Second Email to the Fam

Email from Cari to her family:

On Wednesday we start our practicums. We are in groups of 3 or 4 and we have to plan 3 hours a day from Wed-Fri. of pretty much whatever we want for a bunch of Marshallese kids. It’s being advertised on the radio as "Worldteach Camp" and Annie (field director) has said that every year this is something all the kids get really excited about and come to. I am in a group with some really awesome people -- Stefanie, Michael, and Carly. We have 7th-8th graders and we're going to do a health and body theme. Should be fun! This past weekend we went bowling with the Dartmouth group that just arrived on Thursday. There are about 15 of them and they do the same thing as Worldteach, they are just all Dartmouth graduates and they also have at least 2 volunteers at all of their schools. When we met them, I was looking at this one guy and thinking MAN I recognize him from somewhere...finally I asked one of the girls what his name was: Jeff. And where's he from? Virginia. So it hits me--he went to TJ and was in my year. They called him over and he immediately recognized me but wasn't as surprised as I was! We had lots of classes together ... small world. I told you about Brenton, the other TJ/UVA kid. He thinks we had a religion class together at UVA but I don’t really remember. He’s a nice kid, just got over the flu (not swine, supposedly) so he's back living with the rest of us. He got pampered for several days at Angela’s house in town--A/C and running water! Let’s see...oh so after bowling a bunch of us went to the tide table for some drinks. I ended up meeting this woman Daisy who is the exec director of WUTMI (women united together Marshall Islands) and turns out she came today to talk to us about what they do. She was really sweet and her husband is the senator from Mejit, where one of the other volunteers Kate is going, so I called Kate over and she got to meet him and it was neat. It’s such a small country I just don't even get surprised anymore when coincidental things like that happen. On Sunday a bunch of people went to Laura, which has a really nice beach. I stuck around Ajeltake...laid in the lagoon for like 3 hours (it was a beautiful day). I snorkeled some but mostly I just floated around...you can go out really far and it's still relatively shallow...so I just floated and looked at the clouds and looked back at Majuro...well really Majuro was on all sides of me but farther away on the other side. It's so pristine looking from out in the water...of course it's less so when you get up close but looking at the sand and the coconut trees and the white crosses sticking up from cemeteries was really picturesque. That’s all I did on Sunday. Well I napped and I took a jambo to the ice cream shop. We’ve been getting lots and lots of cultural sort of lessons. Like: to say yes, Marshallese people usually just raise their eyebrows. And men and women do NOT hang out together--unless they are sleeping together. And there's a good chance we might witness some domestic violence this year...it's a huge problem, because when the men drink, they don’t stop drinking until they're wasted and then they beat their wives. Greeeat. I mean that happens anywhere, I guess it's just a bigger issue here. The other day we visited an NGO that this dude started up to save the outrigger canoe. He brings in troubled youth (not in school) and teaches them how to make the outriggers, and they learn how to do it and bring it back to their outer islands. Namdrik is known for using the outrigger and I am pumped because I want to help make them! Like other things (fishing, spear fishing) this is not something that women do, and it may be a while before I feel comfortable asking if I can maybe help. The guys get to do everything. They don’t even have to wear shirts and we have to wear long dresses with slips. It’s a matrilineal society here but the men definitely have the power. I can't believe orientation ends next Thursday. It’s going by so fast! I’ve gotten five packages so far. Thanks SO much. Dad, you would be disgusted right now I’m wearing a big purple guam—haha, the things I wear in public here are so outrageous. I love it. So far I’m ok but I don't know once I’m in Namdrik. I can't think of much else to tell you for now...and I have to be at dinner in half an hour. It’s our "mid-orientation extravaganza" and we're eating at an Asian buffet place that is supposedly the best restaurant in Majuro (and therefore the country I suppose!). I love you all very much. Hope to hear from you soon. Unfortunately I don't think I’ll be able to be in town again until Sunday morning, so don’t wait up for me online. Love love love you!

Cari

written by  CariLeighAnn on August 3, 2009 from Majuro, Marshall Islands
from the travel blog: WorldTeach Marshall Islands
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