This will be a hodge-podge declaration of self, basically. More or less an update, if you will. Internet has been shoddy (gasp!), so keeping in touch with Clean Life is slightly challenging, but I'm in PC. I eat challenge for dinner, along with my root crop and homemade bread.
--I'm doing some intense budgeting, and I would love to see the look on my parents' faces right now! I've never been a needy spender as far as tons of clothes and purses and cosmetics and such, but I'm an impulse-spender. A bulk-buyer. Though I'm not a fan of Clean Life shopping, I LOVE grocery shopping. I immediately walk to the produce section and inhale all that produce poetry. Beautiful. Lord, I'm nearly tearing up just thinking of that fresh, cool, producey section of Kroger I'm so fond of. In college, it was my Happy Place. Anyway, in American dollars, I'm spending about $10 a week.
--I keep my toothpaste in the fridge now. And my toothbrush, too. At first, I did it because no matter how tightly wrapped in a bag was my nighttime essentials, the ants were ruthless in finding it and feeding off my saliva, I reckon. I refused to throw away another toothbrush too early (the first one I threw away because a crazy insect crawled in there and made me nearly pee myself... it looked like a molokau, but not so many legs.) And now, I'm rather fond of cold toothpaste. It makes my gums feel nice. :D
--I had a pretty rough week last week. Stress erupted on my face, in my brain, even in my food. Usually I'm a stress-eater, but my appetite was pretty roller-coastery. Luckily, my Medical Officer is amazing. And I have great friends.
--It's getting hard to exercise. An ex-police officer drove me from the wharf to my village last weekend and told me to stop running by myself because of safety issues. He's not the first to tell me. So now my alone-time-stress-reliever must be shared with the youth of the village who can actually log in 20-30 minutes of running barefoot on broken-pavement-and-trench-induced road in the bush. Awesome.
--I LOVE literature and miss school like crazy right now. I've contemplated more international teaching after PC (big interest in Japan), but I don't know if I can stay away from school that long. One good thing about the stress is that I really poured myself into books, and it was WONDERFUL. God, I miss being in that academic setting where you can talk on the fly, listen to criticism, contemplate interpretations.... ohhhh, coffee-and-literature culture. How I wish to indulge thee.
--Portland, Oregon. My newest fascination.
--Crime and Punishment rocked my socks. Dostoevsky makes me want to learn Russian just so I can read that book in its original test. (Plus, I'm also a Nabokov beginner, so it'd be cool to read him, too.)
--I am becoming a pretty darn good cook. I think it's because I have to make do with a limited selection. But I made a mean stuffed eggplant last night, and my homemade bread is getting better and better. And a nice stir-fry is always fun.
--I have a ripe papaya waiting at home, begging me to turn it into jam. :)
--Tomorrow I am heading off to the island's capital, 'Ohonua, to spend some time with my new friends, two Japanese volunteers. They are so tiny and adorable. But quite amazing, too. I luckily saw them in the midst of my terrible week, and they were wonderful. Plus I'd like to learn the basics of Japanese-- especially counting to 10. Every Wednesday for PE, my students and I stretch and count in English, Tongan, Dutch, and Spanish. They love when I throw in a random phrase from a different language. It's fun for me too, but I like to use it as a seed, planting in their minds that there's a huge world out there. And I love hearing one say, "O leva (wait, in Tongan), Jame. Mas despacio, por (sounds like poll) favor." (which is please slow down, in Spanish.) It's totally awesome.
--The latest song I taught to my students was "Holiday" by Weezer. When we finished they said, "My Girl! My Girl! Then Youdondonme!" Translation: My Girl by the Temptations, followed by "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. Also known as "You done done me."
--I walked to a beautiful lookout, about a 20 min walk from my village, that looks over the cliffs and the beautiful ocean. Quite high up, and the wind was really forceful. Two of the girls had NEVER BEEN! They LOVED it. "LOOOOOOk, Jame! Ohhhhh Beautiful! You see, Jame? Sio mai! Sio mai (Look at me!) Ohhh, Jame. I LOVE diss. LOVE, Jame. LOVE."
I probably seem a world away to you. I'm half of one, anyway. A tiny little freckle on the face of Earth. I'm far away from my first 23 years of existence, and Lord knows Mr. Stress bares its ugly unbrushed fangs at me. But it's my love of literature (which I will indeed romanticize in my next entry), the entertainment I get from my hilarious students, my increasing desire to cook, and refrigerated toothpaste that I hold up to those stressful moments, those plaquey unbrushed, foul breath of threatening-failure. It's not so different from home, in theory. Only a few more ants and cockroaches, a few more coconut trees, and a slightly decreased produce section at Kroger.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
When Craters Pop up on my Chin...
1. I am stressed.
2. I have a viral throat infection.
3. I am really worried about a friend/PCV who may have a heart issue.
4. My head is on a continuous aching cycle.
5. I cannot sleep.
6. I may have bedbugs again.
7. My counterpart was sick today... and I hoped to take a sick day...
8. My students don't listen when my counterpart is absent. (Which is frequently).
9. I often question how much of a difference I'm making. Yes, I'm teaching kids, yes they're (arguably) learning, and yes, we have fun. But in the grand scheme of things... ohhh, negative thoughts.
10. All I want is a 2-hour massage, earbuds that haven't been desecrated by ants, and a house free of the terrible-smelling black horned-butt cockroaches.
That's all.
2. I have a viral throat infection.
3. I am really worried about a friend/PCV who may have a heart issue.
4. My head is on a continuous aching cycle.
5. I cannot sleep.
6. I may have bedbugs again.
7. My counterpart was sick today... and I hoped to take a sick day...
8. My students don't listen when my counterpart is absent. (Which is frequently).
9. I often question how much of a difference I'm making. Yes, I'm teaching kids, yes they're (arguably) learning, and yes, we have fun. But in the grand scheme of things... ohhh, negative thoughts.
10. All I want is a 2-hour massage, earbuds that haven't been desecrated by ants, and a house free of the terrible-smelling black horned-butt cockroaches.
That's all.
When I'm Not Contorting My Face in a Teacher's Stupor
So you've heard the good, the bad, and the ugly with my teaching experiences... in a down-played version that's approved by Peace Corps, of course. However, I feel like I don't tell enough about my projects.
As a volunteer, my primary project is teaching English at my Primary School. I generally teach 3 1/2-4 hours straight, work in the library with my designated library works (2 each week), and try to keep my sanity by reading, cooking, playing the ukulele, and exercising in my off time.
What what about the other times? Am I doing anything else with my life?
Why, yes, I am. I'm so glad you asked!
On Mondays, I teach a night class for High School and college students. In Tonga, "college" is the same as high school. My students are grade levels 7-10, and they get some say in what they want to learn about. It's a cool class, although sometimes difficult to manage with the age gaps, but I also teach it out of my house. I usually have anywhere from 7-15 kids come (usually around 10-12, though), so it's a full living room. But luckily I have a very spacious house.
On Wednesdays, I have a Creative Writing class for the same grade levels, although I let some of my primary students (the behaving ones) stay. Funny enough, they're the best listeners in this class... and they can state the definition of an adjective faster than the high school kids. (Yes, I'm gloating with pride right now.) Of course, we have started with poetry, and have implemented Joni Mitchell, Rihanna (only to look at "Love the Way You Lie" when we had a class on Sexual Assault Awareness), William Carlos Williams, and others from my limited selection of poetry. Last week, we covered imagery and similes. This week, metaphors. I can't wait for personification!
Thursdays, or "Tokoni Thursdays" are my Community Service group, made mostly of high school kids and some Primary school, but mostly the older ones. I want to implement a little system in the community where I'm not the one who initiates "improvement." It should come from the communities, and I would love for the kids to really take initiative and realize what is needed. I would love to cultivate it to where we help around the island. We shall see!
Starting in July, this "Tokoni Thursdays" will also extend to helping my Class 5-6 kids prepare for the big Class 6 exam in October. My older kids will help tutor and do some "buddy reading" in order to explain concepts to my students, which helps me a lot. Also, you learn when you teach. I'm proof of that.
And last but not least, Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World.) This is an initiative in many PC host countries where volunteers help provide the resources to host the camp for 14 year old girls. It's a week-long, overnight camp, where the girls listen to speakers (women and men), do activities involving community service, environmental care, business, arts and crafts, Tae Kwon Do (I probably butchered that spelling, sorry), etc. We train Tongan women as Camp Counselors, and implement Junior Counselors from the previous year. This is the first year that 'Eua (my island) will host a Camp GLOW, so it's HUGE! I am the Counselor Training Manager, and we will start training the counselors by the end of July.
My proposition:
--If you have youth groups, clubs, Bible studies, churches, co workers, ANYBODY who would be interested, we need donations! Here is an excerpt from the Facebook Group (Camp GLOW Tonga):
If you can donate 10 dollars, it will pay for one camper's meals for a day - and 60 dollars can pay for her meals for the whole week!
$30 can pay for all the markers, paint brushes, etc, for the whole camp; $40 can purchase a notebook, pen, and folder for every camper; $100 can pay the cost of using the venue for the whole week; and just $150 can pay for all a camper's expenses for the entire week!
Donations are 100% tax-deductible, and every penny of your donation will be used for Camp GLOW 'EUA!
Here is the link. Thank you!!! I cannot WAIT to do this thing!
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=421-132
As a volunteer, my primary project is teaching English at my Primary School. I generally teach 3 1/2-4 hours straight, work in the library with my designated library works (2 each week), and try to keep my sanity by reading, cooking, playing the ukulele, and exercising in my off time.
What what about the other times? Am I doing anything else with my life?
Why, yes, I am. I'm so glad you asked!
On Mondays, I teach a night class for High School and college students. In Tonga, "college" is the same as high school. My students are grade levels 7-10, and they get some say in what they want to learn about. It's a cool class, although sometimes difficult to manage with the age gaps, but I also teach it out of my house. I usually have anywhere from 7-15 kids come (usually around 10-12, though), so it's a full living room. But luckily I have a very spacious house.
On Wednesdays, I have a Creative Writing class for the same grade levels, although I let some of my primary students (the behaving ones) stay. Funny enough, they're the best listeners in this class... and they can state the definition of an adjective faster than the high school kids. (Yes, I'm gloating with pride right now.) Of course, we have started with poetry, and have implemented Joni Mitchell, Rihanna (only to look at "Love the Way You Lie" when we had a class on Sexual Assault Awareness), William Carlos Williams, and others from my limited selection of poetry. Last week, we covered imagery and similes. This week, metaphors. I can't wait for personification!
Thursdays, or "Tokoni Thursdays" are my Community Service group, made mostly of high school kids and some Primary school, but mostly the older ones. I want to implement a little system in the community where I'm not the one who initiates "improvement." It should come from the communities, and I would love for the kids to really take initiative and realize what is needed. I would love to cultivate it to where we help around the island. We shall see!
Starting in July, this "Tokoni Thursdays" will also extend to helping my Class 5-6 kids prepare for the big Class 6 exam in October. My older kids will help tutor and do some "buddy reading" in order to explain concepts to my students, which helps me a lot. Also, you learn when you teach. I'm proof of that.
And last but not least, Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World.) This is an initiative in many PC host countries where volunteers help provide the resources to host the camp for 14 year old girls. It's a week-long, overnight camp, where the girls listen to speakers (women and men), do activities involving community service, environmental care, business, arts and crafts, Tae Kwon Do (I probably butchered that spelling, sorry), etc. We train Tongan women as Camp Counselors, and implement Junior Counselors from the previous year. This is the first year that 'Eua (my island) will host a Camp GLOW, so it's HUGE! I am the Counselor Training Manager, and we will start training the counselors by the end of July.
My proposition:
--If you have youth groups, clubs, Bible studies, churches, co workers, ANYBODY who would be interested, we need donations! Here is an excerpt from the Facebook Group (Camp GLOW Tonga):
If you can donate 10 dollars, it will pay for one camper's meals for a day - and 60 dollars can pay for her meals for the whole week!
$30 can pay for all the markers, paint brushes, etc, for the whole camp; $40 can purchase a notebook, pen, and folder for every camper; $100 can pay the cost of using the venue for the whole week; and just $150 can pay for all a camper's expenses for the entire week!
Donations are 100% tax-deductible, and every penny of your donation will be used for Camp GLOW 'EUA!
Here is the link. Thank you!!! I cannot WAIT to do this thing!
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=421-132
Monday, May 9, 2011
Cream Cheese, Kitten Rescues, and Alphabet Shenanigans
Hello dearest readers,
I know you are just DYING to know about my life right now. Unfortunately, my newest 'tale' will have to come at the end of the week because I'm starving and have been doing as much internet'ing as possible on a terribly slow connection. So here goes.
1. As of yesterday, I had 24 mosquito bites on my left leg, and 18 on my right.
2. I rescued a small kitten in a tree while walking yesterday morning. I named it Felipe (I've always wanted a cat named Felipe) but decided to give it to a student because having a 'pet' here is a bit of a foreign concept, and the thought of taking care of a meowing, pooping, peeing thing and then leaving it here after I leave... just sounds terrible to me. Ask my parents--keeping a pet was never really my thing. The whole bad memory thing isn't good when a living thing needs food and such.
3. I've had good lessons this week! We're working on forming sounds... and have a whole 10-minute morning system where we work on pronunciations. Credit to my sister and niece, Ella: the Leap Frog (I think?) alphabet video has totally changed the way we say our alphabet. "The A says ___, the A says __, every letter makes a sound the A says ___" totally works, because we say all the vowel sounds, then use letter combinations for a routine called the "Phonics Dance" that I got from a couple of PCVs here. Totally rad.
4. I am becoming an excellent food compiler. I had leftover Tongan food (fried chicken, 'ufi (basically, a yam/grainy potato), and some fresh pele (like spinach) and turned it into an amazing soup that I will finish for lunch today. I'm transforming, people! It's awesome!
5. I wish I had cream cheese in my life.
That's all for now. I must skidaddle before I start eating the keyboard.
For rapidity's sake, here is a link to the Camp GLOW 'Eua donation page! My next blog will be about this, so look at it for a few minutes and consider if you're interested... then I will WOW you with all the amazing details, contrived in my own Jamie-lingo, of course.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=421-132
Toodles, dear readers! PS, when you drive to or from work, stop somewhere (ice cream shop, coffee place, donut shop) and get yourself a yummy treat in my honor. :) Though I won't make either of those, I'm baking some fresh bread tonight. So cheers to you!
I know you are just DYING to know about my life right now. Unfortunately, my newest 'tale' will have to come at the end of the week because I'm starving and have been doing as much internet'ing as possible on a terribly slow connection. So here goes.
1. As of yesterday, I had 24 mosquito bites on my left leg, and 18 on my right.
2. I rescued a small kitten in a tree while walking yesterday morning. I named it Felipe (I've always wanted a cat named Felipe) but decided to give it to a student because having a 'pet' here is a bit of a foreign concept, and the thought of taking care of a meowing, pooping, peeing thing and then leaving it here after I leave... just sounds terrible to me. Ask my parents--keeping a pet was never really my thing. The whole bad memory thing isn't good when a living thing needs food and such.
3. I've had good lessons this week! We're working on forming sounds... and have a whole 10-minute morning system where we work on pronunciations. Credit to my sister and niece, Ella: the Leap Frog (I think?) alphabet video has totally changed the way we say our alphabet. "The A says ___, the A says __, every letter makes a sound the A says ___" totally works, because we say all the vowel sounds, then use letter combinations for a routine called the "Phonics Dance" that I got from a couple of PCVs here. Totally rad.
4. I am becoming an excellent food compiler. I had leftover Tongan food (fried chicken, 'ufi (basically, a yam/grainy potato), and some fresh pele (like spinach) and turned it into an amazing soup that I will finish for lunch today. I'm transforming, people! It's awesome!
5. I wish I had cream cheese in my life.
That's all for now. I must skidaddle before I start eating the keyboard.
For rapidity's sake, here is a link to the Camp GLOW 'Eua donation page! My next blog will be about this, so look at it for a few minutes and consider if you're interested... then I will WOW you with all the amazing details, contrived in my own Jamie-lingo, of course.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=421-132
Toodles, dear readers! PS, when you drive to or from work, stop somewhere (ice cream shop, coffee place, donut shop) and get yourself a yummy treat in my honor. :) Though I won't make either of those, I'm baking some fresh bread tonight. So cheers to you!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wishlist
For those of you interested in sending a package (to the new address, of course,) here are some needed items:
--Baby wipes (always in need!)
--sticky tack for walls
--any fold-out maps of states, countries, etc... things you can get at tourism places. I'll take ANYTHING!
--stickers, any craft stuff for kids
--pudding mix (esp. if it's yellow! butterscotch, lemon, vanilla, banana are my favs!)
--taco seasonings, any packaged seasonings
--crossword puzzles
--pictures!
--books of any kind... poetry is needed in my life. I miss it.
--Tea, coffee (tea can be any flavor, though my fav's are peppermint and Earl Grey, and anything citrusy)
--granola bars
--restaurant condiments (my brilliant Aunt's idea!) anything like mayo, ketchup, BBQ, etc.
--Any drink mixes (packets)
--Small boxed foods are always a fun surprise
--Candy and chocolate, of course, always makes my day!
--Baby wipes (always in need!)
--sticky tack for walls
--any fold-out maps of states, countries, etc... things you can get at tourism places. I'll take ANYTHING!
--stickers, any craft stuff for kids
--pudding mix (esp. if it's yellow! butterscotch, lemon, vanilla, banana are my favs!)
--taco seasonings, any packaged seasonings
--crossword puzzles
--pictures!
--books of any kind... poetry is needed in my life. I miss it.
--Tea, coffee (tea can be any flavor, though my fav's are peppermint and Earl Grey, and anything citrusy)
--granola bars
--restaurant condiments (my brilliant Aunt's idea!) anything like mayo, ketchup, BBQ, etc.
--Any drink mixes (packets)
--Small boxed foods are always a fun surprise
--Candy and chocolate, of course, always makes my day!
Quick Bundle of Fun:
In class today, we were workin on pronunciations.
For example: t-i-o-n, shun shun shun. S-h- (sh sh sh!), C-H (cha cha cha!--with the cha cha dance moves to go along. I promise this isn't my idea. It's the 'Phonics Dance' I picked up from another PCV.)
Anyway, we were working on o-u's and o-w's, when one of my students said,
"Oh, Jame! Like OW! Like da time you na'e tO (fell) 'i he (on the) A (fence)!"
(Lots of laughter follows.)
Ladies and gentlement, I love my students.
For example: t-i-o-n, shun shun shun. S-h- (sh sh sh!), C-H (cha cha cha!--with the cha cha dance moves to go along. I promise this isn't my idea. It's the 'Phonics Dance' I picked up from another PCV.)
Anyway, we were working on o-u's and o-w's, when one of my students said,
"Oh, Jame! Like OW! Like da time you na'e tO (fell) 'i he (on the) A (fence)!"
(Lots of laughter follows.)
Ladies and gentlement, I love my students.
Of Body Language(s)
Tongan babies are quite slow in developing motor and verbal skills because they are rarely put down before age 2, and I assume that most families don't realize the advantages of early speech development.
In church, I've befriended a 2 year old whose size looks to be that of an 8-9 month old. Short, very small, not much hair, and no verbal skills other than grunts or laughs. And in a moment of laughter did I discover a nearly full set of teeth--the front 4 of which are already grey with rot from frequent sugary snacks.
But the little girl is cute as can be and extremely curious/observant. Though her legs are weak and walking is shaky, she rolls through the pews--holding on to the benches as she gallops--to see who will play with or notice her.
She's already mastered the Tongan, unspoken twitch for "go ahead," "yes," or acknowledgement of sorts.
The eyebrow raise. (Have I mentioned this before? Surely I have.)
It's a contagious maneuver, sometimes exhaustive, and is now part of my Tongan vernacular. (I say exhaustive because this one kid in my class--remember Grade A?--will answer my quetion(s) with a series of back-to-back eyebrow raises that looks Terret's-like. Or flirtatious, which is weird.)
If I see my students in passing in a van, I offer a quick nod and eyebrow raise. This is also sufficient for simple Yes/No questions. At first, I was very self-conscious. My eyebrows lack appeal because they're not prominent and I lack the ability to do anything playful, fun, or entertaining with them. (Oh, what I'd pay to raise one by itself!) Even in the pulpit at church, when a man or woman raises the eybrow(s), it's equivalent to a smoldering rhetorical question or a firm but divine accusation. (Angahala--sin--is often screamed.)
But my eyes are weak. Along with my terrible eyesight, when I smile, my right eye slants to a squint while my left stays fully open. And to add to the eyesight, which is a faka-hela (annoyance) here because no one else wears glasses and I have to be careful with contacts, a 20-ish Tongan guy proceeded to tell me that I look much better without my glasses and furthermore asked for my number in nearly the same breath. Even further, I mostly fit the Palangi stereotype: blonde-ish hair with blue-ish eyes; only my eye color is all mixed, but dull nonetheless. Greens, blues, and greys often swirl in un-dominant clouds around my pupil, but to no outstanding, attractive appeal.
Anyway, I digress. I suppose i'm picking up on other nonverbal cues, such as the Tongan "come here" wave with an expectant scowl. Body language is a big deal everywhere, and most is cross-culturally understood.
Like the wrist-flick. To get out of a dreaded situation or a cultural/time crunch, all I have to do is flick my left wrist and glance at the time, thus informing my colleagues that I am in a hurry, which also enforces the "Palangi-time" stereotype. Too bad it doesn't work in church.
In church, I've befriended a 2 year old whose size looks to be that of an 8-9 month old. Short, very small, not much hair, and no verbal skills other than grunts or laughs. And in a moment of laughter did I discover a nearly full set of teeth--the front 4 of which are already grey with rot from frequent sugary snacks.
But the little girl is cute as can be and extremely curious/observant. Though her legs are weak and walking is shaky, she rolls through the pews--holding on to the benches as she gallops--to see who will play with or notice her.
She's already mastered the Tongan, unspoken twitch for "go ahead," "yes," or acknowledgement of sorts.
The eyebrow raise. (Have I mentioned this before? Surely I have.)
It's a contagious maneuver, sometimes exhaustive, and is now part of my Tongan vernacular. (I say exhaustive because this one kid in my class--remember Grade A?--will answer my quetion(s) with a series of back-to-back eyebrow raises that looks Terret's-like. Or flirtatious, which is weird.)
If I see my students in passing in a van, I offer a quick nod and eyebrow raise. This is also sufficient for simple Yes/No questions. At first, I was very self-conscious. My eyebrows lack appeal because they're not prominent and I lack the ability to do anything playful, fun, or entertaining with them. (Oh, what I'd pay to raise one by itself!) Even in the pulpit at church, when a man or woman raises the eybrow(s), it's equivalent to a smoldering rhetorical question or a firm but divine accusation. (Angahala--sin--is often screamed.)
But my eyes are weak. Along with my terrible eyesight, when I smile, my right eye slants to a squint while my left stays fully open. And to add to the eyesight, which is a faka-hela (annoyance) here because no one else wears glasses and I have to be careful with contacts, a 20-ish Tongan guy proceeded to tell me that I look much better without my glasses and furthermore asked for my number in nearly the same breath. Even further, I mostly fit the Palangi stereotype: blonde-ish hair with blue-ish eyes; only my eye color is all mixed, but dull nonetheless. Greens, blues, and greys often swirl in un-dominant clouds around my pupil, but to no outstanding, attractive appeal.
Anyway, I digress. I suppose i'm picking up on other nonverbal cues, such as the Tongan "come here" wave with an expectant scowl. Body language is a big deal everywhere, and most is cross-culturally understood.
Like the wrist-flick. To get out of a dreaded situation or a cultural/time crunch, all I have to do is flick my left wrist and glance at the time, thus informing my colleagues that I am in a hurry, which also enforces the "Palangi-time" stereotype. Too bad it doesn't work in church.
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