I have been in Micronesia for over a month now and living with host family in Pohnpei trying to adapt to the culture. However, this has all been a warm-up. All of this is just preparation for my actual service over the next 2 years. This is like the practice round before I actually play the real game. I haven’t been able to learn a language, or study a culture, or plan for my actual service. The islands of Micronesia are vastly different and my final placement entirely determines everything that I will experience over the next couple years. I could be placed on a main island like Palau and live a cushy life with TV and pizza or I could be placed on an outer island and chew on rotten coconut while I putz around a landmass the size of a golf hole. I figured that I would adjust to either lifestyle and be happy wherever they put me.
Well, after about 18 months of waiting they finally told me officially where my Peace Corps assignment would be ……FEFAN Island, in the state of Chuuk, in the country of Micronesia, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And I am excited! Chuuk has the largest population of the any of the states of Micronesia but also has the most problems. The main island is riddled with crime, its education system is in shambles, pollution is rampant, and it has the reputation of being similar to the hood of East LA. Nonetheless, I am stoked!
Most of the problems are on the main island Weno, and no Peace Corps volunteers are sent there because it is far too sketchy. However, I will be on a lagoon island 5 miles away from Weno called Fefan. Fefan is known as the agricultural center of Chuuk. It is the garden isle of the lagoon. It has moderate elevation and farms are spread over its green hills. It is also surrounded by beautiful beaches and colorful coral reefs. There is only a population of about 500 and they live a pretty simple life. I will have limited electricity provided by local solar panels. No telephones, no internet, and no running water. It is the perfect compromise between an outer and main island. It is close enough to the main island that I can go there to utilize technology when I need to, but it is also rural enough to give me a true Peace Corps experience. I will still be in the boonies and struggle daily to maintain a comfortable existence, but I wont be far from safety and a few western amenities.
Chuuk lagoon is mainly famous for its scuba diving. The bulk of the WWII Japanese navy was sunk in the lagoon and a plethora of ships and planes lie at the bottom of the coral bed. It is renowned as the best wreck diving location in the world. Luckily I have my scuba diving license and can swim my way to the sea floor and explore the wreckage down below.
I expect to be spear fishing and farming daily. But my real responsibilities will be teaching at an elementary school and focusing on English Grammar, Reading and Writing for grades 5-8. My role as a teacher will be further defined when I arrive at the site, but I am excited to get in the classroom and actually do some real teaching. Hopefully I can build a basketball court, install solar panels, or figure out what the people of Fefan need to make their community better.
I will be arriving in Chuuk on October 9th and going through another 5 weeks of training before I move to my final site. I will unfortunately have to live with another host family before I move in with my permanent folks. Over the next month I will be intensely studying the Chuukese language and refining my teaching skills. I have 6 other volunteers coming with me to the state of Chuuk but we are all on different islands. The group of volunteers is a great bunch of people and I am really excited to be placed with them.
The only downside is that I will miss Pohnpei. Although I would have been disappointed to stay on the capital island because of their perpetuating progress into westernization and complete lack of beaches, I will nonetheless miss many things. Foremost, I will miss my family. The little kids of the household have fallen in love with me and will be bored when their playmate is gone. Their inquisitive little faces and incessant giggles have surely left an imprint on my soul. I will miss coaching and playing basketball down at the school. I feel that I have made a positive impact on the basketball skills and enthusiasm of many of these kids. I have also been destroying the competition every time I step onto the court to play a pick up game. It helps that everybody is under 6 foot, but I like to think that I am just an awesomely skilled baller. I will also miss the social atmosphere and philosophical conversations around the sakau markets. No longer will I sit with my host father and discuss the history of the island or the conceptions of the world. My family and community have shown me an unparalleled amount of collectivist love and support. I hope that Chuukese are as hospitable, giving and unselfish as the Pohnpeians have proven to be.
Despite these drawbacks, I am ecstatic about my final placement and cant wait to leave for Chuuk. I am ridiculously excited to finally be heading to my final destination and actually get started being a real Peace Corps volunteer.
Wow Johnny so you finally got your placement. Sounds very similar to my placement situation in the Marshall Islands. An outer island that is close enough to a main island to afford for infrequent trips and the occasional facebook update. You are going to absolutely love it. My biggest advice is to jump in on every cultural activity you can. Get involved in the church even if you aren't religious. The largest frustration most people incurred was the difficulty of learning the language and the social barrier that comes along with the communication barrier. There are going to be days you want to just lock yourself in your room and not mangle chuukese with a single resident... but by far the best way to assimilate is to learn their language as quickly as possible. Im sure you are going to be a fantastic volunteer. Keep up your optimism and have an amazing time.
ReplyDeleteFraternally,
Sam Cortina