First few weeks

Hey friends,

A lot has happened in the last three weeks, so I’m not really sure where to begin.

I guess I’ll start with the basics.  I’m living in the south of Pohnpei with a large host family.  Anywhere from 7 to 12 people are at the house every night.  They’re all related in some way—siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents—and I still don’t know everyone’s name.  Everyone is really nice, especially my Nohno (host mother).  All of the adults speak decent English, so it hasn’t been too hard to connect with them.  The house I’m living in is pretty nice too, at least by Micronesian standards.  I have electricity, running water, a shower (cold, of course), a flush toilet, and a really comfy bed.  The house is about a 15 minute walk/hike up from the road, but it’s a pleasant walk and it’s good to get some exercise.

The food has taken some getting used to.  A basic lunch or dinner consists of rice, fish, chicken, and/or pork.  Pretty much everything is fried, is incredibly greasy, and contains absurd amounts of salt. I have on occasion seen my Pahpa (host father) add salt to soy sauce and then dip his fried fish into it.  Like I said, lots of salt!  Breakfast is usually pretty good: pancakes and fried eggs and white toast with peanut butter.  A few times I’ve had Frosted Flakes with whole milk, which is a significant change from the Honey Nut Cheerios with skim milk that I’m used to.  The other think to report about the food is the amount of it.  The serving sizes are enormous.  It’s not uncommon for my Nohno to eat an entire plate of white rice, several pieces of fried chicken or fish, tapioca, breadfruit, and yams.  Let’s just say nobody in my family is going hungry, not by a long shot.  Oh, also, we eat everything with our hands, not utensils.

Craziest thing I’ve eaten so far: pig brain (not very good).  I’ve also had pig intestine (also not good) and pig heart (edible).

There’s a huge rock up in the jungle above my house that I can hike to.  It’s only takes about twenty minute or half hour to get up there, but there is some serious elevation gain.  The view from the top is incredible—you can see out over the blue-green reef and way out into the Pacific.  I’ve been up there a few times and taken lots of pictures that I will upload on this blog if I can figure out how.  I usually go up with my host brothers and sisters, but last week I went up alone.  When I got to the top, I set up my travel hammock and hung out (literally) just looking out at the ocean.  After a while it started raining, so I got out of the hammock but stayed on the rock.  I must say, standing on a huge rock peak in the pouring rain looking out into the ocean all by myself was just as epic as it sounds.  It’s moments like that that make me truly appreciate the fact that I’m here on this crazy adventure.

I find out my permanent placement site on Friday, and I can’t wait!  I could be on Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk, Yap, or Palau—main island or small outer island.  I definitely have my preferences, but I’m sure I can make it work wherever they decide to send me.  I suggested that the Peace Corps staff announce our sites Harry Potter Sorting Hat style.  “And you’re going to… YAP!  Go join the Yap table.”  I’ll let you know if that’s how it actually happens.

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me mail.  Props to Sarah Davis for sending the first letter.  Thanks Sarah!  I hope everyone is doing well with school, work, job searching, and everything else.

Lots of love from the middle of the Pacific,

Ben