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.
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