Monday, July 30, 2012

It was a very hot night of sleeping and a few wild dreams that may be related to the “hallucinations” side effect of my malaria medication.  We went to morning mass, ate breakfast, and prepared for the day.  I walked over to Aligegeo Secondary School with Sr. Loretta.  It was an interesting morning.  First period begins at 8:00.  On Mondays the students have an assembly, which starts at 7:30.  It didn’t get going until 7:50, and by the time it was over, it was 8:20.  There is only one textbook for Form 4 English, so I had to make copies of the lesson for 70 students.  The copy man didn’t arrive until 8:15, so we sorted out the copying after the assembly.  I got to class at 8:45, after the first of the double period was over.  The funny thing about it was administration, faculty, and students aren’t phased at all.  There is a big lack of structure in the school day.  Sr. Loretta said it’s something they are working on.  It’s just completely new to me, since I’m so used to a very strict schedule in high school.  But don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t devastated that I couldn’t spend those 45 minutes sharing the wonders of subject-verb agreement.

I finished the next three periods with some more participation from the shy kids.  At break time, I prepared the lesson for tomorrow.  I joined Sr. Loretta for her Form 2 English class in the afternoon.  After she went over the basics of her lesson, I talked to the students about why I am here and a little bit about my life at home.  I asked if anyone had any questions for me, and they all giggled nervously.  A few brave students raised their hands and asked in Pidgin about sports in the US and life at PC.  Sr. Loretta translated, and I gave thorough answers.  The best question of the day was, “Madame, are you married?”  My “no” reply was quickly followed by “how old are you?”  Dad, don’t worry I don’t plan on coming home with a husband.

My Business Studies minor expertise was also put to work today.  The admin has been collecting school fees and exam fees from the students for the past few weeks.  The cash was stored in a cardboard box.  I helped a fellow teacher count and recount the money.  The Deputy left the box at my table in the teacher’s room and told me I was in charge of it.  She was joking...but not really.  Later, she took a taxi to the bank to deposit  the fees.  It is difficult to collect the money for tuition from the students.  Few parents have steady jobs.  Most sell what they grow in their gardens at the market, and so money earned is immediately spent on food and immediate needs.  Saving isn’t common, making it hard for parents to cover the cost of schooling.

After the visit to Sr. Loretta’s class, I returned home.  Chrisma was waiting for me by the path.  She is in primary school.  Her teacher was absent today so her entire class was sent home.  I fixed lunch for us and we relaxed in the house.  Brother Roger and Brother Rob left Auki today for Honiara, so I saw them off on the ferry with Bishop Chris.

I walked to Kilu’ufi Hospital to pick up Cayla at 3:00.  She had an amazing day - helped deliver a baby girl whose mother named her Cayla!  There are a few patients who have basic needs that can’t be helped.  Two boys have been waiting for crutches for weeks.  Cayla and I are going to attempt to make them for the boys.  We’ll look for some supplies in town and try to make something happen.  

Later, we weeded around the house.  Chrisma kept us company, and Veronica and Patrick provided some background music.  We played jump rope and soccer, getting ourselves nice and dirty.  After evening prayer, Sr. Loretta, Sr. Matilda, Cayla, and I enjoyed dinner together.  We’re watching Sister Act right now, and it’s hilarious to watch with the nuns.  They absolutely love it, and I swear Sr. Loretta is an incarnation of Whoopi Goldberg.  

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Today was the first time since I arrived in the Solomons that I woke up when it was light out.  Sundays we get to “sleep in” until about 7:15.  Sr. Loretta and Sr. Matilda had breakfast prepared when Cayla and I woke up.  We enjoyed toast with pineapple jam (my new favorite) and bananas.  At 8:15 we left the house to walk to the cathedral for mass.  Chrisma was dressed in her best - red and white shirt and skirt with a big white ribbon on her small bun.  She skipped along with us down the road.  We were a half hour early, and this gave me time to take in the artistry in the cathedral.  Paintings and carvings exuded a unique Solomon Islands style.  

The music ministry group that gathered to learn and practice all week sang for the congregation.  Their hard work was evident as their voices and instruments echoed around the church.  Bishop Chris gave many thanks to Bro. Roger and Bro. Rob for their hard work with the music program during his homily, which he delivers in Pidgin.  The most interesting part of the service was the presentation of the gifts.  About ten men dressed like warriors dance up the aisle while the choir sings a chant.  They are followed by several women carrying the gifts.  It was amazing how they incorporated their traditional culture into the mass.  When the mass ended, Cayla and I helped hand out certificates to the participants in the music program.  There were many speeches and thank yous.  The Solomon people value welcoming new people and also sending them off.  It makes me realize how important it is to remind people in your life that you truly appreciate them.  Their small gifts and kind words are incredibly meaningful and serve as inspiration to keep living, loving, and giving.  The mass and ceremony lasted 2 hours, and no one left early to rush to a soccer game or get to the beach.  Mass is the main activity on Sunday, and the congregation was totally involved the entire time.

We walked home from mass in the blistering heat.  Chrisma and Veronica, another girl who lives nearby, came over the house to dance.  The group taught Cayla and me a few popular Solomon dances while we entertained them with the chicken dance and the hokey pokey.  We pushed the table and chairs aside for the festivities and were laughing as we bumped into each other and tried to remember new steps.  Sr. Loretta saved the day and played Shrek 2 for us on the computer.  After the movie, I slipped away to the hammock under the house and read.  Cayla and I have been feeling a little bit lazy because we love to run and haven’t really been able to because of the heat.  We set up a little spot behind the house to do an Insanity workout that she had on her computer.  We mounted the screen on a mat, chair, and box that we stacked up.  We looked slightly ridiculous, and we caught an older woman staring at us from behind a bush.  After 40 minutes we were pouring with sweat, and 6 hours later, I think I’m still sweating.  We took ice cold showers before evening prayer.

Bishop Chris hosted dinner tonight.  I enjoyed the company of the brothers, sisters, and a few members of the community.  The world gets smaller and smaller as the bishop and I make connections with people we know from Long Island.  I’m sitting in the living room of Sr. Loretta and Sr. Matilda’s home right now.  Cayla is busy blogging and Sr. Loretta is using her whole mind, body, and voice to play “bubble pop.”

Every night I seem to think that “today was the best day of my life.”  Then I remember I already said that yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.  Cayla and I were reflecting that it is so incredible to be immersed in this community.  We are very lucky that we can go to bed thinking that we lived the day to its fullest.  My friend at school once said to me “today has the potential to be the best day of your life.”  That approach has definitely been working, and I can only look forward to the days to come.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

After morning prayer and breakfast, Cayla and I washed our clothes and hung them on the line behind the house.  Saturday is a relaxing day in Fanualama (“place of peace” - the name of the residences of diocesan staff).  Bishop Chris gave Patrick, a student in my English class, a new soccer ball to bring over the house for me.  It got a lot of use today.  I was playing outside the house and it was a magnet for adorable children.  Cayla and I have a new buddy, Chrisma.  She played with us all morning and was our shadow for the rest of the day.  Chrisma is a beautiful, energetic girl and I’m so happy to have a new friend. 

Cayla and I got a ride from Bishop Chris into town to the Telecom so we could get internet access.  Luckily he passed us again on the road on our return trip so we hopped in the truck.  We munched on Sr. Loretta’s pancakes (different from our version at home but still delicious) and bananas for lunch.  Cayla, Chrisma, and I walked to the game and our team won 3-1!  Spectators were in the shade but the field was directly in the sun.  I give all the players so much credit for surviving the stifling heat.  

Back at home we fell asleep reading in the hammocks hung underneath the house.  I’m actually living in a dream world.  We woke up to Bishop Chris shouting for us to get in the truck for a car wash.  In the Solomons, getting a car wash means cramming a ton of kids in the vehicle, driving it into the river, then cleaning it off with buckets and brushes.  It was quite the event and everyone wanted to come.  Half of the soccer team, Cayla, Chrisma, and I piled into the pickup and drove to the Fiu River.  The water was refreshing as we got to work on the muddy truck.  After the work was complete, we got to swim around and have some fun.  I joined the boys jumping off the bridge into the river.  You had to climb up rock/mud stairs to get to the bridge.  I had a few helping hands to keep my balance as we climbed on the railing, held hands, then jumped into the crystal clear river.  It was an accomplishment to do all this while making sure my skirt didn’t fly up as we flew through the air and plunged in.  It was so much fun, and I volunteered to wash the car everyday but to no avail.  I jumped off a few more times, convinced Cayla to do it, and got to know the boys a little bit.  I swam around with Chrisma for a little while and she worked on blowing bubbles and kicking.  After cooling off we squeezed into the truck and came home.  

Cayla and I went for a jog to the clinic where she will be working on Monday.  It was only a few miles, but we were sweating like crazy when we finished.  The heat and humidity make it difficult to do much activity.  We cleaned up for evening prayer and dinner.  It was the final evening of the music workshop that has been running all week.  After a feast with the whole group, members of the workshop gave thank you speeches and gifts.  We sang a few songs all together.  The young men and women participating in the workshop are incredibly talented musicians.  Their voices, song writing skills, and guitar abilities are outstanding.  I was happy to have gifted singers surrounding me to drone out my very out of tune vocals. 

Friday, July 27, 2012

My first morning in Auki began just like the other days with the sisters in Tenaru and Visale.  Bishop Chris said mass in the chapel at 6:10.  Sr. Loretta and I walked across the road to school for my first day.  Aligegeo Secondary School is a boarding school, so we walked past the student housing before reaching the classrooms and teacher’s room.  I met the Deputy and she instructed me to shadow the Form 4 English classes to prepare to teach them for the next 2 1/2 weeks.  The Form 4 English teacher, John, came over to me with a textbook and some handouts for the students and said, “You will teach today.  Here is where we left off.  Start with this lesson.”  Might as well jump right into things, right?  So I went off to teach a double period English class by myself for both Form 4 sections.  

For the most part, the students are very soft spoken.  I had them go around the room and introduce themselves to me.  I could barely make out what they were saying, but I’ll do this every day and hopefully they will be more confident and assertive.  I taught the students about the incredibly fascinating world of grammar.  We practiced putting the articles a, an, and the into a sentence.  They asked a few questions about my home and I told them all about my family and where I live.  All went well, and I survived my first day.

After school we went to the market and picked up a few fresh vegetables.  Tomorrow the market will be packed with people and products for the weekend rush, so we’ll get most things tomorrow.  The heat was sweltering as we waited for the bus to take us home.  We spent the rest of the afternoon weeding the grounds with Bishop Chris.  It was actually very relaxing and didn’t feel like a chore at all.  Cayla and I got a little exercise in before evening prayer.  We enjoyed dinner with the music ministry group whose program ends on Sunday - lots of delicious fish and vegetables. 

Right now, Sr. Loretta is playing bubble pop on Cayla’s Kindle, and having a great time.  She has been laughing and screaming every time she passes a new level.  We’re all addicted to the game by now.  

Auki at Last

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The night sky sparkled with stars when we left Visale to catch our ferry to Auki from Honiara.  We bought our tickets and actually boarded at 8:00, in atypical Solomons fashion.  Cayla and I sat at a table with two men who act as general contractors for RAMSI.  One was from Scotland, the other from Victoria, Australia.  I got a few cat naps in during the hot, four hour trip...and I didn’t get seasick!  Cayla may or may not have purposely used the soft loaves of bread we bought for the bishop and sisters in town as a pillow.  There was a nice imprint of her face on the white bread.  Bishop Chris, Sr. Matrina, and Brother Roger Poletti welcomed us when we stepped off the boat with beautiful palm necklaces.  Brother Roger was my teacher at Kellenberg, and it is amazing that we are working together on the other side of the world.  

We drove about 2 km up the road to our home for the next three weeks.  Cayla and I will be living with Sr. Loretta and Sr. Matrina.  Bishop Chris lives next door.  There is a beautiful little chapel and homes for several other people who work for the diocese.  We enjoyed lunch before going into town to get internet access.  Cayla and I caught up on emails and blog postings.  

Our small community said evening prayer and the rosary in the chapel.  Cayla and I shook hands with everyone as they exited the chapel.  This is a tradition for welcoming and introducing oneself.  Bishop Chris chatted with us about PC and Long Island things.  We then enjoyed dinner together in a brand new building with our new friends.  Most of the village people here are very shy.  Hopefully they’ll warm up to us in the coming days.  I caught up with Brother Roger during dinner and heard all the recent Kellenberg news.  

It is nice to be settling down in a place for more than a couple of days.  Auki is beautiful, and I’m eager to be in the swing of things!

Library Complete!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

It was a warm, beautiful morning in Visale as we walked to mass.  My friend Dominic was the altar server.  Sr. Vero, Cayla, and I ate a quick breakfast and started our busy day.  I went to the library and began the tedious task of alphabetizing, labeling, and dusting every book.  The job was quite daunting, but many helping hands filtered into and out of the library all day.  Agnes, the English teacher, and her 2 year old son Gerard, were a huge help.  She came in on all her breaks to assist me and even enlisted the aid of her Form 3 class.  The students made the work load a lot lighter.  I was glad that they took part in the improvement of an important aspect of their school. 

Slowly but surely, the books were organized on the shelves.  It was very hot in the room, since there wasn’t much breeze today.  Cayla came in after her morning at the clinic and was an enormous help.  I took a quick break to grab some fruit and a drink for lunch.  Sr. Vero came to the house and asked me to join her in one of the classrooms.  The teaching staff, nurses, and our hiking guides sat at tables around the room.  A separate table in the center was set for Cayla and me.  There was a bountiful buffet of sandwiches, fruits, and drinks.  Again, I was speechless and so happy.  I have only been here for three days, and the people of Visale are so grateful.  They don’t realize that they have given me new perspective and memories that I will treasure forever.

Several people stood up and shared kind words of thanksgiving to Cayla and me - the principal, the head nurse, Agnes, and Sr. Vero.  Agnes started crying when she expressed how much the library means to the school.  Now, they do not have to seek a librarian to come in and organize the books.  The primary and secondary schools will adapt new schedules that incorporate a library period.  English is a third language for the students, so reading is crucial.  If they continue practicing and reading, there is sure to be improvement in the English skills.  Students must pass tests mandated by the state every year or two in order to move on to the next form.  Usually if a student fails, he or she will not continue their schooling.  English is a large portion of the exam, so it is critical for them to get comfortable with the language.  Cayla and I said a few words of thanks to them for their generosity and spirit.  Cayla very insightfully told them that we were so happy to come to Visale and help in the school and clinic, but they way they live is perfect.  After the speeches, we were presented with beautiful shell necklaces on behalf of the school, parish, and clinic.  Then, everyone enjoyed the meal and the company.   

I returned to the library to plug away at the work.  It took a long time to label all the fiction, young adult, and children’s books.  Cayla and I wrote the genre and a number on small labels and taped them to the binding of each book.  This will make it easier to keep track of which books students’ borrow.  They will also be able to return it to the correct place on the shelf when they are finished since it’s in numerical order.  Sr. Vero scooped us up from the hot room, and we went for a walk.  She took us through the area where the sisters of Sacred Heart parish live.  We followed the path to the beach and sat on the shore to watch sunset.  I took an absurd amount of photos.  I never want to forget the beauty and serenity of this tiny island.  One of the sisters was out on the beach and brought us a few coconuts.  When she left, I said dou bongi (goodnight), and she was so surprised I knew some Pidgin.  She started cracking up and shook my shoulders with laughter.   “Dou bongi!” she replied.

The sun went down and I went back to the library with Cayla.  We worked in the darkness using a few flashlights and a lantern.  I had some help finishing up from another teacher, Cidrella.  An adorable baby and a bunch of kids were hanging around outside the door in the dark, very interested in the action.  We invited them inside and got them to cut tape and stick on labels.  Sr. Vero hung the curtains, and I unrolled a few mats to line the floor.  I put signs over each section and left a note on the door.  Cayla and I took a few victory photos in the room and were very satisfied with the work we had done.  I felt like a proud mother seeing the progress we made in such a short time.  I am so excited that I was able to help get the library started.  I think it will be a lasting resource for the school and Visale community.  It was quite a transformation from a dusty, disorganized room with more rat droppings than I have ever seen to a neat, welcoming library.  I hope children and adults will go there to learn and explore their imaginations.   

Cayla and I took showers before our last dinner with Sr. Vero.  She made a delicious meal, and we enjoyed our time together recounting the events of the day, asking questions, and joking around.  We said evening prayers, cleaned the kitchen, exchanged contact information, and went to our rooms to get to bed.  As I sat down to write this blog entry, the house started shaking - earthquake! Cayla and I froze and looked at each other.  Then we jolted up to get out of the house.  Sr. Vero was about to take a shower (which is underneath the house), and raced inside in her towel, frantic that we’d have to evacuate and she’d be running down the street naked.  At that point, the major vibrations of the earthquake were over, and we spent ten minutes recovering from laughter at the absurdity of the situation.  We listened to the radio and learned that it was a 6.5 earthquake and the epicenter was just south of Guadalcanal.  What a way to end these crazy few days.  Sr. Vero will drive Cayla and me to the ferry at 5:30 tomorrow morning.  We’ll try to get some sleep before another day of travel tomorrow.  I’m very sad to leave Visale.  I wish we had more time here.  I promise myself that I will be returning to this tropical heaven where I have gained so much perspective and made lifetime friends. 

Markets and Mountains

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

We began the day with our usual routine of mass at 6:15 at Sacred Heart Church.  After the service we met Joan, a woman from New Zealand who last visited the Solomons 50 years ago.  She is helping the Daughters of Mary Immaculate nuns with horticulture for six weeks.  For breakfast we had leftover rice, pineapple, and tea.  A hearty meal for a big day. 

Sr. Vero and I went into town right away to buy supplies for the new library!  I was so excited to get a few very necessary items to make the room inviting for the students.  It took about 45 minutes to Honiara, and Sr. and I chatted the whole way.  Sr. Vero is an incredible woman.  She has major responsibilities with the school and is extremely busy, but still manages to laugh all the time.  I really admire her.  We finally reached the school supply store where I purchased a notebook to start a system of recording book borrowing, labels to number the books, and colorful paper and plastic coverings to categorize the sections.  Next stop, we bought liner for the shelves so they will be easy to clean, mats for the open space on the floor, and material for curtains.  I was giddy with the idea of making the room into a library for the primary and secondary school students.  

At the Central Market, we bought a fish for dinner that was caught hours before.  Men stood 20 feet from the shore with huge coolers filled with reef fish - it was quite an interesting smell.  The heat was sweltering at this point, so Sr. Vero and I treated ourselves to an ice cream.  My passion fruit cone was heavenly, and I was pretty much hypnotized by how glorious it was.  We bought an apple for Cayla, and orange soda for the boys who would be our guides to the top of the mountain in the afternoon.  During this long shopping excursion, I must point out that everyone was bewildered by my presence.  I have never been a minority, and now I am outnumbered by the thousands.  The pointing and staring is comical, especially when Sr. Vero translates the Pidgin comments.  We were very amused by the attention, and I assured her that everyone was looking at her, not me.  On the ride back, we talked some more.  It is interesting to learn about the practices here, from marriages, to violence, to the medical system, to abortions.  Sr. Vero, Cayla, and I often talk about how things work in our respective cultures.

I ate a quick lunch of pineapple, mandarin, and muesli bar before walking 100 yards to the library.  A few strapping boys helped me move the library shelves to make the space open and welcoming.  Two teachers kindly helped me line the shelves, so they are ready for the books!  Everything is arranged in precarious piles according to category - fiction, non-fiction, novels, children, science, encyclopedias, religion, etc.  The real challenge with be alphabetizing and labeling them tomorrow.  

I scooted out after finishing the shelves at 3:15 to get ready for my big hike!  I stopped at the clinic to pick up Cayla, and they were having a crisis.  A man came for help by boat this morning.  He was throwing up blood for three days but couldn’t get transportation to a clinic.  The man finally arrived at 9:00 this morning, and they radioed for an emergency vehicle to bring him to the Central Hospital.  Six hours later, help had not arrived.  Cayla was convinced he had liver failure - his skin was yellow and his legs were swollen up to his knees.  It was extremely frustrating because the nurses were not concerned.  They began to worry very late in the game, and Cayla did all she could to encourage them to pursue other methods to get help.  Finally, an ambulance was confirmed.  The systems here are highly inefficient, and in a life or death scenario, it’s not ok to be on “Solomon Island time.”  

Cayla and I changed into hiking gear, refilled our water bottles, and met Jerry and Godric for the hike.  Two girls, Ritalina and Cecilia tagged along.  We were going to hike the mountain that overlooks the village.  The path is visible from the road.  It was quite the event for the village.  People peeked out their windows and trailed us down the road.  Sr. Vero told us when we returned that everyone lined up next to her house to watch our tiny figures to see us reach the top.  The hike was extremely difficult.  It started off at a slight incline, meandering through hike grasses and over little streams.  Then it turned into a full on ladder climb through dirt, rocks and “bush.”  My friend Dominic, who trailed me when I went for a swim yesterday, met us on the trail.  He is adorable, adventurous, and funny.  I called him “Monkey Man” for the hike because he would scramble up the trail way ahead of us then whistle and chant and wait for us to catch up.  Jerry was patient and quite the gentlemanly guide.  Godric brought up the rear and made sure we didn’t roll all the way back down the trail.  When we finally reached the top, we celebrated with pictures and water.  Cayla and I gave our four new friends (Cecilia only went with us for the beginning of the trip) chocolate granola bars, and I passed out Serengetee stickers as a reward for our triumph.  Little did I know the hardest part was yet to come.

Cayla and I opted for the other path down the mountain, because the ascent we took was so steep.  We were nervous about climbing back down that way.  Instead we bush walked through a wild pig’s dwelling, slid down steep muddy drops, and hung on for dear life to vines as we tried to descend.  Jerry, Godric, Ritalina, and Monkey Man were all barefoot, prancing down the mountain making Cayla and I look like fools.  They were very patient and very amused by us.  I loved every second of it.  It was a cross between Tarzan, Where the Wild Things Are, and The Jungle Book.  Ritalina made me a crown of leaves, so I looked the part swinging through the vines.  The trek back took much longer than I anticipated, and Cayla must have inquired 30 times if we were going the right way.  I was just nervous that the sun would set before we were out of the bush.  At long last, we came to the road.  Cayla wasn’t too keen on how the adventure worked out, and starting running when Sr. Vero’s blue house came into view.  We were all laughing when we got back - amused by everything that had happened.  

While Cayla took a shower, I went to get water with Sr. Vero.  My buddy Dominic came along.  He is the same age as John, so I think that’s why I like him so much.  Sr. Vero spoke to him in their language, and told me that he was so happy to have joined us on the hike.  Dominic ran into his house showing his dad the sticker I gave him.  Sr. and I filled a few water jugs at the spigot.  On the walk back in the dark, people were expecting us since they saw us on our trip to the water spigot.  I was prepared with dobogi (goodnight).  To my surprise and amusement, the young children were waiting on the verandah and said goodnight in English.  It was funny and exciting that both sides were eager to communicate in the other language. 

I took the most glorious cold shower and scrubbed my dirty clothing.  We ate the freshest dinner I have every had - fish from the market, papaya just picked from Sr. Vero’s tree, breadfruit, and green vegetables.  The three of us made a racket recounting our day and all the funny things that happened.  We said evening prayers together and cleaned up.  Every night I think this, but today was one of the best days of my life.  I’m sad that tomorrow is my last day in Visale.  There are still so many things to do, people to meet, and mountains to climb here.  I will have to make the most of tomorrow and be super efficient so that I can complete the library!