Whenever I go to start a blog I become extremely overwhelmed with almost 5 months of unrecorded events, findings, struggles, challenges, and new experiences. Its a whole different world here. A culture focused no longer on time and schedules but rather on details and routine. I guess I have to start somewhere and build on the previous thoughts and figures.
Being in Yap for almost five months now there's a lot that has happened that I can't even begin to describe. I can break it into two main categories of struggles and experiences. As hard as this year has been the plain fact of day is that there have been both the new adventures which are completely separated from the struggles. Describing days and events is one thing but what has happened during those long lonely nights of tears and lonliness are not one in one the same. So while remembering that none of this has been in a walk in the park there are things yet to be learned and seen around here despite the "prision like status" I usually protray about this school. "I want to run away with God." That was my plan. That was my goal. I must say it was not in this manner though. God has taught me more than I could have ever even dreamed before this year.
Prison: Not wanting to make it sound completely negative yet at the same time capturing exactly how I feel about it, that is exactly how I would describe living on this campus. It is a place, confinement, where one cannot leave unless accompanied with at least two other people. Here I even have some liberty in saying its not as bad for me since I can go to town for office runs or finances with Lorraine the accountant if need be. I can't say I've ever been an avid runner but it seems the moment you CAN'T have something, you all of a sudden REALLY want it...if that makes any sense? Well the moment I am told I have to run around in circles (IN FRONT of all the buildings which makes the track even smaller) thats when a HUGE urge and desire to run free burns within me. I had the greenway, biology trail, campus, anywhere to run along at southern but did I use it....I'm embarrased to say no. I only ran the biology trail once and the greenway maybe four times in my 3 years at southern... I've seen a movie or two (lol) since coming to the islands depicting american culture (the form of which I even desired to "escape" this year) and every one has seemed to show a runner, in the big city, on a country road or path and I think to myself how badly I would like to do that. We have now discovered the workout insanity for a few months but boredom sucked us out of that routine and now we're down to running back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
Heat: Okay if I haven't said this in any of my previous blogs (not that many of my blogs have really focused on anything other than pain and struggles...) the heat here is at times, unbearable. I must say however setting up our christmas decorations here in the apartment in shorts and with a line of sweat running down my back, was definitely a new experience. I can't even say I don't enjoy the heat. Even when I'm outside in the blazin sun, blowing my whistle for PE and feeling the sweat accumulate and run down every inch of me the only thought that comes to mind is "I think I'm going to miss this weather..." :)
Teaching: A challenge in the word itself. I never realized the responsibility brought on just by introducing yourself as "Miss so-and-so." It was fun at first being called Miss Anderson in Pohnpei but now the last name has been dropped and the shrill sounds of a student yelling "MMMIIIISSSSS!" does not appeal to my ear drums any more. I have adopted the title "coach" since coming to Yap and that title is one that I do not mind the least bit (sounds stuck up I know) BUT for me the two most influential people in my educational life have been my coaches. Specifically my gymnastic coaches. If I can be a fraction of what they were/are to me and how they have changed my life for the better than I would feel like I've done something good this year.
I have taught almost every grade on this campus excluding grades 1, 4, 8. My origonal position in coming to Yap was to teach second grade. After two weeks of being in that classroom I didn't think I would make it through another day. There was my first move. It was then seen that they needed a substitute in grade 3 as one of the SM's had come down with apedicitis and had to go on leave for surgery (this is an ENTIRE experience all on its own!!) I spent 3 weeks subsituting. Then the option presented to me was to teach kindergarten in the mornings and then work the office in the afternoon or start a PE class for the Highschool kids. I immediatly jumped at the chance to be back in secondary education. That was my origonal plan. Those where the kids I had fallen in love with after only three weeks in Pohnpei. The high schoolers. Of course nothing could be stable for more than two weeks so this time, actually in a few days, I was moving out of kindergarten for the morning and into the office as the secretary and teaching HS PE and health in the afternoons. With a few morning breaks of teaching grade 5 and again substituting grade 3 for three weeks again after christmas I am back in the office for the mornings and HS PE and health in the afternoons (knock on wood). I salute all elementary school teachers, no I bow down to you lol. Everyday was a battle, a fight, to keep patience and calm in the midst of chaos. You feel unappreciated. Your hours of work sometimes go unoticesd and its just plain exhausting.
Earthquakes: This one is pretty self explanatory. I would have said just "earthquake" as of three months ago BUT as of last week we experienced our third substantial earth trembling terror. I cannot say that any of them even came close to the feeling of that first 5.8 earthquake about a month after I arrived in Yap. Standing on the deck with grocery bags filling my hands and Sabrina clinging to my arm yelling and screaming... there's an experience for you. It's absolutely terrifying to wake up to your bed shaking and trying to stand up in the middle of one of those earthquakes.
To wear or not to wear?: THERE SHOULDN'T BE A QUESTION lol. Yap is known for its local garb of ....well less. It is common to see topless women (mostly from the outer islands). You never get use to it...
Today was an absolute chaotic mess in the office. After trying to give out all the tardy slips to about 30 late students, cleaning up vomit from the lobby, taking all the cellphones and ipods from the students, recording tuition payments, clearing the stipend list, calling all parents for discipline, entering report card grades for the principal, answering the screaming phone, copying for first grade, shooing all high school students trying to skip class out of the office, I sat down and took a deep breath. Typical morning I thought.
Seems to be my constant struggle with PE. To tranfer my love of sports to these students. But thats a whole other topic for another day. Its time for yet another airport run. This time a one AM stint. Andrea, our registrar, who left because of dengue fever a few months ago is now returning once again to our small isalnd of Yap. So for now I'm exhausted and not ready for tomorrow. Hopefully this can continue with more in time to come...
No comments:
Post a Comment