Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sitting in Anna’s House after a night full of awkward Marshallese dancing at Pub and kittens!

First of all, I apologize to my most loyal of fans that have been eagerly awaiting my next, non-existent blog post (ahem, calvo and ML!). Last night I went out with Kiersten and her girlfriends for a girls night out…after dancing awkwardly at the pub while everyone stood around and made fun of our moves (I was doing signature Heather dance moves, such as the mashed potato and shopping cart, so I have no idea what they were laughing at) we went back to crash at Anna’s house since Kiersten was house sitting for her. At 4:30 in the morning Sarah woke us up whispering excitedly, “kittens!” Anna’s one-year old cat was pregnant and actually crawled onto the couch where Sarah was sleeping to have her four kittens! I have never really seen anything like it.

By the way, I made it through my first, exhausting week of school but that also means that since school started I am involved in a vicious cycle of lesson planning, teaching from 8-3:30, napping, eating, sleeping, and then doing it all again. Which means I fail and haven’t really had time to write much. We have Ri-Jerbal Day (labor day) next Friday though, so I will come back to town to use internet and hopefully give you a more elaborate update. In the meantime, it’s back to Laura for me and another week of teaching with no internet. More to come next week! How is everyone!? I except your updates by next week when I am back online! Peace, Love, Unity-- Heather


Saturday, August 29th, 2009
Across from me a thin Marshallese woman holds a small girl on her lap wearing a worn green Teletubby t-shirt with wispy black pigtails sticking out on the top of her head. Her little hands grasp at the palm leaf her mother fans herself with. I am bouncing along in the “bus” from Laura to Rita, which is really a van with four rows that takes about an hour and a half to make the 45 minute long journey from one side of Majuro (where I live in Laura) to Rita, on the opposite end. The van slows as the driver pulls to the side of the road and gets out to open the back trunk for a man to deposit a large fruit before he himself gets into the clown-car van which is becoming more and more packed every stop we make. I didn’t get a good look but I think the fruit is pandanus (bob), judging from the sweet smell that fills the van.
The warm breeze from the open window brushes my face as I look to my left, where an occasional break in the palm trees lends a glimpse of the blue lagoon, a delicate baby blue deepening as it extends to the small islands beyond. To my right is ocean side; tide appears high as the waves lap up over the sandy rocks and close to the tree line. The bus hurtles along as we pass first through the town of Woja, then Ajeltake, slowing only for speedbumps and swerving to avoid stray chickens, dogs, coconuts, children and pigs. The road narrows and a cement wall stands to our right but our driver doesn’t let that cramp his style! He puts the pedal to the metal, bumping us up somewhere around the high speed of 45, to pass a truck in front of us holding a pile of gravel in the bed and a man smoking a cigarette (which only cost $3 a pack here by the way! Too bad girls aren’t allowed to smoke). Just another typical day on Majuro!

Vocabulary of the week:
Ij kiki ilo Laura. (I live in Laura)
Elekuun emman (excellent)