Well...I'm Back

Well...I'm back. (Any true Tolkien lovers will understand this line and the meaning behind it):)

But more than just being one of Sam Gamgee's best lines, I mean it in that I also am coming back to write my part of the tale. I have actually had my internet problems fixed for over a week, but I haven't felt like blogging even when people have asked me to. I think part of the reason is that the newness of Saipan was beginning to wear off. I wasn't as eager to tell about every delicious meal and every trip to a beach. But despite this, I really do feel the need to keep in contact with family and friends from home. And not just for my own sake, but because I do understand that my life is not just about me, but that there are others out there who do care about how I am doing here on this paradise of an island. Wow...now that that is out of the way I guess I have a bit of catching up to do. I certainly won't tell about everything; I'll just mention the main high points.

Last weekend there was a large fundraiser on the island for the American Red Cross. It is an annual fundraiser at $200 a ticket and thousands of people come. The theme was The Mad Hatters, so there were thousands of people sitting around in crazy hats. It was held at the Hyatt resort with dozens of huge tents and lights set up right on the beach. There was free food and about 40 very large prize packages generally giving away free flights, hotel stays, messages, and cash. I was actually given a free ticket by some people who had never intended to go in the first place. It was very fun, and I promise I will be posting some pictures of it shortly. The best part of this event however, was what it showed me about these people. Many of them do not have very much money, and $200 a person is very significant, but many of the locals still go every year. They are very generous people and they give everything they have to support someone in need. It is so neat for me to see this, as it is not nearly as normal to see stateside.

I think I should tell you all a little about my school as well. After all, my teaching is the main reason why I am on the island in the first place. I teach at Marianas High School which is in the village of Susupe (pronounced as Soosoopee). We are the Home of the Dolphins and the largest high school on the island. There is also Kagman High school and Southern High, but MHS is of course the best. The MHS campus is made of about 40 different buildings with open walkways and should comfortably house about 700 students. However, there are almost 1300 students attending at the moment, so the class sizes are fairly large to say the least.

My classroom is in the gym conference room and it has its challenges as the students are really crammed in there in 5 different tables. Tests and quizzes are my biggest challenge as the students are already practically sitting on top of one another, so cheating is rampant. I need to figure out if I can somehow take them outside my classroom into a corner of the gym to spread out.

I have two classes, both of which are Language Arts 10th grade. I have 27 students in one class and 17 in the other. 4th period is much nicer simply for the reason that that there are fewer students. It is a nice way to end my day. I really enjoy my students. I had some behavioral issues last week, but I think I am beginning to understand this group of students a little better, so things went much better this week. Part of it too is that I am new, white, and don't completely understand the culture. So the students were really testing me to see how much they could get away with. But I have set up some clear boundaries, and I think they are beginning to see that I will do what I say. I am truly realizing that consistency is probably the biggest key to classroom management along with proper instruction.

Today was actually Halloween Fest at the school. Classes were shortened to 50 minutes and the last two hours were spent doing dances, fashion shows, and booths. Because I am new and don't have a homeroom, I was asked to judge the performances along with 3 other people. Some of them were very good. My favorite dance was by the Chamorro Club and they did the traditional dances in traditional costume. I took my camera, but unfortunately was having some trouble with it, and was only able to get a couple pictures. I will have to see if I can clean them up and get them on here, because it was quite neat.

Tomorrow night, for Halloween, I and a bunch of people are going on an ocean cruise. There was a package deal from the Palms Resort. $88 for an ocean view room, cruise, dinner, and breakfast. The whole group of us going are doing the caveman theme. I just spent 3 hours making my costume, and honestly, I think it looks pretty awesome!

Well, I am going to wrap this up, but it felt cathartic to get this all out. Please drop me a line to let me know how you are all doing. I miss you all and hope that life is going wonderfully for you.

P.S. the snorkeling is amazing!! I have seen so many fish exactly like what you see in Finding Nemo. And many more. I certainly have seen Dory and Gill a lot, but no little Nemos. I'll have to go see if I can find him!

Internet Issues

I just want to let you all know that I am having some issues with the internet. A couple weeks ago, Tyhoon Melor went through and it knocked out some of the main servers on the island. So my school didn't have internet for over a week, and unfortuanately it was the same week that midterm grades were all due electronically. That was interesting. But the servers are now back on. The issue I now have is that I don't have my own internet at my apartment yet, and I am not sure when I am going to be able to get that hooked up. I have internet at the school, but this blog site is blocked, and I don't have a computer in my own classroom, so I have to borrow from other teachers.

At this very moment I am catching a few minutes of unexpected internet access off of someone else in the building. It hasn't been able to connect for 2 days, and then suddenly it came on. I am finding that here on island, internet connection is more an answer to prayer than an expectation.

So if I am not able to post very often in the coming weeks you will know why.

But since I do have a few minutes I will let you know that I am doing really well. I am all moved in to my apartment, but will continually by getting things to furnish it totally litte by little. When it isn't such a mess with suitcases and shopping bags all over the floor I will take pictures and post them.

This weekend I wil just be preparing for classes next week, but will hopefully get out and do something fun. Please send me an email occasionally to let me know how you are all doing. If you don't know my email already it is katialev09@hotmail.com.

Going Home

Some of you may have heard of all the difficulties I have had in getting into my apartment because of lack of power. Well, it was finally turned on and I am moving in tonight! I had already moved over a lot of stuff that I wasn't using at Jake and Jackie's, but I am taking over the last load this evening. I think once I move in, it will really feel like I belong here.

I am coming to really love this island, but there are some cultural things that I just have to wonder at. For instance, the utilities corporation had my power on several days ago, but for some reason, it still wouldn't turn on in my apartment. For over two days I've kept calling the landlord about it, and she told me the building maintenance man was trying to figure it out. When I finally got a hold of the maintenance man about my power to ask him why it was still not on, we had a conversation that went kind of like this. "Do you know why the power is not on yet?" "Yes, ma'am. " Long pause. "So...is it fixable?" Yes. I find this morning main outside breaker not on." "Can you turn it on?" "Yes...when you want me turn it on?"

When you found the problem!!!! It is not that the maintenance man is dumb or lacks proper English, it was his culture and way of taking things as they come. I am finding that people here don't do much unless you get in their face or call on the phone a hundred times. Oh, well. I am not mad; frankly it kind of amuses me. I suppose this is a good lesson for me to learn to chill out occasionally.

I am finding that as I face some of these cultural issues that I truly am flexible. And I am so thankful for that. When I do feel frustration, I try to remember the verses about not worrying. Worrying is not going to help the situation; it will just make me more stressed. I can't change some things--so I need to just go along with them.

Although different, I am finding little things about this place that I appreciate more and more every day. Not only am I surrounded by one of God's most gorgeous creations, I am also surrounded by friendly, open people to whom materialism isn't even an option. I like this simple life.

Forbidden Island

Well I just finished the grueling hike to Forbidden Island. The hike was VERY steep and nearly vertical for most of it. I was exhausted when I got there, but it was very worth it. Friends first took me to a hidden pool that we had another small hike to get to. The rocks there appear to be volcanic because they are very jagged and black. The pool was very hidden in a small cave. The water was cool and very clear. I got a few pictures, but nothing can actually capture the awe-inspiring nature of that place. There was an opening to the ocean, but the tide would not come over the main part of the pool. There is another small pool beyond the main one that people sometimes go swimming in, but it is very dangerous. There is a rip tide and it will pull you out, and there is basically no way to get back. There are always a couple people that die there every year. So we were very careful and did not go close. There was no one else at the main pool and we just enjoyed it for quite a while.

Eventually we went back to the main part of the beach. When the tide is low you can actually cross the 20 feet to Forbidden Island, but today the tide was coming in and it was too dangerous to cross. We probably would have gotten across okay, but coming back would have been impossible. So we stayed on the shore of the main island and there is a deep pool there that does not get the tide. It is full of all kinds of amazing tropical fish. I borrowed Daniel's snorkeling gear and explored for a little bit. The fish were flocking around me, but I got a little scared when I got too close to a gigantic lobster! So we had lunch on the beach and laid in the shade. I put on a ton of sunscreen again today, and didn't get too burned. I am trying to be very careful with that because I am so pale and burn easily. It was a glorious day! The hike was difficult but the views were spectacular and it was absolutely worth it!

Three day weekend

Hafa Adai everyone! I'm sorry it has been a little while since I've updated my blog; the internet connection has been sketchy here lately. Occasionally I will have it, but lately it has been down often. Apparently the typhoon we had last weekend knocked out some of the main servers on the island and the main company, IT&E, has had trouble in fixing it. But since I have connection at the moment, I will try to update you on some of what has been going on recently.

First of all, I found an apartment! It is fairly close to the school and it is very nice. It is a one bedroom and is fully furnished. It is in a nice area away from the main road, and appears to be really safe. Unfortunatly I am not moved in yet. I have paid the utilities deposit, but apparently the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) is fairly corrupt and very slow to get things done. They said they'd have my power on by Friday, but the locals tell me not to expect it until Tuesday or Wednesday of this week at the earliest. So I am staying with Jake and Jackie until I can move in. I have been so blessed by them. They have just been so wonderful and helpful in getting me settled on the island.

Secondly, I am starting to teach my own two classes full time starting tomorrow (Tuesday). My school is on a block schedule and only has four periods in a day. The 1st period I will be observing my cooperating teacher, 2nd period I have a prep, and then 3rd and 4th periods I will have my own students. Those two classes will be separate of the classes my cooperating teacher is teaching. This is quite different than the way they do student teaching on the mainland, but actually I think I will like it this way. I really like the students at MHS; they are respectful and fun.

This three day weekend has been full of fun activities. On Friday, I went with friends to the Palms Resort to look at the missile hitting the moon. They have very large telescopes, and NASA said the dust cloud could be seen with a good telescope. Unfortunately, when we got there the resort told us the telescopes were on the wrong side of the building opposite the moon and we wouldn't be able to see anything. So we had to watch it on CNN in the lounge, and it was completely lame. But fortunately Friday at the resort was ladies night and we got cheap drinks and free food!

Yesterday after church J and J, Amanda, and I took some church kids to the beach where we played in the ocean for 5 hours. I put on gobs of sunscreen about every hour, and thankfully didn't get too burned except for a little on my shoulders. It was the first time I'd swum in the ocean and it was glorious. The water is so warm--so warm in fact that the locals tell me the water around Hawaii is freezing in comparison! The only thing I don't like--the mixing of salt water and contacts. Trust me, they don't mix well. I will learn in the future to take out my contacts and swim blind, or to wear goggles.

And today (Monday) I am going on a hike to Forbidden Island. I'm told it is a short (15-20 minute) hike but that it is difficult (vertical most of the way). It sounds very fun, however, and I am excited to go get more sun and fun. The rest of the afternoon though, will be spent preparing for class tomorrow. I will take pictures and upload some of them here.

I continue to love it here. No homesickness yet. The culture is very different in some aspects, but not so different that I feel completely out of my element. The locals are very friendly and accepting and I have felt very welcomed by the expatriate community and the church. I think it will be a very good place for me to live for a year or more.

My Beautiful Home

All is well

The typhoon has finally moved on, and with little fuss. God truly spared us and the storm was not that bad. There were heavy rains and winds and we were all expecting it to get much worse, but it just didn't. I think people took this very seriously here because of all the other storms in the Pacific. Also, the locals were worried this time, so all of us expats worried also as a result. But there was no flooding, our power came back on quickly, and very few, if any, trees came down on the island. The main difference is the high waves. Wow, they are amazing. But there is a reef on the western shore that keeps the big ones from coming close and the eastern shore is not as populated and has high cliffs.

Today after church J and J, Isaac, Christy, Mark, Brittany, Amanda and I went to this amazing beach called Jeffrey's. This beach is different than the others because it is not the typical tropical beach. You have to drive down this horrendous rutted one-lane mud road, but the result is spectacular. The beach is rocky and is surrounded by high cliffs with a fairly narrow opening to the ocean. The waves come crashing in and it is incredibly powerful. I promise to post pictures. As we were leaving, about 15 land cruisers were coming down the road filled with Japanese tourists. It was a challenge passing the other cars with the road being about 13 feet wide with thick jungle on either side. J and J said that was strange to see because usually that beach is completely deserted.

I am back at the apartment now and will be working to get ready for school tomorrow. I hope I will have a chance to observe for a week, but it looks like there is a possibility that I will already have to teach a few classes tomorrow in my own separate classroom. So I will be creating an emergency lesson plan just in case that happens. Most of the local teachers never had the opportunity to student teach, and were thrown into their first teaching jobs to sink or swim. I think that they are not sure just yet about how to help me with my student teaching and kind of expect me to sink or swim too. It is a good thing that I am a quick learner and that I am quite flexible. I really like my cooperating teacher---we will get along fabulously, and I think there is a lot I can learn from her.

I do love this place. The heat can get pretty bad, but I am finding that it is bearable. And once again, the food is AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who prayed for us over here. We were blessed because the storm could have been much worse. Please continue to pray for the people in the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, American Samoa, and Indonesia who have been hit so devistatingly by all these natural disasters.

Typhoon Saga continued

The storm is raging on. It is 7pm and our power is out, but we are running on the generator. The wind is howling around us and the rain is pounding on the shutters. There are at least 5 of us staying overnight at the house tonight and maybe more. We had chili, chicken noodle soup, cornbread and salad, and now we are watching Seinfeld. Hopefully the storm will pass by Monday because I really don't want to miss any school days. From the last tropical storm two weeks ago the schools closed down for two days. They have to make up all missed days and as it is we are only getting Thanksgiving Day off and probably working up to December 23rd. Church is still on for now, but the church only has a roof and is right on the beach, so if it is still raining hard in the morning it might be canceled. I will continue to update on the storm as it continues.

In the Middle of the Typhoon

Well we are in the midst of Typhoon Melor. There are steady heavy rains and wind, but it is not too bad all things considered. The forecast shows that the eye of the storm will move a bit north of us, which is good, because apparently it is moving at about 130mph and is expected to increase. It is almost 10am here and the typhoon is expected to gain strength and come even with the island until about 4pm, and then slowly start to move past us.

We are doing well. I have heard there are some parts of the island that have lost power, but not where we are yet. I am not sure if there has been any flooding. The house where I'm staying is all boarded up with these special typhoon shutters so I can't see out of the house very well except for the back porch. It looks directly down on the big bay of the eastern shore. It is the most amazing sight. There is a cliff that is about 30 feet high and even though it is several miles away I can see the waves crashing all the way up the side of it and the spray shooting even higher. It is a beautiful sight from here, but I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near it. The ocean is definately angry this morning.

I will post again later this evening and hopefully the storm will have moved past us some. Thanks for praying everyone.

Weather

I have heard from my parents that a lot of people have been asking about my safety with the earthquakes, tsunami, and weather warnings that have been going on in the Pacific Rim this week, so I thought I would update you all on the forecast.
We have felt no effects of the earthquakes and the water levels seem not to have changed. When the tsunami hit Samoa there was a Pacific-wide tsunami warning, but it was soon canceled here in Saipan. The forecast predicts that there will be a tropical depression this weekend which basically means winds above 25mph and heavy rain with a potential for some flooding. There have been some predictions that it might turn into a typhoon which are winds above 65mph, but in that case there are shelters and buildings all over the island that were built to withstand that. The apartment where I am staying and the school where I will work, as well as the new apartment I will hopefully move into soon, are all buildings that will withstand a lot. Also, my new apartment is further inland and not directly on the beach. It is really not too worrisome---the island is very small and friends say a typhoon would have to have great aim to hit our island square on to do much damage.
Thanks to everyone who has shown concern, however. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I will continue to keep this blog updated on the weather.