Pre-Holiday Scrambles

I am leaving for Bali in 4 short days, and feel like I have a whirlwind of things to cram in beforehand.  The thought has occurred to me that, what feels like heaps to do, is really minute compared to the juggling I’m used to at home.  I fear this means island mentality has taken a firm grasp on me.  After all, I do live in a land that boasts the saying, “If it can’t be done today, forget about it”.  I don’t think I’m quite there just yet, but it could be looming around the corner!

The past month has been busier than expected.  I picked up two new classes at the high school, due to teachers leaving the school.  The classes are both Sophmore levels (Gr. 10, for us Canucks) and are sections G and J.  The grades are broken up into several sections here (A through J in the case of the Sophmores).  There seems to be some differential treatment for different sections, and I question the self-fulfilling prophecies that are coming into play, but that is a long-winded conversation indeed.  The long and short of it is, I adore the ‘lower’ – for lack of a better term – sections.  The kids are bold, raucous, tough, and not afraid to let you know.  I admire their brash style and the fact that they’re fighters.  It is true, attendance and punctuality are areas they struggle with, but they certainly try to woo you with creative excuses for these shortcomings.  There are a lot of undiagnosed learning issues in these sections, and just general holes in their education due to time spent lollygagging around town instead of in class.  I am working with the Diagnostician on addressing these issues, and have persuaded her to have the teachers administer brief diagnostic tests to the entire student population to get a general feel for the whole school’s levels of performance.  While these tests are far from culturally un-biased and not the best match as far as language acquisition is concerned (policy here dictates using American testing, for a reason I can not surmise), they at least will provide a rough draft of how the students perform in respect to each other.  It’s a start….

Back in the classroom, I continue to try to hide laughter, when students hand in classwork with few words scrawled, but giant “Melony1, Nga lungse kom … more than crackers.   Just for FUN!” (“I love you… more than crackers”) in the works absence.  I never did ask whether crackers were high ranking or not.  Some things are better left unquestioned. 

In the remainder of my island life, things are also well.   Moments of awe over my current idylls still surprise me.  They are fewer and more far between, for sure, but they have not lost their strength.  This weekend, I looked out my side-door to see my papaya tree angling dangerously downward.  I gingerly skipped out, pushed the tree upwards to use the Noni tree planted beside it as support.  I then stood, looked to my left to check on the status of one of my almost ripe banana trees, then to the right at the sparkling, turquoise sea.  Just another Saturday morning in Kosrae.  It occurred to me at that very moment “It is December.  I should be wearing a winter coat and dusting off my snow shovel right now”.  Not this year! 

The holiday spirit is alive and well here.  The few small stores have rearranged their continuous aisles of canned meats to allow room for an abundance of toys, even more candy, and Christmas decorations.  People begin answering phones with “Merry Christmas” as of December 1^st, and just say it to each other in passing all month.  I can think of a few people back home whose spirit is just as overwhelming (you know who you are!).  The radio station plays constant loops of the Christmas activities from years past (minus Wolana Wednesdays, of course!).  The big celebratory event for Christmas is the infamous Christmas Marching.  For the entire day and night on the 25^th, different groups march around the churches of each village in circular formation, singing songs, banging pots with metal serving spoons, while dressed in their most formal clothing.   This is an event that is taken very seriously, and looked forward to by many.  Practices for the marching happen every night in December until the big day, with many families practicing until very late at night.  My host family is having a large holiday party, which has a double function as my host dad is also turning 50 the day before the bash.   I wish I could somehow be here to see the festivities, but alas, I am off to trot more globe. 

I’m interested to see what the holidays will resemble in Bali. I will have very limited internet access and not bringing my laptop along, so stay tuned for updates and photos upon my return in January.

Until then, wishing you all a very wonderful holiday season!   

( photo: in lieu of a holiday tree, Bully’s Restaurant, Lelu )