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.
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