Way Out There

There is a land out in the middle of the vast Pacific.

A land of beauty and majesty like you’ve never seen.

A land that is defined by the ocean and lagoon.

A land where you can throw a rock across the country.

Out there, way out there is a land you’ve never heard of.

A land where Yokwe is a way of life.

A land where the sharks and dolphins and turtles surround you.

A land that doesn’t have much time.

Way far off there is a land, you may have heard of it.

A land with a Spanish, German and Japanese past.

A land of copra and bob and breadfruit.

A land of diversity and poverty.

This land can barely be seen on any map of the world.

It is a land far from the modern urban landscapes.

It is a land of concrete jungles and majestic outer islands.

It is a land searching for a future.

Off in the middle of the vast Pacific are a people.

A people called Ri-Majol.

A people with a noble and distinguished past.

A people with ancestors who braved the depths of blue water.

Here there are a people whose love for their people is unsurpassed.

A people looking for justice.

A people who live in the present.

A people who are torn between the modern and manit.

This beautiful land and people will last.

They are fighters and navigators and impoverished.

They will not stand for the desperation and depravity.

They will go down in the legends as courageous and not entitled. 

The Marshall Islands can not be defined in any other way but by its people.

The present looks dim;

With trash, corruption and lacking healthcare, money and accountability.

But I’ve met its people.

The Ri-Majol are a strong people. 

A people that capture your heart.

I’ve seen a generation that will make The Marshall Islands

A respected and independent people who will rise to the challenge they face.  

Trim the Fat

Spending time living in a tiny, flat coral atoll on the other side of the world has really given me a new perspective and eliminated old assumptions I used to hold about humanity.  It has allowed both Janae and I to take an outsiders glimpse at a unique culture and gain a new paradigm on the lives we lived back in America.  We have come to the realization that whenever we do return to America we need to “trim the fat” on our lives a bit.  It is refreshing to live in a culture where little or no stress exists.  That is not to say life is easy here in the Marshalls, quite the contrary for many of the Marshallese people, but the outward ease at which daily life is led is so refreshing.  We also continually witness a value on being outdoors and enjoying what nature has to offer, there is almost no time when you will not see Marshallese people enjoying the beautiful weather the Pacific has to offer.  And finally, we have come to fully see the distractions of life in America that even the keenest of American observers do not notice in the States. 

            For many Marshallese life is not "easy."  It is estimated that the unemployment rate is somewhere just north of 50% and the poverty rate is probably higher.  These are estimates since it is quite difficult to gain accurate statistics in such an isolated country and one with a dramatically different culture in which modern western economic statistics often do not apply.  The real tragedy is that of the positives that modern culture has brought to the Marshalls among them is not the eradication of a subsistence lifestyle.  Since the introduction of a cash economy many people, mostly of the lower ri-jerbal class, have been dislocated from society and in a poor country have sadly been left to languish and introduce new problems of suicide, alcoholism and domestic violence into this beautiful nation.  Despite these economic and social catastrophes that have occurred value for the small moments in life and the here and now has not been lost upon the Marshallese.  True, there are monumental problems facing a new generation of Marshallese, but solutions to the aforementioned issues in a "modernizing" Marshall Islands will need to be found amongst the people of the Marshall Islands and not from the outside agencies (IMF, Asian Development Band and the American government) who claim to have the economic solutions for this tiny country.  The true issue here is the disconnection of a people from their land and a new value upon the almighty dollar.  Although this new Marshallese society is based upon the dollar, people are so eager not to lose their Marshallese identity and zest for the little things in life. 

            This zest transforms well into the children of the Marshall Islands.  As I am writing this it is 7:00 am in the morning and there are children beginning to come out to the field and basketball court here at school and begin their task for the day, which is playing.  It is refreshing to see kids out playing so much here in the Marshalls.  I remember back in the States always seeing so many unused or underused playgrounds and fields having been exchanged for the comforts of modern society.  In either a heated or cooled indoor space kids would be utilizing facebook, video games or television, is where too many children of the modern world spend their days.  In the Marshalls older brothers and sisters are to look after the younger ones and all day long the kids PLAY!  While there is a noticeable lack of adult supervision at almost all times which does lead some kids down dangerous roads, the opposite of helicopter worry warts that are prevalent in modern America is also just as damaging.  Kids have to grow up all too early in the Marshalls, but it may beat the generation of Americans who were so sheltered and spoiled that they never grew up. 

            In America it is so easy to just get rid of something that is broken or to waste things.  Water is free and clean, goods are cheap and productive, but that is not the case here in Majuro.  I never really knew how wasteful I was until I came to a place that simply can't afford to waste.  First off, things are really expensive here, so you can't just "go buy a new one." (On average a box of Cherrios costs over $8.00.)  Secondly, there is one tiny garbage dump on an island of just over 3 square miles with more than 20,000 people.  The dump is continually overflowing into the ocean, but there's really no room or to build another one.  The influx of modern goods with all its cans and wrappers and plastics have really done in the beauty of this once pristine corner of the world.  Our two amazing "fix it" men at Coop School, Walton and Manuel, will fix anything.  When we first got here we had a badly broken futon in our apartment and were hoping they could help us dump it.  Instead, they fixed it.  Then it broke again this year and this time they made a major fix that now has it better than new. 

            A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to fly back to Chicago for my best friends wedding and despite the difficulties that jet lag posed flying both ways, it was a fantastic weekend to see so many friends, family and celebrate a magnificent event.  Living in the Marshall Islands and then taking a 3-day break in Chicago really helped me notice the stark contrast in life and culture here in the Marshalls and in modern America.    For the few days that I was home I felt bombarded by advertisements and businesses, two things I am relatively immune to in Majuro.  At home some company was always trying to convince me that I needed their stuff, and I never really noticed how prevalent it was until I was removed from that situation.  Just the way that news reports, sports highlights and mundane commercials were delivered irked me.  I hadn't been inundated with it lately that I was able to see it as an outsider for what it is, polished well-delivered drivel.  It didn't seem like anyone believed or bought what they were selling, but wanted to sell it for some unknown reason.  From the local news having two well made up minorities delivering "sad" news of murder on the south side that they clearly couldn't care less about to Al Michaels's promo for the "War of 1812" that was taking place between Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.  All the glitz and glamour surrounding everything seemed so meaningless and empty it would have been comical if it weren’t so sad. 

            I love the city of Chicago and I have many cherished friends and family there, but what I always notice when I am there is how busy everyone is.  It is difficult to find a simple hour to spend time with some of my closest friends.  That is never the case here in Majuro.  Everyday me and my closest friends make time to check in with each other and see how our days were.  We play basketball, go for runs, play cards, share a meal or a beer and truly spend quality time together in meaningful conversation.  Nothing is rushed and nobody ever says, "I don't have time."  There's always time, nobody is ever in a rush or late.  It is impossible to be late in Majuro.  As much as I am a person who is always on time, I appreciate the laid back and stress free atmosphere that I now live in.  It seems that all too often in modern America people just don't have time for anything... 

            I love the country of my birth and I love the country I currently reside in.  When we go back to America in the future we will take these lessons we have learned.  Living in a 400 sq ft. apartment with no TV and a lousy Internet connection has forced us to spend more time together, to read more book and to be better people.  When we return home we'll have to “trim the fat” of things that just get in the way in America.  The things we now live without aren't a struggle, but in turn make us lead more significant lives.  We know how to get on without cable TV, a car or clean water.  We appreciate more and more the beauty of the world around us and we will spend as much time as possible living in that nature and not in temperature controlled rooms.               

Only in Majuro...

Only in Majuro

            I was thinking the other day about how amazing life can be here in Majuro.  I started a list of things that I have done in the past month that I never would have been able to do if we still lived in Chicago or Colorado.  The list is actually surprisingly long.  Over the past month I saw a Whale Shark while fishing (the largest fish in the world), swam in a mile deep blue ocean, caroused in 5 foot waves in my “backyard,” worked out daily on the ocean shore, kayaked on the Pacific over beautiful coral, played in a significant regional basketball event and witnessed the Pacific Nations Forum.  It has been quite a month.

Whale Shark

This is "the" Whale Shark.  This picture was taken by one of the brave souls who jumped in.  

This was truly one of the most unique experiences of my life.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have never been fishing or eaten an orange.  I know, I know.  Anyways, I was able to check one of those off the list a few weeks ago.  I went fishing!  Seven teachers at Coop organized a daylong trip to go out on the open ocean and see what we could find.  As soon as we left the lagoon and entered the ocean the birds were going crazy, which is a great sign for fisherman.  We saw three whales immediately and towards the end of the day saw a few dolphins.  As the day was winding down we saw a swarm of birds out on the distant horizon and decided to go around for one more pass to see if we could find some Tuna.  As we approached the birds it quickly became clear that something “big” was happening out here.  It was a whale shark, the largest fish in the world.  He was swimming at the surface and had an uncountable number of fish swimming around him.  It was truly amazing to see a fish that was much bigger than the boat we were on and see him swim up to and right under the boat.  Several people on the boat decided this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with a whale shark and jumped in.  I recorded them on video and was getting ready to jump in when my friend and colleague Alvin warned that there were also some oceanic white-tip sharks as well, which are one of the most dangerous sharks in the world, so I called an audible and stayed on the boat.  While I certainly wish I would have gotten in with the massive fish, just seeing it was a phenomenal experience.  

Swimming in Blue Ocean

During the middle of the fishing trip we anchored in mile deep water so our spear fishermen could see what they could find.  They didn’t catch any fish, but those of us on the boat did get out and swim around for nearly a half an hour in mile deep water.  We didn’t see any strange creature, but there were hundreds of tiny fish every color of the rainbow.  If you’ve never been swimming out in the ocean with no land or ocean floor around it is quite a surreal experience!

“Backyard” Swimming

A few weeks ago Janae and I went swimming with our close friends Dan and Rachelle in our “backyard.”  The tide was high and the water was about 5 foot deep with 4 to 5 foot waves.  It was quite amusing and so different to swim on a reef and not a beach.  It’s a great way to cool off after a workout or a hard fought basketball game in the Majuro sun. 

Daily Workouts on the Ocean

This one is sort of self explanatory, but it is the best gym in the world.  To watch the sunrise and get a workout in simultaneously is good for your body and soul.

Kayaking

Yesterday Janae and I were fortunate enough to be able to borrow our friends’ kayaks.  Robin and Bruce have some solid ocean kayaks and were kind enough to watch Neyla while we explored.  While we narrowly beat a torrential rainstorm, we were able to paddle the shore of Majuro and see beautiful coral and fish below.  It’s great exercise too.

Ralik-Ratak Basketball Invitational

The Lae team after our 1st game victory.  

My favorite thing about Majuro is the love of sport.  No matter what sport you’re playing or where, you’ll always draw a crowd.  But I am now playing in one of the biggest basketball events in the region.  I’m so happy to have been invited to play with the Lae team and we have a really solid squad.  I like our chances to take the title.  Here are a few pictures from our first game and win over Nauru.

Pacific Nations Forum

Each year the nations of the Pacific have a regional conference and this year it was held right here in Majuro.  It was really interesting and educational to be here for that and hear the discussions over climate change from a group of countries that this issue most dearly affects.  Scientists estimate that virtually the entire country of The Marshall Islands will be under water in less than 100 years unless something is reversed in the carbon emissions of the world.  The Forum’s theme for this year was, “Marshalling a response climate change.”  I thought that was rather clever.

Majuro, if nothing else, is definitely a place where Janae, Neyla and I have had some once in a lifetime experiences.  We’re looking forward to more!

Majestic Majuro Mornings

Each morning I wake up around 6:00 am just as the sun is beginning to poke its head over the vast Pacific.  The black of the sky slowly turns to a dark purple, then dark blue and finally the oranges and yellows peak out from behind the beautiful atoll of Arno, Majuro's sister to the east.  Each majestic morning I know that whenever we leave Majuro I will miss my morning routine of watching the sun rise, drinking my iced coffee and pensively thinking about the world.  Some mornings when Neyla rises early, I get to share this experience with her.  We sit on our stoop, her with her milk and me with my coffee, we cuddle close, watch the sun rise, stand on the shore and pray.  

This morning was exceptionally amazing.  The wind was blowing a bit more than normal for this time of year and our friends Alvin and Ross were preparing to go diving beyond the breakers.  As they entered the water, we saw dozens of spinner dolphins swimming beyond the reef.  As our friends made it beyond the breakers we saw the few dozen dolphins jumping in unison and swimming down the coast of Majuro.  We had seen dolphins before, but never all jumping together in a sort of military formation.  All at once the 30 or so dolphins would jump entirely out of the water and race their way north toward the Rita end (northeast) of Majuro.  Janae and I were left flabbergasted. This was not something we saw much of in Chicago or Colorado.  

The best times of day in Majuro are the sunrises and sunsets.  The heat is not oppressive yet and the beauty is unsurpassed.  Most mornings I am so amazed by the sunrise that I often take pictures in hopes of others far away having some sense of the beauty that exists, but the pictures in no way can capture the true beauty.  You can't see the dolphins, you can feel the sun's warmth and you can't feel your soul being illuminated through the picture.  To truly understand the spectacular nature of the mornings of Majuro you need to experience it.

Below are some Sunrise pictures from Majuro:

The Majuro Diet

The Majuro Diet

When I came home last summer, one of the first comments I got from friends and family was, "wow, you lost a lot of weight!" I lost almost 20 pounds in about 5 months here in the Marshall Islands. I call it the Majuro Diet, and my brother said I should write a book about it. I'm sure it'd sell a million copies but it's pretty specific to here. In fact, you'd probably have to move out here to follow it so you'd really restrict the number of followers. Let me tell you how it goes.

1.    No fast food. There is no such thing as fast food here. First step is to remove yourself completely from McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, White Castle, Dairy Queen, Starbucks etc. Preferably over 1,000 miles away so as to completely remove temptation. Mmmmm Taco Bell.

2.    Drink water. I'd say I drink water here 99% of the time. When I'm not drinking water, I have iced tea, coconut water, and occasionally a beer ($3.50/ea at the grocery store) or diet coke ($1/ea at the grocery store) thrown in there when I'm feeling rich. I get no extra calories from imbibing on this island. In Majuro it's hard to get any fancy (and calorie crazy) cocktails or those 500 calorie lattes. The locals drink a lot of sugar laden soda but I've been opting out.

3.    Live in unbearable heat. You know on a really hot summer day when it's like 2pm and you think "boy I haven't eaten lunch yet!" because your appetite is so shrunk from the heat? Well here, that's everyday. Also, any exercise I do here is "hot." There's hot yoga, hot running, hot weight lifting, hot pushups, hot walking to the grocery store, hot typing, etc.

4.    Eat local (eat fish). The local food here is really healthy when prepared right. Coconut meat is high in fiber as is breadfruit and taro. Pandanus are like a really grainy and stringy squash but sadly aren't my favorite. Ney and I eat bananas like they are going out of style. I don't cook much but I'm trying to really hone my smoothie skills. I just made an orange/pear/banana one and up next is coconut/strawberry/banana. Fish are everywhere. You can even buy fish at the gas station. Our neighbors are always catching them and sharing it with us. I try to order it when we go to a restaurant - especially sashimi. Fresh caught tuna is unreal good! And of course fish is extremely healthy with a side of brown rice. In addition to being healthy, local food is also way cheaper than anything imported.

5.    Don't overeat. Don't get me wrong, food here can be really good, but the restaurants are seriously lacking. When food is a lot of times just OK, you don't end up stuffing your face like I do when I'm in the States (sidenote: I gained 7 pounds in 2 months while back in the States this summer! I have no self control!). Have you ever tried to stuff your face with sushi or sashimi? It just doesn't work the same as it does with a burger and fries. Mmmmm burger and fries.

That's the funny part about here. I'm not trying to lose weight. It's just the lifestyle. So if you're ready for some isolation and island weather, you too can follow the Majuro diet.

Still trying to figure out Majuro, but I love it...

            Majuro is a place unlike I have ever been.  It’s hard to make heads or tails of it.  When I first got the job here at Majuro Cooperative School I had never heard of Majuro.  I had heard of the Marshall Islands only in the context of WW2 and Nuclear Weapon testing, but I knew nothing of the culture, people or history.  That was certainly part of the draw for us, to go to a place that we knew little about and that we probably would never visit if we don’t take advantage of the opportunity to live there.  It is amazing to me that there is this entire nation of people in the middle of the Pacific inhabiting 24 tiny atolls with a total population of less than Wheaton, IL, the town I grew up in.  Despite this, I have found that living in Majuro confronts one with an amazing juxtaposition of amazing beauty and relentless sadness.  Whether it is the people, the nature or the culture it is hard as an American not to be simultaneously amazed and horrified by all three. 

            The people of the Marshall Islands are difficult to describe.  Even though it is such a small community there is a large chasm in the society, an amazing division between the haves and the have-nots.  There are those on island who have much wealth and then there is the massive amount of poverty.  The unemployment rate here is over 50% and those who are employed make a futile few dollars an hour, while prices for everyday goods and food are almost double what they are in America.  There are so many children around in Majuro.  Almost 60% of the population is under 18 years of age and the Marshalls has one of the highest birth rates in the world that is just over 7 children per woman.  Everywhere you look there are children playing, running and enjoying life, but rarely do you ever see an adult with them or monitoring them.  It is not unusual to see children as soon as they can walk spending most of the day away from their parents with a sister or brother out about town.  Many of them are lucky to get one meal per day and although they are required to go to school, few of them actually do.  When discussing the people of Majuro, the majority are these seemingly parent-less and education-less children.  Many of them are very kind and clearly not in great health, but one has to wonder about what this majority will mean to a country that according to one educated reform minded Marshallese man, “…is going through a time of soul-searching.”  The beauty of the Marshallese people is the joy that you see in the children playing and the embracing of the natural surroundings, but the horror comes in seeing just how high the poverty rate is and how many children go without and the tragic reality that those who can change this do not seem to have any solutions to alleviate this.  I have repeatedly asked what charities are available here for those children and always get blank stares. 

            On our flight into Majuro back in December of 2012 as we were landing I was in awe of this tiny coral atolls with the water in all the breath-taking hues of green, blue and purple.  The flight attendant leaned over us and said, “This view never gets old.”  She had been serving this flight for 15 years and said there is nothing as beautiful as landing over Majuro, and she’s right.  Its natural beauty is unsurpassed.  When you see the sun rising over the ocean or setting over the lagoon or a low full moon illuminating the ocean waves you can’t help but wonder how more people don’t come to see this hidden treasure of beauty. 

            A few days after we arrived in Majuro, we had the pleasure of going to one of the small islands on the north end of the atoll to relax on the natural beach for the day.  Up to this point, I had never snorkeled in my life, but when I did I was like a child on Christmas morning.  I simply couldn’t believe the fish that were every color of the rainbow swimming amongst the corals and how I could swim right into a school of thousands of fish and they would move right out of the way for me as if they were escorting me to the next area of ocean to discover.  The combination of warm sun, temperate ocean and unrelenting underwater beauty made me realize that there was an entire world that I had been missing in my first 32 years of life that I desperately wanted to explore more. 

            Despite this amazing beauty from the air and under the water the simple fact is that there is no place you can go in Majuro without being surrounded by garbage.  It’s everywhere.  Floating in the ocean, on the beach, in the road, on school campus and even at the bottom of the ocean.  This tiny atoll was not made to house all of the trash and waste that a modern economy generates.  With the combination of the problem of over-crowding and trying to put a population of roughly 20,000 on an atoll with less that 15 square miles of land, there simply is no room for an adequate dump.  I really can’t imagine a solution to this since the island’s antiquated system of trash collection rarely allows for any recycling and most trash is disposed by littering.  It is a tragedy that this beautiful atoll cannot remain as pristine as it should. 

            As an American coming to Majuro you have three choices when adjusting to the culture either: find an amazing amount of patience, live in total and complete frustration or you can leave.  We have chosen the road of patience and this has both made us better people and has helped us find a love for Majuro and the Marshallese people.  By enlarge the Marshallese culture has a very casual relationship with time.  It is a cultural expectation that everyone will be late, so you might as well show up late too.  This can make it difficult running and teaching at a school that is supposed to be based on a western model and curriculum, but we make it work.  The culture is also very hierarchical and similar to a caste society.  It is rare to find people from the “upper castes” befriend and socialize with those who are merely “commoners.”  This is a new phenomenon in Marshallese society as this sort of system was founded in a pre-modern hunter and gatherer society where everyone was valued and needed.  Now that a cash economy has replaced the traditional society there is a reluctance to replace the old societal norms with more modern ones as those at the top now have way too much to lose (money that is).  It has very quickly become an oligarchic society where the few rich and powerful make decisions for the entire country.  While the Marshallese may live in the moment better than any people I’ve ever witnessed, this has bred a sort of fatalism in the future of the country.  Too many people think that there is nothing they can do about many of the problems that everyone sees; so many choose to do nothing.  Too many people think that global warming will destroy their country in their life times, so what does it matter if I litter or pollute.  The sort of “live in the moment” attitude that is laudable in Marshallese society has combined, strangely, with a sort of fatalism or ignorance, I’m not sure which one, for the future of the Marshall Islands.  I have come across only a rare few that really work toward and hope for a truly better future for ALL Marshallese. 

            All of this being said, I love our life here Majuro.  I love my students and I love the school at which I teach.  We have made friendships that will last a lifetime and whenever we do leave it will be with heavy hearts that we depart this tiny atoll.  Beyond anything I hope that my analysis of life in Majuro doesn’t offend anyone and that if it does you can blame it simply on the tiny 8-month experience of an ignorant ri-belle.  ;-) 

I've got bugs in my head...

This morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise and majestic waves crashing right behind our back window.  Then Janae turned to me and said, "Last night was the worst night of my life."  Now there's no question that she was using major hyperbole here, or at least I hope so, but I'm sure you're now wondering, "Oh boy, what happened?"  Well it was termites.  Janae is no fan of bugs, but especially not of the invasion of the size that we had last night. 

            I came in from a beautiful evening of sunset basketball and as I was getting ready to shower I noticed a few moth-like bugs flying around the lights and noticed that they were all over the outside of our screens.  When I say "all over," I mean that you could barely see out the screen because they were covering it so densely.  As I took a shower I noticed that many were getting in somehow through the screen and by the time I was done showering there were no less than 100 termites in the bathroom and shower.  As I went out to the bedroom and kitchen I realized that in that 10 minutes that I was in the bathroom our apartment had been invested with the tiny creatures.  Janae was not happy to say the least.

            They were in our bed, in Neyla's bed, on the floor, on the counters... they were pretty much everywhere.  Janae immediately got into Navy Seal mode and started fly swatting the s#%t out of every termite she could.  The gritty angry look on her face was one I had not seen since the last time she tried to beat me in a 1 on 1 game of basketball.  She was not happy.  She started spouting all sorts of non-sense that I found mildly humorous, but I thought best not to laugh at the time.  I thought that someday she'd laugh about this, or I at least hoped she would.  She was yelling, "I can't live like this...  Get out of my house...  Die! Die! Die!..  I will not allow my baby to sleep in this..."  If you know Janae well maybe you can imagine this. 

            I put my sandals on and started stomping the life out of the poor buggers and then swept them up poured them outside into a large pile of dead termite carcuses.  Janae kept fly swatting, Neyla kept crying and our neighbor Rachelle was wondering where these bugs came from and if Janae was possessed.  I then went into the bathroom and Windexed the life out of the ones in the bathroom and it actually worked.  Very soon they all reached the end of their lives and I scooped them up to meet their friends in the newly minted termite cemetery we had created outside.  We were convinced (actually just Janae) that our apartment would be permanently invested by these silly creatures, but to our amazement our stomp, swat and windex plan was working quite affectively.  Slowly, too slowly for Janae, their numbers were dwindling and our termite genocide was showing some success. 

            An hour later our apartment was mostly clear of the termite invasion, with a few stragglers being eliminated throughout the remainder of the night.  As Neyla went to bed I vacated the premises to have a glass (or 3) of whiskey with my great friends Dan and Rachelle and our new fantastic colleague Karina and Janae stayed up until almost midnight frantically cleaning and recleaning the entire apartment.  I came home about 1 am and Janae and Neyla were both sound asleep in a surprisingly clean and bug-free environment.  Janae is actually still cleaning as I write this, but she is slowly getting to point of being able to laugh about last night, but still thinks that I did not take the infestation of the evil ones seriously enough.  I was going to have Janae write this blog, but she is still way too emotional about last night and it would've been way too anti-bug and we are an equal bug opportunity blog.  Maybe in a few years when she has settled down a bit I'll have her write about her thoughts on last night.  

I'm going to borrow your stuff...

I'm going to borrow your stuff indefinitely

... and other concerns

I woke up this morning in a great mood. The night before we had a staff potluck with dancing, guitar playing, singing and a generally nice kum-by-ya evening. Even though I'm not officially staff this year, they let me and Neyla come along for the ride for the social gatherings. Potlucks are my favorite because someone often makes these delicious coconut sticky white rice balls that are amazing and I eat as dessert. I try to limit myself to one.

The next morning, I wander out the door, probably to look at the ocean or something, and I notice Neyla's shoes are missing. I had left her new swim shoes outside to dry and I forgot to take them in overnight. I cursed at myself for leaving them out and then proceeded to tell Bryan how angry I was someone took her shoes.

In Marshallese culture there is a very "what's mine is yours mentality," I guess it's from living on such a small island trying to survive for so many years. If I catch fish, I give you fish and if I collect coconuts, I give you coconuts. Mind you, that was many, many years ago. In today's Majuro, you go to a store to buy food like most of the rest of the world, but sharing is still expected.

I kept thinking, those darn kids took her shoes! They've taken her soccer ball a couple times before when I've left it outside. I found kids playing with it later and got it back. One time, I heard kids by my front window trying to be sneaky and giggling. I had old cardboard boxes by my front window and they took them, clearly thinking that I still wanted them but instead they just took out my trash for me.

Bryan, good ole Bryan, set me straight and said these kids have nothing, literally nothing, often no toys, no shoes, no clean clothes, and are constantly knocking on our door looking for food. If they took Neyla's shoes maybe they are better off with them. That is good reasoning but it still didn't make me less mad it just made me guilty and mad.

Bryan's coworker at Coop used to live on an outer island and he said they his host family would constantly take his stuff, like his iPod, but never return it. They would also "borrow" his light bulb for the main house. He said he ended up buying like 3 lightbulbs because anytime the main house's went out, they'd knock on his door to have his. The kids here in Majuro embrace this idea and will play with any and all toys left outside. Sometimes they are permanently borrowed. I don't mind so much with the toys, but the shoes are a different story. They wereher reef shoes and they fit her exactly.

Well back to this morning, I was sulkily taking the trash out and lo and behold I see Neyla's shoes. The stray dogs had taken them and chewed them up. 

Cockroaches, Ants (marching) and Crabs

Cockroaches, Ants (marching), and Crabs

Who needs pets when you have these friends?

When I would convince Bryan to have lunch with me in the Loop, back when we were in Chicago, he said it gave him the creeps. The thought of "ants marching" came to mind often for him. Though I agree with him to extent - there was a palatable air of misery on the El on a Monday morning - I am now dealing with my own version of ants marching in my new occupation, housewife. This time it's in the literal sense.

We live in a 500 square foot apartment with a lot of critters. In fact, I just caught a crab that wandered in through our front door. (Sidenote: after some trial and error I figured out the best way to catch a crab is with tupperware. The lid makes a nice scoop to help the crab in the main tub. Then you also have the top to keep him in.) Or sometimes I just let the crabs wander. I was bathing Neyla last night and gave her a toy crab to play with, meanwhile a (real live) crab had crawled up the drain and was sitting right next to us. I thought about throwing him in the tub but decided against it. That's the thing about Majuro, Neyla gets to do things that most kids have to imagine or simulate with toys, for better or worse.

This morning Neyla decided to pet a gecko at the base of our bed, not knowing that it was a living, breathing and, most importantly, moving animal. When she reached for it, it didn't move, but once she touched it it started wiggling away. Neyla is still learning how to pat gently so she poked the poor guy. As soon as it started moving, she looked at me and began to wail. I picked her up and explained to her what it was. I'm not sure if she understood, but she's getting better about words. She can now say "shoes" and "outside" really well. Both of those words, of course, get her closer to her one year old self's goal of playing outside at every possible moment. I'm anxiously waiting for her to want to pet a hermit crab which won't end as nicely as the gecko, I suspect. You can find those in droves just outside our apartment.

If you stare at one spot in our apartment long enough, you'll find an ant. They're everywhere. They're annoying to me, but most people here don't mind them. The most optimistic opinion I've heard about the ants here is that "At least you know where you haven't cleaned." Bryan looks at me like I'm crazy when I say, "Die ants!" then proceed to smack them with my flip flop. If reincarnation and karma exist, I'm most definitely coming back as an ant. 

My craziest critter story is actually Bryan's most heroic moment. I was lazily snuggling with Neyla at night on our bed, chatting with Bryan. I'm not sure what we were chatting about but it went down something like this:

Me: "... and then Neyla walked not once but twice today! Ten steps total, I bet."

Bryan: "uh, huh."

Me: "I'm pretty sure she said mama today, or maybe was just humming..."

SMACK!

While mid-conversation, Bryan got up from the bed, grabbed his flip flop (best bug killer tool ever) and killed a cockroach right above my head. I jumped a mile high, Neyla started bawling and I asked him what the heck was he doing! You don't want to know, was his reply. I knew right then it was a cockroach, my biggest critter foe. Bryan had killed him right by my head on the wall above our bed. I don't think I've ever loved Bryan more.

Cockroaches are the grossest creature on the planet. Here is why. I almost always see them out at night in the dark, which makes them the most vampire-like of all insects. Their antenna would be comically long for their body if it wasn't so creepy long. They move at the speed of light or maybe just sound I'm not sure but either way it's impossibly fast. The Orchan commercials with the cockroach close up has not helped the cockroach PR. It's a disease bag. Before they die, they lie face up as a final F you so you have to stare at their beyond disgusting underside. Pretty sure they have 65 legs. I have to smack them with my flip flop (turned weapon) at least 3 times before they die.

So to sum up:

Gecko (so adorable! and they eat ants)

Crabs (interesting and cute if small)

Ants (annoying)

Cockroaches (the worst)

And those are just a few of the critters in our apartment. Tune in for more critter info and Neyla info on "Life in the Marshall Islands" with Janae Rusin. I've got a lot of time now that I'm not teaching Algebra anymore.

What is Majuro like?

Ever since we got back to the States, people keep asking us one question, "What was it (Majuro) like?"  There are so many different ways to answer that question and I think I've tried to answer it culturally, politically, economically and educationally; however, what I find is that it is incredibly challenging to answer this question.  I have been to 25 different countries and The Marshall Islands are by far the most difficult place I've ever been to explain.  I feel no matter how I answer that question, it is never a very good answer and it is always incomplete and the people that I describe it to inevitably get an incomplete description.

Any proper description of Majuro and the Marshall Islands has to start with the fact that it is incredibly tiny, especially to someone who is from Chicago.  Majuro only has about 20,000 people in the entire Atoll, which actually makes it quite crowded since it is only about 12 square miles in total area.  There is one major road, which doesn't really have a name, because when there is only one road there lacks a purpose to name it.  There are parts of the road when you are driving where the Atoll is only about as wide as the road.  On one side you have the crashing ocean waves and on the other is the placid beautiful lagoon.  When I first saw a picture of the international airport in Majuro, I thought it was a photoshop joke, but it isn't.  It really is a runway just put essentially in the middle of the ocean.  

Majuro is small for sure, but it's people are what make this country so unique.  Again it is difficult to describe the Marshallese people.  The language is fascinating to listen to and there has only been a written language for less than 100 years.  To me it seems there are two groups of Marshallese, the "well born" and those who struggle on a daily basis.  There is a small minority of wealthy and powerful people who seem to have all the luxuries of a modern lifestyle, but then there is the majority.  The unemployment rate hovers around 50% and there is neighborhood after neighborhood of shanty towns.  There are an uncountable number of children who do not go to school and who roam Majuro on a daily basis, just hanging around.  There seems to be a beautiful fatalism to Marshallese culture.  Beautiful in that so many folks just go about living their daily lives with seeming little worry enjoying all the beautiful weather has to offer.  The fatalism on the other hand is quite worrisome to a foreign westerner.  There seems to be no sense of urgency in the culture to make the situation of the majority better, mostly it seems because it is and would be an impossible task. 

The Marshall Islands is an incredibly poor country.  The reason for this and their shockingly high unemployment rate is that there is no viable local industry now or in the near future.  The only real economic activity seems to be the many local stores that sell exclusively imported goods, clothes and food.  Virtually nothing is produced locally and therefore there is no way to employ the masses.  People seem to think that this is the way it is and there is very little to be done to change the country in the future, hence what I see as a sense of fatalism.  

My favorite part of Marshallese culture is the love of basketball.  I love playing basketball and all of the hoops takes place outdoors in Majuro.  Occasionally you'll have a rain delay, but there's nothing like playing hoops on a beautiful Marshallese evening.  I love playing in the various leagues in Majuro and can't wait until my ankle heals so I can finally play again.  

The food in the Marshall Islands is ok.  It's not great and it's not bad, it's ok.  You can buy almost anything there that you can buy in the States, but if you go to a grocery store and buy "American brands" then you better plan on paying at least 50% more in price.  A bottle of beer is $2, yes one bottle, not a 6 pack.  A box of Cheerios is about $8 and milk... well milk as it exists in America is seemingly not to be trusted in Majuro.  Powder milk is the way to go as both times we got proper milk, it was spoiled.  Restaurants really aren't that much more expensive than cooking yourself and there are a few good options there that we'll take advantage of several times a week.  When you go out, salads are rare, but not bad.  Burgers and pizza are common, but you can always find a good piece of fish!

Scientists have said that because of global warming these islands will be under water in less than 100 years, thus forcing all Marshallese people to abandon their homeland and become exiles somewhere, most likely in America.  This will undoubtedly force upon the Marshallese people and their culture a massive evolution as they've already gone through in the past 150 years.  They have journeyed from a primitive hunter-gatherer society focused around warfare and local traditions to a real melting pot culture that has mixed traditional Marshallese culture with that of modern capitalism and come out with something somewhat indescribable.  They are a country dependent upon generous foreign aid and reparations from generations of disrespect, but the Marshallese are a unique people who are trying to adapt their lives to craziness of a fast paced modern society.  

I am sure from this description you're more confused and even have less of an idea what Majuro and the Marshall Islands are like, but I tried.  Maybe you just have to go there.  I can also recommend a few fantastic books and films.  

Books: Surviving Paradise by Peter Rudiak-Gould, and For the Good of Mankind by Jack Niedenthal

Films: Radio Bikini, and The Sounds of Crickets at Night

I think those would be more helpful than asking me, but here was my futile attempt and describing Majuro, The Marshall Islands and Marshallese culture.  I'm quite certain there are those who have different opinions and I'd love to hear them...

Atoll Livin'...

            It really is quite amazing living on this tiny Atoll in the middle of such a vast ocean such as the Pacific.  When I look up at the stars at night and I see them glowing and twinkling I start to realize just where I am after the business of the day has made me forget.  I think about where we are on a map of the world and it makes me chuckle and shake my head sometimes.  Every Atoll has an ocean and lagoon side, and there are few parts on the island where you can’t see both sides.  I live right on the ocean on the thickest part of Majuro and it is less than a 5 minute walk to get to the lagoon.  There are days where I barely leave a space of less than one square block.  I wake up, exercise, watch the sunrise, walk 30 steps to breakfast, 15 back to my class, teach, go home, walk 20 steps to play basketball, go home, cook dinner and do some work.  This does not require me to go very far from home at all and yet I don’t have island fever or feel claustrophobic at all. 

            I have actually come to really like “Atoll living.”  It is nice living in a small community where the weather is amazing and you have a job that really gives you a sense of meaning and belonging in and to that community.  Of course there are things I miss about America and my beloved Chicago and Colorado. 

            On top of this list of course is family and friends.  We really enjoy our new friends here in Majuro, but dearly miss our loved ones back home.  With the time change it is difficult to Skype and keep in good communication, but we try our best.  We miss attending our family gatherings and seeing Neyla playing with her cousins.  We wish we could combine these two worlds, but alas it can’t be done. 

            I also miss Illini basketball, golf, Stephen Colbert, a good glass of Bourbon and a proper pint of beer.  It seems to be virtually impossible to get Big Ten Network in the Pacific and there are no golf courses here in Majuro.  The nearest golf course (and only one in the Marshall Islands) is on Kwajalein at a US military base, but from what I understand I wouldn’t be allowed to play..?  Stephen Colbert too is very difficult to find here, especially if you don’t have a TV.  Maybe I can convince him in a letter to come and do a show here in Majuro.  Alcohol is terribly expensive here and the selection is not great.  Buying it at the store is at least 3 times as expensive, but is actually a bit cheaper at restaurants.  The beer selection seems to be Heineken, Bud Light and few Aussie beers that I’m not a big fan of.  I can’t find any good Porters or Stouts, but then again, it’s not quite dark beer weather here. 

            There are however things that we don’t miss.  We don’t miss strip malls, television, American politics, mass media, “News,” or mass consumerism.  Not having a lot of those “distractions” has made it easier for us both to focus on our jobs, Neyla, each other, reading and just becoming better people.  Without all of the nonsense that modern technology seems to bring we are able to fill the time in our day more productively and with less empty fillers. 

            We will be home this summer and are very excited to see our friends and family.  I can’t wait to play golf and enjoy a proper drink afterwards.  While we’re home the Illini will be on summer break, but hopefully they will create some chaos in March Madness and I can watch them here in the middle of the night. 

Bikini... No not that Bikini!

            There was no school today in Majuro.  It is “Nuclear Victims & Survivor’s Day.”  It is a really challenging day to be an American in Majuro.  It makes you think about the actions that your country has taken and how it commands you to think and respond in some way.  As an American and a student of history I realize all too well that the actions of our government in foreign affairs is often quite immoral and wrong.  In the case of the Marshall Islands, the United States has tested 67 nuclear devices in this beautiful atoll nation, which have poisoned no less than 4 atolls making them uninhabitable and unable to produce food, and have led directly to an unprecedented high rate of cancers among the population.  Sadly, the American government denies that its actions have led to this alarmingly high cancer rate, but that’s what our government typically does.   

            The most infamous case of removing a people from their Atoll for testing was the case of the Bikini people.  In 1946 the American military appealed to this group of hunter and gatherer people with little or no knowledge of the modern world to leave their homes for, “The Good of Mankind.”  The US Generals took advantage of the Bikinian ignorance and their Christian faith by telling them that, “God would thank them for their sacrifice… and that someday soon you will be able to return to Bikini.” 

            Fast forward to 2013 and the Bikini people are a Diaspora spread throughout Oceania and the United States and are still not allowed back on Bikini because of the contamination.  In 1954 the United States “Bravo” bomb was tested in the lagoon of the Bikini Atoll.  This bomb was 1000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped over Hiroshima in 1945 that precipitated the end of WW2.  This Bravo test actually incinerated 3 of the islands in the Bikini Atoll.  This tiny, quiet and peaceful Atoll and its people were contaminated with the 2^nd largest weapon ever used in human history, and for what?

A Nuclear Test in the Bikini lagoon from the air

            During the Cold War the United States was willing to do almost anything to “beat” the USSR, and its actions at Bikini demonstrate this.  One US general was quoted as saying, “There’s only 9000 people there, who cares?” in reference to the testing in the Marshalls.  I wonder if this general would’ve been so callous in his comments if he were talking about a small town of 9000 people in rural America?  I think we all know the answer to that one.  Why is it that American lives seem to be worth more to American leaders than people of other nations?  When will we live up to the stated belief that, “All people are created equal.”  There was a fantastic award winning documentary entitled Radio Bikini that was made in the late 1980’s about the testing and the contamination that followed and a equally fantastic book entitled For the Good of Mankind that should be mandatory reading for all Americans.  I highly recommend both!

            These tests have had many after affects other than destroying numerous islands and spreading cancer around the Marshalls.  It has also transformed many Marshallese into refugees from their native atolls and subsequently brought a cash society and modern life to a series of atolls that can barely be seen on a map.  I’m sure if you asked most Marshallese today (especially the wealthy ones), they wouldn’t want to give up basketball, flat bed trucks, hip hop and the internet; but the most successful transformations to a modern society happen organically and over time, they are not forced by an outside nation’s actions. 

A view from Bikini Island of the Bomb

            How ought Americans feel about this?  How should Americans react?  I am afraid that many wouldn’t care.  We have already seen comments from Tea Partiers about “cutting all foreign aid,” but if we did that we would be leaving a people that our actions changed hanging out to dry.  The Bikini people have now been recipients of 10’s of millions of dollars in reparations from the United States government, but one big reward payment that they won in a makeshift International mediation court has not yet been paid.  This money pays for development of the islands the Bikini people were moved to and for Bikini children to go to school.   Many now to move to more modern and developed places like Oregon or California, but some of the older and recently deceased Bikinian leaders worry that this will only result in the elimination of what it used to mean to be a Bikinian.  Is the ease of a modern life worth more than the destruction of a culture and people that have lasted independently for 1000’s of years?

          These questions are difficult if not impossible to answer.  But one thing is for certain; we should never stop the reparations and support we give to the Bikini people and the Marshall Islands.  Colin Powell had a policy that he followed of, “if you break it, you bought it.”  Our actions have broken what was a proud and traditional society and until they get back on their feet and fully figure out what it means to be Marshallese in the modern world, we are morally obligated to assist them.  

           

            (Here is a great poem by a Marshallese poet, please watch!)