Nan Madol Ruins
Pahpa shaving coconut in our outdoor kitchen for coconut milk
Nohno peeling Bananas for dinner outside out house
Hanging out with some of the neighborhood kids at my home in Madolenihmw
Moving into a stranger’s home is never an easy thing to do, especially if they speak, dress, and act very differently from what you are used to. However, moving to Madolenihmw has been a difficult yet exciting and interesting thing to experience. We were each assigned host families to live with while we finish phase 1 of our training for the first 3 weeks. My nohno (mom) and pahpa (dad) greeted me at the training center, and carted me off to their home. Just the drive to the home alone had me in awe. This place is incredibly beautiful. The trees, the wildlife, the feeling is all so special. I walk 45 minutes each way from my home to training, Monday through Friday.
Let me describe to you my home here. First off I have a mom, dad, and 3 sisters in 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade living in my house, and there are always many of the neighbor’s children spending time with us at the house, so there is rarely a quiet moment here. My family has a simple concrete and tin home in the jungle. In our yard we have coconut, banana, breadfruit, limes, sour apple, and taro growing. We have ten piglets, one big mama pig, two dogs, a puppy, many chickens and roosters, and LOTS OF ANTS! Some of them even like to join me in my bed, which I haven’t quite adjusted to yet. The home has electricity, but because of problems in Pohnpei with the electric company there have been many power outages since I’ve come to live here. We do not have a phone or internet, so letters are my only means of communication with the world back home.
Our house has three rooms. One where I sleep (Peace Corps policy that we have our own room), and the others are where the rest of the family sleeps, eats, sews, and lives mainly on the floor. My nohno is a seamstress, so she has a sewing machine and makes beautiful Pohnpeian skirts that she sells in Kolonia. We have a small outdoor kitchen where we cook with woodfire, a water seal outhouse made of tin behind the house, and another tin building where I take bucket showers and wash my clothes.
We eat rice practically with every meal. And we eat with our hands, and I’m getting quite good at eating without silverware. The local women always laugh when they see me, the like to see the “menwie” (white people) taking on their culture. Sometimes we have homemade pancakes for breakfast, which is quite the treat, but the main staple food is rice. We’ve eaten sashimi tuna five out of the past 7 days for dinner. The other nights dinner has been chicken stew. I’m grateful for my host family’s generosity, but right now it would be great to have a salad. All the rice is starting to wear on me, and I’m only three weeks into this journey.
Moving here so far away from all the people I love has been hard, but I’m working to keep myself positive. Unfortunately we’ve already lost one of our 28 trainees, who I know we will all miss. It is tough being here, and I know it will take lots of strength for all of us to complete service.
A few things that cause a mix of emotion here in Pohnpei:
Let me describe to you my home here. First off I have a mom, dad, and 3 sisters in 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade living in my house, and there are always many of the neighbor’s children spending time with us at the house, so there is rarely a quiet moment here. My family has a simple concrete and tin home in the jungle. In our yard we have coconut, banana, breadfruit, limes, sour apple, and taro growing. We have ten piglets, one big mama pig, two dogs, a puppy, many chickens and roosters, and LOTS OF ANTS! Some of them even like to join me in my bed, which I haven’t quite adjusted to yet. The home has electricity, but because of problems in Pohnpei with the electric company there have been many power outages since I’ve come to live here. We do not have a phone or internet, so letters are my only means of communication with the world back home.
Our house has three rooms. One where I sleep (Peace Corps policy that we have our own room), and the others are where the rest of the family sleeps, eats, sews, and lives mainly on the floor. My nohno is a seamstress, so she has a sewing machine and makes beautiful Pohnpeian skirts that she sells in Kolonia. We have a small outdoor kitchen where we cook with woodfire, a water seal outhouse made of tin behind the house, and another tin building where I take bucket showers and wash my clothes.
We eat rice practically with every meal. And we eat with our hands, and I’m getting quite good at eating without silverware. The local women always laugh when they see me, the like to see the “menwie” (white people) taking on their culture. Sometimes we have homemade pancakes for breakfast, which is quite the treat, but the main staple food is rice. We’ve eaten sashimi tuna five out of the past 7 days for dinner. The other nights dinner has been chicken stew. I’m grateful for my host family’s generosity, but right now it would be great to have a salad. All the rice is starting to wear on me, and I’m only three weeks into this journey.
Moving here so far away from all the people I love has been hard, but I’m working to keep myself positive. Unfortunately we’ve already lost one of our 28 trainees, who I know we will all miss. It is tough being here, and I know it will take lots of strength for all of us to complete service.
A few things that cause a mix of emotion here in Pohnpei:
1. Wearing a skirt all the time…. They’re pretty, they’re cool in the hot climate, but sometimes shorts are nice… and while walking 45 minutes in the heat wearing a skirt while sweating like crazy, unless I wear bike shorts… it can be really uncomfortable…. I LOVE MY BIKE SHORTS!!! Best thing I packed so far!
My Friend Kate and I outside of our training site, in our local skirts
2. Bathing in a bucket shower with cold water…. The cold water is refreshing, it’s nice to be outside and hear the birds while you shower, but it’s hard to get really clean with cold water while wearing a skirt and dumping cups of water over my head and it’s different having my little sisters talking to me while I’m in the shower. I have a love/hate relationship with the bucket shower… some days it’s the best thing since sliced bread… some days I’d kill for a relaxing bath, but I actually like the feeling of the cool water.
This is where I bucket shower and wash my clothes
3. The food in Pohnpei… I absolutely love the local food here, it’s awesome…the fish, breadfruit, bananas, yams, and other fruit are awesome, yummy, and fresh, but unfortunately so many people here have grown to love imported foods like white rice, canned meat, and ramen with koolaid (Yes… my little sister eats uncooked ramen dipped in koolaid powder for a snack) and it can be difficult to keep a healthy diet if your family depends on these imported foods.
Go Local :) Eat a Banana… and Be Happy!
The Real Way to Cut Sashimi... with a Machette!
Despite the ups and downs of living and adjusting to another home in a far away island, the main thing is that I’m still happy and healthy, even if I do miss everyone back home lots. Madolenihmw is unlike any place I’ve ever been and probably ever will go, but I’m happy to get this opportunity to live with such a welcoming family while I’m training.
1 comment:
"sashimi tuna five out of the past 7 days"
Do they accept Newfies in the Peace Corp :-)
Amazing stuff Verina ... keep the posts coming.
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