Fifth/Sixth Days on Pohnpei

Pohnpeian Word of the Day: lairom = “How are you?”

Yesterday, we met with Miriam Hughes, the American ambassador to the FSM, and Vic Hobson from the Department of the Interior. Our meeting lasted about an hour and a half, and provided many insights into the relationship between our countries and our specific roles here as volunteers.

When I returned home I was greeted by one of the neighborhood boys, also named Brian. We met a few days ago, and now we shout “Brians unite!” everytime we see each other. He invited me to go play volleyball, and though I’m not the – er – athletic type, I agreed to join on the condition he would teach me how. He then led me on a winding path through backyards to a volleyball net randomly set up between houses next to some abandoned junk cars.

The “game”, such as it was, went well – at least so long as I kept my hands off the ball. At any rate, it was good exercise and better fun, and I was soon soaked in sweat. After losing our side of the court to two newcomers, we sat on a nearby truck to continue watching. I was ready to leave, and was attempting to think of a polite way to excuse myself, when Brian turned and offered to take me home.

Funny thing about Pohnpeians – I swear they can read your mind. From a young age, they are taught to pick up on miniscule social cues, and as a result they can almost always tell whether you are tired, hungry or sad long before even you know. On a personal level, its an amazing skill – it will however create problems for me as a teacher, since this constant social attentiveness often diverts their attention and makes it difficult to focus.

Today was mostly uneventful – these orientation sessions are long, and they take a lot out of me. When I returned home, Sousol ran up to greet me and proudly displayed his arm and back, on which “tattoos” of flowers had been drawn in pen by one of his sisters/cousins. Other than that, I can’t think of much to tell, and I’m exhausted… so I’ll call it a night for now. Stay tuned….