technology

Tour…technology!

Remember when I told you I might be getting internet and computers for my school?

Well…it is getting really exciting here!

The Pisces group came for another visit!

I received 3 tablets and a solar charger for my school! 

The internet is still in the works (waiting on logistical paperwork from Telecom in Phonpei…)

I am still able to use the tablets, I am going to be starting workshops after school this next year teaching the teachers how to use them and how to use them to help in the classroom!

I am so excited that we are one step closer!

Check out the whole story here

http://ict4dviewsfromthefield.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/pisces-project-part-ii-site-surveys-to-fefen-siis-and-tonowas-islands-day-2-of-site-surveys/

http://ict4dviewsfromthefield.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/kicking-off-teacher-technology-training-with-the-peace-corps-volunteers-in-chuuk/ 

Random thoughts…

I got this awesome gift from my aunt for my birthday! Thanks Dominique! (I love hand-made stuff it means so much more to me than store bought stuff)

family and friends

Tour…family and friends

My host papachi (grandpa) has not been feeling very well and has been in the hospital on Weno.

I happened to be in town for the week helping with the new PC group’s training.

I spent every morning visiting papachi, and every afternoon giving sessions to the new group. I was super busy.

Family is so important to me that my first priority was spending time with them. Papachi has been a special person to me. He is extremely smart and very knowledgeable. He knows all about the Chuukese culture and he speaks English very well! I have learned so much from him. He is a very respected man in the community and just about everyone in Chuuk knows him or at least knows of him. When I tell people I live with him they tell me I am lucky because he can teach me so much about Chuuk.

Things he taught me I was able to share with the new group in teaching them about the culture; I gave sessions on funerals, birthdays, weddings, and life in the Lagoon.

Random thoughts…

We (M78) took the new group (M79) to Pisar! And we had a fun dancing night with glo-sticks!

new friends

Tour…new PC group

We welcomed a new group of volunteers! That means M78 and M79 will overlap for a year. The school I am at applied for a new PC and we were lucky to get one! That means this school year there will be 2 PCVs at U.F.O. Elementary! Yay!

I thought it would be helpful if there were two of us, one to work with lower grades and one to work with upper grades. My hope is that the more time we have to spend with each grade will increase the students learning as well as help the teachers.

I am excited to see what happens this year! Stay tuned!

graduation

Tour…graduation

Fourth quarter has ended…it is a little early but DOE told the principals that if we had 180 school calendar days we could end the year early…such is my life in Chuuk. That brings my (keep in mind I missed days for PC related work such as trainings) total teaching days to…wait for it…87! Technically we had 180 calendar days we just missed several because of funerals and other local events (these count as school days, why? Because it is Chuuk and we can…), so that brought the actual teaching days down.

The community decided against 8^th grade graduation…

K-5 had graduation, so I went to take pictures and support my little brother.

Hopefully next school year will be more…well more days!

language

Tour…language

My language is coming along! At my birthday I gave my first all Chuukese speech (I did still have to read it from a paper so I could remember what to say…but it was completely in Chuukese!)

Tirou me fairo womi achengicheng ámáfen pwan tori kich meinisin.

Nepwong annim ngeni kich meinisin.

Kinisou ngeni kemi meinisin, ren ami feito fiti ranin oputiwei. Uwa men pwapwa, fiti ai famine me chieichieik meinisin. Am uwa fokkun chufegen ikenai. Uwa men mefi ai kinisou pounuwa pwan chiechi ngeni ekkóch aramas non manawei. Kinisou ngeni aiwa famine non Merika Steve, Seana, Ryan me Megan ren anisiei, usun ngang emon Peace Corps Volunteer. Uwa ren towaw seni iwem, nge ir na mwochen repwe pwan fiti ai oputi. Kinisou ngeni aiwa famine non Chuuk Aminiso, Kantito, Amini, Iris, Anama, Armita, Ricky, Anesty, Miniana, Sonson, Rich, Aimy, Enrich, Richen, Anistasia, Anifin, me Asapei ren ar tumunuei me etiwaei. Usun uwa fen mefi pwe ngang wesewesen cho chon non ar famini. Ra fokkun tumunochwei, uwa seni pwan mefi pwe aiwa famine repwe fokkun kinisou ten ekei mokutukut ra feri ngenei. Kinisou ngeni U.F.O. community ren ar anisei ai upwe senei usun non nom un Chuuk pwan ren ami mwochen, upwe anisi noume kewe semirit non sukun.

Uwa sani Chuuk uwa pwapwa iti ai uwa emon PCV non U.F.O. Kot a fen efeiochwei non ewe iir, iwe uwa kinisou ren mettoch meinisin. Kinisou ngeni ami meinisin, ren ami pwarano netipemi ngeni ai ranin oputiwei epwe pwan sakon ikenai.

Kinisou chappur

Uwa mwoch ai kewe aunties repwe kon

Excuse me for what I am about to say and welcome to everyone (a standard greeting to a speech).

Good evening everyone.

Thank you to everyone for coming to my party to celebrate my birthday. I am very happy that both my families are together and all my friends are here. I am very blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. Thank you to my family in America Steve, Seana, Ryan and Megan for supporting me to do PC and being away from home. thank you to my family in Chuuk Aminiso, Kantito, Amini, Iris, Anama, Armita, Ricky, Anesty, Miniana, Sonson, Rich, Aimy, Enrich, Richen, Anistasia, Anifin, me Asapei for accepting me and making me a part of the family and taking care of me. I know my parents are so thankful for this. Thank you to U.F.O. community for helping me learn about Chuuk and letting me teach your children.

I love Chuuk and I am so happy that PC asked me to come to U.F.O. God has blessed me this past year and I am very thankful for that. Thank you everyone for making my birthday extra special!

Thank you

I would now like my anuties to sing

I was told from many people in the village that my speech was very touching and meant a lot to them. Communicating with the locals in their language means so much to them; I still have a long way to go but at least I can get by with daily small talk!