with him and others, but this is Micronesia. And rules of general application are not often appreciated in other than specifics terms.

Certain Micronesians, especially those who drink, have no appreciation for western boundaries, limits. K'nease is definitely in that category, but he's been a companion to my boss, Paul, for quite some time, and has his own story. I've already had to tacitly "advise" him that "Lynn is with me," with implied threat, as he's made passes at her, unknown to me at the time, when the four of us were driving back from the last waterfall.

Life in Micronesia.

Thursday, September 4, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Thursday, September 4, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

The AG didn't get confirmed. A seven-seven split, he needed ten of the 14 to be confirmed. And then, sometime later, a senator made a motion to reconsider, which they'll do tomorrow. Some think it was done to send a message. We'll see .... Six of the votes against him were from Chuuk, unknown about the 7th, as it was secret ballot, which I observed. There was no discussion or debate. I'm positive it's because of the three cases I've inherited from the lawyer here who thinks he's John Wayne.

The vote was by secret ballot. But we know the six delegates from Chuuk, plus someone probably from Pohnpei, were the seven against him. There are various theories about why he was defeated ~ including that he has questionable morals, is gay, or a pedophile (none of which I believe) ~ but mine is that the Chuuk cases I've inherited that I've told you about, and the indictment of another Congressman, and knowledge that we're looking at indicting one or two others, is ultimately the reason.

They're cutting off their nose to spite their face and are too short-sighted to see what they're doing. Chuuk is a black eye on this nation, tourism/diving issues aside. I'll probably never dive there. It's the most populated, so has the most delegates to Congress, and is flexing its muscle in very dangerous ways for the future stability of this country, and international (U.S.) respect. It's lawless out there. The U.S. is putting a lot of pressure on FSM about it. The national government is trying to respond, but more importantly, is trying to bring them into line. For a nation less than half that size of the "city" I left, the diversity and racism and factionalism here makes me amazed that it's actually considered a "sovereign" nation. It's not. They know it. Everyone does. There's nothing "sovereign" about them; and sovereignty is actually something I do know about.

Chuuk is the proverbial child that kills his parents, then begs the court's mercy because he's an orphan. There's much my office did wrong in the way it handled various criminal prosecutions involving one defendant, a mayor on Chuuk, all three off which are mine now, but that's form over substance. The locals all believe Chuuk election corruption needs to be brought to justice, but that the way it's been done by mehn why was not Micronesian enough. I agree. When in Rome... These people may be FSM versions of John Gotti and Mayor Richard A. Dailey (sp?) from Chicago, but you don't come in like John Wayne at Iwo Jima. There's a respectful Micronesian way to say ... "I'm sorry, but I have to prosecute you." And that's been a significant bone of contention here. Failure to respect traditional ways, customs, hierarchies. Since inheriting these cases, I'm doing things differently. Too early to see if there'll be any benefit.


Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Tuesday, September 2, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Tuesday, September 2, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

Mae sung Mwau (ph) ("Good morning")

I haven't felt this way in years. It's so nice to have someone to be close to, to be intimate with; and the work is interesting and challenging; and I feel useful around here again; and the people are worth working for, not the kind of idiocy I see in the states with our current political leaders at the national and state level, and political demagogues like Roy Moore. And this place (and its women) is just so damned beautiful, even when it rains. There's politics and corruption here, sure, but there's not the foolishness that I've seen in the states the last many years.

My sister asks whether I have a TV? Do I get any American channels? Do they have Video Rental? Yes, there's TV: ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN, PBS, come taped two weeks late from San Francisco. CNN and BBC are current news but it's weird listening to the news with British and Aussie accents. I don't watch TV for the news, here. I check a few papers on the Internet, like the NY Times, and Washington Post. There's a Chinese channel, a Japanese channel, a music video channel, Cartoon network, that only seems to play those raunchy cartoons, and Popeye, which is strangely appropriate. And there's the Hallmark Channel, broadcast in English, with Chinese subtitles. Also a "premium" channel that plays movies, not as good as HBO or Cinemax or Showtime though.

My sister has noticed that all of my emails lately are addressed to her and Mom, but not to Dad. She asks whether something happened or whether he gets his own. He does get some separate email of his own. But I've noticed some silences to some of the things I've said. No responses to the last few sets of pictures I've sent. Not a word in response to my openess about Lynn and other things. So, I'm not always sharing some of the more personal stuff with him anymore. I think he thinks I've gone nutz. (As various members of Lynn's family think she has). That I'm over-romanticizing the place and my experience here. Could be. So what? At one point, when I was explaining my perceptions of how children are raised here and how I could see raising kids here, at least the first ten years of their lives, he wrote and said not to go through the looking glass, that America's the greatest country, etc. My father has become exceptionally "patriotic" since 911. I'm 43, a little old for fatherly advice about my love life, or how great my country is.

My sister has been researching sakau. She says a website reports that it sounds like it tastes terrible though and the consistency doesn't appeal. She says it sounds like people get mellow instead of obnoxious like with alcohol. Yes, sakau is quiet and mellow. I don't think that it's addictive. I certainly don't crave it, like I do sometimes with alcohol. Though there are those here who abuse it. I can't comment on the taste other than to say it's "earthy," very. The reason I can't comment is because Lynn says you can never speak ill of sakau. Powerful magic in sakau, so you don't do it. I can tell she doesn't like its taste though. The locals are quite impressed that I drink with them. It's not something I care to do a lot, just occassionally, when I'm in the mood to be local, and my stomach's up for it.

My sister asks whether there is much drug use out here like we were exposed to when living on Kwaj. I haven't seen or heard much in the way of drug abuse out here other than local "maru," marijuana. Very cheap here. You can buy a joint for a dollar if you know where to go. Lynn and her mother are very much against it, as it seems to have destroyed some people's lives. Haven't heard much about harder stuff, although I did hear something once about crack cocaine that got on island. Apparently, people who didn't know any better used it for makeup, or as a dried lime substitute to wrap with the betel nut in banana leaf to chew. As to what the mehn why are doing in the recreational chemical department other than booze and pot, I wouldn't know.


Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Monday, September 1, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Monday, September 1, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

My sister sent me a care package of spices and marinades. She must have picked out every variety of sauce and marinade they had. Should be a lot of fun trying them out. (They also decorate my kitchen shelves nicely.) She sent Old Bay, too, which will be perfect with the fresh crab and lobster here.

Lynn's been after me to cook for her instead of going out to eat. She's always after me to eat, too. "Did you eat lunch today?" When I first visited the sakau market where Lynn lives, one of her cousins or aunts were laughing at me and telling her in Pohnpein that I had no ass. So, Lynn's trying to fatten me up.

Interesting day, today. There's a guy, originally from some South African country, I think, now living in Australia, the head of some important marine resources institute, something-or-other. He's putting on a ten day education seminar for FSM government officials on the "Law of the Sea." Fascinating stuff, about how nations carve up the waters that surround them, compacts, international treaties on everything related to nations and the sea ~ fisheries, mineral resources, piracy, law enforcement, customs, immigration, etc. The stuff I'm learning and doing here, can really help set the next stage of my career, and take it in a whole different direction I'd never have been able to go before considering my legal pedigree.

And he's a great teacher. I took an international law course, maybe it was Admiralty, in law school, maybe both. Very boring, or poorly taught. I don't remember much about either, other than certain terms and concepts he's talking about sound familiar, vaguely. But this guy, with his interesting African accent, and sense of humor, and communication style, makes this stuff really neat. I was just blown away the first few minutes. Unfortunately I missed the first two days, but I should have time to attend most of the rest of his seminar, as my work is in a bit of a lull. Which is good ~ that the work is in a lull ~ so I just try and read statutes and case law, and get boned up on new areas of law.

Seven and 1/2 of us lawyers for the whole executive branch of a whole country! Congress and the courts have their own, all mehn why. There's so much work that can be done, re-writing statutes, and writing regulations, none of which I've gotten to yet.

I am continuing to become more and more comfortable with it all. My background in the Alabama AG's office serves me well. The locals I'm working with/for seem to like me. I just wish I could remember everyone's names, but I'm getting better. They like that I'm open to things local, food, culture, tradition, whatever. That I'm not coming on like John Wayne and gangbusters. They like that I'm trying to learn to speak Pohnpein, that I have a local girlfriend, that I'm trying to respect the culture and tradition. I think word is getting around that I'm an OK guy. There's more kidding, more teasing of me, here and there. I take it to mean I'm doing something right.

Lynn's mother returns to her home in Guam tomorrow. Lynn wanted to throw a little something for her tonight, and I'd promised to buy a case of chicken and 40 lbs. of rice. (I spent a whopping $26.14) Other people will bring other things. Lynn's been helping to prepare sakau. I'm not sure what she did, wash it, I assume, maybe more.

Watching people prepare sakau is very interesting. Someone pulls the root of this certain pepper plant from the ground. Then it's washed, to remove the soil. Then it's put on a large flat stone and pounded with round rocks from the rivers. (Lynn's been building me a small rock collection from every river or waterfall we've been to. It took me until the other day to realize what she's doing.) A rhythmic beat to the pounding. Much work. A millstone would be much more efficient, but who am I to offer suggestions? Then it's wrapped in the inner bark of the hibiscus tree and twisted/squeezed into a bowl. People just seem to know when it's time to take over a job, and you see people coming and going and taking over various parts, and so there's a real communal thing to its preparation. There's still a lot of sediment and stuff in it when it's done. It looks like chocolate milk, but tastes like...earth. Very mild, mellow narcotic.

I was at the sakau market (bar) with Lynn and her mom and others last night. Very pleasant time, sharing sakau and cigarettes, and sugar cane, and talking with Lynn, and occassionally her mom. I keep thinking that she and my mom would like each other, somehow (although I worry that mom's questions would drive Lynn's mom crazy. Sorry Mom). I decided to leave around 9 p.m., but then Lynn called me around 12 a.m., and I went and picked her up, and brought her home, and I didn't get much sleep. Dumb idea in retrospect, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. And it was nice being with her. We're in a really good place right now. So, I was too beat to attend the goodbye party for Lynn's mom, and asked Lynn to convey my apologies.

Lynn was teasing me last night about the 17 year age difference between us. I don't remember what brought it up. So, to tease her back, I leaned across the table to her mom, and asked if that's a bad thing ~ our age difference. The mom said as long as there's love, age doesn't matter. Lynn's mom's last boyfriend, or maybe the current one, the mom's, is 13 years younger than her. Very common among these people ~ older women and younger men.

When I dropped Lynn and the chicken and rice off in front of the sakau market near her house, one of her cousins came up and said, "Rob, come drink sakau with us." That's a good sign they're warming up to me, the younger ones anyway. I declined, and said I needed to go home, leaving him with the impression that I had something I had to do other than rest.

Still no word on the AG's confirmation. Could be this Friday.

A ship came in with the fruit and vegetables. Apples, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, watermelon, cantaloupe melons, some asian pears. Not a big variety, but it's better than nothing. And it's nice to see the fresh produce in the stores after nearly a week of empty shelves.


Monday, August 4, 2008

Sunday, August 30, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Sunday, August 30, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

I woke up around 3:45 a.m. A little earlier than usual, but not by much. Dogs are barking, but that didn't wake me up. I just woke, and decided to get up.

I am pretty sure my mother and sister would be very cool with Lynn, and would make her feel welcome were I to bring her to the States. But I don't know how well she'd adjust to life there. I can't imagine her being happy there in the long run. Family ties too strong here, despite all the crap she gets from them for being selfish and being with me.

Dogs barking. Kind of unusual this time of the morning. Maybe it's time to eat one.... The crows are crowing, too. That's not unusual. They crow all the time.

Lynn's mother was doing OK for awhile, But Lynn says her mother's still ill in some way. Getting straight answers about questions like that is a bit hard. Getting straight answers from people around here, or just getting the information you need volunteered isn't easy. I'm learning. (I say that a lot.)

But speaking of her mother reminds me of a "Beverly Hillbillies" epsisode, where Granny speaks of this great remedy for a cold: All these potions and elixirs, and things to consume and do, and 12 days later, "voila," you're healed! Duh! (As Lynn would say), By then, it's run its course. I'm no skeptic when it comes to local remedies, but whatever she has, should have been over by now.

@#$$%%^ dog still barking. It's 4:17 a.m. The dogs here are too stupid to be of any value other than meat, and protection. There's a small pack forming near my home, that's menaced me once or twice. I need a staff if I'm to walk anywhere.

No word yet on the AG getting confirmed. Maybe tomorrow, or next week. The hurry-up-and-wait on this has him on edge, and Paul has shown it inadvertantly or inappropriately at times. I'm sure I would too. He's a real sensitive guy. Very loving, caring. When we went to the waterfalls the other day, the landowner of the property wanted to charge the mehn why $3, and the locals $1. My boss refused out of principle at the discrimination, and was beginning to make a scene ~ that the attorney general for the whole country would be discriminated against in this way. Lynn and I just wanted some peaceful time, we'd driven so far, and Paul finally relented (I'd have paid the lousy two bucks; I didn't care), and on the way back apologized to the landowner for his rudeness. The mehn why here who've been here a while fight over a dollar or two, but you kind of have to, to set limits and boundaries.

Dog still barking. Will have to speak to the owner. Justino Gusto. He owns this little store on the road, a stone's throway away. Cigarettes, soda, Ramen noodles, Spam. Not much else. Little places like that all over the place. Good people.

I am reminded of the myth of Icarus. From Greece. The story of a boy whose father made wings to fly from feathers and wax. And Icarus flew too high to the sun, and the wax melted, and he fell into the sea. Those images are in my mind these last couple of days. Highs so high, and then the fall... But...Lynn and I are really happy. It's very hard for us, because her family makes it so hard on her and she is torn between me and her family responsibilities. But she's trying, very hard. And I want to, too.

!@#$%^ dog!!!


Sunday, August 3, 2008

Friday, August 29, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Friday, August 29, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

We went to another waterfall the other day, halfway around the island, with Lynn, the AG (still waiting to hear if he'll be confirmed), and K'nease (who Lynn tells me later was trying to hit on her on the ride back). It's the third different waterfall I've been to. I think I like the first one I went to the best, but this one is really nice. Sometime, Peter's going to take us on a three-hour hike (each way) to some place that has six falls.

Here is the shell, a trident, I got for $40!! I imagine it would costs hundreds in Hawaii. My friend from the office, Peter, is holding it, so you can see some scale. A really beautiful piece. Some relative of Lynn's got it. She tried to get him down on the price for me, but he was firm, and I think it's definitely worth it.



If my boss does get confirmed, we're going to buy a boat together. He's a really nice guy. It'd be a real shame to lose him. He got grilled hard, but gently, from the Chuukese delegation to the confirmation committee about the way the cases I've inherited were handled before I got them. Totally mishandled. These are the ones that'll get me killed, if I don't find a conciliatory way to bring the parties to the table. American John Wayne mentality is just not the Micronesia way, and I'm more and more peeved at the way the lawyer who brought these cases handled the arrest and search warrants.

I've gotten word my household goods set sail on the next vessel, estimated departure date, Sept. 15; estimated date of arrival, Oct. 6. Should make for a nice birthday present, although I have no idea how they'll get a truck up the little incline to my house.

Slow work day today. Was late to work (some Mondays in Micronesia, some people don't even bother to come in). 'Woke up to no power. On Pohnpei here, there is what is called "cash power," where you pay in advance, get a code to punch into a unit on the wall, and you've got electricity until the cash is used up. I've found not running the A/C lasts me more than a month on $100, which is about close to 500 kWh. So, I had to drive to town, drive back, punch it in, it didn't work, couldn't find a number for the electricity company, was just about to drive back to town, when Lynn got it working, then dropped her off, and went on to work.

Once again, a spectacular sunset. I really need to take some 35 mm pictures of the place. What a view I have. Too bad some of it is obstructed with phone or cable lines.



A lizard just crawled across my toes. My first thought was it was a roach. Just a lizard. There are some big spiders here. The only thing poisonous are the centipedes, which I've not seen, and the frogs or toads which come out like a plague where I work when it rains.

A slow day. So I spent most of it brushing up on local statutes and case law, just "reading the law," something lawyers used to do for recreation in the old days. I started to focus on some admiralty/maritime stuff. I am so enjoying the diversity of what I'm learning, especially the maritime, customs, and immigration stuff. It's a pleasure to be able to apply the experience I have from my former government work in Alabama out here, and to be able to see issues in other areas like personnel, insurance, and administrative law, not to mention my civil rights work, on both sides. Reading civil rights, property, and land use/ownership cases with the Micronesian touch is really interesting.

I had my first craving for food from home, today: A BBQ sandwhich from a place called Sams BBQ in Montgomery. But, as usual, I had sashimi, fried tuna (always very tasty, would make a great fish sandwhich for McDonalds), miso soup, and cucumber salad, and, of course, rice. A typical meal for me, here. Last week, I picked up some chicken for lunch, and banana leaf wrapped "yam," which is purple here. And tasteless.

I was scanning the NY Times and Washington Post online today, and saw a picture of a former client, the Montgomery Co. Sheriff, dragging some older guy away from the Alabama Suprerme Court Justice Roy Moore's Ten Commandments monolith sitting in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building. Participating on the ACLU trial team together with the Southern Poverty Law Center and Americans United for Separation of Church and State in the case against Roy Moore was the last case I was involved in, in the States. I'm glad to see at least one of my former clients is enforcing the law. What a great country I'm from....










Saturday, August 2, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2003 ~ Pohnpei


Beginning with my June 2008 post "It's Been Five Years," the following is the continuing story of my travels from the United States into Micronesia ~ Pohnpei, Guam and Saipan ~ and my life since June 2003.



Thursday, August 28, 2003 ~ Pohnpei

Lynn was quite surprised a few weeks ago that this Mehn Why would eat fish for breakfast. So? What's lox and bagels, and kippurs, and white fish? Nu? My adaptability and willingness to try/eat new things that are local please not just her, but all the locals.

Here's something interesting, speaking of things Jewish compared to here: Lynn started her period yesterday. I don't know how it came up, but she mentioned how the women here don't go to the water, the seas, the rivers, etc. when menstruating. I'm sure showers are OK. But they don't because there's a belief, not, I think, that they'll pollute the waters (or attract sharks), but that the water will force the fluids back into the body. I explained to her how different that is from the Jewish concept of the mikva, to the best I understand it. According to wikipedia.com, this is what a mikva is:


Several biblical regulations specify that full immersion in water is required to regain ritual purity after ritually impure incidents have occurred. Most forms of impurity can be nullified through immersion in any natural collection of water. Some, such as a Zav, however require "living water," such as springs or groundwater wells. Living water has the further advantage of being able to purify even while flowing as opposed to rainwater which must be stationary in order to purify. The mikvah is designed to simplify this requirement, by providing a bathing facility that remains in ritual contact with a natural source of water. Its main uses nowadays are:

  • by Jewish women to achieve ritual purity after menstruation or childbirth
  • by Jewish men to achieve ritual purity
  • as part of a traditional procedure for conversion to Judaism
  • for utensils used for food

Comparative social ritual is quite interesting. I was thinking at one time that I'd go back to school and get another degree in cultural anthropology. But why bother? I'm in the best learning environment I can be for that kind of thing. You just have to be open and receptive.

My trip to Fiji may have fallen through, but I'm sure trips to Fiji and elsewhere will come around, especially if my boss Paul gets confirmed, and (hopefully) the chief of litigation who suggested it, Anthony, doesn't get the job in the Cook Islands as head of Banking and Finance. The three of us are really of one mind about how the office should be run, and what the office should be doing for the people here. It'd be a real different ball game without either of them.

That manic guy at work, Matthew, is white, American. Married to a Russian or Armenian woman. Two kids, typical dumpy American looking kids. Their house looks very American in terms of furnishings. Air Con (A/C) running all the time. Unlike what I would have done if he were the new guy on island, he never invited me over in the beginning to eat at his home. He eats too much red meat, doesn't really try and blend in here with the locals. I suppose you can do that when you have a family "support" structure at home that keeps you "white." We suspect he fools around on his wife. He's not really a team player. But he's actually very good at ferreting out white collar crime and the like. I don't think he'd "go postal" if he were fired, and there are no grounds for doing so anyway. He just needs to be brought into line in terms of office philosophy and why we're all here.