Damn kids these days / millenials and their phones

6 hours.

6 hours that I'll wish I had while lying on my death bed.

6 hours that I could have used to save/change the world

6 HOURS THAT I COULD HAVE USED TO PUT A STOP TO WORLD HUNGER

AND WORLD PEACE.


Ok. So none of those things can be done in 6 hours anyway, but it IS how long I've spent completely lost driving around this rock. I'm a little peeved.

I hate to sound like a snake people (millennials), but the combination of not having my phone, and the ingenuity of the roads NOT BEING MARKED, makes it great to travel around without a phone. I NEED MY PHONE. THIS IS DUMB.

A night in at Fumiko's : American Rambling

• So America...  Obsession with grilling outside? Stereotype or culture 

• The Japanese are convinced that the way they do things is the perfect way... how about genetically modified food? Apples half the size of my head? 

•  Update: The apples are too damn good. I need a second suitcase. 

• Dogs and chickens. The logic behind housing 20 of each in your backyard: 

• You don't hear them = You don't have to train them. 

• Not having to train them = Let them run free and multiply because who doesn't sleep like a baby at 3a.m. while your stupid dog eats your other stupid dogs face off.

• I wonder if Fumiko ever had any kids. I don't think so.

• Kristen vs.  Rice Cooker with Japanese buttons = Rice cooker +1, Kristen = 0.

• $150.00 to fix my iphone...are they ripping me off? Should I have checked elsewhere before giving it to them? Do I even want to know?

• If the distance between here and home was broken up into 20 metric "too far" aways, then how far is 1 metirc "too far"?

• Is it normal or paranoia to feel like you're being watched when you're living in someone else's home?

• Ice cream truck?!!?

• No it was just the neighbors stereo. Sad. 

Photo J Group Photo

Here they are <3

Escape to Guam

12/19/18

First of all, I'd like to point out that the theme of the week is "You never told me that."

This Christmas will be my first Christmas celebrated without anyone. On the 22nd I'll be flying to Guam, where I'll have a ride waiting to take me to a house and car that I'll be staying in, under the condition that I clean and prepare it for new guests coming on the 5th. (The trade seems unbalanced, but I'll find a way to make it up to them.)

What I know about the trip:

1. I'll have a place to stay, near to the University.
2. Dennis will be on Island, and he'll most likely want my help preparing entrance exams.
3. I'm going to eat like royalty (aka organic, fresh veggies.)
4. Bathing suit, shorts and tank tops will be utilized (because I can.)

What I don't know about the trip:

1. How I'll spend Christmas and New Years day.
2. What to expect of "my" home and car.

I'll be playing most of the trip by ear, which will make things more interesting.

I'm excited to see what I've been missing. It's not that I'm missing things at all, but more of, I'm excited to experience the "oh yeah, I forgot about _______" moments. There're so many blanks that I've forgotten about, including but not limited to: Bathtubs, roads, groups of people, food, internet, shoes that aren't missing, hospitals, public anything, etc.

I can also promise you that I won't miss: Children with machetes (drunken or otherwise), patriarchal bigotry, my knees being considered perverse, limitations as to where I walk, what I buy, who I'm with, what I "am"/ my general existence as a female, MSG in everything, sugar in everything, grease in everything, bones, blood and guts in the kitchen at all times, and other daily norms.

Don't get me wrong, It's amazing here, I love this place, its beautiful, and the kids I teach are magical, but my preferences are slightly more westernized and liberal than is preferred.

It'll just be nice to rebuild myself over the break. Just 2 more days, and I'm free to relax.

12/22/18

I've arrived at my destination in Guam.

Firstly, I can't believe the kindness i've been shown by Roberta Abaday and Fumiko Harada.

I contacted Roberta expecting to make plans for dinner or an evening out, and she's introduced me to Fumiko, who's given me her home and car, and a refrigerator stocked with food, and wine that i'm instructed to drink or throw out. I mean... if you insist...

Roberta greeted me at the airport with a string of shells, took me to the store and bought me groceries, gave me a Christmas gift, and made plans to pick me up tomorrow to show me the island, before leaving me to do whatever I would like to do. I'm overwhelmed with all of this... not to mention the shock that i'm already in from getting back in touch with the modern world...

First of all, grocery stores hurt to be in. There's too much crap.  Quality crap, but still too much.

Secondly...women have knees, and you know what's attached to those? Thighs. Also, holy hell.

Thirdly, a house is a big room that is so large, that you can put walls inside of it to make "rooms". There are windows, air conditioning, and beds inside too... I wish I could expound, but my brain has reached its data limit.

Christmas Party

We had a faculty Christmas party last night that I had totally forgotten about considering time is flying by, and exams are fast approaching. They killed and roasted one of the Xavier pigs, although I didn't partake. Sensei made sushi, Mrs. Carl made a rice dish, I made the mashed potatoes, and Dennis made grilled reef fish. Minus the pig on the table, it was simple and sweet.  After dinner, we had our secret santa / white elephant game, and after we chilled. All of the above was greatly needed.

Trash-a-thon = SUCCESS!!

On the 5th of December, my Photo J. class put into motion our trash-a-thon  "downtown" Weno. Locals commented/thanked us, giving my students the encouragement and confidence in their ability to make a difference. Everyone had fun, nobody got hurt, and Chuuk is hopefully inspired to think twice about throwing their trash on the ground.

Mr. Carl also came down and helped pick up trash. The students LOVED that. In addition, he gave us a task to paint the bridge "while we're down". Painting the bridge means painting 2 bridges, (6 hours of painting)... all 35-ish of us...with the 3 small brushes we were given...in the sun... without sun screen... probably not the most thought out plan of action.

I'm hoping that the bridges didn't take away from the student's idea that a "trash-a-thon" can be fun, and steer them away from participating again in the future. (but hey, the bridges look great.) Going down for only the trash-a-thon would have lasted 3 hours, but with the additional 6, they were desperate to go home.

I drove by the bridges again today, (a week later,) and still no graffiti. I'm impressed. I don't want to speak too soon, but all those "badass" graffiti rebels aren't really that rebellious. Even they can appreciate how much better it looks without blemishes. It just goes to show that the local Chuukese have good hearts, no matter how "badass" they want to be.