community

Tour…community

Community is the center of Chuukese culture.

I have realized that community can be shown in many ways.

Things you do to help others learn…I handmade 80+ tests, for the end of quarter finals for my students

Things others do for you…my 3 year old sister did my laundry

Spending time with others…Johnny organized a volleyball tournament between the schools (our team won!)

Sharing…in front of our school there is an apple tree (they are different apples than I am use to, they are called mountain apples, they are small and sour) when they are ready to eat, all the kids take turns climbing, picking and then handing out the apples for everyone to enjoy

Celebrating…when there is a wedding almost everyone comes to join the ceremony

Food…everything usually involves food, I was invited to a special dinner (a combination welcome to me, goodbye to Johnny, recognizing a newly married couple, some family going back to Hawaii and Guam)

It does not matter who you are, what you do, how old you are…Chuukese culture is all about accepting everyone into the community, and making you feel like you belong.

testing!?

Tour…testing

I helped give my first standardized test…who knew there was such a thing in Chuuk? (well based on the fact that FSM models everything after the United States, I guess it should not have been that big of a surprise to me)

Picture this…your handed a test that is in a language you barley know and your expected to do it. (If I was given a test in Chuukese…I would want to cry!)

Even though these students have been learning English since kindergarten, they most definitely are not fluent. A majority of my students cannot read. If they can read, they have trouble comprehending. Even more of my students have a hard time writing in English.

The test is to gauge how well the students know English, which I understand to a degree. (the test was way to advanced for their level of English knowledge)

However, the majority of public school students in Chuuk are at the level of a low 5^th grader in America; based on what I have seen so far. (instead of giving the 5^th graders a test that you would give an American 5^th grader, they probably should have given them a test that would be for the level of an American 1^st or 2^nd grader-that would have been a more accurate gauge of their knowledge)

I felt bad because I could see that they were very confused.

I could say that testing them is not fair (which it is not) but at least it gives me some data to use in deciding what I want to focus the most on teaching them.

I have a lot of work to do…but I love teaching kids!

a small world

Tour…it is a small world

I met a Chuukese the other night…who lives in Colorado! Not only does he live in Colorado he is from Aurora!

He was here visiting, because someone in his family passed away.

It is so crazy to think that here in Chuuk I met someone who knows exactly where I am from!

But wait the world gets even smaller…

Not only does he live in the same city…he also use to work at the same retail company as me! We did not work at the exact same store, but within the same company.

It is amazing to see how small the world really is!

God places certain people in our lives for a reason, which we usually do not realize until after the fact…

Come to find out there is a large Chuukese community in Denver!

I will now have a connection to Chuuk, when I move back to the states in 2 years!

Crazy!

i love Skype!

Tour…staying connected

I was able to go to Weno and Skype my mom for her birthday!

I am so amazed by technology.

Part of me was looking forward to the idea that I would be getting away from the technology addicted American lifestyle.

However…I am so thankful that I am able to be so connected to my family and not only talk to them, but to see them with Skype!

I only use my computer to upload pictures, and write blogs when I am at my site. I love not having any distraction from modern technology!

It has allowed me to focus on my relationship with Jesus and I feel our relationship growing more than I ever have before. I am sure that has a lot to do with circumstances of living in another part of the world; but I also know that it is because I have no distractions of technology.

I hope I do not get sucked back in when I moved back in 2 years!